Alpha Lite no multiplayer

[frankfranconi 24]

There's really no better way to put it, so I'm just gonna go ahead.

I think excluding the multiplyer experience from the Alpha Lite was a terrible mistake.

The Alpha Lite is supposed to win new players for the game, I guess. But the way it is now, it definitely doesn't do that. I have some friends that have never played ArmA before and I'd like to introduce them to this amazing franchise. But of what use are my Alpha Lite keys, if my friends can only play for themselves on their computers? New players in ArmA are completely lost when they start playing the game, because they have no idea of how everything works. It's quite the learning curve and many people quickly get frustrated with that.

It would be perfect if my friends could just join my server, play missions I designed for the purpose of getting to know the game and if I could play with them and explain everything. But that's not possible, and that's why my friends are frustrated with Arma 3 and are probably never gonna play it.

I'm aware that adding MP to the Alpha Lite would make it a "full" Alpha that wasn't paid for, but I think the fact that the Alpha is going to end sometime would certainly prevent people from playing the game forever without buying it. As soon as the Alpha's over, people who like the game would have to buy it anyway.

I think BIS would win more customers with this strategy, as the Alpha Lite right now is definitely not attracting new players.

[k0rd 3]

I have to agree with the OP. I think it would be really cool if the lite invites were just plain alpha invites - without the ability to freely update to beta and full and without the ability to subscribe to the dev branch.

[purepassion 22]

Imagine multiplayer without Battleye and completely free access... :rolleyes:

The Alpha can give your friends an idea of what Arma is about, how it currently performs on their system and if it's something they would be interested in. If they have problems, why not simply help them over TS? :)

Contradicting your statement, I think the Alpha Lite is a very nice strategy as it has the same content and same graphical fidelity and thus gives a true glimpse of the game as opposed to Arma 2:Free but reserves important features to the paid normal Alpha.

[k0rd 3]

Imagine multiplayer without Battleye and completely free access... :rolleyes:

The Alpha can give your friends an idea of what Arma is about, how it currently performs on their system and if it's something they would be interested in. If they have problems, why not simply help them over TS? :)

Contradicting your statement, I think the Alpha Lite is a very nice strategy as it has the same content and same graphical fidelity and thus gives a true glimpse of the game as opposed to Arma 2:Free but reserves important features to the paid normal Alpha.

I don't see how it could be any worse than multiplayer without battleye for 30$ - that's not a large barrier per say... I don't think it would introduce any unwanted elements that aren't already there.

I think getting potential customers addicted to the MP is a much better strategy.

[Sandy* 10]

I don't see how it could be any worse than multiplayer without battleye for 30$ - that's not a large barrier per say... I don't think it would introduce any unwanted elements that aren't already there.

I think getting potential customers addicted to the MP is a much better strategy.

A free game would bring tenfolds more players. A good example of this are the "free weekends" in Steam which usually mean the game in question gets flooded with newbies causing chaos, mayhem and teamkilling left and right :)

Having free access for 3 days is a lot better marketing strategy than 3+ months though, and yes, a 30$ pricetag is a huge barrier compared to freebies...

[gossamersolid 155]

No no nope nope no.

We already have a large enough problem with keeping script kiddies out of servers. Give them free multiplayer keys all over the place, it'll be complete pandemonium.

[frankfranconi 24]

The Alpha can give your friends an idea of what Arma is about, how it currently performs on their system and if it's something they would be interested in.

The problem is, it doesn't give them an idea of what ArmA is about. In the current Alpha Lite they have an Editor they don't know how to use. And they have the showcases, but that's it. To me, ArmA has always been about fighting large battles with friends or other people. And yes, of course they can experience the same graphical fidelity that is in the full game, but I don't think it's the graphics that make ArmA what it is.

The only thing I can tell from my experience is, that people become frustrated really fast when left alone in this game. This could be prevented by an Alpha Lite with multiplayer, because then new players could be introduced to the game by their friends.

---------- Post added at 16:43 ---------- Previous post was at 16:39 ----------

No no nope nope no.

We already have a large enough problem with keeping script kiddies out of servers. Give them free multiplayer keys all over the place, it'll be complete pandemonium.

That would be a problem if they gave away free keys over weekends. But that's not what I'm talking about. Alpha Lite keys are given to friends and thus I don't think they would be the main source of cheating.

[Deadfast 43]

That would be a problem if they gave away free keys over weekends. But that's not what I'm talking about. Alpha Lite keys are given to friends and thus I don't think they would be the main source of cheating.

Lite can be given to anyone, who in turn receives 3 keys that he can, again, give to anyone. Plus what would be the incentive to actually buy the game? Lite is a demo and I think it's one of the more expansive ones at that.

[NeuroFunker 11]

it's a good and simple strategy. You are geting a sandbox to play in, but since you are not a little child, and you like the product you got. You can thank the developers, with 30$. Therefor, you will get acces to even bigger sandbox, with real people in it, plus access to beta and even final game! No matter what, people will always moan and beg. The more open and accesable things get, the more people want...

[frankfranconi 24]

Lite can be given to anyone, who in turn receives 3 keys that he can, again, give to anyone. Plus what would be the incentive to actually buy the game? Lite is a demo and I think it's one of the more expansive ones at that.

The incentive to buy the game would be the fact that the Alpha is going to be over at some point. However, I must agree to you that the Alpha Lite really is quite an expansive demo. But from my experience, it just doesn't get peple hooked.

---------- Post added at 16:59 ---------- Previous post was at 16:57 ----------

it's a good and simple strategy. You are geting a sandbox to play in, but since you are not a little child, and you like the product you got. You can thank the developers, with 30$. Therefor, you will get acces to even bigger sandbox, with real people in it, plus access to beta and even final game! No matter what, people will always moan and beg. The more open and accesable things get, the more people want...

I'm neither moaning nor begging. I'm just saying that from what I can tell, more people would buy the game if the difficult start could be made a little easier by their friends introducing them to the game.

[NeuroFunker 11]

well, the phrase "no shit, sherlock", comes to my mind, but not to offend you. It's obviosly it will bring lot more people. And imagine battlefield 3, free and with multiplayer? But you have to pay for intatainment. For the job, people have been working on.

[zooloo75 834]

Let's just hope BIS doesn't make the same mistake as they did with ArmA2:Free. Although it's the best F2P game IMO :P, it made multiplayer impossible to play due to script kiddies being able to unban themselves by just getting a new key or changing their IP.

[frankfranconi 24]

But you have to pay for intatainment. For the job, people have been working on.

No shit, Sherlock! But where was I talking about giving the game away for free? You're aware that the Alpha is gonna be over at some point and that people who like the game so far would buy it eventually?

[Smurf 12]

Wait for the Demo of the full version for an MP experience.

This Alpha is not to people try out the game and see if they like it, it's about bug hunting tweaks and so on.

[kremator 1065]

No to OP. You want it ... you buy it.

Alpha Lite was the taster .. the real thing will be 100x better !

[frankfranconi 24]

Wait for the Demo of the full version for an MP experience.

This Alpha is not to people try out the game and see if they like it, it's about bug hunting tweaks and so on.

Good point. I just hope there will be a demo.

[ProfTournesol 956]

Anyway, "The Arma 3 Alpha Lite will be discontinued on June 18th, 2013."

[chortles 263]

Good point. I just hope there will be a demo.

Demo confirmed:

LOGISTICS

Keep in mind the Arma 3 Alpha Lite will become unavailable after June 18. This means it will be disabled as Steam application and be removed from your libraries. Any unclaimed Lite access codes will be revoked. From that moment we will enter a phase during which you can only access Arma 3 by purchasing it. As with all of our previous games, we will definitely return to the free game space with a demo after full release.

[telkwa 0]

I don't care about battle eye and Multiplayer. I only care about giving a friend a key and doing a Coop mission running on a server I host on my own PC. At least that would help gain new player fan base. But just giving a friend a key and say here you go play by yourself and figure it out on your own. Hope you buy the full version adiós.

BIS should have made it so that the only way the Alpha Lite user could do Multiplayer/COOP was if My GUID was on the same server as theirs to enable their Multiplayer.

[johncage 30]

Don't worry about it, you're not missing much, unless you count the endless ctds, constant micro stuttering and plain bad optimization.

[gossamersolid 155]

Don't worry about it, you're not missing much, unless you count the endless ctds, constant micro stuttering and plain bad optimization.

umadbro?

[avfc 10]

It actually makes complete sense to make it a lite, i was playing arma 2 and i wanted to try the alpha without committing to buying at the early alpha stages for various reasons so i tried the lite and it convinced me to buy the full alpha/game i think you'll find that is the general idea. As for complaining about crashes and other bugs in an alpha well thats too stupid to even need a response.

[Scoggs 1]

Don't worry about it, you're not missing much, unless you count the endless ctds, constant micro stuttering and plain bad optimization.

I'm thinkin you need a new computer man. I have had almost 0 issues.

OT: i think no. Alpha Trial is just that a taste to see if you like what alpha has to offer. If you like what you see then buy it.

[jaykinch 1]

Yeah alpha lite for offline only I think

U know if your gonna want to play online or not within 10 mins of play

Then get ya money out so to speak

Or all the alpha lite players are gonna be pissed off if they play online now and when the full game comes out have to pay 40 quid or whatever the cost will be

I can see the threads now "I got the alpha lite now it wants me to pay full price for the full game where's my discount"

And no I don't get no ctd or any other problems

This alpha works better than some games that get released as gold

[Sneakson 1]

You get showcases and the freaking editor. That's enough.