Mods for people who are Deaf.

[NKato 0]

Is it realistic to create a mod that would allow those who are audio-challenged, to be able to function normally when they are in vehicles and as infantry?

The game already comes with subtitling for voice communications and spotting, but when it comes to aircraft, it becomes difficult to attempt to evade a Strela or Stinger missile.

The reason being, you can't really hear the threat warning sound.

So, as a solution, is there a way to craft a mini-mod that allows you to either A. let the chopper "talk" to you when a threat is incoming, or B. Introduce a visual warning system like a blinking light that you can't damn well ignore?

Your feedback and thoughts are appreciated.

-NK

[Hit_Sqd_Ack 0]

I think it would be pretty easy to script or trigger for a helo, yes.

Trigger

Helo 1 is targeted

titletext "blah blah blah"

something along those lines, it is possible.

- Ack

[BraTTy 0]

I have 2 deaf children and I requested over the years options..

If my son could tell where the shots came from he could be competitive within the game.I recall reviews of Arma describing a red dot visual? Maybe its there ,I haven't really looked again.But I believe they have implemented some features.

Bis is top-notch....years of input

For OFP I was messing with animations creating a ASL interpreter.I hope to continue for Arma

If I could ever finish that project.This game engine could be used widely for many future ASL demonstrations.

Its hard project.Bis never released animation tools.I also own my own business and work usually 100+ hours a week

[Hit_Sqd_Ack 0]

Ohh thats what those things are! They are White, Green and some times Red, I see them on the edges of the screen some times. Is your game set to Vet or Reg for them?

- Ack

[fasad 1]

Those white/red/green dots on the edge of the screen are "peripheral vision markers". They let you know about known vehicles/units just beyond the edges of the screen.

Simulating directional hearing with some kind of on-screen display from within ArmA would be a hugely complex task. There might be some kind of generic overlay program that can do this somewhere on the internet?

As for the original topic, ArmA does not have in any in-built audible warning systems other a "beep beep" that sounds in tanks and aircraft, when damage is sustained from any means (such as landing too hard). There are no radar lock warnings or incoming missile warnings whatsoever. The incoming missile event handler can detect an incoming missile, and script commands can display anything you wish on screen. So creating an incoming missile visual/audible warning would be a simple task.

[BraTTy 0]

Thanks for tips fasad, you are very sharp

Got me thinking I maybe could work on some kind of vibrating belt or something...brainstorming

Is there already something like that out?

I work toooooo much.I'm outdated

[NKato 0]

Those white/red/green dots on the edge of the screen are "peripheral vision markers". They let you know about known vehicles/units just beyond the edges of the screen.

Simulating directional hearing with some kind of on-screen display from within ArmA would be a hugely complex task. There might be some kind of generic overlay program that can do this somewhere on the internet?

As for the original topic, ArmA does not have in any in-built audible warning systems other a "beep beep" that sounds in tanks and aircraft, when damage is sustained from any means (such as landing too hard). There are no radar lock warnings or incoming missile warnings whatsoever. The incoming missile event handler can detect an incoming missile, and script commands can display anything you wish on screen. So creating an incoming missile visual/audible warning would be a simple task.

The peripheral vision markers is a possible trigger option.

If it is scriptable, it could indicate the direction of enemy targeting (missile or active threat) that would blink in a larger red dot on the peripheral vision that would make it hard to ignore, plus a verbal warning from the vehicle's computer that would be added in. "Woop, Woop, Active Threat, Woop, Woop, Active Threat." Or something along those lines that would be a tremendous help.

An alternate method is to take a snippet of that "spotter" code where your AI would report enemy threats and locations as soon as they were spotted. For this application, alter it to detect AI that are actively targeting your helicopter, and if one of them fires a missile or weapon in your vehicle's direction, the computer would inform you of which direction it is coming from. "Threat, 3 o' Clock!"

Given the scriptability of ArmA, there are a lot of possible ways to help deaf troops counter the stigma of being unable to communicate, and fight effectively.

Of course, the question becomes raised - when does it stop being an aid to deaf people, and starts being a cheat?

-NK

[paragraphic l 2]

with the latest beta the Xbox 360 controller vibrates when hit, so you can implement a system like that probably

and with the visual markers on the side of the screen you also are given the option to work with those to create some directional markers to show from where you are being shot etc. other than that, text would probably kill the play-ability you could better work with signals or colour signs or something like that.

[Commando84 0]

damn i thought those where some sun effects or something to the eyes haha well well you learn something new today

[NKato 0]

Does anyone else have ideas? I'm also interested in seeing if someone can pull off any of the ideas that have been proposed so far.

[fasad 1]

Which part NKato?

Scripting the incoming missile warning is simple enough for use in a new mission you create, but I do not know how to create a generic addon that adds this behaviour to all missions. I assume you would need to over-write the BI unit configs with one with a built in event handler. In multi-player, this would report as a modified config which generally considered as cheating.

Using ArmA's script engine to give directional hints about sounds would probably have a big impact on game performance. I've got a couple of ideas I'll try sometime this week. I still think using an external program would be the way to go, but I don't think such a program exists...

[Adv 0]

Edit- I just noticed paragraphic I already suggested the same basic thing I did in my post.

[fasad 1]

I think the idea of leaving the screen clear is a good one. But vibration motors are pretty crude. I'm not sure how well they can relate different sounds. For example, do they have the fidelity to make a product different effects for a tank driving past and a bad guy shooting a machine gun at you? A sound mod to be used to either create on-screen display or drive vibration motors would have to improve the performance of these systems, but of course that's yet more work... I'm really surprised no commercial system exists.

[NKato 0]

fasad, the controller idea is out - mostly because I don't like the idea of using a controller on a PC. :P Other than that, probably having to insert the script into each mission would be a better idea like you suggested from your prior post.. I recently joined the Tactical Gamer community as a visitor, and I figure we could use that kind of script for the TG missions.

-NK

[smellyjelly 0]

Just wondering, would bass work? Sorry, I'm very ignorant on this subject.

In fact, I noticed that when a distant helicopter or tank is heading for me, I can feel the bass before I can actually hear it. Usually I can tell it's approximate direction by moving my players head around. I can defiantly feel whether it's on my right or left side, and then figure the rest out from there.

[BraTTy 0]

bass works...I used to have my subwoofer under my desk and my deaf son would place his feet on it when he played.

Still doesn't help with the direction tho.

Nevertheless I have a laptop now and no subwoofer anymore

[Balschoiw 0]

I guess there would be a way to actually create a player sphere, definable in radius that would detect any passing or incoming projectiles that can be defined in a script that´s executed with the addon.

A feedback option would be to name the source of the projectile with the relevant direction towards the player, and possibly the distance like

"incoming fire, shilka, 10 o´clock, 2000m"

with a simply text-output.

I guess it would be good to have BIS support on this though as the addon sphere needs different sizes , depending on what the player is doing. A plane sphere needs a higher awareness radius and will react to different projectiles than an infantry unit.

Would be really nice from BIS to implement such.

[NKato 0]

Not just that, but it would be extremely wise for BIS to include such support - they are receiving taxpayer money from the U.S. Government (In the form of military purchases for VBS2), which would potentially make them susceptible to 508 compliance laws. Those are accessibility laws that require government-funded/purchased products to have full access to a wide range of disabled people.

America's Army is one such example that has failed to comply with this law. It is poorly enforced, but if BIS were to include some sort of feature or purchasable addon for deaf gamers, it would tremendously improve the game.

[BraTTy 0]

Good idea Balschoiw, would be real easy to implement even just a "hit" event handler. displaying the ammo and direction.

Thats something I could easily script and make myself.

Problem's:

mp it would have to be written in the mission.

everyone won't want to play with it running.

Realistically you don't always know what hit you.

I can already picture my driving and it displaying "bush 12o clock,tree 6oclock.. etc" showing everything you hit as driving and interacting too

It should be an option that users can enable themselves, then my deaf son could play competitively

[nephilim 0]

@nkato...

BIS doesnt receive any funds from tax payers...

thats BIA..

its a difference so better make sure what you are writing..

besides i might sound pretty much like an ass now but i dont think BIA HAS to do this since im pretty sure there arent any deaf people on active duty... so that doesnt make much sense to me..

anyhow

its a pretty good idea

eventually it can be realized somehow.

of course direct support from BIS

would make things much easier

cheers

[Panda-PL- 0]

Sorry to pimp but you could try using tracer addon. Maybe this will make "hearing" fire easier.

I helped to create this one and performance-wise it doesn't affect the gaming.

You could modiffy tracer models to be much longer so they couldn't be missed (dissapear between frames). You could also try changing cfgammo valuse so that tracers are more often (every shot maybe?).

http://www.flashpoint1985.com/cgi-bin....54;st=0