System Link - Concerns from an Avid Fan

[What about the Regs?! 10]

Hello everyone

It's a pleasure to meet you all and let me begin by saying what a superb gaming experience both OF 1 and its true spiritual successor, ArmA.

My friends and I are all avid fans of this game, and rely on the System Link function offered by the Xbox 360 for all of our current gaming needs. Being poor war junkies, we cannot afford a Live account, nor indeed the excessive expenses of PC gaming.

My question is simple.

Will Arma 2 cater for System Link multi-player?

You might let me know with all haste - our purchasing this game depends on it.

Kind Regards

Regs

[Juice 10]

I don't have an answer for you but I do have a question. Are you sure you cant afford Xbox Live? If you have a broadband connection to connect your box to and live in North America, you can get 13 months of Live for about $40. That's a year and a month for about $20 less than a new game.

[What about the Regs?! 10]

I am most certain that I cannot avail of Xbox Live, due to 1) my internet connection being particularly awful - that is to say, wind-up/non-existant, and 2) my not residing in North America leaves me at the mercy of Irish broadband companies, who are conspicuous for their villainy.

The logistics of acquiring Live aside, I simply prefer playing in the same room as my team.

If anyone could assist me with my original query, I would very much appreciate it. Better still, if anyone could point me in the direction of an article confirming System Link compatability, I would offer you my first-born child.

Kind Regards

Regs

[JB Time 0]

I'd like to know the official line on this also.

I only play games via system link, not due to money, but purely for the fun factor. Battling through missions with your mates beside you is a great laugh and definitely the most enjoyable way to play through the campaign. With a mission editor the replay factor will be infinite!

[What about the Regs?! 10]

Thanks for adding your voice to mine, JB Time - funnily enough you were looking for answers alongside my older brother, awalsh47, on Codemaster's forums regarding OF: DR's system link (or potential lack thereof)!

So does anyone have confirmation about whether there is System Link?

[JB Time 0]

It's a small world Regs :) ArmA and OFP are the only games I'm interested in right now. Shooters with CO-OP campaign will always get my money.

I know many system link gamers but most are too lazy to speak out on forums. They still buy the game though so hopefully BIS and CM realise that online CO-OP must also mean system link compatible.

[What about the Regs?! 10]

I think since Left 4 Dead we've certainly seen a resurgence in the amount of games offering system link co-op; Resident Evil 5 being another prominent example.

Back in the day when I had internet access I was a proud member of an online ArmA clan - it was great fun, and the scale was fantastic, but for my console needs (and indeed my existing gaming set-up) system-link would be a critical "must have" feature.

The idea of whiling away an afternoon with 3 xboxes and three tv's side by side, giggling in sheer panic as we pop shots off at distant blurs half a mile away is too tantalising to get out of my head.

I do hope somebody can answer our query.

[JB Time 0]

OFP: DR have confirmed system link CO-OP for 4 players!

Hopefully BIS will follow suit.

[What about the Regs?! 10]

Yes! At least one of them has come through thus far!

I'm so happy I could kiss you, JB! :D

Here's hoping ArmA 2 follows suit!

EDIT: JB, where was the OF: DR information confirmed?

Edited May 1, 2009 by What about the Regs?!

[JB Time 0]

Yes! At least one of them has come through thus far!

I'm so happy I could kiss you, JB! :D

Here's hoping ArmA 2 follows suit!

EDIT: JB, where was the OF: DR information confirmed?

It was confirmed on the OFP: DR forum by the Community Manager.

Happy days!

[aus_twisted 0]

Considering the type of game/sim ArmA2 is I would think BIS would include such a feature (OFP/ArmA) support simple game hosting and joining over a local network which is pretty much the same thing as connecting a few 360's together.

[What about the Regs?! 10]

*dances in his work cubicle*

Ahem. Any chance of a link so I can upgrade to the chicken dance?

Thanks for the input as well, Twisted; I agree with your logic, and have the utmost faith in BIS' potential to include it. Call me jaded from seeing some Xbox games which need such a feature - i.e. Red Alert 2 - who then miss the goal by making it Live only.

I can't wait to roll my brother over in a tractor. In fact, that's probably the first thing I'm going to do when I get that game. When I play, the friendly-fire-tractor-mortality rate quintuples.

On a more serious note, the co-op campaign looks like it's going to be superb. ArmA has more authenticity to the OF franchise than Dragon Rising, and on an ethical note I have far more support for the original developers. While Dragon Rising will be great, and certainly a must-purchase, it was Bohemia's talent which spawned the concept in the first place.

Let's just hope it's play-tested to death; Arma 1 had some hilarious moments when Vlad the plucky russian grunt could snipe my heli's co-pilot from 1,000 metres away. All that in-house bullying must really pay off when it comes to their marksmanship!

[thaFunkster 0]

Lol. At least you could laugh about it!