ArmA Multiplayer and humans

[spamurai 3]

I would like to turn on my server and get a PvP community going for it, but I hesitate because it's really hard to sustain interest in playing to justify the actual cost in time and money to keep it up.

What I would like, is to run it PvP only and focus on smaller 4v4, 8v8, 12v12 scenario's with simple, direct objectives like sector control or sabotage type gameplay. So many servers that run any form of PvP run these large 32-64 slot scenario's that involve huge play spaces, but then only have a handful of players in them most of the time which really does not foster a good experience. It's hard to fill a server to make a large map feel like it's populated enough to be worthwhile. I think that's why so many servers prefer to run AI to fill in the gaps, why many like playing Coop, and why so many servers are low-pop or no-population.

[Smurf 12]

True. But there aren't easy to play large PvP servers because coordenation between so many people in a complex scenario like that is hard and the game doesn't provide any tool to easy that, which bring us back to OP.

VON just doesn't cut with so many people (and chaos among channels) and map markers get out of control quite quickly. The waypoint system could be expanded to coordinate a squad and who knows what can be done for squad-squad coordination.

I don't think that all those issues should fall into the mission maker's back as there are many problems with MP synch, garbage collection and optimization and the mode itself.

What BI could do to help and promote these modes? Don't think Domi or Warfare (as the most popular public gametypes) makes justice to what Arma can be.

[spamurai 3]

Well, they could promote these modes more by having very polished versions of these scenario's ready to go out of the box, that way everyone has them and can host and play them at will. As it is now, these scenario's have to be built by hand and even though they are not as sophisticated as a Warfare or Domination, they still require a moderate level of knowledge to build them in the editor and get them to work properly.

If BIS is not interested in creating the scenario's themselves, then maybe they could invest more effort into the Editor with prefab modules of the important working parts that these scenario's usually need. Prefab modules like a "Score Keeping", various "Goal/Objective Types" "Team Management", "Timer and Clock", "Respawning" "Play Area Boundaries" and more obscure and complicated to create ones like "Garbage Collector" modules. Every good PvP-only scenario will all share some common systems that are needed to properly facilitate a good MP game experience. BIS could help by making the tools more accessible and intuitive to use for even the novice scenario builder. Currently, I've noticed that they are missing from the editor.

The difference between something BIS has created versus what a community member makes is also in distribution. Once BIS makes a scenario, it is patched into the game and available to everyone by default. A community member has to figure out how to distribute his mission and host it. Most players do not have access to a server themselves, so while they have a really good scenario created, they still have to make other players aware of it somehow and then convince them to play it on their hosted servers.

There are probably dozens and dozens of really good scenario's out there on community hard drives, but they remain relatively unknown in obscurity to the rest of the community. That's why having ready-made, polished AAA content patched into the game by BIS would help. Steam Workshop will help connect players of ArmA with creators of ArmA content now that it's online. However, putting on SWS isn't enough and you still have to make other members of the community aware of its existence. Perhaps the community could help itself in this matter by showcasing community efforts and creations through more twitch.tv shoutcasting and community news sites like ArmAholic to showcase what's going on in their own community.

ArmA 3, as I've recently noticed as what appears to be some really good Spectator mode controls and a Twitch "stream safe" options. It would be great to see some competitive match making being streamed of good PvP contests on the web. Showcase what ArmA can do you competitive action and spark interest in getting people sitting on the side lines into the game .

Edited August 20, 2013 by Spamurai

[zukov 488]

+12 the MP (pvp) aspect in final release is quite atrocious there will be a two "defend-something" (and i'm not sure that it is PVP) missions and two "seize something " end MP,

at least BIS has to give to us proper tools, the editor is still criptic

[Smurf 12]

I can't be the only one bothered by this. After a afternoon of some pvp I left more frustrated than anything.

To add to the list of the first post:

• Screen spam of "Player x connected" or "Player y disconnected" or "wabawaba Steam waba kick" or "Player z uses modified content" <= I DON'T CARE! Could have some use to the admin or something, but why isn't off by default? It is annoying to have that thing scrolling all the time and difficult team communication.
  
• The mission ends, good we win! Then a screen with the scores appear, the Debriefing. OK. Then two buttons "I'm Ready" and "Disconnect". Well, I'm ready...... nothing happens. wtf? Better wait....nothing happens. hmm... Better leave, disconnect. AH! I'm suppose to disconnect to get to that horrendous role selection screen and prepare for the next map. How I didn't thought about it?
  
• (this one os more on mission makers side) How am I suppose to know how to enter\leave a squad, pick up a kit, move to the frontline (teleport) or even the basics of how the thing works? You either end with a cluttered HUD with too much information (for a milsim at least) or no info at all.
  

Pity to see a game marketed and known to be milsim (it isn't) beign more popular on Wasteland and Domi like missions because they have a better final polishing.

[zukov 488]

hahahahah Smurf i saw the Two "Seize Missions" now i understand why no one answered, are made for Xbox 5 vs 5 !:D

there is a class system only if you die hahahahahahah plus a strange "MRAP race"

[Smurf 12]

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaand......... absolutely nothing on this. Shame.

Anyway know what else could improve Arma MP? A lobby with chat.

How many people go to MP browser maybe looking for a quick small coop and, when don't find anything populated, leave? This sound familiar to some? It is for me.

Same is valid for PvPs. People don't join a server because it's empty, but it's empty because people don't join it! Get a match to start (with good amount of players) may take hours this way, if ever!

Why not create a bonfire for people to chat, get organized and get a room (:rolleyes:). Man of War style.

I don't take "Join a squad" "Create a group on Steam\Forum\Google+ (lol) with that porpouse" or anything like that as an apropriate response to this. As a game made and driven by the community around it, you could handle better "tools" for us to get together.

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On a more subjective matter about UI design, if you are a Counter-Strike player look for what Valve did on CS:GO. They took years of knowledge of how ppl play, most used and useful plugins and incorporated them in the game. The teammate loadout\cash viewer on round start, warmup and swap teams plugins on the competitive side; the built in "wallhack" for spectators, info on how many players are alive straight on the screen (instead of having to TAB to look at it) on the casual mode and aother things are just examples of extremely simple things that makes all the difference.

[christianmo 10]

I pretty much agree with smurf on all counts. I never got into vanilla arma 2 MP, mainly because of the clunky squad system. PR:A2 solution is simple and works and is intuitive, allowing new players to get a taste of how playing arma should feel. To our luck we have tactical battefield and PR:A3 is in the makings. But you can't help but think a lot of potential new players give up on MP before the really have tried it.