oktane

This is what I was getting at too, he is right that DirectSound and any form of 'hardware acceleration' is dead. So wasting precious CPU cycles is not really an issue because you have multicore etc. Sound cards eating cpu was an issue in the late 90's, not so much today. Alchemy and 3dSoundBack(for realtek) both use the cpu to act as a gobetween, to convert old directsound calls to modern audio api. So your point about the cpu usage is moot imo. I realize you already have the card, but you could give it a shot if you are having problems until the next patch comes out. (They have stated they have fixed the issue) Or you could give up on BIS. Honestly I am willing to bend around any issues they throw at me just to play this game because I understand small game developers. They have very limited resources including hardware testing and QA. I am totally happy they redesigned the audio engine to a modern API. If they hadn't we'd still have shitty OFP sound that crackled with audigy cards and we'd have to run lame stuff like Alchemy and 3dsound back for anyone with a modern operating system. (these apps are hacky and buggy, they use DLL hooks to operate) They were also forced to redesign the sound so that it was supported on console systems, XAudio2 is cross platform Windows/360. I have a realtek onboard ALC889A, 7.1 analog out and it sounds phenomenal, no popping and total surround sound bliss. (after I fixed my one issue) I could care less if it costs a few cpu cycles, it is the way of the future flexibility, hardware acceleration is dead. (and that's a good thing) Why do you think creative was so pissed when Vista came out and stalled and stalled on the first drivers. It made all their gimmicks worthless. On top of that, they are a horrible company, many have been burned by them (myself included) but they are the biggest 'enthusiast' sound manuf in town unfortunately. Also that DDLive/DTS encoder is software too. :D It compresses the 6 audio streams (5.1) so it can be carried over SPDIF PCM. My realtek supports it but I don't use it since DD/DTS do not support 7.1 over SPDIF. (the protocol isn't meant or capable of it, HDMI or Analog cables are required) DRM is not why they dumped it imo, but that is off topic. I think it had more to do with that it was very freaking old and janky. Now things sound the same no matter what card you have, and thats the way it should be. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Technical_features_new_to_Windows_Vista#Audio

Those with old Creative cards: Onboard sound works great guys. No need for creative stuff really, unless your onboard is really bad. Been this way for quite a while, realtek is pretty good nowadays.

Discussing it here, whining about it etc, won't cause anything to happen. You could: -Report it to the bug tracker and wait for a dev response as was suggested before by multiple people. -Make your own video game which is 100% realistic, good luck with that.

Please read the thread before you post, he's said repeatedly that it doesn't work yet for vegetation. You're welcome to experiment yourself by editing the configs located inside of the PBO files in the first post.

Its true, the reload animation isn't sent over the network. It's a bug or design decision, you won't know until you report it to the bug tracker.

To get around this, simply launch the steam version first. Then import the reg key containing your other key and run the other version. The key is checked and stored in memory at game start (during or close to when you see the checkmarks) Details: What you should do when you get and install any BIS game is extract the registry of the game, under \HKEYLOCALMACHINE\Software\Bohemia Interactive Studio\Arma 2\ If you have x64 windows, its \HKEYLOCALMACHINE\Software\Wow6432Node\Bohemia Interactive Studio\Arma 2\ There are two values in there, KEY which represents your encoded CDKEY and determines your player id, and MAIN which should point to your game install directory. So for your dilemma, you need to close steam, install the dvd version, and immediately extract the registry (right click on Arma 2 folder in regedit and choose export) when its done and save it as non-steam_arma2.reg. Then run steam and you'll see that it all gets overwritten... (press f5 to refresh regedit) So make a batch file that launches your DVD version. In your DVD version's arma directory: Copy the reg file that you made before to the directory. Make a new text file called arma2.txt. Rename it to arma2.bat. Right click, edit and put this in it: regedit /s non-steam_arma2.reg arma2.exe -nosplash %1 Now make a shortcut to this batchfile on your desktop and you can use it like you normally would. If you needed to load a mod, thats why the %1 is in there, you can call the batch file with arma2.bat -mod=@HappyFunMod -window or any other commands you need. To verify it works, the two different games should have different player id's in the profile screen. If you'd like to have different profiles for each instance, you can also use the -profile switch.

You answered your own question. :) Any decent server is going to have sig checks on. This doesn't break patching if the users put the old file back before they patch. That's why they make a backup. Besides that, steam users can 'verify game files' very easily and fix any problems. I'd agree with you if this was for the DVD version, but its not. Steam is robust and will fix 'incorrect' files come patch time. I wound make an addon but I haven't had the time to dick around with getting 1.02 and doing a diff. And then it would have to be signed, and distributed. People still would not be able to play on certain servers who didn't have my server key, etc. ---------- Post added at 05:28 PM ---------- Previous post was at 05:25 PM ---------- Hello. I would suggest you not use the fixed files then, but thanks for reporting the issue. Can you tell me your region so I can update the first post? (what country is your steam version from?) I am not missing any screens or anything, I use the US Steam version. The files files between regions are usually different in small ways.

THIS IS FOR STEAM USERS ONLY This fixes the error you get about missing file when you are in the slot selection screen. It also is an improved interface. This is an official BIS file so you are not technically modifying your game by installing it. It just didn't make it in the STEAM patch for some reason. If you need to put it back to stock for some reason, just delete the files and put back the .bak's you made. The error is No entry 'bin\config.bin/RscDisplayMultiplayerSetup/controls/CA_B_West.sideToggle'. * Close the game * Go to your ArmA2 directory in Windows Explorer * Enter the 'Addons' directory, where all the BIS pbo's are * Rename the two files ui.pbo and ui.pbo.bi.bisign to ui.pbo.bak and ui.pbo.bi.bisign.bak **if you cannot see the file extensions .pbo and .bisign then see below to enable file extensions * Download the files listed below and extract them into the same directory. (you should not be asked to overwrite) * You should no longer get the error. DOWNLOAD http://www.mediafire.com/download.php?jqytjztnwj2 (Thanks to Helious for download link) **To enable file extensions: * Click Start, Click Control Panel * Double click 'Folder Options' * Click the View tab on the window that just opened * Under the large list of 'Advanced Options', find 'Hide extensions for known file types' and uncheck that box. * Click OK and resume the instructions Original Thread: http://forums.bistudio.com/showthread.php?p=1406117#post1406117 Bug: http://dev-heaven.net/issues/show/3432 Thanks to ViperMaul, [ice] and Helious

Thanks! I made a thread in the troubleshooting forum thanks to your download. http://forums.bistudio.com/showthread.php?t=84176

You could use: http://www.hlsw.org/ If you don't want to install something, use: http://www.game-monitor.com/GameSearch/arma/Armed_Assault.html (works for Arma2 also) or http://arma2.swec.se/server/list Or make a shortcut to your favorite game server: http://community.bistudio.com/wiki/ArmA:_Startup_Parameters -connect= Client-side, server to connect to. -port= Port to host dedicated server on. -password= Password to join dedicated server. Their time is better spent improving the engine instead of nonsensical usability improvements!

These files don't work, they download OK but they aren't the correct version. The correct one is 21,792,365 bytes. Thanks anyways though.

That file exists in the structures.pbo, you might try to reinstall the game. Unless there is another report of it I would guess that it is somehow on your end. Thanks

Hopefully this will be a sticky. Please keep this clean so the devs can rectify the problems. What this thread is for: Bugs specifically introduced by the 1.03 patch. What this thread is not for: Requests, wishes, bugs not introduced by 1.03, complaints and whining. If you are unsure if the bug was introduced in version 1.03, do not post. If you do not have a relevant bug to add or correction to make, please do not post. Audio engine problems (crackling, popping, distortion) (Mod said it has been rectified and will be in next patch) Smoke grenades no longer work properly, the grenade disappears immediately on hitting the ground. http://dev-heaven.net/issues/show/3430 Missing dialog resources for MP roster screen (steam only) http://dev-heaven.net/issues/show/3432 user made hotfix ->(files needed) Warning Message: No entry 'bin\config.bin/RscDisplayMultiplayerSetup/controls/CA_B_West.sideToggle'. Warning Message: No entry 'bin\config.bin/RscDisplayMultiplayerSetup/controls/CA_B_East.sideToggle'. Warning Message: No entry 'bin\config.bin/RscDisplayMultiplayerSetup/controls/CA_B_Guerrila.sideToggle'. Warning Message: No entry 'bin\config.bin/RscDisplayMultiplayerSetup/controls/CA_B_Civilian.sideToggle'. Arty Module Broken: MLRS and Grad targeting do not work anymore http://dev-heaven.net/issues/show/3685 Missing some map icons 'No entry bin\config.bin/RscTitles/RscArtyMap/Task.IconCreated' also in http://dev-heaven.net/issues/show/3685 XML errors in server.rpt http://dev-heaven.net/issues/show/3474 Campaign mission has immortal man Prizrak/Fydor http://dev-heaven.net/issues/show/3419 Streaming causing studdering http://dev-heaven.net/issues/show/3421 Please send more, in the mean time I'll try to find a copy of 1.02 and do a diff for specific files that have gone missing.:( Relevant portions of arma2.rpt concerning missing files from the stock game may be helpful. (not from custom missions though) Mods: If this thread is redundant, please close it. I did not see another one, and the feedback threads are much too long for the devs to read. (as stated by a dev) Thanks!

Search function yo! :bounce3: http://forums.bistudio.com/showpost.php?p=1399212&postcount=6

Updated post. Just decompress, and run the shortcut, and the application will start. It will just play a helicopter sound and you can move around the source of the helicopter sounds with WASD keys. You will notice it coming from the rear of you if you move the red square to the lower part of the grid. (providing you have rear speakers)

This is awesome work. I didn't notice an appreciable FPS drop and my old 8800GTS is running at the borderline so if it had, I would have noticed. Really makes flying cool, much less pop-in noticed.

Lead, I believe the problems are in 1.03 itself. There may be two separate unrelated problems that lead to distortion. One, which has a workaround, is the default voice/communication issue. And the other is, no idea because I didn't experience it yet. But I encourage people to try the testing app I compiled here, it tests if your XAudio2 is functioning correctly. (works for both stereo and surround, makes sure your directx is working otherwise it wont run) Its from the DirectX SDK, a sample application from it. You can read about my issue here (concerning surround sound) And for DirectX, you can also use DXSetup from microsoft, which will download the correct files for you.

I am disappointed that the tickets were closed because you can 'Turn off PP'. BIS's shaders are cool and I want them, I just can't stand the nauseating blur... There are functions to disable shaders in the code already(look in the UI.pbo), why can't they just disable that one (or two) shaders that make up the motion blur specifically? It is not feasible to edit bin.pbo just to do this, disassembing and recompiling shader code is pretty difficult! (gratz to Keg for succeeding in 1.01) Plus you'll get kicked in MP for having those core files modified.

Yes when you set your speakers as the default communication device, the phone icon disappears, yet it is still set as the default communication device I think. There is only room for one icon so it displays the Checkmark, which means default playback device. I'm glad it helped!

This issue, afaik, has existed since OFP. I thought it was just my machines! This is a guess of how it appears to work internally, when buggered: The volume sliders appear to be 'ratios' instead of actual volume controls. Unless both are at 0, they always equal 100%. To control the actual volume, you have to use the windows slider. Example, if both are set to the same setting, the volume is equal.. guns and voice are the same volume. It does not matter if they are BOTH at 25% or 75%, the final volume will be the same. However, if you lower one slider, that one will be quieter in relation to the unlowered one, and therefore quieter in the final volume. In other words, the highest set slider is always 100% of the FINAL volume. Weird huh? Thats just my observation, could be wrong but it seems like thats how it works. It must be triggered by something but I don't know what. I don't have the issue with ArmA2 yet, the sliders work as they should. But I am familiar with your problem from OFP. Sorry this doesn't help much but you can control the sounds from an app separately in Windows Vista and 7

Here is my contribution to the sound issues discussion, concerning multichannel sound being stuffed up. And a testing application to verify your sound works. The test program uses the same audio API as Arma2 does. http://forums.bistudio.com/showpost.php?p=1399212&postcount=6 If anyone wants to mirror the app and sticky, that would be cool.

Try the app I compiled in this thread http://forums.bistudio.com/showpost.php?p=1399212&postcount=6 It may help you diagnose your sound issues without having to launch the game every time. It uses the same audio engine as the game.

Might be a fix for distortion, wrong sounds coming out of speakers: http://forums.bistudio.com/showpost.php?p=1399212&postcount=6

I had this too, Distorted sounds, coming out of the wrong speakers. (example put a M1 infront of you, tread noises come out back speakers, engine bass out fronts no matter where you are looking, clicking, tearing, horrible LOUD sounds) I fixed it by setting, under Playback, my SPEAKERS as a default communication device. If the default communication devices is set to my headset(which is the logical choice), it goes apeshit. I tested every option I could think of, and that communications (telephone icon) setting is the only one that causes it to go crazy. (bitrate, exclusive priority, effects, all work fine) I believe the equivalent to this setting in XP, is the VOICE tab under Sounds and Audio Devices. This may be a game bug, or the xAudio2 libs are broke in some way that concerns that setting. I will download the DirectX SDK and see if the positional xAudio samples work fine, if so then its a BIS BUG. (see edit, it is) Windows7 final (msdn) Realtek HDAudio driver ver 6.0.1.5898 7.1 surround via analog cables to Yamaha RX-V663 Profile: // doesn't matter if they are set to 1 or 0, that I can tell. They are probably ignored since there is no need to support hardware limited EAX nor is there hardware acceleration in xAudio2. Someone correct me if these settings actually have an effect. (on different OS's perhaps?) soundEnableEAX=0; soundEnableHW=0; Note: If you have a creative labs card, DO NOT USE CMSS. This is not surround sound in any way, its taking front speakers and copying them to the rest. You want pure 4.1, 5.1, or 7.1, unadultarated surround sound without Creative gimmics enabled. --------------------------------------------------------- Edit: After testing with XAudio2Sound3D sample (I had to edit some things in it to remove the reverb SourceVoice code because it crashed) it seems clear that the problem is not in XAudio2. It appears by mistake BIS is pulling some properties of the default VOICE/Communications device and trying to render the main audio device with those caps. This could be number of channels, bitrate, etc. In other words, it is probably trying to open up the default sound device with the default communication device's capabilities. This is not a hardware problem, nor an OS problem, it's a ArmA2 problem. Here is the sample I used, compiled and ready to test positional audio, along with the source code: http://www.506th-pir.org/scripts/oktane/XAudio2MultiChanTest.rar

Hello Some of the things you circled are shadows, whos grainyness (stairstepping) is determined by the shadow quality setting. The pole white 'aura' is a shader bug/limitation, not on your part, but on the part of the method they used in the game.. it is miscalculating material based lighting/glossyness I think. You can also see white 1px lines around things that are long and skinny such as the cannon on the AH1. There is an algorithm and method to avoid this kind of unwanted shader artifact which i mentioned to Suma in a PM but i do not know if they will ever implement it, never heard back. This kind of 'error' is not really an error as so much as a trend of current shader tech and how long you want to spend and how many resources you want to use to make it look 100% perfect. You can overcome it but you'll pay in other areas.