We need a strategy guide.

[Killerwatt 0]

I remember about 8 or 9 years ago a company called Sybex used to release strategy guides for games which would go into detail about how to get the best from the game. Explaining all the functions and how the editors worked in detail etc. I think we could really use something like that now for ArmA2. You know, something that would walk you through the various aspects of the whole game from A to Z step by step. I know I would buy such a book.

[Commando84 0]

Mr Murray is going to make his famous Arma 1 mission editing guide for Arma 2 and there is Dyxleci who I belive is doing the tactics guide that he made for A1 now for A2, but none of those are done yet :)

In the meantime you could poke around and read forums and stuff :)

Some of stuff from Arma 1 applies to Arma 2 aswell :)

[bravo 6 0]

as you can see and read "School will be in session again "soon""

source

[Killerwatt 0]

Thats cool. Any plans for a printed version for those of us not blessed with a printer?

[von_paulus 0]

Thats cool. Any plans for a printed version for those of us not blessed with a printer?

"Dslyecxi's Tactics, Techniques, & Procedures Guide for ArmA" has a printed version in colour and in B/W (cheaper).

So I presume that the next edition will be in print also.

[Majormauser 0]

"Dslyecxi's Tactics, Techniques, & Procedures Guide for ArmA" has a printed version in colour and in B/W (cheaper).

So I presume that the next edition will be in print also.

Yes Dslyecxi has one and a good one. Hope he gets the ArmA 2 portion done soon and Lowers the price a little so I can buy it

[Alpha-Kilo 36]

Mr Murray is going to make his famous Arma 1 mission editing guide for Arma 2 and there is Dyxleci who I belive is doing the tactics guide that he made for A1 now for A2

I do agree that these documents will be extremely valuable - just as their respective predecessors were for ArmA1, but they probably won't cover the campaign. As this campaign seems to be extremely complex, I think some detailed information on the various approaches and side missions could be useful.

[Nicholas 5]

lol, the game hasn't even been out 2 weeks, and your already expecting a strategy guide? These take time as the writer has to actually play the game, then do a rough draft, then do a final copy, then publish it. Which takes time.

[Raggz 10]

lol, the game hasn't even been out 2 weeks, and your already expecting a strategy guide? These take time as the writer has to actually play the game, then do a rough draft, then do a final copy, then publish it. Which takes time.

Well, alot of guides are released at the same time as the game comes out. But these are official strategy guides.

[Fred DM 0]

lol, the game hasn't even been out 2 weeks, and your already expecting a strategy guide? These take time as the writer has to actually play the game, then do a rough draft, then do a final copy, then publish it. Which takes time.

wut? :confused: normally a strategy guide is released together with the game, usually even prior to the game's release.

but i doubt BIS would have time for compiling a walkthrough guide. they're not Capcom or EA.

[walker 0]

Hi all

The value of walkthroughs in scripted map games is obvious, as they be can be exact.

In a dynamic game, and I wont say like ArmA because there are not any dynamic games like ArmA, the value is not so high.

And I speak as someone who has written walkthroughs for the hardest missions in ArmA, ones that many said were impossible, but I did them just to show they were possible. ArmA I spoiler link

http://forums.bistudio.com/showthread.php?t=65243

By the way I have also done that mission without killing anyone and only destroying the Armor. A whole AI camp of static guard posts, roaming sentries and sniper guards in watch towers who did not even know I was there until after I had left and my timed satchels blew.

The dynamic nature of the OFP/ArmA series is such that writing a walk through is much harder since one cannot be sure that AI will be at that same point every time or that they will even react in the same way.

The OFP/ArmA series is built upon chaos, the only creative force in the universe, order leads to entropy, that is physics for you.

An OFP/ArmA series game starts like the flapping of a butterflies wings and who can guess the the storms that will come?

So instead you have to write generalised TTP hence Dslyecxi's guide.

For us adults who are capable of independent thought and revel in the joys of chaos and the dynamic, it is nicer.

Kind Regards walker

[Killerwatt 0]

I agree a walkthrough of each mission would be pretty useless. What I had in mind was more like a combination of Dslyecxi's and Mr Murray's guides into one publication with perhaps an additional section on how to get the best out of the control interface.

[dslyecxi 23]

I agree a walkthrough of each mission would be pretty useless. What I had in mind was more like a combination of Dslyecxi's and Mr Murray's guides into one publication with perhaps an additional section on how to get the best out of the control interface.

Our guides cover completely different topics - gameplay and editing - and I don't think it would benefit anyone for us to attempt to combine them. Both guides are free, so if someone wants to read them both, it's quite easy to do.

As to mine - it's almost done. I'm about 95% of the way complete, and expect to launch it to coincide with the UK release on the 19th. Just have a few more things to add to it before it'll be ready to go. It has ended up being a muuuuch more massive guide than the first one, with a ton of new and revised content. Should be a great read regardless of whether one is new to the series or not. In my humble opinion, of course. ;)

[von_paulus 0]

As to mine - it's almost done. I'm about 95% of the way complete, and expect to launch it to coincide with the UK release on the 19th. Just have a few more things to add to it before it'll be ready to go. It has ended up being a muuuuch more massive guide than the first one, with a ton of new and revised content. Should be a great read regardless of whether one is new to the series or not. In my humble opinion, of course. ;)

Can you tell me what will be the main differences between your last guide and this one besides the obvious one ARMA/ARMA II? Will you cover other aspects? Will it be print in Lulu also? There will be a B/W and a color edition also?

Thanks

[dslyecxi 23]

Can you tell me what will be the main differences between your last guide and this one besides the obvious one ARMA/ARMA II? Will you cover other aspects? Will it be print in Lulu also? There will be a B/W and a color edition also?

Thanks

I haven't decided on what to do regarding a print version. My main focus of effort right now is getting it out there in an online format that anyone can read for free. The print stuff is more of a bonus item, for those that also want a hardcopy. It'll have to come after the online version.

As to the changes - the new guide is significantly reorganized and restructured, for starters. There are many, many new sections, including an entire page on in-game leadership. The tactical section has been significantly revised and added to, and the Combined Arms and Vehicle Usage sections are maaassive compared to their A1 TTP counterparts. Every other section has seen lots of additions, revisions, etc, as well. The "ShackTac Platoon" and "Attachments" sections are both really nice examples of that.

Here's a rough breakdown of the guide pages, and how their wordcounts were as of about a week or two ago:

Intro

The Basic Rifleman (~20k)

The ShackTac Platoon (~9k)

Attachments (~7.5k)

Communication (~5k)

Leadership (~13k)

Battle Drills (~5.5k)

Tactics (~16k)

Combined Arms (~17k)

Vehicle Usage (~12k)

Finale

So, over 100,000 words in total, compared to ~60,000 for the first guide. Quite a bit of new content. :)

The key 'feature' of the new guide is that it builds off of two plus years of our (ShackTac's) experiences in ArmA1 as far as tactics, leadership, etc go. I think it is a very strong and useful resource because of that - it's all stuff that we actually use, versus "fluff" that looks nice on paper but doesn't work in-game.

Hopefully you guys end up liking it as well. I'm really excited to get it out there and start receiving feedback on it all. :)

[bravo 6 0]

Hopefully you guys end up liking it as well. I'm really excited to get it out there and start receiving feedback on it all. :)

You bet we will. We will love it. I for one will.

Glad that you are also excited, it means there exist a lot of inspirations.

Good luck and thank you for all the effort. ;)

Edit: The OFP/ArmA/ArmA2 community is Excellent! Theres no community as good as our!

Edited June 10, 2009 by bravo 6

[twisted 128]

awesome. your guide is legendary stuff. much better than a primo type strategy guide.

[sparks50 0]

The guide should have been included in the box in my opinion :D

[dslyecxi 23]

@ Bravo/twisted/sparks -

Honestly, that sort of enthusiasm is what makes it so much fun to do anything regarding the A1/A2 community. You get a real sense of appreciation and shared enjoyment from such ventures. Thanks for being positive aspects of the community in that respect, to each of you (and many others, of course, but you guys get singled out for the above posts).

[von_paulus 0]

I think it is a very strong and useful resource because of that - it's all stuff that we actually use, versus "fluff" that looks nice on paper but doesn't work in-game.

A couple years ago I bought "Combat Leader's Field Guide" with the intention of adapting its ideas to OFP's playing. I came to conclusion, like you said, most of the things work nice in real life and in the paper but doesn't work so well in gaming. So I gave up the project. But you've succeed it entirely with your first edition. What you've done was to summarize that field guide into Arma's game playing. That was a man's job.

I'd really love to see the Second Edition in print. I'm sure there will be a part of our community that will appreciate and find it useful.

['Winder 10]

Intro

The Basic Rifleman (~20k)

The ShackTac Platoon (~9k)

Attachments (~7.5k)

Communication (~5k)

Leadership (~13k)

Battle Drills (~5.5k)

Tactics (~16k)

Combined Arms (~17k)

Vehicle Usage (~12k)

Finale

So, over 100,000 words in total, compared to ~60,000 for the first guide. Quite a bit of new content. :)

Holy cripes, man. You're crazy! That's more than I wrote in my worst term of college, which was filled with Poli-Sci classes and featured the most sadistic professer I've ever met!

Can't wait. :)

[dslyecxi 23]

Have a new teaser up for this - showing the overhauled fireteam leader section.

For comparison, here is what that section looked like in TTP1.

[.kju 3244]

Looking good!

Will be interesting to see what news ideas are in for me. :)