Second

Hi all. I just rememberred this topic and see that there has been discussions. I've been testing it in SP (it's designed purely for SP), i've created big battles where there are aprox 400-500 guys for Blu and Red side battling together in Rahmadi (everyone shooting like mad men). No notable defference laq with and with out scripts, infact forexample FDF sound pack v 1.1 seemed to cause much more laq Well i can't tell more than about my computer and laq in that, but i was supprised how low amount it put strain to my CPU (my computer: 2.8 Ghz (AMD Sempron), 1,5 GB, ATI x800). Infact ArmA handles scripts better than OFP (i wrote it to OFP too), in it laq became quite notable with 200 men. However, like Dwarden said there is this error: <table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tr><td>Code Sample </td></tr><tr><td id="CODE"> Error in expression <_skill_bank = (sup_skillarray select _man)> Error position: <select _man)> Error Zero divisor Seems to cause severe laq. I don't know from where it comes from, my guess is respawn and/or creating units and that it gives several scripts for one group somehow overwrites arrays or something (i really can't tell). I haven't been able to produce that error in testing condition. Lecholas: Those arrays with setskills haven't shown any effect in my tests, i've left them there for that miracle that BIS finally makes them working.

From days of OFP i've been wondering what is the idea of AI getting better info from shooter when he actually manages to kill something. I can waste 1000+ bullets at AI's location and yet they are not aware of me, if i don't manage to hit some of them. I put just one bullet to AI then it and it's buddies spots me much better.

I/07 was still using it in PorPr... I guess II/07 will never know the wonders of the original "pellepuku" (which I hate from the bottom of my soul). In Utti I guess they will never switch from it, they are still using the 62. To get maximum realism, the M62 set should be mismatched as fuck with 10+ different color variations on the camo. Were you still using M/62 battlebelt made of cotton ('rätti tetsarit' ), Breadbag (leipälaukku) and cotton rucksack with leather straps which basically is big enough for just 1-2 day patrols or 4-5 days of 'cold and starvation'-patrols I had almost complete set of that gear last summer. Time before 1962 clearly wasn't time when ergonomics was known.

Screw the nitchpitching and just put complete M/62 set there. It's so old that only greybeards will know what's wrong in it, if they remember (my agegroup already used M/62+M/91 halfbreed or complete M/91 at summers). Summer outfit also requires mitten for atleast left hand! EDIT: I might be joking

Well didn't he say that they will not touch to squad-control mechanism, despite of requests about it? He also said that chain of command will not be introduced, so no superunits (platoon) and no subunits (fireteams). Which is pretty much saying that they will keep on current track of things in this area.

Yup. I like CC2 still Maybe my Combat Mission: Shock Force will have a mate. Depends quite much of campaign's structure (This is greatest thing in CC2) and possibility to play as Opfor in singleplayer.

I don't know what is causing it... It might be problem when creating or respawning units, atleast that what i've noticed usually error emerges if mission respawns or creates units. Which DAC2 i doing, ain't it? Is error this: <table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tr><td>Code Sample </td></tr><tr><td id="CODE">_man = sup_unitarray find (units _grp select _a) or this: <table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tr><td>Code Sample </td></tr><tr><td id="CODE">_skill_bank = (sup_skillarray select _man) If it is, then problem is in array which stores either (i don't remember which one ) indivudual training level or in array which stores specific unit. I don't know what is the problem or why it emerges? maybe array get some sort douple values: Two scripts stores their data to this array in exactly same time to that same place in array... Is it possible at all? Only problem by my understandment (but i'm dumb) it causes that it doesn't alert skill level acording to suppression level (their shooting accuracy ain't dropped etc). Group will seek cover etc still.

Good interview. Nice to hear honest and direct-speaking words from guy who knows the game.

How about military and who takes care of major lines of society? Who makes people to pull same rope when internal or external threat or rival emerges? Who takes care that nation/society moves to right and healthy direction? Socialism and communism has been said to be too stiff, too un-progressive to be able to compete. It's what it is, uneffective and unstimulating. It will lose the race with effective and stimulating rival, like forexample capitalism is.

Those who doesn't submit. World has to become much more bad place to be (from "western" point of view) before most of the people will support revolution. This far people have fought against socialism and communism in various wars and most of them were not upper class citizens, but from working class. This because they believe that they can gain more from it than from socialism and communism (ofcourse it ain't simple as this, both sides forced men to their ranks and fighting and dying for their cause). That time might come when current western way of economic can't fullfill people's dreams or even desires (=it has failed). I'm more prone to be pessimistic about our direction, maybe we are heading to somesort darkage again. Maybe not in my life time, i don't know. But still when part of world might turn into communism, rest of world (Asia&Russia forexample) keeps it own way of life (maybe socialism maybe capitalism or something else) and becomes superpower with central goverment. Communism in it's purest form is too stable but yet too fragmented, it won't grow and refine very well. Soviet union could advance well forexample in sience and technology, that is because of central goverment giving quidelines, focus and reason. Communism when facing rival way of life is forced to either to go back to socialism to compete with other way of life. This has it's own risks (who will submit back to socialism?). Or, in long run, become obsolent as individuals are rushing for better life which can be gained from other way of life. Yes, Marx has to have thought about this too.

Yup. And that mean wipe out resistance. When reaching out for communism, it means that one has to have almost complete world dominance. Other wise communism can't be reached, because central goverment is needed to repel threat from outside and possibly inside. This is if we take anarcistic approach of communism (small independent cells, which i understand you are after, ain't it?). In which case there can't be communism when there is central goverment, The Ruling Class. So to reach communism one has to break down central goverment (socialism). Personally i believe that that kind society can't be reached, because power corrupts and because there are endless conflicts and crisis in whole world's scale. Socialistic ruling class remains and it even has to remain or someone else will seize the power and starts to rule. Then there is outer space aswell, full of blood thirsty aliens...

I know how Spokeperson will reply. It goes like this: "There hasn't been communistic society. Soviet Union was just sosialistic society, which didn't reach state of communism" Now question is, why there hasn't been this pure communistic society? ... Or why there hasn't been purely democratic society? Maybe they are just fairy tale fantasy? Maybe power corrupts? Maybe there will always be The Elite if we don't cease to speak and go back to our caves... This is fairy tale aswell. So The Elite will continue it's task.

It's superpower, it can do pretty much anything it likes until it goes down. Maybe China, Russia, EU will take it's place as new superpower in some distant future. But until then this is what we have (and it wont change much when new superpower emerges)... But atleast i can be clad that Soviet Union went down. Happier that superpower is living across sea than superpower living next to me (from my nationalistic point of view. I think citizens of Cuba disagrees and they have right to it) I don't doupt a bit that US goverment can do such things (well i don't think that this 11/9-mess is coup). That is way powerful countries act, it's like law of nature. And smaller ones are there to suffer.

Hard to say what you expect from AI but bascally it's just the same as in OFP (no new stuff comes into my mind, but bounding overwatch. Using 'stealth'-behaviour is still better for survival of squad), it has been tweaked and player can tweak AI's general firing accuracy and it's spotting accuracy. Those are biggest improvements in AI: i didn't like OFP's deaf and blind sharpshooters much, so had to tweak configs. Now it is easier. There are some new useful script commands which make it possible to tweak AI behaviour (like disable and enable their will to suicide-engage) if you like to create your own missions. There are quite many full and semi-full publicservers... most of them are all running same missions over-and-over-again, there are basically only 3 different mission which are played, i don't think i've seen this happen in OFP. This has been going on for months. I quess private servers are much better with variety. There are no severe bugs which would ruin my gaming pleasure. I can't say that you shouldn't buy it, i had pure fun with it for about month or so. But i'm not so impressed than with OFP (i gone back to OFP because of high-grade mods and stuff).

Yes, it's not so much about island size or what can be drawn to screen. I'm hunting down thing like: smaller amount of object classes used on map -> enables more complex object-classes (configs) with same strain to computer. I'm not comparing current ArmA Sahrani to current Arma smaller user-island. But i'm comparing current ArmA Sahrani to fictional, smaller ArmA Sahrani (with fictional differently developed engine), with fictional object classes with more complex configs and functionability than current ArmA has. Let's put example once again: "Hello. I'm mister Concrete Block, i'm small block, you can go prone behind me and your safe. You can kneel and you can see over me and fire your enemy. My config says that you can support your weapon on me, ain't that joy! And you can jump over me, i'm that small! I will stop all small bullets, but can't stop larger ones." And AI troops would be capable to use this knowledge. Same goes for armor-values, penetration etc... Basic problem is ofcourse how much more complex configs can be created if island is 5-10 times smaller (need for object classes required on map goes down same amount) with same strain to computer as current ArmA? I don't have a glue but i try to quess, 2 times more information packed on object's config? Yes, this is what-if scenario. There are big changes that i'm wrong in this, it ust crossed my mind. I quess i got too much carried away + Going waaaay offtopic. So i end it here. Sorry.

Yes. that is true. But would BIS be able to add more data for objects, reach more functioning terrain for AI and maybe to player. I don't know how much more complex objects smaller island could have when comparing to Sahrani (=lower object count in general, so more data can each object-class consist). Maybe weapon support for rocks, falled trees, walls. Make them crossable. Maybe even code somekind cover-usage-basics to object, so that when AI takes cover behind rock he knows how he is (atleast somewhat) in cover and how he will be able to shoot at his target but still benefit from his cover. So in general interaction between object and AI should be reached to greater degree. If by using smaller islands and by doing so using less objects, one cannot reach more A. Better microterrain and/or B. complex object-classes, like mentioned, then there's no point. Lets make bit clearer example: Sahrani sized island which would be using 200 different kinds Objects (yes i know the real amount is far greater, i just don't remember it) Island 20% of sahrani size would be using 80 different kinds objects. Now how much more complex object-classes can we create? What kind data can we add to each objects? Cover usage? "Hints" and "guides" for AI to use objects properly (like buildings)? If this ain't this simple and amount of object-classes isn't limiting factor in each object's complexity and data it can have, then okay. Sahrani might be masterpeace from it's outlooks, but... I see lots of aspects whiere AI won't handle Sahrani and in many places lack of cover (=microterrain) stands out like sore thumb. Map isn't much usable for firefights, as they tend to end in ten seconds. Try this out in OFP, set terrain detail to very high and look how long firefights lasts and how more "ugly" and 'broken to pieces' the fighting gets... Now add AI which handles this terrain better (fires and pulls he head to cover, forexample Farcry's (dunno about crysis) engine can handle quite big open spaces. Engine itself ain't demaning valleys and paths. This is how campaign took it's approach in many cases, but there are ways and moment for player to take advantage of open maps to use alternative paths etc. So engine itself ain't limiting this, it's the way missionmaker chooses to do it. Same thing would apply for AI in my fantasy. I know BIS has developed it's engine to suit for bigger amounts of troops on map (Arma can have much more troops than OFP with same laq)... However, what kind quality would that same effort bring us if it would have been directed to making better individual AI in combat? Could we have better AI leaders, could we have smarter opponent who acted and reacted more like real troops? Again same kind example: 1000 Troops vs 100 Troops which are both straning CPU same amount... Which one can have more quality in individual scale? I know that we can't have 10 times better AI if we are using just 100 troops, but can we have 2 or 3 times better AI? And this is not about flexibility (armA is quite fine with that), but it's about combat skills of AI. EDIT: Remeber, i pointing out that if after OFP, BIS would have taken bit different path: not multiplying what engine can handle, but making it better in what it can handle (guality instead of quantity). Maybe this is what ArmA2 will present, we will see. I can't see logical reason to keep increasing quantity, ArmA is capable of running run very huge scale already.

Thats great! although not giving a rat's arse about freedom in a mil-sim is not very hard-core data frankly, I don't see how you could have a mil-sim without a wide open playing space but I'd love to hear it. Yes that was poorly said from my behalf, humor ain't my main thing... Meaning that rat's arse thing. What BIS can gain by shrinking island size smaller to half of Everon forexample? Can it enable better microterrain to add more immersive terrain and make it to suit better for firefights (and make AI to use it properly). Can BIS tweak their AI so that fewer (like ~200) units are allowed on map, but lift AI skills in combat. Introduce some new things to AI leaders. Ofcourse respawning new AI troops would be one way to counter this 200 troops limitation. Overall has it's size turned against ArmA? I don't feel my freedom limited if i am restricted to southern parts of Everon (well there are some missions which requires larger space), i don't think i've seen many mission's which should require more than 200 troops presence, which can be countered by respawning scritps.

I'm here to offer my "expertiece", i know ArmA and OFP somewhat well and i think i can offer some solid and honest data about them both. Helping people out with their problems etc. I've put over half year effort to make ArmA more complete. Wondering of what did ArmA wrong, what would make it better etc. Overall i think my brainstorming is growing (and has grown) some intellectual seeds, and i'm willing and eager to share them... Checking out the modding front... You see, i have excuses (maybe even right! ) to visit here and offer my nicely chewed "wisdom".

Baff1: I understand if you feel that less then 1 million population is threathing your life and your military's stability In my country these kind guys are released from duty to defend this country. One can't sent screwball into frontlines.

I don't, because mentioned reasons.

Some people, like me, gives rat's arse about freedom, (too) wide open spaces, 'you can do whatever you want'-BS. This doesn't sound like mil-sim... Because it ain't!. It sounds more like virtualworld, you own 'The Sims - Guns on Sahrani'. My wife likes Sims-series, i do not: I'm $#¤&@ wargamer-wannabe for crying out loud. I would be intreseted to see charts of how many customers thinks that BIS has got it wrong after OFP and how many thinks that it was right step which BIS took with armA. To me it seems more that BIS desided to bloat OFP, not to make better OFP.

I dunno, i could take ArmA which would have much smaller maps (what Farcry has or half of Everon), more microterrain, better AI (combat drill part atleast, with fast reflexes and evasive moves), better penetration model for vehicles and objects, upto 200-300 troops on map. But i doupt that BIS will do that. And i'm getting offtopic (again)

You mean RAC vs SLA? In "clean" one-on-one match between RAC and SLA without US presence? SLA would be my choise. They most likely have more manpower (drafts) and they have better suiting equipment to south (their gear suits better to south than to their own country ). Light infantry can't fight back effictively against mechaniced force there, unlike in most parts of north. Mountainrange south of Somato is basically only thing they can defend or operate, but SLA handels that terrain as well (they have biggest mountains and lots of them)... When looking at campaign most heroic thing RAC, well Guards actually, could do was to kill their own citizens They couldn't much halt the SLA's advance. SLA took over mountains as well as south and big cities in south hastly, even when US was helping RAC out. RAC's lack heavy eguipment which is telling that either their defencebudget is very-very low, or they military-units are former "thugs" of royal family, mostly anti-revolution troops and borderquards, who knows maybe most of RAC troops are still that (atleast they handled the 'shoot the civilians'-drill). I doupt that South is having drafts but they are prone to favor well paid troops, which means that they have much less troops than North has. So i'd say SLA owns RAC. Good job SLA. EDIT: It can be that i have 100% wrong idea of what RACs actaully are, but i do see them as army which is covering asses of royal family from the revolutional forces within country. They are trained and equiped so. They are not prepared to face conventional opponent, such as SLA. Maybe they are preparing for it right now, but they are not even near to be ready.

System could be more comlex. Question is: How much stress that puts to CPU? I could easily live with smaller (unit)scale than currently ArmA can do, if that would be the cost. Does dev team want that or community in overall? I overall doupt it: freedom, openess and big scale is what generally are valued over other things. And remember there is not such thing as not able to penetrate: I've seen pictures of what happens when 30mm BMP-2's burst go thru T-72's frontal armor. There are weak points which are easy to penetrate.

It is correct. But for your mouse's and your finger's shake: You need to shoot much less if you aim for engine.