Add On Compilation for more Realism and Immersion

[xTitan 0]

Can't wait for the new update man!

I love those SF units that were posted above!

I have been messing around with SLX a little bit to see what can be done in terms of fitting it into this compilation, but unfortunately everything is intertwined together, it's not modular like ECS.

I have not yet seen ECS's AI enhancements because I have not ran a dedicated server, but boy does SLX make a difference in terms of the AI. Instead of a bunch of AI going prone when they see each other, then shooting a shot, then getting back up and running straight at each other to repeat the process, SLX has these huge firefights with explosions and tracers everywhere and smoke and debris going off. I even made a mission where I just placed a bunch of guys randomly throughout that little town on Ramadi and then ran through, and they were flanking me and getting up on rooftops and stuff. It was just awesome and totally does more for realism than any other mod I have seen. However, it also seems to be incompatible with a lot of stuff, as it attempts to do a lot of things besides just the AI.

For instance, it makes every weapon have the recoil of an elephant gun. I've shot these rifles before and they certainly do not kick like this! They also make you move your weapon around a lot slower. Don't know why they did that, it just makes it seem like you have terrible FPS. These are the main qualms I have with this mod.

The reason I bring them up here is if someone out there is able to find a way to disable just these aspects but keep the amazing AI improvements (not to mention the awesome wound system! it could be added to this section and really make this whole thing a lot better.

[VIPER SHIVA 0]

Can't wait for the new update man!

I love those SF units that were posted above!

I have been messing around with SLX a little bit to see what can be done in terms of fitting it into this compilation, but unfortunately everything is intertwined together, it's not modular like ECS.

I have not yet seen ECS's AI enhancements because I have not ran a dedicated server, but boy does SLX make a difference in terms of the AI. Instead of a bunch of AI going prone when they see each other, then shooting a shot, then getting back up and running straight at each other to repeat the process, SLX has these huge firefights with explosions and tracers everywhere and smoke and debris going off. I even made a mission where I just placed a bunch of guys randomly throughout that little town on Ramadi and then ran through, and they were flanking me and getting up on rooftops and stuff. It was just awesome and totally does more for realism than any other mod I have seen. However, it also seems to be incompatible with a lot of stuff, as it attempts to do a lot of things besides just the AI.

For instance, it makes every weapon have the recoil of an elephant gun. I've shot these rifles before and they certainly do not kick like this! They also make you move your weapon around a lot slower. Don't know why they did that, it just makes it seem like you have terrible FPS. These are the main qualms I have with this mod.

The reason I bring them up here is if someone out there is able to find a way to disable just these aspects but keep the amazing AI improvements (not to mention the awesome wound system! it could be added to this section and really make this whole thing a lot better.

I had one error with the new SF replacements: Saboteur 2 doesn't have a weapon.

It would also be nice if the SF Sniper wasn't equipped with a .50- you just don't see guys lugging that enormous weapon around a battlefield like it was an AR. It should be replaced with a semi-auto 7.62 of modern design. There are various addons here that would be sufficient.

What's more, at least one of these guys should be carrying a SAW, or MG, one should have a LAW/SMAW/AT-6/etc, one should be equipped with a LD, and finally, at least one of the units should be medic-capable.

[Steel_WOF 0]

not sure if this is related to this compilation or not, but how do you get the actual range cards to show up?  it looks to me like one should go into the map screen and then scrolling across the different options available there (plan, notes, etc.) there should be a range card option.  i do not get that option at all...nor do i understand how to make a new range card (i.e. what button or menu option do i select?).  i have looked for the info but can not find it, nor is it in the readme in the .4 beta of the mod...

i have the path to the mod addon folder correct and have the range cards in that folder.

thx for any help!

[Steel_WOF 0]

nevermind... the rangecards are behind the regular notepad and it has to be minimized to see them. doh!

[xTitan 0]

aha! Thanks for letting us know Wolf, I was having the same issue!

Just as an update, I paid more careful attention to make sure every detail is exactly as instructed here and it turns out I had ECS installed incorrectly. Now the AI enhancements are there! I loaded this thing up in a mission editor and the AI were going in buildings just like they do in SLX. Looking forward to using this. MAKE SURE YOU INSTALL EVERYTHING CORRECTLY!!!

A couple of friends of mine said they were using XAM in combination with SLX and that it may possibly override some of the weapon slowness and recoil, but I will believe it when I see it.

Last, in terms of performance, I think the huge amount of smoke that now occurs in battles, namely where vehicles explode and then burn black smoke, slows down the game a lot, at least when you are looking at the smoke. Just as a heads-up on that.

[cole 0]

I had one error with the new SF replacements: Saboteur 2 doesn't have a weapon.

It would also be nice if the SF Sniper wasn't equipped with a .50- you just don't see guys lugging that enormous weapon around a battlefield like it was an AR. It should be replaced with a semi-auto 7.62 of modern design. There are various addons here that would be sufficient.

What's more, at least one of these guys should be carrying a SAW, or MG, one should have a LAW/SMAW/AT-6/etc, one should be equipped with a LD, and finally, at least one of the units should be medic-capable.

If you want to get rid of the M107 and have the default M24, just:

- unpack the .pbo with unPBO, PBOview, any other app that can unpack pbo's

- in config.cpp, delete the weapons line for the SF Marksman.

- save the config and pack it to the .pbo again

[the.d 0]

* update news and postscriptum: see current latest post

[acadiancrusader 0]

this is great work!

BI forum thread on TCP Animation Pack

armaholic download link to replacement pack

----------------------------

another simple addon that makes all the difference in the world

RVN Compass Mod

[the.d 0]

Cheers, updates will soon follow. Was already planning to integrate the new animations :-)

Seeing how very amazing 1.14 is, I'm quite happy, too! Just had a couple of quick coop missions with three gentlemen and (it feels good to write this) I'm very pleased with BIS' latest work - wow! Thanks a lot, ArmA-makers!

Gotta go for now, I'll update the list tomorrow.

---

(* update news and postscriptum: see current latest post )

[llama_thumper 0]

The.D, when you say "Updated the list to go with Armed Assault 1.14", do you mean just reference to 1.14 or actually updated mods for 1.14?

[the.d 0]

Whenever a new Armed Assault patch is released I check each file for compatibility issues (and ArmA.RPT errors) jettison outdated, redundant and/or non-working entries (as is the case with q11's recoils) and update adequate file descriptions (for instance zGuba's "Compact Fix for ArmA 1.12" becomes "Compact Fix for ArmA 1.14")

The main message should be: "All add ons have been examined and reviewed to work with the latest (1.14) version of Armed Assault" :-)

Still can't believe how great that patch is, by the way. Free kittens for everyone!

[murkz 0]

Hi,

Could some kind soul post a picture of the contents of the @General\AddOns" and "@Replacement\Addons" folders.

I can't seem to get the hifi gun sounds working.

Jeff

[Ezekiel 0]

BIS have apparently introduced realistic ballistics in the new patch, has anyone compared them with NonWonderDog's versions to see which is better/more realistic?

EDIT: Same goes for Q11 recoils, have BIS managed to fix what these addons originally fixed or are they still better?

[acadiancrusader 0]

SWM standalone Ghillie Sniper packV1.0&replacement

these look utterly fantastic!

[the.d 0]

@murkz: Did you place "HiFi_config.pbo" and "HiFi_sounds.pbo" in "\Armed Assault\@Replacements\AddOns"? Are you using any other sound replacements? Are you using "...\arma.exe" -nosplash -profiles=Profiles -mod=DBE1;@General;@Replacements" as your startup parameter? First time I heard it isn't working :-/

@Ezekiel: NWD's ballistics are still working well and with all the work the good man put into it I can hardly imagine it can get any better. The realistic dispersion alone is a must-have and as far as I could see 5.56 projectiles still have a very (/too) large spread in vanilla ArmA. Let us know if you can find anything out, though!

As for the recoils, I must say, the 1.14 (<-> 1.12b?) work out rather well, it just takes some time to get used to them. NB: q11's recoils* will NOT work properly with 1.14!

*I only ran the 1.09b specific version. I had a test with q11's 1.08 version and he's absolutely right: it does work properly! My apologies for any confusion!

@acadiancrusader: Good of you to bring it up. I had this discussion with cole.cz before.

These units are indeed nice and very detailed but they're not suitable for a regular replacement pack.

Ghillie suits are area- and mission-specific camouflage clothings for individual sniper/spotter teams that usually work separately from the rest of the platoon, if I am not mistaken.

Even with a "only SF snipers replaced by ghillie suits" config (like cole.cz successfully did, by the way) it is just out-of place both in terms of unit implementation (the common "sniper" class in ArmA is a regular soldier with a sniper rifle and some additional training, not a walking bush) as well as in terms of realism and context (these suits are really impractical, limit the unit's operational area and also do not quite fit to virtual Sahrani's dry climate.

If Ghillies are needed and wanted, of course, add them to the pertaining mission as a stand-alone unit (I *do* like this addon, especially in combo with Schmalfelden, for instance) but there's no place nor a proper solution for a replacement pack, as fas as I can see. Hence there's no place for it in the list.

Thanks for mentioning it though, people should definitely check it out!

[VIPER SHIVA 0]

SWM standalone Ghillie Sniper packV1.0&replacement

these look utterly fantastic!

They are half-way satifactory, I suppose. At the moment, SWM's probably are the best ghillies for ArmA. But IMO, the best looking ghillie snipers that I've seen in game so far, were the RAST snipers done by Maximus-Sniper, for OFP.

'Course, I had a small hand in creating those units, so I may be a bit biased.

It would be great if he had updated that unit, or converted it for ArmA, but I don't think he's with us anymore.

[murkz 0]

Thanks The.D, got it working, it was my spelling that let me down.

[cole 0]

about those recoils (originaly posted by Q1184 in Sharper recoils thread):

Quote[/b] ]You can still use the 1.08-specific version of my addon without any problems. It seems to work just as it used to. As for a new version, I might eventually assemble my current stuff into a stand-alone pack and release it. In the recent months I've revised my approach so recoils feel a bit different.

So the 1.08 recoils should work fine with 1.14 patch.. definitely gonna try this one I get home from school.

[SnR 1]

@Ezekiel: NWD's ballistics are still working well and with all the work the good man put into it I can hardly imagine it can get any better.

Thats true but due to most servers requiring keys now, we have no other option to stick with stock  

NWD Show me the key  

[acadiancrusader 0]

The.D, why don't you sign (with permission of course) all the recommended add-ons within your thread?

i see alot of servers doing this, but isn't the whole point of this thread is to create some form of multiplayer/realism standard? there is no standard if there are a dozen unofficial keys out there for a single unsigned add-on. at least this way, people will have a some-what, semi-official key.

ps- this thread is so freeking huge as well as the ECS thread... i can't remember why you went with the hacked version of ECS. what was it specifically that was conflicting?

[the.d 0]

Yeah, that would be the best solution to the "unsigned addons" issue.

But it's impossible to get a reply of all the authors in question and it would cause a bit of a confusion with addons that already use keys, so I'm afraid we'll have to keep it like it is and hope for the addon makers to sign their stuff sometime.

Thanks for the suggestion though, you contributed a lot to this thread :)

I'm currently still running (and recommending) the "lite" XEH-enabled ECS version as I try to keep it as simplistic as possible and purely client-sided, too.

One of the credos in this thread is to ensure compatibility with all clients connected to a dedicated server.

So far it's possible for someone with vanilla ArmA to connect to a fully "equipped" dedicated server and play with fellow clients that use every addon in this list, without desynchs and disconnects. With ECS (full) there have been a lot of issues (not ECS' fault, this mod is just freaking complex and huge) regarding non-ECS clients.

If you don't mind compatibility gaps, it's very recommendable to go with their proper full version!

[acadiancrusader 0]

Yeah, that would be the best solution to the "unsigned addons" issue.

But it's impossible to get a reply of all the authors in question and it would cause a bit of a confusion with addons that already use keys, so I'm afraid we'll have to keep it like it is and hope for the addon makers to sign their stuff sometime.

Thanks for the suggestion though, you contributed a lot to this thread

I'm currently still running (and recommending) the "lite" XEH-enabled ECS version as I try to keep it as simplistic as possible and purely client-sided, too.

One of the credos in this thread is to ensure compatibility with all clients connected to a dedicated server.

So far it's possible for someone with vanilla ArmA to connect to a fully "equipped" dedicated server and play with fellow clients that use every addon in this list, without desynchs and disconnects. With ECS (full) there have been a lot of issues (not ECS' fault, this mod is just freaking complex and huge) regarding non-ECS clients.

If you don't mind compatibility gaps, it's very recommendable to go with their proper full version!

i would prefer to go full out with ecs mostly because of the fantastic AI features. if i understand correctly, the edited version that you recommend is only for cosmetic reasons (extra voice/audio immersion).

and what are the specific conflicts that you speak of? because, if i can get rid of conflicting add-ons that i personally do not see all that important to enhancing my overall gaming experience (i personally put AI near the top), i would gladly sacrifice those addons for the full ecs.

[Specter 0]

sorry if this has been mentioned before, but it's late and search came up with nothing, so i didn't read the whole thread:

i'm not sure which one, but an addon from the list changes the sf marksman to a dude with a nade-launcher

[the.d 0]

acadiancrusader: Well, there's a really weird thing with ECS: I had a long talk with Joker and Archer who explained to me (and very reasonably so) that the AI features are fully enabled on server-sided ECS versions only.

The weird part is that, even with the client-sided, tweaked version, AI was able to get into buildings and pursue our team to the roof top of a storage building. I know this sounds odd and unlikely but it's how it happened. We can also see enemies flank quite well and take cover quicker than without ECS "lite" - so to some extend it does seem to work.

The biggest issue I had with ECS (full) was that clients that didn't have ECS were kicked off my server and some incredibly huge performance losses occurred on (some) complex missions like Berzerk or Quarantine.

I am going to test the full version of ECS server- and client-sided, again. Might have been just my personal impression. ECS "lite" always worked fine and like it should for me, but it is, of course, only right to use ECS like their developers (whom I highly appreciate for their kindness and patience with me, by the way ;-) ) intended.

I'll see into it and let you know, cheers!

Specter: Hm, are you sure? Works for me - SF marksman has an SPR, doesn't he? Weren't you using the SF Assault (with an M4ACOG+M203GL) instead, perhaps?

[i0n0s 0]

AI enters buildings even without ECS.

I have a mission were infantry are storming the building if we're barricading in there. Ok, it could be the effect by UPS, but it works without ECS installed.