User Add-On Guide for more Realism and Immersion (ACE2-based)

[the.d 0]

Table of contents ...

1. Introduction
   
   1.1
   Dear BIS Community, ...
   
   
   1.2
   Purpose and aims of this Add-On Guide

   
   

2. Core Modifications and Game Functionality Enhancements
   
   2.1
   Adjusting the Difficulty Settings
   
   
   2.2
   Advanced Combat Environment (A.C.E.) 2
   ... (@CBA, @ACE, @ACEX)
   
   
   2.3
   Group Link 4
   ... (@GL4)
   
   
   2.4
   Zeus Combat AI for ACE2
   ... (@zcommon_ace)
   
   
   2.5
   SLX
   ... (@SLX)
   
   
   2.6
   Mando Missiles
   ... (@MMA, @MMA_XEH)
   
   
   2.7
   Miscellaneous Add-Ons
   ... (@Misc)
   
   
   2.7.1 PROPER projects
   
   
   2.7.2 JTD Fire & Smoke
   
   
   2.7.3 LandTex
   
   
   2.7.4 WarFX Particles
   
   
   2.7.5 Night Lighting Effects
   
   
   2.7.6 VFTCAS - Terrain Collision Avoidance System
   
   
   2.7.7 BD MultiGunFix
   
   
   2.7.8 STHUD - ShackTac Fireteam HUD
   
   
   2.7.9 Sound Effects Replacements

   
   

3. New Content Add-Ons
   
   3.1
   Islands
   
   
   3.1.1 FDF Podagorsk
   
   
   3.1.2 Isla Duala
   
   
   3.1.3 Namalsk Island
   
   
   3.1.4 Quesh-Kibrul
   
   
   3.1.5 Thirsk Island

   
   

   3.2
   Units & Gear
   
   
   [under construction]

   
   

1) Introduction

1.1 Dear BIS Community,

within a little less than nine months, ArmA2 completely overcame the flaws of its troubled birth and evolved into a breathtakingly promising game/simulator full of potential and never before seen extensiveness. This is all thanks to you, dear community members, and the wholehearted support of the game’s developer, Bohemia Interactive Studios. I would even go so far as to say that ArmA2 is not only a worthy successor of the glorious Operation Flashpoint, but may have indeed surpassed its old predecessor, both visually and in terms of game mechanics, features & immersion.

Personally, my initial skepticism towards the game (due to the seemingly rushed release) turned into pure appreciation for the hard and remarkably talented work of both, developers and fans who added innumerable content enhancements, features & fresh ideas.

Features most of which originated from the minds and skills of dedicated community members and which have been taken up by BIS and implemented into ArmA2 (the

SLX mod

being a prime example), or completely new, ingenious game enhancements, such as

TS3 implementation

. The Advanced Combat Environment, ACE 2 mod, a vast, modular, auto-updating compilation of additional game content and features, in particular, excels at this, and actually takes ArmA2 to the next level.

Thousands and thousands of hours have been invested by fans to open up the game to its own engine’s huge potential. By the way, for anyone

new

to the game and for all those who appreciate a solid, very well-written base of instructions, hints, tips and tactical planning guidelines it is

strongly

recommended to have a look at the very elaborate

Tactics, Techniques & Procedures Guide

created by the very committed tactical gamer Dslyecxi and his team,

ShackTactical

!

1.2 Purpose and aims of this Add-On Guide

The goal of this thread would be to combine as many of the exceptional efforts of this community to a new and revised “Add-on Compilation†and create a customized, highly challenging, realistic and immersive gaming experience. Before we begin, there are three things worth mentioning (and hopefully worth reading, too!):

a) As indicated by the thread’s title, the latest

ACE2

– along with the

latest patch

/

beta version

of ArmA2 itself - will function as the base of functionality and game features. This, of course, effectively means we will try to avoid redundancies by making use of the modular design of many of the fan add-ons. In short, if ACE2 has it, we don’t need another add-on to add that very same feature.

b) Many of the following settings and add-on file set-ups have been chosen as a result of countless hours of

empirical testing

and adjusted to evade any compatibility issues. It must also be noted that some of the following configuration adjustments (such as difficulty settings, config entries for mods such as GL4, or audio-visual enhancements) are completely subjective. While I will certainly not be able to explain the chosen set-up in due detail, I will try my best to identify and remark these particular items accordingly.

You can choose to follow the guide step-by-step, of course, but it is best if you invest some time into

choosing your own settings/preferences and share your results & experiences

!

c) I assume that most of you are familiar with

Startup Parameters

and

Mod Folders

. If not, please do check out the pertaining links and familiarize yourselves with these basic add-on loading procedures.

For the add-ons used in this guide, the proper loading order for the ArmA2 shortcut looks as follows

:

(ArmA2.exe)

"…\ArmA II\arma2.exe" -nosplash -mod=

@CBA

;

@ACE

;

@ACEX

;

@GL4

;

@zcommon_ace

;

@SLX

;

@MMA

;

@MMA_XEH

;

@Misc

;

(@Audio-visual Content)

;

(@Additional Content, like models, islands, etc.)

(ArmA2.exe, beta version)

"…\ArmA II\beta\arma2.exe" -nosplash -mod=beta;

@CBA

;

@ACE

;

@ACEX

;

@GL4

;

@zcommon_ace

;

@SLX

;

@MMA

;

@MMA_XEH

;

@Misc

;

(@Audio-visual Content)

;

(@Additional Content, like models, islands, etc.)

This guide was written to work with beta version 71726 - however, issues with ACE2 and the very latest beta patches currently exist!

Right, enough said! Here we go:

2) Core Modifications and Game Functionality Enhancement Add-Ons

2.1

Adjusting the Difficulty Settings

Before we start adding any actual add-ons we should take a quick look at the user profile config file, usually found in “

…\Documents\ArmA 2\yourprofilename.ArmA2Profile

â€

(unless, of course, you chose to use the

–profiles start-up parameter

)

.

Right at the beginning of the file, there are

“class difficultyâ€

entries for all the difficulty settings used in the game. Adjusting the difficulty settings is a very subjective and personal option. For average, casual players we found the following settings to be more than acceptable while still maintaining the highest amount of realism the game can convey. Feel free to copy & replace the below entries to your .ArmA2Profile, after making a backup of the original file or just make adjustments according to your own personal skill and preferences:

class Difficulties

{

class recruit

{

class Flags

{

Armor=1;

FriendlyTag=1;

EnemyTag=0;

HUD=1;

HUDPerm=1;

HUDWp=1;

HUDWpPerm=1;

HUDGroupInfo=1;

AutoSpot=0;

Map=1;

WeaponCursor=1;

AutoGuideAT=0;

ClockIndicator=1;

3rdPersonView=1;

Tracers=1;

UltraAI=0;

AutoAim=0;

UnlimitedSaves=1;

DeathMessages=1;

NetStats=1;

VonID=1;

};

skillFriendly=1;

skillEnemy=0.25;

precisionFriendly=1;

precisionEnemy=0.25000001;

};

class regular

{

class Flags

{

Armor=1;

FriendlyTag=1;

EnemyTag=0;

HUD=1;

HUDPerm=1;

HUDWp=1;

HUDWpPerm=1;

HUDGroupInfo=1;

AutoSpot=0;

Map=1;

WeaponCursor=1;

AutoGuideAT=0;

ClockIndicator=1;

3rdPersonView=1;

Tracers=1;

UltraAI=0;

AutoAim=0;

UnlimitedSaves=1;

DeathMessages=1;

NetStats=1;

VonID=1;

};

skillFriendly=1;

skillEnemy=0.30000001;

precisionFriendly=1;

precisionEnemy=0.33;

};

class veteran

{

class Flags

{

HUD=0;

HUDGroupInfo=0;

WeaponCursor=0;

3rdPersonView=1;

UltraAI=0;

DeathMessages=1;

NetStats=1;

VonID=1;

};

skillFriendly=1;

skillEnemy=0.5;

precisionFriendly=1;

precisionEnemy=0.50000001;

};

class mercenary

{

class Flags

{

UltraAI=0;

DeathMessages=0;

NetStats=0;

VonID=1;

};

skillFriendly=1;

skillEnemy=0.55000001;

precisionFriendly=1;

precisionEnemy=0.66;

};

};

Believe me when I say with the add-ons we are going to use, this will make for quite a challenging coop experience for

casual gamers

and smaller squads alike - without turning the AI into magical war androids.

2.2

Advanced Combat Environment (A.C.E.) 2

(@CBA, @ACE, @ACEX &

UserConfig\ACE

)

As mentioned before,

ACE2, our “main modification“

, will be the core add-on base for our set-up. We will be using the ACE2 core files @ACE and its additional content @ACEX. Also a key prerequisite for the initialization of ACE2’s features, as well as many of the add-ons to come is the @CBA folder. It’s hard to tell how many hours

these guys

put into the development of ACE2, but we can’t thank them enough! Amazing job!

All of these files will be automatically maintained by the

SIX Updater

. A very good and quick guide on how to set it up can be viewed

here

. Please read it carefully and reder to the

official ACE2 thread

(1st post)

for detailed information and help. I would also recommend personalizing your update / download options.

After downloading ACE2 through the SIX Updater, you should have at least four new folders (if you did not personalize your update options there will, of course, be additional folders, but we shall disregard them for now):

ACE2 folders & files

:

…\@CBA\AddOns

(all included files mandatory!)

- Community Base Add-Ons, to maintain compatibility between all fan-made add-on modules.

…\@ACE\AddOns

(all included files mandatory!)

- ACE2 Core Files, adds all the features and gameplay enhancements.

…\@ACEX\AddOns

(all included files highly recommended)

- ACE2 content files, such as new soldiers, weapons and vehicles.

…\UserConfig\ACE

(user configuration files, mandatory!)

- Here ACE2 let’s you customize the mod concerning graphical features and additional key bindings. Open any of the .hpp files with a text editor and personalize your "

ace_clientside_config.hpp

". The configs are really self-explanatory.

You can keep these folders and their file contents up to date by running the SIX updater from time to time. Again, refer to the official ACE2 thread for guidance, if you are not acquainted with it.

We have now established our main add-on base and you will find ACE2 will greatly enhance the player’s features. In the next two chapters we are going to add and configure additional community-made add-ons concerning AI enhancements and immersion.

2.3

Group Link 4

(@GL4 &

UserConfig\GL4

)

The

Group Link 4 Special Edition

created and maintained by SNKMAN is a great and powerful script collection that includes vastly boosted AI reaction & more realistic behaviour and additional graphical & sound effects. Download the add-on and extract it. The more difficult task now would be to adjust the included UserConfig files. I recommend you try

my GL4 UserConfig templates

, which are designed to work optimally with all the other add-ons discussed in this thread.

GL4 folders & files

:

…\@GL4\AddOns

(all included files mandatory!)

- The main GL4 folder containing the GL4 add-ons.

…\UserConfig\GL4

(user configuration files, mandatory!)

- customize GL4 which modules and scripts to run and in what manner. If you are unsure on how to set them up, please try my

pre-defined values

in the context of this thread before you edit them yourself.

2.4

Zeus Combat AI for ACE2

(@zcommon_ace)

Protegimus’

Zeus Combat AI

will complete and round out GL4’s AI scripts and also enhance & replace SLX’ AI features (see ↳2.5 for details). It will make the AI much more aggressive and more alert. The pertaining thread features an excellent detailed introduction to the mod’s features, if you need more info. In the context of this guide it’s rather simple with this one: Download the whole modular pack and just use it! No further config set-up needed!

Zeus Combat AI folders & files

:

…\@zcommon_ace\AddOns

(all included files mandatory!)

- The main folder containing the AI routines for Zeus Combat AI.

2.5

SLX

(@SLX)

Solus' well-known SLX mod has been one of the main contributions to ArmA. His latest SLX project for ArmA2 is scripting art at its best! Since v1.99 the mod is stable and almost

completely

modular! After a lot of tinkering I decided to only use some of its core features for compatibility's sake. For instance, SLX' AI core and GL3 are disabled and replaced by ZeusAI and GL4. The files indexed below should lead to a stable, properly balanced integration of SLX - however, I strongly suggest after downloading SLX, you try out all SLX features at first and then make your own, personal choice of what to use.

Preferably, server and clients should run the

same

SLX set-up

which renders this complex mod impractical for

open public gaming

yet makes

Squad gameplay

so much sweeter.

Download the mod, then extract it and use the following files given in the recommended set-up below:

SLX folders & files

:

…\@SLX\AddOns\

(for optimal compatibility

use the indexed files below exclusively

and disable all the other SLX files!)

…\slx_animals.pbo

…\slx_anims.pbo

…\slx_cloud.pbo

…\slx_explosiondust.pbo

…\slx_findcover.pbo

…\slx_fov.pbo

…\slx_netcode.pbo

…\SLX_NoMoveObject.pbo

…\slx_ragdoll.pbo

…\slx_shout.pbo

…\slx_surrender.pbo

…\slx_ai_dodge.pbo

…\slx_ai_identify.pbo

…\slx_ai_noautoengage.pbo

…\slx_ai_steering.pbo

…\slx_anim_crawl.pbo

…\slx_anim_death.pbo

- This will add SLX' surrendering features, ragdoll effects, some new animations, effects & sounds and additional AI routines (adding to GL4 and ZeusAI)

…\slx_animals.pbo

…\slx_anim_injured.pbo

…\slx_mod_man_armor.pbo

…\slx_removefirstaidaction.pbo

…\slx_removehealaction.pbo

…\slx_wounds.pbo

…\slx_wounds_ais.pbo

- This will add SLX' incredible wounded features and healing system. Leave these out if you like to keep things simpler and minimize the risk of compatibility issues.

2.6

Mando Missiles

(@MMA & @MMA_XEH)

Mandoble’s ingenious

Mando Missiles

system has always been

the

key contribution to anything related to ingame missile operations and handling. Highly recommended add-on that implements itself perfectly and contributes to a much more realistic missile warfare within the game. What more can be said? Get the latest version and, if necessary, follow the guidelines and instructions given on the pertaining forum thread.

Mando Missiles folders & files

:

…\@MMA\AddOns

(all included files mandatory!)

- Contains the main add-on/necessary script suites

…\@MMA_XEH\AddOns

(all included files mandatory!)

- Contains the @CBA-dependant self-initialization scrips. Make sure you stick to the required loading order (@MMA

before

@MMA_XEH)!

2.7 Miscellaneous Add-Ons

(@Misc)

There are quite a bunch of smaller useful and great “stand-alone†community enhancements for ArmA2. Looking at the “big five†(ACE2, GL4, Zeus Combat AI, SLX & Mando Missiles) there couldn’t be much left to add ... or so one might think – but the community proves you otherwise!

For convenience reasons I decided to put them all together in one folder, which we will call “@Misc†(or anything else, whatever floats your boat!)

2.7.1

PROPER projects

The talented and industrious scripter kju came up with a whole bunch of general tweaks and gameplay improvements called

PROPER projects

- one of the core projects from ArmA and definitely essential in ArmA2! Go through the

file list

and see what you can find useful. For this guide, we will be using the project's

improved object drawing details features

- but users with older/weaker hardware should definitely take a look at the

reduced model complexity

add-on!

Many thanks to

RoME

for mentioning this mod!

PROPER projects files

:

…\@Misc\AddOns\RoadsVisibleAtDistance_Visuals_C_PROPER.pbo

(Improved drawing distance for roads)

…\@Misc\AddOns\StaticsVisibleAtDistance_Visuals_C_PROPER.pbo

(Improved drawing distance for static structures)

…\@Misc\AddOns\TreesVisibleAtDistance_Visuals_C_PROPER.pbo

(Improved drawing distance for ...bananas)

…\@Misc\AddOns\VehiclesVisibleAtDistance_Visuals_C_PROPER.pbo

(Improved drawing distance for vehicles)

2.7.2

JTD Fire & Smoke

DMarkwick’s

JTD_FireAndSmoke

add-on adds greatly enhanced effects of “pyrogenic†nature to the game. It also adds flocks of birds flying off trees after a sudden movement of a nearby unit, which is great to spot enemies before they spot you! You really have to see for yourself, so take a look at the forum thread and download right ahead! If you are using my GL4 userconfig settings, there should not be any significant effects-related compatibility issues – the two add-ons play along rather nicely, to be exact!

Due to the

considerable strain on the CPU

(unnecessary script delays might occur, thanks for the info, Rommel!) and the unforseeable complexity in multiplayer, it is advisable to tweak the attached configuration file according to your hardware!

JTD Fire & Smoke files

:

…\@Misc\AddOns\ jtd_fireandsmoke.pbo

(The add-on's main .pbo file)

…\UserConfig\JTD\JTD_FireAndSmoke_config.hpp

(The add-on's configuration file. Tweak the smoke effects' life duration. For multiplayer in particular, my advice would be to turn off forest fires by setting "

#define JTD_ForestFireEnabled false

")

2.7.3

LandTex

zyco’s

LandTex

is a high resolution texture replacement for ArmA2’s main map, the Chernarus. Look at the screenshots and decide for yourself if you (or your hardware) want to use it. Personally, I’d recommend it, as it adds a much smoother and more organic look to the Chernarussian countryside.

This add-on is purely client-side

!

LandTex files

:

…\@Misc\AddOns\LandTex_v1.0_chernarus_Data.pbo

(The add-on's texture replacement file)

…\@Misc\AddOns\LandTex_v1.0_chernarus_Data_Layers.pbo

(The add-on's texture layers file)

2.7.4

WarFX Particles

Opticalsnare's amazing effect show!

WarFX Particles

will enhance and add many of the ingame graphical effects. Featuring remarkable FFAR trails and bullet impact dust effects it eats up some

frames per second

and the "full & dusty" effect mod might not be to everyone's taste - but give it a shot! I highly recommend this one!

This add-on is purely client-side

!

WarFX Particles files

:

…\@Misc\AddOns\WarFXPE.pbo

(WarFX's effects file)

…\@Misc\AddOns\WarFXVeh.pbo

(Vehicle effects (dust clouds!))

…\@Misc\AddOns\WarFXWEPS.pbo

(Weapon effects, such as impacts, missile trails, et cetera)

2.7.5

Night Lighting Effects

Part of Sakura_Chan's beautification project for ArmA/ArmA2, this mod will do exactly what its title suggests by enhancing and fine-tuning the nocturnal lighting scenery (vehicle headlights, street lights, camp fires). Many thanks to Daniel for

suggesting

this (we should have a game again sometime, by the way)!

This add-on is purely client-side

!

Night Lighting Effects files

:

…\@Misc\AddOns\sakulightfx.pbo

(Night Lighting Effects' night lighting effects (you heard me))

2.7.6

VFTCAS - Terrain Collision Avoidance System

Scripting veteran VictorFarbau brings us this great (and desperately needed!) tweak: No more easily crashing AI pilots! The only regret I have with this is that it took me so long to add this to the list - sorry!

Must-have add-on

! Also check out

VB's other projects

!

VFTCAS files

:

…\@Misc\AddOns\VFTCAS.pbo

(Prevents AI pilots from drinking two bottles of vodka before each mission)

2.7.7

BD MultiGunFix

Big Dawg KS' elegant mod will fix the muzzle origins of every vehicle-mounted multiple gun & launcher system in the game! Smart, small and useful - really speaks for itself, try it out!

BD MultiGunFix files

:

…\@Misc\AddOns\bd_multigunfix.pbo

(Fixes muzzle origins on all vehicles)

2.7.8

STHUD - ShackTac Fireteam HUD

The well-known and dedicated gaming community

ShackTactical

provides the community with this little gem to enhance ingame situational awareness. This is, of course, primarily intended to improve squad gameplay and coordination but its usefulness goes way beyond that. Please read detailed instructions and descriptions on

ShackTactical's STHUD page

.

STHUD files

:

…\@Misc\AddOns\fthud.pbo

(The STHUD)

2.7.9 Sound Effects Replacements

This is arguably the most subjective section of this thread. Before anything else, let me say this: There is no “best" and no “most realistic†sound modification. As good as ArmA2's sound engine is current game technology does by no means emulate the complexity of realistic sound wave dynamics. It really is up to your own personal taste and preferences. Just choose your own favourite sound mod, or mix them all together - most of them are very or even entirely modular!

I will merely list all available, up-to-date sound mods that are also compatible with ACE2. You can easily find plenty more by searching the forums or checking fan pages like

Armaholic.com

!

All sound replacements are purely client-side

!

… ACE2's

ACE2 SM

: Naturally, we'd have to start with

ACE2

's very own sound replacements, contained in the mod's “@ACEX_SM†folder. Sturdy sounds, very consistent, worth a look!

… Mark XIII's

HiFi SFX

: The biggest, most up-to-date, most extensive, most consistent sound modification available for ArmA2 at the moment,

HiFi SFX

offers pretty much everything. From obligatory rifle and smashing canon sounds to excellent vehicle and environmental sounds, it is

entirely

modular. For good reasons, this is my personal favorite and my thanks and appreciation go to the incredibly talented Mark and his team for presenting this project to the community!

… Chammy's

CSM2

: On the same quality level of HiFi,

Chammy's Sound Mod 2

scores with its very consistent soundscape and great atmospheric trail-offs, especially for assault rifles and the like. Chammy and his team invested a lot of effort into the details - very recommendable!

… vo.2's

VopSound

: One of the earliest sound mods available for ArmA2 and still preferred by a good number of players,

VopSound

shines through its great small calibre sound effects and vehicle sounds. This was the first mod I used for ArmA2 and I am still very fond of it!

… TangoRomeo's

TR Soundmodules

: TangoRomeo's

TR Soundmodules

are an incredibly detailed, high-quality approach on

all

ingame vehicle sounds! Consider using these in combination with the sound mod(s) of your choice! Highly recommended!

3) New Content Add-Ons

This section includes a small personal choice of additional content add-ons, including new maps/islands, units and weapon packs. It is by far not complete! I tried to include any top quality add-ons that enhance the general scope of the game, without adding any too particular faction, function or feature. Just because an add-on might not be featured here, does not mean it is not worth downloading. Adding them all would turn this list into a textbook.

3.1 Islands

3.1.1

FDF Podagorsk

The good guys from

FDF

created an impressively detailed peninsula here. A temperate zone featuring vast rural areas and autumn forests with an outstanding performance compared to ArmA2's Chernarus!

FDF Podagorsk files

:

…\@Islands\AddOns\fdf_isle1_a.pbo

(Podagorsk)

…\@Islands\AddOns\fdf_isle1_a_c.pbo

(Podagorsk's config)

…\@Islands\AddOns\fdf_obj_a.pbo

(Podagorsk objects)

3.1.2

Isla Duala

IceBreakr's "Isla Duala"! The map includes two African savannah-themed islands with their own indigenous military units and an incredible immersion due to the author's love for detail and structural composition. Performance is excellent as well. One of my personal favourites!

Isla Duala files

:

…\@Islands\AddOns\brg_africa.pbo

(Isla Duala's military units)

…\@Islands\AddOns\ibr_dtowns.pbo

(Isla Duala's buildings)

…\@Islands\AddOns\ibr_plants.pbo

(Isla Duala's vegetation)

…\@Islands\AddOns\isladuala.pbo

(Isla Duala)

3.1.3

Namalsk Island

Sumrak, the author of this beauty, reportedly spent two years working on his island. The results appropriately breathtaking! On Namalsk Island the player will find deserted post-Soviet industrial areas, vast tundra forests and snowy hills. Performance is quite flawless, even in more crowded areas.

Don't forget to download the patch,

Namalsk 1.02

for some minor sensible fixes!

Namalsk Island files

:

…\@Islands\AddOns\namalsk.pbo

(Namalsk Island - make sure to use the patch version of this file)

…\@Islands\AddOns\ns_patch.pbo

(Namalsk Island's 1.02 patch)

…\@Islands\AddOns\ns.pbo

(Namalsk Island)

…\@Islands\AddOns\ns2.pbo

(Namalsk Island)

…\@Islands\AddOns\ns_modules.pbo

(Namalsk Island's modules)

…\@Islands\AddOns\ns_plants.pbo

(Namalsk Island's vegetation)

…\@Islands\AddOns\ns_rocks.pbo

(Are you into lithology?)

3.1.4

Quesh-Kibrul

floosy's brainchild, the small but mighty Quesh-Kibrul, throws the player into desert combat scenarios with vast open plains, industrial petrochemical areas and settelements from clay huts to huge building blocks. The only thing better than its gritty atmopshere is the islands' exemplary performance, even beating Utes!

Quesh-Kibrul files

:

…\@Islands\AddOns\queshkibrul.pbo

(Quesh-Kibrul, obviously)

3.1.5

Thirsk Island

Thirsk Island, courtesy of the obviously very talented

Raunhofer

, is a vast Scandinavian-themed island that comes in two versions - winter and summer - featuring massive forests, a tundra-esque countryside and abandoned ghost towns and military bases. With the

right missions & settings

you will experience an almost hauntingly immersive gameplay. Remember good old "Project I.G.I."'s later levels? If I had to pick my absolute favourite island, this would have to be it! Performance is generally good but only high-end gaming rigs will play Thirsk on full details without noticeable stuttering.

Important: Make sure to also download

KuiK's Winter Camos

units for the winter version of Thirsk Island!

Thirsk Island files

:

…\@Islands\AddOns\thirsk.pbo

(Thirsk Island)

…\@Islands\AddOns\thirsk2.pbo

(Thirsk Island)

…\@Islands\AddOns\thirsk3.pbo

(Thirsk Island)

…\@Islands\AddOns\thirsk4.pbo

(Southern Venezuela - no, I'm only pulling your leg, it's actually Thirsk Island)

…\@Islands\AddOns\thirsk5.pbo

(Thirsk Island)

…\@Islands\AddOns\thirsk6.pbo

(Thirsk Island)

…\@Islands\AddOns\wintc.pbo

(KuiK's Winter Camos units)

…\@Islands\AddOns\wintm.pbo

(KuiK's Winter Camos units)

3.2 Units & Gear

[too many - and too many good ones at that! I might omit this section and just post the

Armaholic.com Files

link for you to pick your own... :-)]

This guide is still under construction and will need more input over the time. I will try to maintain this post as well as I can, but my free time is very limited at the moment. However, if there are any questions/suggestions or advice/criticism, feel free to post here or send me a pm.

Edited June 23, 2010 by The.D

[Mark XIII (DayZ) 18]

Nice to see you got this thread up for A2, now we can have the best of all the mods without alot of the grief :)

Nice one D

[nuggetz 0]

Awesome. Thanks for putting this together. One thing that's not clear is whether or not we should be trying to run SLX at all? You mention SLX lite but I never heard of it.

[Imperator[TFD] 444]

Awesome. Thanks for putting this together. One thing that's not clear is whether or not we should be trying to run SLX at all? You mention SLX lite but I never heard of it.

SLX is a modular mod that allows users to custom tailer SLX to their own tastes. I imagine by saying 'Lite' that he has eliminated any possible PBO conflicts between SLX and any of the other mods he might be using.:)

[esco7800 10]

great job I think this needs to be a sticky

[velzevul 32]

Hi, The.D! Thank you very much for effort.

Seamless compilation of this brilliant mods is my old dream.

As i understand, you do not intend to use SLX_wounds. But it provides a bunch of immersive features: location based wounding system, randomly applied custom and BIS anims for wounded. Will AI soldiers be able to drag teammates out of line of fire and bandage them without this pbo?

[the.d 0]

Thanks for the kind words :-)

About SLX: You can add it in, of course, nuggetz, but make sure you remove the GL3 components (GL4 should kick in instead) and the AI routines (they are completely replaced by Zeus Combat AI). The problem with SLX is, it is not quite all modular. Removing some .pbo's will result in error messages. As Imperator_Pete said, I came up with a severely trimmed file set-up (I even removed some animations, etc.), and I'd feel bad for making this public without Solus' permission as it really does not give him enough credit for his outstanding work with SLX.

Velzevul, there are some things with SLX that will collide with the rest of the add-ons and, amongst one of them is the wounding system. It's very slight and nothing that could severely break (coop) gameplay:

The only conflict I cannot seem to get rid of is a weird "bug" (or is it just stupidity on my side?) when healing enemy wounded soldiers. In the mouse wheel menu there are two "healing" options, one that says "Give first aid to [soldier name]" and one that says "Heal [soldier class name]" - the first one is undoubtedly from SLX, as healed enemies surrender instantly. The second non-SLX one will heal the enemy alright but will also get him to shoot you right afterward.

It's a bug nonetheless (you accidentally click on "Heal Soldier", instead of the SLX option, and he will shoot you instead of surrendering) so that's why I chose not to put it in for now. That will also mean no dragging, no cool wounded animations after a battle, etc. I really do miss that feature! :(

I just cannot get rid of the "Heal Soldier" option, though (while I would dearly love to keep SLX' "healing & immediate surrendering" system for enemy wounded soldiers) - maybe I am missing something?

I will be back at home later this evening and will finish the guide for WarFX 1.4 (might have to tweak GL4 effects a bit, otherwise it should very probably fit right in?).

[cole 0]

F*** yes! Compilation is back! Good job, D. :)

[TimRiceSE 10]

Great job compiling this!

Having a weird issue though, my squad will only form up facing north, no matter what direction we are moving and ignore "return ot formation" to realign them if i turn around.. any ideas?

Edit: Never mind, only happens in a certain mission in the Chesty Puller campaign, regardless of mods. My bad.

Edited March 15, 2010 by TimRiceSE

[Alex72 1]

Aah refreshing to see you back with the list mate-o! :)

Good work & very nice introduction. Support it with all my heart.

[qawa1967 0]

thanks for this post !!!

help me a lot to make 2 different launch mode :)

[PTV-Jobo 820]

Been looking forward to this forever. Glad to see it, since the Armed Assault was a major help and a half. Thanks a ton! :)

[pwnage_51 10]

When using all of this stuff, what all do we initialize as mission editors? Aren't there modules included in some of this stuff? I'm just trying to figure out how to use all of this. Any help is appreciated.

Thanks!

[the.d 0]

I'm sorry, pwnage_51, but you've lost me - what do you mean?

ACE adds "modules" for the editor, such as the wounded treatment system etc. - but in the context of the thread "module" usually means ".pbo file" (?)

All of the features discussed here are auto-initializing. You can't miss it, after starting the game (with proper loading order).

[pwnage_51 10]

Sorry for the confusion. I meant the modules in the mission editor. For example, are you supposed to use the ACE medical system or the ArmA medical system? Is it the mission editors choice? Also, I thought GL4 didn't auto-initialize? I thought you had to put down the GL4 System module in the mission editor and synch it with an enemy unit for them to have the enhanced AI. So far the system you put together is awesome and runs smooth on my machine. Thanks for the hard work and please let me know about my questions above so I can make sure I'm running this all right.

[MadMike-Brig2010- 10]

I found one problem: It happens often that one or two soldiers of my group are going to build their own little group. Me and my squad for example got the map-marker 1-1-A. The two soldiers which where former in my team are marked as 1-1-B and 1-1-C. I cant give them orders anymore. :(

This only happens when i add @SLX (Lite) to the used mods. Anyone encountered that problem before? It would be very helpful to find out which PBO causes this problem.

[the.d 0]

pwnage_51: GL4 is self-initializing (by the means of @CBA) alright - you can disable that in the attached configs, of course; check the GL4 thread for details! :-)

As for the ACE modules, well, I think you use the ACE2 first aid modules instead of the vanilla ones - again, better check the official ACE2 thread itself and their wiki. I would lack the time as well as the knowledge (I stumbled ass backwards into the creation of this set-up, it's almost all empirical; nothing to be proud of, hehe) to explain the technicalities or act as a "help center" for all the files mentioned in this guide, I'm afraid (no offense!).

MadMike.48th: could this be related to GL4's force move feature? I am going to upload new configs* with the force move disabled by default to prevent this from happening (although it's a good feature in itself, it won't do any good in our casual coops).

*just done so

Edited March 16, 2010 by The.D

[katipo66 94]

Probably a dumb question but is there any way to increase space in the target box of the arma2 shortcut - mods/commands etc like -mods@XXX;@zXXX;

I always seem to run out of room? maybe i use too many mods...

[pwnage_51 10]

@Katipo66

The best thing to do is create your own mod folder like The.D did in this setup with the @Misc folder. Most addons don't need there own seperate mod folder. I have all my extra units, islands, weapons, etc. in a mod folder called @EXTRA.

@The.D

Thanks for the information. One thing I did notice. When I use ACE2 and SLX alone the AI move around on their own. I don't have to give them waypoints or anything, when the mission starts they take up positions of their choice. However, when using this compilation, the AI just stands there when the mission starts. They don't automatically take up better positions or anything, they are static. Should the AI react like they do when running SLX alone?

[MadMike-Brig2010- 10]

I´m also interested in increasing the amount of "letters" in the shortcut.

If i am hosting a dedicated server the shortcut-commands are often so big that the normal length is not enough. I guess it is because of the several commands for the server.

EDIT: Solved the problem with the use of a batchfile.

Edited June 2, 2010 by MadMike[Brig2010]

[Alex72 1]

I keep all my islands in a mod folder called @ISLANDS and for example units, vehicles and weapons i have @GEAR, and AI enhancements i have a folder called @AI.

I dont know how it works with servers yet but im going to set one up later. But cant the server have most addons in 1 single folder? Use SixUpdater or Yoma to get everything down easy and then have that extra folder you move everything new to. So in theory you could have 1 single folder you move everything into. Just an idea wich i dont know if it works with tons of *all* mods but so far when ive done it that way i never encountered any problems.

[pwnage_51 10]

@MadMike.48

"C:\Program Files\Bohemia Interactive\ArmA 2\arma2server.exe" -port=2302 -maxmem=1280 -cpucount=2 -config=S\server.cfg -cfg=S\Arma2.cfg -profile=S\default.arma2profile -mod=beta;@CBA;@ACE;@ACEX;@ACEX_PLA;@GL4;@LFX;@JTD; @48AI;@MAD;@OMONU;@OMONR;@Thirsk;@48SK

You should be able to combine at least the last six of those mods into one folder. Also, I notice there is a space between @JTD; and @48AI, I'm not 100% sure if that makes any difference, but you might want to get rid of it. Another thing I noticed is that you have @JTD in there. If all you are using are the JTD Fire and Smoke addons, then I don't think they are required on the server, I believe they are client-side addons.

------------------------------------------------------

@The.D

Don't the JTD and WARFX addons do the same thing? Is it possible that they are conflicting in any way?

[Cyteless 10]

Nice thread. I think it would help new members of the community if it was stickied. If they actually chose to read it, though :P

[MadMike-Brig2010- 10]

@The.D

MadMike.48th: could this be related to GL4's force move feature? I am going to upload new configs* with the force move disabled by default to prevent this from happening (although it's a good feature in itself, it won't do any good in our casual coops).

I tried the same mission with FORCE MOVE disabled - the same thing happens. Two soldiers left my squad and regrouped as their own little squad. The same mission without the SLX-pbo´s and this never happens, so the error has to be on the SLX-side. But i recognized that i got one pbo more used as you wrote in your SLX-lite list. It´s the "slx_findcover.pbo". So if noone encountered the same problem before i maybe have to delete it.

Edited March 17, 2010 by MadMike[Brig2010]

[the.d 0]

Katipo66 & MadMike.48th: About the limited "Target" shotcut line in Wind'ohs: Yup, merging files that are not dependent on userconfigs into a common folder à la "@Misc" would be very advisable!

pwnage_51: That's intersting, I noticed the same behaviour. SLX, even in it's "lite" set-up seems to be causing more issues than I first expected. In combat, AI (allies & enemies alike) will still lean around corners and make very good use of obstacles / defenses etc. (GL4 + Zeus) but the "idle" and "stay alert" modes are more static. Don't ask me what causes this, though ^^

MadMike.48th: Thanks for testing the presumably SLX-induced group split-ups and letting us know!

I'd dearly miss SLX' features but after all we should consider the possibility of removing if altogether... is the FOV stand-alone? but then again, the quicker player animations are very important as well... ah... all these choices.. I am still busy atm but I will give SLX a more thorough test later on!

CMB Unit 01: :-D Yeah - might be a good idea. I wrote a similar, more basic and more extensive guide for ArmA1 but I'd say this here is a "suggestive list of possible add-ons to use for more advanced ArmA2 fans" - or something... :-P

Edited March 17, 2010 by The.D