Unboxing Arma 2

[Rhammstein 10]

After a few hours play on the Demo, I knew I was hooked. So the new Wolfenstein cme out today, as I was there to pick it up, I grabbed Arma 2. Right off the bat what can I expect as far as performance improvements? I'm downloading the patch now while installing. It ran fairly well for me, and Im looking forward to the choppers and well, just 'everything' this game has to offer.

I had real hell with controls, getting lost..well not really, but having any friggin clue what my AI squad was actually up to. What should I read and/or watch before getting into the game. And is it true, to really get good you need to memorize many many many keyboard commands? I don't really mind if the games top notch, I'll take the time to learn everything in SP, in fact I'll probably spend most ofmy time in SP. Regardless, I'm reading through the forums at the moment but if there's any thing specific to a new player to the series that may help, I'd appreciate it.

I'm not new to fps games in general, been gaming almost exclusively on PC and in the fps genre since '99. But I'm used to games like CSS, ET, ETQW, COD Series< not so much a fan as the others but very polished games.

I've never played anything so realistic but I know strategy from countless clan matches in other games and understanding how to manipulate a situation. But still this game seems to have one hell of a learning curve and I'll take any advice I can get, thanks!

Edit: Also how realistic are the flight controls and physics, I'm a VERY long time MS Flight Simulator user and real pilot and I'm curious what I'll expect, thanks.

Edited August 19, 2009 by Rhammstein

[Cheeba 10]

I doubt you'll spend much time in SP since it's fubar. But the editor and MP is where this game really shines.

Also, read as much as this as you can and you should be fit to fight in no time.

http://ttp2.dslyecxi.com

[Milton T. Pike 10]

I picked up ArmA a couple of years ago, and it also took some adjusting - little knicks and knacks you get the hang of after a while.

Really, the best way to learn is by experience. Online co-op is what ArmA and ArmA 2 are all about in my opinion.

I don't think you need to memorize any key mappings beyond your average FPS, so I'm not sure who told you that. I didn't memorize any other than the basics, which are pretty much second nature to FPS players, and I do just fine.

The thing about ArmA that might take some getting used to is the gameplay itself. It's much much more slowly and strategically paced than games like COD (COD is probably on the complete opposite of the spectrum). The AI are very smart (for the most part) and one well-placed shot can kill you. Usually the combat isn't the kind in some other shooters, like Halo and COD, where you're basically cramming like 15 people into a phone booth, giving them guns and grenades, and screaming "GO!". Fire fights take place over hundreds of meters, and can last a few minutes.

Personally, once I got the feel of it, I could never go back to other games. I played the entire Battlefield series, right from BF1942 to BF2142 to BF:Heroes, and I also played the entire C.O.D. series, and I can't go back to them; ArmA / ArmA 2 is the best FPS / military simulator I have ever played. I'm not a fan boy, either. It might have its flaws, having been released quite recently and still a few patches to go, but I love it.

[kozzy420 21]

Give the singleplayer a try, its not perfect but its fun imo.

Also start downloading all the awesome user made missions! There are some very cool ones!

Also the online is fun to!

Fantastic editor to! (although im not that best with it yet, playing others missions they make is fantastic though).

Hope you enjoy the game and that it runs well bud!

Yes it takes a little while to get use to everything as far as the controls go, but it isnt that hard. Very realistic and alot of fun is the bottom line for me! Just stay patient and give it a go!

[randir14 10]

Right off the bat what can I expect as far as performance improvements?

Performance is better than the demo in some cases, but the demo was missing a ton of textures and models that the full game has. The demo also didn't have Lagnogorsk...uh I mean Chernogorsk. Patch 1.0.4 is going to have performance improvements.

Edit: Also how realistic are the flight controls and physics, I'm a VERY long time MS Flight Simulator user and real pilot and I'm curious what I'll expect, thanks.

It's not even close to Flight Simulator, flying feels more like an action game. I think flying planes in ArmA 2 kind of sucks because of the low view distance but helicopters are a lot of fun.

Edited August 19, 2009 by randir14

[Killerwatt 0]

Hi Rhammstein and welcome to the wonderfull world of ArmA. This link is what you need to hit the ground running. http://forums.bistudio.com/showthread.php?t=81123

[Rhammstein 10]

Thank you all so much. I figure I'll play single player for just a few hours, maybe 3-5, to get used to all the different controls, both simple and complicated. Also the different roles you can play, it's gonna take some time before I can command troops, but that's what I'm most looking forward to. Also I really can't wait to make use of the choppers, and any other flyers.

As far as the choppers, do you have the freedom to use them as you like? Because a good pilot with a decent arsenol of weapons can change a battle 180* easily, at least in my BF2 days. I was obsessed with using attach choppers.

Physics aren't a huge deal, but as long as they're as realistic as BF2 was, I'll be perfectly happy, if it's anything like that hawx game wow I'lll lose my mind LOL.

Anyways thanks for the tips, and for the one poster, I agree mostly but in my little experience so far single player certainly isn't fubar, it's just not online heh. But I guess I know what you mean. You've probably been playing online a lot, which makes SP look worse as worse ;)

-rhamm

[cossack8559 10]

You can pretty much learn everything about the game just by messing around in the editor...

[rekrul 7]

Hey Cheeba, is your nick related to Chebaa (by Mt Hermon)?

[randir14 10]

As far as the choppers, do you have the freedom to use them as you like? Because a good pilot with a decent arsenol of weapons can change a battle 180* easily, at least in my BF2 days. I was obsessed with using attach choppers.

If you liked the BF2 helicopters you will love the ArmA 2 ones. There are helicopters for different roles like transport and attack, and the attack helicopters even have different versions with different loadouts. The way it usually goes in multiplayer is transport pilots bring troops close to the objective (hopefully without getting shot down by a SAM). After the troops destroy any AA the attack helicopter can come in and start doing its job. Unlike BF2 you can actually lock on and destroy armored vehicles from miles away and the gunner can even zoom in with the gun camera. The game physics even model auto rotations so if your engine gets disabled and you know what you're doing you can safely crash land.

Edited August 21, 2009 by randir14

[Rhammstein 10]

So now I'm curious if any real world flight skills may apply to the game, or aid me in any way, if so it will honestly feel pretty good (although I have no time in a Heli, only sim time). I've actually spent a lot of time in the first missions, so I haven't touched any flight controls yet, but in using the heli's, exactly how realistic is it in this sense: BF2 was very very forgiving, there was just this simplicity of throttle control, that's it. Do these in Arma 2 actually give you all of the controls, or at least more of them?

I'll be honest tho I kind of liked the simplicity in BF2 when it came to playing as it left more space in my mind for thinking about other things, rather than actually having to use 90% of my ability to maneuver around you could focus entirely on the horizon and almost all enemies if you knew what your team was doing, and where they were.. but it felt so fake, no attack heli should feel like a cessna 172 with 1,200hp and vertical lift abilities with auto rudder and pitch and everything and one input to control every input hehe :)

Regardless, the learning curve is busted open now I understand how the game works and what it expects etc etc. It was intimidating at first, not having the...just really fast strafe jumping I'm used to, and that's good, you're a human carrying gear and Arma lets you know this, I like this a lot now that I'm used to it, and having enough time to gauge it and it really does feel right. Fighting is much more like the real deal, so much so it gets me thinking...just incredible at times, absolutely.

Great advice it's all helped and all been very accurate, definitely cut the curve in half, out friggin standing!

Edit: My bad if I dug up a bit of an old thread, was only browsing subs when I went over the thread, but needed to post.

[Gunter Severloh 4064]

who needs singleplayer when you got the editor and you can make your own.

Bet place i found to test stuff out and figure out your controls was in the editor.

-just start the editor,

-pick and island,

-and go to units,

-pick from men place a soldier,

-save it hit preview,

-boom ur in the game

just play around with it and see what happens, questions, just ask in the forums heres, with this community te great folks here will be gald to help you out.

please due use the search function though, will make moderators a friend of yours.

[Rhammstein 10]

Absolutely I'll put a beating on the search function, have done so, only felt like some direct input on just a few topics would really help and they have greatly. Thx

[tonedog12 2]

im also a A2 newbie and am still learnin the ropes with some of the missions. however, after readin the manual the most interestin aspect looks like the strategic aspect to the game what with all the buildings than can be bulit plus supply etc.

im assumin multiplayer is where these features really shine. how does it all play put in MP? it seems like an actual war can be played out what with high command etc.

is it as good as it all sounds online?

[no use for a name 0]

im also a A2 newbie and am still learnin the ropes with some of the missions. however, after readin the manual the most interestin aspect looks like the strategic aspect to the game what with all the buildings than can be bulit plus supply etc.

im assumin multiplayer is where these features really shine. how does it all play put in MP? it seems like an actual war can be played out what with high command etc.

is it as good as it all sounds online?

it all depends on the people you play with. Most pub servers you'll just fight with a bunch of counter strike and BF2 kids that don't know their ass from a hole in the ground. Try to get in with some dedicated players that have their own server/admin and actually use teamwork and tactics like how the game is supposed to be played. Then you won't look back

[Rhammstein 10]

Edit: This post turned into a very in depth post that deserves it's own thread. It will be named "My impressions after 20 hours of play"

Edited September 4, 2009 by Rhammstein