Things I don't understand because this game is terrible at explaining anything

[KorJax 10]

1. How the hell do you get a ghillie suit? I've asked many people on servers and no one of course answers.

2. What do all the game modes do, how do they work? I know domination, that's pretty self-explanitory. CTI less obvious but isn't that just PvP except players have AI squads? AAS/Hold is easy a pie too, PVP. But what about the other stuff? I've seen some not-as-common gametypes before, and I have NO CLUE how evolution works at all.

3. Why do sometimes I spawn with smaller backpack slots?

4. Is there a fool-proof method to removing the bush-lag? I get excellent FPS, but as soon as I look into most bushes up close or zoom into trees my FPS drops down into the single digits. I tried putting object settings to very low but for some stupid reason this doesn't affect the bushes/trees at all (?!).

5. How do you become a medic? I guess this ties into the ghillie suit question.

6. How do mods work online? I'd love to try the sound mod to fix all the sound issues but if it makes it so I can't play online then I might as well forget about it.

Thanks :)

[Raznor09 10]

i can answer a few of them. when you first join a server and it asks what role you would like to play, choose the sniper role and chances are you will get the one with the ghillie suit( dont worry is really doesnt make that much of a differences, players stand out from the environment no matter what) same thing for the medic, pick the medic class and there you go. as for mods just goto there dl page and it gives installation instructions.

[KorJax 10]

How can you change the class in mid game? Thanks for that advice though.

[bwc153 10]

for mid game, go to Menu (hit escape), hit abort, hit disconnect, then STOP... dont hit disconnect again, look at the list, find a unit, click on it..

Units who have ghillie suits

Sniper

Spotter (Evolution only i think)

[walker 0]

Hi KorJax

As others have said it sounds like you are playing Evolution; which is a user made mission. The concept of operation in Evolution is that you join in one of the roles then rise in rank in that profession. As your skill level rises you get access to more weapon types and vehicles. You learn to drive then fly etc.

In all missions in ArmA you get the role you started with throughout the whole mission. You cannot suddenly become a sniper, if you started out as a medic.

1. How the hell do you get a ghillie suit? I've asked many people on servers and no one of course answers.

You can not change uniform/role mid missions. As other have said you have to go back to the login screen and JIP in to another role.

2. What do all the game modes do, how do they work? I know domination, that's pretty self-explanitory. CTI less obvious but isn't that just PvP except players have AI squads? AAS/Hold is easy a pie too, PVP. But what about the other stuff? I've seen some not-as-common gametypes before, and I have NO CLUE how evolution works at all.

CTI is capture the island. You are part of an army. One of you is a Battle Commander (BC) and controls the Main Head Quarters (MHQ) this allows you to build the main base. The base includes buildings where you get soldiers (barracks), vehicles (machine shop) aircraft (hangers etc). You gain logistic points (money) by capturing towns, and by holding them. Some of the towns are controled by AI (Green) some by OPFOR (Red) Some by BLUEFOR (Blue).

The idea is simple capture the whole island. So you need to hide you base somewhere but most especialy hide your MHQ. A good idea is to make multiple bases but this costs more logistic points (money). You can also gain personal logistic points by capturing towns and killing enemy. You can use your personal money to buy soldiers, weapons and equipment for your squads, and vehicles. At town bases you can also use it to add defenses. you can also transfer/give cash to others such as the BC.

3. Why do sometimes I spawn with smaller backpack slots?

Linked to your role. I am guessing you are a medic in which case you are also carrying all the stuff to fix people up.

4. Is there a fool-proof method to removing the bush-lag? I get excellent FPS, but as soon as I look into most bushes up close or zoom into trees my FPS drops down into the single digits. I tried putting object settings to very low but for some stupid reason this doesn't affect the bushes/trees at all (?!).

Optimisation will come in patches. BIS have solved these problems in patches every timne they were reported in the past. The problem exists because there are so many different types of graphic cards and drivers and not all of them comply to the things they say on the box or do it correctly. So if you have a particualr problem you NEED to report it, otherwise BIS do not even know this is happening :( Report it with a picture of the offending bush type in the community issue tracker. Stickied in the troubleshooting section is a link to it. YOU NEED to give them your machines specs and settings, so they know what graphic card to test. It helps if you make a mission with it in. Just fire up the editor. Go to a place where such a bush is. Place a player there. Save the game, as editable is best. Zip it up and stick it on a file site then link to it in the community issue tracker.

5. How do you become a medic? I guess this ties into the ghillie suit question.

Yes it does same answer, but be aware the medic has less slots, but an important role that will improve when ACE gets ported

6. How do mods work online? I'd love to try the sound mod to fix all the sound issues but if it makes it so I can't play online then I might as well forget about it.

MODs are loaded into client MOD folders on your machine.

http://community.bistudio.com/wiki/Modfolders

Most mods have to be on the server as well. All MODs need to be signed; this prevents cheats being sneaked in. Unsigned MODs will cause you to be auto kicked on any server with Signatures turned on. Most servers require the MOD to be signed and need that MOD and signature to be on the server as well for them to work. Until there is a single universal sound MOD using them on line is not going to work well. Contact the maker of the sound MOD and ask them to join with all the other sound mods and make just one between them insteand of hundreds. OR wait untill the Betamx VHS war is over then then use the sound mod that won.

I am guessing that will be the one that gets included in ACE.

Kind regards walker

Edited July 11, 2009 by walker

[linnx88 10]

Hi KorJax

As others have said it sounds like you are playing Evolution; which is a user made mission. The concept of operation in Evolution is that you join in one of the roles then rise in rank in that profession. As your skill level rises you get access to more weapon types and vehicles. You learn to drive then fly etc.

In all missions in ArmA you get the role you started with throughout the whole mission. You cannot suddenly become a sniper, if you started out as a medic.

You can not change uniform/role mid missions. As other have said you have to go back to the login screen and JIP in to another role.

CTI is capture the island. You are part of an army. One of you is a Battle Commander (BC) and controls the Main Head Quarters (MHQ) this allows you to build the main base. The base includes buildings where you get soldiers (barracks), vehicles (machine shop) aircraft (hangers etc). You gain logistic points (money) by capturing towns, and by holding them. Some of the towns are controled by AI (Green) some by OPFOR (Red) Some by BLUEFOR (Blue).

The idea is simple capture the who island. So you need to hide you base somewhere but most especialy hide your MHQ. A good idea is to make multiple bases but this costs more logistic points (money). You can also gain personal logistic points by capturing towns and killing enemy. You can use your personal money to buy soldiers, weapons and equipment for your squads, and vehicles. At town bases you can also use it to add defenses. you can also transfer/give cash to others such as the BC.

Linked to your role. I am guessing you are a medic in which case you are also carrying all the stuff to fix people up.

Optimisation will come in patches. BIS have solved these problems in patches every timne they were reported in the past. The problem exists because there are so many different types of graphic cards and drivers and not all of them comply to the things they say on the box or do it correctly. So if you have a particualr problem you NEED to report it, otherwise BIS do not even know this is happening :( Report it with a picture of the offending bush type in the community issue tracker. Stickied in the troubleshooting section is a link to it. YOU NEED to give them your machines specs and settings, so they know what graphic card to test. It helps if you make a mission with it in. Just fire up the editor. Go to a place where such a bush is. Place a player there. Save the game, as editable is best. Zip it up and stick it on a file site then link to it in the community issue tracker.

Yes it does same answer, but be aware the medic has less slots, but an important role that will improve when ACE gets ported

MODs are loaded into client MOD folders on your machine.

http://community.bistudio.com/wiki/Modfolders

Most mods have to be on the server as well. All MODs need to be signed; this prevents cheats being sneaked in. Unsigned MODs will cause you to be auto kicked on any server with Signatures turned on. Most servers require the MOD to be signed and need that MOD and signature to be on the server as well for them to work. Until there is a single universal sound MOD using them on line is not going to work well. Contact the maker of the sound MOD and ask them to join with all the other sound mods and make just one between them insteand of hundreds. OR wait untill the Betamx VHS war is over then then use the sound mod that won.

I am guessing that will be the one that gets included in ACE.

Kind regards walker

Thanks walker!

That really helped me as well even thought I knew everything about the controls aspect, I as well as most other new players get MOST confused about the game modes. It seems like ALL Arma 2 servers are running mods of some sort and then when you join, the mission, mod description, explanation is VERY poor in most cases. This clears it up for me about CTI.

[KorJax 10]

Thanks! So should I just avoid using the sound mod then? I guess it's better I just visit the sound mods thread.

[BlackLord 0]

A sticky thread explaining multiplayer stuff would be nice because people on public servers tend to be confused about everything.

I mean some people cannot operate the Javelin, they just miss every time they use it because they don't actually lock onto their targets just launch the missile as soon as they see the green box in their sight.

Almost nobody knows about the existence of satchel charges let alone know how to use them, so missions get stuck whenever an objective requires to blow up structures or parking armor. People just stand around hopelessly shooting them with their assault rifles or throw grenades and fire AT missiles at them blowing up the few guys who cared to bring satchels and try to place them.

[CaptRio 0]

I really dont get it, how such a complex game as Arma2 has such a poor and simplified manual.

Really unacceptable.

Edited July 11, 2009 by CaptRio

[Gryphonheart 10]

Looks like Arma2 is simplified version of OFP:R itself..

I never played OFP or ArmA MP, so I'm lost in all maps except one or two I've already played.. some list of the maps and "what to do here" would be nice...

[Scrub 0]

I really dont get it, how such a complex game as Arma2 has such a poor and simplified manual.

Really unacceptable.

Most gametypes are USER made. No manual will include these items. What would be acceptable?

[Murklor 10]

Most gametypes are USER made. No manual will include these items. What would be acceptable?

A giant blackboard by the base spawn explaining point by point what you are supposed to do and how to do it? :p

[AdmiralKarlDonuts 0]

Admittedly it's been a while since I played Berzerk or Evolution, but don't they have briefings that explain everything?

As explained there is no BF2 role switching, what you join the server as is what you are.

However that only matters for medics (they get medic abilities), snipers (they get ghillie suits) and specops types (they are stealthier by default). Weapons are not restricted by 'class.' If you start as a rifleman feel free to pick up an M240, a sniper rifle, or a SMAW.

Edited July 11, 2009 by SEAL84

[Murklor 10]

However that only matters for medics (they get medic abilities), snipers (they get ghillie suits) and specops types (they are stealthier by default). Weapons are not restricted by 'class.' If you start as a rifleman feel free to pick up an M240, a sniper rifle, or a SMAW.

That isnt exactly a pro though, since it just make teamwork go down the drain: most carry a scoped rifle (or sniper rifle) and rocket launcher and as such, become that dreaded independant jack-of-all-trades Rambo wannabe.

I was actually quite shocked to see this in this so-called "realistic" game. Sure in Battlefield 2 you could have a whole team of medics, but at least they didnt all carry sniper rifles and rocket launchers at the same time.

[AdmiralKarlDonuts 0]

My point was really that you can handle any weapons you want and that they weren't locked by class like those other games. Whether or not you're helping your team by doing that is another matter.

And this 'so-called realistic' game is much better in that regard than, say, BF2, where if you have an AT weapon you're given no body armor and a BB gun to defend yourself with. What's wrong with M136 + M16A4 Acog? Nothing, because that's what real Marines carry. Certainly not all of them do but it's not like they can't.

Edited July 11, 2009 by SEAL84

[whisper 0]

That isnt exactly a pro though, since it just make teamwork go down the drain: most carry a scoped rifle (or sniper rifle) and rocket launcher and as such, become that dreaded independant jack-of-all-trades Rambo wannabe.

I was actually quite shocked to see this in this so-called "realistic" game. Sure in Battlefield 2 you could have a whole team of medics, but at least they didnt all carry sniper rifles and rocket launchers at the same time.

Actually, that's as much a gameplay issue than a realism issue.

And a very valid concern, tbh

[galzohar 31]

Your equipment is not what's turning you into a rambo, it really has very little to do with it. It's the kind of mission you're playing and the kind of players you're playing it with.

There's a reason everyone take a scoped rifle and an AT weapon - scoped rifles allow you to overcome the lack of visibility problem in the game which is not countered well enough by the (imo incomplete) zoom feature. Carrying an AT weapon doesn't come at any real cost - you can take less mags/grenades but can still take more than enough. If you're playing on a non-expert servers, crosshairs make scopes have 0 disadvantage at closer ranges where they should be harder to aim with, on top of the first 2 reasons which are already enough.

You don't go rambo because you can have whatever loadout you want. You can see even on the Charlie Foxtrot server (which has the best cooperation I've seen yet on Arma 2, at least in player vs player) most people run off on their own even though kits are extremely restricted and most are forced to play a naked rifleman.

[whisper 0]

It doesn't turn you into a rambo, but it doesn't keep you from playing rambo ;)

Well, more than rambo I should say "jack of all trade"

[Murklor 10]

And this 'so-called realistic' game is much better in that regard than, say, BF2, where if you have an AT weapon you're given no body armor and a BB gun to defend yourself with.

Actually the AT class had body armour and you could equip the semi-automatic shotgun which could lay waste to a whole squad or two ;)

And yes, I'd still say that unrestricted equipment does turn people into Rambo. Who's gonna stick together the most out of these two possible squads, you think? Lets assume a situation where you face both tanks and infantry

Squad 1: Medic with M16. Rifleman with M16/Javelin. Rifleman M16ACOG/M203 with extra javelin. Machinegunner with M249. Designated marksman with sniper rifle/satchel.

Squad 2: Medic with sniper rifle/SMAW. Rifleman with sniper rifle/SMAW. Rifleman with M16ACOG/M203/SMAW. Machinegunner with M16ACOG/M203/SMAW. Designated marksman with .50 cal sniper/SMAW.

Of course people can CHOOSE not to do this... Uh, yeah right. Maybe in the ideal fantasy world not having either Domination or Evolution... Oh wait its just the most popular missions around.

[AdmiralKarlDonuts 0]

The squad that knows how to play will stick together. Random n00bs who do not know how to play together will not. It's that simple.

Rambo = bad player. Equipment does not a Rambo make.

[galzohar 31]

The squad that knows how to play will stick together. Random n00bs who do not know how to play together will not. It's that simple.

Rambo = bad player. Equipment does not a Rambo make.

Other than using a bad translator, I agree with the above. Evolution/Domination by design encourage ramboing (or discourage teamwork, depends how you look at it), even if you restrict the kits.

In the example above, the 2 squads would behave just about the same if the same players were playing. If you didn't have a javelin and were up against tanks, you'd just hide form the tanks until someone else would destroy them. It doesn't make you cover their asses. As long as there are tanks around, the javelin guy is the "hot shot" and rambo, and the non-javelin guy is the "hide in a corner until tanks are destroyed" guy. Having something like this in your mission does not help teamwork. Note that I didn't say not restricting weapons does anything good for teamwork, I just said not restricting it won't hurt teamwork.

Edited July 12, 2009 by galzohar

[AdmiralKarlDonuts 0]

Other than using a bad translator, I agree with the above.

The phrasing was intentional :cool: