Cannon Fodder

Ahah, sorry Budd, didn't understand the question. There is no hard cover for the squad in the movie to position themselves behind, really, and still be able to assault the enemy. So, in short, I don't know! With regards to the bullet 'crack', it definitely occurs JUST as the tracers fly past, and with the modelled speed of sound, the rifle's report comes JUST after. So the sequence goes 1. crack+tracer streaming past 2. rifle report. Very interesting. Anybody notice everyone's speaking English? You can hear the OPFOR squad replacing their leader after he is shot ("...taking command") and orders to target, shouting where the enemy is. It is obviously the radio commands but spoken outside of the radio channel, so you can actually HEAR a squad communicating. Very impressive! EDIT: You can HEAR the enemy squad - from the video, some of their communication comes through the right sound channel AND at a distance to the other squad chatter (OPFOR) coming through the left sound channel (as they are just to the player's left) AND they are louder. You can hear the enemy squad say "4 is down!" in the video at about 19 seconds in. Man, I'm learning so much more from these videos than the myriad previews we've had! EDIT 2: We see 4 of the OPFOR run into the small square - I believe the video is 4 vs 4. 1 is felled by an enemy rifle burst about 3 seconds in. 2 and 3 move up, covering each other, towards the enemy. The last we see of 4 is he is crawling back towards the player's (observer) position. Listening to the where the sounds he is producing come from, he moves from left to right channel at the BASE of the screen. You can also hear his heavy breathing. I believe he is moving from left to right and is CROSSING the road in the centre of the screen while prone, which would be a very sensible place to move to cover the other 2 squad members.

Budd - Yes, they are covering each other consistently. It is not as though, by some happy coincidence, the AI seems to be covering the sector that their squadmate advances into - they ARE covering each other consistently. It is plain to see and when you get to download the video, you'll realise it as well.

It's not you, Kirq. He definitely goes down AFTER the animation finishes playing. The 3 round burst that kills him actually arrives at between 3 and 4 seconds into the video - he actually falls at about 7 seconds. I can live with this, though.

Ah right, now I see, the lead guy DOES get his binox out, well spotted oneoff. Fatal mistake! I can forgive that purely on the grounds that it SEEMS like a relatively innocuous thing to do. Stupid, definitely, but not unbelievable. Still, I hope that it is patched to the point where a soldier with binox does not get them out when spotting a foe under 50m away.

That second video was excellent, Shadak, exactly what I wanted to see. It's plain to see that the AI only moves up once it is covered by another AI. That is a massive step forward, it really is. They are also amazingly aggressive - the speed at which they advance upon the US forces is frightening, and the use of grenades to flush is fearsome. One thing I don't understand, though. The first OPFOR to run up and attempt to engage the US seems to stop, while stood, and execute what looks to be a reloading animation. He is cut down when it finishes. Is this a bug, perhaps?

Ok, thank you for providing confirmation. I just worry that someone might have seen that and thought the enemy AI to be unresponsive by default. It is nice to know that is not the case.

Remember the release of OFP back in July? The USA eventually got their release in the September of that year, and the improvements made to the game in the period between the EU release and the US one were wide reaching and improved the game immeasurably. Joystick support? More units for BOTH sides? An updated and expanded campaign? Improved multiplayer capability? Just think what we'll get in the 2007 edition!

Anyone notice in that video that the enemy appear to be on 'careless'? They are patrolling in single file through the centre of that village. The player's team are in plain sight. When no.2 opens up on his first target, there is no return fire - all rounds fired are from the US. 2 proceeds to fire with impunity at the various targets in front of him, and even manages to get a grenade thrown without reply (any fire you see come past him are tracers from the soldier to his rear, on the left of the player). Further into the video, through the gap in the fence, you notice the rest of the enemy unit STILL patrolling with their weapons in a safe position and walking as if nothing has happened - who are promptly cut down by the player's squad. I strongly suspect that video was set up to showcase the movements of the player's AI against a soft target, and does not demonstrate how the enemy AI would react against such a threat.

In order of preference... Detailed, large scale map Bound and extensive manual Soundtrack Nice packaging (i.e. Oblivion) Clothing Really, the top two would be enough to justify the purchase. Anything else is a bonus.

Posted by Evzenek in the 'User Missions' folder to showcase his new mission: Very impressive looking environment.

Is this a hatchet job on BIS? Who in their right mind would review a game on quite frankly marginal hardware, that CLEARLY has problems rendering the game, and post screenshots of that in action?! Then complain about it crashing their computer when they're struggling to render it? AND STILL GIVE IT A LOW SCORE?! In what way, shape or form does that review represent an accurate portrayal of the game? Simply; it doesn't.

http://www.pcgames.de/screenshots/medium/armed_assault007.jpg (+100K) Looks like depth of field has been added to conventional sighting systems. Excellent.

What's this fellow about? Are they wound decals or just replacement textures? And is he wearing a balaclava? His head seems to be green. From the Armed Assault.net website...

No, he's saying that the technology to do it in a game of ArmA's size would need to be so advanced that it would require a supercomputer to handle it. He's essentially saying that not only do you have the mere calculation of the dynamic destruction, but the capability of AI to interpret it and the possibility in multiplayer for all players to see the same dynamic destruction. For christ's sake, cut the guys some slack. No other game has got anywhere near what the BIS guys are producing, and you want a highly experimental and incredibly complicated dynamic destruction process that would most likely choke the life out of your computer? Be realistic! While I agree the current model of destruction could use some tweaking to make the transition that little bit more visually appealling (perhaps slow down the building's descent and add more smoke to mask the transition?), it is more than adequate for our needs and not only that crucially does not destroy your computer. Just imagine setting off 10 satchels in a town with dynamic destruction! It would most likely set your computer on fire! Guys, keep up the good work.

That's a revelation! This is very important news for map and mission editors everywhere! Man, when people were given press copies to preview, why didn't we get crucial and genuinely ground breaking information like this?! I definitely think it's time to provide a DECENT fan site, who have actually played the original game for more than 5 minutes, with the press demo so we get previews that don't tell us exactly the same irrelevant information every time and INSTEAD give us incredibly useful and exciting tidbits like this.

This is from that thread... And I do think there are a few replaced on the one I have, just not all (and I don't think the most common ones have been replaced, which is a shame). Thanks for trying, though.

The Malden trees do not seem to be replaced, unfortunately, which is a shame. I guess there are no resistance equivalents for them. It's no great loss though - I'd much rather have these low quality ones than the Berghoff ones. No disrespect, but the LODs are all over the shop and the forests are horrible for fighting in. They look bloody amazing, though.

Ver nice work - and I recommend anyone try this process for the optimum of performance and quality: Firstly download and install the low def island replacement pack from the FFUR site that replaces the islands textures with Resistance equivalents and Resistance trees. One done, now install this pack as texture replacement only. I found that Berghoff's trees were fairly un-optimised and a liability for forest fighting. This gives me the balance of functionality and visual quality I need.

No, this isn't to do with attempting to get more server hosts or even to get more players into games. It's simply to do with the vast amount of ridiculous CQB maps doing the rounds on multiplayer at the moment - the tight, object heavy desert island based affairs that are, I find, the absolute antithesis of what this game should be about. Ok, fair enough, Flashpoint is a jack of all trades and can handle CQB relatively well (although certainly not perfectly), but to restrict such a glorious engine, capable of so much and has the potential for really magical multiplayer moments, to running and gunning with a G36K on a bland and featureless map... is criminal. The problem I have with the majority of these maps is that they reduce Flashpoint's tactical gameplay (the use of cover, concealment, choosing the right armament, positioning, teamwork) to that of a common corridor shooter. You normally have, in these maps, 3 or 4 routes to your goal, 1 central area with 2 side paths either side. It's bland, boring, and generic. You've played one of these maps - you've played them all. Not only that, but prepare to be using an awful lot of the G36K. You've been warned. Not only that, but most of these maps have next to no protection against some serious spawn camping - with narrow 'gates' through which teams can run into the spawn area, all it requires is 2 players either side of these gates to mow down an entire team (if adequately covering each other). Not my idea of fun. One of the many reasons these maps fail is that they rely upon one facet of Flashpoint - that of getting into a firing position from running. Most players of these maps, upon spawning, switch straight to crouch. They run around the map - towards the enemy - until either a) they get into a position from which the enemy will approach, and fire rounds at them or b) see an enemy and then fire rounds at them. Such is the nature of CQB in flashpoint, its normally a case of who gets to their knees first, the first to get into firing position. While it's still reactions that dominate, you literally cannot fire back if somebody has entrenched themselves and you have to get to them - you cannot edge out, due to the imprecise nature of moving small distances in flashpoint while aiming, not only that, but also the horrendous collision detection and the 'corner exploit' of using the ironsights while crouched. You aim down the weapon's sight while your head is 6 inches away, behind a corner. All that is exposed is the weapon, and your ability to fire at somebody while they can't fire at you. Most clan play, I am sorry to see, is based around these maps in Flashpoint. It's depressing to see such a glorious simulation of military operations reduced to a corridor shooter, where death is unimportant as there's another respawn in 10 seconds, where you'll never use a weapon other than the G36K, where running around buildings and sandbags on desert island is a multiplayer staple. It's not all bad, there are some maps based in small village-like affairs with cover, some foliage occasionally, maybe even a little woodline for you to use, but playing on these is a rarity, and seems to be the maps used for some variety, soon to be returned to the desert island again. This is just ridiculous. I played a game with one of the desert map staples. He did rather well in that game. After most people left, I was voted in as admin. I started a sniper map. I spent most of the match explaining to him what an M21 was and what 'bullet dip' was. I had to explain to a player of Operation Flashpoint, who I have seen on the servers regularly, how to use a sniper rifle, how to stay in concealment when firing. That is a sorry situation. I myself have resigned myself to playing either MFCTI, Battlefield 1985 maps, or Co-op. Occasionally you'll get a really good idea, like the hunt the serial killer map (if anyone's played this) where Nogova is open and serial killers have to kill (when they do their position is telegraphed to the other team, acting as police) and blend in. I drove down a highway while the police team chopper flew overhead, unawares I was the killer because I feigned being AI, driving slowly with my lights on. Another fantastic moment. After that I ditched the car and hid in some woods while they put the searchlight on and hunted me. Thrilling. This is the potential that is lacking in these maps! In short let me say this; this is a plea to those who think a good map is one where you'll only have a G36K, where you'll be running around mazes of buildings on desert island, where some godawful nu-metal or rap plays while the map is introduced, where spawn points are badly protected, where 'vehicle' is a dirty word. THINK DIFFERENTLY ABOUT MAKING AND PLAYING THESE MAPS - THERE'S SO MUCH POTENTIAL IN FLASHPOINT! You've successfully managed to turn a simulation into an arcade corridor shooter. Isn't Counter Strike enough for you?

Utterly brilliant mod - I've played through it some more today, doing Red Dawn from the CWC campaign - loving every second of my sneaky M16 Guba ambushing operation. On the new Kolgujev, with the new models and weaponary... it's fantastically atmospheric. Now, onto something you might think is a bit contentious. I think this mod surpasses ECP in all but one aspect - that of dynamic speaking AI and the radio chatter in the vehicles. It's what makes ECP what it is, for me at least. I can give or take all the other features of ECP if it wasn't for these nuggets of genius. These are all contained in .pbos in ECP's addons folder. Is there any way I could port these across in FFUR and edit the config? I'm not suggesting a release, I'm not suggesting this is the way it SHOULD be, I'm just looking for advice on how to combine two modifications (or rather, incorporate one aspect of one modification into another)... Any ideas?

There's your sniper - every other unit appears normal so why this one? The West sniper is rendered perfectly. I've put a medic next to him for comparison.

Brilliant mod, absolutely brilliant. Been playing through a few of the original campaign missions with it on this morning - it is breathtaking. I've taken a few screens (high quality) and placed them into the OFP Combat Photography thread over in GENERAL. Now, bugwatch! * Soviet Sniper has blue all over him - seems like a badly rendered alpha channel to me. Needs fixing, he sticks out like a sore thumb! * Silenced AK for the Spetznatz - the bullets hit roughly 1 and a half metres higher than the ironsights indicate. This needs fixing, ASAP, as certain Red Hammer missions are next to unplayable with the constant adjustment... it's just like the Delisle in H&D2.

Sounds like a plan... Operation underway... FFUR1985, DXDLL

Midway through the conflict, US forces retreat to their stronghold on Malden, which the Soviets chase them onto. They're being attacked further and further Northward, but plans are under way for a push back South... James Gastovski sees the need for a spec ops attack... ] FFUR1985, DXDLL

Light contacts picked up around Everon as the US attempts to withdraw, retreating soldiers chased by Soviets eager to speed up their departure... Target ID by gunsmoke... Into the Lion's Den... FFUR1985, DXDLL