Gimme the Keys Already

[Dreadp1r4te 10]

I'm having some trouble understanding why all the enemy vehicles are locked (and some unrealistically modified) to benefit the game's story. I understand there's a plot you're following, but one of my favorite things about the ARMA series is the sandbox approach to objectives: the game says this needs done, and it's your job to figure out how. I feel like the unrealistic restrictions placed on in game assets in the SP campaign severely detract from the "simulation" nature of Arma 3, in addition to just being outrageous and frustrating. Allow me to illustrate...

In the first mission on Altis (after washing ashore) you're greeted by several Orca's dropping off troops near where you wash up. You're obviously given the option to engage or avoid them, and me loving to fly, I decided to plan a heist. I found a TRG-21 with GL in a destroyed house, with one grenade in it. I waited till the helo landed, unloaded it's troops, then grenaded the ground near them. I mopped up the stragglers with the clip and a half I had of 5.56, then rearmed off the bodies, equipping a Zafir 7.62 LMG, along with the rest of a frankenkit, including an RPG, and other crap. A few minutes later, another Orca landed, but this time I positioned myself off it's nose, and when it landed, I opened up on the cockpit with the LMG aiming right at the pilot's head. Now, I know from MP experience that 7.62 will go right through cockpit glass, but I put no less than 100 rounds into that pilot's head, only to watch the helo lift off anyways. Annoyed, I reloaded my save, and went back and RPG'd it for being unrealistic. Taught that SOB a lesson...

And that's not all! You've got this great side-mission "patrol" thing going where in between main story missions, you can listen to gossip around the base and acquire side missions. Some of it's useless, but there's two good examples here I just really can't understand the logic behind...

In one side mission, you come across a CSAT check point. It's heavily defended, and inside are some supplies you can make use of. There's also an Ifrit parked inside, and I'm thinking, hey cool, I'll jack that and use it to explore and do the other patrol missions! So I spend quite a while carefully picking off GMG turret guards, HMG turret guards, and infantry, make my way into the base, and lo and behold! Locked Ifrit. What. The. Hell. Okay, fine, I can swallow that. But another side mission I'm on at the time, to eliminate a team of AAF trying to recover an ambushed and disabled Gorgon, sounds promising. So I head out again, leaving my spoils behind aside from rearming, and I do the same thing. I painstakingly clear all the guards, blow the tires off a guarding Strider HMG to flush the gunner out, and secure the vehicle. I make my way to the IFV to repair it... no option. Did I forget the toolkit? Nope, it's in my rucksack. Maybe it's a dummy IFV? Nope, it has an inventory. And guess what? I can't get in it either. FINE! I'll take the Strider I disabled after I fix her up. NOPE! JUST KIDDING! Somehow, the gunner managed to get out his key, lock the door, and swallow the key AS I WAS SHOOTING HIM IN THE HEAD.

Now, if I sound overly frustrated and angry, it's because I am. I paid for this game expecting the ARMA experience, respite with battlefield improvisation and playing it by ear, heisting enemy gear and assets, and... I dunno, "Adapting"? My fondest memory of Operation Flashpoint was the mission where you get shot down in an A-10, and have to escape a POW camp. You're SUPPOSED to take a boat, but what did I do? I assassinated a guard, stole his sniper rifle, sniped the pilot and gunner out of a Hind as it landed to rearm (or whatever) and stole it, and used IT to get back to HQ. Imagine the looks on the brass's face when they discover the POW they were negotiating to release is already en route to HQ in a commandeered helicopter worth 2.5 MILLION.

Anywho, rant over. Bohemia, I dunno why you decided to hide all the keys to vehicles, but please give them back.

Thanks,

Dread

[disco.modder 116]

I quite enjoyed reading the thread. Not really too keen on the campaign atm so Ill stay neutral on this one, but I guess vehicles of the future have facial and fingerprints recognition to unlock it? Thanks for the giggles anyhow. :D

[tvamvarg 0]

Haha :) did you try to bayonet the key out of the gunner after he swallowed it, maybe that would've worked?

There a line of balance between an on-rails campaign and sandbox, but it seems like you say that it could be opened up quite a bit more!

On the other hand, sometimes the sandbox provides interesting results;

Campaign 2 episode where you get to choose to take out a heli or something else. I opted for the heli, which was to land near the windmills after I deployed some smoke. I didn't get to detonate my charge though, because the heli crashed itself in a windmill as it came in.

And I couldn't even pick up and reuse the charge. How's that for openness!