Latest ArmA2 & ArmA2:OA Press Coverage | NO discussion here!

[sic-disaster 311]

Shit, i dont know wether i should cry, facepalm, or erupt in anger at the thought of a gamesjournalist actually comparing CoD4 to ArmA2 in terms of realism.

[Recta DP 10]

you want a bugfix as fast as possible, so helping the devs reconstruct the bug would help to solve it faster.

From Gamestar.de: Change log of the beta-patch (Version 1.01):

ENGINE

* AI improvements: collision avoidance, MicroAI communication, suppress fields

* Improved: AI coordination in combat

* Improved: automatic VTOL vectoring.

* Improved STOL takeoff/landing control

* Improved: shot simulation

* Enabled taxiing for Mv22

* Fixed: weapons inside vehicles were sometimes white.

* Fixed: Some crash opportunities

* Fixed: flickering textures sometimes

* Fixed: muzzle flashes and other alpha objects cutting into the water.

* Fixed: long cutscene animations could cause bad LODs/textures.

* Fixed: Terrain LOD causing white dots

COMMUNICATION

* radio chatter improvements

* generic conversations about known targets improved

CAMPAIGN

* music soundtrack added to more places in the campaign

* various improvements in cutscenes

* improved Star Force transport service (player can better command it, occasional problem with Star Force froze on spot fixed)

* on screen notification for each evidence collected added

* various smaller fixes and improvements

* some missing dubbings fixed

* improved cooperative play in the campaign

ENVIRONMENT

* Improved sea rendering

* Various smaller fixes and improvements

SOUND EFFECTS

* effect for player near big explosion (beep in his ears, temporarily deaf)

UI

* improved GPS support (RCtrl + M when GPS is available)

* tasks without map (J key by default)

* list of players without map (P key by default)

* improved rendering of perihperal vision simulation (dots on the screen edge simulating real world field of view)

* leader icon displayed on screen permanently for Regular difficulty

* tasks faded out to be less intrusive in the middle of the screen

MODELS

* fixed cargo compartments in aircraft (cargo should not switch positions with pilots during flight)

* fixed camera position for BTR and T90 gunner optics views

* fixed view gunner lods for turned-out crew in wheeled vehicles

* improved hand animation for AA laucnhers

* twisted arms for AA missile launchers

* fixed fire geometry of billboards model

* tractor and bus sound changed

* added sign on hotel building

* fixed municipal house ruin

* changed texture on G36, fixed MG36 icon

* fixed gunner animation on BRDM-ATGM

* improved model of AK-107

* improved enviromental reflection map

* improved A10 gun cursor

* fixed T34 icon texture, fixed optics and turret stabilisation definitions and added exhaust smoke

[De_little_Bubi 1]

wow more realistic than call of duty 4 O.o is this even possible?

anyway. 20 minutes until press embargo ends.

i think i will make some translations :)

[sic-disaster 311]

wow more realistic than call of duty 4 O.o is this even possible?

anyway. 20 minutes until press embargo ends.

i think i will make some translations :)

Please do!

[De_little_Bubi 1]

For the Germans: http://www.gamestar.de/specials/spiele/1956417/arma_2.html

(PCGames has his old bad article in again...)

Some words: Gamestar dont score Arma2 cause they think the next patches would fix a lot of stuff. In my opinion its a very nice move from gamestar :) and i hadn't expect something like this.

I'm writing the translation now.

[Fred DM 0]

GameStar put the first part of their review diary online;

- very good graphics, photorealistic at times

- enemy AI can see through foliage; the higher the detail settings (the more foliage on display) the more you are at a disadvantage

- bugs already in the tutorial missions: translation mistakes; AI doesn't react at one time, reacts way too earlier the next time; firing the Javelin launches the sights along with the missile (!)

- neither the manual nor the tutorials provide a sufficient introduction to many of the game's features

- AI soldier doesn't react to his squadmate getting shot right next to him

- robot-like precision of injured AI enemies, can pinpoint your location in a heartbeat; seems unfair and not very life-like

- attack chopper crashes into the ground on attack approach (editor)

more information to be published at 18:00, along with a video.

source: http://www.gamestar.de/specials/spiele/1956417/arma_2.html

PC Games put their original article back online, as well as their - now infamous - bug-video: http://www.pcgames.de/aid,685486/ArmA-2-PC-Games-testet-die-Militaer-Simulation-Update/PC/News/

their partner mag PC Action put a review online here: http://www.pcaction.de/ArmA-2-Unser-Review-des-bugverseuchten-Armed-Assault-2/Tests/article/view/1294/ . they give 4/10 and suggest waiting for patches. their main complaints are:

- AI: often doesn't react at all, won't follow orders

- missions: scripts get screwed up, script error messages appear, missions won't proceed, important characters don't appear; mission Manhattan not completable

- clipping errors

- horrible (german) subtitles and translation

- lots of crashes

BTW: i told you it was gonna be a shitstorm... at least the GameStar review leaves room for hope.

Edited May 28, 2009 by Fred DM

[Undeceived 392]

My coment about the latest press coverage on PCAction (4/10 points). Let's see if anyone can recognize the mode, I'm writing this:

[?]Well done, Morphicon! Well done, BIS![/?]

Sorry but... This game seems to be a desaster! If I never played OFP and ArmA in my life, I certainly would not even more waste a thought about this game. How can a retail version be so unfinished??

It's just sad...

Of course I know that there will come patches, one after the other. And I know BI, they have one of the best customer support, but... Why again... Why?

Let's see how the 505 version will be. But here for Germany I think that you and especially Morphicon messed it up... My friends (not OFP / ArmA active) never will buy this game, I'm pretty sure of it. And I wouldn't too, if I didn't know BIS products.

Now you can ban me, give me warning levels, bash me as much as you want... Or disagree completely with me. I'm just completely disappointed... :( No, I'm shocked (really am). I'm sitting here and just can't believe what's happening. I'm shocked after watching this video of PC Games and listening to the coments of the editors...

Edit: Another sad thing is that Arma 2 is getting such a huge press coverage in German gaming magazines! Gamestar even is doing a testing serie throughout the whole week, if I understood it right (every day one chapter of the "testing diary"). I'm looking forward to read about their impressions of the game but if the game should really be messed up like PCG and PCA claim it and this should be shown the whole week... I think that Arma 2 will be very well known here.

Edited May 28, 2009 by Undeceived

[ch3cooh 10]

Use this link for the google-translated PC Games Bug Review with Videoproof:

http://translate.google.de/translate?prev=hp&hl=de&js=n&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pcgames.de%2Faid%2C685486%2FArmA-2-PC-Games-testet-die-Militaer-Simulation-Update%2FPC%2FNews%2F&sl=de&tl=en&history_state0=

[Misfit Leader 1]

I think it's not as bad as ArmA 1.0 .. well it's what some german's players have said when they get into ArmA II.

Better wait to see what happen after 1.01 final patch next week :)

Hope the press will update their test too

[Colossus 2]

I couldn't care less about this review really. I am excited and the only thing that might ruin this is if I, myself, are playing this game.

[Undeceived 392]

I couldn't care less about this review really. I am excited and the only thing that might ruin this is if I, myself, are playing this game.

Maybe I should think a little bit like that now too. Didn't play so far too. I wanted to wait for the tests. But as you see... :) At least so far they do not encourage me to buy the game. I really hope the best for the 505 version!

It's sad that I think that most of the magazines won't test it again when Arma 2 reached let's say 1.92. I hope it of course but the first impression often is crucial.

[Spoock 3]

I expected worse rating, but 4/10? ArmA1 was more bad, than what I see, but erlier release and dirty reviews in modern internet time not so very nice for any game.

But BI have bonus points for good support and good feedback in patches.

[Fred DM 0]

Maybe I should think a little bit like that now too. Didn't play so far too. I wanted to wait for the tests. But as you see... :) At least so far they do not encourage me to buy the game. I really hope the best for the 505 version!

It's sad that I think that most of the magazines won't test it again when Arma 2 reached let's say 1.92. I hope it of course but the first impression often is crucial.

at the very least, wait until the first patch is released (not the beta patch tomorrow). then re-evaluate the situation. that's what i'm doing. buying the game in the current state only supports Peter Games' policy of forcing unfinished software onto the market. that doesn't help BIS.

[KKB 0]

I'm not too concerned about bugs, it installed fine on my system, it never crashed so far, and patches are on the way. I haven't tried the campaign yet, so I can't speak for the quality of that, so far I tried to fiddle around with the editor a little bit and I landed on the spot in the parachute training mission. Translation quality hit's sometimes the japanese toy manual mark, which is a little embarassing, since the texts are not engine related. Google translation? ;)

The real shocker is the manual. Nearly 100 pages, shiny paper and all, but the Infos about the editor (the only thing I read so far) are rudimentary. Remember OFP? They put a tutorial on the CD which guided us step by step to a complete mission, intro, outro triggers, everything. That was a great starting point. Now the possibilities are magnitudes bigger, but no explanation of the advanced stuff. And to be honest, if I didn't already know the things they do explain I'm not sure if I would have been able to learn them from the manual.

I forgive glitches, I know that getting the game one month before the rest of the world gets it comes at a price, no problem (and to be fair, at least on my system it's not nearly the bugfest some folks here claim it to be), but the Stuff that's not really software related like the Translations and Manual, thats kinda rough.

Can't wait for the international version after which I guess the German version will feature the English texts anyway. Don't care for dubbed US movies or TV shows, and I sure as hell don't care for translated Games (if the original is in a language I actually understand of course ;) ).

[Undeceived 392]

I expected worse rating, but 4/10? ArmA1 was more bad, than what I see, but erlier release and dirty reviews in modern internet time not so very nice for any game.

But BI have bonus points for good support and good feedback in patches.

Arma 1 received 78%! I don't know though if this was the test for 1.0...

Edited May 28, 2009 by Undeceived

[De_little_Bubi 1]

First half of translated gamestar review (day 1)

I used google translater to simplify my work. If there is something unclear please tell.

Next half in the next hour :)

Arma 2

The successor to Operation Flashpoint and Armed Assault wants to be the ultimate military simulation.

How far Arma 2 hit his ambitious goal and why you shouldn't rush the purchasing can be read in our test diary.

Contents

»Introduction

»Day 1

»Daily Summary

Since last Monday, we play the sales version of Arma 2.

Today the Armed Assault's successor comes in the stores.

Nevertheless, we will rank the highly complex, extensive and often unpredictable military simulation of the Operation Flashpoint-makers in the next week.

Arma 2 needs much time to test and we want to give this time this ambitious project of Bohemia Interactive.

You can accompany us anyway on our visit in the war-torn Chernarus (the fictional setting for the game), in the next few days

we will publish our experience in the Arma-2-test diary. We promise you a journey with many Ups and Downs, because Arma 2 scared and fascinated in equal measure.

Day 1

In the last preview for Arma 2 we mentioned that we supposedly deals with the realistic military simulation either a masterpiece or a mean disaster.

The targeted release date seemed to us in the unfinished state of the game in any case more than shaky.

But now Arma 2 came punctually on 29 May in the shops and we are in the middle of the test.

The first unofficial beta patch is already installed.

War preparation

There is no online-registration required for the installation of Arma 2.

We will only be asked to enter the DVD key.

We took a look in the manual, while our test machine got almost 10 gigabytes of game data to the disc.

With its 68 pages it isn't thin, but by far not thick enoufh for the many facets of the game.

The first change of the preview version awaits us on the start menu.

While the foreground offered still the game options, the camera pans in the background on a

carrier. Helicopters and vtol-plains incidentally shows the new, perfectly good water graphics that are seamlessly integrated into the sometimes almost photorealistic look inserts.

As in the predecessors, you can also change the graphics and controls over many options, depending on the computing power and personal prefrences.

Thus, postprocessing effects makes the picture looks softer but the crucial vision becomes impaired.

The same applies to landscape details.

While the environments with very high density of vegetation offer details,

you can see the opponents without grass and bushes much faster, you don't need to straighten and give away your camouflage.

Depending on your graphic settings Arma 2 is played out very differently and offers different tactical challenges.

In addition, the AI regularly can see through foliage.

The result: Nicer settings results in a more unfair game and it will be unplayable because you overstimulated by excessive, especially with smaller monitors.

[Spoock 3]

2 Fred DM: BI have very short time for betatest (two months isn't enought), so fans in their freetime betatesting BI's game :P

[ziiip 1]

Looks like profesional reviews and player impressions are out of harmony lol. Anyway, 4/10 WTF???? Not that I give a crap, I cant be discouraged, but it might hurt the sales.

[Alex72 1]

"In addition, the AI regularly can see through foliage."

Hope that is not true and another whack observation. Foliage should be working as concealment. And preferably a bit better than ArmA1. Well see.

Alex

[Undeceived 392]

LOL, Morphicon is just sweet!!

Here they offer the Arma 2 download version. But after a year you can't download your game anymore, unless you pay 7,95 EUR. Yeah!!

Or is this common? Never did download a game.

[Fred DM 0]

Looks like profesional reviews and player impressions are out of harmony lol. Anyway, 4/10 WTF???? Not that I give a crap, I cant be discouraged, but it might hurt the sales.

not really. there's quite a bit of negativity going on in here: http://hx3.de/community-161/arma2-ersten-eindr-cke-16237/.

professional reviewers are paid to take a game apart and focus on the bad stuff. after all, their readers expect to be informed of any reasons NOT to buy a game.

players, on the other hand, have a tendency to ignore the bad sides (at least for a short while) and focus on the good ones. after all, they've just forked over 50 bucks.

just saying. ;)

[BLSmith2112 0]

Is the game gold already for the June 19th release date? I hope they can HURRY and fix the major issues before this bad news spreads everywhere...

4/10.... I expected better...

[Alex72 1]

How often have reviewers been correct? Critics and such. How often do they say something sucks and it didnt. I never listen to one smug moron sitting somewhere looking for faults. Never did never will do. Theyve been wrong too often for me to fall for it again. I buy/watch/test and make my own mind up.

This is ARMA and personally its the only game for me and it has always kept me happy. I KNOW ARMA2 will keep me happy as well. And i know it will be better than ArmA1 - so how can I take some jerks review seriously?

Nite all

Alex

[Fred DM 0]

Is the game gold already for the June 19th release date? I hope they can HURRY and fix the major issues before this bad news spreads everywhere...

4/10.... I expected better...

that's the unpatched german retail version, though. PC Games will review the beta-patched version shortly. the beta-patch is supposed to be made available (no doubt as a result of public pressure on Peter Games) tomorrow. a final version of that patch (Patch 1) will then follow next week.

the 505 version is supposed to be shipped patched to v1.01.

i take it Patch 1 and v1.01 are one and the same thing.

somebody correct me if i'm wrong. :confused:

[sic-disaster 311]

What he said ^