SITREPs

[DnA 5018]

FROM: Project Lead

TO: Arma 3 Users

INFO: Zeus release date, GameSpy, Official Zeus Servers

PRECEDENCE: Flash

SITUATION

Zeus launch prep continues with fixes and a few usability enhancements being deployed to devbranch. Zeus can now control unit stance for an entire group, and when lifting a Respawn Module into the air, it becomes a parachute respawn. We're also happy to reveal that we will be hosting 10 official Dedicated Servers with Zeus (maybe more later). They will be physically located in both the United States and Europe, and run a mix of Zeus game modes - from Game Master to Sector Control. The servers will use the main branch of the game once Zeus is launched (those up already are on devbranch for testing). Look / filter for host names like "[OFFICIAL] Arma 3 Zeus #01 (EU-NL) by Bohemia Interactive". Besides setting up a virtual meeting ground with our devs, we also want to continue performance profiling there. By gathering more information, we are trying to optimize for larger amounts of players.

Oh, and welcome to the 50th SITuation REPort! In celebration of this milestone, here is the official release date for Arma 3 Zeus: Thursday April 10 (free).

Full SITREP

[DnA 5018]

FROM: Project Lead

TO: Arma 3 Users

INFO: Zeus release, Steam browser

PRECEDENCE: Flash

SITUATION

Zeus is finally unleashed on everyone this Thursday! We're keen to see how you will use it, and are looking forward to cool streams and play-through videos to share. Our own testing sessions have been quite role-play heavy, with Game Masters guiding groups of players through a myriad of unique, unplanned and constantly changing scenarios. But there are many other ways of using the tech - surprise us! Zeus will be 'packaged' as a DLC inside the game, and also on Steam. However, there is no need for any manual installation. Just like other updates, the data is downloaded automatically via Steam and plugged into your game (version 1.16).

Full SITREP

[DnA 5018]

FROM: Project Lead

TO: Arma 3 Users

INFO: Zeus released, Zeus livestream

PRECEDENCE: Flash

SITUATION

To celebrate last week's release of Zeus, we hosted a launch livestream on Saturday. Game Master Lukáš Haládik (call signs Sunray & Unicorn) created a High Value Target extraction scenario from scratch. The highlight for many was the GM remote controlling a civilian who refused to share his knowledge of the HVT position with the AAF players, and what subsequently happened ... The various hosts also demonstrated the new features added since the Zeus reveal and tried to answer a bunch of questions from the chat. We'd like to thank the three community fire teams who participated and did a great job of showing how Arma MP can benefit from solid teamwork. Kudos to Comrades in Arms, VOLCBAT and Shack Tactical for joining us!

Full SITREP

[DnA 5018]

FROM: Project Lead

TO: Arma 3 Users

INFO: Incoming update

PRECEDENCE: Flash

SITUATION

The next main branch update is being prepared (1.18). This is mainly a maintenance update, with a focus on multiplayer server stability and performance. Some recently introduced optimizations will be enabled, while work on others continues. The plan is to generate the internal snapshot at the end of this week, and to stage it on the semi-public Release Candidate branch. That branch is not very useful for the majority of players, but it can help server admins and even large mod / mode teams to prepare for the update. The actual release should then take place next week, depending on testing.

Full SITREP

[DnA 5018]

FROM: Project Lead

TO: Arma 3 Users

INFO: Update 1.18, Make Arma Not War applications, Roadmap

PRECEDENCE: Flash

SITUATION

As of yesterday it's possible for Make Arma Not War contestants to apply and even submit their entries already! Solo developers and teams can apply and share all but the add-on category (that one is waiting for add-on support in Steam Workshop). Entries can be browsed at your leisure and there are various options for developers to promote them. As a regular player you can also enjoy the fruits of their labor, as well as support those entries that you like, and vote for entries in the Singleplayer category! Read more about voting and supporting here. After supporting an entry you'll get a forums badge to show your participation. The more an entry gets supported, the more it is also covered on various official channels.

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[DnA 5018]

FROM: Project Lead

TO: Arma 3 Users

INFO: Roadmap blog

PRECEDENCE: Flash

SITUATION

So, now you know our plans for 2014 and 2015, or at least the major milestones! We hope you're excited for the updates, DLC and ultimately expansion. More specific information will obviously be shared as we approach each of the releases, with the Bootcamp update and Helicopter DLC first in line (not counting regular game updates). But, rather than rehashing the blog here, we recommend you read it and get the full context of what's next for Arma 3. We are now writing a follow-up blog that goes into specifics on how we intend to handle DLC, namely in such as way that avoids fracturing the platform and its player-base wherever we can. You can expect it later this month.

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Edited May 6, 2014 by MadDogX
fixed that link for you

[DnA 5018]

FROM: Project Lead

TO: Arma 3 Users

INFO: Development update

PRECEDENCE: Flash

SITUATION

The team is working on a lot of things in parallel. Some devs are focused on near releases and others are doing pre-production on the expansion. Broadly speaking, the programmers are looking at more (multiplayer) optimizations and platform support. Most of them also have a long-term technology assigned, such as sling loading ropes, and they are doing feasibility studies and prototypes for those. They are working together with sandbox designers who typically provide analyses for the features (how should the tech be controlled? What are the functional requirements? Etc.). We would expect such features to be released to devbranch in advance of DLC releases. The RotorLib helicopter flight model for example, would be unleashed for the current fleet of helicopters well ahead of the new DLC helicopters being published.

Full SITREP

[DnA 5018]

FROM: Project Lead

TO: Arma 3 Users

INFO: Welcome newcomers, Company anniversary, Misc. technology

PRECEDENCE: Flash

SITUATION

Regular players will have seen a wave of newcomers join the frontlines this past weekend. We were hosting a Steam Free Weekend, which meant the game was temporarily available to play for every Steam user. It allowed anyone to get a taste of Arma 3 and pick it up at a sizable discount. We welcome all of the new recruits! Hopefully Arma veterans can show them the ropes and share some of their awesome multiplayer experiences. Since its launch, Arma 3 has made the installation and update procedures much smoother, but there's still ground to cover within the game. We are working on enhancements to better orient new players with the Bootcamp update. The package is close to having all of its content in prototype status. That means the content exists and is playable fully (scenario flow / logic, assets, systems, etc.). The next stage focuses on adding flair: voice acting, MOCAP animations, better-looking UI elements and more.

Full SITREP

[DnA 5018]

FROM: Project Lead

TO: Arma 3 Users

INFO: Update incoming, Netcode, Vehicle camera shake

PRECEDENCE: Flash

SITUATION

Followers of our daily experimental devbranch may have picked up on things slowing down as far as data updates go. That's because we have been on a data lock since last week, in order to prepare a game update. Version 1.20 is set to go later this week if final testing let's it roll out. On the tools side, there will be a new version of Addon Builder. Its primary new features are the ability to binarize data for both Arma 3 and older Arma games. Besides that the User Interface has received a facelift. This may seem unimportant, but it's done to allow bigger changes coming up with regards to Steam Workshop and add-ons.

Full SITREP

[DnA 5018]

FROM: Project Lead

TO: Arma 3 Users

INFO: DLC strategy, Karts release, Scripting commands

PRECEDENCE: Flash

SITUATION

And then there were Karts ... we can imagine that was quite the surprise! We felt it was important to only release the

content together with our blog on Arma 3's downloadable content strategy. The package really is intended to be a fun test-bed for this approach, rather than a serious addition to the military sandbox. The charity aspect reinforces this. In terms of the impact this small project has had on the team's workload ... very little. In no way does this affect e.g. programmers working on multiplayer optimization. A lot of the work on Karts' content, in fact, was done outside of normal office hours by a handful of people who had fun doing something slightly different. For example, Senior Artist Martin Valášek contributed the primary model, created at home to further train his vehicle modeling skills. Project Lead Joris-Jan van 't Land donned his designer hat once more to create the unforgiving Time Trials - so you have him to blame for the seemingly unbeatable medal times!

Full SITREP

[DnA 5018]

FROM: Project Lead

TO: Arma 3 Users

INFO: Devbranch 101

PRECEDENCE: Flash

SITUATION

About two weeks ago, our CEO Marek Španěl, tweeted into the world that the Arma 3 player community is now over a million strong. We're excited to have you all playing the game in many different ways, from traditional military coop, to completely different ways of building out the platform! It has also occurred to us, that not all of you are yet familiar with how we update the game. Let's go over the basics: ...

Full SITREP

[DnA 5018]

FROM: Project Lead

TO: Arma 3 Users

INFO: Update 1.22 imminent, Bootcamp status

PRECEDENCE: Flash

SITUATION

Time for another main branch update! Later this week, we'll be deploying version 1.22. It's primarily a maintenance update (the last one before Bootcamp Update), but it does have a few highlights. Designer Jiří Wainar has wrapped up improving the campaign hub mechanics, with fixes to persistent gear and additional options during off-hub Patrol (vehicles and squads). An OPREP will detail these changes soon. Linux server admins should see a serious FPS boost thanks to optimizations by programmer Marián Krivda. And this is the update that will remove GameSpy technology and make Steam the default MP implementation (documentation on server queries inbound).

Full SITREP

[DnA 5018]

FROM: Project Lead

TO: Arma 3 Users

INFO: Bootcamp blog, Dev-Branch plan, Red Cross donation

PRECEDENCE: Flash

SITUATION

Creative Director Jay Crowe posted a detailed overview of the free Bootcamp Update coming to Arma 3 within weeks. Read all about the new modes, sandbox content and refined gameplay mechanics. Tomorrow we should be kicking off deployment of this content to Dev-Branch. While the specifics depend on a few dependencies between assets, we will begin with the sandbox content. This means the Virtual Reality world and its supporting objects, but also gear updates for the FIA faction, such as balaclavas. We think VR will not just work well for our tutorial modes, but also as a lightweight testing environment for modders and scripters. By stripping away all distractions, like natural terrain and objects, you can focus on just one thing - ideal for learning, development and testing!

Full SITREP

[DnA 5018]

FROM: Project Lead

TO: Arma 3 Users

INFO: Bootcamp finalization, Game laucher, Hotfixed 1.22

PRECEDENCE: Flash

SITUATION

Development has just entered the typical release preparation stages for Bootcamp Update. We are on data lock, and so all of our developers focus on fixes rather than additions - until the 1.24 update goes live soon. Staging of the sandbox components got delayed from Friday, but was released onto Dev-Branch yesterday. We caution most players against switching to this branch, unless they are sure they want to deal with potential issues. The update is not far away, so you'll get to enjoy the complete and tested content soon enough. Of course any help with pre-release testing is appreciated! Today we also staged the first bit of playable content: VR Arsenal. This mode can be used to explore the many character equipment options, including community ones. Another valuable use is exporting and saving custom load-outs for deployment in other scenarios or Zeus multiplayer (as respawn load-out). There are two more additions that will be staged within days if things go according to plan: the game launcher (more info below) and the rest of the playable content (campaign and Virtual Reality training lessons).

Full SITREP

[pettka 694]

FROM: Project Lead

TO: Arma 3 Users

INFO: Bootcamp inbound, Community Guide, Publisher

PRECEDENCE: Flash

SITUATION

Bootcamp Update development is nearing its end, and we are on a mission to seek and destroy any bugs found. The entire contents of the update has been released to the development branch of Arma 3 on Steam. We are thankful for all the feedback you've provided to us. If you want to test the main branch version of the update ahead of its release, you may do so by getting into the Betas section of the Arma 3 properties on Steam and using the access code "Update124Arma3Bootcamp". This will unlock a Release Candidate branch, which we still update daily with selected fresh fixes. RC branch contains the same executable (1.24) as is going to be used for the main branch. Meanwhile there are some changes in the Dev-Branch executable that may not make it to the main branch just yet.

Full SITREP

[DnA 5018]

FROM: Project Lead

TO: Arma 3 Users

INFO: Bootcamp released, Addon Workshop live

PRECEDENCE: Flash

SITUATION

After scaling several obstacles to get the data uploaded to Steam, we finally unleashed the 1.24 Bootcamp Update yesterday. There is a significant amount of added content, and we're glad to read that some players have indeed learned a few new things here and there! If you're a veteran already, invite some friends to the multiplayer Bootcamp. Guide them through the predefined courses and add challenges entirely of your own making as Zeus. Slightly more hidden are the random new ambient objects added to the sandbox. Scenario designers can find the list here and start using them in the editor. Of course we're also reading through your feedback to find the more controversial changes. We're taking it on board, seeing which parts truly are bugs and what is a matter of tweaking. Dev-Branch will no doubt see tweaks based on feedback over the next weeks.

Full SITREP

[pettka 694]

FROM: Creative Director

TO: Arma 3 Users

INFO: Feedback Evaluation, Splendid Script Commands, Onwards to Helicopters DLC!

PRECEDENCE: Flash

SITUATION

It's been a week since we deployed the 1.24 'Bootcamp Update' and, since then, we've gathered a lot of valuable feedback. Aside from a rogue CBA conflict, we've been happy to see very few players encountering any issues in their Prologue mini-campaign and VR Training playthroughs, and impressed by the variety of custom Virtual Arsenal creations! The hottest topics, of course, have been the new fatigue and weapon sway mechanics, which have received a mixed response. We've closely monitored all channels for your feedback, gathering and evaluating information from across the whole community. Sandbox Designer Radko Voda has already made some tweaks in the development branch of the game, primarily addressing issues with overly-pronounced lateral sway.

Full SITREP

[pettka 694]

FROM: Creative Director

TO: Arma 3 Users

INFO: DLC Survey, Launcher Updates, Splendid sounds

PRECEDENCE: Flash

SITUATION

Development on our forthcoming Helicopters DLC has picked up some pace and, alongside it, our goal to bring RotorLib's flight dynamics to Arma 3's development branch draws closer, too. Although we've recently experienced some hiccups that have prevented us from publishing the very latest dev-branch executables, we're still on course to deploy the new flight model at the beginning of August.

Full SITREP

[pettka 694]

FROM: Creative Director

TO: Arma 3 Users

INFO: Advanced Helicopter FDM Deployed

PRECEDENCE: Flash

SITUATION

It's been an exciting time on Arma 3's development branch as - alongside our usual line-up of tweaks, fixes and additions - we've just rolled out the first version of the advanced helicopter flight model! Rotorhead-in-chief, Karel KaliÅ¡, found the time to put together a splendid OPREP, which outlines the changes to helicopter flight, customisation options, controls and GUI elements! Together with Lukáš MiláÄek and VojtÄ›ch Hladík, we're keenly awaiting your feedback on our official forums!

Full SITREP

[DnA 5018]

FROM: Project Lead

TO: Arma 3 Users

INFO: Update 1.26 coming, RotorLib tweaking

PRECEDENCE: Flash

SITUATION

In the midst of the summer holidays and heat, the team has pushed on full steam with their work on Arma 3 Helicopters and more. A release candidate for the 1.26 update has been mastered and is close to release. As has become usual, we're staging the update on Steam's hidden RC branch. Keen server admins, modders and players can try it using access code Update126Arma3Splendid in the BETAS tab of the Steam client. The central feature of the update is the roll out of the so-called guaranteed network messages. See the LOGISTICS section for a bit more on this multiplayer optimization. Another, more trivial addition, is the set of sounds for opening / closing doors of various materials (and therefore technology to add sounds to other objects with animation sources). This update does not include the RotorLib flight model yet! The final version of that technology is to be released in a game update alongside Arma 3 Helicopters. We'd like to remind players to consider running a Steam local verification and defragmentation on HDDs after updating to solve potential file corruption issues and to improve performance.

Full SITREP

[DnA 5018]

FROM: Project Lead

TO: Arma 3 Users

INFO: Update delay, Weapon Inertia, Sling Loading

PRECEDENCE: Flash

SITUATION

There has been a small delay in getting the final 1.26 update Release Candidate approved and released. QA Lead Miloslav Cinko and his team uncovered a potential for desynchronized game states under some multiplayer conditions, and rightly insisted we hunt & kill that problem first. As of today the source has been found, the problem has hopefully been fixed and the new build is in testing. Also, several collateral optimizations were made as a result of the thorough investigation. We'll continue to update the Steam RC branch until the update is released proper. Whether that is tomorrow or a little later, depends on test results.

Full SITREP

[DnA 5018]

FROM: Project Lead

TO: Arma 3 Users

INFO: Multiplayer situation, Default launcher

PRECEDENCE: Flash

SITUATION

Last week we deployed version 1.26. Sadly, this was not a good update due to multiplayer desynchronization issues it has introduced for too many players. The irony is that the update was an attempt to optimize multiplayer via the guaranteed network messaging. As it turns out, this low-level change is not yet robust enough to bring the benefits it was intended for (although on some servers it did work well). Our apologies to those whose multiplayer fun was interrupted by this. We need to further improve our large-scale multiplayer stability testing (with and without mods & custom game modes).

Full SITREP

[DnA 5018]

FROM: Project Lead

TO: Arma 3 Users

INFO: Multiplayer progress, DLC survey, Publisher update

PRECEDENCE: Flash

SITUATION

The fight against multiplayer issues continues. On Friday we published the 1.28 hotfix (the version had to be increased because of removing the new network messaging). In terms of technology, this brings the netcode back to the 1.24 state. We'll continue to search for clues as to why the changes cause issues with desync and increased bandwidth use (where actually they should do the opposite, and do so in repeated tests). There are many mixed reports across the versions, making confirmation of fixes extra challenging. On top of things, the 1.28 version caused an incompatibility with the BattlEye anti-cheat client. A fix candidate for this is being tested on Steam's RC branch (access code: Hotfix128Arma3), and it will reach main branch as soon as we get confirmation it works. Our first priority now is restoring multiplayer to 1.24 performance. Then we'll attempt to thoroughly review the new networking tech, solve any issues, organize more varied external tests (different servers, modes and mod mixes) and hopefully roll out the results.

Full SITREP

[DnA 5018]

FROM: Project Lead

TO: Arma 3 Users

INFO: Sling Loading Dev-Branch, Multiplayer progress, Livestreams

PRECEDENCE: Flash

SITUATION

Let's start this week with some nice news: a first public version of Sling Loading is finally out on Dev-Branch. That means the underlying rope technology is enabled and being used by the helicopter ability to transport externally slung loads. We'll likely go in-depth in a future OPREP, but for the time being you can give it a go and share your feedback in this forums thread. The team will continue to test, tweak, iterate and fix this aspect as we have been doing with the RotorLib flight model. We're also curious to see what crazy stuff you'll be doing with the ropes!

Full SITREP

[DnA 5018]

FROM: Project Lead

TO: Arma 3 Users

INFO: Anniversary, Update en-route, Firing from Vehicles

PRECEDENCE: Flash

SITUATION

Last Friday, September 12th 2014, was Arma 3's one year anniversary (casually ignoring the public Alpha and Beta phases)! As a modest celebration, we hosted another livestream session. Producer Matthew Lightfoot had prepared a military operation for various volunteer community players and groups to tackle. Designer Nelson Duarte assumed the role of Zeus and curated the experience. And there was cake! Once again we would like to express our appreciation for everybody playing Arma 3. It's been a good year, the game is doing well and together we're improving it - with official additions and user-made mods.

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