ArmA II: Operation Arrowhead discussion thread

[dm 9]

I already hear the People complaining at release.....

People will complain at release anyway. :j:

[Tonci87 163]

You are right, my bad^^

[dalia 13]

Good news and great addon, but what is this rumor, lamp torch don't add in this addon? and other features?

i think don't buy now and stay on ace.

[Maio 293]

Good news and great addon, but what is this rumor, lamp torch don't add in this addon? and other features?

i think don't buy now and stay on ace.

Ejay confirmed that the lamp torch is in . See this is why I don't agree discussing in the press thread ...

[Alex72 1]

Finally! Some words about this subject.

At Last.. if its true and well done, will change the game immersion entirely. Good to know this.

Don't understand why BIS didn't mentioned before, it indeed needs to be improved.

Hope its true.

Its not new Bravo. We knew this for months already. Its in one of the first videos about OA on youtube. A hungarian guy working at BIS is saying this in the video.

[dalia 13]

Ejay confirmed that the lamp torch is in . See this is why I don't agree discussing in the press thread ...

Great thanks :)

[wamingo 1]

Yes i think so. But you might be able to use the random house generator module out there to create a village though. But if it wasnt "clean" i think it would mean ending up with loading millions of objects wich would be very bad for performance - im guessing.

I won't cry if it remains barren and I try not to get too excited about any one thing, however I do get the impression that there's something being done in this direction. Hence my curiosity.

The fact remains, though, that a completely barren landscape, like arma2's infinite space, is pretty much effectively useless. You can add objects of course, so it's not 100% useless. Yet I've certainly never used it, nor ever seen it used in well over 300 user missions. Have you?

And I'm not sure you're right about the performance hit.

Procedural generation basicly means it's created at runtime - not just the landscape but also trees, rocks, grass and other stuff would be generated when it is needed (ie when you get close enough). This doesn't have to be slow with a fancy enough equation.

[ziiip 1]

At 0:45 in

the hungarian guy said, according to the subtitles atleast;

Indeed those subs are correct.

[PacX 10]

The fact remains, though, that a completely barren landscape, like arma2's infinite space, is pretty much effectively useless. You can add objects of course, so it's not 100% useless. Yet I've certainly never used it, nor ever seen it used in well over 300 user missions. Have you?

However, I can imagine my dream mission being a small camp like thing 10+ kilometers away from the actual map boundaries so that C-130's will actually be useful for a change, airdrops and long-range combat.

Transportation would take a bigger role in the game and people wouldn't be so "brave" (or stupid :p) and sacrifice their life if they know they can get 6 kill, but will die doing it.

They would be a little more proffesional IMO.

[unknow_mario 10]

Ejay confirmed that the lamp torch is in .

and laser?

[walker 0]

I won't cry if it remains barren and I try not to get too excited about any one thing, however I do get the impression that there's something being done in this direction. Hence my curiosity.

The fact remains, though, that a completely barren landscape, like arma2's infinite space, is pretty much effectively useless. You can add objects of course, so it's not 100% useless. Yet I've certainly never used it, nor ever seen it used in well over 300 user missions. Have you?

And I'm not sure you're right about the performance hit.

Procedural generation basicly means it's created at runtime - not just the landscape but also trees, rocks, grass and other stuff would be generated when it is needed (ie when you get close enough). This doesn't have to be slow with a fancy enough equation.

Hi all

To place what wamingo says in a more fully understandable context:

...Which means that you could, if you were so inclined, create a mission that takes place 100km away from the main areas included in the game, and the randomly-generated terrain to reach it as well as the area itself will be exactly the same for everyone who plays it. The AI will also be able to find itself around this terrain as well. It's a stunning display of computer wizardry, and has unlimited potential for mod teams to play with...

http://uk.pc.ign.com/articles/108/1086536p1.html

If you are a pilot this is gravy. It means you can in theory fly for hours before reaching you target.

What I am more interested in is the possibilities for exploration. I have already explored infinite land but at the moment it is without context. The new system creates roads and towns. That can be filled by towns people and fauna with the existing modules.

Reproducibility and new game genre markets

I hope there is a get_random seed function(s) so we can discover and recreate interesting terrains. Please Please BIS! there is no reason such a command could not be used as we know the data is exported to JIP clients in MP.

IMHO I think ArmA will become the safari and exploration game par excellence!

I recognise that this is a work in progress and that it is bleeding edge computer science, so as with much of what BIS does, it is a discovery process. When you are innovating, some things work out, others are less effective. What we could also do with is: the ability to MOD in variability in both Flora Fauna and Civilization Clutter (FFCC)

With the ability to alter FFCC functions and mimic the interplay between civilisations of different outlook we would by dynamically creating the interactions of a real world. This would give BIS and the modding community access to the GOD game environment.

Academic use

There is a whole bunch of mathematical and philosophical questions that can be explored by altering the FFCC criteria that is something the LINDA project has hinted at with Flora only. As BIS enlarge the Real Virtuality Engine's (RVE) scope adding to it in an organic fashion it can become a tool for naturalists and sociologists among others. BIS my like to consider employing a zoologist alongside those working on LINDA with a view to achieving what is being achieved with LINDA in the FAUNA.

From work I already did, I am certain the RVE is only just starting to tap its potential as an academic tool. As the ability to MOD and plug in more tools increases, I think that the VBS research work in to simulation of societal factors, as they effect military operations, is just the tip of a scientific tool iceberg.

Kind Regards walker

Edited April 29, 2010 by walker

[wamingo 1]

snip

It's a different topic of course, but I think without a serious pot of gold waiting at the end, the penalty for death simply can't be too high. And because there isn't a reward, even the most hardcore mil simmers won't play arma for long without a reasonably low fear of death.

ie. a stray bullet can end the fun very quickly if the travel time is long.

No matter how much one may insist on keeping distance, taking cover and avoiding tactical reloads, at the end of the day, I'm sure we'll find that, at heart, we are, to an extent, all internet rambo's.

apologies if I overuse commas.

[SASrecon 0]

The procedurally generated terrain is based on the land around it, which is why it's the same for a particular map every time you load it, this also means that it is the same for every player online.

Basically imagine chernarus how it was before (at release with the black borders) and then generate some land according to the border, this is quite a simple process and isn't actually random, so it's not a huge hit on performance because it is only generated when it is needed (e.g. rendered at your viewdistance)

Also tracer rounds burn with a coloured 'glow' from the rear and can be seen from side-on or from the rear but not from the recieving end unless you can see through things

Anyways, back on-topic now.

Hopefully we'll get a new video soon from eJay or maybe even a new official faction video from bis!

[bravo 6 0]

Its not new Bravo. We knew this for months already. Its in one of the first videos about OA on youtube. A hungarian guy working at BIS is saying this in the video.

Yes, i know the video is not new. At the time it was released i saw it without any subs :)

So to me is entirely new, but thanks for the headsup.

By the way, congrats to your new moderating function :)

[Tonci87 163]

So I´m going to post my super big Question here: Will Rounds that are fired from a gun be visible throught FLIR? As they exit the barrel they are hot Objects, so it shuold ber considered.

It could be achived by scripting. The SAW in Arma2 for example is loaded with tracer ammo wich is only visible through NVGs. So you would need to "make all Rounds Tracers" when looking through FLIR.

Just curious if BIS will take the Level of Detail that far...

[Laqueesha 474]

Will Rounds that are fired from a gun be visible throught FLIR?

I doubt you will be able to see them throuh the FLIR even if they were, since they travel at a very high rate of speed.

[Maio 293]

So I´m going to post my super big Question here: Will Rounds that are fired from a gun be visible throught FLIR? As they exit the barrel they are hot Objects, so it shuold ber considered.

Just curious if BIS will take the Level of Detail that far...

Don't inflight rounds move to fast to be picked up by any optical device . Maybe if you slow down a FLIR video captured ( in real life) it might , but I don't know...

Sure looking forward for some more videos .

[NeMeSiS 11]

The procedurally generated terrain is based on the land around it, which is why it's the same for a particular map every time you load it, this also means that it is the same for every player online.

Basically imagine chernarus how it was before (at release with the black borders) and then generate some land according to the border, this is quite a simple process and isn't actually random, so it's not a huge hit on performance because it is only generated when it is needed (e.g. rendered at your viewdistance)

AFAIK its not likeyou say: The land just around Chernarus isnt random at all, but once you go far enough (Completely off the map) you do enter (semi-)randomly generated terrain. Its probably generated with a seed which is decided serverside so all players generate the same terrain.

[icewindo 29]

Is the BIS studio site/wiki not working for anyone else? I'm getting re-directed to a search/domain site :confused: . I just was at it 2 hours ago and wanted to look into the wiki again.

http://www.bistudio.com/

[PacX 10]

Is the BIS studio site/wiki not working for anyone else? I'm getting re-directed to a search/domain site :confused: . I just was at it 2 hours ago and wanted to look into the wiki again.

http://www.bistudio.com/

Works for me.

[Placebo 29]

Is the BIS studio site/wiki not working for anyone else? I'm getting re-directed to a search/domain site :confused: . I just was at it 2 hours ago and wanted to look into the wiki again.

http://www.bistudio.com/

Seems Germany is having some DNS issues as you're now the second to mention it, you seeing this: http://img196.imageshack.us/img196/929/bisforumsdomainparking.jpg ?

[anc 0]

Seems Germany is having some DNS issues as you're now the second to mention it, you seeing this: http://img196.imageshack.us/img196/929/bisforumsdomainparking.jpg ?

I'm from Brazil and i had this problem with the forum.

Best regards

[Placebo 29]

Hmmm tres weird :(

[Zipper5 74]

I get something similar to that when I visit the Arma 2 beta patch URL, Placebo.

I'm in the Middle East.

[unknow_mario 10]

this is not the OA thread? :D