Arma 3 - Sneak Preview Livestream

[rehtus777 10]

Yeap, it may be dark and bleak right now, like a big rainstorm with thunder and high winds..maybe a few flash floods. But after the sky clears the grass is always greener and something something. I'm not a poet but you get the idea, might be dark times right now but the future can still be very bright.

I don't think it is as "Bleak" as you are making it out to be over at Bohemia Interactive Studio's. If BIS was panicking and the product is not"quite finished," then they could have waited until the last minute in September for Final Release (3rd Quarter deadline - Sept. 30th) and bought themselves 3 more weeks time....and then in October, only one or two weeks after Sept. 30th, the 1st part of the Campaign would have been released.

Or, they could have released the Final in October with the 1st Part of the Campaign and missed the 3rd quarter deadline by 1 or 2 weeks.....99% of the buying public wouldn't have cared that they missed their 3rd Quarter due date by a week or two.

BUT, they decided to release the Final in the early part of September (3 weeks before deadline ....they could have had 3 more weeks to polish more or whatever) making the Campaign release even further from Final Release..........so there must be a method to their madness / logic.....we just don't understand right now. (Marketing? Business Sense? etc.?????) :p I believe Altis is ready for release. Time will tell.

Also, after watching the Live-stream, I am quite pleased with what I saw in game. The NATO base looked awesome and Altis was beautiful. Mods are on the way.....the campaign is on the way...... more vehicles / weapons on the way. Life is good between me and Bohemia Interactive.

Edited August 12, 2013 by rehtus777

[pettka 694]

Let me point out, since a bunch of you seem to not be seeing this, that there IS an "Open UAV terminal" action menu option in that video, Zipper5 just never chose to use it in lieu of direct control. Unfortunately, for that very reason we have no idea what the "UAV terminal" implementation looks like besides direct control...

Overlord Jay has mentioned that dev branch should get UAVs soon-ish, most probably even this week (with no promises on that one) and we simply wanted to have something to look forward to :icon_twisted:

[nodunit 397]

I don't think it is as "Bleak" as you are making it out to be over at Bohemia Interactive Studio's.

That's just the thing, I wasn't refering to the studio's exactly but rather the overall mood and atmosphere around here.

[rehtus777 10]

That's just the thing, I wasn't refering to the studio's exactly but rather the overall mood and atmosphere around here.

Ahhhh.....okay. Most of us here have been gaming for years, we should know the drill: Final is Released....bugs in the game on release...WIP. Then, we give the company / dev's several months (about 4 months) to fix the problems. 9 times out of 10, the company fixes the bugs / game play and all is fine.

[Tyl3r99 41]

no equipment tab anymore :O :O :O

[Cytreen 14]

Am i the only one who has noticed the complete lack of support vehicles like the Fuel; Ammo; and Repair trucks? Seriously WTF... and when the hell is the false light on the ghost chopper at night going to get removed? You do not do a covert insertion/extraction with a spotlight on lmao. BIS please add support for custom skeleton rigging in your animation engine. I would love to see an addon based off the Boston Dynamics BigDog UGV.

I liked the stream aside from the performance problems but if you think 30fps should be target performance you need a reality check. The new UAV will finally add a much needed element to the game. I just hope they continue to function on a dedicated server during respawn and JIP.

[nmdanny 22]

Am i the only one who has noticed the complete lack of support vehicles like the Fuel; Ammo; and Repair trucks? Seriously WTF... and when the hell is the false light on the ghost chopper at night going to get removed? You do not do a covert insertion/extraction with a spotlight on lmao. BIS please add support for custom skeleton rigging in your animation engine. I would love to see an addon based off the Boston Dynamics BigDog UGV.

I liked the stream aside from the performance problems but if you think 30fps should be target performance you need a reality check. The new UAV will finally add a much needed element to the game. I just hope they continue to function on a dedicated server during respawn and JIP.

There are support variants of the trucks, they've been seen at the gamescom interview.

[nodunit 397]

Am i the only one who has noticed the complete lack of support vehicles like the Fuel; Ammo; and Repair trucks? Seriously WTF... and when the hell is the false light on the ghost chopper at night going to get removed? You do not do a covert insertion/extraction with a spotlight on lmao.

This has been fixed in dev branch so it will be in the next stable update.

[Damian90 697]

The merkava can carry 1 passenger for every 9 shells removed, although I don't know if there are seats, but you can safely place a stretcher there. There's a variation of the merkava which acts as an ambulance, and has medical equipment at the cost of ammunition.

I haven't seen/heard about any non-Israeli tanks that have an internal mortar, the Merkava Mk4 has an internal mortar that can fire HE, illumination and smoke rounds.

The LAHAT ATGM can be locked onto targets lased by the tank itself or another source(another tank, helicopter, JTAC or UAV), and it has a range of 8km. It's fired from the smoothbore cannon and stored like any shell.

Even if the mortar/ATGM is not special, it should still be featured in the game since it would allow for interesting gameplay. The OPFOR tank could also have an ATGM(9M119 Svir)

The merkava itself may be somewhat vulnerable, but it has great crew protection since it's engine is located in the front, shielding the crew from frontal impacts. (However, they are vulnerable from the rear, especially through the rear door). The crew can easily escape from the rear door if the tank is immobilized. (So basically it sacrifices tank survivability for crew survivability)

The trophy APS system is optional but I think BIS should have included a variation of the tank with APS. For balance, the T-100 should also have a version with the Arena APS. APS for both tanks would make them balanced against eachother, but increase their survivability from infantry and air units. (Which is very needed, especially because of how many guided missile platforms there are in the game)

I think it's a real shame that BIS oversimplifies vehicles and missiles in the game. I hope that someone will make a mod like Mando missile, that would be perfect.

1) You obviously never seen interior of Merkava tank. To place even a single person there, you need to remove half of ammo containers in the hull rear compartment. And no, there are no seats inside.

2) LAHAT and internal mortar is nothing special. In fact LAHAT have limitations due to it's calliber and there are better GLATGM's in development.

3) 9M119 do not have any additional name, Svir is codename for 9K120 system, while Refleks is codename for 9K119 system, both systems use 9M119 missile.

4) There is no such thing as separate vehicle survivability and crew survivability. In fact Merkava crew survivability is overestimated and I would not feel safely inside this tank due to ammunition storage system which is obsolete and not safe, which unfortunetely Lebanon and earlier conflicts proved.

However I agree that it is pity that vehicles are oversimplified, you should wait for ACE3 which hopefully should be created at some point for ArmA3.

[Dwarden 1125]

In Lebanon majority of Merkavas were Mk1, Mk2 and Mk3, while Mk4 were rare (limited numbers), also most of destroyed tanks were Mk1, Mk.2 ...

quite some of the losses are also accounted to the reservist crew w/o proper training against the danger of multiple AT teams swarming them

in fact it's questionable if any Mk4 or 3 were destroyed as all of them were recovered (aka no need to abandon and destroy)...

imobilized and damaged tanks are still very survivable and Merkava (all of them) proved they can keep most of crew alive

majority of other tank designs would result into whole crew KIA and tank KIA

Edited August 12, 2013 by Dwarden

[Damian90 697]

In Lebanon majority of Merkavas were Mk1, Mk2 and Mk3, while Mk4 were rare (limited numbers), also most of destroyed tanks were Mk1, Mk.2 ...

quite some of the losses are also accounted to the reservist crew w/o proper training against the danger of multiple AT teams swarming them

in fact it's questionable if any Mk4 or 3 were destroyed as all of them were recovered (aka no need to abandon and destroy)...

imobilized and damaged tanks are still very survivable and Merkava (all of them) proved they can keep most of crew alive

majority of other tank designs would result into whole crew KIA and tank KIA

There were completely destroyed Mk3 and Mk4 as well as Mk1 and Mk2. Merkava is not some magical design, and decision to place engine at front was not done because it is so good idea, but because Israel at that time did not had nececary technology like composite armor, Merkava Mk1 and Mk2 have simple spaced steel armor.

Of course we should end this OT, subject is interesting but then again, it is not a purpose of this topic. ;)

However I wonder and perhaps BIS Devs can answer this question, why for NATO, you choosen Merkava and it's variants as tracked AFV's?

Why not some of prototypes for further evolution of existing NATO vehicles?

Edited August 12, 2013 by Damian90

[fragmachine 12]

There were completely destroyed Mk3 and Mk4 as well as Mk1 and Mk2. Merkava is not some magical design, and decision to place engine at front was not done because it is so good idea, but because Israel at that time did not had nececary technology like composite armor, Merkava Mk1 and Mk2 have simple spaced steel armor.

Of course we should end this OT, subject is interesting but then again, it is not a purpose of this topic. ;)

However I wonder and perhaps BIS Devs can answer this question, why for NATO, you choosen Merkava and it's variants as tracked AFV's?

Why not some of prototypes for further evolution of existing NATO vehicles?

Obviously, Merkava is unique tank because it is Israeli ;)

On a more serious note, I think that the current policy line (ME conflicts and so) forced them to do it. Setting was obvious, just like the sides of the conflict. And it sells - so there is nothing wrong with that though.

[Dwarden 1125]

i have yet to see credible source of the Mk4 loss in Lebanon ... remember damaged != loss and no i don't consider Wikipedia credible source for recent warfare results

[Rolling 1]

i have yet to see credible source of the Mk4 loss in Lebanon ... remember damaged != loss and no i don't consider Wikipedia credible source for recent warfare results

Are the in-game "Slammers" equivalant to a mk3 o mk4 Merkava?

[doln 10]

Mk4 Merkava

On another note, there are many many screenshots of an uparmoured Slammer, including one where there are both armoured and unarmoured slammers in the same picture. What happened to it? It looked awesome

[Concrete 10]

I enjoyed it.

[Damian90 697]

i have yet to see credible source of the Mk4 loss in Lebanon ... remember damaged != loss and no i don't consider Wikipedia credible source for recent warfare results

Even lost vehicles can be rebuilded if damage is not extensive enough. Below photo of Merkava Mk4 after meeting large IED, hull is messed up and explosion was so powerfull, that was capable to lift the turret of the hull.

http://i297.photobucket.com/albums/mm218/barthass/70297173cn1.jpg

I seen even worse photo of Merkava Mk4 hull remnants after what seems to been internal ammunition cook off. However I can't find these photos.

[kylania 568]

Below photo of Merkava Mk4 after meeting large IED, hull is messed up and explosion was so powerfull, that was capable to lift the turret of the hull.

2037? That picture is from the FUTURE! Even from the future of ArmA3! :)

[Dwarden 1125]

Even lost vehicles can be rebuilded if damage is not extensive enough. Below photo of Merkava Mk4 after meeting large IED, hull is messed up and explosion was so powerfull, that was capable to lift the turret of the hull.

http://i297.photobucket.com/albums/mm218/barthass/70297173cn1.jpg

I seen even worse photo of Merkava Mk4 hull remnants after what seems to been internal ammunition cook off. However I can't find these photos.

that's the thing, afaik these are mk2 and mk3 ... hence as i said, have yet seen credible source which allows me confirm that's mk4 (like serie of photos, tank designation numbers, unit it was assigned to, crew members etc)

[Damian90 697]

that's the thing, afaik these are mk2 and mk3 ... hence as i said, have yet seen credible source which allows me confirm that's mk4 (like serie of photos, tank designation numbers, unit it was assigned to, crew members etc)

This is Mk4, look at the hull, there are clearly visible differences in the hull of Mk2/Mk3 and Mk4. And surprise, the biggest difference are tracks. Mk4 use newer tracks visible on photo I posted, compare their pattern to the older tracks used by Mk2 and Mk3. Mk4 tracks have square pattern, while Mk2/Mk3 tracks have more chevron like pattern.

2037? That picture is from the FUTURE! Even from the future of ArmA3!

Yeah, funny thing, I also noticed it later, seems to be some error in camera callendar perhaps? However photo is 100% authentic.

Edited August 13, 2013 by Damian90