First ARMA impressions

[frederf 0]

My old favorite from OFP the distance relative to sound being WAY off. I hear tanks like they are next to me but they are over 200 metres away.

I have this problem on my X-Fi when I have hardware acceleration enabled, if I turn it off but leave EAX on it seems perfectly normal to me. To me it appears to be a bug and hopefully squashed soon.

In OFP there were proper soundpacks that did not have that problem, some addon makers used insanely loud sounds for nearly everything (Get in/out, Gear, Engine, Tracks etc) this was mainly the problem maker in sounds being too loud 'as if the tank was near'

EAX is a fickle beast. Try various EAX, hardware, ect settings?

[Shashman 0]

Well, having played it for over 40 hours now, I offer my impressions and to a certain extent disappointment with Armed Assault.

First, the good. Graphically the game is exceptional. Some excellent little touches like vision taking time to adjust when you put on or take off the NV goggles. Birds soaring above the cliffs and proper animated water that changes depending on the weather conditions.

The Island is extremely large and very well thought out. It has great potential for modmakers/mission designers. As has been observed in other posts, the game is not geared towards fast gameplay and the control system, while not completely alien, has been changed. I am still adjusting to it and although I REALLY don't like the double tapping I am slowly coming to terms with the new control scheme.

I have completed all the single player missions and some of the campaign. I didn't buy OFP or ArmA for the single player game but from what I have seen the game is EXTREMELY stable. I have not had one crash in over 40 hours of play time and that is a very reassuring statistic in my mind.

I have tried the MP briefly and again, it seems to be very stable. I will be designing a few small MP missions in the next few days and I will report back with my findings when I have tested them out with some friends.

Now, on to the bad. I will try to be objective here but I feel there are some inexcusable problems with Arma.

First off, the sound, like OFP's original sound is TERRIBLE. There is no other way to describe this. BIS needs to hire someone who understands how to implement sound properly. In a game that relies greatly on immersion, bad sound is a real immersion killer. Some examples of this are sounds not playing, playing late and my old favorite from OFP the distance relative to sound being WAY off. I hear tanks like they are next to me but they are over 200 metres away. I might as well have been in the chopper in the single player night sabotage mission but it was 200 metres away as well. Of course this will be fixed by modders or BIS but its not really acceptable in a retail product.

Next, the vehicle control has been changed and I have to say, especially in the case of the Helos, it wasn't a good idea. The Helos seem to fly on rails and any attempt to deviate from said rails results in your helo becoming an expensive lawn dart. It just doesn't feel right at all. The flightmodel appears to defy gravity and all known laws of physics.

On to the pathfinding. I really dont believe this has been tested at all or if it was, not very well. I was playing the Single player mission called "Commander". Towards the end of the mission you enter a large town and the AI decided that they weren't moving. No matter what I did, the AI just stood there. I tried to get them to follow me accross a bridge, 2 did, the others ran around on the banks of the river. I tried to get them to follow me to where the vehicles are (which involves navigating through quite a few buildings) they just stood there again. Then the AT guys decided they were going to go off on their own. I kept telling them to return to formation and to move beside me, they didnt care, they continued to move around autonomously.

All in all this game feels very much like it was not ready for release. I am enjoying it but I feel I could be enjoying it much more. I have no doubt that most of my complaints will be fixed but for now these issues are seriously impairing my enjoyment of ArmA.

This is the System I am playing on :

C2D 6300 @ 3.1 Ghz

4 Gig Crosair 6400

EVGA 680i MB

Leadtek 8800 GTX

SB X-Fi

1 TB HDD

Lite On DVD R/W

Everything on Very High except

Shadows - High

Post       - High

Ill post more about MP when I have used it a little more extensively.

E

Thanks for that report, ethne. I haven't played ArmA yet, but the way you describe chopper handling sounds exactly like what I thought, the instant I saw a chopper in flight for the first time in ArmA.

I just don't understand what was going through BIS offices...Don't fix it if it ain't broke I say!

And to allow ArmA to be released in its current state, just screams 'shot-in-foot'...

[GaX 0]

Next, the vehicle control has been changed and I have to say, especially in the case of the Helos, it wasn't a good idea. The Helos seem to fly on rails and any attempt to deviate from said rails results in your helo becoming an expensive lawn dart. It just doesn't feel right at all. The flightmodel appears to defy gravity and all known laws of physics.

I totally agree

In OFP, driving chopper was great...in Arma is really horrible

[dmitri 0]

My old favorite from OFP the distance relative to sound being WAY off. I hear tanks like they are next to me but they are over 200 metres away.

I have this problem on my X-Fi when I have hardware acceleration enabled, if I turn it off but leave EAX on it seems perfectly normal to me. To me it appears to be a bug and hopefully squashed soon.

Does positional\surround work correctly on your X-fi in ArmA?

[meyamoti 0]

Curious,what about multiplayer coding,is it the same as OFP? I know JIP is there but I mean does it have the same reaction speed,telling of possible modified files and so on.

[4 IN 1 0]

message to BI:

Fix that, or players might bites

[VerySolidSnake 0]

This is the System I am playing on :

C2D 6300 @ 3.1 Ghz

4 Gig Crosair 6400

EVGA 680i MB

Leadtek 8800 GTX

SB X-Fi

1 TB HDD

Lite On DVD R/W

Everything on Very High except

Shadows - High

Post - High

Holy hell, I'd hope with that setup you'd be running smooth.

What about people with mid-range systems, like mine. It was top-of-the-line 3 years ago, and still runs new games great, but Armed Assault has me worried.

My Setup:

6800GT

1 gig ram

AMD 3200 64bit

[DrBobcat 0]

What about people with mid-range systems, like mine. It was top-of-the-line 3 years ago, and still runs new games great, but Armed Assault has me worried.

My Setup:

6800GT

1 gig ram

AMD 3200 64bit

Hmm. I would guess that 1024x768 @ medium could be in the right ballpark.

- dRb

[OIK 0]

About Helicopters

IS that possible with a patch to return to the old OFP helicopters?

I mean flying controls, physics and systems?

IF yes i hope they change it back to what it was before.

No big deal .

[Balschoiw 0]

Quote[/b] ]IS that possible with a patch to return to the old OFP helicopters?

I mean flying controls, physics and systems?

Unlikely.

Guess they will be tuning the flightmodel though.

[OIK 0]

FOr me flying Chinooks, Apaches and other helicopters is essential.

Sometimes i use the editor of the game just to fly a helicopter over islands and enjoy mountains and the landscape in general.

I dont have the game but the things i read discourage me alot.

[Balschoiw 0]

In my opinion the flightmodel for helos in Arma isn´t that bad, it just needs fixing and customization for the helos embedded and there are already features with the flightmodel we all have waited for, so I´d say relax and wait for a patch that adresses those issues. Reverting to OFP would be a major step back imo. There are flaws that have to be fixed and then we will be happy with it.

[OIK 0]

Yes even better .

[Kev 0]

Holy hell, I'd hope with that setup you'd be running smooth.

What about people with mid-range systems, like mine. It was top-of-the-line 3 years ago, and still runs new games great, but Armed Assault has me worried.

My Setup:

6800GT

1 gig ram

AMD 3200 64bit

low to mid i guess, like we testet a few times. no way for higher settings untill a performance patch is coming out or some tips from dev team.

[BH808303 0]

My impressions of ArmA:

First of all, if u like(d) OFP then u will enjoy ArmA alot. It's basicly the same game. And thats a good thing.

Pro's

very nice and practical graphics

infantery AI is alot better

a very well designed island to play on

better but still the same way working editor

alot of small little points that improve realism experiance

Con's

Sounds are abit cheeky and 3d sounds are displaced (biggest prob for a good war experiance)

Air controls are almost unplayable, or require alot of training

Some remarks

System specs are abit high, and even if u have high specs u will get occasinal client lagg when there are alot of objects (eg in citys). I feel it mainly is holding back due to CPU/RAM.

The game is pretty hard, on regular modus i was getting shot alot. I like this alot because it gives u a feel of caution all the time

I haven't played around with the netcode yet so i cant realy comment on that.

All in all i love ArmA and i'm confident BIS will sort out the minor issues at hand.

[DodgyGeeza 0]

My impressions of ArmA:

First of all, if u like(d) OFP then u will enjoy ArmA alot. It's basicly the same game. And thats a good thing.

Pro's

very nice and practical graphics

infantery AI is alot better

a very well designed island to play on

better but still the same way working editor

alot of small little points that improve realism experiance

Con's

Sounds are abit cheeky and 3d sounds are displaced (biggest prob for a good war experiance)

Air controls are almost unplayable, or require alot of training

Some remarks

System specs are abit high, and even if u have high specs u will get occasinal client lagg when there are alot of objects (eg in citys). I feel it mainly is holding back due to CPU/RAM.

The game is pretty hard, on regular modus i was getting shot alot. I like this alot because it gives u a feel of caution all the time

I haven't played around with the netcode yet so i cant realy comment on that.

All in all i love ArmA and i'm confident BIS will sort out the minor issues at hand.

Flashpoint is the best and only game i play. I didn't enjoy Armed Assault though and uninstalled it.

[sniper pilot 36]

Best game Ive played in years and years... (Besides OFP) Has lived up to my expectations and beyond!

Although the LOD bug(?) is annoying...

Great night effects really dark, just like in the real mountains, although the radius of the streetlight's, light, should be greater... just imagine the zombie mod in that dark

Animations are great!

BIS you've done it... you really have!

would just like to thank Jensen for letting me play his ArmA while my pc is broken

[GabKa73 0]

In my opinion the flightmodel for helos in Arma isn´t that bad, it just needs fixing and customization for the helos embedded and there are already features with the flightmodel we all have waited for, so I´d say relax and wait for a patch that adresses those issues. Reverting to OFP would be a major step back imo. There are flaws that have to be fixed and then we will be happy with it.

Just curious, have you played ArmA yet?

[Thunderbird 0]

Quote[/b] ]IS that possible with a patch to return to the old OFP helicopters?

I haven't got the chance to try ArmA yet, but there is maybe a slight chance to change that directly via ArmA config in the "class helicopters" if the cpp data is still somehow the same one than OFPs.

Regards,

TB

[Guest RKSL-Rock]

Quote[/b] ]IS that possible with a patch to return to the old OFP helicopters?

I haven't got the chance to try ArmA yet, but there is maybe a slight chance to change that directly via ArmA config in the "class helicopters" if the cpp data is still somehow the same one than OFPs.

Regards,

TB

Now i know for sure you've never made an aircraft in OFP.

If ArmA works the same way as OFP then the majority of the handling and "flight model" will be defined by  the mass and the mass distribution in the geo lod in the model.  Issues apart from nose dive and pitch during flight which ARE controlled via the CPP but not much else. the rest is hardcoded into the game engine.

I have had the chance to play with ArmA helos on mouse and keyboard, but not my usual Cougar HOTAS.  Its not that bad but its not really approaching "sim" standards.  Its certainly an improvment over OFP's "improved arcade" helicopter flight model.  But I will agreee with some that the Harrier flight model sucks.

I wasnt very impressed at the time.  But like any new product it takes time to learn the quirks and get used to.  Given some time and practice im sure most will see it as a big improment.

[Thunderbird 0]

Quote[/b] ]Now i know for sure you've never made an aircraft in OFP.

If ArmA works the same way as OFP then the majority of the handling and "flight model" will be defined by the mass and the mass distribution in the geo lod in the model. Issues apart from nose dive and pitch during flight ARE controlled via the CPP but not much else. the rest is hardcoded into the game engine.

As stated above, I haven't tried ArmA yet and I have no clue how it looks really in-game, have just watched some movies here and there, and after all, I haven't claimed myself as an "aircraft specialist" unlike you, ' just dropped an opinion from my experience so far.

Regards,

TB

[Balschoiw 0]

Quote[/b] ]Just curious, have you played ArmA yet?

Yes.

[troop 0]

First off all;..I am deeply impressed with the level of engine optimization, ARMA has come to. @BIS: WOW!

Second, I wholeheartly agree to every positive aspect

already mentioned in this thread. 'nuff said.

I am *not* disappointed at all and since I knew BIS's and

the communities record for some years now, I do not

regret having preordered the geman and english version of

ARMA for some time now;..no second thoughts. Honestly.

Third, about *every* negative aspect already mentioned in this thread: ARMA is an rough DIAMOND, just like OFP was;..

you just wait and see! 'nuff said

---

MSI K8N Neo2 (Nforce3/AGP)

Opteron 165 @2.6GHz

2GB G-Skill RAM

Gainward GF 7800 GS+ 512MB @527/725[1450 effective]

2x Raptor 150GB WD1500ADFD 10.000U 16MB

SB Audigy 2 ZS

---

Playing at 1024x768[1152x864; then slighly reduced settings]

All on Very high/High..except shadows/postprocess

Ingame AA/AF disabled.

Forced 8xS Supersampling AA and 16xAF with Nhancer 1.2.2

FPS: ~20-35 ( < I am happy with that and the looks! )

Furthermore, its smooth as glass for me unlike OFP, which I never managed to tweak free of studder.

Overall: (and its not even finished! [pun intended])

Wishes:

Much more engine tweaking fine controls (HDR off, grass toggle...)

Choppers are no fun right now...omit everything else until fixed.

ASAP. asap. imvho.

[charliereddog 9]

I'd love to see a poll of those who have the game.

1) Which is better (at this time) ArmA, or OFP(with your choice of mods/addons)

2) Do you regret buying ArmA At this time (ie, would you rather have not been the guinea pig)

3) Have you or will you have to upgrade something on your machine to play ArmA.

[Sgt_Eversmann 1]

1) Which is better (at this time) ArmA, or OFP(with your choice of mods/addons)

completely sensless.

you could compare OFP V1.0 and ArmA V1.0 but not ArmA V1.0 and OFP V1.96...and you cannot compare any game with all the mods & addons available for OFP