Why is this game not more popular?

[Phleep 0]

That was my excuse. Here in NZ no game shop had it on display all those years ago.

I only found it by chance, in saying that I only stated playing 5-6 months ago, and kind of got sick of little issues, yet I learned to love it.

Perhaps marketing the heck out of ArmA 3 would make a difference. I've said in another threat my mates like BF because of the no thinking nedded, and the medals/rewards unlocks features.

There weren't any huge displays but it was definitely in the shops.

EB had a whole lot when Arma2 came out.

I bought Operation Flashpoint in Noel Leemings of all places back in 2k1.

I think the issue with the BIS games is they quite often have a few significant flaws on release. If they were to promote them aggressively it would only lead to a quicker plunge into the abyss of bad reps.

[dga 12]

You're still using shortcuts??

http://www.six-updater.net/p/about.html

But there are many more launchers, and few other server browsers.

I like six, but dont like launchers. I still have to "start" the game for a specific server. That is, what my rant was about :D

[sickboy 13]

I like six, but dont like launchers. I still have to "start" the game for a specific server. That is, what my rant was about :D

Glad you like it :) Now also start using it to join servers and "start" the game, you can even create presets for it, and you suddenly have a much brighter day :D

[dga 12]

Well..ok, I will give the "launcher"-thing a shot :D

[Deathstroke 10]

I find this to be a somewhat redundant question as it has been asked before and also doesnt need a large explanation.

One can sumup a decent answer with 1 line saying that other games are actual games and that this "game" is actually a public variant of an army used simulation program to partly pay the bill of the companies projects.

But you can also throw in as many variables as you want by simply comparing a cod or bf games with arma2.

As Ill show below what arma 2 lacks to become as populair as another shooter pvp wise:

• Consistancy in game experience
  
• Instant gratification
  
• Playable on system with high and low system requirements
  
• Joining a game quick
  
• Auto teaming based on skills of players
  
• Joining your friends
  
• Ballance between weapons
  
• Ballance between sides
  
• Ballance between vehicles
  
• Up close and personal kills
  
• Deathcam
  
• Quick to use interface
  
• Tournaments
  
• Enviroment pushing players to use clans if they pursue more enriching experience.
  

Basicly this list can go on for ages. The thing is that most populair shooters/rts/mmorpgs bring in the addiction factor, by giving the player a consistent good experience. By adding a little rpg factor next to it they add a bit of extra addiction and voilla you got a populair game.

In arma this experience is dependent on a lot of different variables. Sometimes the people suck, sometimes the server sucks, sometimes ballance sucks, sometimes the mission sucks, sometimes the mission parameters suck etc and the gameplay itself is build up feeling of action instead of consistant and instant gratification and therefor highlights these annoyments even more.

My point is if I start a game now on bad company 2 i know what i can expect, so when i feel like playing bc2 I will simply get what i want. I can also quickly find top clans and join tournaments which get recorded, shown and sponsored by developer. I can do this in even less popular games or in rts games like company of heroes, starcraft etc

When I want to play arma2 there is lot of choice. Every server seems to have its own map, with own parameters and own players and general attitude. And I can spend hours finding something good and find out its already time to enter my bed and next day find the server empty or next week hating an extra feature added by some programmer. I can join a clan to enrich gameplay but finding 2 clans liking and playing the same map with same parameters hasnt been possible since arma 1.

edit:

Despite this, I feel that arma 2 would make a pretty good coop game, but the problem with coop is that the challenge against ai will eventually dissapear. While a good pvp experience can keep me attached for years. And I am not the only one, if I look on my ts i still see 30 people playing operation flashpoint crcti every day compared to the 6 people playing warfare on arma2 and 12 teamspeaks adresses of dead coop clans :D

Edited October 31, 2011 by Deathstroke

[76 0]

edit:

Despite this, I feel that arma 2 would make a pretty good coop game, but the problem with coop is that the challenge against ai will eventually dissapear. While a good pvp experience can keep me attached for years. And I am not the only one, if I look on my ts i still see 30 people playing operation flashpoint crcti every day compared to the 6 people playing warfare on arma2 and 12 teamspeaks adresses of dead coop clans :D

And this is why BI have to do alot more to provide for PvP, coop is great but

for the reason stated above and a few others this hardline AI (nearly)

exclusive stance will eventually start to hurt BI...

ArmA 3 will be a big hit but how long will new comers hang around when it all

boils down to 100 players online spread over 600 servers of 'civ life/domo

and warfare' of which 'civ life' is the closest to PvP.

Making the ArmAverse friendly to PvP does not have to impede on Coop...

ANYway... I've had to move onto other software (Red Orchestra 2) for my

realistic PvP fix

[ajax420 0]

@76

1.60 is out out now... I expect to be shooting you again soon on the -C5- Cerberus 5 PvP server.

I have never felt the heart pounding intensity in a coop mission that I feel so often playing against real persons stocking each other.

As far as CQB... everyone says it's no good in Arma but all you have to do is take into account for your players body, like in real life and you can move through doorways without issues. CQB in this game is freaking awesome. Yes I know that other FPS games are essentially a camera floating with a gun in front of you so the your character can effortlessly move through doors not having any shoulders (or any body at all) to hang him up. Just get some practice moving though doorways, keep in mind you have a body attached to your character. In other FPS games you can stand in a doorway and spin 360 degrees, can you do that in real life? You can't do it in Arma either so step back from the door and move up leaning left and right to clear corners then move through door enough to have barrel free to move 180 degrees left and right for final clear... then haul ass to next room or cover.

All the coop players that shoot AI all day probably have never tried it. Those that have tried CQB are all probably basing their CQB experience in Arma based on how all other FPS characters move in tight spaces (hands, gun and a camera, for a character).

CQB in Arma in not like other FPS games and is more awesome after you've learned how to control your character.

There is no excuse for not having CQB in Arma. If you understand that in arma your character actually has a body to maneuver around and your weapon actually takes up space in front of you and you still think CQB is not possible or practical in arma then you are either lazy or stupid. Learn how to control your character model.

[xeno 230]

CQB in this game is freaking awesome.

Well, CQB is one of the things that is NOT awesome in this game. The animation system in A2/OA is simply not made for it.

@76, RO2 is everything, but not realistic. It's a fast paced shooter with many design errors, not more currently

(that doesn't mean that I don't like it, I've clocked 223 hours already (plus beta)).

Xeno

[ajax420 0]

@Xeno

Seriously, I know that Arma is not like all other FPS that have essentially a floating camera for a body making it oh soooo easy to turn corners in small interior spaces. If you take the time to learn your characters position in the space it occupies then CQB is a very cool aspect of the game. Also using the ShackTac movement mod helps for those less experienced moving there soldier through doorways and such and getting there gun barrel hung up on things.

Trust me I've played allot of CQB in this game and it is Intense! Heart Pounding Out Of Chest, Jumping Outta Chair, Fun!

[cotabucky 10]

Glad you like it :) Now also start using it to join servers and "start" the game, you can even create presets for it, and you suddenly have a much brighter day :D

I just can't believe more people don't know this.Someone needs to promote this more besides the few of us :) .I LOVE your software and its a Godsend

for me making missions and using/or not using mods.

That and it helped me start using betas.Thankyou :D

BTW-2 things need to happen for ARMA's future for community and profits to increase.

1-ARMA2 OA FREE needs to be listed under steams free list and

2-everybody needs to know how simple and awesome Sixupdater is for using Mods ,etc with ARMA2.

This realy needs to happen now the 1.60 update is so awesome and there can be a build up of happy customers for ARMA3.Just makes sense IMO

Edited December 25, 2011 by cotabucky

[rye1 21]

Well there are lots of small errors, and some major ones, that make CQB incredibly frustrating and not fluid. ST mods make it so much better, you are right, I hope BIS will learn off this.

[Dwarden 1124]

1-ARMA2 OA FREE needs to be listed under steams free list and

not gunna happen, unless You can overtalk Valve

[76 0]

Well, CQB is one of the things that is NOT awesome in this game. The animation system in A2/OA is simply not made for it.

@76, RO2 is everything, but not realistic. It's a fast paced shooter with many design errors, not more currently

(that doesn't mean that I don't like it, I've clocked 223 hours already (plus beta)).

Xeno

Nothing virtual will ever be real.... and mate it has to be relative... RO2 is

extremely realistic in relation to all other PvP FPS's.... ArmA is nowhere near

realistic when compared to rl... but relative to all other gaming/sim software

it is.... sooo meh :)

CQB in ArmA CAN be awesome, and I think its like AJAX said... people expect

their character to whip around through doors arches, to be able to bob up

and down behind cover (do that 20 time in rl and see how the lactic acid

builds up) ArmA2 animations are more 'realistic' than ANY other shooter...

geez all these elites complaining about 'realism' in character movement

because it doesn't allow them to play A2 PvP like BF/CoD????

@76

1.60 is out out now... I expect to be shooting you again soon on the -C5- Cerberus 5 PvP server.

Still waitin fa CB to update ;)

edit:

not gunna happen, unless You can overtalk Valve

of all the posts to reply to...

Edited December 25, 2011 by 76

[rye1 21]

76, AJAX--Is that playing as a team or individuals?

[76 0]

76, AJAX--Is that playing as a team or individuals?

Its usually as teamed individuals to start but when numbers get to 15-20 it

gets more team based with good communication... the philosophy behind C5

is play as you like as long as it doesn't involve griefing anyone.

The most common setup is two teams (obviously) sometimes 3 teams, the

mission starts and everyone rushes off... as that tactic fails for most

everyone resorts to a form of command with limited structure... but it truly

works well... it gives a player freedom to practice any style of play while

providing command and structure to those that want to join in on that.

It sounds rough and messy but in there is a tiny but great PvP community

that has a solid core principle... well admined server which is pretty much

'play as you please, just don't grief' and it works.

No 'Chain of Obedience' here

[rye1 21]

Well try enter rooms as 4man teams, you'll see plenty of small errors. For instance when you stack you can't get as close as you'd like--arse to arse tends to be arse to 0.5m gap to arse, when the point man begins to move and you click W too you'll be slower--creating a gap. You have to literally walk up against him, angling into the wall to not pop out before he moves. All the small things, we've came across them. Collisions can be an even worse frustrator. Just a few examples... of course, as individuals or 2 man teams it is a lot easier because you don't have to worry about that stuff. So we can at least agree that it needs work?

[maturin 12]

@Xeno

Seriously, I know that Arma is not like all other FPS that have essentially a floating camera for a body making it oh soooo easy to turn corners in small interior spaces. If you take the time to learn your characters position in the space it occupies then CQB is a very cool aspect of the game. Also using the ShackTac movement mod helps for those less experienced moving there soldier through doorways and such and getting there gun barrel hung up on things.

Trust me I've played allot of CQB in this game and it is Intense! Heart Pounding Out Of Chest, Jumping Outta Chair, Fun!

I know that CQB in this game can be fun. I love it, personally. I have learned to master the controls.

But let's get real. The controls for CQB suck. And not just because of realism and full body simulation. This is a simple fact. The animation system, the collision system and many of the interior spaces are far too rigid in their implementation. Just because you and me do okay doesn't mean CQB doesn't need an overhaul. I don't want to sacrifice my five walking speeds and toggled leaning and independent torso any more than you do. But there's no good reason our characters don't lower their guns automatically when they bump into a doorframe. What is a smooth, instinctive movement for a real person is sudden, fatal paralysis for an ArmA avatar.

[rye1 21]

Exactly maturin. That feature would make the world of differences. A few other bugs: You kill them, their body is still an object that stops you progressing. It can block positions and doorways. You shoot them, they shoot then die! That could be server lag, mp lag, or whatever but some mods fix this (70% of the time) like faster dying animations.

[76 0]

Just because you and me do okay doesn't mean CQB doesn't need an overhaul.

Very true, I've been posting 'PvP needs more focus from BI' comments for

years now... dev's ain't listening :shrugs:

But there's no good reason our characters don't

lower their guns automatically when they bump into a doorframe. What is a

smooth, instinctive movement for a real person is sudden, fatal paralysis for

an ArmA avatar.

Although I do fine in CQB (only from much practice and understanding my

characters limitations) there is plenty of little fixes like the one you stated

above that would help dramatically.

There are plenty of amazing, dedicated PvP scripters/mission designers etc...

I'm sure ArmA PvP has lost a bit of expertise over the last few years...

Hope BI see the value and provide for their PvP fans...

So I pretty much agree with you :)

[igneous01 19]

ill be honest here and say that the only good realism focused fps that was pvp was True Combat: Elite mod for the Wolfenstein engine. And that was primarily a cqb oriented game.

So I see a long road still before pvp taking off successfully in a mil-sim. I dont recall anyone bringing up how great ghost recon 1&2&3 mp was, or rainbow six mp.

[rye1 21]

I think the best chance for a good PvP is in a CQB environment. At least for me, I prefer it more than any greenery.

[cotabucky 10]

not gunna happen, unless You can overtalk Valve

Well do we need to speak louder?!

Seriously now that the update is out and the game is that much more ready for the masses.It needs to be listed in STEAM FREE.

It only makes sense! You must know this more than us lol :) .

If I am going to put my full support to one game company it would whole heartedly be for you guys at Bohemia.

I looked real quick at steam for comments and stuff cause I was going to recommend ARMA2 free to be listed.

Does anybody want to try and push this? I would love to be a part of this if anybody does. Lets do it!

[Tonci87 163]

Well do we need to speak louder?!

Seriously now that the update is out and the game is that much more ready for the masses.It needs to be listed in STEAM FREE.

It only makes sense! You must know this more than us lol :) .

If I am going to put my full support to one game company it would whole heartedly be for you guys at Bohemia.

I looked real quick at steam for comments and stuff cause I was going to recommend ARMA2 free to be listed.

Does anybody want to try and push this? I would love to be a part of this if anybody does. Lets do it!

Hell why not, who shall I adress?

[76 0]

Jumped on a aus warfare server after being away from A2 for awhile, made a

suggestion about holding an area.... and I got beat down hard... when I said

I've played warfare heavily since AA and I'm not a newbie and not trying to tell

veterans what to do... I got abused... and half of the people know I've been

around for a bit...

So 1.60 or not.... the attitude from ArmA players is a fucking disgrace and until

that changes (and it will not) ArmA will struggle to attract new players.

ANYway I jumped back on a RO2 server.... much friendlier, a very stark

difference between the two groups of people.

[cotabucky 10]

Hell why not, who shall I adress?

http://forums.bistudio.com/showthread.php?t=129272

---------- Post added at 07:38 AM ---------- Previous post was at 07:37 AM ----------

Jumped on a aus warfare server after being away from A2 for awhile, made a

suggestion about holding an area.... and I got beat down hard... when I said

I've played warfare heavily since AA and I'm not a newbie and not trying to tell

veterans what to do... I got abused... and half of the people know I've been

around for a bit...

So 1.60 or not.... the attitude from ArmA players is a fucking disgrace and until

that changes (and it will not) ArmA will struggle to attract new players.

ANYway I jumped back on a RO2 server.... much friendlier, a very stark

difference between the two groups of people.

You ran into some losers is all I can say.