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slambo239

Some Noob questions-Ping, Ranking, etc.

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I am fairly new the multi-player gaming and i have a few questions about the way it works.

1. What does the "Ping" number mean? I played on a server from Australia and my ping was too high. They kicked me when they found out i was from the USA. I only played with them a few times but i liked their server/team. They seemed to really be organized and into tactics.

2. How does the ranking work? I am still a Private but have had quite a few kills...mostly in Domination games. Does this type of game count towards your ranking? How long does it take to go up in rank and what are the parameters?

3. Does anybody have any tips for seeing the enemy? I have a rough time determining where thay are at and it seems that whoever i am playing with can always see them before i do? Any suggestions?

4. Just a curious question here....what are peoples favorite weapon of choice for Domination? As far as a rifle is concerned mostly. I want one with a scope that can see fairly far and still has short fire time between rounds. i.e. not a bolt action or one with a huge recoil kick.

I appreciate any feedback i can get.

Thanks

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Just remember that the lower the ping, the better. High ping makes the game unplayable for everyone.

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Some missions have a ranking system where you gain ranks with the points you gather. It's not part of the game like f.e. CoD or BF² where you gain points in every round you play. In ArmAs case the rank is bound to the server and saved afaik until the mission is restarted.

Find enemies using your eyes. Take your time to scan the horizon. This is not an action shooter where you have to run as fast as you can to gain an advantage over the enemy. Running only means exposure, you can see fast moving targets better than anything else. Patience is key.

I don't know the weapons for domination, if you want a scoped rifle with a decent amount of bullets and not too much recoil and good range there are only a few to choose from.

SPR ( Mk12 ), DMR ( M14 or M21? ), SVD Dragunov

If you practice long enough you can be better with an M24 than a guy with a SVD.

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  Slambo239 said:

1. What does the "Ping" number mean?

As a rule of thumb, Retro is on the ball.

A little more detail: Your ping is a millisecond reading of how long it takes for your computer to exchange data with another computer over the web. Your ping is most critical when playing TvT, PvP, or when you might be in the same vehicle with another player (Ex, 2 people flying and gunning a helo). When playing in real-time online, higher pings create inconsistency, in so far that what one player sees is not the same as another. Characters could appear in the wrong position, or jump around erratically on your screen. You might be lining up an anti-air shot on a 'hovering' opponent helo, only to find the helo bearing down on you the next moment as the game information is updated. Other elements contribute to lag in game, but ping is one contributing factor. If you have a high ping, you will find tomes written in various forums on identifying root causes. Some are fixable, some are not.

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2. How does the ranking work?

Enforcer is right. Some servers may host their own ranking system, updated to a website, but ArmaII does not support game-wide ranking. In servers where you do find yourself advancing through rank, such as in Xeno's Domination, the rank is only valid until the server resets, at which time the information is cleared. Server tracking websites, such as gametracker, will save basic player stats, but only for servers registered with the website. Don't be dissapointed, individual score is immaterial to completing your objectives in Arma II anyway, no matter what the scenario (unless, of course, scenario success is score dependent).

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3. Does anybody have any tips for seeing the enemy?

It takes time and patience. Decent resolution and a big monitor help, too, but focus on time and patience. You'll do fine on a used 19' Dell CRT (I do!). The key phrase is 'situational awareness' and is repeated throughout these forums and associated guides, like Dslyecxi's ArmA2 Tactics, Techniques, & Procedures Guide. This compendium is the best available for instruction on how to use your available assets, and how to be a good game-soldier. Don't try for a one-time read, but pick through it while playing to integrate Dslyecxi's methods.

If you are really, really new, then this basic advice should get you going. Move methodically (i.e, move with a purpose), check your map frequently (default key m, and watch everywhere! Your default free-look key is alt, and numpad + will provide a quick 'zoom' to your view without binocs. The advantage to free-look is that your character will not move when looking around, and staying still is critical when movement is the #1 giveaway, in my experience.

Toward the enemy, look for movement above all else when you start, and study what you see. There are lots of animated objects in the game in addition to enemies. You will learn the difference between a tree branch and the arm of a concealed enemy in time. You'll also, after your first TK, begin to recognize the difference in uniforms.

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4. Just a curious question here....what are peoples favorite weapon of choice for Domination? As far as a rifle is concerned mostly. I want one with a scope that can see fairly far and still has short fire time between rounds. i.e. not a bolt action or one with a huge recoil kick.

Try 'em all in the SP Armory mode in your game. The most common primary weapon used on the Sparta Domination servers seems to be the DMR (Designated Marksman Rifle). It isn't the most realistic scenario for half a squad to run around with DMRs, but given how combat seems to play out, the semi-auto action of the DMR, hard hit of it's 7.62 round, and mil-dot variable zoom scope easily make it a favorite game weapon from 100-500 meters. The kick is greater than in weapons using the 5.56 or 9mm, but you use less ammo on the whole and drop more targets in less time.

Your other US alternatives for optics and high rate-of-fire are the M16A4-ACOG variant, G36 series, and XM8 series. The Mk12 SPR is also among this group. They all use the 5.56 round, but you can sneak a 100-rd MG36 mag onto some of the variants if you really hate hitting that reload key. If I expect to engage at medium range, I will bring either the ACOG M16A4 or DMR, depending on anticipated resistance (DMR) or cover available on the approach (M16A4).

A personal favorite is the Russian VSS Vitnorez. It uses the weakest round available for primary weapons, a 9mm, and has the expected shorter range (big drop after 400m) but its silenced barrel, fixed power scope, and full auto fire function (useful for CQB), make it a weapon I watch for when checking dead Spetsnaz. It's also the only silenced weapon with a scope provided in the packaged game.

If you haven't yet, complete the SP boot camp missions, or at least those concerned with infantry movement. Once finished, come to the Sparta Domination servers (filter by 'Sparta' in the server name) and join us on Teamspeak if over 18 (207.252.2.35:8072). Someone will happily walk you through the basics on any regular pub night. Just make sure you can walk, shoot, and listen first! We only expect you to be good at the latter; the former two will fall into place.

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For Domination, I try to roleplay as much as possible, even if I'm the only one doing it. If I pick medic, I'll be happy with a nonscoped M4 and only shoot when I'm forced to do so. If I pick machinegunner, I'll usually go with the M249 SAW. That leaves more room for smoke grenades etc. Stay away from the specialist roles, like artillery operators and engineers, until you learn what they are all about.

Never pick up or use enemy equipment. It makes you a target by mistake far too often. I wish more servers would lock enemy hardware, it doesn't make sense for USMC running around in T90s :( If you're unsure about target being friendly or enemy, use the spacebar "cheat" (unless blocked, don't think too many use this feature yet). You can also try to fire warning shots. A human player behaves differently from an AI. A highly erratic movement pattern is a tell tale of a human player :)

Join a squad, and inform them you're a newbie. Maybe you'll play Domination games the way it was intended, instead of the run'n'gun mayhem you will find on public servers. Sadly the game scoreboard system awards by scoring only, instead of (inho) kills:death ratio. In games like Domination, it means too many are score whores without any respect for own or other peoples lives.

Avoid listening to exploits that you learn about. The amount of DMRs and the power of the Vintorez is overkill in this mission, as are the availability of drum mags for the G36 (since it doesn't have any of its real world problems). Using known exploits to get scores is almost as bad as cheating in my world. Servers should have their scoreboard turned off for all coop games.

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  Quote
1. What does the "Ping" number mean? I played on a server from Australia and my ping was too high. They kicked me when they found out i was from the USA. I only played with them a few times but i liked their server/team. They seemed to really be organized and into tactics.

The higher your ping, the worse your connection to the server is.. As in: Not only you, but everyone else on the server will experience lag issues, making the game less playable. Look for servers that have a green number next to them (on the right, in the server list)

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2. How does the ranking work? I am still a Private but have had quite a few kills...mostly in Domination games. Does this type of game count towards your ranking? How long does it take to go up in rank and what are the parameters?

Ranking is not globally stored in this game, so in other words: There are no "real" ranks to be earned like you would see in games like call of duty. The more kills you get in a game (I'll use domination as an example), the more points you earn and the higher your rank will be.. BUT, this will only remain for aslong as the game lasts and only on the server you were playing on while receiving that rank.. So if the game is restarted, or you change servers, you will start from scratch (private).

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3. Does anybody have any tips for seeing the enemy? I have a rough time determining where thay are at and it seems that whoever i am playing with can always see them before i do? Any suggestions?

You'll be able to recognise friend and foe more easily once you gain more experience playing this game, seeing as the uniforms are different.. For being able to see farther, I suggest raising your view distance (in domination, this is set to 1500 by default).. You can change this by doing the following (while playing domination):

- Show status >> Settings >> View distance menu (how high you set it depends on how good your system is)

PS: The map is your friend :)

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4. Just a curious question here....what are peoples favorite weapon of choice for Domination? As far as a rifle is concerned mostly. I want one with a scope that can see fairly far and still has short fire time between rounds. i.e. not a bolt action or one with a huge recoil kick.

If you're looking for a good rifle, and want it to be easy, I suggest using the DMR.. It's probably the best rifle in the game..

- Low recoil

- Semi Auto

- 20 rounds / clip

- Zoom feature on the scope

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