ninja2dan

Does anyone have the current updated contact info for the R3F team, someone who is active?

The M2/M4 SLAM uses an EFP that can only penetrate a limited thickness of armor, usually about 40mm depending on distance and angle of impact. In the real world, it might be able to disable heavy armor with a lucky hit but chances are slim. In game, since individual components such as road wheels, track assemblies, etc aren't modeled for specific damage, I don't think they would do a whole lot of damage. It's possible that the in-game variants use different penetration/damage values, I haven't done much testing with them myself. For more detailed answers, you'll need to wait for a reply from one of the ACE devs. The main difference between the M2 and M4 is that when the set time on the M2 expires, it simply becomes inert (disabled) while the M4 actually self-destructs (detonates).

I'm new to ArmA2 editing myself, has been a few years since I worked on OFP and VBS stuff. So take my comment/suggestion lightly. One option is to place some sort of small object immediately underneath your planned objective target and place it below the ground level just enough that it can no longer be seen. Use an object that when destroyed has no visual effects (smoke/flame/explosion/etc), which I'm sure there are dozens of them available (maybe traffic cone, empty crate, etc). If a satchel were placed within range to "destroy" you power lines, it should also be within range to destroy the object you placed under the ground, correct? Or would the blast radius of the satchel not actually penetrate the ground immediately below it? It might be worth trying out. If it works, you can simply use the "alive" status of that object for your trigger instead of the power lines.

Disaster pretty much answered the question, in almost the same words I myself would have used. Generally, the term refers to someone who is "lone-wolfing" or going out on their own trying to take on what seems like an entire Army. They apparently have no concept or care of teamwork, rarely attack with a real plan of action, etc. In modern times, calling someone a "Rambo" is often an insult, but in few cases can be meant as a complement. The first Rambo movie was nothing like those that followed. The first movie was in many aspects at least "plausible" or "possible", and it had a good storyline to back it up. There were still some nasty inconsistencies and stereo-typical portrayals of various people, but I think the movie overall was pretty good at the time. The later movies though went completely against reality or possibility, to the point where it was almost retarded. Worth watching if you liked visual effects, explosion, and a variety of weaponry, but that was about it. I've seen fourth-graders write better storylines. The exception being the latest Rambo, which actually wasn't bad at all. Maybe not as good as the first in regards to the story itself, but I think the visual effects were more enjoyable. And yes, there have been many other solo-warriors in the movies. It would take years to list them all, with literally thousands of them being made in just the past 3 decades or so. But Rambo was always one of the most popular, and has also been one of the most parodied.

Are illuminated optics using a pre-set single power level, a variable power level (via DC power source), or variable brightness based on ambient light (such as ACOG)? Looking forward to the addition. Being able to use certain magnified optics in low-vis without having to fart around with NODS will be a huge tactical bonus.

I have a feeling you'll be seeing a few more beer cans and trash bins around the city soon.

I'm having the same problem, PMC has been updated with the patch provided by BIS. As mentioned by others, there is no "Gear" option from the exterior of the vehicle like normal. And if you attempt to hop into the back and access the "Gear" action menu selection from there, it just dumps items onto the ground outside of the vehicle. When I first started looking around, all of the weapons/ammo that I had before this mission (stored in the SUV) was dumped in a circle around the helicopter in random order. You literally have to pick up each and every magazine by hand. Inside the aircraft and using the Gear menu, I have tried all options. I have tried highlighting that item and clicking on the left "<" to move it from my inventory to the helicopter storage, no luck. I have tried double-clicking the item to remove it, no luck. I have tried using the "Drop" button, no luck. Nothing at all will allow items to be placed inside of the aircraft. Apparently, this bug fix was NOT added to the latest patch as noted in the changelog. I guess I'll just have to look around, and load up on my weapon/ammo of choice and hope that a backpack full of spare magazines will get me through.

From my experience, it's not necessarily the charge type or increment size that contributes the most to the color/thickness of the smoke, but it also has a lot to do with the temperature and moisture in the air. We usually fired the same shell/fuze/charge combinations at one specific range because it uses a single impact zone, and the smoke would vary by time of day and season. In the two examples below, the first one was during the summer (not much smoke visible) and the second was late fall/early winter (smoke was almost fog-like). And yes I know that's an A5 and not an A6, those were training guns from '98/99. As for the flame, to be honest you rarely see it in person unless you're really looking for it. But cameras (both still and video) tend to capture it a lot more, making the muzzle blast seem more ferocious than it really is. And as mentioned before, the color/thickness of the smoke plume can vary by time of day, season, and even the camera used. In fact, you could see two photos of the same gun firing at the same moment, but both photos might look very different just because of the shutter speed and camera settings. You can imagine why the photos and videos online vary so much between color and thickness.

I'm curious, what references did you use for those images? I've never seen the eye-bolt lifting plugs painted yellow before, they have always come in OD green (or rarely in black). It just looks...different...in yellow. Excellent work, the image is spot-on with the exception of the font color (units I've used have always been more yellow-ish). And honestly, the orange-ish color you use looks better, easier to read. I've pulled lanyards long enough to know that there is nothing really exciting about gunning a Paladin. And considering the fact that you aren't actually loading and ramming the shell/charge manually, hooking up, etc then what's the point of even having a human "gunner"? I fully understand the reasoning behind letting players only act as either driver or chief. I did have a few questions though that I didn't see asked/answered already: 1) Is the traverse lock animated, and able to function? Do you have any plans to give the spades the ability to be used? 2) The shells used are default BIS shells, or something new to the addon? Same with effects/specs? 3) As new shell effects are created, do you have plans to add them to the addon via future updates? I'm hoping to eventually see a combination of HE, DPICM, ILLUM, SMOKE, RAP, and even Copperhead. Note: My images are thumbnails, click on them for larger images.

One of the problems with BF2 is that the majority of buildings either couldn't be entered, or there was no roof access. With ArmA 2 on the other hand, many of the structures have interiors with access to the roof from either an interior stairwell or an exterior ladder. Rarely do modern soldiers actually carry a grappling hook, it's just too much of a hassle. Chances are though that with the buildings available now in ArmA2, and probably more to be made later on, gaining roof access shouldn't be a problem and will make grappling hooks obsolete.

I was looking through the forums for a similar issue being discussed, but the closest thing I found was this topic which hasn't been posted in since last November. I've noticed similar problems that are still present and causing major issues in SP games. The problem is that once you use the teamswitch option to play as another team member, your original teamleader (player) suddenly turns retarded. He stands up, regardless of his previous stance or the combat stance of the squad, and just stands there. He also likes to bark random orders to the rest of the squad, such as ordering the team to fire on the enemy even if their previous stance/orders were to hold fire/stealth (as mentioned in that topic). As it stands right now, before I can teamswitch to another unit to manage their loadouts or place them exactly where I need them, I have to carefully move my leader into a location that he won't be seen. I also have to order my entire team to Halt so that they won't start running around or try to form back up on the leader. This not only means I can't leave the leader in a proper position, but I have to take extra time out of the mission in order to find a nice place to tuck him away. I would like to see the leader simply stay put, remain in the same stance/location that he was in when I switched players, and not start barking out new orders.

I can probably suggest some options, if I knew more about what you're looking for. What is the primary purpose of the firearm? Range use? Competition? Home Defense? Hunting? What sort of budget are you limiting yourself at initially? Are there any specific features you want/need? Left-hand shooter? RIS? Flat-top? Rifle or carbine? What caliber? Duracoat? Which FFL are you going through to complete the purchase? Is he/she also a gunsmith? Are they an authorized dealer of any specific manufacturer to provide discounts?

Depending on which state you live, chances are there are few restrictions on which configuration you can use as long as it complies with BATF regs. Before you even worry about the manufacturer, you should consider the primary purpose of the firearm. Different manufacturers will offer different styles (variants) or components that tend to favor one focus more than others. For example, LWRC will offer tactical carbines suited for LE patrol or specialized military application, and their prices will run higher than your average range rifle. They will also not provide components to build your own setup, unlike Bushmaster and Armalite. Another thing to consider is if you are wanting to simply buy a ready-made rifle/carbine, or do you want to have it custom-built using personally-selected hardware? Honestly, buying directly from the manufacturer for a ready-made rifle is a bit pointless, as you can find them priced cheaper by dealers. The only time I ever suggest buying direct is because you plan to buy in "kit form" and have a gunsmith assemble it for you. Being a gunsmith myself, I prefer to buy and build my own rifles, using components that I personally select. This means I get a firearm that has exactly the features that I want, has the appearance I want, and doesn't come with stuff I don't need. I prefer Bushmaster because they have a large selection of available items, and have never had any problems with their products or customer support. Armalite is also a great company, but compared to Bushmaster I feel that their selection of hardware for a custom build is a bit more limited. But for buying a ready-made rifle, you can't beat Colt. As a last note, there are several other good companies out there making AR-15 style firearms that have proven to perform quite well. Both Barrett and H&K are even making similar firearms now, and there are even a couple of places offering "modular" systems capable of multi-caliber kits. Again, it all falls back to what the primary purpose of the firearm is going to be.

I agree that asking about "real-steel" firearms on a PC gaming site isn't usually your best option, especially when there are several forums devoted specifically to firearms like the AR-15. But, because this site is for a military simulation/game, there are quite a few military or ex-military personnel who do have enough knowledge in firearms to help answer your question. Regarding the top 5 AR-15 style of manufacturers, that's all going to be up to personal opinion and the purpose of the individual firearm. Lately I have seen well over one hundred various companies selling their own versions of the AR-15 series, some of them are small "mom and pop" shops and others are well-known manufacturers that have been around for ages. Where you buy from will also depend on where you live, as different companies are located in different countries and various import/export regulations and local firearms laws prohibit sales/ownership of certain models or features. So I'll list my top 5 suggestions based on manufacturers that should be available in most places and are capable of import/export to countries that permit such ownership. 1) Colt 2) Bushmaster 3) Armalite 4) Olympic Arms 5) LWRC (mostly carbine variants) Generally, I'd suggest you register on the AR-15 forums if you're really interested, but feel free to PM me with any questions you might have as well.

I read through every part of the wagn documentation, to include the overall features, how-to's, notes, etc. But unfortunately there are still many items without direct documentation, not only for function but also operation. Weapon systems and other obvious items are not necessary, but I still haven't been able to figure out the purpose of several items that might only be cosmetic in nature. Maybe someone can PM me with an offer to help me sort out some of it? As for the VS-17 Panel error message, it says "Picture iconthing not found" in a in-game pop-up, with the continue button. It doesn't appear to be having any problems, as the panel still places just fine and can be flipped over or picked up. I'm trying to take a screenshot, but it keeps coming out all black. I'll register an account and submit on the tracker later.

I just recently bought ArmA 2 CO a few days ago, and finally got ACE2 installed and configured last night. I've gotta say you guys have made some major advances since the OFP days, and I'm really looking forward to using the mod. I ran both of the ACE demo missions (one at an airfield, one in the middle of the desert) and started getting my controls set up, learning how to use the interaction menus, how to interact with objects, how to use various equipment, etc. The sheer number of items just in the "default" demo crate was mind-blowing, and I must have spent at least 6-7 hours playing around with just about everything in there. But I noticed that there were several items that I couldn't figure out how to use or what they were for. I've fully read the online features and how-to sections, but some items are still not mentioned anywhere (such as the bodybag). Is there a guide/manual out there that describes every useable item from ACE2? Knowing how everything works will allow people to fully understand what assets/equipment they have at their disposal. For example, I saw two different kinds of lightsticks; one that was "outside the wrapper" and went directly into the pistol slot, and those that are offered in various colors and are shown in wrappers and occupy pistol magazine slots. So what's the difference? Or what is the difference between the various types of eye protection (aviator, goggles, shooting)? Is it just the tint color or cosmetic appearance, or does each item have a specific purpose? And do the balaclava have a functional purpose, or simply cosmetic? If it's cosmetic only, why have them available if they interfere with using eye protection? I also noticed a couple "issues" that I didn't see mentioned throughout the rest of this topic discussion. First, when I placed the panel marker on the ground I got an odd error message on screen (will have to get a screenshot later). Second, when viewing my character from 3rd Person and wearing the gas mask, the mask is visible only as a "ghost" and not a solid object. It appears sort of like a grey untextured object but with transparency. Any ideas? Overall, you guys are simply amazing and bringing much more reality and enjoyment to the game. I look forward to seeing more updates, and hope a more detailed guide (either official or 3rd-party) can be found soon.

Greetings to everyone, it's good to see a lot of old yet familiar names on the member list. I can't remember my previous account information and it appears that account was created under an old email address, so I had to create a new account. Anyways, I have been thinking of getting back into OFP or starting up in ArmA and would like to ask a few questions first. I have done quite a bit of reading on the features of ArmA over OFP, but after downloading the ArmA demo it appears first off as pretty much the same thing. I built a new computer about 2 years ago, and at the time it was pretty high-end (512MB vid card, etc). The demo ran smooth as hell, much faster than anything I experienced in OFP. I left all settings at default, and it appears I can probably boost those settings a lot higher and still have good performance. BUT, how does the demo compare to the real deal in regards to performance? Once I have the full retail, the game map will be larger and more objects in place, and with more vehicles and scripts I'm sure that will increase any lag. I am not about to rebuild this PC because I plan to start from scratch around New Years (popping around $3k for that one). So my first question is, if I run the demo smoother than silk, how will that compare to the retail version? I'm also curious how many of the elite addons from OFP have been ported into ArmA? I remember some of the addon groups just before I left, which was actually about the time some of them left for paid work on VBS. The main names I can remember off hand were BAS, Combat, Mapfact, and a few others. BAS had all the best helos and SF/Rangers. Combat had the sweetest Bradleys and other land vehicles. And Mapfact had some really cool map items and statics. Are any of those items in ArmA, or is it still pretty much back to the beginning? What about CoC, such as the mines pack (claymores, etc)? There are a few other elite addons that I slightly remember such as a top USMC unit and some nice weapons packs and maps. Can any of the veteran players give me a heads up on what is available now for ArmA? Because my options with experimenting with the demo are quite limited, what can original OFP players say about any changes made with ArmA? Is there anything I need to be aware of, such as negative changes or bugs? What drastic differences are there between OFP and ArmA? I ask because I still see the OFP forums are quite active yet that game is so old, and I am curious why those people still using OFP haven't upgraded to ArmA. Pretty much right now I'm wondering if I should go out and buy ArmA and then spend days on end downloading all the new mods and addons and maps and scripts and everything else necessary, or if I should go dust off my copy of OFP.

The lack of some of those OFP addons such as the Combat! vehicles or BAS soldier units will probably have a negative impact on my gameplay experience, because they were included in a large number of the missions I created or used. How hard is it to convert the older OFP files to ArmA? Has anyone tried contacting the addon teams to see if they might port them or at least give permission to someone else to do it for them? The issues you mentioned regarding PvP are not likely to be much of an issue with me. I don't run a game like ArmA or OFP for the PvP aspect, as I prefer running Co-op missions that focus on realism and tactics instead of the run-and-gun form of games that most PvP turn out as. I do remember the CTI/MFCTI maps being fun, but I played those during breaks in the mil-sim missions and not much of the time. The reason that I prefer to use a game like OFP or ArmA is to recreate scenarios that simulate real-world actions. As a former soldier I prefer to keep things as realistic as the game allows, yet still keeps people interested in the mission. I also generally played on servers with other service members or veterans who liked similar missions, and rarely did we have people complain about a 3-4 hour mission which included a 30-minute pre-mission briefing and battle plan. We used real land-nav techniques, as well as other tactics we used while in the military. At the time no other game was able to allow us such level of realism outside of OFP, and I remember spending days on end working on missions to get every detail as perfect as possible. Regarding the lack of proper ground cover, is that something common with just the default map(s) or is that something common to all maps including player-made? Is it something that can be corrected in the future, such as static addons made available to map makers? And you mentioned that some of the BAS addons from OFP are now part of core ArmA? What about the CH-47 variants, such as the cargo model or ability to fastrope or para-drop items? What about their Blackhawk variants including the DAP, or the Little Birds? If those are not available, is anyone planning on making similar addons for ArmA? I noticed BAS now has a new site and is calling themselves BAS2 now, maybe they plan to start work on ArmA addons? I'll wait for a few more replies to help me decide if ArmA is really worth getting, or if I should just throw OFP on here and wait for ArmA 2.

I guess an easy way to get an opinion on how well it will run on my system is to list my components and see how others rate it. Remember that this system was custom built by myself about 2 years ago, so these parts are far from top-end now. Plus I had a limited budget at the time, but plan to go all-out on the next one later this year or early next year. *Asus K8V-X SE Via Socket 754 ATX Motherboard / Audio / AGP 8x / 10/100 Ethernet LAN / S/PDIF / USB 2.0 / Serial ATA *AMD Athlon 64 3400+ / 512KB Cache / 1600MHz FSB / Socket 754 / Processor *XFX (Nvidia) GeForce 7600 GS / 512MB GDDR2 / AGP 8x / DVI / VGA / HDTV / Video Card *Kingston 512MB PC3200 DDR 400MHz Memory (x2 - 1GB RAM) *Ultra X2 ULT31851 550-Watt Power Supply - ATX, 120mm Fan, SLI Ready, SATA-Ready, 20/24-Pin, Modular *AOpen DUW1616L PRO / 16x8x16x DVD+RW / 16x6x16x DVD-RW / 8x DVD±R DL / 48x24x48x CD-R/RW / DVD Burner *Creative Labs Sound Blaster Audigy 4 *Maxtor / DiamondMax Plus 9 / 250GB / 7200 / 8MB / SATA-150 / OEM / Hard Drive *Hanns·G HU196DP / 19" / 8ms / 700:1 / SXGA 1280 x 1024 / DVI / LCD Monitor I don't overclock anything, so my processor is running at about 2.2 GHz. I am able to play most games pretty well and this setup gives me decent video and audio. My monitor is also pretty good, giving me great resolution. The ArmA demo ran without any noticable lag or stutter, but then again it is a Lite version of the game. I would assume that once I install the retail version and get it updated to the latest patch I'd want to play with the settings and see what the best config is for my PC. I'm just curious if my system specs will be running ArmA well, or if I'm going to see nasty lag and skipping like I did every so often with OFP (was running a 900 MHz with 512MB RAM and a 128MB vid card back then). I guess my primary question really is, what are the main differences between OFP and ArmA? What features did they add to it that makes it better than OFP? If so many of the addons I love are not yet available in ArmA, what motivation is there to migrate from OFP to ArmA? I can still see that some of the annoying features (or lack of) are still there, such as not reloading on the move. But I am hoping those features are added into ArmA 2, seeing as they are already available in VBS2 and shouldn't be too hard to port over.