A Changing Environment Based on Real Time

[CaptainAzimuth 714]

Ok, so Atlis or... Lemnos, is a real location. So what does that have to do with anything? Well you guys remember when they first released the map, and the Hotel was under construction? Even the Stadium, not currently there, but under construction? It's a far fetched idea, but this is my random thought. What if based on real life, changes to the island, including new buildings, or locations, bridges, dams, highway work were implemented into the game like updates. For example, if in real time, Lemnos decides to extend the highway North west a little bit, and so in game, the same thing can take place from an update.

What do you guys think?

[2nd ranger 282]

So you want a BIS employee to go to Lemnos every month to see if anything changed? I wish some of you guys would focus your imaginations on things that might actually happen.

[654wak654 25]

So you want a BIS employee to go to Lemnos every month to see if anything changed? I wish some of you guys would focus your imaginations on things that might actually happen.

We all know what happened the last time they did that :jail:

[CaptainAzimuth 714]

Hehe, hmmm, good point there.

[Bouben 3]

So you want a BIS employee to go to Lemnos every month to see if anything changed? I wish some of you guys would focus your imaginations on things that might actually happen.

Spot on. Too many disconnected dreamers on these forums.

[meat147 1]

Can Not Check it but is google Traffic working on this Island?

If so you could Try to Display this ingame.

[Rydygier 1317]

Several months ago I helped a bit with cool project to synchronize in-game weather with actual current weather on island's real world counterpart through some online weather API, but not sure, if it's still alive, long time there was no news. Problems with some weather controlling script commands may be an obstacle. If traffic data is obtainable same way, for sure road traffic may be scripted too. As soon, BI will fix driving AI of course.

Edited September 6, 2014 by Rydygier

[bigpickle 0]

So you want a BIS employee to go to Lemnos every month to see if anything changed? I wish some of you guys would focus your imaginations on things that might actually happen.

yeah, no one from BIS would be left, then they'd all have to build the game from prison.

[Tonci87 163]

I think no BIS employee is going to that island, or even to Greece, again, EVER.

[kilroy the nerd 14]

Perhaps if we could have it so that how the island is depends on the date. Then, maybe the salt lakes could become actual water? And say, if you choose a time before 2030 or whenever, the hotel and stadium are still under construction. I doubt it, but I can dream, right?

[IndeedPete 1038]

Perhaps if we could have it so that how the island is depends on the date. Then, maybe the salt lakes could become actual water?

That is actually a good idea I was hoping to see implemented.

However, having map changes based on mission date being patched into the game now would probably break quite a few missions. "Go to the hotel and meet some secret contact!" - "What hotel? The one that gets build in 15 years?" :)

[654wak654 25]

Well Kilroy they could do that, by putting them as mission objects which depends on date. We just gotta lose like 20 frames, no big deal at this point.

[Candryt 10]

I think no BIS employee is going to that island, or even to Greece, again, EVER.

yes, that's right

[Grumpy Old Man 3546]

Perhaps if we could have it so that how the island is depends on the date. Then, maybe the salt lakes could become actual water?

Call me a fool but at my first time reading the altis loading screen hint "There are 3 periodically flooded salt lakes in the east of Altis: Almyra, Limni and Ochrolimni." I checked all four seasons if any of them are actually flooded.

[fabio_chavez 103]

Call me a fool but at my first time reading the altis loading screen hint "There are 3 periodically flooded salt lakes in the east of Altis: Almyra, Limni and Ochrolimni." I checked all four seasons if any of them are actually flooded.

if you guys pay some attention you could be aware that there is no water above sealevel in arma3, because the engine cant handle it. so before you ask for multidimensinal time layers for altis and whatnot.... how aboutdemanding for basic features first? nevermind my appeal to reason im just dreamng...

[Grumpy Old Man 3546]

if you guys pay some attention you could be aware that there is no water above sealevel in arma3, because the engine cant handle it. so before you ask for multidimensinal time layers for altis and whatnot.... how aboutdemanding for basic features first? nevermind my appeal to reason im just dreamng...

The engine can handle it, it's just not implemented.

There were plenty of ponds in A2,

VBS too shows that ponds and streams/rivers are in fact possible.

Back in early alpha within the first few hours of playing A3 I didn't know that ponds were removed.

Since it's actually possible (currently via mods) to change the sea level one could think it might be possible to integrate this as a script command.

Kinda sad that these basic things aren't already fixed, one year after release.

[fabio_chavez 103]

The engine can handle it, it's just not implemented.

There were plenty of ponds in A2,

VBS too shows that ponds and streams/rivers are in fact possible.

Back in early alpha within the first few hours of playing A3 I didn't know that ponds were removed.

Since it's actually possible (currently via mods) to change the sea level one could think it might be possible to integrate this as a script command.

Kinda sad that these basic things aren't already fixed, one year after release.

you can have ponds in a2 and vbs that is correct and you can CHHANGE the sealevel in A3 but the engine cant handle ponds., but i agree its sad :/

[Rydygier 1317]

I remembered the ponds mostly as PITA for the scripter, because wasn't properly detected as water by usual scripting ways. Yeah, those look nice, but should come back only if fixed.

[CaptainAzimuth 714]

I'm sure they can be fixed. Ponds are important to gaming, and simulation and immersion. An infantry based game without ponds is absolutely absurd, to say the least. Arma 2 had it, so they better darn find a way to add it in Arma 3. Lol, it's possible, it just takes time. Time, in which i'm certain they can come up with if they wanted to.

[roshnak 41]

Weren't the ponds in Arma 2 just cube shaped water objects that were placed on the map?

[zedderzulu 7]

Perhaps if we could have it so that how the island is depends on the date. Then, maybe the salt lakes could become actual water? And say, if you choose a time before 2030 or whenever, the hotel and stadium are still under construction. I doubt it, but I can dream, right?

Personally, on the subject of "a man can dream", I'd love to see an option where if you date the mission to before the start of the conflict on Altis (or significantly after), there's not nearly half the destroyed or abandoned buildings and/or cars littering the place...

In (I'd guess) many instances, just changing classnames from the "abandoned" model to the "normal" model would suffice. Wish the island was that simple to mod, otherwise I'd/someone else would have produced a "tidied up" version.

[2nd ranger 282]

It's fairly simple to do that via scripting, just by hiding the building and spawning another in its place. It would be annoying if it was done arbitrarily based on the date, it would be better suited to a module or function, sort of like the 'open doors' module or Arma 2's BIS_fnc_destroyCity.

Edited September 15, 2014 by 2nd Ranger
Incorrect function name

[IndeedPete 1038]

... Arma 2's BIS_fnc_destroyBuildings.

I'd be happy if it would really destroy every building. But last time I checked those annoying military office buildings were pretty much invicible (even if you dropped bombs or arty on it).

[iceman77 18]

Ok, so Atlis or... Lemnos, is a real location. So what does that have to do with anything? Well you guys remember when they first released the map, and the Hotel was under construction? Even the Stadium, not currently there, but under construction? It's a far fetched idea, but this is my random thought. What if based on real life, changes to the island, including new buildings, or locations, bridges, dams, highway work were implemented into the game like updates. For example, if in real time, Lemnos decides to extend the highway North west a little bit, and so in game, the same thing can take place from an update.

What do you guys think?

Maybe for major changes. We already lack a proper 1:1 environment.

[654wak654 25]

Maybe for major changes. We already lack a proper 1:1 environment.

I am planing to go to Limni before A4 comes out, and take pictures and be the coolest kid in the ArmAverseee! It should be somewhat recognizable to the real one, I mean my plan is still achievable right?