Arma 3: Community wishes & ideas- NO DISCUSSION

My 3 wishlist for arma3

1. Player using binocular/tank commander n etc should be able to mark target for his AI using right click (remember OFP?) if he can see it using his binocs. Targeting system for heli and plane in OFP is good where radar will see any visible object base on height but require player to click on it to mark it as hostile target or not if it's too far to verify, so no more tab locking like arma2. So air user will depend on ground unit to verify the target n relay the info to the heli radar. So player with happy tab locking attitude will be shooting down civvies and friendly vehicles if he's not careful.

2. Tanks or armored vehicles hit points based on vehicles side and no small arm able to hurt armor!! (Gawd plz incorporate this, i'm sick of able to kill a tank just by shooting mg to it)

3. Sandbox game.

- If Bis can make a template where user made mission can be integrated into 1 sandbox game that would be really awesome. User can select the mission he wants to do based on the difficulty listed on the missions.

- This way we can have a RPG game like OFP resistance where we can level up our units. Adding bounty and ability to hospitalize injured units, recruiting new recruits and buying vehicles and weapon based on player ranks will give it a high replay value. The ability to add in user made missions while retaining the units experience will make it a great RPG that can be played for a long time.

- Adding option for MP where online friends can join in and assist the player sandbox game would be really great in tackling harder missions which will provide better bounty.

Imagine a sandbox RPG game where :

1. Future user made missions can be integrated easily

2. Units that will level up in ranks and response time base on experience and kills

3. Units management concept like close combat series - resting units to heal, repair and etc.

4. Multiple mission type to choose which give bounty or new vehicles based on difficulty

5. Priority in keeping your men alive and back to base safely because experienced units are a valuable assets. Losing experience men will mean your platoon will consist of vets and recruits which will make the commander job of assigning units more interesting.

6. Real time/date, injured unit will take real time to heal so you will be stuck with a recruit replacement until he fully healed. Adding ability to forward time and date will make the game more realistic, in case you need to wait for reinforcement or supplies before doing a mission.

7. Sandbox difficulty option like unlimited time or fixed end date for a campaign to make the game easier or harder.

Now we will have an awesome modern military sandbox where warband is a great medieval sandbox game XD

I hope Bis will consider this or use this idea to make it into something better because sandbox + RPG + future custom mission is a win!

rFactor .DDS skinning method for modding. All you literally have to do is download nVidia's

DDS plug-in for Photoshop, open the file, paint it, re-save it in another name in a new folder and voila!

The .txt file tells the game what it is and what it's called so you can select it from a menu.

I only wish all vehicles would be hiddenSelection ready. That would mean no more HEX editing for re-texture addons, even better, able to use new textures per mission basis (no addon needed).

My only big wish is that BIS adds the letters Å, Ä, Ö so that you can give your character a name with these letters and the briefing.

The ability to turn out of a tank as a crew member and use your personal weapons, or at least binoculars, in case you're commanding a low-tech tank.

EDIT:

More random "underwear" models. Like this:

Maybe not that extreme, but I'm serious. It would look nice. As a matter of fact, a little randomness would be welcome in a lot of places in the game.

I want to see AI that not only now try to supress you, but actually can become supressed by bullets and explosives just like the player can.

AI need morale as well, which would determain how likely they are to retreat, surrendor, or even fight to the death :)

I would like to see AI perform room and building clearance properlly, AI surrender, AI retreat properlly with smoke grenades and supressive fire and bounding movements.

People have been talking about AI supression? Why settle for JUST supression when you could have AI supression, AI attempting to supress you, AND AI splitting up; some supressing and providing over watch, some flanking or advancing, and sometimes even retreating.

This could mean that at platoon level 2 squads could stay back and supress while one advances, then stays to supress while the others advance.

At squad level, a fireteam may stay and supress while the other(s) move.

At fireteam level, buddy teams are used. This does't mean that 2 groups of 2 will split up and piss off 200 metres away from each other, but when moving in danger mode, they will take turns covering and moving, and when one is reloading the other will increase rate of fire.

Infact buddy teams are just as important as the platoon level tactics, they give a basis of how units (from snipers to 12 man squads) should work together and asides realism, tougher AI and sheer awesomeness, buddy teams open windows for:

Working assistant machine gunners that will 'spot' for the gunner in either direct chat or group radio chat. This could be done by assigning all members of any given group a buddy team of either 2 or 3 people (for odd numbered groups) who will communicate over direct chat stuff like "you're firing too far to the right" and "you're on target". It doesn't have to be to the same standard human spotters work at, but it is something that will greatly improve the game and open many windows of opportunity for the game to be further improved in post-release patches.

The machine gunner assistants also cover the gunner when he's reloading and may even be able to help change barrels and mags.

Working assistant AT gunners who can cover the gunner while preparing, spot and even help reload some AT weapons while the gunner stays zeroed in on target. This reload is faster than if the gunner did it himself and also the the gunner stays aimed in on target. The assistants will chose to load the same type of round (if you have more than one) you just fired to avoid getting loaded with a HEDP round and getting shot by the tank you would have killed if you used your last HEAA round.

AI should also be able to use frags and grenade launchers. Grenade launchers are used by the AI against soft vehicles (stationary), static enemy positions, and are also used like a mahcine gun would to gain fire superiority. Explosions should have a supressive effect on AI as well as bullets.

One last thing:

Vegetation, while not hard cover, SHOULD STILL BLOCK AI LINE OF SIGHT

Not just the tree trunks, the leaves and bushes AND LONG GRASS should cut off their line of sight properlly (prone enemies should no longer be able to see just as well as if they we standing up). They don't need to see someone to shoot them, they can still shoot at suspected positions, so dont let them cheat by letting them see through long grass and the leaves of bushy trees in a forest.

Forest battles were fine in OFP and Sahrani, where there pine trees and there was only the tree trunk to block your view (bushy bit way up top) and there was only the occasional bush or patch of long grass to get in your way. It is the vegetation that mkaes the AI hard to see in arma 2, yet they can see you fine.

The day I see a prone AI in long grass come up to a knee to take a shot in arma is the day I will drop absolutely everything i am currently doing in life and only play arma

Moving away from AI I would like to see placeable trenches in the editor (not little dirt textures an actual trench that is 4 ft deep and can be made longer and wider in the same way a placeable trigger would. No it's not world war one but trenches and fox holes are still dug in when military are tasked with defending/occupying a place.

This would add to the possibilities of the game making it more fun. I am not however, suggesting that there should be an action in the action menu to dig a trench, that kind of stuff should be like placing an object - editor only.

This would give the 3d editor some real potential

I would love for the body armour of troops to be able to be taken off just like the ammo vests and give them protection against bullets, but armour piercing bullets can penetrate heaps better (but do less damage after penetrating).

A3 Whishlist

Gameplay

____________

-Character abilities. I really like the concept of the SMK animation mod and all it's features. Maybe their is a way to incorporate a lot of character abilities but to simplify the controls to make them user friendly. For example to Climb and Jump a wall, no need to press a combination of Keys, just sprint in to it and the action is automatically carried out.

-Ladders. This is something that can also be simplified. No need to scroll the mouse wheel and hit enter to climb a ladder, just walk in to it like the silky smooth ladders in Battlefield 3 or fear2/3.

-That reminds me...Climbing and abseiling would be great abilities to have. climb trees, walls, poles etc. Im sure their are endless way's these abilities could be used tactically.

-Hand to Hand Combat and blades please. I don't want to argue with anybody! please!. I'm just saying hehe =). Along with the physics governed character dynamics i suggested this could be a great feature. Imagine throwing a punch and have it actually physically connecting with and affecting the characters body. maybe have a few simple moves with a counter attack and parry, maybe also a choke move. Or how about some dynamic cutting/stabbing/slashing... like the MGS rising teaser video;)

-Ability to crawl in to ducts for infiltration

-Hiding spots, Underground tunnels, caves, sewage systems. Allowing possibilities for unconventional guerilla warfare.

-Official BIS, Zombie expansion mission please.

-Sarcos Exoskeloton (power loader)

Game Engine

____________

--Physics governed Dynamic Character movement. Having seen the work in progress of the ragdoll and PhysX in A3 i am pleased. I just hope it is going to be further improved and surpass GTA4's Euphoria/Rage Engine. I would like to see the Euphoria Concept taken to a new level of realism. Racing sims simulate vehicle dynamics, so i think Action games and Military sims should simulate the human Skeleton and Character movement realistically as well. The Realistic charactor movement would be great for Immersion in First person view. The Character should be affected by it's environment, collisions with objects/other characters, wind, explosions, bullets, Heavy Rucksack, running up or down gradient's... etc. Character animations should blend in to each other and the physical simulation seamlessly. For example if the character is running downhill and releases the forward/run command, but cannot stop immediately and perhaps stumbles trips/ falls or even rolls down the hill depending on how it plays out. . This is how i imagine it working....The physics could have parallels to how the human body actually works. The player pressing the forward run/keys starts the forward run animation, it's real life equivalent being the brain sending signals to the muscles telling them to contract. then the forward command is released and the character propelled by momentum continues to peddle down the hill, then the back key is pressed and this try's to oppose the forward movement and peddling this results in the character stopping or stumbling in a realistic and dynamic way. Imagine how these physics can be implemented with being shot, or explosions, or even brushing against objects as you move through a cluttered area or on an uneven surface. Also no part of the characters body should pass through any game object, if you walked in to a wall for example , your limbs or weapon would be pushed/affected by this.

-Edit ; Support for forcefeedback wheels, i don't just mean semi support but at least LFS quality force feedback ;)

AI

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-AI tuned for stealth gameplay. The AI seems to know exactly where you are even without seeing you sometimes. please fix it. Adjustable AI in game, like (Infantry skills and recognition mod) by Mysteryman150 (i think thats his name :/)

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there's probably a lot more i wanted to add, but this is all i got for now. :)

Coming straight from the "OMG future weapons" threat ^^:

SRSS BullDog762

The BullDog 762 transforms the M-14 (M1A) to an ideal combat rifle by adding CQB (Close Quarter Battle) capabilities to its

legendary reliabilty and long-range accuracy.

Click on the image to learn more about it and see some awesome shots in action

HAVE AT YOU!

Rogue Bullpup setup mentioned in the same thread. Image courtesy of possibly one of the biggest SEI shill's on the interet, but I won't name names. Stock by Juggernaut Tactical.

Even though it has 'No Discussion', I thought I should clear a few things up. If you already have a 'Wish list' post, just edit it rather than having five posts with one wish per post. (Stops clogging and gives BI dev's a chance to read through these posts more easily)

Also, I don't think weapons are a valuable wish, they can be added in easily at a later date. This should be for more Graphical/Features/AI/Animation etc, stuff that the game is based upon. Data that modders are not able to change without a lot of time.

In saying that, here are a few things that I'm hoping make it into the game. (I'm not going to state the obvious, (Fix AI, etc) just post a few things I feel, from playing OFP since 2001 are needed in a game being released on DX11 and in 2012.

1. A Beta is NEEDED. For maybe a few weeks pre launch to select clans and individuals. It should have designated areas in which to focus. i.e One clan exploring the map, finding any bugs. Second clan, stress testing MP. Third, The Campaign etc. Will make for a much smoother launch. Also a release date that is global would also be good.

2. Varying animations depending on your main weapon. i.e Running with Machine gun is different than running with a stock M4. Breaks it up a bit and adds a tad more immersion. This also goes for crouching and crawling.

3. As Wipman said. Proper and smooth animations between the switching of weapons and the removing and adding of optics/silencers is a must. If it all works, it will take the game to the next level. As Wipman stated, have the weapon drop to your front when switching to a sidearm.

4. Taking full use of DX11. I will find it very unfortunate if BIS have not jumped into the beauty that is DX11 technology. Sure, it's easy to add a and b features, but what I really want more than anything it just for BIS to make the graphics amazing. The draw distance spectacular and the gameplay smooth. It can happen, there are technologies out there that can do it, I just hope BIS can too.

5. Improve the modules (ALICE etc). Wolffy has constantly been fixing stuff that BIS somewhat neglected in A2 for his MSO in terms of BIS modules. I hope BIS can improve on these and make them solid and good to go for A3.

6. BIS remember, there is no rush. ArmA 2 is still an excellent game. Take your time and make it the best game you can rather than feeling you have to rush it.

Other than that, a lot of my other hopes are in the 'Confirmed' thread or others have stated over and over. Let's just hope BIS make a heck of a game.

Thanks.

Private Data Transfering

between server and client.

Currently there is no way to trasnfer some data from server to client or from client to server privately. Currently we have two ways:

someVar = <value>;

publicVariable "someVar";

and

<object> setVehicleInit "{code}"; processInitCommands;

Both methods cause packet broadcasting containing data/code to all clients and server (in case publicVariable excepting client which the publicVariable called).

It would be nice to see private data transfering with no broadcast to reduce network traffic.

Wishlist:

Better & Smarter A.I:

- Medics heal automaticly wounded soldiers,

- AT soldiers don't take too long for shooting @ tanks

- A.I uses sometimes RPG on infantry

- A.I should throw hand grenades more often <- this

Gameplay/Audio/Video:

- Bad Company 2 destruction style,

- REALISTIC GUN SOUND's,

- Realistic explosions,

- Easier driving of cars

...

I'd like to see the ability to do buddy mounts (not sure if that's the proper term) with weapons, for instance resting a light weight sniper rifle on your fellow spotter for increased stability. Also the inclusion of deployable tripods and functioning wire cutters.

First off, let me say WOW! When there is no arguing or complaining its amazing the ideas we can come up with and some of them are OUTSTANDING!

I'm not sure whether my suggestions will fall into game play or engine, so I'll just call the topic

Game Play / Engine

-deeper color palette

-virtual populace (not a huge map W/ no civilians or infrastructure) Make the place look “lived-in†autonomous population with jobs, homes, bus stops

ability to Entrench/Fortify position

external vehicle passengers (non-scripted)

crawl out/into windows for stealth or when pinned in a bldg.

set fire to buildings

true downforce effect on trees (bending trees)

destroyable lights (street lamps etc)

sneak in shadows (hide in culverts, ditches)

why does a 6 ton helicopter lose vs 500 lb tree?

Content

Denel NTW 20

Expeditionary Fighting Vehicle (USMC) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Expeditionary_Fighting_Vehicle

HIMARS W/ SLAMRAAM http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HIMARS

Douglas A-1 Skyraider

OV-10 Bronco

Waverunner/Jetski

Tear Gas, Pepper Spray, Riot Gear

I have other ideas, but this is just a start. I'm not much of a big "gun" guy. I don't need to have every gun out there, but its the odd things I like to see, like ambulances and tow-trucks.

MGC-1

modernized BVP-1 by Excalibur army as posted by UnuldorCZ

technology demonstration

Storyline/Scenarios

-dedicate at least a small part of the story line to the amoral aspects of war, from a civilians point of view perhaps. A mother who has lost a child in a drone strike, or a child that has lost everything. If we are going to be realistic, why not throw in the lies, deceptions, ulterior motives and atrocities of governments and the crimes of soldiers or "moral armies" that supposedly operate within the law and Human rights. I realise their are many sides to a story, but in modern day warfare the civilian suffering is usually swept under the carpet by well planned and executed propaganda that aims to Justify acts of flat out aggression or opportunism. I take it Blufor means blue forces (the good guys). And Opfor is the opposition right?. The way i see it, their are no good guy's or bad guys in war. Most of the time It's never that simple and the media coverage is not always truthful. I would prefer a more impartial description of nations or if you dare a more truthful one. Not that i am suggesting that any particular group is represented unfairly in Arma ;).

AI

Ai should actually USE cover - Currently ai know how to get behind cover fairly well but don't know how to use it once they're there. They should be actively peaking in and out of cover depending on the amount of fire they are taking. Ie. If under heavy fire they will TOTALLY conceal themselves behind cover, otherwise they should peak out exposing as little of themselves as possible so they can engage enemy.

By implementing this ai survivability would be increased and it would be possible to suppress ai introducing a vital part of any real fire fight and making realistic tactics viable in game vs. Ai.

Content

Could care less about what they make as long as it is made well. I should be able to "feel" the difference between driving a tank or a car, or between shooting an Ak and a mp5 instead of just see it. quality over quantity

modding and tools

"Arma 3 for dummies" - manual that will cover every concept of the game, from shooting, to commanding to the editor to modding.

Also please make and release an optimal computer build so those of us who don't know how to make our own can still play arma 3 smoothely

I'd like to see SU-37 on a game somday :D

i would like to see ai have a basic color association, such as even if im not wearing a ghilli suit, woodland camoflauge in the WOODS would be very hard to pick out. but i could be wearing a purple suit and get as much attention

For realistic content improvement suggest reviewing this article “10 Tech Items for the Next War†http://www.nationaldefensemagazine.org/Pages/default.aspx

Extended in-game waypoint functionality.

The shift-left click waypoints you can give yourself are handy (shift-left click on map, green waypoint icon shows up in game world), but I think you should be able to add more than one, giving yourself a chain of them, like high command.

Also, assign something like shift-right click to make waypoints that other group members can see on their screen. This would be handy for marking things, eg targets, without your team mates having to open the map and trying to work out where they are in relation to a vague map marker you put down.

I wish for ARMA4... and the only way to see this is with great sales in ARMA3...

A way that may help to attract some of the first person shooter guys... is with animations that are faster... eg. you run faster... you reload faster etc...

But to keep everybody happy, have the options to run animations at normal pace... or at FPS pace.... I am not a big fan of the FPS crowd but I am also not a big fan of the unemployment line either... so if it pays the bills...

good luck...

RE: DIVING in Arma 3

Please see this text below as suggestions rather than demands. I really can't wait for all the functionality that can come from diving in Arma 3, so I've put together a bit of a list of suggestions for BIS and addon/mod makers to take or leave. It's by no means exhaustive.

Animations

The Animations at present are for swimming, not diving. In Scuba/ Rebreather/ Assisted style diving you do not use your arms to propel yourself, only your legs. It is more efficient. It also means you can hold items ie. your weapon/s or navigation devices. I haven't seen any animations for getting in and out of the water but obviously from the beach you walk in, from a boat you either step off the boat in one leap or sit on the edge and roll back. Obviously from a helicopter you'll just jump and land in a similar fashion to parachuting into the sea.

Changing/ Getting equipped

Perhaps something to consider is that most military divers will wear normal military clothes underneath their drysuits. With the functionality enabling the ability to change clothes perhaps it should be possible to take off your drysuit “uniform†for normal operating, so the drysuit can be seem as an additional piece of clothing, seperate to their diving equipment. Obviously if divers are just wearing a wetsuit then there is no uniform underneath.

Buoyancy

Your buoyancy should be controlled by Q and Z on the keyboard. In diving the main problem you deal with is buoyancy, too much air in your buoyancy control device/ compensator (BCD - the vest that divers use to control their buoyancy) will mean you rise to the surface too quickly, too little and the effects of your weights will make you sink. Your aim when diving is to be buoyancy neutral, perhaps this can be factored into the simulation.

Gauges

Perhaps some form of UI or display to show how much air you have left? An animation using your hand would be amazing but probably too much to ask.

Rising/Descending too quickly.

I don't think this has to be a concern too much for a game, but in real life if you descend or rise too quickly when diving you will experience the dangerous effects of Nitrogen and problems with hearing and not “equalising†the pressure of your ears. Perhaps this should be considered as I've seen videos of diving too quickly in Arma 3. As you ascend you'll speed up as the air in your BCD expands, so you have to dump some of it (say by holding Z a little) to reduce your rate of ascent.

Noise/Sound

Is there the possibility of adding the effects of being underwater brings to hearing? This would possibly be the biggest thing you could do (in addition to the breathing sound) to increase immersion.

Hand signals

Diving has different hand signals that if added would again add to the immersion.

Additional equipment

Normally if a team is only using diving as a method of insertion to an area (rather than just the means to attack a maritime objective), they will tow their additional equipment in waterproof bags behind them. Something else to consider I guess.

This is a good intro to some of the stuff I mean. Also the ugly guy isn't me -

Take On: Diving, anyone?

Well a thing that could be cool its a way to add parameters on the modules dialog. Right now the only way to give the mision editors the posibility to modifi the behaviour of a module its throught variables( setvariable ) or sincronization. That option to add some more friendly params to the modules will benefic both scripters( that wouldn't need so much documentation) and mision makers that sometimes think that any script command its written on an weird language.

It may be dificult to understand so i will try to explain and example:

If you want to configure the Town Generator module, you should add a lot of lines to the init of the module, for example to change the size you should add:

this setvariable ["townsize",150];

It wont be much simpler if instead of that, there will be a slider called "town Size (meters)" that allows you to config it? it will be faster and anyone should understand that.

For that scripters should have a way to especify how many parameters the module have and what are their options/type of selector. It should be to dificult to implement and would be really welcome :rolleyes:

Eddit/added:

Extending this idea of the easy configurable modules, other great idea would be including "script mision modules". For example that mision makers can just copy and paste a folder in their mision( for example into XXXmision.map\modules\module1) that includes a module, and that makes avaliable a new module into the editor, this will make things even easier to mision makers that sometimes struggle to add a simple line to the mision init.sqf or description.ext.

From the scripter point of view of this idea, it should allow the scripters define some basic configs(define sounds, dialogs,... all you can define in description.ext of the mision), also the parameters of the module as defined above, and some kind of relative paths for all his files in the module. This idea would be trickier to implement, but should be that hard ^^.

While playing several FPSs lately, I noticed how rather unrealistic it is for the characters to always walk around with their weapon held up, even if it's a heavy machine weighing over 10 kilograms. ARMA 2 does offer you the possibility to lower your weapon, but I find it to be quite clumsy to use this in the middle of a firefight.

A less clumsy and more realistic way of weapon handling would be to:

- have the player by default have is weapon pointing down. By that I don't mean the relaxed stance that comes with lowering your weapon in ARMA 2. The weapon should still be shouldered. Moving around in this stance won't make your weapon clip to objects either.

- when the player presses the LMB (Left Mouse Button) from this stance, the weapon immediately fires to the centre of the players view. Picture this: you are walking down the street in an urban environment while scanning for threats using freelook. Suddenly you see an enemy in the second story window at your 10 o'clock. Now all you have to do to fire at him is pressing your LMB. Of course, firing in this manner with a M60 will take longer then with a MP5, since a M60 is a lot heavier.

- when the player presses the RMB, he will bring up his weapon and look through the (CQB-)sights of the weapon. This means all weapons should have CQB-sights of some sort. This doesn't have to be more then looking over your scope. Having your weapon up will drain your fatique, and of course: the heavier the weapon, the faster it will drain.

Note: all this only applies to the standing and crouching stance. Now on to the inventory.

Cycling through your inventory in ARMA 2 can be quite a bit of a hassle. Drawing a sidearm often means you NEED that sidearm quickly and when you need to search for it for 5 seconds in your action menu, you probably end up getting shot. Also, the action menu often becomes cluttered with switching to pieces of equipment. I think this comes primarely through the lack of hotkeys for equipment.

Making a hotkey system* like in CoD 4 would not only make it easier to cycle through equipment, but it would also make the action menu more of an "action menu" and less of a "inventory menu".

*For instance: press number 1 for primary weapon, 2 for pistol, 3 for grenades, 4 for GL, 5 for AT/AA launcher etc. When you select a certain weapon in this manner, you can subsequently cycle through the fire modes with your f-key. (Instead of the numerals under the function-keys, you might as well use the numpad numbers. This way the command system doesn't have to be bound to other keys.)

Improved physics for dust, fire and smoke