New beta patch 1.16

[HitmanFF 6]

And preparing linux server itself is really a significant many-months effort.

Thank you for this insight.

As one of the people anxiously awaiting the linux server, I can at least now understand why - from a business point of view - you choose not to release a linux server with every beta patch brought out.

[.kju 3245]

It is an understandable decision as I explained that in my post.

So again effort (linux) and the need to concentrate on A2 lead to the beta patches.

Yet again, 50%+ of the MP community still plays 1.14.

• Only have linux (root) server. Normally you have 6-12 month contract, so nice quick/easy jump to windows. Linux root is good chunk cheaper.
  After all people are paying 50-150 € each month for the servers.
  
• Many game-server-hosts (so NOT managed & root we are talking here) do NOT permit beta patches.
  

I said BI should reconsider this policy for A2 due to the huge impact on the MP community.

Now there are 2 ppl, rocco and me, putting a different perspective in here,

and you guys start bashing the evil nay sayers like being from hell.

While everyone is very grateful acknowledging here the release.

Double check on perspective needed?

[Seitan 8]

Looks good. Textures "behave" much better now. Performance is better and no crashes yet. Better then 1.15b for sure. Oh and the vanilla AI seems to be a real killer? Something changed in that?

[Alex72 1]

I am not on vista. This crash came in ArmA 1.16b clean boot. Dont know why. But if it happens again then it will be more safe to say what it was. I havent had any crashes from ArmA apart from the VOIP before it was fixed. Not even alt+tabbing million times made me crash.

Will see if it happens again. So far im very happy with the patch and i have always used the latest patches. No matter if they were beta or not. A new patch is a new patch and its there cause it adresses things. Makes the program better in one way or thousand.

You rule BIS.

Regards

Alex

[IronPyramid 0]

Glad I'm part of the community for a dev team that supports their games long after they're released. Huzzah for free updates!

[Andymc4610 0]

Nice....I like the continued support, MS could learn a thing or two about not dropping their products so fast.

[CarlGustaffa 4]

I said BI should reconsider this policy for A2 due to the huge impact on the MP community.

I disagree. The beta approach using a modfolder has been a very successful approach. Turn it off easily if it doesn't deliver or causes unexpected problems. Instead of having to remove everything and install from scratch.

[redroth 10]

Thanks For the patch im already noticing improved FPS and loading times. These so fixes my be small but there going to change my gameplay experiance vastly.

Continue the good work guys!!!

[maruk 80]

Whatever you say will not change how things are:

* every patch for a game of this scale with modding, multiplayer etc. simply needs public beta, there's no way around it, except maybe a large scale closed beta but that would be only worse split

* Linux ded. server is logically the last thing to develop once everything is finished, again, hardly possible to change this policy (and btw, look at linux server support and how it's prioritized even for more mass market games with way bigger user base)

* as beta patches are living well alongside the normal patches, you are creating too big drama "oh my god" etc. over something that doesn't cause you much problems as you still can join both versions quite easily

And lastly, I simply disagree with your view that no patches are better than public beta patches as in fact, beta patches are the only way to get to a final patch. Did it take too long from 1.15? Yes, it did but after all I think the wait is well worth it (the memory fragmentation on Ati cards is probably the most long term benefit from the delay).

I would like to thank everyone who will be betatesting 1.16. Please understand that there's no real benefit to start complaining about any issues that were present in 1.14 and remain in 1.16. Now it is simple: let's see if there's no new big problem with 1.16, if not, path to 1.17 is cleared up. This is mostly about seeing that there's no serious new problem caused by some low level changes made.

I suggest if you want to discuss beta patches policy, open up a topic about it in BI General and let this topic serve to user experiences and observations from the new patch.

It is an understandable decision as I explained that in my post.

So again effort (linux) and the need to concentrate on A2 lead to the beta patches.

Yet again, 50%+ of the MP community still plays 1.14.

• Only have linux (root) server. Normally you have 6-12 month contract, so nice quick/easy jump to windows. Linux root is good chunk cheaper.
  After all people are paying 50-150 € each month for the servers.
  
• Many game-server-hosts (so NOT managed & root we are talking here) do NOT permit beta patches.
  

I said BI should reconsider this policy for A2 due to the huge impact on the MP community.

Now there are 2 ppl, rocco and me, putting a different perspective in here,

and you guys start bashing the evil nay sayers like being from hell.

While everyone is very grateful acknowledging here the release.

Double check on perspective needed?

Edited April 24, 2009 by Maruk
typos

[-Snafu- 78]

This patch was a nice surprise. Noticeable performance improvements on my woefully aged PC.

Thanks BIS.

[MehMan 0]

I have an ATI card so i'm interested in seeing how it preforms now.

[stryker555 0]

Thank you very much Maruk and BIS team! You guys are truly doing marvelous work and still find time to do a beta patch while concurrently developing ARMA2.

Well done BIS team.

Edited April 24, 2009 by STRYKER555
misspell

[TCEd 0]

wow, great patch guys, the frame rate & performance are clearly noticeable, very nice.

[Binkowski 26]

Great patch BIS and thank you. I'm already noticing improved frames and loading times!

[EricM 0]

Shouldn't we start a Feedback Thread based on 1.16 instead of "Pros and Cons of Public vs Private Beta testing" .

[PhilippRauch 0]

Do i need to buy ATI now .. lol just joking! Thanks for supporting us!

[xmongx 0]

Many, Many thanks for the continued support, you have far exceeded any expectations i had when i fired up 1.00.

OFP/ARMA is the only software that is always in use on my machines and believe me..ive got a shit load of software for all platforms old to new (im an eighties kid) but your products are the only ones in serious rotation.

EDIT: removed unecessary rambling.

Edited April 24, 2009 by xmongx

[von_paulus 0]

One thing I praise in BIS.

On the eve of launching ARMA II you're still making patches to improve the playability of ARMA.

Some will say that's because it was full of bugs since the release. Ok. But most (if not all) games are buggy nowadays. Only a few software house's got this care with the players.

Thanks a lot BIS.

[Alex72 1]

Tested the 1.16b some more now. Used same missions i ran with 1.15b and i can only say the patch is worse for my computer unfortunatelly. It gives more performance in its places, but the texture blur/loading issue seems worse. And even going from scope and back makes me see objects taking shape from shapeless figures. This didnt happen in 1.15b for me.

Im on the 8800GTS 320MB and i reckon this patch is for better cards? I know its low V-RAM but ArmA says 256MB or more as recommended specs. So at least i should not have these kinds of problems? Or maybe i should. New card on the way and i think/hope ArmA will rock with it. But sadly i will lose whatever update this had for now. So far every patch have been better for my gear, but this one seems to beat the gear down.

Noticed that there is a change on the unloaded ground texture. Before it was just blurry, but now the blur got mosaic pattern to it hehe. Guessing that is supposed to be an improvement even though not for my crappy card. Ah well back to basics and wait for the new gear.

Alex

[cross 1]

Alex..it cant be that bad as you describe;

"...but the texture blur/loading issue seems worse. And even going from scope and back makes me see objects taking shape from shapeless figures"

There must be something wrong going on with your card or drivers or settings..

Why not load update/reload your drivers...or at least a restart maybe.

Also try increasing your texture & shader settings..

[Alex72 1]

wrong with my card when i have been on 1.15b since it came out without these problems? Install 1.16 and immediatelly on certain maps this happens. And yes, i have tested mocking with the settings (had arma since day 1 so im well aware how it works).

Same system/drivers, new patch - problems occured. I played 1.15 just before i installed 1.16 as well as i was testing one of my missions. 1.15 no issues - 1.16 jerky, twitchy, blurred textures with mosaic effect plus objects loading/unloading everytime i looked through the scope. This is when i have a lot going on, but even with lowest or highest texture setting etc it was the same.

Again, sadly, back to 1.15 for me atm. Thanks though for trying to help.

PS. Also had my first graphics related crash in ArmA after 1.16 install. Same drivers/system as 1.15 without any crash at all since 1.15 came out.

Regards

Alex

[Pinocul75 0]

when I runs diagonally right, I make one or two steps to far when I release the buttons,

It's fuc***g old bug

[william1 0]

maybe inertia?

[maruk 80]

Well, more of a f**, like a feature. Anyway, 1.16 focuses more on low level architecture and not any gameplay improvements over 1.15 and that's how it is going to stay.

But to Alex[Dev]72 - I can't see how could the 1.16 change behaviour on your Nvidia card. Are 100% sure that the patch is the only thing you changed and for example if you uninstall 1.16 and install 1.15 the problem really disapears?

[xxbbcc 6]

Many thanks to BI for supporting ArmA and making it better. As bad as the game started out, I have to say you guys did a good job in getting the game into a great shape. Much appreciated - I'm looking forward to ArmA 2.