Will there ever be a manual?

[pmar 10]

New user...spent 8-10 frustrating hours reading the few pages supplied with the game and trying to apply what I'd learned. Spent more hours perusing these forums, picking up the odd tip here and there...searching in vain for an organized set of instructions that explain what buttons to push to do what.

I HATE games/sims that have no documentation! Why do brilliant designers such as the ones who made ARMA II then turn around and alienate their potential user base? Trial and error isn't the way to climb the steep learning curve of this product. Playing "what am I thinking", occasionally stumbling across a mouse/key combination that does something, and commenting "So THAT's how that works...THAT's what they meant."

Nope...better things to do...it's back on the shelf for this one. Maybe I'll recheck the forums in a few months. And avoid Bohemia products...

[blockarma 10]

I highly doubt it. The biggest problem is that the game is so bloody complex that the manual would be 300 pages long.

Edited December 30, 2009 by blockarma

[Zipper5 74]

Well, if that's the attitude that you have towards this game, then you probably won't be wanted here. It ain't the game for you.

However, it seems a bit odd that you spent all this time searching for stuff and never came across this. It's made for ArmA 1, but most of it still applies to ArmA II. You also have this too, which I can't believe you missed.

And I learned how to play this game through trial and error, so have most people here I'd imagine. The only difference is that I started in Operation Flashpoint.

[TimRiceSE 10]

and lets be honest, you can still go a long long way with just WASD, left mouse button, and a mouse wheel.

[Tankbuster 1733]

We all had to learn somewhere, Zipper and Tim.

I too started in OpF and if it hadn't been for a helpful group of clan members I'd never have got to grips with that game and by extension, this one.

Mr Murrays guide, excellent while it is for people who are familiar with the game and progressing into editing, is as useful as a chocolate teapot for new users. Same goes for Dslyecxi's guide. It's good, but it aint for greenhorns. And those two are WAY more useful than the biki.

It still amazes and disappoints me that experienced and mature members here keep making one line posts linking to the biki or the ttp in response to requests for help from new players.

Practically every day, we lose new users because we don't have a useful, practical guide for brand new users. Every one of those new guys is a potential *Rock, Dslyecxi, Sickboy, oktane, UNN, DMarkwick - any one of the community members who WE rely on every day. If we don't nuture these fellas through the early period, they can't grow into full community members.

*list not exhaustive, exclusion from this list does NOT mean I don't love you. :)

Edited December 30, 2009 by Tankbuster
added my old mucker DMarkwick to lovelist! :D

[dmarkwick 261]

We all had to learn somewhere, Zipper and Tim.

I too started in OpF and if it hadn't been for a helpful group of clan members I'd never have got to grips with that game and by extension, this one.

Mr Murrays guide, excellent while it is for people who are familiar with the game and progressing into editing, is as useful as a chocolate teapot for new users. Same goes for Dslyecxi's guide. It's good, but it aint for greenhorns. And those two are WAY more useful than the biki.

It still amazes and disappoints me that experienced and mature members here keep making one line posts linking to the biki or the ttp in response to requests or help from new players.

Practically every day, we lose new users because we don't have a useful, practical guide for brand new users. Every one of those new guys is a potential Rock, Dslyecxi, Sickboy, oktane or UNN - any one of the community members who WE rely on every day. If we don't nuture these fellas through the early period, they can't grow into full community members.

*list not exhaustive, exclusion from this list does NOT mean I don't love you. :)

Yowza :)

Yep the shipped manual could definately use an extension/makeover, it currently allows you to move about and access the gross parts of ArmA2 but anything that makes this game stand out seems to be curiously missing. AND it's not that easy to find the info either, quite frankly it shouldn't be up to the new user to go online and find out how to play the game how it's meant to be played.

Pmar: one of the things that helps me (even now) is to just plop some units in the editor and mess about. Try making a group with you as the leader, then using the F-keys to select group members, then using the 1-0 keys to issue different commands and see the results. Rather confusingly, these 1-0 orders are quite different (and more useful) than the mouse-wheel command options. That one detail alone is probably more useful than any other single piece of information for you.

[cm. 10]

Be nice guys geez. Be grateful he's asking for help rather than just running around doing random shit in-game.

Anyway, the above guides pointed out are pretty good, except they are only really useful if you use the missioneditor alot.

[Touch Off 10]

It's great...It's the one game where people can't tell you to.........................

"RTFM!"

[gone3d 10]

Just stare at the control settings menu for like 20 minutes and you'll know what all the keys do.

[bluesteel 0]

Who said there was no manual for ArmA 2?

http://store.steampowered.com/manual/33900/

I have a similar version as PDF directly in my ArmA 2 folder. I bought the German download-version when it was first released, the manual-file came with the installation.

[chiefredcloud 10]

First off even though we refer to ArmA /ArmA 2 as a game....I believe it's billed as A Combat Simulator. And a rather good one at that as indicated in your interest in it. IT is very oipoen ended (by design I suspect) to allow SO many of the ArmA community to contribute towards it's success and longevity.

And as stated above it would most likely take 300+ pages to explain everything and how it works. And then with the artistic contributions of som many individuals each mod you play would indeed be diffferent.

I've searched and most likley used the wrong search peramiters for much info I've come by by tip or just dumb luck (i.e. trying everything). So continue to enjoy a great Simulator (game) and don't give up on it.

[pmar 10]

Appreciate you guys' thoughts, and responses.

Zipper, I have indeed seen Dyslecxi's guide: it contains more about general infantry tactics than "what button combinations do this?", or "how do you make your sniper shoot that guy I see over there?" (Hadn't seen the editing guide you referenced.)

And ChiefRedCloud, I DO regard this as a Sim...bought it as such. And I'm willing to put in the time. (Cut my simming teeth on Falcon4, a truly ground-breaking product, IMO.) What irritates is that the STARTING POINT for putting in that time need not be from absolute zero; shouldn't I at least expect to start with a comprehensive PDF file that explains the computer program?! Then, having access to how the darned thing is supposed to work, I can put in the time to develop reaction times, situational awareness, infantry tactics, and the other nuances that give the product its depth and richness, and which obviously bring you guys such satisfaction. I'd gladly put in 80-100 hours on the latter, if I didn't first have to put in 20-30 hours on the former.

Are you listening, Bohemia? Write and post a detailed PDF...you've got experts right here on this forum to hire, if you don't want to do it yourselves. If you do, you've got me for this and future products...if you don't, your products are off my list. Maybe I'm the only simmer out there with that attitude...but I doubt it.

[zoog 18]

some other recent topics about this:

http://forums.bistudio.com/showthread.php?t=92593

http://forums.bistudio.com/showthread.php?t=84790

And I do agree, they should overhaul their current game manual with a lot more information on how to play the game / commands explanations etc.

[Rakov 0]

Hell, pull a Lock-On and slap a nice cover on it and sell it for 20 bucks. (the 300 pages mentioned earlier)

[Placebo 28]

Thanks for your suggestion, your tone however was rather unnecessary.