To the people who are playing ArmA, how is it?

[low light 0]

Listen pal, it doesn't matter if they work the bugs or not. A lot of damage is done already. The question is not if they can work the bugs, but if they can work them out in a given amount of time.

This wasn't the case with OFP, as it didn't have super serious bugs that ruin the campaign, and flying.

Look at Soldener. They worked out the major bugs, after release, but the damage was done already.

Fans wait for patches, but the majority of the gaming players just give up.

So you end up with a game that at any time less than 100 people play online. A game like that is good as dead.

I really have to disagree with your statement that "...this game is as good as dead...", mainly because you are comparing it to a game like soldner and it's problems with bugs.

ArmA has an established fan base (not huge, but big enough to sustain the game), and is the second game by BIS, who have a track record of providing effective support for a game via patches. Soldner, on the other hand, was a new game (at the time) and was trying to introduce many new features, and because the game was flawed (riddles with bugs, ineffective support) the game stiffled and 'died'.

Though there is a risk of this happening to ArmA I really doubt it will as not only do BIS have a track record, like I said earlier, they will also work to provide support in the long run as ArmA is based on VBS2, which they have a lot staked on, and I'm sure that refinements made to ArmA will be ported to VBS2, which is a 'premium' product and has to be value for money, or else BIS/BIA risk loosing the lucrative license to provide military training tools to many of the worlds military forces. With this in mind, the team will no doubt continue to work out the problems in the game (much in the same way they did with OFP). Though they have proven in the past that they are developers who actually care about the game and the profits are a bonus

I don't expect the 505 release to be bug free, and I don't expect that bugs will be killed off till mid to late 2007 (pessimistic I know, but I try not to get 'emotional' about things like this). I am however more than positive (if one can be) that the game is actually going to be supported and patched all the way till there are no bugs left.

I say: enjoy the game for what it is at the moment, and over time you'll start to forget that you were a little miffed by the initial release and start to realise that you've got a pretty good game in your hands. BIS aren't deaf or blind to the communities calls for action, they are probably busy, being proactive, resolving issues. Quietly noting down issues that are presented in an effective way (see the Helicopter flight model as a prime example).

If you do have issue's with the game then make sure you vent your frustrations in a positive way that is constructive, use the links in my signature (if you find bugs) or check out the Community Wiki. Use the forums for discussion not bickering and take affirmative action by actually helping to solve your gripe by again reporting bugs or using the forums to find solutions to your issues!

I hate whinging cos it's very childish, but I am all for constructive criticism, without which people would be oblivious to any problems that might exist. BUT, there is a huge difference between the two, the later is far more effective in my experience.

I understand that not everyone is going to think in the same way as I do (I'll probably be branded a ArmA/OFP Fanboy ), but I hope that people start to realise that without constructive criticism you might as well bang your head against a brick wall, cos no one is going to take you as seriously!! But this constructive criticism is only going to be effective if the right channels are used, believe it or not, with time, they actually work!

Just my 2 pence worth, though looking back it's more like 5 pounds worth!

[maxqubit 1]

I can fly the damned things, and i'm not even a good pilot (check the ig)

[Stealth3 0]

Flying is bugged as its already confirmed by Suma. It will be fixed in a patch, so its definately bugged.

And its not if you can fly or not. Its like having a plane behave like a chopper and saying "It flies, its not bugged!"

Low flight, thanks for your insight.

[Mogley 0]

Well said low light!

Stealth3, I know suma said the flight model will be changed, but that doesnt mean its a bug, how do we know the flight model isnt the way they wanted it(more realistic or not) but us (the community) complained and so now they are changing it.

Do you think EA would do that for their community??? No!

And what is a bug?? Its an accident right? Do developers make bugs on purpose. So if BIS made the flight model the best balance of realism/arcade/easy and we rejected what they did was that a bug?? No. We just didnt like it their way.

Also how do any of us know how a real choppers behaves. I am sure less than 1 percent of the forums users have never flown in real life. The percentage of complaining about the flight models is probably less than 20 percent who have even played a helo flight sim. There arent even many helo flight sims out and the one I played call Gunship (apache longbow) sure as heck is not even close to how helos fly in OFP or BF2. Which are the two games most people want the helos to fly like. Basically somewhere in the middle. So I say that its not a bug, but the community didnt like the model in the initial release of the game.

[maxqubit 1]

Its like having a plane behave like a chopper

Hmmm, well the plane (Harrier is it?) flew just normal to me. Not at all like a chopper (btw how do you vtol with the harrier?)

But then again, i use the 360 controller:)

[Stealth3 0]

The harrier can't take off vertically (in this game!

Ok, where do I start.....

The flight dynamics are flawed, ok flawed. You don't need to be a pilot to understand how planes and choppers fly. You don't need to be an expert to realize that in the game they use pretty much the same code.

Take some physics classes, learn what makes a chopper/plane fly, then come back to me. Otherwise stop talking blindly. The community rejects the flight model for a reason and it is being changed for a reason.

But if you insist, look at videos of real life choppers and how they fly. Then you can come back to me.

[Dallas 9]

There's alot of room for improvment in the flightmodel. But I do just fine. And for the record, I did see the "Wings of the Apache" with Nicholas Cage, so you come back to me.

Seriously some of these threads are turning into soaps.

[maxqubit 1]

Seriously some of these threads are turning into soaps.

Signed DALLAS hahahahah best laugh i had this day:):) (j/k man;)

[Barely-injured 0]

There was this "Good Morning Sahrani" Radio show that was done by Jerry Hopper and released a while ago somewhere around here, if anybody hasn't listened to it yet, I advise you to do so. Ok I didn’t mention this out of the blue but the reason for pointing it out is that at the beginning of the interview the guest describes his visit to the company’s HQ (( the place that placebo works in )) and he clearly states that the place is by no means as glamorous as the word HQ may sound, long story short he makes it very clear that BIS are not the wealthiest company around nor do they have as much recourses as other companies do, yet what other company had ever come up with anything even close to OFP or ArmA for that matter.

I mean we all know BIS legendary support and we know they are going to fix or tweak things up just give them some time I am sure with their limited recourses they are already up to there necks in work. I wouldnt realy be conserned about new players , ArmA is not the kind of game that will die if there wasnt enough new players playing it at first. I think ArmA sales for new players wouldnt be much different from one year to the next cuz a player that buys this game is probably looking for something other than graphics

Constructive criticism is definitely ok and encouraged to improve the product. But to describe the game as unplayable unfinished product (even in its current state) is kind of lame!!

[Scrub 0]

Thank you low light.  Before I read all the posts I was about to respond with many of the same topics, but you put it in a much more understanding and considerate manner, and therefore, more palatable to the recievers than I would have done.    

I hope many people who are now 'downers' will read your words, pick up, and advance ArmA with proper criticism and attitude.  (I would have put 'Be part of the solution, not part of the problem'.. probably would have set off the high strung anyway)

[ironpadre 0]

Just received my CZ copy today. It is outstanding, except I haven't figured out how to configure the controls yet, since I speak USA English and my disk is in CZ language. BUT THIS AMERICAN VETERAN will figure it out. The program is outstanding!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Some of you lukewarm former OFP players will give up on ArmA, but that is your problem, because you don't appreciate what BIS has done for the community. So you naysayers should just fade away and go suck your thumbs. Go and play the arcade crap that is out there and leave the real players alone.

Quote (OFPDude @ Dec. 10 2006,20:41)

what do you mean by patching will make it better

what needs patching in it ?

A whole lot.

ArmA Bug List

WOW !!!!!!

I was expecting some bugs, but not to the extent on this list.

Are people actually buying this game some of those bugs look really bad and too obvious to have been missed in beta testing.

Well, just let me say in response to your sniffling, that you are better off playing your arcade games like COD, for instance, and giving up on the superiot Arma, despite its bugs! ooh rah!

Do any of you loyal Arma fans know of a CZ to English cheat sheet that will help me set up my controls in English on my CZ version of ArmA? Your help is appreciated!

[Journeyman 0]

@ ironpadre I see that you've just doubled your post count on one page and less than 30 minutes!    

To answer your last question though I think this thread should suffice!  

[jasooon 0]

Hi. Thought I would throw in my experience as there are mixed views about on this forum and every extra opinion can help.

I live in the UK. I purchased the download version from Morphicon. I ran Sickboy's German / Czech to Englich patch and the whole game runs in English really well. (big hand to Sickboy and his team). So I am now playing ArmA 2 months earlier than expected and am enjoying playing it instead of checking the forum for vids and images every day

Now to the game. Its fantastic. I have been playing OFP for five years, mostly CRCTi and MFCTI online in the past two years as this was the most fun online. ArmA is much better than OFP for sure. Yes there are bugs and yes we have to wait for the community to catch up with conversions and addons to play as we did with OFP, but this is a game to be pleased with.

My only big dissapointment is with the flight model as it really is a pig to control the helis, but this is being fixed as we type. The next patch will hopefully be out soon as Placebo says it is being beta tested already.

My greatest joy so far was during a campaign mission where we take a city. So much is going on. Great gun battles in the fields outside the town, tanks to take out, then edging through the town in true urban fighting situations. All looks beautiful and plays a dream.

Don't let anyone put you off this game. It is a great achievement by BIS and will grow to be something quite special in 2007.

[twisted 127]

...I am now playing ArmA 2 months earlier than expected and am enjoying playing it instead of checking the forum for vids and images every day

Now to the game. Its fantastic. I have been playing OFP for five years, mostly CRCTi and MFCTI online in the past two years as this was the most fun online. ArmA is much better than OFP for sure. Yes there are bugs and yes we have to wait for the community to catch up with conversions and addons to play as we did with OFP, but this is a game to be pleased with.

My only big dissapointment is with the flight model as it really is a pig to control the helis, but this is being fixed as we type. The next patch will hopefully be out soon as Placebo says it is being beta tested already.

My greatest joy so far was during a campaign mission where we take a city. So much is going on. Great gun battles in the fields outside the town, tanks to take out, then edging through the town in true urban fighting situations. All looks beautiful and plays a dream.

Don't let anyone put you off this game. It is a great achievement by BIS and will grow to be something quite special in 2007.

good summation. and where did Placebo say it is in beta testing? that's great news!

[Balschoiw 0]

Placebo updated the locked Helo thread with a footage of updated flight model that is betatested right now.

[xnodunitx 0]

Yeap,looks good,though I wish we could have gotten a demonstration of all helicopters. Regardless,they did say it was early so I'm not worried. Ironicly it seems people are still throwing out the "I'v been waiting 5 years!" This statement can be true or false,however if you have been waiting for five years then I have no pity on you.

Lets take a look...Armed Assault was announced in 2005,oh my..I'v been waiting one year,the usual for games these days.

Flashpoint was announced five years ago,yes,but this does not mean that employees of BIS have been working day and night since the very moment OFP was released to work on Armed Assault,they need breaks and vacations too.

Now there was a question asked by Frederf had to do with defining whining without using slang words.

In my opinion,whining is when a person or persons obsess over a problem with the game and continue reporting it many times over,becomming more and more aggressive as they do so.

Bug reporting is going to a place you know for certain they would see and reporting in a fashioned/professional manner as to where,what,when or how this happens.

[Tobruk 0]

The helio flight model is the least of the game's problems.

I actually like the model as it is reminsant of FS2004 helio model.

[Journeyman 0]

The helio flight model is the least of the game's problems.

I actually like the model as it is reminsant of FS2004 helio model.

What!    Are you kidding! .... FS2004 heli model may not be as good as FSX but believe me from what I've seen so far the current ArmA model isn't a patch on FS2004. You are comparing a new mil sim with an established flight sim! No chance!

Hopefully though this new model from BIS will narrow the gap quite a bit!  

[DpS 0]

OMG its been awhile since I check this forum... After reading loads of posts, seems like ARMA is definitely an OFP1.5. Well, i cant wait to get my hands on one, Definitely going to play that CTI stuff...

Does the AI is better at moving indoor now? This is one of the key limitation that ofp has, wonder how they move inside building... do they do it sort of tactically?

[Capo di tutti Capi 0]

I love this game ! Although the campaign is a bit disappointing to me ( OPF campaign really pulled u into the game, Arma's seems a bit lacking that to me ) , the multiplay is ace ! I just played a few games, and didnt had that good fun for a long time ! So thx for making this great game , looking forward to some more good MP experiences .

[Chaos 0]

I find it is not ready. The released Version 1.00 was "alpha-status". Now, after the both patches is it maybe "first-beta". Biggest issues are the stupid AI and the bad performance. But when BIS will fix these problems so can the game be a very good sequel for OFP.

[Mr_Tea 0]

I have no doubt that BIS will fix the issues with the next patches to come, as they did for OFP/RES.

With the mod`s that will be made, it will be more than "OFP on steroids", much more.

[Sharez 0]

I am stuck in Italain  mountains only with a dial up connection, so I have only been playing the campaign and  SP missions,

In multiplayer co-op does armour have the same power to spot special ops creeping about in cover as  in the SP game?

It feels more like a sci fi game when lying motionless in bushes in the dark  and armour a couple of hundred metres away just picks you of with ease.

But apart from that I am happy with the way the game is evolving now I have the latest patches [Czech edition]

[rev 0]

bought a new pc just for this game and still 20 fps in a normal woodland area with normal settings.

Specs : ATI HIS IceQ x1950 256mb

3.4ghz Pentium D processor

1 Stick of TwinMoS 1GB Ram

is there any tweaks for higher fps?

[Potatomasher 0]

still 20 fps in a normal woodland area with normal settings.

I think that's good you got. Mine is more like 10 fps in forested areas.