official complaint to BIS

[mr reality 0]

Have you read this:

ATi driver bug

As you can see it´s in ATI´s hands to fix that as it seems.

I have the exact same problem as Danbri. BUT i have a NIVIDIA Gpu. So that link you posted is not refering to the graphical glitch Danbri posted about. It's a different ATI driver problem. And whats worse is that there are quite a few of us who are having these problems but theres still no official word from the devs about whats causing this (actually nobody seems to know whats causing this because if you read through the thread there isn't one reason given to why this is happening). This graphical glitch makes the game unplayable. It's nothing you can ignore. I've had the 505 version since relase day and i still can't play the campaign. All i can do is mess about in the editor for 10 or 20 minutes until the glitch kicks in..

[Danbri 0]

Hoot, this I read as you are saying that I´m new to BI:

"We who are with BIS since 5 or 6 year are of course somehow affilated"

If i misunderstod, then plz accept my apologize.

Mr Reality: thanks for clearing that. This is what I.v been talking about the whole time.

Oh, and sorry that i couldnt stay away longer

[hoot 0]

Remember, if you get swindled it's your own fault!

I really love sarcasm. Even if you want to call it a swindle, the bugs and so on, all moan about, were known and shown in every gamemag that evaluated ArmA 1.0.

No need to give more comments on that...

[hoot 0]

Hoot, this I read as you are saying that I´m new to BI:

"We who are with BIS since 5 or 6 year are of course somehow affilated"

If i misunderstod, then plz accept my apologize.

Mr Reality: thanks for clearing that. This is what I.v been talking about the whole time.

Oh, and sorry that i couldnt stay away longer

I cannot see that implemented in any sentence. It was an reply to your "diehardfans that are so stubborn beyond belife that its ok to relese a game in this state".

Look at your answer, you told that i am the one and only, and that with all respect is horse dung, i was speaking about 'WE' which includes mostly more than one

[Messiah 2]

people do realise that of that 450mb patch, 200mb was the new content... i.e. not fixes? I've seen much larger patches for other games, and games on steam are updated almost daily if you read the change logs - HL2 etc must have had hundreds of patches and tweaks by now, you just don't know about them because they are done without your input.

[hoot 0]

Have you read this:

ATi driver bug

As you can see it´s in ATI´s hands to fix that as it seems.

I have the exact same problem as Danbri. BUT i have a NIVIDIA Gpu. So that link you posted is not refering to the graphical glitch Danbri posted about. It's a different ATI driver problem. And whats worse is that there are quite a few of us who are having these problems but theres still no official word from the devs about whats causing this (actually nobody seems to know whats causing this because if you read through the thread there isn't one reason given to why this is happening). This graphical glitch makes the game unplayable. It's nothing you can ignore. I've had the 505 version since relase day and i still can't play the campaign. All i can do is mess about in the editor for 10 or 20 minutes until the glitch kicks in..

Maybe BIS is trying to reproduce that error already and until they've isolated what caused it, they wont give a word out. Remember the fix for the fooliage frame drop down? They've just said 'something strange' without saying what excactly caused the drop down.

Nothing to hear means not, that they don't do some research on it. But there are thousands of hardware combinations which can cause such a major error and therefore the piece of hardware or software that is bitching around needs to be determined slow but efficient. I understand any irritation with such a massive problem!

[PONDLIFE 0]

I think people on here are going to have to agree to disagree and that is a shame after all it's a forum for discussion.

I'm not sure if any of the questions or statements were aimed directly at me but here goes my explanation.....

Why don't I return the game if I'm not happy? It's now approaching three Months since i received my copy so I can't see them accepting it's return, Plus the Czech republic isn't very local to me.

Remember, if you get swindled it's your own fault!

I would love to hear some feedback from the developers on that one before I comment.

As for the money and cost for purchasing Arma, maybe to some it's no big deal to have the attitude of if you dont like it don't play it, for others like myself having a mortgage, family and bills to pay for too has to come into consideration.

I think what has become apparent on this thread is the great divide starting between who's right and who's wrong, I suppose if I was one of the lucky few who can manage to play this game in it's current form I may have a different perception on how well after sales is being handled by all.

Well I'm not the defeatist, I am still looking forward to playing this what could be great game, the sad truth is that now I'm forced to download a pirate game to see if that actually cures the problems I get from my original copy- If it does then i will be very pleased, If it doesnt, well I'll think of it as a 2.7gig patch.

Regards.

[slingblade20000 0]

The texture problem is not a driver issue (ATI or Nvidia), its a Engine problem and its a major one. The fix has been given by a few forum members if you serch you will find it.

[maruk 80]

The texture problem is not a driver issue (ATI or Nvidia), its a Engine problem and its a major one. The fix has been given by a few forum members if you serch you will find it.

How do you know where the problem is?

What exactly is "the texture problem? I can see mix up of few problems so I want to make sure it's clear...

Please, where to find the information about such fix for any of such problems? It would be really useful to have.

[mr reality 0]

The texture problem is not a driver issue (ATI or Nvidia), its a Engine problem and its a major one. The fix has been given by a few forum members if you serch you will find it.  

I too would like to know where this fix is. The only way i can fix my version is to lower all the settings which is not what i really want....

[Danbri 0]

second that! But its nice to see a little response from the BI team in this matter

Can someone, (Maruk perhaps) from BI take a few minutes to clear out if this problems ar indeed driver-related (both Nvidia and ATI) or if it is something in the gameengine itself, and if so, what BI is doing to correct it (if that is possible).

I have an ATI X800PRO and as far as i remeber Mr Reality has QUAD Nvidia and we have the same problems (see the link I posted at page 7).

[anc 0]

i'm having problem with the textures too, i sent a PM to a dev, and here what he answered:

Me: "Hi, we need help from a deve urgent, please read in this thread about our problem:

""]http://www.flashpoint1985.com/cgi-bin....]"

Suma: "I am sorry, but I am unable to help. We tested ArmA with 8800 both on Vista and XP and while we experienced some slight visual artifacts, it was nothing major like you are reporting, therefore I am not aware of any specific problem on the program side. I suggest you to contact your publisher's technical support instead.

Regards "

Me: "No no, i don't have a 8800. I have a 6800 with 128MB.

But i'm playing with everything in very low.

Like a said there, therefore i had the same problem, but it was more rare. With untill patch 1.01 i had the problem pretty much like i'm having now, however there it took 30 minutes of gameplay to start the problem. With patch 1.02 i still had the problem but some times it took almost 2h to start the problem.

Patch 1.04 the problem was even rare. But with the 1.05 after just few minutes i'm having this problem =/"

Suma: "We are testing with 6800 and with 128 MB cards as well and I am not aware of any specific problems for those either, therefore I as a programmer am still not able to help you and still my advice is to contact technical support.

Regards"

Does this mean that the problem wont be fixed soon?

[Clavicula_nox4817 0]

Quote[/b] ]Does this mean that the problem wont be fixed soon?

It means you should contact technical support.

[Tracer 0]

i'm having problem with the textures too, i sent a PM to a dev, and  here what he answered:

Me: "Hi, we need help from a deve urgent, please read in this thread about our problem:

"]http://www.flashpoint1985.com/cgi-bin....]"

Suma: "I am sorry, but I am unable to help. We tested ArmA with 8800 both on Vista and XP and while we experienced some slight visual artifacts, it was nothing major like you are reporting, therefore I am not aware of any specific problem on the program side. I suggest you to contact your publisher's technical support instead.

Regards "

Me: "No no, i don't have a 8800. I have a 6800 with 128MB.

But i'm playing with everything in very low.

Like a said there, therefore i had the same problem, but it was more rare. With untill patch 1.01 i had the problem pretty much like i'm having now, however there it took 30 minutes of gameplay to start the problem. With patch 1.02 i still had the problem but some times it took almost 2h to start the problem.

Patch 1.04 the problem was even rare. But with the 1.05 after just few minutes i'm having this problem =/"

Suma: "We are testing with 6800 and with 128 MB cards as well and I am not aware of any specific problems for those either, therefore I as a programmer am still not able to help you and still my advice is to contact technical support.

Regards"

Does this mean that the problem wont be fixed soon?  

It's not really good etique to post private PMs -regardless of the content.

[Rhodite 3]

Indeed

PM = PRIVATE Message, as the title says they are not for public viewing, hence the word PRIVATE

If you have a query about your reply from an individual take it up with them not the board.

however should the content of a pm be inappropriate youshould pm a MOD

Thanks

[anc 0]

I know, but this PM is about a problem that i'm having with the game, i would create a threado about it, but hardly he would see it and answer.

I posted here so that people having the same problem that i am, know whats going on. Since untill now this was the only asnwer that we had about this problem.

[shadow 6]

"This game is about potential.  You just have to wait patiently like all the rest of us.  And remember, ARMA is an investment"

Why don't you just fuck off?

WL1+ for flaming

[INNOCENT&CLUELESS 0]

@Balschoiw & dmitri: You understood me wrong.

I am not so "over cross" with BI anymore. I guess they understood that they have to do something and that they landed a huge PR-desaster. I am more concerned if they have the long breath to bring ArmA to the same quality as OFP 1.96.

What I do not like is advises from your side what I have to accept.

To your comments regarding writing bug reports to support BI hehe, you can call me Mister trouble ticket.

I dunno if Marek would be open for support from the community since there are a lot of config issues causing trouble in ArmA. Guys like DVD or the previous and current WGL team would be perfect to fiddle that. DVD brought already the commander scope zoom back as well as disabling that funny strykershaggin when firing nades. Both is not solved in 1.05.

Guess if they come together the community could fix almost all config related bugs by sending them the corrected parts of the configs as a suggestion.

[Haredogg 0]

My advice, you´re not happy, take it back to the store if you can´t wait for the issues of your personal preference to be fixed.

If you don´t appreciate such, you´re free to leave, sell your game and noone will bother.

I bought the game on www.sprocketidea.com, I sent them a email requesting a refund Friday night and I have yet to receive a refund or even a reply back.

Will you buy my game since I can't get a refund?

[Possessed 0]

I put here the same text I wrote in troubleshooting area thread (performance hits). IMO this performance problem thing should be dealt in troubleshooting forum.

I was thinking what Maruk and xmongx said about textures and got an idea whats the problem with memory filling and alt-tabbing. It's all about memory speeds of GFX card, system memory and pagefile and how fast ArmA fills them.

If you have a high-end computer, good GFX card with fast video memory and you are using high or very high quality textures, video card memory speed can handle them until cards memory fills up and ArmA starts to use normal memory which is significantly slower. Normal memory can't cope with the speed the GPU is drawing the textures and fps decreases. When normal memory is filled, ArmA starts to use pagefile and the result is horrendous. Big textures also fill up graphics card memory fast so you notice the problem very soon. Actually I tried "-maxmem 128", everything was good at start and very soon textures went absolutely grazy=ArmA skipped system memory due maxmem setting and started to use pagefile after the video card memory was filled up.

If you are using good or middle level computer with a decent video card, its slower graphics memory and GPU speed can't handle large textures. You switch your texture level to normal. Video card memory speed can handle those normal size textures and when the memory fills up, ArmA starts to use system memory which can handle normal textures also better. You don't notice significant difference in performance. You maybe finish the mission before the system memory fills up. Memory filling is also slower with the normal size textures than with the higher texture settings.

If you are using a low end... (I mean old ) computer, you had chosen low textures level since your antique video card speed can't handle any bigger textures. Also system RAM can handle low textures without any problems. Even changing to pagefile doesn't drop the texture drawing speed very much. Low quality textures are also smaller so the texture memory fills up significantly slower. You finish the mission before memory is choking. No problem with low end machine.

The way how the game uses graphics memory should be fixed. The game should use only graphics card memory and clear it from useless textures when it starts to use new ones, not to switch to fill system memory at all. Because if it is not fixed, we need a graphics card which can eat all the textures during a long mission. A graphics card with 10GB of internal video memory is not the way to go. Or 10GB of GDDR3 system memory with an operating system which can use it. Because at the moment those are the things what you need with satisfactory playing with high quality textures.

Just thinking: In the other games there are levels or game areas. They are loaded when one level is passed. The level before is erased from graphics memory. If we are thinking other huge gaming areas, Morrowind or Oblivion, there is loading when you change from one game area to other. But not on Sahrani. Can this memory problem actually ever be fixed? In that case the high texture settings are only for making nice looking screenshots for marketing purposes. In my case I use them to show to my Crysis-fanatic friend that we already have Crysis-level graphics . Just stop the show before the stutter starts

Question to BIS: Is it possible to make a command line option or graphics setting option that the game "loads" (do the same when alt-tabbing) when video card memory fills up. Of course it is a nuance when game loads at times but that's the way to constantly use high textures without alt-tabbing. This cannot be used in network games but in single player gaming it would be ok.

[Balschoiw 0]

Quote[/b] ]@Balschoiw & dmitri: You understood me wrong.

I am not so "over cross" with BI anymore. I guess they understood that they have to do something and that they landed a huge PR-desaster. I am more concerned if they have the long breath to bring ArmA to the same quality as OFP 1.96.

What I do not like is advises from your side what I have to accept.

You do not have to accept anything we say. This is a public forum. If you don´t like what is posted, just ignore it.

I spent some time yesterday searching german forums and what I found is that you obviously made it a hobby bashing BIS, Placebo and Armed Assault, tried to press Morphicon into pressuring BIS, wanted to sue BIS over Armed Assault and got banned for that attitude on some pages. I couldn´t care less, but I now know where you´re coming from.

Good to know.

[Journeyman 0]

The texture problem is not a driver issue (ATI or Nvidia), its a Engine problem and its a major one. The fix has been given by a few forum members if you serch you will find it.  

How do you know where the problem is?

What exactly is "the texture problem? I can see mix up of few problems so I want to make sure it's clear...

Please, where to find the information about such fix for any of such problems? It would be really useful to have.

This from the bug tracker ...

Quote[/b] ]I can confirm however, that the maxmem=512 startup parameter fixes these

texture issues and the shutdown issue. It also seems to make the game more

stable as I have not experienced any ctd when running the maxmem=512

setting.

I've also found setting texture detail to normal seems to be less buggy even though there is little or no difference in appearance/performance.

Don't know if this helps?  

[INNOCENT&CLUELESS 0]

@Balschoiw:

Sure, you are the last one who did not know that I am the "Forentroll" and also an "arrogantes Ars****loch".

You do not know where I am coming from. And you ignore all suggestions I made. Because you have a religious relation to ArmA.

I see it like this: I paid some money, I want to get the delivery usually immediately, I do not care that it is usual that SW is developed on my computer.

Since I learned from BI that realistically I will never get a decent documentation for ArmA assembled and maintained by BI. And that they are not able, due to the amount of man-hours they have available, to bring ArmA just now to the level I expect (I stress "I expect", I know you are happy with 1.05).

But here is the huge difference between your mindset and mine:

You think, like many others, SW was / is always like that, just like a law I have to accept it and I must shut up while -

I think BI must, as a partly compensation, post every morning a "sorry" in this forum for every extra day we have to wait - for the fact that we are still here - that we offer our computers as testing platform for BI - that we still did not brought back the game to the shop. I guess it would be nice if BI could do at least post a telling statement / excuse, especially for the early Czech and German customers, it costs no money and it brings back a lot of goodwill.

Balschoiw, you have absolutely no clue how long I was trying via normal communication channels, with excellent wording I tried to bring up the communication with BI - silence - nothing.

Hence I started to behave this way, I know that this is not very helpful for my initial aims and targets, but at least I get the initial attention I required.

I will still support BI as much as I can, but not like you looking at them like being gods, more like I accepted the path BI drawn to solve the problems instead of being told that I have to accept this.

[funkymojo44 0]

First off I would like to point out that I have played OFP and have Red Hammer/Resistance addons, played them to death and love the first game.

However I have a major issue with BIS releasing what can only be described as an ‘incomplete game’ that is v1.04 of Armed Assault. Some of you may have said already that if you have bought the game then tough. This is nonsense. The mission where you have to blow up a bridge after tanks etc. have passed through. 1 tank gets over bridge ok goes up road, gets stuck behind a house and continually rams it for 15 minutes. Another tank drives past bridge straight into the river and blows up. The other 2 bmps and ural stagger along a few inches every 20 seconds and finally after 15 minutes make their way across the bridge were they get stuck again on the edge of a house....

Every mission i have done so far has major scripting flaws, i just dont know how they got away with releasing this unfinished.

Maybe this is typical of the gaming industry at this time – release a bugged game and then take another 6-12months release staged patches. As far as I am concerned this is not good enough.

You cannot tell me that the testers for Armed Assault went through the campaign and were happy with the scripted events and AI. And I’m talking about v1.04, god knows how people coped with 1.02 released in other countries.

I have installed v1.05, and there is a slight improvement regarding AI and I like the new aiming system. However I would like someone representing BI to put a sticky on this board and explain why a huge amount of people are experiencing major script flaws and AI problems and graphics engine flaws.

As far as I am concerned the modding community are going to make this game into what it should be, just like they did with OFP.

[Balschoiw 0]

Quote[/b] ]And you ignore all suggestions I made. Because you have a religious relation to ArmA.

This is simply bogus. I have been one of the first here to complain and critizise about Arma as I was very dissapointed and upset about the status of the release version, so you better check your facts.

There is a difference between critizising and moaning.

Running around, threatening to sue BIS, discrediting personel working for BIS and spamming various forums in order to get your voice heard is not on my list of usefull contributions though.

Quote[/b] ]Since I learned from BI that realistically I will never get a decent documentation for ArmA assembled and maintained by BI.

Ever had a look at the wiki ? If you want to have a 300 pages compendium coming with your boxed version that goes partially obsolete with every patch released you do not understand the fundamentals of releasing a mainstream computergame.

If the price for Arma was around 200 or 300 Euros you could ask for that, but not for a product sold for 39 Euros.

Quote[/b] ]And that they are not able, due to the amount of man-hours they have available, to bring ArmA just now to the level I expect (I stress "I expect", I know you are happy with 1.05).

I guess some expectations can never be met, still you fail to see that BIS is already improving Arma, not just fixing it, but I know that´s just not what you expect.

Quote[/b] ]You think, like many others, SW was / is always like that, just like a law I have to accept it and I must shut up while

We already know that Arma in the first place wasn´t released in a complete state, even the Dev´s already said so here on the public board and said sorry for it.

And yes, I do see, experience, a vast load of changes from 1.02 to 1.05.

What this forum certainly does not need is a mob of constantly moaning guys who actually just want to push through their own ideas by all means, act as if there was no superior being then them and eventually scream "BUG !!!" when it isn´t really one and they just failed to set their things up right or are for example unable to upgrade their versions because they use the wrong update versions.

For some it would be better to search for the reason of their issues first and then, if it´s really confirmed, post it to the Buglist. This is contributing. You don´t have to tell BIS how they have to run their company. That´s simply none of your business.

Still the old rule applies, if you have nothing to contribute, do not post at all.

You don´t achieve a reputation by discrediting people like Placebo, which is btw a thing that only shows how little you know about the job he did. If you had come here and posted the stuff about Placebo like you did elsewhere I can assure you that there would be not many left who would even read your posts anymore.

It tells a story that you were not man enough to post that stuff here but on other platforms.

So much for your good intentions.

Quote[/b] ]You cannot tell me that the testers for Armed Assault went through the campaign and were happy with the scripted events and AI. And I’m talking about v1.04, god knows how people coped with 1.02 released in other countries.

How do you know there was even a large test of the 1.04 version ? From my understanding the production of the product went on since the initial release and there was no indepth test-phase as time simply wouldn´t have allowed it. Then after a few weeks we get 1.05 patch, a major one with a lot of changes, additiones and bugs aswell.

Has this to be expected ? I´d say yes. As I already posted a proper patch with testing on a large scale would have meant that it would have been released in June maybe. What do you think ? Are the people more happy to have version upgrades from 1.02 to 1.05 with a lot of gameplay fixes and changes now, or do you think they would have been willing to wait for June ?

Your attitude really baffles me. I guess you would have been the first to scream "I want the patch now ! I have paid for it ! I will sue the whole planet if I don´t get the patch !"

But now, as there is a major patch, you keep moaning about the things that came with the patch. Do you actually have an idea how big Arma is, how complex it is, how much sources for errors there are ?

But still, understanding is not on your list, as you simply EXPECT it to be the way you want it. Period.

No matter how much reviews there were telling you that there are a load of bugs, no matter that you had to be blind to NOT read any reviews pointing out the flaws of Arma, you have your expectations and you want them fulfilled. Not tomorrow, but today, No matter what. This is why you´ll be never happy with Arma as it will never be like you want it to be.

Even in 2 years from now on you will still demand excuses.

If that suits you, ok.

I´m more looking forward, not backward. There was a time to be upset or whatever, but as BIS is already pushing hard to satisfy their customers I see no point, apart from moaning, to constantly bring back the same issues over and over again.

Arma has changed, it´s not Arma 1.01 anymore. It´s Arma 1.05.

Of course there is a need for fixes, of course there are wishes, but BIS has already shown us that they listen alot to their com and do implement things we want and even more.

Anyway, enough of that. I´m fed of it.