Gameplay improvements (and others) sugestions

[ricnunes 0]

One thing that I saw in an interview about ArmA2 that was released recently was that the devs were going to improve the gameplay of ArmA2 (such as not being so "hard" as ArmA -> specially for single player) but without making things easy/arcadish such as a soldier being able to withstand with something like 20 shots in order to die. I'm glad that the devs will not do something like this because I'm tired of all those FPS were you must get hit something like 20 times in order to die. Well for me the "damage model" for soldiers is almost perfect as it is currently in ArmA.

So my list of sugestions that I'll post here and while probably not directly related to the issue mentioned above will I believe improve that same issue. Also it's possible that some of these sugestions have already been posted here in this forum, sorry if that's the case. So the sugestions are:

1 -> Allow the player to reload while moving. This is really a very annoying issue. I can say that I'm proud that I managed to bring some people to this game, people that probably wouldn't try this game if I hadn't pointed them to it. And this issue is the one that definitly annoys the most everyone that I know that plays ArmA. I also estimate that 15% of the times that I die in ArmA are due to this same issue and I would bet that it wouldn't be that diferent for other players. So in the end solving this issue would in the end improve gameplay for ArmA2 (and if possible for ArmA as well).

I also read that the dificulty in solving this same issue is related to the dificulty in making the respective animations. Well I sugest that one of the following 2 actions could be taken if the "perfect" solution which is having a full working reloading while in movement with full animations ins't possible or too hard:

1.1- When the player is reloading and he/she start walking/running then the reload is simply canceled and the player will have to hit the reload key again while standing in another place in order to reload his weapon.

1.2- Allow reloading while moving and simply not add the respective animation (we wouldn't see the soldier reloading).

While far from perfect the solutions mentioned above are IMO far better and far more realistic than what we have now in ArmA which is we can't simply move while reloading and thus being a sitting duck while reloading!

2-> Improve the friendly/team members AI. While the enemy AI is excelent, being one of the best that I ever seen in a FPS (specially in terms of movements and tactics) the friendly AI simply SUCKS! They are incapable of having any iniciative, they are incapable of covering the flanks or rear of the formation and sometimes they are even incapable of engaging an enemy which is very visible and on range and sometimes incapable of defending themselfs. So in order for your friendly/team members to have a minimal effectiveness you must be a team leader and you must micromanage at the minimal detail you team members and even so they can hardly be considered effective.

I estimate that I die something like 35% to 40% of the times while playing in single player because of the friendly AI ineffectiveness.

Also the AIs (enemy and firendlies) are not very effective in urban areas, but I read in the same interview that this will be fixed/improved in ArmA2, which is very good news inded!

3-> The enemy AI while excelent in terms of movements and tactics it as it's quircks. The most annoying of them and the most noticed one is the fact that they make impossible shots such as making extremelly precise and therefore deadly shots thru dense vegetation where it would simply be impossible see anyone and much less being able to hit someone in such conditions. I've also seen AIs walking thru walls and therefore getting me completly by surprise.

Also the AIs make very precise shots from long ranges with non-scopped rifles (ironsights) which would be impossible or extremelly hard even for the best players.

I would say that I die 30% of the times (both single and multiplayer) due to this issue, but I believe that this number could be even higher.

So and resuming I estimate that I die 80% of the times while playing ArmA in single player due to those issues mentioned above (slightly less in multiplayer, but not that far) and that's not for the simple fact that the game is simply "too hard". So solving those issue would IMO not only improve some critical faults that ArmA currently have but would in the end make the game "easier" or more survivable (which is perhaps a much better term) without making the game less realistic!

Sorry for my long post, but I think it was necessary to explain my points of view about the subject.

[SaBrE_UK 0]

Good points. It's always good to have new perspectives on the game.

[stakex 0]

While I do kinda wish we could reload while moving, perhaps having it take longer then if you were stationary... its not really a "design issue". It is in fact the way it is by desgin I guess to add realisim, and strategy to the game. OFP/ArmA are tacticle shooters after all, and not run and gun games like COD. If it is in fact the animation thats the issue... then thats pretty sad that something like that could be "too hard" to do for a professional dev team.

The AI issue tho is perhaps one of, if not the biggest issue the game has. In reality the friendly and enemy AI is all the same since all the NPC's draw from the same AI settings in the engine as far as I know... you just notice it more when your own guys are doing things that end up getting you killed. Some serious changes need to be done to the AI for this game... otherwise its going to be a pretty looking game with terrible AI thats no fun to play. Tho I would seriouslly expect some big improvements.

[ricnunes 0]

While I do kinda wish we could reload while moving, perhaps having it take longer then if you were stationary... its not really a "design issue". It is in fact the way it is by desgin I guess to add realisim, and strategy to the game. OFP/ArmA are tacticle shooters after all, and not run and gun games like COD. If it is in fact the animation thats the issue... then thats pretty sad that something like that could be "too hard" to do for a professional dev team.

Stakex,

Allowing to reloading while in movement is way more realistic than only allowing it stationary for the simple reason that anyone (or any soldier in the world) is able to do that. At least I can do that in real life, so I "guess" that any soldier can do that.

Of course I'm not saying that you could reload while spriting but at least when walking or running slow the player should be able to reload his weapon. It's not that hard to do that in real life.

It's obvious that ArmA is far more realistic than CoD games but regarding this issue (reloading while in movement) the CoD is ironicaly more realistic than ArmA. Remember the objective of tactical shooters is to be as realistic as possible and not as hard as possible, so reloading while in movement is definitly a must for ArmA2.

Well I'm definitly not a ArmA programmer but I find very hard to believe that the enemy AI is the same or at least behaves the same has your AI team members. I played and play ArmA a lot (both single and multiplayer) and the enemy AI seems definitly to be more lets say more advanced (or better) than the one of your team members and the main reason seems for me to be the iniciative in doing or executing tasks (such as surrounding an enemy position, or protecting the flanks) which in the case of enemy soldiers is very good and within the player's AI team members is almost inexistant.

[My Fing ID 0]

Your right about the reloading. It's bad soldiering (should be behind cover to begin with if your going to reload), but it should be possible.

[Inkompetent 0]

Your right about the reloading. It's bad soldiering (should be behind cover to begin with if your going to reload), but it should be possible.

...unless you are a Brittish or Swedish soldier doing bounding overwatch, where you are encouraged to time reloading to running since it means you can shoot when you are supposed to shoot and cover the other advancing team

[ricnunes 0]

Here are my other "2 cents" about this "reload while moving" subjects:

It's possible that while in training almost no soldier reloads while moving due to a list of reasons. BUT while training is extremelly important things get a totally diferent perspective when soldiers are in REAL COMBAT. In real combat improvising becomes a rule since often (if not in most situations) things evolve very diferently from the situations that were learn while in training. Let's imagine a the following situation:

- One soldier is reloading his/her weapon while standing behing cover (which is the "correct" thing to do) but sudently and while doing this the soldier's cover becomes exposed (for example an enemy flanks the soldier's covered position) than what will that soldier do:

1- Stand still while he/she finishes reloading his/hers weapon? NO of course not, that's a stupid thing to do, but unfortunally this is exactly what happens in Armed Assault!

2- Moving out from the exposed covered position and finish the weapon reload while on the move? Yes, I'm 100% convinced that this would be the correct action to do. So this needs to get sorted out in ArmA2 (preferably in ArmA as well).

[SaBrE_UK 0]

You hit the nail on the head there.

[DVD 0]

Indeed.

[NoRailgunner 0]

2 cents:

Reloading your weapon in fast movement like run and sprint? - No.

Reloading machineguns, AT, AA weapons only when stationary? - Yes.

AI with more tactic skills, movements, no pinpoint behind obstacles, better situation awarness and of course using weapons most of time at effective combat range - not max range (except well trained & high skilled sniper units).

[smellyjelly 0]

Here's how I think reloading should work:

Stationary: Fastest reload.

Walking: Reloading is a bit longer, unable to reload some larger weapons.

Jogging: Much longer than walking, although actual reload time should be somewhat random or correspond with the RPG features, restricted to pistols, smgs and rifles.

Sprinting: Impossible, however if needed, I should be able to sprint after taking out the mag of a weapon and resume the reloading in a safer spot.

* When slowing down from jogging to walking or standing, the reload time must also change to the appropriate speed and continue from where it was left off.

[ricnunes 0]

I completly agree with smellyjelly!

And I want to add one more thing:

- I agree that the larger weapons such as RPG, Javelins, Stingers, etc... should infact be impossible to reload while moving BUT the reload of such weapons should be able to be canceled or temporarelly stopped if the player decides to go prone or move away from his location. There's very few things more annoying in ArmA then reloading an RPG (which can only be done in standing position) and while doing it so dying in the process because the player is a totally sitting duck when reloads a RPG which happens quite often even because it takes quite some time to reload a RPG.

Also and if it isn't asking too much, those large weapon types (RPG, Javelins, Stingers, etc...) should be reloadable while in prone position and better yet the player should be able to fire them in prone position, specially the AT weapons.

[stakex 0]

While I do kinda wish we could reload while moving, perhaps having it take longer then if you were stationary... its not really a "design issue". It is in fact the way it is by desgin I guess to add realisim, and strategy to the game. OFP/ArmA are tacticle shooters after all, and not run and gun games like COD. If it is in fact the animation thats the issue... then thats pretty sad that something like that could be "too hard" to do for a professional dev team.

Stakex,

Allowing to reloading while in movement is way more realistic than only allowing it stationary for the simple reason that anyone (or any soldier in the world) is able to do that. At least I can do that in real life, so I "guess" that any soldier can do that.

Of course I'm not saying that you could reload while spriting but at least when walking or running slow the player should be able to reload his weapon. It's not that hard to do that in real life.

It's obvious that ArmA is far more realistic than CoD games but regarding this issue (reloading while in movement) the CoD is ironicaly more realistic than ArmA. Remember the objective of tactical shooters is to be as realistic as possible and not as hard as possible, so reloading while in movement is definitly a must for ArmA2.

Well I'm definitly not a ArmA programmer but I find very hard to believe that the enemy AI is the same or at least behaves the same has your AI team members. I played and play ArmA a lot (both single and multiplayer) and the enemy AI seems definitly to be more lets say more advanced (or better) than the one of your team members and the main reason seems for me to be the iniciative in doing or executing tasks (such as surrounding an enemy position, or protecting the flanks) which in the case of enemy soldiers is very good and within the player's AI team members is almost inexistant.

I was only venturing a guess as to BIS's motive for no re-loading on the run. Im not saying I actually agree that its more realistic or anything. But it does in fact add strategy to the game when you can't reload on the run... it makes you plan your moves better.

Theres also one other thing I really haven't seen covered durring the reload on the run debate... its almost 100% impossible to hit a target while running in ArmA/OFP (its so impossible its actually very unrealistic). So one could aruge, that sicne you have to be stationary to fire your weapon in the game, re-loading on the run is of little value becuase you can re-load before you run, or when you stop to fire. Its not like your going to need to re-load becuase your shooting on the run.

[ricnunes 0]

Sorry but it seemed to me that your were defending that the player shouldn't move while reloading in your first post and definitly it seems to me that you keep defending this feature in the second post. English is not my first language but this is what appears to me. Anyway if I'm worng please accept my appologies.

Well, I couldn't disagree more with the "player shouldn't move while reloading because it's add strategy to the game" since for me this doesn't add strategy to the game but instead it add stupidity, annoyance and unrealism to the game. IMO there's nothing strategical in NOT being able to do anything while reloading.

I previously posted a situation which can happen (and probably happens often) in real life and it also happens frequently in ArmA which is the following (in case you haven't read it):

"- One soldier is reloading his/her weapon while standing behing cover (which is the "correct" thing to do) but sudently and while doing this the soldier's cover becomes exposed (for example an enemy flanks the soldier's covered position) than what will that soldier do:

1- Stand still while he/she finishes reloading his/hers weapon? NO of course not, that's a stupid thing to do, but unfortunally this is exactly what happens in Armed Assault!

2- Moving out from the exposed covered position and finish the weapon reload while on the move? Yes, I'm 100% convinced that this would be the correct action to do. So this needs to get sorted out in ArmA2 (preferably in ArmA as well)."

Well, try to plan that!! It doesn't matter how good a "strategist" you are or how good your training is, situations like the one above WILL DEFINITLY HAPPEN and when they happen you must improvise.

But, let's see:

-> Generals (high ranking officers) do the strategy.

-> Soldiers on the field follow the orders given by the guys above ans IMPROVISE if needed.

So guess what situation ArmA models or is all about? My "guess" is that ArmA definitly is a game that models the second.

Resuming, stupidity isn't strategy (at least good one) so not being able to move while reloading isn't strategy since it's stupidity (IMO at least) and unrealism (Definitly, without any doubt).

Quote[/b] ]Theres also one other thing I really haven't seen covered during the reload on the run debate... its almost 100% impossible to hit a target while running in ArmA/OFP (its so impossible its actually very unrealistic). So one could aruge, that sicne you have to be stationary to fire your weapon in the game, re-loading on the run is of little value becuase you can re-load before you run, or when you stop to fire. Its not like your going to need to re-load becuase your shooting on the run.

Humm let me see:

"almost 100% impossible to hit a target while running" --> REALISTIC

"Not being able to move while reloading" --> UNrealistic

So definitly I don't get your point here...

[sluggCDN 0]

Quote[/b] ]Reloading your weapon in fast movement like run and sprint? - No.

Reloading machineguns, AT, AA weapons only when stationary? - Yes.

absolutely agree!!! 100% The issue here is not so much the fact that we cannot reload while running as it is the fact that we can not do anything while reloading; we are deprived of mobility and ability do switch to other actions for the duration of the reloading animation. It's the major shortcoming ArmA inherited from the outdated 8 year old OFP game engine. The loop-based character animation system also affects other aspects of character animation/control. Here is another atrocious example:

You are looking thru your binocular but your view is obstructed by a bush or a branch. You naturally cannot just step aside with the bino up - it's ArmA ppl. You have to switch to your rifle so the "put-away-bino" animation is played followed by the "take-the-rifle-of-your-shoulder" animation. These actions are chosen from the Action menu. Imagine now you accidently miss "Weapon Rifle" action & select  "Weapon RPG Launcher"; so now what happens u got to go thru the theatrical act of the endless stupid animations: put away binocular, take the RPG off the your shoulder, then put RPG back on your shoulder, take your rifle of your shoulder. WOW finally YOU ARE READY to make that one step to the right to get yourself unobstructed view thru your binocular. One thing I don't understand why we cannot move with a binocular in our hands.

I just hope BIS is working on the completely new animation/character control system; otherwise if they just address "the-reload-on-the-move" issue it's gonna change very little in the character control area.

[ricnunes 0]

Yes, I completly agree with you sluggCDN!