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[lecholas 2]

I'm not sure how it is in USMC (maybe someone can comment on this) but due to constant and rapid changing of compass directions mentioned by Second and S!fkaIaC 12 hours system wasn't any more precise than new one appears to be. When we heard 'enemy at 3 o'clock' we couldn't just scan 90 deg. (persuming we could make a precise turn of 90 deg. in blink of an eye) to our right and be sure that we'll see the enemy there. We had to scan all our right.

For some refference dyslecxi's tactical guide advises to shout "contact front", "contact right", etc.

Edited April 22, 2009 by lecholas

[mr.g-c 6]

I'm very negative about the Javelin as well. It's just too, well, magical. Too easy to use.

Also since we can now choose to use the SMAW in our missions, there is no need for the 'balance' argument regarding M136 being multi shot anymore. Apparently this is a difficult issue for modders to get right (ACE), so being built in makes it possible for modders to use an already developed system.

BIS should (imho) spend more time getting some of the mentioned issues right, instead of rushing it out the way it looks now.

I can only absolutely second this....

Javelin (Targeting-System and reticle/optics) looks so ultra-poor/wrong, and that in 2009 :rolleyes::mad:

AT-4 Multishot is a absolute no-go! The community has complained about this numerous times since day one of Arma1!

Its no evolution in weapons and/or targeting/lock-on systems since 2001, thats what makes it feel very dull and sad to me.

BIS fears that they could scare the casual gamers away with such systems - which is absolutely wrong!

The COD4 players for instance (and those are the TRUE casual gamers) loved it!

Where is the aspiration to realism in this games features? So far even casual shooters done it way way better than any of BIS games so far (Remember: Ultimate Military Simulator is it called now....)......

Edited April 22, 2009 by mr.g-c

[blackforest_rumbler 0]

I don't know if I'm the only one thinking that way but I find it very disappointing that the official ARMA2-Website hasn't been updated with ANY Information since two weeks.

All those previews are nice and good but I think BIS is on the move to feed the community with some new stuff..........

If they don't have the time to do so: Send me a preview version and I'd be glad to make a preview ingame video which they can put on their website.........;)

[cm 0]

Oh yeah, please change the Javelin BIS... it sucks :mad:

[Guest]

21 new screenshots released:

pcdome.hu Arma 2 preview updated :292:

(No idea what that smiley does here, I just want to try those new ones out too)

[An-225 0]

I don't think BIS fears it will lose the casual players - but are they willing to spend time on the CLU?

AT4 multishot must also go. The SMAW must have some advantage over the AT4, other than actual optics perhaps, and this is not only organic balancing, but it is more realistic this way.

As I said before, DR allegedly has an accurate CLU. Why should ArmA not have a CLU, after all, BIS started this all. Why should they not beat their competitors in terms of realism, in a genre they started. :smile:

[Raphier 0]

oh, one thing wish for AI: IF NOT IN CONTACT == Lower gun, at ease:

http://www.armaholic.com/pfs.php?m=view&v=4-arma2_preview_april_pcdome_36.jpg

PS. now I know why the FP-view gun is barely visible:

http://www.armaholic.com/pfs.php?m=view&v=4-arma2_preview_april_pcdome_32.jpg

I knew it, they hold it like that! (as in http://www.armaholic.com/pfs.php?m=view&v=4-arma2_preview_april_pcdome_38.jpg)

That'd what I imagine when looking at that FP-view. As if they hold it like in a screenshot pcdome_32

Edited April 22, 2009 by Raphier

[Mavericko 0]

oh, one thing wish for AI: IF NOT IN CONTACT == Lower gun, at ease:

http://www.armaholic.com/pfs.php?m=view&v=4-arma2_preview_april_pcdome_36.jpg

PS. now I know why the FP-view gun is barely visible:

http://www.armaholic.com/pfs.php?m=view&v=4-arma2_preview_april_pcdome_32.jpg

I knew it, they hold it like that! (as in http://www.armaholic.com/pfs.php?m=view&v=4-arma2_preview_april_pcdome_38.jpg)

That'd what I imagine when looking at that FP-view. As if they hold it like in a screenshot pcdome_32

They do lower the gun if you say safe >_>

[11aTony 0]

In ArmA1 they lower the guns in aware mode too if horizon is clear. In "at ease" it goes without sayin. If they "pull back" FOV, so you see more gun, then you have pretty much same thing then Arma 1.08 and earlier. You feel like you are handling a stick not a person.

[aus_twisted 0]

I'd glady give BIS my custom Javelin config. I put a bit of work into the way the missile launchers and takes off, it's fairly close to the real missile... One of the main problems I was trying to fix with the Javelin was to make it manual lock (instead of the auto lock) but the only way I could achieve that was in 1st and 3rd person view, I could not get manual lock to work in optics view like it does in OFP :( I really hate such auto locking methods for the Javelin and AA Launchers in ArmA, it gives no control over what specific target you want (especially a non vehicle or empty vehicle target)

I'll have to put a vid together and post it

[mr.g-c 6]

I'll have to put a vid together and post it

Can you compete with this ?:

f6vWWqUHH2c

@ BIS Devs: here a nice reference for CLU Javelin:

Javelin Document

Edited April 22, 2009 by mr.g-c
Added something for BIS

[JK07 10]

This isn't the best example, but its a pretty good one that I was able to find quickly. If you watch this video at about 1:10-1:15 you'll hear some Canadian troops and how they call out hostile fire. If you watch the last few seconds of the video you can hear what sounds like a NCO telling his men "I want to orient you to the west..." It just goes to show there are many different ways of doing things.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-eD_Lo61rAw

Personally, I'm cool with either way of calling out contacts as long as they fix up the voices so they don't sound like HAL from 2001 Space Odyssey.

[cross 1]

I'm not sure how it is in USMC (maybe someone can comment on this) but due to constant and rapid changing of compass directions mentioned by Second and S!fkaIaC 12 hours system wasn't any more precise than new one appears to be. When we heard 'enemy at 3 o'clock' we couldn't just scan 90 deg. (persuming we could make a precise turn of 90 deg. in blink of an eye) to our right and be sure that we'll see the enemy there. We had to scan all our right.

For some refference dyslecxi's tactical guide advises to shout "contact front", "contact right", etc.

It is not uncommon to lose situational awareness in the heat of the combat. And this comes in when that happens, information comes in parts as a soldier continues to analyze the situation....purely due to the heat of the combat...

contact left close...multiple enemy inf....100 mtrs

or

contact left...multiple enemy inf with UAZ....200 mtrs..moving-away/closing-in

or

contact left close...multiple enemy inf....NW-100 mtrs.

or if the threat is not immidiate, soldier gathers all the data and tells in one go..

Usage of azimuth depends on the position of the squad/group..

When talking to your buddy next to you "enemy 275" is no better than "enemy left" and it does not worth the time lost to figure out the exact direction especially when the threat is immidiate. It means a lot to include a ref point and giving a position of enemy to a friendly group away from you..like from my position/from your position/from the radiotower. Depends on the situation you are in.

So it is OK to have vague references for a contact at first but a more detailed info should follow immidiately as you are assessing the situation.

Also note it is easier to asses 0-50 mtrs immidiately then ranging 150 or 250 mtrs...so.. "contact left..enemy..25-50 mtrs" should be expected rather than "contact left ..enemy..close/near"

[aus_twisted 0]

Can you compete with this ?:

Well I didn't change the whole targeting system etc, mainly the way the missile launchers and takes off... also changed the sounds aswell

[An-225 0]

I think the main problem right now, would be the optics. A round scope with a mil-dot system on it is simply not right for a Javelin!

I doubt many people would have the need to switch between direct and top attack (although I would love the option to) though simply having an accurate CLU with a real targeting system and possibly DAY/NIGHT modes would be brilliant (CoD 4 handled the switch between DAY and NIGHT by wearing/removing NVG).

[Raidar 1]

This isn't the best example, but its a pretty good one that I was able to find quickly. If you watch this video at about 1:10-1:15 you'll hear some Canadian troops and how they call out hostile fire. If you watch the last few seconds of the video you can hear what sounds like a NCO telling his men "I want to orient you to the west..." It just goes to show there are many different ways of doing things.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-eD_Lo61rAw

Personally, I'm cool with either way of calling out contacts as long as they fix up the voices so they don't sound like HAL from 2001 Space Odyssey.

Sorry to mistread your link as a reference for something else. At 1:03 3 bullets pass over the camera. Loud or not, it nearly covers the sound of the shot fired, just a little of the echo is hearable. But i think no need to discuss until we play ArmAII for ourselves. :bored:

I never really listend to the yelling around of my AI friends, because of the all time direction chanching. I just listend to the distance. I ask myself how many soldiers communicate strictly to the book, if they are in a firefight... So many youtube clips of american soldiers firing everything they got around them, without communication or coordination. Brits/Canadians seem to be a little more teamworkers.

And about realistic: How the F**** you want to make a realistic game if you are playing it with a keyboard and a mouse (i won't start mentionning the consoles) In my opinion the OFP Armed Assauld (and hopefully ArmAII) are the most realistic "simulations" by far!

Edit: The most unfitting visual detail for me are the distant ground textures, it just doesn't match the rest.

Edited April 22, 2009 by Ra!dar

[Rak 0]

Huge disappointment for me on the latest reviews, especially on AI part. I don't see any improvement over ArmA, nor any reviews put any emphasis on it. It's probably not marginal as BIS hyped it to be as "Micro AI", which I see as the selling point of ArmA 2.

What's with those enemies who don't even care about those shooting at them? I mean, running in the middle of the street and getting mass murdered is hardly any intelligence(or challenge for player). Taking corners in a city fight is the most important part, you don't know what you'll run into. Those AI must have owned that player as he was being damn careless. Also being immortal during the animations is still there.

Changing the voices to "Some guy far away, dunno who LOL" doesn't make sense. Maybe BIS doesn't want "casual" players to get bored with formal and robotic "12 O'clock, enemy sniper, 200 meters"; but this does not make sense. Razor team is supposed to be made of professionals, not from a bunch of high school teenagers.

I like the new feeling of the movement, and movement sounds. City and enviroment atmosphere seems good. That's about it.

What I get from these reviews is that ArmA 2 just an ArmA improved for the appeal of casual gamers, not "realistically enchanced" for the loyal OFP crowd. I understand BIS is now playing the classic "It's an early Alpha, jeez calm down guys." card, but may I ask what have they been doing for 2 years?

[the_antipop 10]

Some Points.

Look and Feel is excellent, very smooth, love the new engine and the new weapons etc, looks awesome. Kudos to BIS. But... There are so many negative points. AI - is absoultely shithouse - same as ArmA, fix that shit or you won't get the sales you are expecting BIS. Also, the Raido chatter is shithouse aswell. I don't mind about the Man, Right in front of us shit, even though it is completely unrealistic to the "200m, Axis of Advance, Slight Right, 3 Taliban in Open, moving left to right", which we use in the Australian Infantry, but it's not to bad, but when they don't say the frigging thing is insanely stupid, like the radio chatter down the bottom says "Enemy Man, Right in front of us", and all you can hear is "Man", is shit, fix that shit. Also, the Hands with the weapons... still look like ArmA shit. Even though not an overly big point, it still looks like piss, if you can fix that aswell.

Delay the frigging game if you have to BIS, fix this points first, we need a good game platform, you've given us a good engine, good scenery, good new editor, but not give us some better AI, better radio chatter, and better physics and modelling in regards to hands from 1st person view.

Cheers

[Raidar 1]

About the encounter against that group of AI soldiers. As mentioned here before (i think) he's probably playing on a very low difficulty. (Statement of the maker of this little teasers: I used the default AI skill for the non player characters, maybe it was zero...

Sounds kind of plausible for me, because hardly any enemy even reacts and the one who reacts nearly kills the player. The group caught allso by suprise, they react, but very slow. They had no time to get from the open field.

[eenter 0]

Well the best would be to anyone from BIS to confirm wether the AI is final and fully working as expected in that preview build, which i doubt it is...

[Benoist 0]

You are an Aussie in the whole sence, eh?

And I agree, while they say that the videos are before "some modification" I really doubt that there were any big changes, and I should tell you that stop saying "May be in a patch", that is only going to speed up your vehicle of expectations that, once the game is released, it's going to crash against the wall of reality.

But let¡s face it, I'm going to buy ArmAII, even as a way to thank BIS for all the good moments with OFP and ArmA (although this has the shitty levels near the good ones). ArmA may be a crap, but between this crap and OFP:DR/CoD4/Crysis (not saying that are bad games), I'll stick with the crap.

And: Looks we have a terrorist here!

http://www.armaholic.com/pfs.php?m=view&v=4-arma2_preview_april_pcdome_36.jpg

[aus_twisted 0]

21 new screenshots released:

pcdome.hu Arma 2 preview updated :292:

Those pics have been taken in the wrong aspect ratio

[4 IN 1 0]

I have an idea, instead of using general direction, why don't use nearby objects as reference? I mean "contact left, near the house, 300 meters" don't sounds so bad!

Also the squad should take squad leader facing direction as front at all time

Edited April 22, 2009 by 4 IN 1

[ziiip 1]

Lol so much debate over a stupid missile launcher. It's like a mote in the universe.

[Rak 0]

(Statement of the maker of this little teasers: I used the default AI skill for the non player characters, maybe it was zero...

Sounds kind of plausible for me, because hardly any enemy even reacts and the one who reacts nearly kills the player. The group caught allso by suprise, they react, but very slow. They had no time to get from the open field.

I doubt the AI tactical behaviour will change with the skill level. Only reaction time and accuracy probably.

What I'm talking about is all those "MicroAI" and "Mega centimeter precision" features that BIS was talking about. Like AI squad lining up on corners, covering each other, using lean to see if the street is clean, then smoothly moving to cover. No previews talk about these features, not even "Micro AI" is mentioned. Running in the middle of street and getting slaughtered is hardly a precision.

Also, "Default" is the difficulty most of us will play. You'd expect the AI to be programmed optimally for that difficulty.