Vbs newsrelease

[m21man 0]

Quote[/b] ]or maybe he showed u ofp cuz u didnt have clearance to see vbs or perhaps he is not to take vbs to play at home as its not really a game

Why would you need clearance to see a mod for a game that is publically available?!? The military can be very screwy at times ...

[bn880 5]

Hmm I think you are slipping up a bit there m21man, maybe it's past your bedtime.

[m21man 0]

I thought you needed clearance for purchasing it. You're telling me it's "secret"?

[m21man 0]

Quote[/b] ]Hmm I think you are slipping up a bit there m21man, maybe it's past your bedtime.

Har har har. What's the point of making a game secret if it's components are available on the market?

[bn880 5]

VBS is not sold and available to the public, I think that has been made clear here.

[m21man 0]

We've got the MARPATs and the CoC Command Engine. That's at least as good as VBS .

[bn880 5]

Well I'm not saying we don't have better stuff who knows

[ralphwiggum 6]

VBS is sold to LEOs and military only, and I doubt if post-installation related matters are free from certain levels of secrecy.

[TheMarshal=TOB= 0]

Im a Marine, and a friend of mine was on temporary duty where they use VBS for training and stuff.  He couldnt tell me much about what they did in there cause you have to have a certain security clearance for that type of info.

Although, he did show me a video that was he making by request of the 3rdLAR, to show how the simulated combat worked.  He used OFP and not VBS to make this video.  Was a short vid. of USMC LAV's, AAV's, and infantry units (all custom addons from the OFP community) atacking various enemies inside the city of Petrovice i think it was.

He didnt say that he preferred OFP over VBS, but i thought it was kinda funny OFP is what he used.

Sorry bro but your friend was bullshittin you man...there is no security clearance needed to enter the VBS station or to use it. It's just like using the ISMIT system...any Marine who walks in there can use it.

[TheMarshal=TOB= 0]

Let me clear a few things up...things I've said before but I guess no one read it.

First off I do have access to VBS here on my base and I have used it on many of occassions. I am going to put an end to some rumors and speculations here for you all.

1) VBS is not classified nor does it need a secret clearance to play it. I have brought civilians in there with no problems what so ever.

2) Graphics and game play are no better then the original OFP game, not Resistance. There are rumors that VBS has such better graphics and game play, they are all wrong. In fact OFP, with it's outstanding community of addon makers, has a much better span of variaty and versatility than VBS. OFP has unlimited resources do to addon makers.

3) Islands. They are the same quality as the first islands that came with OFP. The only difference is they are of USMC military bases. (this is the only part of the game that could be considered Classified, but since their research was done on these bases five years before this game was released it makes it useless for any tactical value for our enemies or terrorist's)

4) The only purpose of that VBS fills is to give some sort of small unit leadership skill training and review. This helps NCO's and Junior Commissioned Officers with the consept of leading a small squad of Marines into a combat situation.

5) There is no Addon/Mission making section of the Marine Corps that builds missions or addons for VBS. As a matter of fact I get asked to help make missions for VBS training because I am pretty decent at making missions for OFP and it's the same thing as building a simple OFP mission. The mission editor is almost a carbon copy of OFP's

6) Yes the Marine Corps is using OFP in some of it's VBS Stations, here at my base is one of them and one area on the main land USA. Is it illegal for them to do this? No. There is nothing in the contrat stateing that the USMC cannot use alternate venues to train our Marines. We will use what ever we think is best to train our Marines. BIS and Coalescencehave no control over that, they are not the ones who have to deal with a Marines family if they are killed from faulty training methods.

If you guys have any real questions about VBS just ask...I'll tell ya anything you know. Hell I'm going there this week to take some screenshots of it for some reference material for some addon makers so I'll post them here too  

And before I get slammed by over reactive Moderators...I can legally do that.

[waffendennis 0]

gives me an idea. maybe USMC should order OFP2 in advance and if CM fails to deliever them on same release date as EU, USMC will show what happens.

of course, i think it's about time we refresh our minds that VBS, despite heavily based on BIS's engine, seems to be dealt through Coalescence(?)

Hopefully forum spammers and moderators alike can get advance copies ;p

Quote[/b] ]

Quote[/b] ]Would never happen...it's a violation of the contract..no altering the game what so ever. I do know one thing...the Marine Corps is so fed up with VBS that they are using OFP instead, but due to contracts they have to keep buying the damn thing. VBS is so limited in what it can do and what can be added. You can't just take OFP addons and throw them in there, because the config and coding is slightly different. Thats why they started using OFP instead. An almost unlimited addon base, more realistic graphics, loads of tutorials on how to create realistic missions,  ect. I think VBS has met it's match with OFP. The child has surpassed the parent.

So, the Marines use OFP? I wonder if they use Earl and Suchey's Marines .

No They use their own Marines...

With the default BIS weapons.

And since you are in the USMC, I guess you woukd know this.

*sarcasm*

I am not in the USMC but....I know Mike ( TheMarshal=TOB= )

And I saw ingame pic's from the marines...

Hell yet I even have the marines ingame...

( Downloaded from a website )

[m21man 0]

Quote[/b] ]1) VBS is not classified nor does it need a secret clearance to play it. I have brought civilians in there with no problems what so ever.

Quote[/b] ]3) Islands. They are the same quality as the first islands that came with OFP. The only difference is they are of USMC military bases. (this is the only part of the game that could be considered Classified, but since their research was done on these bases five years before this game was released it makes it useless for any tactical value for our enemies or terrorist's)

The same quality? So they're pretty good?

[bn880 5]

So anyway, the reason the guy was not recording VBS at his home is probably a hardware license key issue.

[TheMarshal=TOB= 0]

So anyway, the reason the guy was not recording VBS at his home is probably a hardware license key issue.  

The only way to use VBS is with a USB Key that the CD came with. It won't work with Burned copies either (I tried already ) . Each computer that has the game on it must have that key in a USB port. Without it the game will not work.

[bn880 5]

Heh, yeah and I don't think it's very nice to jack a USB key from the lab.

[ralphwiggum 6]

It won't work with Burned copies either (I tried already   ) .

bad jarhead! Baaaaaaaddd jarhead!

[ale2999 0]

It won't work with Burned copies either (I tried already   ) .

bad jarhead! Baaaaaaaddd jarhead!

lol bad! bad!

So do NCO have to practice their leadership skills a couple of hours a week with vbs or how does it work? if it is just for drop in usage what is the point lol?

[TheMarshal=TOB= 0]

It's for use when ever there is time....mostly grunts use it. There is no set usage for it.

[edc 0]

Is CQB any better simulated than in OFP?

[TheMarshal=TOB= 0]

Yes and no...it's the same as OFP...CQB is all on the players, so if the teams work well with each other then yes it is a great CQB session, but if they do not use team work and just try to play it like a first person shooter then no it isn't better.

I've seen sessions where it looks like a well oiled machine and not one person is killed on the allied team, but I've also seen sessions where the Marines are not taking the training seriously and myself (Yes sometimes I play opposission for the VBS station on my free time) and the other opposision players mop the floor with the allied team. TEAMWORK is what OFP & VBS1 were built for...if a team doesn't utilize teamwork they will lose.

Think back to the MP games you play and why you won. 9 times out of 10 it's because the team you were on worked very well together, dispite their skill level. You can have even teams with one team that has highly skilled players and one team with moderatly skilled members. If the team with highly skilled players doesn't work together and communicate then they will lose, if the other team is utilizing teamwork and communication.

[Blake 0]

I was wondering about config, does VBS use default OFP bullet damage, recoils and weapon sway effects? Are there more realistic smoke effects like smoke blocking AI vision like in FDF Mod for example.

What kind of sessions do you play in VBS, coop or do you play that you have some kind of adversalial where enemy players control at least part of the AIs to allow more surprising responses against human team?

All this would be very interesting to hear...

[TheMarshal=TOB= 0]

I was wondering about config, does VBS use default OFP bullet damage, recoils and weapon sway effects? Are there more realistic smoke effects like smoke blocking AI vision like in FDF Mod for example.

What kind of sessions do you play in VBS, coop or do you play that you have some kind of adversalial where enemy players control at least part of the AIs to allow more surprising responses against human team?

All this would be very interesting to hear...

All of the effects are the same as OFP...as far as the configs, they are the same as well except they are designed for VBS and are encrypted.

We play a variaty of missions...a lot of attack and defend and search and destroy, since these are major roles of Marines Ground Troops. We also do air insertions and stealth recon missions as well. As far as I know the VBS station on my base is one of the only ones that gets this indepth with our mission planning though...it's probibly because I we have more of a mission designing knowledge then the rest of the VBS staff around the Marine Corps. Most stations stick to the original missions that the VBS came with.

[dinger 1]

For those of you who are still trying to figure out VBS1, here's how you can understand it:

Think of how much time it takes to make an addon, or a script. Now, imagine you're in a "for hire" role being paid by coalescent to do VBS1 stuff.  There's only so much you can do, and at some point, all the access to BIS you want isn't gonna write your code, model your models, or explain this completely arcane scripting language.   THe sad truth is that some of the freaks and addicts who do this crap for fun probably have a better handle on how it works than any of the professionals. In all fairness, the professionals might be capable of putting out a balanced product on schedule, whereas most freaks tend to go overboard in some "fun" areas and short-change the "hard work" section (The classic weakness of amateurs), and will produce stuff way too complicated and messed up to be released on time.

Anyway, what this means is: don't expect anything revolutionary from VBS1.  Even if the marines shelled out say a million bucks, that sum wouldn't pay for the same sort of OFP mods you can download.  But those VBS mods one would hope, would work, have all their LODs, and do exactly what you'd expect (and nothing more).

As for what happens in the labs, think of how you use Microsoft Word.  Most of the time, you're only using 5% of its potential, especially if you're not particularly interested in the program in itself.

And yeah, teamwork kicks butt.

(edited a cupola typos)

[Blake 0]

Good points about the 'fertile freakyness' of the OFP addonmaking community

But I was just wondering if it would be wise for Coalescent to make somekind of 'Realism and Visuals enhancement package blah blah' which could have taken some ideas from the addon makers like winter theatre of operations, improved rain effects, sky, more realistic weapon specs and sell it to Marines. Of course by making those enchancements by themselves...

But won't probably happen 'since it's there and it works'.

[TheMarshal=TOB= 0]

You pretty much hit it right in the money sack there Dinger. What it realy boils down to is the US Government goes for the LOWEST bidder...yes there were other systems that got chopped...and they were lightyears ahead of VBS...I'm talking VR goggles, gloves, body suites...the whole nine yards, but VBS was picked due to is versatility, price, and the ability to jump in and play without extensive training on the game itself. Within 10 minutes a Marine can be told how the basics of VBS works and get into training at a basic level. The USMC wasn't looking for BAS or DKM caliber graphics and effects either, but looked for what would work to get their mission completed for our training...but VBS fell just a tad short...hense the use of OFP in some VBS stations instead of VBS.  

Quote[/b] ]But I was just wondering if it would be wise for Coalescent to make somekind of 'Realism and Visuals enhancement package blah blah' which could have taken some ideas from the addon makers like winter theatre of operations, improved rain effects, sky, more realistic weapon specs and sell it to Marines. Of course by making those enchancements by themselves...

But won't probably happen 'since it's there and it works'.

Well This is the main reason why some VBS stations use OFP instead, because of the addons. The more realistic it looks and feels the more the Marines get into the training.