Why is this game not more popular?

[Zipper5 74]

I too have only recently turned 17. I got OFP when it was released in 2001. That would have made me 8 years old. Granted I did not visit forums of any sort back then, but I absolutely loved the game. I first registered here in 2006, which would have been at the age of 13. I think I've only ever had my age used against me a maximum of 3 or so times, and most of the time it was an asshole resorting to age insults to win the argument. :p

However, most tell me I'm very mature for my age... :butbut:

[Guest]

Ineed you are mate :)

Although your avatar is hilarious, now I picture you as looking like Sion in my head LOL

[NoRailgunner 0]

Fact is - all ambitious games from BIS need more optimization and more love in mission making and testing.

Quality beats quantity.

[Bulldogs 10]

Ineed you are mate :)

Although your avatar is hilarious, now I picture you as looking like Sion in my head LOL

Is Sion pointing at Megan Fox?

I can hear it now "Yes, right after I sold my millionth copy of DR I banged that woman right there!

[galzohar 31]

most people quit before they even play the game. Simple as that...

I think that sums up the thread pretty nicely.

You can't expect people to like the game enough to put effort into downloading a gazillion of mods every time they want to play somewhere for 15 minutes just to try things out. People need to like the game first and only then they will be willing to put effort into improving their gaming experience. If they don't have some kind of fun right away what would motivate someone into actually trying to improve things? It's not lack of patience and it's not them not liking this type of game - it's simple common sense that drives people away from spending time and effort on stuff that they don't see any enjoyment in.

[zoog 18]

Those features are nice (and needed), but not the problem. People that can't get along without them are generally not intelligent enough or simply too lazy to play this game anyway.

Talking about an elitist attitude. What a nonsense :rolleyes:

[An Fiach 10]

I think alot of the attitude here is quite elitist. Why would any person not be "intelligent" enough for Arma 2? What makes us so special?

I have plenty of friends who people would consider as "low IQ", but although they may not be school nerds, I have had some of the most in depth and amazing conversations with them.

Most of these so called "idiots" who play call of duty don't actually know games like Arma 2 exist. Given the effort, many "idiot" players would actually be very good at Arma 2.

There is nothing that makes us more elite than anybody else, we just play a different type of game. One of the factors not helping Arma 2's new player list, is this elitist attitude.

I was playing operation flashpoint when I was 11!!! Nobody called me a retard kiddy who had no idea how to play games!

Reading comprehension Richie. I said to stupid OR too lazy and was specifically talking about individuals that need their hand held by other players to figure out how to play a game. It is one thing to have questions, it is another entirely to need an open chat dialog in the lobby so people can tell you what to do, especially given that there is IRC, TS, Vent, Mumble, Skype and so many other application with which you can get someone to personally instruct you. Seriously, documentation is poor, but not so poor that you cannot figure out the basic functions of the game on your own. Anyone that is an avid gamer knows this stuff.

[LugNut 10]

Originally Posted by tacticalnuggets

most people quit before they even play the game. Simple as that...

Exactly.

Originally Posted by anfiach

Those features are nice (and needed), but not the problem. People that can't get along without them are generally not intelligent enough or simply too lazy to play this game anyway.

Talking about an elitist attitude. What a nonsense

Yup. He's part of the problem, not of the solution.

[An Fiach 10]

Talking about an elitist attitude. What a nonsense :rolleyes:

Same to you.

---------- Post added at 10:55 AM ---------- Previous post was at 10:54 AM ----------

Exactly.

Yup. He's part of the problem, not of the solution.

Hmm, thanks. Such a well thought out rebuttal. You can't refute what I said though.

[USSRsniper 0]

This game will never become popular as COD4 or BF2 no matter how much money you spend on marketing. Most gamers want run and gun game, only way to get more players is to make ArmA 2 like COD4. Even if AI is fixed and ballistics improved number of players will not increase dramatically, realism doesn't appeal to everyone.

Edited February 18, 2010 by USSRsniper

[Whiskey_Tango 10]

Consoles are a big reason there isnt more as well. Console games are so limited and they have the market tricked into thinking that its the next best thing. The ones that know there is better gaming out there believe the pc community are elitist and believe that your constantly upgrading. Then others believe that kb/m is inferior to a gamepad in terms of movement not aiming. Until consoles get strong enough to rival a pc in terms of power and feature (never gonna happen) the games in general will decline and the player base will be what it is.

[Imperator[TFD] 444]

Sigh, I was at a LAN a few months ago where people were complaining during a few games of CoD4 that the maps were too big.

Now think about that, even the biggest map in CoD4 would be like the size of the factory East of Polana in Chernarus.

Don't get me wrong I loved CoD4 and played it to death and enjoyed myself doing it, but once Arma 2 came out I've not touched any other FPS since then. Just seems a bit sad that people can't see the bucket loads of enjoyment one can get out of Arma 2 if they're just willing to put in the time and patience to learn how to play and to be able to bear with the problems the game does have.

Let's face it, every game out there has problems, it's just that Arma 2's tend not to be so subtle about it.

[cri74 10]

Cod4 is something you play and forget about after a while, Arma2 is somthing you install first of everything after a clean install of your system. And you display the the DvD cover first and upmost in your selection of games....if you ever got a DvD cover that is :)

[tacticalnuggets 24]

Sigh, I was at a LAN a few months ago where people were complaining during a few games of CoD4 that the maps were too big.

Now think about that, even the biggest map in CoD4 would be like the size of the factory East of Polana in Chernarus.

Don't get me wrong I loved CoD4 and played it to death and enjoyed myself doing it, but once Arma 2 came out I've not touched any other FPS since then. Just seems a bit sad that people can't see the bucket loads of enjoyment one can get out of Arma 2 if they're just willing to put in the time and patience to learn how to play and to be able to bear with the problems the game does have.

Let's face it, every game out there has problems, it's just that Arma 2's tend not to be so subtle about it.

If your suggesting that the reason people dislike arma 2 is because the maps are too big, your wrong.

Here is my example:

Neighborhood kids like to come to my house because my younger brother has an xbox360. I am 19, and I dislike consoles. So I play more mature pc games. One of the kids was interested in what I was playing. His eyes were obviously captivated by the size. This kid was 13 years old, and as mature as a fresh glass of milk (not very mature). He wanted to play it, so I found a server, enabled some mods, and joined it. I let him get on, showed him the basic controls, told him it was very realistic so he might die a lot.

He fell in love with the game and couldn't stop playing it... All he does now is pester me to play the game when he comes over to my house.

But there is one problem, he does not know how to get on and set up the game. But he loves it if I set it up.

See why I am yelling this at the world??? If a loud 13 year old kid can like this game, anyone can if they give it a chance. But the multiplayer section system is so crappy that people end up giving up on the game before they even play it to its fullest. I even got him to use teamwork, and that made him love it even more. So people are psychologicaly blocked on commercial nonsense that only OCD autistics can like this game. And if its any help to those that may get offended, I have aspergers so I know what i'm talking about when I say autistic. Our passions are our lives.

[Imperator[TFD] 444]

If your suggesting that the reason people dislike arma 2 is because the maps are too big, your wrong.

It's not the size that's the problem. Rather that most of the game modes out there that are played (Warfare/Evo/Dom - which are considered run/gun by most of the hardcore arma 2 community too heh) still require a fair bit of time before you're into the action.

Even a very basic TvT match might see bases setup a kilometer away from each other and that it requires time before you're engaged in combat with other players.

My point is that in Arma 2 it might be 5-10 minutes before you even need to fire your weapon and even then it might be at a target that's over 300m away from you. Contrasting to CoD4 where 5-10 minutes sees a full round having been completed where you're firing your weapon at targets within 50m in less than 30 seconds.

Careful, slow, tactical shooters are going the way of the past. Look at Ghost Recon and Rainbow Six, both have been 'revamped' for mainstream play where tactics go out the window to be replaced by refelexes and map memorisation.

[Guest]

One man's heaven is another man's hell.

Learn to play the game the way you like it, there is room for everyone to have their own style without BI having to re develop the whole game.

[bangtail 0]

One man's heaven is another man's hell.

Learn to play the game the way you like it, there is room for everyone to have their own style without BI having to re develop the whole game.

/QFT

/10 Chars

[tacticalnuggets 24]

One man's heaven is another man's hell.

Learn to play the game the way you like it, there is room for everyone to have their own style without BI having to re develop the whole game.

That is absolutely NOT TRUE. My playing style is playing with lots of people. I cant do that unless I join a clan or tournament with strict rules and limited playing styles. So whats your solution to this problem? You seem so confident that BI have developed a game that contains room for everyone to have their own style, yet a 13 year old kid cannot access it without my help, and I cannot play it on multiplayer (my favorite mode) because there is barely anybody on.

---------- Post added at 09:39 PM ---------- Previous post was at 09:36 PM ----------

It's not the size that's the problem. Rather that most of the game modes out there that are played (Warfare/Evo/Dom - which are considered run/gun by most of the hardcore arma 2 community too heh) still require a fair bit of time before you're into the action.

Even a very basic TvT match might see bases setup a kilometer away from each other and that it requires time before you're engaged in combat with other players.

My point is that in Arma 2 it might be 5-10 minutes before you even need to fire your weapon and even then it might be at a target that's over 300m away from you. Contrasting to CoD4 where 5-10 minutes sees a full round having been completed where you're firing your weapon at targets within 50m in less than 30 seconds.

Careful, slow, tactical shooters are going the way of the past. Look at Ghost Recon and Rainbow Six, both have been 'revamped' for mainstream play where tactics go out the window to be replaced by refelexes and map memorisation.

Why dont you try arguing with my entire post and not my beginning statement... And also, are you sure you want stick with your claim, that the game is only capable of massive distance fighting?

[Guest]

That is absolutely NOT TRUE. My playing style is playing with lots of people. I cant do that unless I join a clan or tournament with strict rules and limited playing styles. So whats your solution to this problem? You seem so confident that BI have developed a game that contains room for everyone to have their own style, yet a 13 year old kid cannot access it without my help, and I cannot play it on multiplayer (my favorite mode) because there is barely anybody on.

Hmm, that's funny. From what I remember, Arma 2 is rated as 16+, so this 13 year old kid should not be able to play the game anyway.

And just to add to that, why on earth would any game be taylored to a 13 year old??? I have nothing against kids, it's not like I was born grown up, but you can't expect a young child to understand one of the most advanced combat sims on the planet.

In fact, your whole point completely baffles me.

I can go online at ANY time, and find at least 3 to 4 full servers, and a list of about 50+ servers with 2 or more players. Joining a squad is nothing like you say, they don't have ridiculous and strict rules, they simply have organization, something required in a realistic and tactical sim.

As I said, one mans heaven is another mans hell. In your case, everything about Arma 2 is hell for you. Nothing I can do about that. Just because YOU have issues, (that nobody else does), does not mean BI is doing anything wrong.

Of course, there is always room for improvement, they could do this and that to make the servers nice to access. As far as I am concerned, I open the multiplayer list, sort by players, and click "join".

Really not hard!

[An Fiach 10]

But there is one problem, he does not know how to get on and set up the game. But he loves it if I set it up.

Want to clarify what you mean by 'set it up'?

---------- Post added at 02:00 AM ---------- Previous post was at 01:55 AM ----------

He has a ridiculous argument, but there is nothing wrong with the improvements he is proposing. It doesn't affect game play one iota.

[tacticalnuggets 24]

Hmm, that's funny. From what I remember, Arma 2 is rated as 16+, so this 13 year old kid should not be able to play the game anyway.

And just to add to that, why on earth would any game be taylored to a 13 year old??? I have nothing against kids, it's not like I was born grown up, but you can't expect a young child to understand one of the most advanced combat sims on the planet.

In fact, your whole point completely baffles me.

I can go online at ANY time, and find at least 3 to 4 full servers, and a list of about 50+ servers with 2 or more players. Joining a squad is nothing like you say, they don't have ridiculous and strict rules, they simply have organization, something required in a realistic and tactical sim.

As I said, one mans heaven is another mans hell. In your case, everything about Arma 2 is hell for you. Nothing I can do about that. Just because YOU have issues, (that nobody else does), does not mean BI is doing anything wrong.

Of course, there is always room for improvement, they could do this and that to make the servers nice to access. As far as I am concerned, I open the multiplayer list, sort by players, and click "join".

Really not hard!

Dont assume that I live where you live. And if you read my post correctly, he does know how to play it, just not able to set up the mods and get on.

2 people is not enough by most peoples standards. That is a joke level of people. You simply cannot enjoy multiplayer tell the server has at least 5 people. I'm not going to sit on an arma 2 server for an hour waiting for people. Sometimes its been longer than that. One time I sat on for more than 3, so its insane just to start anything.

BIS did do something wrong, they did not make the game accessible enough for the average person to enjoy, and the majority of hardcore players have infact suffered because of that. Most people just put up with it now because they have found clans and tournaments. That is not fair for people who do not have the time to dedicate themselves to those things. It needs to be upgraded if they want future success, or else the profits will not be enough and their company will probably go bankrupt.

And since when has the count been 50 servers with 2 people? Its generaly about 20 lol, which then most of those are 200+ ping.

[Guest]

You assume too much.

I always have great ping, unless I try and join some random Australian or Russian server. Even in American servers, (I am UK based), I get less than 70 ping. Which in Arma 2, is fine.

Then you have the fact that there will be about 7-8 servers with 15+ players, the top few will have 30+ players. Below that, the numbers will slowly decrease from about 15 down to about 5, below that is fairly low. Although I quite enjoy playing with a small number of players.

And then there is the fact most of the hardcore community do not touch public servers. Arma 2 IS a squad based game. If you want instant accesible action, with no commitment required, go and play Call of duty or bad company. They are designed for quick and easy access, and do a very good job of it. Arma 2 is designed to cater very different needs.

BIS have not done anything wrong. Just because you do not like it, does not mean they screwed anything up. Even since operation flashpoint, the game has always had a steep learning curve. Most people get on with the game just fine. BI are not about to re design everything they have because one guy, who showed up 9 years late, decided he doesn't like it.

And lol. Just lol:

It needs to be upgraded if they want future success, or else the profits will not be enough and their company will probably go bankrupt.

Since when were you the head of BI's financial department? That is probably the worst sentence I have ever read on these forums. No offence.

Regards,

Richie.

Edited February 19, 2010 by Guest

[Bulldogs 10]

Personally I think IW made a mistake in that they didn't make MW2 open ended warfare. It's my personal preference so why didn't they do it for me?

I think that's all Richie is trying to say. You can complain that BIS made the game without the masses in mind, but that's the way they wanted it. If they wanted to make a different genre then they would have.

I agree that there needs to be tweaks done though, and some extra features, like a multiplayer search engine that accounts for required mods on the servers.

[Guest]

Personally I think IW made a mistake in that they didn't make MW2 open ended warfare. It's my personal preference so why didn't they do it for me?

I think that's all Richie is trying to say. You can complain that BIS made the game without the masses in mind, but that's the way they wanted it. If they wanted to make a different genre then they would have.

I agree that there needs to be tweaks done though, and some extra features, like a multiplayer search engine that accounts for required mods on the servers.

Yes, exactly this! New features and improvements would be great!

But saying the whole system is wrong because it's not accessible to a 13 year old...

wtf?

[TimRiceSE 10]

Dont assume that I live where you live. And if you read my post correctly, he does know how to play it, just not able to set up the mods and get on.

2 people is not enough by most peoples standards. That is a joke level of people. You simply cannot enjoy multiplayer tell the server has at least 5 people. I'm not going to sit on an arma 2 server for an hour waiting for people. Sometimes its been longer than that. One time I sat on for more than 3, so its insane just to start anything.

BIS did do something wrong, they did not make the game accessible enough for the average person to enjoy, and the majority of hardcore players have infact suffered because of that. Most people just put up with it now because they have found clans and tournaments. That is not fair for people who do not have the time to dedicate themselves to those things. It needs to be upgraded if they want future success, or else the profits will not be enough and their company will probably go bankrupt.

And since when has the count been 50 servers with 2 people? Its generaly about 20 lol, which then most of those are 200+ ping.

Im just wondering, are you using ACE mod? The majority of servers seem to run it now and you might be missing out. I never have a problem finding a pub with 15+ people on it..