Bind System Design

[hoak 0]

Some ArmA Fans might agree when I say that the ArmA key-binding system is at the same time both the most brilliant and confounding; brilliant in that it sets is the standard in sophistication and flexibility, but the with that it brings a setup interface that is awkward and tedious that has frustrated and discouraged a lot of would be Fans. This quote from Ghost Recon Dot Net sums up that perspective rather well:

I own and enjoy all the BI OFP and ArmA games and expansions; and even bought VBS·1 and 2... Where ArmA falls down for me and Ghost Recon still sets the bar is the man-machine interface. ArmA may offer higher resolution simulation and more realistic control granularity, but Ghost Recon's control interface is more intuitive and realistic to me; i.e. operations that come effortlessly and naturally in the real world are effortless and natural in Ghost Recon as well. Granted if you play ArmA a lot, and tweak it's control setup enough you can get something that approximates Ghost Recon -- but those hours spent learning and fiddling in ArmA, are hours spent playing and exploring Ghost Recon's tactical depth -- which translates (for this Tactical Realism FAn anyway) to less frustration; and more challenge and fun...

I find myself in agreement with this to an extent, and while BI has brilliant features in the ArmA bind system, like the double tap and flexibility, it could benefit from some of the more intuitive streamlining and simplifying features of more accessible games like America's Army, RO, Ghost Recon or even the Battlefield games like:

· context sensitive binds (eg. shift key doubles as sprint when moving, breath hold when prone)

· radial or pie menus (take up much less bind real-estate)

· flat setup system

· binds saved to exclusive setup file

· simple bind script language

I'm not of the mind that there's anything 'wrong' with ArmA's current bind system, but do think some simplification and streamlining of the bind setup system, multi-tasking keys in various contexts like a more universal or global 'Use' key, and I have grown rather fond of pie menus for voice commands and they could be used to good effect to managing more obtuse or less used features... What do you guys think?

:confused:

Edited March 26, 2012 by Hoak

[Brutus404 10]

I think what you want will require some sort of coding, which is fine with me as long as it is simple and straightforward. Also it would be nice if you could make confiqs out of these which can then be downloaded by other people who don't want to bother looking into it.

[hoak 0]

I think what you want will require some sort of coding, which is fine with me as long as it is simple and straightforward. Also it would be nice if you could make confiqs out of these which can then be downloaded by other people who don't want to bother looking into it.

Yes being able to send setups right in game, like Live For Speed does for car configuration data would be a neat feature too.

:)

[CyclonicTuna 87]

One thing that has been bothering me for the entire span of the Arma series is that there is no action button. For every action you want to do in Arma you need to face the object and then scroll thrue an entire menu of actions you can preform with that object, and that can get pretty frustrating when the bullets a whistleling past your head. One example is the ladder. There's a minescule zone somwhere in the center of a ladder which activates the action in the action menu, it would be much faster if there was a single button you can press to just start climbing, or even better, just walking up to the ladder.

Now I know Arma simply is to complicated and offers to many features to incorperate this all in one button. But a good way to start is how the Rainbow Six games have done it. Being able to cycle thrue modes using 2 or 3 buttons and then use one button to prefrom a set of actions is a lot faster. Also the new Operation Flashpoint games (considering how terrible they where) had a better user interface.

When hovering over an object with you gun and icon would appear which showed when you opened the action menu a new set of actions. In conclusion I think BIS should optimize the UI for the heat of battle.

[hoak 0]

One thing that has been bothering me for the entire span of the Arma series is that there is no action button. For every action you want to do in Arma you need to face the object and then scroll thrue an entire menu of actions you can preform with that object, and that can get pretty frustrating when the bullets a whistleling past your head. One example is the ladder. There's a minescule zone somwhere in the center of a ladder which activates the action in the action menu, it would be much faster if there was a single button you can press to just start climbing, or even better, just walking up to the ladder.

Yes! That's exactly what I meant by a 'universal or global 'Use' key'; well said!

Now I know Arma simply is to complicated and offers to many features to incorperate this all in one button. But a good way to start is how the Rainbow Six games have done it. Being able to cycle thrue modes using 2 or 3 buttons and then use one button to prefrom a set of actions is a lot faster. Also the new Operation Flashpoint games (considering how terrible they where) had a better user interface.

Well, I don't think ArmA has to be too complicated in this regard; a single 'action' or 'global use' key can have context sensitive default behavior -- that can be right for 99% of what you need to do when you need to do it easily; and default behaviors can always be over-ridden. Similarly the voice commands system uses up a boat load of key combinations that can be executed with just one context sensitive pie menu key; seat switching in a vehicle can another one key pie menu or even a context sensitive pie menu under the 'action' key using no additional keys and doing the work of many.

Most importantly this kind streamlining and removal of complexity does not make for a less capable or 'simplistic' bind system; and outcomes are better and much more realistic for more players, more quickly with more features of the game getting used more appropriately as there's less counter-intuitive learning, bind configuring, and delay in doing something effortlessly that would be effortless in the real world.

:)

[jerryhopper 286]

i alway hated those pescy nummeric key stuff.....

But now my life is great since i purchased this mouse

i never want anything else than this pointing device for playing arma .

[saltatormortis 12]

hmm

there is a global usekey use default action

eg a gearbox i press mmouse then it opens the gear

currently you can use shift for sprint, shift + space(no function) for holding breath

you can combile every key for a combo with anotherkey

some working keycombos:

i use "Q/E" for leaning, "space + Q/E" for laydown/standup or "alt(freelook) + Q/E" for changing the elivation

on that way you can minimize the usedkeys to a minimum the only limit is that some commands or keys dont work together

for example "w (forward) + space" for jumping over object will result in a standing soldier but "2x W" for jumping over object works

but the adaptive layout is cool

but i love more the more control variant (on your example: i can hold breath without problems in every stance)

Edited March 27, 2012 by SaltatorMortis

[Brutus404 10]

For global action key you could use something similar as in the Splinter Cell games (the first few, not the last one): the most relevant action is shown in some sort of dropdown box. With the press of a button, that action is executed. When holding the button, the box drops down and shows all other options. Then you can scroll to the desired one and release.

(I already posted this in the ideas/suggestion thread, but I thought it could be relevant to this discussion).

[hoak 0]

hmm

there is a global usekey use default action

eg a gearbox i press mmouse then it opens the gear

currently you can use shift for sprint, shift + space(no function) for holding breath

you can combile every key for a combo with anotherkey

some working keycombos:

i use "Q/E" for leaning, "space + Q/E" for laydown/standup or "alt(freelook) + Q/E" for changing the elivation

on that way you can minimize the usedkeys to a minimum the only limit is that some commands or keys dont work together

for example "w (forward) + space" for jumping over object will result in a standing soldier but "2x W" for jumping over object works

but the adaptive layout is cool

but i love more the more control variant (on your example: i can hold breath without problems in every stance)

Sure, and for many of us that have played OFP and ArmA over the years are used to this; but it's not just about us, I can't recall how many times in games I've heard people complain, or ask about binds they've forgotten or did not understand, and even did so myself.

I don't think anyone would disagree that more Players being able to adapt to, use, and enjoy what ArmA has to offer would be a bad thing... By way of example, sans VOIP Players use the command pie menus a lot more in the DICE Battlefield games and their Mods; and Players communicate better at a minimum level then Players in BI games -- it seems only reasonable to assume this is because it's a lower drag lower effort affair.

Similarly key + combinations are a nice feature/option in ArmA I personally love, but I can well understand Players that don't like this due to a slew of reasons from: so few other FPS games do it, wanting maximum familiarity and simplicity of control, to localized keyboards that doesn't play well with + bound keys, to people with hand impairments.

The bottom line is it wouldn't be hard to do literally everything suggested so far in this thread and even offer the option for a familiar ArmA bind setup as the 'advanced setup mode' or 'legacy setup mode' as most of the suggestions would really just be scripted context simplifications of, or additions to what exists already.

:)

Edited March 28, 2012 by Hoak