Tom_Pynchon

Hi. Really need some help. I recently upgraded to the new Intel LGA 2011 platform. I installed my copies of ARMA 2 and ARMA 2 OA from my discs and immediately noticed some problems. Whereas I used to be able to combine the two games simply by installing them in the same Bohemia Interactive folder, this was no longer the case. Even more troubling, ARMA 2 fails to launch. Arrowhead seems to launch fine, but then I didn't get the chance to play much as most of the missions I've made combine elements from ARMA 2, OA and ARMA 2 Reinforcements. I've tried installing the new 1.60 patch. Still no go. Arma 2 just won't run. I get all the way up to "Receiving .." and then I get a back screen and a prompt from Windows saying that the game could not launch. I have to ALT + TAB back to my desktop each time. I've tried uninstalling, sweeping with my registry and system with CCleaner, and re-installing both games a couple of times. Didn't work. I'm using Nvidia 290.53 drivers since these are the only drivers that enable SLI on the Intel X79 platform. I'm running a legit 64-bit copy of Windows 7 Ultimate with an i7 3930K and two GTX 470s in SLI. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. UPDATE AND CLARIFICATION: The problem isn't patch-related. I tried installing Arma 2 alone -- and attempted to launch it without installing ANY patch and it crashed. I installed previous patches. Same thing. Finally installed the latest patch -- problem still there. I'm gnashing my teeth trying to figure this one out. Can't roll back my graphics drivers as that would mean no SLI for me. Was away on a field assignment for a few months prior to upgrade so wasn't able to play at all. Man, I miss the game! Help!

UPDATE: Solved the problem. I reinstalled ARMA II and ran it through Windows Compatibility Wizard. That fixed the issue. I reinstalled A2OA and Reinforcements and it all went smoothly after that. (The game automatically switched to "Combined Operations" mode, no prob. Didn't even have to select the folder installing Arrowhead and RFT. So if any fellow noobs are running into the problem described above, I suggest you use the Windows 7 Compatibility Wizard. That just might help.

@Igneous01: Thanks, man. I'll give it a try and post back. Again, thanks!

Is there a way for me to make the “enableSentences false†command apply only to certain groups or individual units on a map? I’m in the middle of creating a mission right now and the abovementioned command line would have suited my purposes perfectly had it not been for the fact that it disables sentences for all groups and units on the map. (The same goes for “enableRadio falseâ€.) What I’d like happen is to allow certain groups all the usual spoken dialogue and exchanges while denying the same of others. I've tried searching the forum for the correct command but failed to find anything that addresses my requirement. (If I overlooked a thread somewhere, kindly direct me to it, please?) I’d prefer not to use any add-ons, if possible. A simple command line – if such exists – would be perfect.

@ W0lle: I tried the above plus variations to no avail. I got a prompt indicating an error in the command -- "missing...". But, hey, thanks anyway for at least trying to help. Much appreciated.

Thanks, W0lle. I'm going to try the command lines you suggested and post back the results. I really hope it works. Again, thanks.

Hi there. First off, I should warn you that I’m a noob, so what you know about editing probably exceeds my own limited knowledge. Anyways, just to get the ball rolling ... The way I understand it is that you have some sort of ‘target’ unit inside the building you wish to clear. What you want to have happen is for another unit to enter the building and move toward the target unit in the process of ‘clearing’ the said structure. That is usually how I get AI units to ‘clear’ buildings, too. I use a trigger and a bit of code for that. I put this in the On Act field of the trigger: S1 here being the name of the unit clearing the building while x1 is the name of the 'target' unit inside the building. (FYI, the target unit can be an AI or a weapons cache or any old object you want: s1 will move toward the subject regardless. You can define AI speed and behaviour any which way you like, of course.) Note that only the AI you've named in the trigger will enter the building here. You will have to define the routes and destinations of the other members of the team (using the same code configuration), as well, if you want the entire team to enter the building and 'spread out'. Note, also, that if you are to use the above code, you will need to place objects or AIs inside the building first to act as 'targets' or 'destinations' for the team clearing the structure. I've had this work on single-storey buildings, with multiple units moving simultaneously toward multiple 'targets' in different sections of the house. (I simply repeat the code using different unit names and target destinations -- often all in a single trigger.) The same bit of code will work when placed in the On Act field of a waypoint, too. (What will happen in this case is that the selected unit will 'break off' from the group to enter the building once the waypoint is activated). Hope I've somehow contributed to a solution.

Hi. Is there some code I can use to disable the feature which allows players the option to open the backpacks of other AI units? I use an editor-based code to disable core conversations -- greetings and such. Is there a similar code for the above described feature? Thanks in advance for your help. ---------- Post added at 09:22 PM ---------- Previous post was at 09:17 PM ---------- By the way, the code I use to disable the conversation option is as follows: {_x setvariable ["BIS_noCoreConversations", true];} foreach allunits; This goes into the init field of any unit on the map. Just in case any of my fellow noobs out there want to know.

@ PvPScene Too bad. I was hoping that disabling the option -- when not needed, of course -- would lessen the burden on my system somewhat and maybe help boost performance a bit. Anyways, thank you very much for the info. Much appreciated.

Hi. I'm sure it's here somewhere but I cannot seem to find it. Is there a script I can use to have an entire team turn on/off the laser sights on their weapons? I'm new to the ARMA series of games and would really appreciate some help. Thanks.

Hi. I’ve got members of an OPFOR patrol – let’s call the group “eg1†-- scattered in separate ambush positions throughout a small village. I’ve got the following code on the group leader’s init line: {_x disableAI “ANIMâ€} foreach units eg1; I’d like to enable AI “ANIM†each time a BLUFOR unit is within 10 meters of any member of the OPFOR patrol. I presently have a BLUFOR activated trigger with the following code on the condition field: (player findNearestEnemy position player) distance player < 10; On the “On Act†field I have: {_x enableAI “ANIMâ€} foreach units eg1; The effect is that each time my BLUFOR AI is within 10 meters of an enemy unit, then animations for the entire OPFOR patrol are enabled. This is well and good for other purposes, I suppose. What I’d like, however, is a trigger configuration that enables “ANIM†only for those OPFOR units that are within 10 meters of any member of my BLUFOR team. The effect I’d like is for the members of the OPFOR patrol to “come alive†one-by-one as the BLUFOR patrol walks through the village. (Again, I'd like the trigger to work for all members of my BLUFOR team.) I've tried searching the site. It helped to narrow the focus a little on the sort of trigger I would need -- but I haven't found the trigger configuration to produce the effect I had described above. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.

Yeah, it worked great. Shorter, too. I didn't know you could put two separate lines of code inside a single pair of parentheses -- one fell swoop -- like that. Will make a lot of other things easier. Hey, guys, thanks and thanks again for all the help. While you may have just commented and lent your know-how to one particular item, the lines of code, configurations, syntaxes and whatnot offer a wealth of learning possibilities -- much gratitude here.

@ F2K Sel regarding scripting vs triggers: I know what you mean. But for some reason my PC struggles when I have .sqf files running within a game. My framerates take plunges of about 10 FPS on average -- worse in urban portions of the maps. I didn't have that problem when I had my CPU overclocked. But I've had to do away with my overclock profile since moving to the tropics because of very bad heat-related overall performance issues. So I'm guessing it's a CPU bottleneck. @ PvPscene: Whoa! There's a difference? Man, I'm yet unused to all the little nuances and details. Those are, for me, the toughest to learn. And, as I'm sure you can tell, I've got a lot of learning to do.

I'm trying to get a specific flow of action in the mission. I want a CQC kind of thing going where the enemies come out firing from inside buildings and the like one-by-one -- at very close range, as though both sides had caught each other by surprise. I kept running into a strange problem, though. My AI teammates kept spotting and calling out enemy positions even though the OPFOR units were completely hidden. It's like my AI teammates could see through walls -- in the dark -- from a long ways off, like no human being can possibly do in real life. The OPFOR units were being killed from around 150 meters away or so. So I couldn't get the close-quarter, down and dirty firefight I wanted. I'm new to the editor and relatively new to ARMA. I couldn't find a way around the problem. And, since I couldn't eliminate my teammates' x-ray vision, I went for the sneaky, inelegant and crude alternative: I used setcaptive true so that my team would only recognize them as enemies at > 30. Yeah, I know, it looks real ugly and -- well, moronic. Any suggestions? Again, I'm a total noob -- and a slow one at that -- so I'd really appreciate the help.

Hi guys. Just wanted to get back to you regarding the subject code. The scripts worked fine. Thanks for your help. As I had mentioned, however, my PC struggles when I have .sqf files running in the background. (I'm guessing it's a CPU bottleneck.) I played around with the editor a bit and found that the only way I could -- with the little that I know about codes and scripts and editing in general -- pull off the effect I described above without an .sqf file was to make separate triggers for each OPFOR unit on the editor. I put the following code on the OPFOR group leader's init field: {_x setcaptive true} foreach units [i]OPFORgroupname[/i];{_x disableAI "ANIM"} foreach units [i]OPFORgroupname[/i]; (I had to set them captive as my BLUFOR patrol kept spotting -- and shooting -- them from a long ways off, in spite the fact that they were hidden inside buildings or behind walls and such.) I then made one trigger for each member of the OPFOR group using the following condition for each: ([i]soldiername[/i] findNearestEnemy position [i]soldiername[/i]) distance [i]soldiername [/i]< 30; In the On Act fields of each I put: [i]soldiername[/i] setcaptive false; [i]soldiername[/i] enableAI "ANIM"; This worked, too. The OPFOR units "woke" one-by-one as my BLUFOR patrol went through the village in the dark -- the bonus was that the action was fun and unpredictable. But then I wouldn't recommend the editor-based method for big groups as the work involved is intolerably tedious. I'm still working on the mission. I'm guessing I'll end up using an .sqf file, in any case, as I want to prolong the gunfight a bit and that means I'm going to need a bigger OPFOR group. Anyways, just posting as a way to thank you guys again for your help. Also, there just might be some fellow noob out there for whom the above codes may be of some help.

Thanks all for your replies. Both the above suggestions look good and solid. I'll try them both -- or at least attempt to extract what I need from them so that I can have en editor-based trigger do the job, if at all possible. My PC struggles when I have .sqf scripts running in the background. @ kylania: Yeah, ten meters is pretty close. I hadn't realized that. Heh-heh. Again, thanks all for taking time to reply.

I know it's too early for this one, but is there any word as to what the system requirements for ARMA III would be? Will the game be able to take better advantage of the hyper-threading? I'm sure I will need -- absolutely need! -- to get this game. So this early, I want to start setting money aside for a PC upgrade. :o This is the kind of game you build your rig to.

Is it possible for a trigger to be activated when – say – half the members of a team are wounded and incapacitated? I’m working on a mission where a special forces team must advance across a small meadow to clear a compound after an airstrike. Right now, I’m using a trigger with the (!alive unitname) OR (!alive untiname) ... script to move a gun truck up to provide suppressing fire when any member of the team is killed. What I’d like to happen instead, if at all possible, is for that gun truck to come up and lay fire on the enemy when, for instance, half the team is damaged and cannot advance. Thanks.

Which cables would depend on your set up, really. Just tuck them away neatly somewhere that they don't hamper with the airflow. I reduced temps on my PC by around 7°C that way -- and, of course, a routine cleaning sked would do wonders, as well. I use the Nvidia system tools to adjust fan speed. I really don't fiddle with the GPUs that much -- mine are running on stock clocks. I hear Precision is much better, yes. I'm not sure about the idle temps on the 295. I hear it's an excellent bit of kit. I'd say try to keep your idle and load temps at par with Nvidia's stipulations, if not lower. Have you checked the NVidia website for normal or safe temps for the 295 at idle and full load? I've a friend who owns a GTX 295 and he's seen some high temps, as well. But then today's chips are meant to endure really high temps -- some say (I'm not sure with what accuracy) as high as 105°C. The GTX 470, for instance, has a normal load temp that runs into the mid 90s. I never let my GPU temps go up that high, though. So the 1.59 makes GPUs work a bit harder, it seems. That's good in a way, right? I mean, this game can churn out some truly stunning graphics at times, and when you've got your cards cranked up and performing well, you get to see things that conjure warm, fuzzy feelings in the heart -- like attack aviation blowing a couple of technicals into kingdom come. Haha! Anyways, glad to hear you've made some progress cutting that heat down to a manageable level. System temps are of some consideration to me right now, as well. (I'm presently assigned to a post in the tropics and ambient temps here can run as high as 37°c at noontime! Jeez!)

I've posted the problem described below elsewhere. I'm sorry. I really want to find a workaround and would like as many inputs as possible so I'm re-posting it here: I’ve noticed that, when using the SOM tactical airstrike function during night-time missions, my AI teammates continue to see the laser beacon – which is placed on the map as soon as the player designates a target for the airstrike – as a threat, even though all OPFOR have been killed or wiped out. They will call it out as "hostile" or "enemy target". (It's an actual IR beacon -- a disc shaped, infra-red object SOM places somewhere near your target. This is what the planes are trying to hit, actually. I'm sure BIS would know what I'm talking about...) What then happens is that, when my AI teammates see this beacon, they never revert back to “aware†behaviour mode, but will continue to behave as though there were enemies about and remain in "combat" mode for as long as the beacon is on the map. This presents some annoying problems, of course, especially during missions that demand a quick exfil because the AIs will hover about the beacon, unable to decipher that it does not present a threat in itself but is in fact only a marker. (The actual threat has by now been bombed to bits.) This problem should be easy enough to reproduce, with a little patience. Just use the SOM module's tactical airstrike facility at night. Hit a target with the CAS system, then have your team walk around the target area after the airstrike is completed and there are no more hostiles about. You should, in fact, be able to reproduce it without having to place OPFOR on the map at all. Just designate a CAS target with your laser designator and then walk over to it with your AI teammates once the planes are gone. I'm almost 100% sure your teammates will perceive a threat somewhere thereabouts. It will take some looking, but if you follow your teammates' IR laser sights you will eventually spot the "beacon" I'm referring to here. (I'd attach a photo of it but I don't know how. I'm quite new both to the game and this site.) I'm using the 1.59 version of ARMA combined operations right now. hadn't noticed this problem with the previous patches, but I'm not sure whether this little anomaly is unique to version 1.59. Anyways, is there some script or workaround I can employ to delete this beacon once the actual target is destroyed? All help and inputs would be greatly appreciated. Sorry for the long post.

Oh, OK. So that eliminates the possibility that I'd committed some scripting error somewhere. I've tried all manner of workaround, but none are as effective as I would like. It does get annoying. None of the other AIs seem to see the object, only those on my team. I'm assuming the game engine itself dismisses it as my "OPFOR not present" trigger is activated without a hitch. I'm going to see about submitting some kind of bug report about it, if and when I have the time. Anyways, thanks for your input. Good to know that the problem isn't related to some kind of kink that is unique to my system.

Thank you. Yes, I hadn't noticed the unnecessary space. That was the problem. My bad. Sorry for the late reply. Again, thanks.

"I assume that something in the new patch is overtaxing my GTX 295. With the very high settings I have been using, my gpu temps will run as high as 89 deg C. I have had to start messing around with my A2 video settings for many hours to maximize fps and detail while keeping gpu temps down. Does anyone else notice significant performance differences with 1.59? I'm using 266.58 driver, multi-gpu, single display, triple buffering on, all other nvidia settings default." -OMAC I had posted something about this earlier, but that was in relation to the 1.58 patch. I've observed an increase in average gaming temps with the 1.59 patch, as well, but what I've seen on my set up does not even come close to the 89 degrees you mention above. Using the 266.58 driver, I get up to around 72°C on my top card now whereas I used to get an average of around 65°c on both cards with the earlier 1.57 patch. My ARMA 2 graphics profile has just about everything on high or very high save for AA, AF and post-processing, all of which I have at normal to keep average framerates hovering between the 45 to 55 FPS mark. (Good performance increase with 1.59!) Have you thought about configuring a more aggressive fan profile? It sucks when you have to lower graphic settings just to reduce system heat. Try ramping up your fan speed to a degree where the noise is tolerable for you, then go check your temps. I presently have the fans on my main card up to 70% speed. How's your cable management and stuff? I've likewise heard the 270.51 driver tends to kick up GPU temps on all cards-- so that is something we should watch out for when the WHQL version is finally issued. Anyways, hope you find a satisfactory workaround.

Thanks. Quick and simple! EDIT: I spoke too soon. I followed the link, which gave me this : (units group player) enable IRLasers true. It didn't work. The mission editor returned a "Missing ;" prompt. I dunno what I did wrong. Anyways, just to clarify. I'd like to have the AIs on my team turn on their laser sights at a certain point in a night-time mission I'm trying to make. I've been searching the forums and have googled the query but cannot seem to find the answer anywhere. The above script looks good, but somehow I couldn't make it work. I tried using it both in the init field of an AI unit and on the On Act field of a waypoint and trigger to no avail. Will really be grateful if someone can point me in the right direction. I've been working on this mission going on five nights now and am really keen on finishing it well. Wouldn't be the same without those lasers. I'm using ARMA2 OA with the latest 1.59RC patch, no special addons or mods. Thanks.

I've just installed patch 1.59 RC and I'm seeing greater detail in the graphics and quite a noticeable increase in framerates. The performance boost is fantastic on my i7 870/GTX 470 SLI set up -- better than what I had briefly glimpsed with the abandoned 1.58 patch. (A friend of mine had actually told me that this game doesn't support SLI -- not true.) But I'm also seeing AIs getting stuck, wedged against walls, fences and odd corners here and there. The "walking" animation continues, but the affected AIs do not advance. I've heard people call this bug "running man" or something like that. This never used to happen. Likewise, there was previous mention here of an issue where AIs refuse to heal the player when using the first aid modules. I've had that happen to me three or four times with this patch, as well. ( I was using the first aid action and simulation modules.) Other than that, I haven't seen any real game-breaking problems with the patch and am really quite happy that BIS continues to pay attention to performance tweaks. I hope to see more in the future!