Do things catch fire this time?

[Steakslim 1]

I agree with the above posters that large scale fire simulation will not be in the game for good reasons. In FC2, the multiplayer maps are not that large compared to an entire 200+sq/km landscape. Also keep in mind the hardware needed to display the particle effects for FC2's canned environment, where the view distance is never really shown off due to it's linear (yes it is still a VERY linear game) environment, where I am convinced that it's view distance isn't really all that big. Now lets imagine we're on ArmA1's island. Imagine the forest, trees, and grass outside Bagango on fire after an A-10 made some runs on tanks and infantry in the area (which somehow sparked a fire in the mind of the game's engine), the amount of smoke and fire being animated on screen to those with a 4km view distance or more. All the object models + particle effects = mayhem on your framerate and the server's calculation load as well, then we'll have the wind's effect on the fire and smoke, that's even more mayhem. Then we'll have to have the AI's code know to stay away from an ever constant changing fire, especially if conditions are to where it doesn't go out very quickly and has room to spread. All these issues are then multiplied if the fire reaches an urban area, this is where the server will probably crash if it hasn't already. Imagine if Bogango and Paraiso (sp?) are both on fire simultaniously. Again, a nightmare both client and server side.

As awesome as the immersion would be, it is a coding and resource nightmare for developers to include it. That's why in games like Oblivion, Fallout 3, Crysis, ArmA, and even STALKER, you do not see propogating fire. I'm sure it's crossed a dev's mind once or twice for all those games though.

Now for some who might not understand the discussion, it's about "Do things catch fire this time". In ArmA things caught on fire, at least in ACE they do interms of destroyed vehicles. It is to assume the topic of the thread means the next logical progression which is full propogating fire. If you want flaming vehicle wreckage, well worry not as it'll be in ArmA2. You can see it in several screenshots released in the previews already by many sites.

Edited April 25, 2009 by Steakslim

[CarlGustaffa 4]

Couldn't care less about propagating fire, although it does look cool in FC2 and ECS mod for ArmA had a very simple model. I'd still like to see incendiary effects though, like flames at least causing damage to nearby personell.

[maddogx 13]

Couldn't care less about propagating fire, although it does look cool in FC2 and ECS mod for ArmA had a very simple model. I'd still like to see incendiary effects though, like flames at least causing damage to nearby personell.

Seconded.

Fire causing damage - yes.

Fire spreading - no.

Spreading fire can still be added via scripting if required for a mission. That also gives a lot more control over it. Randomly spreading fires would just cause mayhem.

[Michael_Angelo 10]

There's already the "Securite Civile" mod for ArmA I , which has spreading fire. Although it spreads reaaaally slow, even in 4X speed.

[S!fkaIaC 10]

Having really spreading fire would be nice, but require additional parameters for every single object in ArmA2:

- flamepoint temp

- "energie" in terms of how much energy is released when burning

- how much energy/time unit is release = strength of fire

- ....for sure some more

Fire could be handled like "blast" of shells, the more energy/time unit, the bigger is the circle. Objekts within the circle will inflame if they reach the flame point.

I guess something like that could already work as a mod in ArmA 1.