kazesim

With the recent patches I was happy to see that the manned missions are getting some content and are now pretty playable - that's the reason I bough this game, I don't care too much for campaigns. I've been playing the Kaiser Crater MP mission solo for the last couple days and have some suggestions and questions. Suggestions - Vehicles could use a parking brake. - Ability to fix vehicle parts with the drill (especially the crane magnet, I break it a lot - picking up more than one item at a time with it tends to cause them to attempt to occupy the same point in space at the same time, resulting in a high-energy reaction which is not well understood). (And as an aside, I should warn everyone: Do not attach yourself to the electromagnet and swing around on it unless you want to find yourself on a sub-orbital trajectory) - Large Vehicle With Crane aka "Jawa Sand Crawler" - the side doors on it should open all the way to the ground because it's hard to jump into them. - I'm not sure what the purpose of the flat area on top of the sand crawler is, but if it had higher sides or (ideally) some kind of clamps that could lock a pallet down then it would be useful for cargo transport. - On the subject of cranes; it would be nice to have a static crane that you could build. - On the subject of broken cranes with cameras; I accidentally found out that if you break the crane magnet AND break the monitor for it in the cab (was taking selfies...) then you have a pretty neat remote camera. Might we be able to implement standalone remote cameras that can be viewed on the monitors? Would be useful for competitive MP at least. - Symbols on the crane monitor to show its rotation, angle and extension - so that I can tell whether I am using it as a wrecking ball. - Using the drill to modify items: such as being able to change out the crane electromagnet for a simple hook to avoid the aforementioned catastrophic failures. Even more useful would be to be able to put a gate on the open side of the caged pallet so I can avoid having to do this - or putting a bar across the top of the pallet so it can be picked up with a crane hook, or even just printing flat pallets and then putting the sides on them to create caged pallets - just to make it a bit more interesting. - The ability to run the game in borderless window. - Large ramp platforms, ie large exterior platform, but as a ramp. - Maybe some gate/pallet block controls inside the truck cab - or even better, on it's driver monitor. - Tow-behind trailers might be an interesting addition. - Options for time-of-day acceleration, ie 4-hour game days. - Perhaps on/off switches for the resource harvesters. - And perhaps in the future - larger versions of the harvesters, ie large machines that you move around with a forklift, their stabilizers fold up so you can fit them on a truck, and are emplaced with a crane. They use a lot of power and maybe have one of those nifty control panels so you can put some complicated controls on them (it is a sci-fi sim after all, the more complicated the better). Just an idea. - And probably the most important one for me: I would be nice to have a detailed difficulty menu where you can basically just set the scales (multipliers) for everything: resource harvest and refining times, storage limits for resource containers, 3D printing times, heal time, how fast you get hungry/thirsty, etc etc. This is all really basic stuff that will need to be tuned exactly right for manned missions to stay challenging in the long term, and it would be nice to have the option to tune these in-game without needing to make a mod. - Oh, and I almost forgot, we need pod racers and/or monster trucks, obviously. Questions - Will the 3D printer eventually cost resources to print things? - Will we eventually have some kind of survey tools to find resources? Will the resource zones regenerate elsewhere once they're depleted? - Do you plan on adding any way of powering the harvesters/lights/printer/etc? Something like solar panels or radioisotope generators? - Are the resource tanks intended to be moveable when full? Currently a full one weighs like 1500kg and moving it is like trying to move a neutron star. The crane can't budge it and the forklift just breaks. The problem is that if you make the mistake of 'disassembling' it then you can't 'reassemble' it because you can't pick it up, and you can't empty it because it's' not assembled, so you end up with a big stupid immovable tank in your base. And god help you if it tips over and rolls into something. - Edit: Oh yeah, any chance of fixing the crashing while saving? It's really the worst thing ever. Every time I save (in manned SP) it has about a 1-in-6 (at worst 1-in-3) chance of crashing and deleting the save I was overwriting, even on brand new games. It's so often that I save every 4 minutes and made a hotkey to taskkill the game. I've tried everything and it so far seems totally random. Here is a typical crash.log (these are only the save crashes that raise an exception, there are many many others):

That's too bad, all these years of scripting for Arma 2 and I think I've finally mastered that language, now I gotta learn another. It looks more like C#/Java, which is much better than C++. At least we'll finally have classes and not have to 'select' things out of arrays. I just hope we get some good documentation.

Extracts a whole config class to the Windows clipboard. It includes every entry in that class plus every subclass (and sub-sub-etc-class) all the way back to the root. The entries are left in the same order that they are in the config, with ones from parent classes added later, so that the most derived entries are at the top. The output is formatted as standard ArmA cpp (instead of bin or sqf), so you should hopefully be able to just paste it in a config file without problems. This is for people like me who hate using unPBO/unBin/Eliteness just to get a few config values. Instead you can just run this from in-game, paste the whole thing into Notepad++ or whatever and take out what you don't need. Due to it's complexity, it typically takes a few seconds to run, just wait until it says it's done. Don't use it on the huge Cfg- base classes as it will never finish. I recommend making a "Scripts" folder in your ArmA root (same folder as the game's main exe) and putting it there. Then it can be called from anywhere in the game with "Scripts\NAME.sqf". /*-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Extracts a whole config class to the Windows clipboard It includes every entry in that class plus every subclass (and sub-sub-etc-class) all the way back to the root The entries are left in the same order that they are in the config, with ones from parent classes added later, so that the most derived entries are at the top The output is formatted as standard ArmA cpp (instead of bin or sqf), so you should hopefully be able to just paste it in a config file without problems Don't use this script on huge root classes like CfgVehicles / CfgWeapons, it will never finish The parameter can be either the config class to extract, or an array: 0: Config (Class to extract) 1: Bool (Add comments indicating which parent class the entries came from, default false) 2: Bool (Include parent class names in the class definitions, default true) Examples: (configFile/'CfgWeapons'/'M16A2') execVM "Scripts\cfgGet.sqf"; [configFile/'CfgVehicles'/'HMMWV', true] execVM "Scripts\cfgGet.sqf"; [configFile/'CfgVehicles'/'HMMWV', true, false] execVM "Scripts\cfgGet.sqf"; This should work on any ArmA, tested on 2 and 3 v1.0 By Kazesim --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------*/ #define DQUOTE 34 #define INC(X) X = X + 1 #define ADD(X,Y) _list set [count _list, [X, Y]] _addClassLabels = false; _addParentClassDefs = true; if ((typeName _this) == "ARRAY") then { _count = count _this; if (_count > 1) then {_addClassLabels = _this select 1}; if (_count > 2) then {_addParentClassDefs = _this select 2}; _this = _this select 0; }; if not (isClass _this) exitWith {hint "Invalid class"; copyToClipboard "Invalid class"}; _offset = 0; _tab = ""; _CRLF = toString [0x0D, 0x0A]; __TAB = toString [0x09]; _getTab = { //Update the string containing the current number of tabs private ["_c", "_t"]; _offset = _offset + _this; _t = ""; for "_c" from 1 to _offset do { _t = _t + __TAB; }; _tab = _t; }; _insert = { //Format: [array, item to insert, index] private ["_array", "_index", "_count", "_save", "_last", "_c"]; _array = _this select 0; _index = _this select 2; _count = count _array; _save = ""; _last = _this select 1; for "_c" from _index to (_count - 1) do { _save = _array select _c; _array set [_c, _last]; _last = _save; }; _array set [_count, _last]; }; _formatString = { //Re-double-quotes any quotes inside a string private ["_c", "_x", "_count"]; _this = toArray _this; _count = count _this; for [{_c = 0}, {_c < _count}, {INC(_c)}] do { _x = _this select _c; if (_x == DQUOTE) then { [_this, DQUOTE, _c+1] call _insert; INC(_c); INC(_count); }; }; str toString _this; }; _formatArray = { //Switch all the brackets to braces, and add spaces after commas private ["_str", "_last"]; _last = (count _this) - 1; _str = "{"; { _str = _str + (switch (typeName _x) do { case "ARRAY": {_x call _formatArray}; case "TEXT": {_x call _formatString}; case default {str _x}; }); if (_forEachIndex != _last) then {_str = _str + ", "}; } forEach _this; _str + "}"; }; _scanEntries = { private ["_cfg", "_c", "_entry", "_name", "_added", "_str", "_list"]; _cfg = _this select 0; _list = _this select 1; _addLabel = _this select 2; for "_c" from 0 to ((count _cfg) - 1) do { _entry = _cfg select _c; _name = configName _entry; _added = false; {if ((_x select 0) == _name) exitWith {_added = true}} forEach _list; if (!_added) then { //Add the class label comment, if enabled if (_addClassLabels and _addLabel) then { _str = format ["%1// %2%3", _tab, configName _cfg, _CRLF]; ADD("", _str); _addLabel = false; }; //Add the entry _str = ""; if (isClass _entry) then { _str = _entry call _scanCfg; } else { _str = format ["%1%2%3 = %4;%5", _tab, _name, if (isArray _entry) then {"[]"} else {""}, switch (true) do { case (isNumber _entry): {getNumber _entry}; case (isText _entry): {(getText _entry) call _formatString}; case (isArray _entry): {(getArray _entry) call _formatArray}; }, _CRLF ]; }; ADD(_name, _str); }; }; }; _scanCfg = { private ["_list", "_tab", "_cfg", "_name", "_count", "_inherit", "_str", "_empty"]; _list = []; 0 call _getTab; //Add the class name, parent class name, and starting brace _cfg = _this; _name = configName _cfg; _count = count _cfg; _inherit = configName inheritsFrom _cfg; _empty = _count == 0 and _inherit == ""; _str = format ["%1class %2%3 {%4", _tab, _name, if (_inherit == "" or !_addParentClassDefs) then { ""; } else { ": " + _inherit; }, if (_empty) then {""} else {_CRLF} ]; ADD(_name, _str); 1 call _getTab; //Get all the entries from this class and every parent class if (_count > 0) then {[_cfg, _list, false] call _scanEntries}; while {true} do { _inherit = inheritsFrom _cfg; _inheritName = configName _inherit; if (_inheritName == "") exitWith {}; //Last class _cfg = _inherit; [_cfg, _list, _name != _inheritName] call _scanEntries; }; //Add the ending brace -1 call _getTab; _str = format ["%1};%2", if (_empty) then {""} else {_tab}, _CRLF]; ADD("", _str); //Concat the string and return it _str = ""; {_str = _str + (_x select 1)} forEach _list; _str; }; hint "Running..."; copyToClipboard (_this call _scanCfg); hint "Done";

Sorry I always forget to check for replies. I wasn't able to download that file, I'm pretty sure that site is worse than FilePlanet, which I didn't think was possible. If you can put it on Dropbox or something, or just paste it here I'll look at it. And do you mean extracting the whole entire game config? You could theoretically do that with this script by just extracting the Cfg- classes. I'm afraid to actually try that though because it would take forever and probably either run out of memory or reach some kind of recursion limit. I haven't actually tested it on ArmA 1 since my copy of that game is broken thanks to FADE thinking that I have a pirate copy, but I'd assume it would work. For just perusing the config I think it's easiest to just use the in-game browser. But yeah if you have managed to find a way to extract the whole thing then I'd like to see.

I haven't had a chance to check out everything yet, but what I like so far is how the graphics are so clean it almost feels like Mirrors Edge. The preview screenshots up till now have all been pretty meh, and the driving demo mission was dark and cloudy, but when I got in the editor and looked around the airbase in sunny weather I was like oh sweet jesus. Going from ArmA 1 to 2 I was disappointed the devs were going with the "brown is real" approach, now these graphics alone make the game worth buying.

99% of the time I'm playing my own mission on SP, which requires a lot of commanding the AI, so I go with a squad leader-type kit: SCAR-H CQC CCO (White) - 5 tracer mags USP SD - 4 mags RPG-29, or AT-4 if I'm having one of the AI carry the big launcher SOFLAM (better than the binocs for recon, and for the copperhead) Satchel, smoke, M67, laser battery, earplugs, etc The SCAR is the sci-fi version from the McN White Weapons mod, probably one of the coolest looking weps in the game. I generally have at least 3 AI, and give them an AR + launcher, M249 or M32 depending on the mission, and an M110 or LRR depending on the range. Sometimes I'll bring another fireteam and/or crew-served weapon team. Not like I get to do much shooting, since I spend most of my time trying to get the AI to stop dancing and do something useful, and giving them orders like "Six. Get out of that. Minefield"

I play this game more then any other, but I almost never play online. Mainly because of the lag caused by all the AI units on the domi/evo servers, my comp can run up to 50-60 AI (living or dead) with playable framerate but after that its a 6 FPS slideshow. I don't know if anyone else gets this, but I was able to play ArmA 1 servers without a problem because on that game, nonlocal AI didn't cause lag for me, neither did AI in singleplayer (for the most part), the only time they did was if I was hosting a MP game. AI in ArmA 2 cause lag whether local or nonlocal, SP or MP, living or dead. Anyone else have this problem on dedi servers?

A few of the more unusual screenshots Iv taken over the years: Yep that's an AI L4D anyone?

Thanks Maverick, thats what I was thinking. I'll probably get a Phenom 2 Black at 3.5 (unlocked multi, unlike this one), or just wait for Bulldozer. The CPU/mobo I'm using was from a prebuilt comp where pretty much everything is locked and it runs at 67C load with the stock heatsink, so I'm not sure I can OC it as it is. And Sp3tsnaz: I'm not sure what else it could be, the only time I get random max CPU is really bad script errors or when Kaspersky goes on a rampage.

Guess its about time I actually post on this thread. Iv played ArmA 1 and 2 since release and have never had very good framerates on them (around 13 FPS with more then 40 AI). I think Iv tried all the fixes here with no luck, and want to ask if anyone has other suggestions. Also, I'm thinking of upgrading my mobo/CPU or GPU soon partially for this reason and wanted to ask which one probably needs it more. Specs are: A2 v1.10 OA v1.57 OS: Vista Home Premium SP2 x64 Video: ATI Radeon HD3870 512MB GDDR4 v8.831.2 (CCC v11.3) Audio: ATI Integrated v6.58.0.6600 Motherboard: Foxconn RS780 CPU: AMD Phenom 9600 x4 2.30GHz RAM: 4094MB Hynix 667MHz DDR2 HDD: 2x Western Digital 320GB 7200RPM SATA2 PSU: 730W Hiper 4M730 The lag seems to be caused almost entirely by the AI, most of the graphics settings make no difference, including resolution and terrain detail. Here's what I normally run at: Around 70 AI in a battle in a real mission is 8-14 FPS. In the editor; 120 AI and some tanks driving around is 7 FPS consistent with average GPU around 40%, never more then 70, CPU of 60% to 65%. OA Bench #1 is 19 FPS average, ~50% GPU up to 70, and ~75% CPU up to 88. Bench #2 is 4 FPS (yes 4), with consistent 20% GPU, and ~52% CPU up to 66. Temps are always 44C and 64C max. Doesn't make a lot of sense, I have friends with similar or worse comps that can run it far better (seems to be how the game is). If anyone has suggestions, please let me know. Also, I wanted to offer a few random (mostly) graphics-related fixes Iv found: And Sp3tsnaz: do you by chance have Kaspersky? KIS 2011 and 2012 have a bug that randomly maxes the CPU for around 20 sec, happens to me all the time.

Iv also been getting constant crashes in the last few months (mabey from 1.07). They are always fast CTDs with no warning and a "ArmA2 has stopped working" message, and this in the error log: Exception code: C0000005 ACCESS_VIOLATION at 0092FA8A graphics: D3D9, Device: ATI Radeon HD 3800 Series, Driver:aticfx32.dll 8.17.10.1041 resolution: 1280x960x32 ...(addons and stuff)... Distribution: 1459 Version 1.07.71750 Fault address: 0092FA8A 01:0052EA8A C:\Program Files\Bohemia Interactive\ArmA 2\arma2.exe file: Shock%20and%20Awe (__cur_sp) world: chernarus Prev. code bytes: 00 5D 5F 5B 32 C0 5E 83 C4 70 C2 20 00 8B 4D 6C Fault code bytes: 8B 71 08 85 F6 74 0B 8B D6 B8 01 00 00 00 F0 0F I'v already ruled out all the mods, moduals and params. I haven't noticed any memory leaks and the GPU isn't overheating (stays at 54c), although I still occasionally get the "snowy tree" effect and other artifacts. Problem is in two weeks of testing Iv only been able to get it to crash on the two missions I made; a MP domination-style mission and an SP antiaircraft mission, probably because I don't have the patience to play a vanilla mission for 4 hours (it won't crash if you just leave it running afk). So should I make a ticket on the CIT when I haven't been able to rule out these missions as the cause? Edit: After nearly 3 weeks I finally found the most common cause of the crashes; AI having ACE_DogTags in their inventory while entering combat (or sighting an enemy). It won't crash if they are in a vehicle, but will the instant they get out. I removed the details from above since they were mostly about this crash, but this still doesn't explain the crashes on the other mission, which doesn't use ACE. Yet more testing is required....and remember, ACE_DogTags = death. ArmA2 v1.07 OS: Vista Home Premium SP1 x64 Video: ATI Radeon HD3870 512VRAM v8.762 (Catalyst version 10.8) Audio: ATI integrated v6.57.0.6607 Processor: AMD Phenom 9600 x4 2.30 GHz RAM: 4094MB (Nothing overclocked)

Alright thanks for the info, I can now complete my l33t weaponset system. My best guess what was happening is that my weaponset global includes the return from ACE_fnc_ruckWeaponsList, which gets the array from the unit's ruck contents variable. And when you put an item in your rucksack and save the weapon set, then take the item out, ACE_fnc_removeWepFromRuck would set the count to 0 on its own local copy of the ruck contents, which also changed the count nested 3 deep inside my weaponset array. Scripting is so much fun sometimes! ...And I fixed the whole thing by adding a space and a plus sign!

I wanted to ask about some strange links Iv found beween copies of an array when using the "set" command. They've been causing my endless problems for the last two days. It seems that whenever an array (apparently not any other data type) is copied, it retains some kind of link with its original, when you use the "set" function on the new copy, it also changes the original. As with the following code: _var = [10]; _newVar = _var; _newVar set [0, 20]; hint format ["%1 - %2", _var, _newVar]; Logic would suggest that it would show "[10] - [20]" when in fact it shows "[20] - [20]", where set is apparently changing "_var" as well. It also does this across different scripts when var is a global and _newVar is local, and through set/getVariables such as in: _var = [10]; player setVariable ["testv", _var, false]; _newVar = player getVariable "testv"; _newVar set [0, 20]; hint format ["%1 - %2", _var, _newVar]; //Hint is [20] - [20] It also does this when the original array is included in another array, changing both the original and the one in the larger array: _var = [10]; _var2 = [10]; _var2 = _var2 + [_var]; _newVar = _var; _newVar set [0, 20]; hint format ["%1 - %2 - %3", _var, _var2, _newVar]; //Hint is [[20] - [10,[20]] - [20] I haven't been able to break this dependency with "private" or by running it in call or spawn, the only way seems to be to create an whole new array, there are two ways Iv found to do this. Ether create a new one and copy all the elements into it with select: _newVar = [_var select 0, _var select 1, etc]; Or copy the array, then convert it to a string and then back to an array before using "set": _newVar = _var; _newVar = call compile str _var; Hope that helps, and I wanted to ask if anyone else has noticed this? Iv spent the last two years scripting missions for ArmA and ArmA2 and this is the first time Iv had a problem with it. If anyone else can verify this it would be helpful to post a note on the wiki.

Thanks for the reply, Iv used set a lot but I guess its never altered other variables in a way that was noticable. By the way, are other data types also saved in that way, where the variables are just pointers?

I also wrote this script to show the FPS while in game in the editor, it helps with adjusting your graphics settings and seeing what causes lag. Copy and paste this into the "Initilization" field of any unit (probably the player unit) in the editor and Preview it, its returns your average FPS for the last 16 frames, every second. call {[] spawn {while {true} do {hint format ["%1", diag_FPS]; sleep 1}}}

I hope it is at exactly 6:00 PST cause I have to leave for work a exactly that...mabey 10 min later lol. Otherwise Ill miss out on 7 hours of download time!

As for the civilian cars, I ment that for the randomly spawned city targets (as in nobody is going to drive from Bangango if Cayo is the next target), if you are going with the linier Evo method, are you including new citys or sticking with the original ones? For the revive script: I was using ACE as an example, it has a very good revive system but I think the time you have to revive someone is too long, it dosent really keep people together. As for the ACE mod: I think that missions should be made for the unmodded game first then mabey be ported to a mod. I really like that idea about the civilians, Domination does that but you only lose 1 point so you can kill them for fun lol. It is possible to put enemy (and mabey civilians too) inside buildings without having an active script running, you just put a section in the city spawn script that finds buildings, checks if they are go-in-able, picks random positions, and creates units in them. The only thing you need to track is the marker names and numbers so that you can delete them when the city is captured. If you want I can give you a copy of my city spawn script from Kill Stuff, its about 150 lines long so I wont post it here right now.

Basically what we all seem to be talking about is a version of Evo that is more like Domination. In case you havnt played it, here is a summary: There is only 4 blackhawks and some repair/ammo trucks at base that respawn if destroyed, all vehicle are drivable from the start but they can only be obtained as random rewards for clearing citys. All weapons are unlocked. All vehicles can be repaired by airlifting them to the wreck station at airbase. There are 2 MHQs that can be airlifted via BH, you can load an ammo box in them and drop it. Players can teleport between MHQs and airbase and can also para. Citys are populated with enemy at random, one at a time, there are also random side missions that come up for extra vehicle rewards. Citys are reinforced via Mi-17 until the radio tower is destroyed with satchels. The enemy also occasonally attacks the airbase. Most people play Domination with ACE mod. In case you havnt played it I hope that gives you some ideas. The only part I dont like about it is the side missions, they tend to split the team up. I belive that there should only be one target at a time since the server populations tend to be so low. As for the proposals: New Map: I would suggest just keeping Sahrani and making more attackable citys, mainly just to avoid the time cost of making a map. I think Evo just seemed repetitive because we were restricted to a limited "path" from city to city that never changed. It would be better to use the Domination model and do random single citys at a time. Civilian Vehicles: I dont think it matters much if they are removed from the target citys, as the distance between random target citys is usually too long to bother driving. Respawning vehicles: Hmm this one is tricky...Vehicles, especally powerful ones, should be a rarity. I think that both the Domination and Warfare models work well, either you get random vehicles as rewards, or you buy certain vehicles with reward money, physically locking vehicles until the player has achieved rank tends to promote grinding tactics (i.e HMMWV Mk19 on the hill with FARP). But simply allowing anyone to drive a reward vehicle regardless of rank wouldnt really be Evolution would it? (Though everyone seems to play unlocked servers anyway). Anyone else got ideas on this? As for removing the massive number of rank 1 vehicles at airbase; good idea, now everyone wont be taking their own HMMWV. US as BLUFOR: OPFOR dosent have enough equipment to be player side, the game was really designed to be played as US. RACS is basiclly US with different uniforms...ya I would stick with US Dropping side missions: Good idea, they didnt help in Evo, and they somtimes split the team up in Domination, with such low server populations you want to concentrate all the players at one spot. Support: I agree that every player should not have the ability to call in strikes, and that the ICBM and chemical bombs were a bit over the top. I guess what I would suggest is the method I used in a singleplayer version of Evo I made for myself called Kill Stuff. Which is that artillery strikes with different munitions can be called in from a single moveable radio placed at the FOB (later). These strikes would have a relitivly long reuse timer to prevent overuse like on Domination, and to increase the "wow factor" when one is actually called in. In addition you said removing MHQs and HALO. I think that removing HALO is a good idea because if anyone wants to para they should do it out of a player-controlled aircraft (hopefully with other players). Completly removing MHQs though tends to make the trip back after a death pretty tedious, and is only really good for the pilots flying taxi. My suggestion would also be the method I used in Kill Stuff, which is to make a single MHQ, but it isnt an M113, I used a small camp with a couple tents, an ammo box, and the aformentioned support radio to make a forward operating base, the camp could be moved by the player via action, but in this case it should probably be moved by loading it into a vehicle. If it is destroyed (mabey if command tent is destroyed?) it respawns at base. Limited lives: I dont really see the need for this one, just because Iv never seen limited lives or suicide tactics have an affect gameplay, and limiting it to 10 lives really just makes death that much more bitter (and if you will notice, most people disconnect just after they die). Revive: Probably the best single way to promote co-op gameplay, definitly use this. ACE mod incorporates it by default and it definitly promotes teamplay and communication, although you dont want to make it 100% effective, because that will promote suicide tactics if someone knows they can just get revived Battlefield-style. Gear selection: Really I never saw a need to lock gear at all in Evo, no single weapon is really that much more effective then any other (i.e, the Barrette .50 cal is about as effective as the M24). The exeption is the launchers like the Javelin, I would suggest limiting the ammo for these like Domination does instead of preventing players from using them altogether, but once again, I guess unlocking the weapons wouldnt make this "Evolution". As for satchel charges, they are good for more then just demo'ing the tower (like respawning helos) and I dont see the need to limit it to one per person (exept for the bridge blowing of course, though Iv never seen that happen). Also, there are 15 satchel charges in ammo trucks by default, if you are limiting them, make sure to take those out. AI: Your idea of a max of 2 AI with no medics is good, wanna avoid that AI "spam" that makes it feel like a singleplayer game. A few suggestions: 1) Use the Domination model of TK notifying, the game system sucks and will report players dieing in another players helo crash as a TK. Domination uses a hint message whenever a player is TK'ed, telling everyone who it was, this works better because it only reports it as TK when it really was a TK. I havnt seen the code, but Im guessing it goes somthing like this: player1 addEventHandler ["killed", "_this call playerTK"]; V //PlayerTK if ((_this select 1) != (_this select 0)) then {(use broadcast hint to notify)}; 2) Mabey write the city spawning script so that is puts enemy units inside buildings (some of them at least), it is fun to clear buildings even though the AI tend to suck in them. It would be harder to clear a city though, since you would have to search them all...mabey mark occupied buildings on the map via script. 3) One thing I did on Kill Stuff was use GameLogics in potential enemy citys to mark good locations for static weapons, like at the end of streets, alleyways, hilltops, etc. Have the script search for and put static weapons on random gamelogics so they arnt so...you know...random. Finally, I wanted to ask if you are going to port this mission to ArmA2 (10 days!!). I plan on getting ArmA2 and would really like to see an improved version of Evo to really make it co-op. Anyone else have opinions on these suggestions?

(Sorry about the book-length post but I have way too much time on my hands until ArmA2 is out) Like just about everyone else in ArmA, I basiclly just played Evo, and still do...when I can find a server under 250 ping... I thought Evo was the best mission because, unlike the others, its scale actually matched that of the game world, and because it gave you the oppertunity to play any role you want. You could do anything from cappin AI with an MP5 to getting shot out of a repair truck by some random AI they had missed when the town was captured. Basiclly, I liked Evo because it encompassed everything the game had to offer; every town, vehicle, and weapon (BLUFOR at least), into one mission. I will agree, however, that the mission design did not encourage teamplay at all. Why sneak into a city with your squad of other players to destroy the radio tower when you can kamakazi in there with a hmmwv and a satchel charge? Why escort your teamates into the city in your tank when you can rank up faster sitting outside the town on that hill? I can think of a few things that can be fixed in Evo to increase the teamwork and make it more "realistic". The best fix would just be adding revive, Iv only played on a few revive servers but it does seem to keep everyone together, especally if someone can only be revived by a medic. This gives an advantage to teamplay that people actually care about, when you get taken out by an AI with a AK-47 at 800 meters you might not have to wait for the chopper ride back, if the medic gets to you fast enough (i.e is nearby). The second biggest one is what I call "VEHICLE OVERLOAD". Why wait for the guy flying transport to get back when you can just take your own helo? Theres another tank in the hangar, Im sure nobody will care if I take this one for myself...Basiclly, I think there are too many vehicles in Evo, not too many types of vehicles, just numerically too many that anyone can use. Once you have ranked up by sitting on that hill outside Paraiso with a Hmmwv Mk19, you can use any vehicle you want, which dosent really promote teamplay, and isnt very realistic. I would really like to see Evo as more of a role-based mission, where the role that you pick on the login screen (or picked in-game via a dialogue, which might be better since it wouldnt put hard limit on the number of role slots) actually determines what you do in the mission. After all, Cobra pilots are not typically cross-trained as tank crewmen. Armored vehicle crewmen drive the tanks, pilots fly the planes, infantry get access to more weapons and equipment, specilized infantry get access to other options like building the FARPs, MASHs, sandbags, morters, howitzers and other static weapons and what not, depending on role. This dosent mean that there couldnt be any "ranking up", as Cionara said; it could be a team rank-up, an escalation in the war, achieved by capturing citys and doing side-missions (not kills), with the pilots having access to better planes and infantry having access to better weapons and so on, I think the rank mechanic was important, as it gave you somthing to work toward, other then the end of the mission that could be days away. Finally, I think the scripted airstrikes and AI-squad-summon functions should go. With the many new vehicles and weapons in the game the air and artillery can be handled by players and would make the mission far more cooperative. I also think that every player should not have the ability to make an AI squad, this leave absolutly no advantage to joining a player squad, the ability to create AI should be reserved for those playing the squad leader role, and other players should only be able to join squad leaders. There wouldnt be a set limit on the number of squad leaders, or any role for that matter, how many play each role should be a matter for the players to decide. After playing tons of Evo, and even making my own custom single-player version of it (after learning how to script and spending hundreds of hours writing it), I think these are the some of the most important revisions that could be made, and hope they serve as useful suggestions to other mission-writers when ArmA2 is released.