I don't normally do this sort of thing, but I really feel compelled to say my piece quickly.
Thanks:
RichieSpeed (http://www.youtube.com/user/richiespeedisback) I stumbled across your Arma II videos on YouTube quite by accident, and when I viewed them I could hardly believe what I was watching. Quite simply, your video presence on YouTube is directly responsible for me ownimg Arma II today. I know that Arma II is a reasonably niche game (although I loathe using the word 'game' - I see it more as a simulator/sandbox) and therefore perhaps can't be afforded mainstream marketing, but without doubt your efforts and excitement for this title contribute to market awareness on behalf of BI. You're doing the title a great service.
Dslyecxi (http://ttp2.dslyecxi.com/veh_usage.html) I was reading a thread here on the BI Forums which contained a link to your site, which is immersive, educational and quite frankly utterly amazing in it's detail and presentation. It's heartwarming to know that folk like you - passionate and giving - still exist. Thank you.
Congratulations:
Bohemia Interactive
I remember playing the original OFP back in the day for hours and hours upon end with my friends. A landmark title in it's day.
Arma 1 didn't gel with me so much for some unknown reason - although recently I found myself warming to its Patch 1.14 and Warfare goodness.
I purchased Arma II 2 days ago, and upon installing it on my very modest computer (E6600 w/2gb DDR2 + X1950 w/256mb) I was expecting very little in terms of performance; I could only ever get around 15-20 FPS out of Arma 1.
I wish you could've been there to see the look on my face when, after setting everything to 'normal', I found myself able to play with an avg of 25-40 fps.
It made no sense to me then, and it still makes me smile from the inside right now. I have no idea how, but your optimised engine outperforms my lowly expectations by multiple degrees.
I still get endless joy and amazement by simply waggling my mouse around and watching the motion blur and content on my screen as if it were xmas.
You are clearly a studio with a passion. You strive to make the game you wish to have enjoyed by thousands of hungry genre fans. You're unique in the market and you've created a product which is a sight to behold, and is an immeasurable joy to use and play within.
You've remained faithful to your goals of creating a game environment for community content to thrive upon, allowing us to continue adding value and creativity well after your development phase is over.
Yes, I'm sure there will be bugs, glitches and patches, but the solid foundations are now laid and there's plenty of time to touch up and tweak.
By no means am I a 'fanboi'. I haven't been 'looking forward to Arma II', nor would I go about proclaiming the faults of any competitors products - I'm simply speaking my mind based upon my experiences and observations.
BI - you are a leading example of an 'independent spirit' amongst other developers in this corporatised age.
I felt absolutely fantastic handing over my hard-earned money in order to be able participate in enjoying everything that Arma II provides and represents; you deserve every cent of it.
Congratulations and thanks.
