ArmA II: Operation Arrowhead discussion thread

[wolfbite 8]

The scud is a bit too small by the looks of it.. thats the one thing I've noticed with screenshots....

[mrcash2009 0]

I have a few questions for people who have it and are playing:

1. Does OA share the user config, or in your my documents location does it contain its own settings files separate from A2?

2. When integrated into A2 folder can all the content from A2 be loaded into OA launch version right away?

3. Has anyone checked out what mods worked and do not, sound mods and such? Or is there a OA mod compatibility thread to be created? (unless ive blatantly missed one).

Sorry if repeats but merged OA/A2 info and lots of threads. plus different info in different places was the reason I asked.

BTW was it the best Idea NOT to have a whole separate OA section? Over time it just seems a bit like thread overload and people asking "Are you referring to OA or A2?" in certain areas ... anyway, that's just my view, I was surprised to see it was merged. New game or not, its new info for new subject matter and new content :)

EDIT: Ah christ I notice there's another sticky for questions please move sorry.

Edited June 29, 2010 by mrcash2009

[jsa2001 10]

Just had an email from my vendor that OA has been put back to the 2nd july for release date.

[liquidpinky 11]

I have a few questions for people who have it and are playing:

1. Does OA share the user config, or in your my documents location does it contain its own settings files separate from A2?

Nope.

Started reconfiguring as soon as I installed and unlocked the game, I enjoy the little sight seeing heli tours of the map anyway while setting up the joysticks and keys etc in the Armoury. Gutted my points didn't carry over, guess I will have to do some quick mission edits to toy with the Chinook and Little Birds.

Tip, configure eject button first. ;)

[gossamersolid 155]

Yes, yes I expected such a response from everyone. :D

I'm just saying if its so easy to do why wouldn't they take the short time to make it come into the game.

Other than that I have loved every part of Arrowhead, near flawless game. :bounce3:

The scud is supposed to shoot 50km... so why would they script the function to make it shoot 10km? It would be stupid from their perspective, so they left it to us.

[Fred DM 0]

Nope.

Started reconfiguring as soon as I installed and unlocked the game, I enjoy the little sight seeing heli tours of the map anyway while setting up the joysticks and keys etc in the Armoury. Gutted my points didn't carry over, guess I will have to do some quick mission edits to toy with the Chinook and Little Birds.

if you merge ArmA2 with OA, does that mean you have to unlock all the stuff in the Armoury again, even ArmA2 content that you've already unlocked in ArmA2 only? :butbut:

Edited June 29, 2010 by Fred DM

[turin turambar 0]

That would be classified as a "better done with mods" feature.

Wait a moment. Just because something can be done with mods, it means that BIS doesn't have to do it right?

Well, users can also make their own levels, campaigns, islands, soldiers, vehicles, weapons, etc, that doesn't mean that it should be acceptable from Bohemia to ship a game without all that.

The same can be applied to the campaign, 6-7 missions is too short. Yeah, you have the editor, the mods, the multiplayer, etc, but for lots of people the main dish is the campaign.

I am buying a game, not a game engine. Bis can't be surprised of the low sales from their games if they cater too much to the hardcore gamers (i.e most of this forum) who plays only in multiplayer, uses (or creates) a dozen of mods, etc, instead of the normal gamers.

[Fred DM 0]

Wait a moment. Just because something can be done with mods, it means that BIS doesn't have to do it right?

Well, users can also make their own levels, campaigns, islands, soldiers, vehicles, weapons, etc, that doesn't mean that it should be acceptable from Bohemia to ship a game without all that.

The same can be applied to the campaign, 6-7 missions is too short. Yeah, you have the editor, the mods, the multiplayer, etc, but for lots of people the main dish is the campaign.

I am buying a game, not a game engine. Bis can't be surprised of the low sales from their games if they cater too much to the hardcore gamers (i.e most of this forum) who plays only in multiplayer, uses (or creates) a dozen of mods, etc, instead of the normal gamers.

couldn't agree more.

i mean, i know modding is big with this game, and that's great, but it doesn't automatically mean you can deliver an unfinished product hoping the community will fix it for free.

personally, i really don't want to go looking for a mod for every little feature that ought to have been there in the first place.

luckily, OA seems to be a much better launch than the previous installments, and if these are the only features that are unfinished, then it's not so bad. chances are it'll get patched sooner or later.

but still, don't be so quick to excuse anything. you paid for a product, you have the right to expect and demand certain things (within reason).

personally, i don't think it's that big a deal, and i'm sure it gets patched. i just don't like the overly apologetic attitude of this community.

[liquidpinky 11]

if you merge ArmA2 with OA, does that mean you have unlock all the stuff in the Armoury again, even ArmA2 content that you've already unlocked in ArmA2 only? :butbut:

Certainly the case if you use the OA exe to start the game up, should still be okay if you use the original ARMA 2 exe I would have thought.

But I like the new tan menus so my original A2 exe will be very neglected for a while.

When I am home from work it is time to do some survival, taxi and stealing I think, while fine tuning the game all over again. ;)

[mrcash2009 0]

Wait a moment. Just because something can be done with mods, it means that BIS doesn't have to do it right?

Well, users can also make their own levels, campaigns, islands, soldiers, vehicles, weapons, etc, that doesn't mean that it should be acceptable from Bohemia to ship a game without all that.

The same can be applied to the campaign, 6-7 missions is too short. Yeah, you have the editor, the mods, the multiplayer, etc, but for lots of people the main dish is the campaign.

I am buying a game, not a game engine. Bis can't be surprised of the low sales from their games if they cater too much to the hardcore gamers (i.e most of this forum) who plays only in multiplayer, uses (or creates) a dozen of mods, etc, instead of the normal gamers.

BIS have done it, they have made it completely open so you/modders & scripters can do it better anyway.

Well BI and many would see it as a sandbox ... IE give the tools, and the campaign etc isn't as such the main part of it. If your main dish is the campaign and everything else is secondary "for others" prepare to be disappointed somewhat. It took me all of 1 week playing Arma1 to start wondering what it was all about, after 2 weeks it then clicked. After 3 weeks I started playing with the editor and looking at mods, and now I love it.

There are 101 or more things BIS could have done without mods creating it, some have even evolved into the game since previous versions, some things dont, but the fact that they are not and its completely doable via a script and totally open to work this and modders will do then its not really an issue to that extent.

For what a scripter or modder can do in their own sweet time, compared to what BIS can do among everything else on the list for them to do before shipping its probably worth waiting for a script anyway. To make the argument you have based on such a minor detail for the scope & breadth of what you have installed on your PC then your missing what Arma is all about. People who understand this or have got used to the way of thinking are the ones who have replied as they have done, it no excuses on BIS part at all.

If then you are not a "normal gamer" then to be honest you may as well purchase a different game. Which in effect is a game for those "normal gamers".

Edited June 29, 2010 by mrcash2009

[Fred DM 0]

Well BI and many would see it as a sandbox ... IE give the tools, and the campaign etc isn't as such the main part of it. If your main dish is the campaign and everything else is secondary "for others" prepare to be disappointed somewhat. It took me all of 1 week playing Arma1 to start wondering what it was all about, after 2 weeks it then clicked. After 3 weeks I started playing with the editor and looking at mods, and now I love it.

There are 101 or more things BIS could have done without mods creating it, some have even evolved into the game since previous versions, some things dont, but the fact that they are not and its completely doable via a script and totally open to work this and modders will do then its not really an issue to that extent.

For what a scripter or modder can do in their own sweet time, compared to what BIS can do among everything else on the list for them to do before shipping its probably worth waiting for a script anyway.

and that's exactly why this game doesn't sell as much as it should, and why BIS apparently have to start selling DLC to make do.

countless times i've read how people would be interested in a game like ArmA2 but are turned off by the (usually) buggy releases and unfinished features, as well as the need to create content yourself or rely on the community.

face it, outside this here hardcore community, ArmA 2 has a pretty horrible reputation, unfortunately. there's plenty of people in the more mainstream sector of gaming that would be willing to give this game a try, but it simply doesn't look very inviting from their point of view, though OA is a step in the right direction.

[Big Dawg KS 6]

blah blah blah

I think you mistunderstood. Yes, of course BIS should provide things where they can. You don't have to try to convince me that we shouldn't rely on mods for impelenting features better done by BIS. Some things however can not be done with a universal solution, and in that case it'll be better to do with mods. This is one of those (odd) things.

Sure, BIS could implement a method to use SCUD missiles as actual artillery, but then you would have people complaining that people are using SCUDs at unrealistic ranges (since the islands aren't even big enough to use SCUDs on). So then BIS goes and changes it so that the range is realistic, but now the SCUDs are pretty much unusable unless you place them way way (way) out in the infinately generated terrain. So ultimately you can't make everybody happy.

Now, what if instead BIS left it as just a prop, and then the community made 2 different mods. One for people who want realism, and one for people who want functionality. Now everybody's happy.

Besides, even since OFP the SCUD was supposed to be nothing more than a prop. It really won't see a lot of use as actualy artillery, and unless BIS wants to use it as such in their missions, it's not worth the effort for them to impement it. Whereas the community has been making scud scripts for years...

So like I said, generally you are right, but the SCUD is what I would consider an exception.

[mrcash2009 0]

I dont work for BIS and all I know is there's a game sat on the shelf for me to purchase which fits MY style, the rest is what you want to make of it. BIS isnt going to pay my bills, I just want access to a game/sim thats open ended, this supplied it .. end of story.

The debate about sales and who they cater for is ages old. You either like it, or you do not, this has spoken for itself many times. I think BIS are doing ok out of it all anyway so no worries on that score.

face it, outside this here hardcore community, ArmA 2 has a pretty horrible reputation, unfortunately.

Myself and many others will not be loosing sleep over it, mainly modding and playing with the sim and enjoying every aspect of it, thats why we bought it. The very reason I ended up getting into Arma was becuase I found nothing that came close to what I wanted (open ended) in the "mainstream" if you will, so if that's the path it takes so be it. So far its paid well enough for us to post here and debate to this very day and with the expansion ... doesn't bother me at all.

Edited June 29, 2010 by mrcash2009

[turin turambar 0]

BIS have done it, they have made it completely open so you/modders & scripters can do it better anyway.

Well BI and many would see it as a sandbox ... IE give the tools, and the campaign etc isn't as such the main part of it. If your main dish is the campaign and everything else is secondary "for others" prepare to be disappointed somewhat. It took me all of 1 week playing Arma1 to start wondering what it was all about, after 2 weeks it then clicked. After 3 weeks I started playing with the editor and looking at mods, and now I love it.

I have been playing Bohemia games since the original Flashpoint in 2001, i know how their games are. I also play in multiplayer, but still i would like to see a stronger focus in the campaign and out-of-the-box usage.

In fact, what is the still regarded as the best game from Bohemia? What game was a hit in the market in sales (for the genre)? Not Arma 2, not Arma 1, but Operation Flashpoint.

Which game have better campaign? Arma 1? Arma 2? Some of the Arma expansions? Nope. Operation Flashpoint.

For lots of players, it's with a good campaign how you win new people to the existing playerbase, it's when they play and finish the campaign when they say "i loved this game, i want more!" and then begin to try the multiplayer, the editor, they discover after the sites with user-created missions and mods for the game, etc; that's why i was linking my comments to the Bohemia comments (of insufficient sales and DLC).

Edited June 29, 2010 by Turin Turambar

[Mad-h 0]

in my belowed homeland OA will be available next week...damn this contry!

So my question is should i wait for steam to unlock OA or start downloading from sprocket? the sprocket site looks laggy so maybe download will be slow, and i want the game today! :(

thx for the help!

[Laqueesha 474]

if you merge ArmA2 with OA, does that mean you have unlock all the stuff in the Armoury again, even ArmA2 content that you've already unlocked in ArmA2 only?

One word: getallgear. Or is that three? :p

Myself and many others will not be loosing [sic] sleep over it ...

Me neither. ;)

[Mad-h 0]

I have been playing Bohemia games since the original Flashpoint in 2001, i know how their games are. I also play in multiplayer, but still i would like to see a stronger focus in the campaign and out-of-the-box usage.

In fact, what is the still regarded as the best game from Bohemia? What game was a hit in the market in sales (for the genre)? Not Arma 2, not Arma 1, but Operation Flashpoint.

Which game have better campaign? Arma 1? Arma 2? Some of the Arma expansions? Nope. Operation Flashpoint.

For lots of players, it's with a good campaign how you win new people to the existing playerbase, it's when they play and finish the campaign when they say "i loved this game, i want more!" and then begin to try the multiplayer, the editor, they discover after the sites with user-created missions and mods for the game, etc; that's why i was linking my comments to the Bohemia comments (of insufficient sales and DLC).

I never finished the ofp campaign, nor the arma 2 one. :p Maybe it's just me, but it gets boring after a while. Multiplayer, and editor is the way to go!

[mrcash2009 0]

I have been playing Bohemia games since the original Flashpoint in 2001, i know how their games are. I also play in multiplayer, but still i would like to see a stronger focus in the campaign and out-of-the-box usage.

In fact, what is the still regarded as the best game from Bohemia? What game was a hit in the market in sales (for the genre)? Not Arma 2, not Arma 1, but Operation Flashpoint.

Which game have better campaign? Arma 1? Arma 2? Some of the Arma expansions? Nope. Operation Flashpoint.

For lots of players, it's with a good campaign how you win new people to the existing playerbase, it's when they play and finish the campaign when they say "i loved this game, i want more!" and then begin to try the multiplayer, the editor, they discover after the sites with user-created missions and mods for the game, etc; that's why i was linking my comments to the Bohemia comments (of insufficient sales and DLC).

Well we are here now, its not in, it can be scipted, life goes on I guess.

[froggyluv 2136]

Have there been any AI improvements in terms of using indoor/windows effectively?

This is the one area that can never be modded in correctly and imho would truly open up that sandbox feeling

[Fred DM 0]

One word: getallgear. Or is that three? :p

okay, and where's the fun in that? :confused: ;)

[cossack8559 10]

I never touched the campaign in ARMA1 and ARMA2, I got this game solely for the Editor which has given me more hours of game play than any other game I've ever played.

[armored_sheep 56]

I like to call Arma a sandbox game that works pretty much like LEGO - you buy it not just because you want to have a nice car from the main picture on its box, do you?

[Fred DM 0]

I like to call Arma a sandbox game that works pretty much like LEGO - you buy it not just because you want to have a nice car from the main picture on its box, do you?

very true. :)

just don't forget about "out-of-the-box-content", because that's what gets you new customers. the editor then makes them stay. ;)

still today you hear people talk with nostalgia about the Cold War Crisis campaign. that's how that game got famous. the editor allowed it to stay where the campaign got it. or so i see it.

[mrcash2009 0]

I like to call Arma a sandbox game that works pretty much like LEGO - you buy it not just because you want to have a nice car from the main picture on its box, do you?

Unless you guys can automate the yellow ones, Im taking the box back :D

[mrbinkels 10]

if you merge ArmA2 with OA, does that mean you have unlock all the stuff in the Armoury again, even ArmA2 content that you've already unlocked in ArmA2 only? :butbut:

No just the OA armory.