Difficulty Overhaul

[R3vo 2654]

The documentation for difficulty settings prior to Arma 3 1.58 should be removed from this page in the near future in my opinion to prevent confusion.

https://community.bistudio.com/wiki/Arma_3_Difficulty_Menu

[twisted 128]

Is it possible for a mission maker to set the distance and time that information fades out at. it would be unbelievably empowering and allow greater control of mission UI elements

[hoverguy 177]

Values in config are correct, true or false work as muf said.

 

If you want to make your own presets using config classes (see post from rebelvg and That1Drifter page 6) you can use both. If you use boolean make sure you define em beforehand.

 

#define true 1
#define false 0

 

In default config from BIS they already are defined.

[TisovcikRasto 21]

I will add to this that if you were already in a mission when you type #missions, it will be stuck on Regular difficulty and the Difficulty tab will be disabled until the next server reboot. I have discovered a workaround - select a mission and go to the slotting screen, then do #missions again and go back to the Game Options to see the Difficulty tab is unlocked again.

 

What groups like ours really need is the ability to tell the server via the config or profile to always default to a single difficulty preset (custom or otherwise) and for it to optionally make the settings "read only". That would actually be an improvement over how it was previously.

 

Right now the only solution I've got for members is a topic on our forums with the 23(!!!!!!) options they need to make sure are correctly set. This isn't a practical solution.

 

I have just fixed the bug regarding the disabled Difficulty tab. The fix should be included in the next dev branch update, allowing everyone to change their difficulty options until they reach the mission's lobby.

 

We have not been able to reproduce the bug with #missions command and revert to Regular/default preset yet. If you encounter it again, could you please provide us with more info (e.g. list of steps to reproduce the behaviour) so that we can look into it? Even the tiniest details are appreciated. Thank you!

 

Ad. forced difficulty - we are now considering a solution that would allow you to force server to use only one specific difficulty, essentially overriding difficulty preset that can currently be selected by connected players. That way, you would simply set options for your custom difficulty (the one that's stored in profile) and tell server to use "Custom" at all times. Would that work for those of you who wish to enforce a particular difficulty on your server(s)?

 

 

Im not using a dedicated server, just wanted to double check, does the Difficulty settings I have are working when I launch a game with friends? or I need to set up something?

 

Yes. If you host a multiplayer game (via Play -> Multiplayer -> New), your difficulty preset (along with all difficulty options) is sent to other players. There's no need to set up anything else.

[Alwarren 2767]

We have not been able to reproduce the bug with #missions command and revert to Regular/default preset yet. If you encounter it again, could you please provide us with more info (e.g. list of steps to reproduce the behaviour) so that we can look into it? Even the tiniest details are appreciated. Thank you!

 

From what I have seen, there are two major factors in this. 

 

1. It must be entered during a mission. Apparently, it's fine in the slot-in screen.
2. It will apparently revert to the difficulty level selected by the admin for single player

Let me elaborate on #2. My first idea was that it reverts to default difficulty, so I wrote a server side addon that simply changes defaultPreset = Regular to defaultPreset = Custom. My own settings, however, were set to Regular, and when I was the admin and enteres #missions during a running mission, it reverted back to the Regular difficulty in spite of the server treating defaultPreset as Custom.

 

I believe that the guy that had admin before me was on Custom. I'll check with him and update this post.

EDIT: As I suspected, previous admin had "Custom" set, I had "Regular", so it reverts back to the preset of the current server admin.

 

So, in essence, I think that during the mission entering #missons sets the server to the admin's difficulty preset.

[General Kong 148]

Yes. If you host a multiplayer game (via Play -> Multiplayer -> New), your difficulty preset (along with all difficulty options) is sent to other players. There's no need to set up anything else.

Thank you for the answer :)

[WolfenswanFA 19]

Ad. forced difficulty - we are now considering a solution that would allow you to force server to use only one specific difficulty, essentially overriding difficulty preset that can currently be selected by connected players. That way, you would simply set options for your custom difficulty (the one that's stored in profile) and tell server to use "Custom" at all times. Would that work for those of you who wish to enforce a particular difficulty on your server(s)?

Sounds perfect.

[twistking 204]

Yes. If you host a multiplayer game (via Play -> Multiplayer -> New), your difficulty preset (along with all difficulty options) is sent to other players. There's no need to set up anything else.

 

may be a stupid question, but will this also work on dedicated servers, when i am the admin and using "#missions" to load a specific mission?

 

this would be great, because i am not very good with all that server config stuff...

[hia3official 24]

That way, you would simply set options for your custom difficulty (the one that's stored in profile) and tell server to use "Custom" at all times. Would that work for those of you who wish to enforce a particular difficulty on your server(s)?

That would be just awesome! Thanks in advance for that!

[spanishsurfer 58]

Is there a way to get custom difficulty on dedicated servers?  I've read 4 different topics on BIS forums and none of the "solutions" work. BIS WIKI doesn't even work, I read we don't use profiles anymore....then can you please explain how to edit difficulty via "new method" 

 

 

Come on BIS!

[hia3official 24]

Is there a way to get custom difficulty on dedicated servers?  I've read 4 different topics on BIS forums and none of the "solutions" work. BIS WIKI doesn't even work, I read we don't use profiles anymore....then can you please explain how to edit difficulty via "new method" 

 

 

Come on BIS!

Read the message by TisovcikRasto above:

I have just fixed the bug regarding the disabled Difficulty tab. The fix should be included in the next dev branch update, allowing everyone to change their difficulty options until they reach the mission's lobby.

 

We have not been able to reproduce the bug with #missions command and revert to Regular/default preset yet. If you encounter it again, could you please provide us with more info (e.g. list of steps to reproduce the behaviour) so that we can look into it? Even the tiniest details are appreciated. Thank you!

 

Ad. forced difficulty - we are now considering a solution that would allow you to force server to use only one specific difficulty, essentially overriding difficulty preset that can currently be selected by connected players. That way, you would simply set options for your custom difficulty (the one that's stored in profile) and tell server to use "Custom" at all times. Would that work for those of you who wish to enforce a particular difficulty on your server(s)?

 

 

 

Yes. If you host a multiplayer game (via Play -> Multiplayer -> New), your difficulty preset (along with all difficulty options) is sent to other players. There's no need to set up anything else.

[SageNTitled 25]

Ad. forced difficulty - we are now considering a solution that would allow you to force server to use only one specific difficulty, essentially overriding difficulty preset that can currently be selected by connected players. That way, you would simply set options for your custom difficulty (the one that's stored in profile) and tell server to use "Custom" at all times. Would that work for those of you who wish to enforce a particular difficulty on your server(s)?

That would be a much appreciated feature.

[Dwarden 1125]

fix from #129 is now available in profiling branch and it's performance binaries

https://forums.bistudio.com/topic/160288-arma-3-stable-server-158-performance-binary-feedback/page-70?p=3015154#entry3015154

[marcatore 20]

Ad. forced difficulty - we are now considering a solution that would allow you to force server to use only one specific difficulty, essentially overriding difficulty preset that can currently be selected by connected players. That way, you would simply set options for your custom difficulty (the one that's stored in profile) and tell server to use "Custom" at all times. Would that work for those of you who wish to enforce a particular difficulty on your server(s)?

 

 

if I've understood well...it's like it was before 1.58... or not?

If yes, I think it's fine.

[Jastreb 69]

Ad. forced difficulty - we are now considering a solution that would allow you to force server to use only one specific difficulty, essentially overriding difficulty preset that can currently be selected by connected players. That way, you would simply set options for your custom difficulty (the one that's stored in profile) and tell server to use "Custom" at all times. Would that work for those of you who wish to enforce a particular difficulty on your server(s)?

 

 

^

Yes please.

 

Edit: Just wanted to make it clear. Forced difficulty not selectable, so if difficulty is forced by server users would not be able to change it, and thus may be greyed out. And any preset should be allowed to be forced not just custom, resulting all connecting players to be switched automatically to server forced preset.

[weaponsfree 46]

Yes. If you host a multiplayer game (via Play -> Multiplayer -> New), your difficulty preset (along with all difficulty options) is sent to other players. There's no need to set up anything else.

 

2 Quick questions regarding this.

 

1. From the 3den editor, you can access the Game Options > Difficulty settings. When you set a specific difficulty there, are you essentially changing it for your entire game (same as if you went through Configure from the main menu). Or is it a setting that's only "baked" into the mission you are currently editing when saving, independent of what your global difficulty settings are outside of 3den.

 

2. I have some old missions that have an init script to set AI "aimingaccuracy". If I set the new AI "precision" value to something in the game options, will AI accuracy be overwritten by the init script when I play my old missions with friends? Or will the new "precision" settings overwrite the "aimingaccuracy" script? Or something more convoluted like, the precision settings applying on top of the aimingaccuracy settings in my init script?

[twistking 204]

question: if you don't force difficulty on a server, but clients can change for themselfes, how is AI difficulty handled?

[Jastreb 69]

Good question. But in a nutshell, should be:

 

AI spawned on a server is using server profile.

 

AI spawned on a client machine with its own preset will use the local machine values.

 

So it depends on a mission. In case AI is all spawned on a server, its own values are used, but if mission design is such that it spawns AI on a client machine, it can get messy...

 

I might be wrong, should be somewhat easy to test this.

[Janez 531]

Hi,

 

can someone explain the all the options that are in new difficulty setting. Unless I'm blind, it would be good to have tooltips on those. I made a list of them. Most are self-explanatory but Reduced Damage for example. Is this reduced damage taken for you and your group or you deal less damage?

Also what exactly Extended Map Content does?

 

 

Preset: Recruit, Regular, Veteran, Mercenary or Custom

 

Simulation

 Reduced Damage

 AI Level

Skill

Precision

 

Simulation Awareness

 Group Indicators

 Friendly Name Tags

 Enemy Name Tags

 Detected Mines

 Commands

 Waypoints

 

Personal Awareness

 Weapon Info

 Stance Indicator

 Stamina Bar

 Crosshair

 Vision Aid

 

View

 3rd Person View

 Camera Shake

 

Multiplayer

 Score Table

 Killed By

 VoN ID

 

Misc

 Extended Map Content

 Automatic Reporting

 Multiple Saves

 

 

[Sniperwolf572 758]

Hi,

 

can someone explain the all the options that are in new difficulty setting. Unless I'm blind, it would be good to have tooltips on those. I made a list of them. Most are self-explanatory but Reduced Damage for example. Is this reduced damage taken for you and your group or you deal less damage?

Also what exactly Extended Map Content does?

 

Clicking on the label for the difficulty option shows the description with a picture for it on the right side.

[R3vo 2654]

Clicking on the label for the difficulty option shows the description with a picture for it on the right side.

 

That didn't make it into 1.58 for whatever reason...

[zgmrvn 95]

Just wanted to make it clear. Forced difficulty not selectable, so if difficulty is forced by server users would not be able to change it, and thus may be greyed out. And any preset should be allowed to be forced not just custom, resulting all connecting players to be switched automatically to server forced preset.

 

Exactly.

 

So if i get it, there currently is no way to force the difficulty settings for players using profiles, each player has to select it on the mission selection screen, right ?

The default preset could be defined with a config pbo but here again the player would be free to change it on screen selection mission ?

 

A defaultPreset and displayName in profile would be nice.

[muf 49]

Hi,

 

can someone explain the all the options that are in new difficulty setting. Unless I'm blind, it would be good to have tooltips on those. I made a list of them. Most are self-explanatory but Reduced Damage for example. Is this reduced damage taken for you and your group or you deal less damage?

Also what exactly Extended Map Content does?

 

They are described here: https://community.bistudio.com/wiki/Arma_3_Difficulty_Menu#Difficulty_Presets

The descriptions and explanatory images are currently available only on the dev branch.

[Jastreb 69]

Exactly.

 

So if i get it, there currently is no way to force the difficulty settings for players using profiles, each player has to select it on the mission selection screen, right ?

The default preset could be defined with a config pbo but here again the player would be free to change it on screen selection mission ?

 

A defaultPreset and displayName in profile would be nice.

 

http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=673895121

 

Server side addon, try that should force custom difficulty. No need to run on clients.

 

Until we get a fix this is only solution, which hopefully works. Feedback on Steam Workshop page if possible.

[zgmrvn 95]

works fine with your pbo, thanks ;).

 

Which custom preset it uses, config one right ?