New terrain reveal - Tanoa

[purepassion 22]

It has been already said the past that the expansion will be focused on Civilians.

The only thing said was

"We're looking carefully at making investments in civilian life and diversity". (Devblog 1) and "Longer term, we'll turn our attention to the local wildlife, civilians, and so on (Devblog 2)

That sounds more like technical investments (AI routines etc). Arma will stay what it is.

[jw custom 56]

Wow i might start playing ArmA3 again... finally a green terrain

[jumpinghubert 49]

I hope there are introduced some features the other islands take benefit from too, for example better (existing) midrange texture technique or the waterreflexions.

Very nice green alternative to Chernarus.

[vegeta897 13]

The only thing said was

That sounds more like technical investments (AI routines etc). Arma will stay what it is.

Further, doing a better job on the civilian aspects doesn't mean it's the focus. It just means it's getting more attention than it did previously.

[tacticaldrunk 19]

I really hope the civilian stuff in the screen shots are really all there is.

Hope the civilian additions are super limited, Arma is a mil sim after all.

LOL mil-sim or not it doesn't take anyone of a SUPER intelligence to figure out that Life based modes and MODS have sold more copies of arma3 than any mil-sim group would.if you dont believe me then go to twitch, see whats being streamed for arma3 right now most is life based modes. then go to youtube see which videos have the most views for arma3 i bet my life you will see the same there. runner up would be some of the zombie mods. love it or hate it arma 3 has a good feeling engine and the fact they allow people to do whatever they want with it makes it bring in ALOT of people. to say that the game is a MILSIM makes no sense at this point as its proven day after day to be much more then that. just a few months ago tonic reported to have over 1100 life servers up using his framework. the game has been missing more civ based items anyhow. ... BUT i like the map so far, would like to see something bigger but oh well at this point ill take just about anything.

[calin_banc 19]

Certainly its one thing that BI do very well, the terrains.

Sometimes you hear players from around the internet belittling the graphics and overall look of this series (all the series). But since the beginning, BI have made, from what has been available tech wise for them, great terrains. These are always believable, even if we sometimes don't think a war zone should/had been there. They are always done with a true sense of realism, which for me, makes the series special. Its not Hollywood nonsense, but true gritty (sometimes) honesty, which is very commendable.

This new terrain seems to follow that, it looks to have taken a couple of things, well one initially from VBS, which is the water reflection, it would be nice if the streams and rivers (should there be any) also be like VBS too. The jungle/forest pic is incredible and shows the depth of detail that BI puts into their terrains.

As said, players bemoan the series for terrible graphics, but should you play any of them since OFP, on the highest settings, for its time that each came out, you simply can't moan at the level of detail and commitment by BI. These terrains from this series stand out, for me, above any terrains from any other game. They stand out as real and un-glamourized, which sits very well with the series as a whole.

From afar yes, but when you come close is quite sterile and I'm getting the felling of a set piece. You don't find the usual sign of human inhabitants, you don't see the cars, the clutter that a settlement has; buildings are empty, interactions with them are primitive, no radios, no civilians, etc.

[altis 12]

Altis and Stratis are far more believable places than Los Santos imho, in Los Santos all buildings have no interiors except for the obvious gameplay assets, even AmmuNation is copied and pasted, remember the shit BI got for that! (mostly) All buildings are enterable in OA and Altis and Stratis, that's what 'everyone' wished for from Arma 2, we just can't have everything yet.

[mobile_medic 43]

Another post that offers me a level of optimism that not only might we see dx12, but also enScript/enfusion Script in Arma 3...

https://twitter.com/maruksp/status/578893382493335553

(pure, 100% speculation on my part, of course).

DayZ (which seems to be the primary driver of the new engine) is slated for "first half of 2016" release. The arma 3 expansion has the same release window. It seems the visuals in the screenshots are more robust than current a3 (which suggests dx12 as a possibility, when combined with confirmation from Marek that it is coming to A3. Take on Mars is also apparently getting the new scripting language (according to the twitter post from marek, above)...

One can hope. It does seem to be a somewhat reasonable speculation, though. There is some circumstantial evidence to support it. I'd almost be willing to bet on dx12 support coming with the expansion. The new scripting language making it into A3, however... that seems a bit more of a long shot. I am cautiously optimistic.

[krycek 349]

Sure, you might believe the Arma Life mentality screwed things up. But to be honest, what's mil sim without civilians? That's like have a large scale war that suddenly takes place in say... California somewhere, and suddenly there's no civilians. Just the two main forces. Civil assets are important too, for atmosphere. That's why it's there. But in an Open Sandbox game, creativity always prevails. That's why they can come up with other things, besides just mil-focused missions. Civilian assets aren't always that bad. I can't wait to try the jet ski. I just hope there's bigger, badder boats. =P

Fully agree with this,I never cared for all those "Life something" mods that seemed to pop up everywhere but I like a fully developed civ side in Arma games,that's why I enjoyed A2OA so much.I'm making traditional mil missions for me but I also like to make pmc,civil war or R6-type missions where I need civ assets.Having only mil stuff gets boring after a while if you're creative and want some diversification.

[chrisb 196]

From afar yes, but when you come close is quite sterile and I'm getting the felling of a set piece. You don't find the usual sign of human inhabitants, you don't see the cars, the clutter that a settlement has; buildings are empty, interactions with them are primitive, no radios, no civilians, etc.

They could do a lot more to populate the terrains with evidence of human existence, that's for sure. But terrain wise, because that's what I was talking about firstly, they are really unmatched for that. But from the point of view of the group I play with and myself playing SP, its not that side of things I/we're looking at so much (civilians).

War-gaming is really using the tactics and team-work to play faction v faction and the progression of those factions through the war-gaming world. We are not at all interested in civies really, only if they have to form part of the mission/campaign. If not they're simply not put on there. Now I know that is different for players that want to feel more like the surroundings are inhabited, but that's another form of gaming, in a sense. We are less concerned with that and more concerned with everything faction based, the tactics and team-work. That can be any form of faction, from a drug lords private army to a full government with its full military prowess. Just not civilians.

Seeing a house that looks like it is or was inhabited would be nice. But its secondary to what we play and for us, not important. But I can see why many would like it, just down to personal preference.

[Iceman_TF_Timberwolf 12]

Civilians are undoubtedly an absolutely game-making part of Arma. Arma 3 just didn't cut it. 5 civilian vehicles including only 2 cars that were very luxurious. I'd like to see vans, older vehicles, more pickup variants, more boats, planes, etc. As well as female civilians and civilian interaction. Adding that would make the game worth $20 more for me :)

[vran. 13]

Pft wtf? The amount of civilian stuff is what made OFP and Resistance a great milsim game and more immersive.

Well said. This series was always a combat simulation but it has always been a sandbox game as well. The non-military modes and themes date far back, to OFP times. Saying that it should be strictly a modern military sim game is narrow minded thinking with which I personally don't agree with. But to each their own.

[Iceman_TF_Timberwolf 12]

I say this not because I like Arma Life mods, I haven't even played any in Arma 3 yet within my 1300 hours in the game. I care about it because civilians bring the game to life, make it more personal. I used to love the way the CDF in Arma 2 spoke Czech, had their own militia units, etc. And the NAPA forces were just civilians who gathered up arms and hid out in the countryside hitting foreign targets when they could. Talk about character! The FIA and AAF just didn't cut it for me. Probably because they felt pointless. I had no reason to care about their struggle. Civilians were just a bunch of identical guys in T shirts and they didn't make me care at all. Arma 2 had the ambient civilians module too where you could see civilians walking around town, talking to each other, whistling on their front porch, etc. It was just amazing!

---------- Post added at 18:37 ---------- Previous post was at 18:35 ----------

Well said. This series was always a combat simulation but it has always been a sandbox game as well. The non-military modes and themes date far back, to OFP times. Saying that it should be strictly a modern military sim game is narrow minded thinking with which I personally don't agree with. But to each their own.

Could not agree more. Well said, sir.

---------- Post added at 18:41 ---------- Previous post was at 18:37 ----------

The only thing said was

That sounds more like technical investments (AI routines etc). Arma will stay what it is.

That kind of thinking will kill the series for me! Civilian assets and diversity are just as important as diversity and variety in military equipment.

[altis 12]

It shouldn't be done half assed though, Arma 2 and OA civs just weren't convincing enough for me even in game standards, the best part was the vehicle variety, seeing vehicles driving around helped in the immersion but in general their behavior was lacking a few routines, It will be great if BI could ever come up with a system to populate their terrains with civilians in a believable and more meaningful way.

[Iceman_TF_Timberwolf 12]

It was still better than the current Arma 3 mechanics, though.

[DancZer 65]

Finally proper mid-range! Kick ass! OMG!

[mistyronin 1181]

Reeaaaaallllyyyy hoping for Naval Assets. One doesn't simply make a South Pacific Archipelago without Naval Assets, it's impossible.

I agree. Modern warfare in the South Pacific islands focus on amphibious warfare in its conventional way, and infantry in non conventional. Naval assets are usually the mothership for both.

[gibonez 18]

I'm betting on a static aircraft carrier like in Arma 2 as far as naval assets.

Should be enough.

[mistyronin 1181]

I'm betting on a static aircraft carrier like in Arma 2 as far as naval assets.

Well technically was not an aircraft carrier, but a amphibious assault ship (way smaller). Which would probably require a V/STOL jet.

Should be enough.

If it's one island yes. If there's a few (as the intro text and the images seemed to suggest), then a corvette or an oceanic patrol boat would be nice. Also maybe a "connector", a disembark boat for vehicles.

[CaptainAzimuth 714]

It shouldn't be done half assed though, Arma 2 and OA civs just weren't convincing enough for me even in game standards

Actually, Arma 2 had more civilian interaction than Arma 3, where is no civilian interaction what so ever. I know this because i played the entire Arma 3 Campaign. I also played the first 2 missions of Arma 2 before i gave up. LOL, not even shitting you, i didn't even finish the invasion of Chernarus mission in the beginning, yet the first mission invloved rescuing a civilian female from some baddies. Heey, what do you know, that irony. XD

Though, i can tell you, there's nothing like the good ol' battle bus, and Arma 2 Wasteland in mil-sim mode. Setting up an ambush and stopping a bus full of like 13 enemies in the dead of night between Stary and Novy, in first person only, without NVG's, is something you guys need to experience. Those were the golden days, anyhow though. Yeah, civilians... and judging by the story line of Tanoa, they said something about trafficing? A hint for a new feature, being able to move supplies live during gameplay without attachto scripts? Or maybe just a basis for a new storyline/theme...

[CaptainAzimuth 714]

I'm hoping for something at least as big as the Skjold Class Corvette size, and look. Anything bigger than a darn Speedboat Minigun though. -.-#

[mistyronin 1181]

I'm hoping for something at least as big as the Skjold Class Corvette size, and look. Anything bigger than a darn Speedboat Minigun though. -.-#

A corvette like the Skjold would be perfect, because of its missiles that could be used as support. It even fits in the looks of A3 (or maybe a mini-Independence class?) :)

Edited June 13, 2015 by MistyRonin

[froggyluv 2136]

Though, i can tell you, there's nothing like the good ol' battle bus, and Arma 2 Wasteland in mil-sim mode. Setting up an ambush and stopping a bus full of like 13 enemies in the dead of night between Stary and Novy, in first person only, without NVG's, is something you guys need to experience. Those were the golden days, anyhow though

:)

Hate the idea of 'future weapons' in Arma but would love to see some sort of NVG disrupter like some EMI weapon that fries out your screen forcing people to return to real night battles. Best moments have always been the old pitch black night battles and then hearing some piece of metal rolling towards you...Anyone who remembers the line from the old OFP mod gets 10 points

*Whispers*

"George"

"George...."

[CaptainAzimuth 714]

A corvette like the Skjold would be perfect, because of its missiles that could be used as support. It even fits in the looks of A3 (or maybe a mini-Independence class?) :)

Heh, i was actually thinking a mini Visby Class Corvette. It looks perfect in terms of Modern, i mean, "2035 Future" look. Probably one of the most attractive designs i've seen in a ship. (yeah, i do like ships) But that's mainly pertaining to some kinds of attack boats. I do however support other things, like say a boat like the MK V SOC, with a flat back that we can actually use to put crates and supplies on and transport them by sea. It's already possible, we just need a boat that can be walked onto, and the ability to move crates as infantry. =D

[mistyronin 1181]

Heh, i was actually thinking a mini Visby Class Corvette. It looks perfect in terms of Modern, i mean, "2035 Future" look. Probably one of the most attractive designs i've seen in a ship.

Yup. I'm also in love with the Visby design, and I was lucky enough to have not one, not two, but three of them docked in the city I live last fall (the video below) :)

However the Skjold tho its ugly, it's the one that would require less work on modelling and it fits the best the A3 ship PhysX.

I hope the map will include at least a couple of mid-sized islands. Even if they are the size of Stratis. Would give a lot of gameplay at all levels.

Edited June 13, 2015 by MistyRonin