Disappointed with lack of Interactability on Tanoa

[x3kj 1247]

 You know I remember a dev or 2 here mocking Operation Flashpoint Dragon Rising for there completely empty bare boned houses when it came out :rolleyes:

 

 And yet that game did have specific AI behaviour for entering houses in a clearing manner, and using windows -sure not much else, but BI hasnt even entered the ring on this one.

 

 That said, Tanoa is fantastic and having only fought around one jungle entrenched village, the outdoor CQB there is fantastic with Ai using much of the landscape for cover -top notch with great immersion.

Well and here we have one more reason why focusing on exterior in arma makes more sense. The interior AI is not that great. Without proper interior AI, what use are detailed interiors?

[BomosBoy 13]

My suggestion:

1. Just add one or two rooms for the skyscrapers. For example the blue one because right now it just looks like a cube with a defuse texture and its not looking very realistic or detailed.

2. Add some wood planks etc which you can use for closing windows and doors. So that non enterable buildings are looking more realitic.

[daveallen10 35]

Having played extensively on the most recent dev branch, the expansion generally just lacks a lot of polish. The map and jungles are really good, some of the vehicles are really good. But it doesn't feel like we've taken a lot of steps forward. Not to mention the lack of large scale improvements that we desperately need like improvements to physics, AI , damage/bullet decals, explosion effects, wall clipping, floor clipping, everything clipping. I still feel like I'm playing the original Arma with really fancy lighting effects and better textures.

 

Doesn't help that in every Sitrep we hear another tale of woe about how they are so strapped for time and resources.

 

BIS: "we didn't feel like fixing the [physics/clipping/ai/etc...] system was a good use of our time...but look at this cool gun we made instead!" 

 

Us: Hmm...isn't that a reskin of an old gun? Wow, that looks like the gun we got in a mod, except the mod did it better. 

 

-Credit where credit is due: the VTOLs and little prop plane are very cool.

 

/ end rant. 

[delta3242 399]

 

Doesn't help that in every Sitrep we hear another tale of woe about how they are so strapped for time and resources.

 

BIS: "we didn't feel like fixing the [physics/clipping/ai/etc...] system was a good use of our time...but look at this cool gun we made instead!" 

 

Us: Hmm...isn't that a reskin of an old gun? Wow, that looks like the gun we got in a mod, except the mod did it better. 

 

As much as that may seem rude, I have to agree with you. It seems like it would have been a better use of time if BI fixed the things you listed and many more. Don't get me wrong, I love Tanoa, I play everyday , but I feel as if it was not as necessary as the back end stuff that people complain about on a daily basis.

[I give up 152]

In my opinion we should have even more placebos, just because the freakin "real time textures" are the major cause for performance issues.

[soulis6 24]

 

BIS: "we didn't feel like fixing the [physics/clipping/ai/etc...] system was a good use of our time...but look at this cool gun we made instead!" 

 

Us: Hmm...isn't that a reskin of an old gun? Wow, that looks like the gun we got in a mod, except the mod did it better. 

 

-Credit where credit is due: the VTOLs and little prop plane are very cool.

 

/ end rant. 

 

The problem though is that those two things aren't really comparable. Making large improvements on physics, AI and things like that, that are complicated and touch every part of the game (with the potential to break loads of content), is a vastly larger task than adding some new weapons and equipment. Apples to skyscrapers. 

 

The reason I don't think the base mechanics of the game feel that much different from the expansion, is that a lot of the improvements they've been working on in that area have been already released for free when ready, and on the main branch without having to purchase anything. The game overall is vastly improved since launch, it's just come slowly and spread out rather than all at once in an expansion. 

 

Personally I applaud BIS for the way they've handled new content. It would have been much easier and likely more profitable in the short term to just release new dlc packs with weapons and vehicles and maps, with no new features or improvements to the central mechanics of the game. As a player, it's much easier to find mods of equipment and guns than it is to find ones that improve the game all around, so it's not like we're lacking in quality there.

[delta3242 399]

They get more money because of the new DLCs but then those people will get angry because of the performance.

[lugiahua 26]

he just said which one. arma 2 operation arrowhead. just saying :P

 

Last time I check, there was no furniture in buildings in Arma2...

[2nd ranger 282]

Takistan buildings all had quite a few furniture objects.

[beppe_goodoldrebel 367]

Well and here we have one more reason why focusing on exterior in arma makes more sense. The interior AI is not that great. Without proper interior AI, what use are detailed interiors?

 

And I'm here worried about how AI will react in the new jungle environment.... 

 

I don't even care about enterable buildings in Tanoa , AI can't manage it!

I seriously hope that AI will improve one day... I think that the matter even declined through years.

OFP had a good AI for a game of 2002, but no real improvements has been done since that ...

 

[PTV-Jobo 820]

Takistan buildings all had quite a few furniture objects.

 

In some of the enterable Chernarus buildings, wasn't there like wooden kitchen tables, wood stoves, etc. as well? But Takistan was the one that really had a good amount of furnished and clutter-decorated buildings. 

[BomosBoy 13]

Performance wise i have the question if its really a big deal to add some rooms. Because i played DayZ after the last update and all building are enterable and they even have (random ?) furniture, cars on the street with openable trunks, .... And i have 100+ FPS. Ofc Tanoa has a jungle with a lot of trees, grass, etc but 60 fps would be enough for arma 3, it dosnt need the 100 from dayz. Its a game from the same studio so why there are so much perfomance differences? Its it a better engine or what`?

[chortles 263]

Its it a better engine or what`?

Nailed it, though Bohemia has said previously that Arma 3 will not be ported to DayZ's Enfusion Engine.

[Hate 232]

Can we enter rooms and turn overhead lights on or off like in Splinter Cell yet?

I haven't played Arma in two months.

[bad benson 1733]

Last time I check, there was no furniture in buildings in Arma2...

 

check again then, because you are wrong.

[PuFu 4600]

Can we enter rooms and turn overhead lights on or off like in Splinter Cell yet?

I haven't played Arma in two months.

you mean the sun? because there are no light sources in "rooms"

[lugiahua 26]

Performance wise i have the question if its really a big deal to add some rooms. Because i played DayZ after the last update and all building are enterable and they even have (random ?) furniture, cars on the street with openable trunks, .... And i have 100+ FPS. Ofc Tanoa has a jungle with a lot of trees, grass, etc but 60 fps would be enough for arma 3, it dosnt need the 100 from dayz. Its a game from the same studio so why there are so much perfomance differences? Its it a better engine or what`?

 

DayZ recently had an engine update.

[dmarkwick 261]

Performance wise i have the question if its really a big deal to add some rooms. Because i played DayZ after the last update and all building are enterable and they even have (random ?) furniture, cars on the street with openable trunks, .... And i have 100+ FPS. Ofc Tanoa has a jungle with a lot of trees, grass, etc but 60 fps would be enough for arma 3, it dosnt need the 100 from dayz. Its a game from the same studio so why there are so much perfomance differences? Its it a better engine or what`?

DayZ is different to ArmA in one important detail - DayZ doesn't need to worry about AI performance, and its subsequent hit on your PC performance. BI are always conscious of the AI factor in subjects like this.

[calin_banc 19]

The problem though is that those two things aren't really comparable. Making large improvements on physics, AI and things like that, that are complicated and touch every part of the game (with the potential to break loads of content), is a vastly larger task than adding some new weapons and equipment. Apples to skyscrapers. 

 

The reason I don't think the base mechanics of the game feel that much different from the expansion, is that a lot of the improvements they've been working on in that area have been already released for free when ready, and on the main branch without having to purchase anything. The game overall is vastly improved since launch, it's just come slowly and spread out rather than all at once in an expansion. 

 

Personally I applaud BIS for the way they've handled new content. It would have been much easier and likely more profitable in the short term to just release new dlc packs with weapons and vehicles and maps, with no new features or improvements to the central mechanics of the game. As a player, it's much easier to find mods of equipment and guns than it is to find ones that improve the game all around, so it's not like we're lacking in quality there.

 

They are working on 64bit plus some engine improvements would have really helped to develop Altis and Stratis more, as in make them more believable, as someone really lived there and be more than just props for pew-pew. Perhaps experiment a little with civilian AI doing small and random tasks and whatnot. Put more vehicles in different states, add more clutter, more wildlife, perhaps some radio stations to which you can add your own music or make it easy to add online radio, add radio chatter between different factions (and even yours and by this you get an extra bonus gameplay feature) etc.

 

Revisit the user interface and the incredible primitive order menu, inventory, etc. Tweak the animations, add some more (vaulting over fences or jumping over them, go through a window, etc.).

 

Tweak the AI to react more natural in the face of danger and how they respond to your commands. Make them work like a unit and cut out the artificial stuff like going a huge circle around vehicles before getting in or getting in or out in a serial way, not all at once and so on, put some love into stealth, etc.

 

There are lots of points long overdue for some love and while I do agree a major rewrite of the engine at this point may not worth it, then probably I would loved it more to see ArmA 4 start anew with all the things which would make the series really shine more than Tanoa can.

 

Bohemia cannot do DLCs in the same way EA or Ubi does. They don't have the marketing behind them and don't have the products to appeal to the masses. Bohmeia gets a lot forgiveness due to its position as the only company making these types of games or else it would have been crucified just like EA for Battlefield 4 or worse.

 

 

DayZ is different to ArmA in one important detail - DayZ doesn't need to worry about AI performance, and its subsequent hit on your PC performance. BI are always conscious of the AI factor in subjects like this.

 

The funny part is that for a long time we all knew AI runs better if you set it to a dedicated core in an online scenario. Why not add that into the base game? Why not add each side (Red, Blue, Civilians, Independent) to a core of its own (or depending how many you have available) if truly the AI is independent and doesn't "cheat"? :)

[Bamse 223]

Huh? You got a source on that 64-bit-in-progress statement? :)

First time I heard it, that why I'm a bit curious.

[calin_banc 19]

I can't find it right now. They are working on it, but not ETA. I think dwarden spoke about it and other issues in a post somewhere. :) 

[PuFu 4600]

they were considering it, not working on it. there is a difference. same with the dx12. thet said they are "gonna look into it".

[calin_banc 19]

Found the post: http://steamcommunity.com/app/107410/discussions/0/458606248620063074/?ctp=2#c458606877322824034

 

 

64bit is still WIP w/o ETA (not so simple to make it stable on old memory architecture code)

 

 

DX12 is experimented w/o ETA

 

 

Since it's WIP, they are working on it and dx12 is indeed just experimental.

[styxx42 0]

I wanted to post I feel the same way on all points of OP.

 

I did not for the first time jump on the DLC with a pre-purchase.

 

This DLC just did not do enough for me for the price.  And I will not be ponying up for it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[alumenad 10]

Agreed, quite disappointed with the bad AI, very poor physics and desync still being in the game.