More time trying than playing

[tric1960 10]

This is one of the most frustrating MP games I have ever tried to play. I have just spent an hour trying to join a MP game. I have about 40 or so green pings and out of those there are about 10 that don't want mods. Out of these I can't find any that don't come up with messages that something is missing or after downloading data just bumps me back to the lobby. If i buy a game that advertises MP then I should not need a F****** PhD in F****** IT to play the F****** thing. This is B*******.:mad::mad:

[Zipper5 74]

Try searching for answers to your problems. You don't need a PhD to see the Search function at the top of the forums either, do you? ;)

Did you read the errors? Did you try to fix any of the issues they presented? It sounds like you were joining servers that required mods, and it should tell you which ones in the error messages. Did you write those down and/or remember them?

If you want help, provide us with some details. If you're simply venting your rage on the other hand...

[Jelliz 10]

Yay, a rageposter

Please give a more detailed description of your problem. We can help, but we need some more information then

F****** PhD in F****** IT to play the F****** thing. This is B*******.

.

Error messages would be nice.

[terox 316]

try the newcomers guide to MP (In my signature file). It should help you get somewhat sorted

[tric1960 10]

Yay, a rageposter

QUOTE]

:o Sorry, guilty as charged, bad back wouldn't let me sleep so in the early hours I thought I would try a game of MP. After an hour trying and getting sooo close on a couple of occasions I limped off to watch TV, after a rage post that is :(

Some of the messages -

SFX Fire_SFX_v04 not found

Script JTD_FireAndSmoke\Scripts\SmokeMain.sqf not found

a bunch of others that I couldn't be shagged writing down.

I tried "Vanilla" servers, no mod servers etc etc.

Sometimes I would get to the map page and when I hit OK, I would end up back in the lobby.

Again, sorry for the rage but you can only take so much.......

[jblackrupert 14]

It can be frustrating for even people who know about mods and addons.

The browser mod/addon system needs a complete overhaul and servers need

the option for admins to be able to add a custom message when you get kicked.

Hopefully OA will have something to fix that and maybe added to Arma 2 later.

[Mage 10]

This is one of the most frustrating MP games I have ever tried to play. I have just spent an hour trying to join a MP game. I have about 40 or so green pings and out of those there are about 10 that don't want mods. Out of these I can't find any that don't come up with messages that something is missing or after downloading data just bumps me back to the lobby. If i buy a game that advertises MP then I should not need a F****** PhD in F****** IT to play the F****** thing. This is B*******.:mad::mad:

I feel you. I hate that too. and the super basic filter, and the unavailability for a fast-download server so if I dont have X addon i may get it from the server (if they want you to use extra 400 megs to play their mission, the least they could do is to offer them for you)

I hate the fact that almost every mission is WIP. I am tired of seeing screenshots and youtube videos and exclusive betas that never come to exist and only a few players out of the whole arma2 community can play.

Partly tired of this I tried to develop a mod with my little knowledge on scripting and some years of modelling on my back, to no avail, though.

Couldn't recruit any decent scripters and I didn't want to rip someone else's job like BayCity has done to CityLife cause that's just gay. So I, instead, gave up on the whole modding and mission scripting thing.

Arma 2 is not a game for everyone, I must admit, and it is a great game, but the multiplayer feature makes it so wrong, on many levels.

There's nearly no human-understandable information / documentation to set up a linux server properly (and I'm no linux-noob) the BIKI is poorly filled up and there's slang and badly spelt words, likely written by a non-english-speaking person.

The model properties are in some odd language I cannot comprehend, no offense, but ENGLISH is a standard in coding, the code should all be laid in english. so everything makes sense

Same with the classes "SidewinderLaUCHER" ? and not laUNCHER? I spent about an hour trying to figure out what was wrong in my script till I understood that I had to misspell the class in order to make it work

And I could go on but I don't want to be mistaken with a troll. For I'm just an angry arma2 lover.

Anyways, this is what I hate about arma2. There's another bunch of things that I actually like a lot. See you next time, whenever that is.

[CarlGustaffa 4]

OP has a valid point. When you buy a multiplayer game it shouldn't be necessary having to register and spend time on a forum just to figure out how to join.

"Script JTD_FireAndSmoke\Scripts\SmokeMain.sqf not found" kick you out now? It didn't use to. Basically it's just an addon that gives better smoke and some additional burning effects. Not having it should simply mean you won't be able to see the effects the server wants you to. It is too heavy (and was back then too buggy) for me, so I don't use it anymore. But I have never been kicked out due to lacking it. Has this changed?

"For I'm just an angry arma2 lover." - sounds like a good song title :D

[Specialist 10]

Look for servers that say [NO ADDONS] or [NO ACE]

I see a few like that when I search for games.

If you want to join most servers you will need the Advanced Combat Enviromment Mod (ACE)

You can also get JTD's Fire and smoke script here, but that is not why you got kicked. It isnt needed, you will just get a small error message saying you dont have it and you can carry on.

ACE is the most likley reason you cant join servers.

[whisper 0]

I feel you. I hate that too. and the super basic filter, and the unavailability for a fast-download server so if I dont have X addon i may get it from the server (if they want you to use extra 400 megs to play their mission, the least they could do is to offer them for you)

I hate the fact that almost every mission is WIP. I am tired of seeing screenshots and youtube videos and exclusive betas that never come to exist and only a few players out of the whole arma2 community can play.

You can't get a mission done without people playing it. Funny you complain about missions being so called only video and betas.

Believe me, most mission makers would love to see their work used. There's just never anyone to help them and test.

There's nearly no human-understandable information / documentation to set up a linux server properly (and I'm no linux-noob) the BIKI is poorly filled up and there's slang and badly spelt words, likely written by a non-english-speaking person.

oO Copy A2 files, download server files, execute, launch server.... I'm sorry but setting up linux dedi isn't that difficult.

The model properties are in some odd language I cannot comprehend, no offense, but ENGLISH is a standard in coding, the code should all be laid in english. so everything makes sense

lol true :D But most of their original models and system wasn't probably meant, when created, to be that opened to public and was done by a few czech guys ;)

[walker 0]

Hi tric1960

Sticky thread full of manuals top of this section of the forum with links to various manuals.

http://forums.bistudio.com/showthread.php?t=79628

ArmA is a little more complex than other games as it can be heavily modded.

I suggest beginners with ArmA start with a vanilla ArmA server (No Mods) running something like Berzerk! Dao run a very good one that runs between 64 player and 128 player one hour matches.

IMPORTANT! if you are joining a vanilla server you must have no MODs too! To join it just join without any MODs.

That is easy in ArmA as MODs are kept in @modname folders and you just make different shortcuts for each group of MODs or use a tool like Yoma's addon sync to take all the pain away :)

The First link posted in the above link and Terox's post both explain all this.

Kind Regards walker

[tacticalnuggets 24]

Multiplayer revolution!!! Thats what we need! No more killing and hour of your life just to figure out how to get on a server, excluding the download time. Also, make it easier for us to start organized teams without having to join a clan!

The solution is only another voice away, join the revolution!:bounce3:

[Infam0us 10]

Its really not that hard to figure out ...

[Rexxenexx 0]

Remember OFP? Waiting for the mission to end to play. lol. For sure this could be improved even more. It's just Mods that screw thing up, and sometimes you don't get a message telling which. I play maybe 2-3 times a month just for the lack of good/normal servers.

The best way -I don't even do this- is to use Yoma's Addon Sync and Find a Server, update, and join. I'm too lazy so I just look in the games MP list and update Mods I think are missing according to the odd pbo names, which most of the time isn't the ones on the server. My bad, but their should be an Addon sync type deal in the game.

Maybe in the server.cfg a variable that has a url where the addons are, then if a user connects and doesn't have the files he/she can choose to download them. AAND how about a dedicated AddOn manager page! That would be awesome. Server admins can run an exe that specifically relays the servers AddOns to a master server. Clients can then start ArmA and go to the AddOn Manager and check to see if things changed and update as needed. Just some ideas. ;)

[AntalopeAUT 10]

As above posted...use Yoma´s brilliant Addon Sync to synchronise your mods to the Server´s running mods and take all your pains away ;)

Greetings and see you soon somewhere ;)

[Mage 10]

this is a hobbyst game, end of story. Not a game meant to satisfy the demands of the regular internet gamer. (poor multiplayer, poor end user support).

This game should be free.

---------- Post added at 10:47 PM ---------- Previous post was at 10:40 PM ----------

You can't get a mission done without people playing it. Funny you complain about missions being so called only video and betas.

Believe me, most mission makers would love to see their work used. There's just never anyone to help them and test.

Take your pink goggles off your eyes and see how everything's *WIP*

oO Copy A2 files, download server files, execute, launch server.... I'm sorry but setting up linux dedi isn't that difficult.

done that, still lots of errors, and no error log, cause its badly coded.

lol true :D But most of their original models and system wasn't probably meant, when created, to be that opened to public and was done by a few czech guys ;)

well I don't care if it was meant or not, it's not my place to care, as end user I am given a license to run this game not to become a bohemia interactive developer without pay.

if it has addon support, if it has an editor at all then they should make it simple, open and clear.

[Erratic 10]

This game should should be free

Why are you still on the forums?

[jblackrupert 14]

Because the "other game" forum is dead and it's free I guess

[whisper 0]

Take your pink goggles off your eyes and see how everything's *WIP*

Have you EVER tried making polished mission? Would you have, you'd know that you can't get the mission done properly without TESTING IT. Meaning you need the mission to be played at least at some point in a WIP state. Thing which, frankly, never happened bare for 3 or 4 mission formats that occupy most of the MP scene. The rest of the creativity is nearly never tested and stays in the WIP state.

Who wear pink goggles in a world where anything made by community members for free is top notch out of the box without a pinch of effort by parts of the community, here?

well I don't care if it was meant or not, it's not my place to care, as end user I am given a license to run this game not to become a bohemia interactive developer without pay.

if it has addon support, if it has an editor at all then they should make it simple, open and clear.

typical. CoD, BC2, they are for you. Mind you, they ain't as opened as A2. You won't have a editor language issue there. (I'm not dissing these games here, mind you, just putting things in perspective)

We have a saying in my country : "Tu ne peux pas avoir le beurre, l'argent du beurre, et la cremiere".

If you want everything polished, reduce the scope of the game. By something like 4 times (in terms of scope), to go to level of other, better polished games.

Or you accept this game is too large to have everything perfect.

[Zipper5 74]

Simply put Mage, if you don't like WIP stuff then don't download any user made content and don't play MP. This community has been built on user made content, and that includes helping each other with it and testing it. If you don't like that, then have fun with the vanilla game as it's not going to change any time soon. Stop whining about it on the forums. Mentioning your opinion once is enough, multiple times is just trolling.

[Infam0us 10]

multiple times is just trolling.

As others have said this community is based on addons that make constantly different and exciting. You get bored of an island you get a new one (And you don't have to pay £10 for DLC Hur Hur Hur)

[Mage 10]

it's not trolling, i'm just stating my views, and replying to people who replies to what I said. If you think that my posts are "whining" then you should try to cohexist with other arma2 players who hold onto different opinions.

Not everybody will think like everybody. I'm one of the kind who is quite frustrated with the way arma2 is developed and the lack of support from the developers.

There's some good stuff out there for arma2 indeed. There's a bunch of models that people has spent endless hours on it, which do have a eye candy look and I admire the job of these folks.

But I am frustrated anyway! and you all must understand why and not call me a whiner, for we do have different opinions, we do see this from different perspectives but if I post my opinions here is because I paid for this game and I want to raise my voice. In the same manner that any of you who disagree with me want to raise your voice differently.

That's part of living in a civilised society.

I wouldn't call you a whinner just because you disagree with me.

Anyways,

it's a very interesting aproach to get the community involved in the modification of the game by the developers of the game. But it's an incomplete aproach. because it lacks of the support and documentation that such aproach should have. Am I clear?

let me put it this way:

If I am going to create a software, lets say a game, and I am hoping the community will support and maintain the game by introducing fresh content via addons and scripts, then I should provide this community of the proper tools and help (documentation, etc) as well as set working standards. But just head off to www.arma2.com to see that the webpage is far from friendly and intuitive.

Unless you're a forum regular or somebody who is familiar with the engine and or the scripting language by having played or scripted or modelled for previous games of the sort such as arma or OFP you find yourself quite lost.

So this is not a challenge "Mage vs Forum Regulars"

This is a friendly conversation in which we all can voice out our concerns, thoughts, likes and dislikes. For I'm sure we all like this game just as much.

[tyler4171 10]

I'm one of the kind who is quite frustrated with the way arma2 is developed and the lack of support from the developers.

Wow, just save us your petty arguments and sell the game, sorry they wasted your time becuase you are too god damned lazy to do any research on Linux hosting, editing language, and the fact you cant download addons from a server!

Good day to you sir, please leave now.

Unless you're a forum regular or somebody who is familiar with the engine and or the scripting language by having played or scripted or modelled for previous games of the sort such as arma or OFP you find yourself quite lost.

Also this is the audience they attract, many, if not anybody at my school has heard of this game let alone the series! BIS (assumably) expects the same audience that played the original OFP games. Also the ArmA 2 website is not for editing it is for marketing purposes, sorry its not like callofduty.com or anything like those!

Edited June 23, 2010 by tyler4171

[whisper 0]

it's a very interesting aproach to get the community involved in the modification of the game by the developers of the game. But it's an incomplete aproach. because it lacks of the support and documentation that such aproach should have. Am I clear?

let me put it this way:

If I am going to create a software, lets say a game, and I am hoping the community will support and maintain the game by introducing fresh content via addons and scripts, then I should provide this community of the proper tools and help (documentation, etc) as well as set working standards. But just head off to www.arma2.com to see that the webpage is far from friendly and intuitive.

These are all valid concerns.

BUT :

let's say I'm on ArmA2 because it's (also) the only public available complete milsim around.

What shall I say, then?

"It's a very interesting approach to go that much deeper into realism than others FPS do, but it is incomplete and currently lacking in so many areas :

* Armor simulation is just poor

* IA, while dynamic and the only ones that much dynamic in such a big environment, do not behave realistic and good enough

* sensors simulation is non existent, why?"

let's say I'm on ArmA2 because it's (also) one of the largest (dare I say largest? I only see Battleground Europe as a contender here) FPS up to date

What shall I say, then?

"it's a very interesting approach to go challenging the FPS genre by unseen scale up to now. But it brings a whole lot of issues, mainly performances, that kill the game compared to its competitors. This FPS ends up too often un-enjoyable"

It doesn't mean we should say "amen" to anything BI is putting out and saying. But like they have to, we have to prioritize the needs, and understand that sometimes (too often?), in this game, everything can't be done as good as expected.

BI's problem is that nearly non one is completely happy with this, as no area is polished enough