King Haggis

Awww, come on man! ArmA 2 has the best terrain engine ever. It provides the ultimate playground for every form of engagement. Only thing that could be better is the viewrange, but that's not ArmA's fault. ArmA 2 has the option for very high viewranges but modern PC's can't really handle it yet. It's like Ohara says with his ArmA 2 / wine comparison. In the near future very high viewranges are easily possible. Look at ArmA 1 now. Don't go ArmA 2 terrain bashing, it's the most brilliant outdoor terrain engine I've ever seen with dense forests, rolling hills and lots of roads, villages and other details.

Hey, aren't you that guy who's on everybody's ignore list? :p

Thanks :) And you can't even lean around corners. I think Codemasters doesn't even care about their game. They didn't even give it CD keys. It's all about the money they get for the preorders. They know the game itselfs sucks but maybe they'll at least get rich before the whole world finds out. A few years ago, there was a game called Soldner. It wasn't half finished and had bugs all over but it was actually better than this new Operation Flashpoint. The game flopped bigtime and that was a shame cause I really wanted to like that game as well. Anyway, when a game is bad and developers abandon the project, it's bound to flop. But if Codemasters actually get away with this stunt they pulled and sell more copies than Soldner (which I'm afraid they already have due to all the hype, PR and pre ordered copies), todays gamers deserve nothing better than to get ripped off in future. Of course this doesn't go for all those who actually like the new Flashpoint. If you like it, you like it. It all depends on taste. If there are actually people who prefer OFP 2 over ArmA 2, well there are people who prefer a Hyundai over a Mercedes too. It's a weird world we live in. :j: If you're not sure, wait for a demo before you buy and think before you act. I bought ArmA 2 before the demo because of the excellent experience I had with its predecessors. That was a bit of a gamble too, but fortunately my instincts were correct. ArmA 2 rocks!

What's retarded about the terrain in ArmA 2? I think it's great. Much better than OFP2 and definitely "different" than OFP2! Agreed about the not very bright AI, though. But it doesn't matter. Warfare is where ArmA 2 really shines and there your real enemies are players.

My expectations for Operation Flashpoint 2 were already very low to begin with so I can't say I was very disappointed when I "played" it this afternoon. I knew Flashpoint 2 wasn't really Flashpoint 2 to begin with. ArmA 2 is really Flashpoint 2. That doesn't mean I didn't want Flashpoint 2 to be good. Of course, I had high hopes but very low expectations and, unfortunately, those expectations proved true. Oh my... what a bad, bad game this is. Can't believe I'm actually taking the time to post some feedback cause I've spent less time on better games than OFP2. Anyway, there is no freelook? There are no 3D vehicle interiors? Even if the rest was good, how can the game ever be as interesting as ArmA 2 if it lacks freelook and 3D interiors? Where's TrackIR support? Am I doing something wrong? Can't believe the hype about this game. It screws up in every department. Some people here say the sound is good but what's so good about it? ArmA 2 at least has environment sounds like birds, OFP 2 has very little of that. Also, what's the deal with the ugly landscape without forests? There are only about 1000 trees on the entire map and they all look the same. There is 1 main road going through the entire island with a very few sideroads. There are about 5 points of interest on the bland, empty island. Some factory, some fuelstation and that's about it. Everything is dead and empty here. No animals, very little environment sounds, no woods, nothing. An empty, boring world. I've seen Walmart value titles with better graphics and a more living environment. Ugly grass, ugly textures, ugly day/night transition, ugly everything. Well, at least gameplay beats graphics. Not with OFP2, unfortunately. Where's the promised war realism? War as seen through the lens or something like that? All I saw were ridiculous low detail AI soldiers shouting weird things, shooting in all directions without hitting something, dying only after 5 direct hits and their bodies disappear??? What's the point of having an assault rifle if it shoots randomly at 1mm right of your (too big, too ugly) crosshair, then the next shot 1mm left of your crosshair simultaneously? It's like it was built to miss or something. What's the deal with hardcore gameplay when you can walk up to 4 enemy soldiers, stand in front of them, shooting them in the head 2 times with a pistol without them dying, then running away to lie down behind a stone wall 1 meter from where they stand while they're just shouting and shooting and take 1000 more bullets from my 3 squadmates who are also shouting and shooting and missing? What's it with the ridiculous helicopter arcade controls? Or the buggy that will only blow up if you shoot it with an Abrams tank? Glad I didn't buy it. I played at a friend of mine who had high hopes for it as well. Uninstall is OFP2's best feature. As for ArmA 2, call me a fanboy but I think it's the best game ever, as was the original Flashpoint in it's time. Glad you won this battle BIS, there's really no competition! Back to the warfare servers for me! :bounce3:

I'm 29 and hope I'll be around long enough to play ArmA 20 and all its predecessors. Now that must be nice, holographic mindcontrol warfare or something... *snap* back to reality.

I really like the F-35 in VTOL mode. Apart from that, they are all quite nice. Only thing I miss about the jets are advanced instruments and countermeasures. Flying VFR in a fast jet is really weird. The jets in ArmA 2 are less advanced than my ultralight airplane, only they can shoot and are faster. ArmA 2 aircraft should have working MFD's and waypoint/NAV modes. Would be even more fun then but all in all, I just love ArmA 2. Infantry, tanks and flying, it's the best game ever.

Check for virusses, do a full virusscan with a good scanner. Also check for spyware by using the professional 30 day trial of superantispyware (not the free one). If it doesn't find anything, defrag your harddrive using defraggler. If that doesn't help, disable Windows Search in your services (Start -> Run -> type "services" -> goto Windows Search and set it to disabled). If that doesn't help, download Advanced System Care and make it clean up and tune your PC. Use at your own risk, it helped me gain 2 or so frames with ArmA 2. Usually when your OS needs this kind of tuning it's already running bad and needs to be reinstalled soon. I know I need to reinstall my PC but I'm waiting for Windows 7 to retail. Heard good stories about the combination ArmA 2 & Windows 7. Good luck!

Laser Mouse Logitech RX1000, nothing fancy... Keyboard Saitek Eclipse 2 Monitor Samsung 2233RZ 120Hz. 22 inch Saitek X52 Pro HOTAS joystick + throttle TrackIr 4 Pro Logitech Comfort Headset USB (for Warfare / multiplayer) Nvidia 3D goggles (but I never use em for ArmA 2)

I registered at that site but can't find much regarding ArmA II and 3D. Also, for Nvidia shutterglasses, I don't think you can get any other drivers than Nvidia's own stereo drivers. There were drivers for other 3D hardware, like you said though. Maybe that stuff works better with ArmA II than shutterglasses. To the TS: I hope you'll have fun with the cheap red/blue glasses. Maybe hitting things works better than with the shutter glasses. When/if Bohemia decides to add a 3D crosshair for ArmA II, I'll give it another try myself. :cool: In the meanwhile, I'll be keeping an eye on this thread. See if anyone else comes with tips for a better ArmA II 3D experience.

I've got the Nvidia 3D glasses. They came with my Samsung 2233RZ 120Hz. monitor. Although I really like the monitors refreshrate (games look smoother now), I can't say I'm a big fan of the 3D glasses yet. 3D looks nice in some games but after an hour of playing the initial WOW effect is gone and you'll go back to normal mode. The drivers screw up brightness and gamma settings on your display so most of the time you`ll have to uncheck the 3D mode toggle from the Nvidia control panel. I'm not a stranger to 3D glasses. Five years or so back I had Edimensional 3D shutter glasses with my 19` CRT display. It was all new and exciting then but you`ll soon get annoyed by the dimmer view through the glasses and even though they say it won't flicker with 120hz, it still does and you still get image bleeding. All in all, it's nice for a while but it's not really functional. I've tried them with ArmA II and the game is badly optimized for 3D, i.m.o. I guess they could easily fix it if they made a 3D crosshair toggle available for 3D gamers. Right now, you can't hit things properly when 3D is enabled. Also, you need to tweak the 3D view with the special keys to get the weapon you're holding to look like 1 3D weapon. Standard, if you switch 3D on, you'll get 2 weapons. Once they're merged to become 1, 3D on the weapon looks nice but your surroundings look a bit odd. Not much depth, except for 3D models in game, like trees and vehicles. But they all look a bit cartoony and small, especially the soldiers look like they're toys. Also, like I mentioned before, you can't hit things cause your crosshair's not really 3D. If you can come across the initial dimness, flickering and image bleeding, the 3D glasses are a nice little gimmick, especially for the first timer. For ArmA 2, all you can do for now is walk around casually in 3D without engaging enemies cause you'll end up dead. Some things look kinda nice and are worth watching in 3D. Maybe if they fix the crosshair and bring some other 3D improvements it'll be a lot better. Right now the glasses are only good for watching 3D movies (which IS a blast!) and playing some 3D optimized games and even then you'll be likely to put the glasses away after one hour of playing. I do find Microsoft flight sims entertaining in 3D because you can just fly around casually and cockpits look really nice in 3D. Also, runways give a bit more depth when you're on the ground. My final verdict is you don't really need 3D glasses. They can be nice for a while but if you're looking for fast paced action and really want to perform well in shooting enemies and stuff, don't go 3D. It sucks and is only nice for enjoying scenery. And even then, it's not perfect.

Sgt. Hugo, are you using Windows Vista? Maybe it's the "Windows Search" service that's causing hiccups in the game. This service is constantly accessing your harddrive to index your files for faster future searches. Switch it off by doing the following (I have the Dutch version of Vista, so I'm not sure I'm using the correct names here): Configuration screen -> System Management -> Services Find the service called "Windows Search". Doubleclick it and set it to "disabled". Reboot your system and maybe the PC and ArmA 2 will work faster. Hope it works for you. Also, try disabling Intel Speedstep technology in the BIOS if you have it enabled. Maybe you tried all those things already, but in case you didn't, give it a try :cool:

I got a new TFT monitor this week. It's a Samsung 2233RZ with a 120Hz. refreshrate. I bought this monitor to get smoother gameplay and must say ArmA 2 looks a bit smoother now. I still get the same framerate, of course, and it's never near 120 fps (hovers more around 30 - 45 fps when playing offline) but it DOES give a more fluid ArmA 2 experience. Also practically removes screen tearing issues so you can keep playing with Vsync off. The mouse works smoother now too. For me, 120Hz. is a huge step forward in TFT technology. With my old monitor, gameplay with 45fps in ArmA 2 looked kinda smooth but with the same framerates on my new monitor, ArmA 2 looks super fluid. Don't know how to explain it any better, but it really helps improve gameplay smoothness even when your GPU doesn't crank out 120 frames per second. A 120Hz screen won't give you a higher framerate but it will look smoother, at least, that's my experience. A friend of mine still plays with a 85Hz. CRT screen and games always used to look better than on my PC even though I got higher frames than he did. That's why I bought the 120Hz screen and I'm glad I did. Highly recommended to make your ArmA 2 experience a little bit smoother. Be warned though, if you're interested in the Samsung monitor, I don't find it as sharp as my old monitor. It's smoother and faster but picture quality isn't superb, at least not on mine. In a few months, expect to see more 120Hz. screens on the market with better prices and better quality. Anyway, thought I'd let you guys know in case. Some have a 2000$ PC and still get crappy framerates. Maybe 120Hz. is the last overlooked piece of hardware that may actually give the final edge to a smooth gameplay experience.

Awesome work as usual! Judging the latest video, ArmA 2 will really be a blend of Flashpoint atmosphere & gameplay and (even better than) ArmA graphics. Seriously, these BIS guys deserve flowers and applepie for their fantastic work. And lots of cash of course And for the guys complaining about the "lack of new videos"... I think I have yet to see a developer posting WIP video's on their website every week. Whoo, can't wait for ArmA 2 Warfare. This game/sim will rock!

Awesome! Keep up the good work BIS!

Well, you don't have to use the bow if you don't want to. I just think it would be a nice extra feature if civilians could have a bow. Just for fun. After all, the hunting rifle is in it for fun too. But I do think it'll be difficult to do, cause special animations would have to be made. I hope one day a modder wil make a bow for ArmA. I just love bows and ArmA has the perfect outdoor engine. Too bad you guys don't have any fantasy

Just cram as many weapons as possible in the game and I'll be happy. But what I'd reeeeally like to see: a (compound) bow for civilians Imagine the thrill of trying to take out an enemy squad in a forest when all you have is a bow, your skill and your guts. That would be awesome! Besides, ArmA 2 will feature wildlife and civilians, wouldn't a hunting bow make sense then? Of course it's a military sim so I shouldn't be carried away too much, but I think such a simple gimmick could mean lots of fun. Also, a bowie knife or ka-bar would be a welcome addition. And let's not forget a flashlight!! Though that's not a weapon, it's a very useful tool.

Nice picture. I've never seen better shadows ingame than with ArmA I think...maybe FEAR or Crysis, but ArmA's shadows are very good I.M.O.

That's NOT a fact. That's your opinion and I don't share it. I think BIS did one hell of a job on ArmA 1 and I'm looking forward to an even better ArmA 2.

Just make it an island again, who cares if it's surrounded by water which isn't there in real life. It may be based on a real area but I wouldn't mind if it would be surrounded by water that isn't there in the real world. At least it looks better than a forcefield.

Even if BIS would only add a new island in ArmA 2 and leave the rest the same, I'd still buy ArmA 2. Armed Assault is already the best game ever made. It's a miracle something so perfect has been given to us gamers, in this time of incredibly poor PC titles. All the freedom you can have on a big island map with lots of realistic military toys to play with, complete with 3D vehicle/aircraft interiors and razorsharp textures it's a dream come true for every PC simulator fanatic! I'm glad the guys at BIS are still trying to make good games instead of just making a quick buck. Supporting them is my number one reason for buying ArmA 2. That said, I'm sure ArmA 2 will be even better than ArmA 1. That's the second reason I'm buying it. Drat, I'm beginning to sound like a true fanboy

Oh, hey, that's great. I didn't know that! Thought the viewrange could only be set by the server admin or something. This tool might become in handy, if the servers accept it. Thanks for the info, I'll try it out as soon as I've reinstalled Windows XP. Those nvlddmkm.sys BSOD's under Vista drive me crazy. Too bad, I kinda liked Vista...

I think the viewdistance in Armed Assault is good enough. It's the Warfare Multiplayer viewdistance that could be better. Offline, flying A-10's in singleplayer is a joy with viewranges at 3000 meters or more, but try it in Warfare and you end up shooting over your targets (buildings) which only pop up from the mist when you're a few hundred meters away from them and flying at high speed. Makes lining up for a GAU or FFAR strike very hard.

A lot of things about Armed Assault are already perfect! I'd like a more detailed HUD for aircraft with more functions making Aircraft more simulator like, lights inside vehicles, a bit more fluid animations for infantry (animations are already great now, but it's the transitions between animations that seem a bit odd) and more soundeffects. Reloading while walking is a welcome addition. But what I'd really like to see is improvement in terms of environment: Denser, darker forests (more like in Flashpoint) with large clearings/fields in between, better rain and fog effects with fatter raindrops. Perhaps even puddles of rainwater during and after rains/storms and drops falling from trees, although that would be very CPU/GPU intensive I'm sure. Drops on the windshield of a car while driving through the rain would be nice too. Take the windscreens in Flight Unlimited and Flight Simulator for example, looks very good! Volumetric clouds would be nice. I'm sure I'm asking too much, I guess it would be very demanding on an average PC's hardware. Weather should be more dynamic. It would also be nice if the environment would be a bit more "lifelike" with occasional wild animals and stuff going about their daily business but I believe animals were already planned for ArmA II?. Also, I'd like to see some more civilian weapons and civilian objects. Oh, and PLEASE add flashlights that can be equipped on soldiers or civilians! And PLEASE don't make it more arcade like, keep the simulator feel. And PLEASE don't skip Track IR support, I love it in ArmA 1. Makes flying choppers and jets a dream. Increasing the detailed viewrange so grass can be seen at greater distances is a must i.m.o. I know it will be graphically demanding, but couldn't it be adjusted with a slider so people with a very fast PC can set the detailed viewrange to maximum? When ArmA 1 arrived, a lot of PC's had choppy framerates, now that we are a few years later a lot of PC's can run ArmA on maximum settings but the detailed viewrange can't be set higher with ArmA 1. Apart from everything above, if ArmA II will be like ArmA 1 but only with a new island I would be happy too, I just love Armed Assault!

Well, just what the title says I'm afraid... I kept having these weird scaling, stuttering issues with my new GX2 card and figured SLI and double GPU cards aren't my thing so I traded my new card with a new GTX280 single GPU card. Because I wasn't too sure about my old mainboard (because of the stutters, maybe it wasn't just the GX2), I replaced it with a Asus Striker II Formula (just to make sure everything would be perfect) and did a fresh Windows Vista install. My mainboard arrived before my GTX280 card so I had to keep playing my GX2 for a while. Armed Assault played better than with my old mainboard but the stuttering was still present so I guess it must have been a GX2 thingy... with my old 8800 Ultra (sold 4 weeks ago) Armed Assault never gave me any problems. Enter the GTX280 -> I removed the Nvidia Drivers, Removed the GX2 card, installed the new GTX along with the latest 177.35 drivers. Now all of a sudden Armed Assault won't run. I've removed the game and reinstalled it, patched it up to 1.14 and tried again. I can see those little loading screen checkmarks appear, but when they go away they just leave me staring at my desktop wallpaper. No BIS splashscreen, no ArmA menu, nothing I'm using the latest 177.35 graphics drivers. Does this mean Armed Assault doesn't work with the GTX280?? Anyone else have this card? Wish I #$%* hadn't sold my 8800 Ultra. Â Anyway, these are my specs: Antec P182SE with Antec NeoPower 650W PSU Asus Striker II Formula sock. 775 mainboard PCI-E 2.0 4GB OCZ Reaper (2x2GB) 1066Mhz. RAM (stock speed @ 800) Asus ENGTX280 1GB PCI-E 2.0 videocard (stock speed) Intel Q9300 CPU @ 2.5GHz. (stock speed @ 2.5 GHz.) Zalman Cooler, dunno which type exactly but it cools very well Creative X-Fi Extreme Audio (the cheapest of the X-Fi bunch) 3x Samsung 500GB SATA II Samsung DVD Burner TrackIr 4 Pro Saitek X-52 Pro MS Windows Vista Ultimate 64-bit SP1 (original ofcourse) Mainboard has the latest BIOS Please help!! I hope someone is familiar with this problem!