Rate the third episode!

[KEVINMGXP 20]

9/10 The reason why is that everything can be improved the second thing is it was a bit short for my taste at least I expected to have at least a similar length of the previous two parts. I liked the miller ending a lot more then the other ending, it keeps you guessing and opens a window for more, at least for my taste this was a good total campaign in a whole.

overall thumbs up for BIS on this one ..

best of regards

[chambersenator 10]

I gave it a 3. That's harsh, but here's some explanation:

Let me lay some groundwork here first, since I'm new to these forums, but not to ArmA. I thought that the Adapt installment was by far some of the best work I've seen from BI in regards to a SP campaign. Granted, there were some issues with it concerning saving equipment, loadouts, and such, but when it came to storyline, voice acting, and most importantly, mission design, Adapt set the bar high. I was expecting more of the same with Win, but what was delivered was disappointing.

1. There were only a fraction of the numbers of missions, not to mention ANY side missions. Kerry's unique position as liaison to the FIA could have provided many opportunities for missions. NATO would naturally hold Kerry's unexpected return to be suspicious, so there is a series of "prove yourself" missions right there, with more to come once NATO sees the usefulness of using "highly expendable local assets" to perform tasks that they do not want to risk their own special teams on. Conflict and tensions could arise again once the FIA starts realizing and resenting their status as 'disposable,' offering all sorts of story opportunities from there. Instead, Win is a frantic rush to the finish line, skipping story development for text-based briefings and straightforward direct assaults with little room for the creative strategic and tactical problem-solving skills that were learned from the previous chapter.

2. Character development - it's more than window dressing. The role of Miller suddenly becomes a flat two dimensional character and the static NATO Commander both have roles pulled straight from an 80s cop film - Miller gets the 'betraying villain who was once seen as a friend' and the Commander gets the "yelling, angry police chief" roles, while Kerry just stays confused and gets the 'turn off the radio while the boss is yelling' scene. Character development is part of what makes me care about the mission at hand. It makes playing feel like more than just eliminating the AI soldiers in front of me. So much work and care was put into the first and second installments of this campaign. Why does it feel like that was abandoned just to get it out the door to meet a deadline?

3. Multiple endings? Great, but the choice to help James or not felt like the only real decision I could make in Win. What if upon finding the Tempest megaweapon, I decide to deliver the device to NATO? Going AWOL for a half an hour to help James is one thing, but upon discovering all this new stuff, not having the choice to hand this truck over to your superiors seems odd.

This whole third installment seems hastily assembled, and makes me feel like an enormous amount of content was set aside or cancelled in order to get this out in time. It doesn't even feel like this came from the same people who did such great work on the first two installments. I'm disappointed because BI has shown that it can produce high quality content, but this time they dropped the ball. I would have preferred to wait another six months or more to get something that had the depth and challenge of Survive and Adapt.

Simply put, BI can do better than this. I would love to hear the reasoning of the person responsible for final approval of Win, who after looking at Survive and Adapt, looked at this installment and said "Yes, this is good enough. Release it."

Edited March 24, 2014 by Chambersenator

[2nd ranger 282]

There aren't really 'a fraction of the number of missions'. It just looks that way in the campaign menu because Win doesn't have any briefing intervals like the first two episodes. It could be argued that the lack of side missions is because Kerry is back with NATO and it wouldn't really fit, but it was already unrealistic in the first place that he'd go off by himself, so I'm sure they could have thought of something. It was probably a question of time.

As for characters - When was Miller not a flat two-dimensional character? He was just a guy who gave briefings and occasionally talked to you on the radio. He only starts to become more interesting at the end of Adapt and during the 'Bad' ending. Character development is largely absent from all the episodes.

I do agree that the FIA could have been used more for development of Kerry and also some possible side missions in Win. For example, Kerry could be given an optional objective by NATO, but then also contacted and asked for help by the FIA, giving you another optional task. He'd naturally be torn between following orders and helping his FIA friends, and the consequences of his decision could have some bearing on a later event, such as FIA providing assistance or intelligence (which could lead to another side-mission). Again though, I'm sure BIS just didn't have time, which doesn't excuse how rushed the episode feels, but they weren't just being lazy or complacent.

Edited March 24, 2014 by 2nd Ranger

[esfumato 75]

BIS anounced Planes, new locations, a bigger scale in the missions and an ending for the campaing...

None of the announcements came to reality. I voted 1 point for the third episode. If BIS thinks they are going to take my money for an expansion while Arma 3 is not finished they are dreaming.

[2nd ranger 282]

All of those announcements came to reality. Unfortunately it doesn't seem to be the reality you're living in.

[zimms 22]

Maybe you should check if your Steam is set to auto-update Arma. :)

[Alwarren 2765]

VERY disappointed with this episode. After Adapt, I was having high hopes for this one. The missions themselves were good but it was all way too short, and quite frankly,

the ending was worthy of a Mass Effect 3 cringe. No closure whatsoever. If there was an Epsiode 4, that would be fine, but come on, this is bollocks. It's quite apparent that more DLC/Campaign stuff is coming, but I am seriously disappointed with the resolution, and pulling that Sci-Fi earthquake machine literally out of their backside and not even go into it at all was just lame. This is too bad, because Adapt was a lot of fun, but this episode looked like they just didn't put any effort in anymore.

[Variable 322]

The whole 'Win' part felt rushed, shallow and unimaginative. The storyline felt like a childish fantasy of some sort, making me go "huh?" "what?!" "oh give me a break..." most of the times. Loud, too loud, character writing trying to cover up for a shallow, unconvincing, hole riddled story. Bad, so badly written, dialogues! Why are they yelling all the time? It feels like the only attempt to add drama is by Kerry using the word "Fuck". It just feels so cheap. The worst part was Kerry handing over the Tempest device to Miller. That was probably the most absurd dialogue I witnessed in a computer game. This 'Kerry' character felt like an ignorant moron who is just capable of cursing and yelling and crying at Miller for not telling him what's going on. It just felt ridiculous.

It could have been better if it was a bit longer, but the whole thing made me feel like someone made the campaign only because he was have to.

It hurts me to say it but I am disappointed, even-though I didn't expect much to begin with after all the development mishaps of the game.

Edited March 30, 2014 by Variable

[kilroy the nerd 14]

I didn't find it that bad, but it was frustrating trying to get through some of the missions, and the ending is disappointing. I think the Win episode loses a lot of it's points because we know BIS could do better to finish off the story. Instead, we're left as confused as we were at the end of Adapt. All we're left with is either "oh well, looks like the free world is gone, CSAT rules everything." or the lame ending of "Akhanteros surrenders". You don't even get to participate in clean up, and CSAT just disappears, and they're quake generator never heard from again. That's why I give Win a 6/10.

[Cyper 18]

I think the Win episode loses a lot of it's points because we know BIS could do better to finish off the story. Instead, we're left as confused as we were at the end of Adapt. All we're left with is either "oh well, looks like the free world is gone, CSAT rules everything." or the lame ending of "Akhanteros surrenders". You don't even get to participate in clean up, and CSAT just disappears, and they're quake generator never heard from again. That's why I give Win a 6/10.

It may imply that there is going to be a separate DLC where the campaign continues. Altis is a very big map, and I certainly think that there is going to be a DLC taking place in Altis.

[FallujahMedic -FM- 866]

Overall I enjoyed it. I could go through and tear it apart (maybe I will later) and expose all the faults, but for a 1st run through, it left me satisfied.

[Varanon 892]

6/10

Some nice missions that really got the "This is War" feeling over well. But overall, story-wise, it's one big disappointment. No closure, no explanation, and quite honestly:

The whole earthquake stuff seems to have come in with Win. I might be wrong, but no earlier episode had any earthquakes in it. To me, this creates the impression of an ending that was made up during Win. In other words, the ending was retrofitted to "make sense" to previous happenings.

However, this creates something similar to a "Deus Ex Machina" ending where you just pull something out of your backside at the very end and say "This is the reason"... but there is none.

There are so many unanswered questions that I really hope that BI will release a new campaign at one point just to clear up the questions. Although I'm not holding my breath for a good explanation, to be honest.

Story wise, a big disappointment (just like Mass Effect 3's ending). The missions were good at creating the all out war feeling. But that's it.

Aaand: Game Over mission: What the heck, you expect me to sit through an hour or more of mission without saving ? What the heck ? Are you serious ? And you really tell me that a lone soldier should run around the whole island to pick up up stragglers and nursing them back to health ? Serioulsy ? "Oh, Kerry, come and save us!"

Sigh... The missions saved it from being a total disaster.

[Alwarren 2765]

I didn't find it that bad, but it was frustrating trying to get through some of the missions, and the ending is disappointing. I think the Win episode loses a lot of it's points because we know BIS could do better to finish off the story. Instead, we're left as confused as we were at the end of Adapt. All we're left with is either "oh well, looks like the free world is gone, CSAT rules everything." or the lame ending of "Akhanteros surrenders". You don't even get to participate in clean up, and CSAT just disappears, and they're quake generator never heard from again. That's why I give Win a 6/10.

I liked most of the missions, overall, but found the resolution dreadfully disappointing, and the bugs infuriating. One mission never finished, in spite of destroying a tank it gave me a "you failed to obey orders" every time I retried it. Same mission the team leader got stuck several times. And if that isn't infuriating enough, the ending is just a gaping black hole of nothingness, regardless of which one you pick. I don't mind an open ending, but at least SOME form of closure would be required, because this reeks like "buy more DLC to see how it ends".

I would buy a premium DLC where I get to smack Miller with a baseball bat made out of frozen stupid, though.

[2nd ranger 282]

The whole earthquake stuff seems to have come in with Win. I might be wrong, but no earlier episode had any earthquakes in it. To me, this creates the impression of an ending that was made up during Win. In other words, the ending was retrofitted to "make sense" to previous happenings.

I think you're right, because it might have been an interesting story element if it had been known from the beginning. If the tremors had begun during Adapt, there would have been more anticipation and interest in the eventual reveal. It could even have been BIS's excuse for the islands being deserted and ruinous.

[aspire 11]

All the things that totally wouldn't happen in real life lead me to 4/10, the episode was so far the most un-believable.

Colonel telling Corporal to take command of an entire offensive operation including armored vehicles, support and multiple squads of infantry? YUP.

Keep the player a small cog Bohemia.

[kilroy the nerd 14]

I thought BI's excuse for the islands being ruinous was the massacre and every civilian being a refugee, insurgent, or victim of the AAF. The refugee thing and all the packed bags and cars at least would explain the total lack of furniture across the island. Although, I doubt anyone could get a moving van for a table or something in the middle of a war. Although, if there are no civilians there shouldn't be half as much worry about Pyrgos being shelled.

I think the thing about the scattered teams asking for Kerry's help is they need every man they can get/hope he has a team as well.

As for the Premium DLC, what about running Miller over with a go-kart? About 6 times should do the trick, yeah? Maybe if it has spiked wheels, made using the afforementioned frozen stupid.

[Res 10]

I was doing a 2nd playthrough of the entire campaign, now fully released, without having to wait between episodes, which makes it a lot better.

Now that I have been able to fully enjoy this I only have 2 complaints; very rage inducing friendly AI, and I finished the 3rd episode in one sitting.

But generally the more you play, the easier everything is, and with more experience you are able to do complex tactics with the commander interface when it works.

Cool stuff.

Also LD, UAV or freaking map coords, Artillery can't hit shit.

1st playthrough I made Miller ending, 2nd I did NATO.

Damn it Miller.

[zombov 11]

I say 8/10.. if we had more information of what happened at the end It would had been 9 or 10