Arma 3 - APEX - NEWS and SPECULATIONS

[Robert_FMIS 67]

It also bears to mention that a large portion of the team was either not working on Apex for much of the time (Working on Helis, Bootcamp, Zeus, Marksman, Eden) or splitting their attention between Apex and the other stuff. Also total amount of new stuff in both marksman and Helis:

7 new weapons, intuitive weapon resting mechanics, new recoil, 2 new vehicles (plus the M900), ten new supply pods plus the bench seats, advanced heli flight mode, fire from vehicles, sling loading, ghillie suits, new GL vests, two new multiplayer game modes, and lots of new objects, on release they were $15 each, plus the $5 when new karts DLC which totals $30 for what we care about and $35 for all paid DLC. It also bears mentioning that Much of that (the platform updates and game modes) was totally free, further lowering the value proposition of the paid content

 

Apex is $35, we're getting the culmination of two years work on visual upgrades, more platform updates, 7 new vehicles and a total of 18 variants (some of which required a fair amount of remodeling), a load of new CSAT vehicle textures (</3 helis), 2 (possibly 3) new outsourced vehicles, 10 new weapons (spar 16s, spar 17, and CAR-95-1 are significantly different enough from their "base" they count IMO, plus the China GL is a new model), 5 ported, refreshed, and much-modified (at least under the hood) DayZ weapons, New textures of main faction gear, brand-new NVGs, two brand new rucksack families, a new G3 turtleneck, a new mandible helmet, a new CSAT uniform, a new CSAT helmet, several new civilian/irregular clothing articles including tank tops, new shorts, a new barefoot t-shirt/shorts set, a new bump helmet (Protec is love, Protec is life), a new balaclava, vehicle in vehicle, official helmet cams (as far as we know), and brand-new 6-8 hour co-op campaign, a bunch of other little shit I can't remember (Not counting squad radar, since shacktac had that for years), and a very new, very dense and superbly optimized terrain with like hundreds of new objects and buildings to support it (but that's not important nor did it take up the majority of the development focus and time :rolleyes:). Oh yeah and everyone seems to be forgetting we're also getting a brand new main menu and a bunch of new faces and eight new voice packs including two new languages, because getting those to a smooth and passable state is also also not a pretty sizeable effort either  :rolleyes:

 

It's a pretty good value proposition IMO, and it might explain why there's so many little things that need work.

 

@rep I do very much like that guy's artwork, he's also got some sick kriss/AR hybrid stuff like the gun there plus some art done for COD:AW, and some other really cool artwork of other guys. I can guarantee you it's not stolen, he probably was contacted by BIS and went "holy shit, they want to make this a real model in a video game where it'll actually be looked at? Hell yes!" or something of that nature. BIS Cz is not the kind of company to totally steal stuff from other people, at least recently. No idea if they did it in the past but I doubt it.

Mein gott, I couldn't have said it better myself

[corellian_storm 20]

Finally finished the sneak preview download yesterday, and here's my first impressions. (I hope to soon be able to write up a more comprehensive and thorough evaluation)

 

Vehicle handling: pretty good, a few minor nits to pick.

-Blackfish has painfully slow collective. Takes forever to land. I could land a derelict old Chinook faster. And what’s with all the instablility? Coming straight down, the plane wants to spin in a circle and tip to the side. Auto-hover should actually stabilize the thing so we don’t have to fight it so hard.

-LSVs both handle nicely. Only wish would be that the gap between them and MATV could be slightly increased (they feel a bit sluggish in cornering and acceleration for such light trucks)

-Ceasar: a lot to like about this little plane. Its fast and agile (when you finally get to that speed). Only issue I take is that while the top speed is enjoyable, the acceleration to reach that speed feels as slow for the "fastest single-engine prop ever"

MB 4x4: great little truck. but for a 4x4, I lose one tire and I'm instantly going 1 kmh. A 4x4 shouldn't be that easy to cripple that thoroughly.

Yi'an: very sensitive. Going all topsy turvy. Nose up, nose down, sideways, upside down, rather hard to maintain absolute controlled flight. Upon attempting to land, Blackfish's problem with being really slow on the collective. then, the ship decided to go on a rampant sideways nosedive. again, autohover should be able to level the flight, imo

 

Vehicle weapons: Overall, excellent

-Blackfish 105mm zeroing off. That or the explosive isn’t actually doing any damage. I shot dead-on at a tank while sitting on the ground. didn't blow it up

-LSV weapons are great (though the SPMG and Gatling both seem a bit underpowered, and the SPMG needs a smoke reducer. Can't see what I'm shooting at). Fired 1500 rounds through the gatling and still didn't blow up a zamak. Personally though, the gatling (in the correct caliber) would make more sense on the Prowler, whereas the Redfor lsv would be more logical with a 50 bmg. I realize it was done the way it was for balance (as a 7.62 gatling/spmg Prowler would be way overpowered against a bmg Quilin). Maybe a modder someday will produce a gatling prowler. But basically, just need damage tweaks, imo.

 

Weapons: don’t care too much for 80’s Russian, but they’re being used by my enemies and since there's so many other weapons (plus many, many mods from the awesome modding community) there is almost no scenario I could possibly find myself in, where I would actually ever have to use one. I would complain about how much the pistol sucks (worse than the old 9mm) but since I never ever need a pistol, what’s the point of my even acknowledging its existence? SPAR and CAR weapons are excellent. Protector is decent. The rest of the weapons, if I’m correct are CSAT of chinese origins (where China takes a perfectly good western weapon and builds their own “cheap rip-off variantâ€. Like the Zafir is CSAT’s “cheap rip-off variant†of the IMI Negev. Basically, these weapons don’t suck. But since they are meant to embody cheap Chinese mockups, they aren’t super impressive, either. Although the Type 115's unique underbarrel 50 cal is quite interesting.

 

Weapons skins: Heard a lot of complaints about the green MX. Dunno what the big deal is. Sure, that shade of green is not my favorite. But I have seen far worse skins. And to be fair, the MXM almost looks like it has a dual-tone thing going on, and actually looks good in green. Doing that dual-tone with the other variants would greatly improve the looks.

 

Clothing: I admit, BI left me at the end of East Wind rather disliking Brits, CTRG’s, and anything associated. But honestly, the triangular dazzle is really catching my eye as an attractive uniform. Not to mention it comes in anti-thermal variants. The other uniforms, I’m pretty much ‘meh’. They exist. They don’t suck, but they aren’t fantastic either. Kinda like Chinese weapons.

 

 

Again, these are only my first impressions. As soon as I have time, I'll do a more comprehensive review of everything individually.

[Wiki 1558]

Is there any info about a waypoint for the blackfish to make it circle above a target / area?

Or will we have to make it manually?

[papanowel 120]

Is there any info about a waypoint for the blackfish to make it circle above a target / area?

Or will we have to make it manually?

 

There is and it's called Loiter and it has been in the game for quite some time :)

[Wiki 1558]

There is and it's called Loiter and it has been in the game for quite some time :)

Uh?

Didn't know. What the French name for this WP?

[papanowel 120]

Uh?

Didn't know. What the French name for this WP?

 

I don't know since my game as always been in English. My mouse is just next to it.

[Wiki 1558]

Ok thx.

I'll check this out.

[Robert_FMIS 67]

Ok thx.

I'll check this out.

It would be under  "flâner"

[BomosBoy 13]

Sometimes i love BI, sometimes i hate BI:

 

https://dev.arma3.com/post/sitrep-00160

"[...] Other aspects will remain as they are for release, such as the amount of building interiors. This different approach was first discussed during last year's reveal of Tanoa. We are however investigating the handling of model Levels Of Detail. [...]"

[Alwarren 2765]

Sometimes i love BI, sometimes i hate BI:

 

Well you didn't really expect them to modify such a feature one month prior to release? I mean, we can be pretty sure that bug fixes and tweaks are the only thing that will be done, anything major would be insanity.

[lfcadam 10]

Does anyone know if BI is going to add the DPM texture of the Bergen which can be seen on Black elements site? :)

 

[Guest]

Does anyone know if BI is going to add the DPM texture of the Bergen which can be seen on Black elements site? :)

 

 

Yup, it might still need some tweaks before being added, or it can also be cancelled.

[lfcadam 10]

Yup, it might still need some tweaks before being added, or it can also be cancelled.

Thanks for the info, Would really like to see this texture for some British jungle Ops  :D

[CaptainAzimuth 714]

Thanks for the info, Would really like to see this texture for some British jungle Ops  :D

Welp, the Syndikat might receive that since their camo pretty much fits the similar texture. Bag is however already in game.

[graemeshute 218]

Does anyone know if BI is going to add the DPM texture of the Bergen which can be seen on Black elements site? :)

 

I doubt it and here is why. None of the new Apex assets use British DPM. We all about the Tanoa Jungle Camo.

[papanowel 120]

DPM whould have suit just perfectly in the jungle.

 

I doubt it and here is why. None of the new Apex assets use British DPM. We all about the Tanoa Jungle Camo.

 + This is the texture for DayZ. Too bad DPM was not use at all in Apex.

[graemeshute 218]

I was looking through the Longkat faction...seems like as someone said Doom names masquerading as another FIA guerrilla faction. Whats up with the dudes with no shoes? Are these at sea Somali pirates.

 

Pity because now I have to use mods to make a poorly equipped under funded dated Tanoan military that would have served as a better faction.

[2nd ranger 282]

The guys without shoes isn't as silly as it may seem.

 

A Tanoan government faction would have good though. I was actually kind of expecting it. Just guys in old BDUs with boonie hats and AKs or FALs. Wouldn't even care if they were reskins.

 

I don't think any faction is using the new Tactical Chest Rig yet. Wonder who's getting it?

[papanowel 120]

The guys without shoes isn't as silly as it may seem.

 

 

Looks like some bloke from Papua New Guinea.

[BomosBoy 13]

The guys without shoes isn't as silly as it may seem.

 

A Tanoan government faction would have good though. I was actually kind of expecting it. Just guys in old BDUs with boonie hats and AKs or FALs. Wouldn't even care if they were reskins.

 

I don't think any faction is using the new Tactical Chest Rig yet. Wonder who's getting it?

 

Ehhhh, the CTRG is using it, the Syndikat, .... . Basicly all sides are using this Tatical Chest Rig except NATO i think.

 

I thought they will add a Gendarmerie Pistol like the p250 etc.

[2nd ranger 282]

Ehhhh no, you're thinking of Tactical Vest and Chest Rig. There's a new vest called Tactical Chest Rig that neither CTRG or Syndikat is using (a CTRG guy was wearing it in the dev diary).

[BomosBoy 13]

Ehhhh no, you're thinking of Tactical Vest and Chest Rig. There's a new vest called Tactical Chest Rig that neither CTRG or Syndikat is using (a CTRG guy was wearing it in the dev diary).

 

then iam sorry... 

can you tell me if the vest is in the dev built or preview?=

[2nd ranger 282]

Yes you can see it in Arsenal :)

[Laqueesha 474]

A Tanoan government faction would have good though. I was actually kind of expecting it. Just guys in old BDUs with boonie hats and AKs or FALs. Wouldn't even care if they were reskins.

I guess the Gendarmerie will have to do.

The guys without shoes isn't as silly as it may seem.

Those are some hard dudes.

[frankfranconi 24]

-Blackfish has painfully slow collective. Takes forever to land. I could land a derelict old Chinook faster. And what’s with all the instablility? Coming straight down, the plane wants to spin in a circle and tip to the side. Auto-hover should actually stabilize the thing so we don’t have to fight it so hard.

I'm seeing the same issue. Especially the fact that the VTOLs like to go nosediving while in vectoring mode when reducing speed. Landing requires a ridiculously long period of reducing speed, almost crashing, increasing speed and so on. I really can't imagine them making a precise landing with the current configuration.

 

Edit: Figured it out. In vectoring mode it's possible to adjust the rotor/nozzle position manually by using flaps up/down. Maybe we could rename this action in vectoring mode to represent what it actually does.