FROM: Project Lead
TO: Arma 3 Users
UNIT: Main Branch
ACTIVITY: Hotfix: 1.02 (Multiplayer stability)
SIZE: ~16 MB
CHANGELOG

ENGINE

Fixed: Common multiplayer instability related to PhysX simulation (ragdoll versus respawn) in patch 1.02. Please allow some time for all servers and clients to update - issues may persist if either isn't yet updated (they are able to connect to each other).

FROM: Project Lead
TO: Arma 3 Users
INFO: Patch released, Hotfix expected, Light Shafts
PRECEDENCE: Flash

SITUATION

The first post-release patch was released last Friday. It sported a long list of miscellaneous fixes and improvements, but also significantly increased Altis performance for a group of players out there (not everyone). They especially benefit from this during large-scale scenarios where a lot of AI units are maneuvering across the terrain. The Artificial Intelligence work that did not make it into release, was also included in this patch ... and said work is still on-going. Unfortunately the patch also caused a multiplayer instability related to PhysX simulation. It has proven hard to debug since it involves external libraries. Our programmers have finally found useful debugging information, and once they have a confirmed fix, we hope to hotfix 1.02. Apologies to those not able to enjoy MP at the moment.

We look forward to seeing visitors of Firstlook 2013 expo in The Netherlands this weekend! To those unable to attend: we will share teasers of future content here next week as well.

INTELLIGENCE

Devbranch has received the first version of a fancy new graphical feature: Light shafts a.k.a. Crepuscular rays. We're still tweaking the settings for various weather types. Along with the adjusted lens flares, they enhance the feeling of being basked in strong sunlight very nicely. Special kudos go to programmer Lukáš Bábíček, who developed this feature for Arma 3 in his spare time as a hobby project - and offered it to us to release!

This week's Workshop spotlight is shared by designer Vladimír Hynek. He had this to say about 'Infantry' by Binkowski: "It's a great mid- to close range combat mission, enhanced by its own voice acting and music, which really helps to make the experience more immersive. Commanding your unit wisely and gathering weapons from enemies is the key to victory."

OPERATIONS

Final MOCAP for the first campaign episode was finished, processed and plugged into the game. It's awesome to see the characters come to life! The last bit of voice acting is being recorded in the next few days, including several full new British English Radio Protocols. Look for an announcement of the exact release date for episode 1 during next week.

LOGISTICS

While the bulk of the team is busy with general fixes and the aforementioned campaign, some team members have begun preparing tools for release. We intend to bring out several packages as Steam tools. The aim is to gradually update and enhance them - starting with the basics to get going. Our Community Tools package will eventually offer updated versions of things like binarization, PBO file packing, the Oxygen modeling tool (with PhysX LOD support), Visitor for terrains, many supporting tools, as well as sample data. Which of these get in the initial suite is not clear right now. We'll keep modders updated on progress.

The stand-alone Windows Dedicated Server package is to feature heavily compressed data (the server does not need visual / audio fidelity). It will be free for anyone to download and distribute. We're also working on a Linux Dedicated Server, but we expect it may take the longest of these three releases.

Prague, Czech Republic, Friday 27th September 2013

Bohemia Interactive today released their first update for the recently released tactical military shooter, Arma 3. Building further upon the platform, update 1.02 implements numerous of tweaks, fixes and improvements, which are all listed in the spot report on the official Arma 3 website. Players will download the update automatically via Steam.

Set on the Mediterranean islands of Altis (270 km²) and Stratis (20 km²), Arma 3 features 12 singleplayer showcases, 3 factions showcases, 9 multiplayer scenarios, 10 firing drill challenges, more than 20 vehicles and 40 weapons, 5 factions, the scenario editor and modding support. The post-launch campaign will be made available via 3 free DLC episodes after release. The complete overview of content can be found here.

People can purchase the regular Arma 3 (44.99 EUR/39.99 GBP/59.99 USD) or the Arma 3 Digital Deluxe Edition (49.99 EUR/42.99 GBP/64.99 USD) from Steam and Store.bistudio.com. A boxed version of Arma 3 is also available at many of the major retailers.

FROM: Project Lead
TO: Arma 3 Users
INFO: First patch, Firstlook 2013
PRECEDENCE: Flash

SITUATION

We are in the final stages of preparing for the first post-release patch / main branch update. This does not yet contain the first campaign episode. There are a couple of fixes and improvements that will benefit the larger playerbase and would be good to get out. Recent optimizations benefit the performance of Altis, especially in scenarios with lots of AI units moving about. There are also a few fixes for Japanese and Korean versions - such as re-enabling blood and correcting broken font issues for some texts. The goal is to release later this week, but as per usual, this depends on testing.

INTELLIGENCE

If you are buying a digital copy of Arma 3, we recommend to use either Steam or Store.bistudio.com. This avoids the chance of encountering a fraudulent online Steam code vendor.

Continuing a nice new tradition of pointing out developer favorite Workshop creations, designer Nelson Duarte shares his thoughts on 'Get The Hostages' by papy.rabbit.08: "You'll have to neutralize an AA vehicle, carefully approach a small enemy camp, rescue three civilian hostages, and call in the choppers for extraction. It's a short, but very cool open-world mission, which lets you complete the objective any way you like."

OPERATIONS

Two Dutchies on the Arma 3 team (Joris-Jan and Korneel van ‘t Land) will attend Firstlook 2013 expo in The Netherlands on October 5 / 6. Those who don’t know the game yet, can get hands-on at the MSI booth, as well as grill the devs for intel. Two main stage demos top things off - including, we hope, some first looks at future content additions.

LOGISTICS

Behind-the-scenes work continues on the campaign, new vehicles and weapons. We don’t have exact release dates set for individual assets. They are developed in parallel and when patches get close to release, we see if they are ready to be released. It’s very likely development branch will see new assets staged first.

Devbranch aficionados have noted changes to existing idle animations they were using in modules and scripts. We have been splendidizing these and adding new ones for campaign purposes (in a seperate add-on due to release datalock). The new data will become available with the first patch (and devbranch before).


OPERATIONS

Two Dutchies on the Arma 3 team (Joris-Jan and Korneel van ‘t Land) will attend Firstlook 2013 expo in The Netherlands on October 5 / 6. Those who don’t know the game yet, can get hands-on at the MSI booth, as well as grill the devs for intel. Two main stage demos top things off - including, we hope, some first looks at future content additions.

LOGISTICS

Behind-the-scenes work continues on the campaign, new vehicles and weapons. We don’t have exact release dates set for individual assets. They are developed in parallel and when patches get close to release, we see if they are ready to be released. It’s very likely development branch will see new assets staged first.

Devbranch aficionados have noted changes to existing idle animations they were using in modules and scripts. We have been splendidizing these and adding new ones for campaign purposes (in a seperate add-on due to release datalock). The new data will become available with the first patch (and devbranch before).

Prague, Czech Republic, Thursday 19th September 2013

As part of the official Community Guide video series for Arma 3, Bohemia Interactive released a brand new episode on combined arms warfare. Focusing on transportation and support, Andrew Gluck (better known as Dslyexci) from ShackTactical narrates the video to explore the synergetic relationship between infantry, vehicles, aircraft and artillery.

The Community Guide series opened with a more general introduction to Arma 3, whereas the second and third Community Guide took a closer look at infantry combat and multiplayer teamwork. The fourth video celebrated a milestone in development, as the game transitioned from Alpha to Beta. The latest Community Guides focused on helicopters and sniper and launcher teams.

Arma 3 is now available for purchase on Steam and Store.bistudio.com for 44.99 EUR/39.99 GBP/59.99 USD. There is also a Digital Deluxe Edition available, which includes digital extras such as the Arma 3 soundtrack, a map of Altis, the Tactical Guide (300+ pages), and a Steam version of Arma: Cold War Assault. A boxed version of Arma 3 is sold at many of the major retailers.

FROM: Project Lead
TO: Arma 3 Users
INFO: Release, Post-release work
PRECEDENCE: Flash

SITUATION

Last Thursday's release was a big moment for the team. It was a relief to get the game out there. Of course we realize that for most people reading this obscure development blog, it had less of an impact than to someone buying / installing the game for the first time. For those wanting a changelog from the last Beta patch, check out SPOTREP #00010. We're focusing on reading and watching all the constructive feedback and criticisms, while solidifying our short-term and long-term plans.

Daily development branch updates fired up again yesterday. If you're willing to deal with the usual disclaimers of that experimental build, it will have lots of fixes coming. Main branch patching is planned on a 2 to 4 week cycle. The short-term cycle will partly be synchronized with the release of campaign episodes, but we may get some patches in-between.

INTELLIGENCE

In a special release week Report In! interview, Big Boss Marek Španěl shares his thoughts on Arma 3's development and future. There are many interesting tidbits in there, such as revealing intentions to release the entire Arma 2 content library to modders under a very generous license to create derivative work for Arma 3. This is but part of a big push for modding, involving Workshop support and tools.

You may have witnessed Steam Trading Cards appearing in your Steam Inventory while playing Arma 3. There are 8 cards in the launch deck. By playing and trading you can craft them into a badge and get random 'loot' dropped. Arma 3 loot comes in the form of custom emoticons and profile skins. We should point out Trading Cards are a Steamworks system and not something we spent resources on implementing ourselves. They are just a little extra, but they offer some interesting rewards like discount vouchers for Steam. We are really quite happy with how the artworks came out - kudos to our artists who did a lot of it in their free time.

Another week, another Workshop dev favorite. Karel Mořický has the following to say about 'Road To Redemption' by Ubiquitous: "The mission shows perfectly what Arma 3 is about: combined arms operation, clear objective, wide range of tactical opportunities, and responsibility."

Visit the updated official F.A.Q. for some basic questions and answers, such as where to find Digital Deluxe assets (your Arma 3 Steam installation folder, Bonus sub-folder).

OPERATIONS

Work on post-release (free) content progresses nicely. It's looking likely we'll include new heavy pistols and a CSAT marksman rifle (with new marksman optics) with the first campaign episode. Content for the other episodes is in development. The two CAS airplanes are mostly finished in terms of their most detailed artwork Level Of Detail (LOD). They are now undergoing texturing and LODing, before handing them off to the encoding, audio and animation departments. And there are yet more brand-new vehicles being sculpted by the artists.

LOGISTICS

Besides (memory) optimizations and AI fixes, devbranch contains improvements to reduce tank (or rather tracked vehicle) PhysX glitches. They should be much less prone to flipping, as if weightless, caused by main barrel collisions or ramming each other.

3-0-7 | 14 SEP 2013
Changed default terrain to Altis.
Added Fireteam Member Markers component.
Added Buddy Team Colours component.
Partially re-enabled weather parameter in Mission Conditions Selector component.
Expanded F3 Folk ARPS Platoons component:
|- INDEPENDENT platoon can now be helibourne or mechanised.
|- BLUFOR platoon now has 1 x tank.
|- OPFOR platoon now has 1 x tank.
Implemented new functions-based approach to parameters, gear etc.
Updated F3 Folk ARPS Assign Gear Script component to support new NVG classnames.
Removed ShackTactical Fireteam Member Markers component.

The moment we’ve all been waiting for is finally here: the launch of Arma 3. To celebrate this massive milestone, we checked in with Bohemia Interactive’s founder and CEO, Marek Španěl, to talk about the past, present, and future!

We're often asked to let some of our people talk about what it's like to develop a game at BI. 'Report In!' gives you a more personal perspective on our team, a more detailed look at the way we go about our work, and fresh information about our ongoing projects.

As founder of Bohemia Interactive, Marek is one of the architects behind the successful Arma series – setting out a vision which now seems more relevant than ever. Combining ambition with a passion for original games, Bohemia Interactive has meanwhile become a recognized player in the gaming industry. The road to success has not been without struggle, however, with the most recent example being the detainment of two Bohemia Interactive employees on the Greek island of Lemnos. Fortunately, this year has been much more positive. The Arma 3 Alpha and Beta were welcomed by overwhelming support from players, and DayZ is shaping up to be a thrilling new experience. Time for a SITREP from the man in charge.

Past

For the newcomers among us, let’s start with a little bit of history. How and why was the Arma series (starting with Operation Flashpoint: Cold War Crisis) originally conceived?

We began by working on the game code itself, which resulted in a proof of concept named ‘Poseidon’. This game later became Operation Flashpoint: Cold War Crisis (and was much later renamed to Arma: Cold War Assault). It basically all started in 1997 as a home project I was working on with my brother Ondrej Španěl. After developing for Atari computers for years, we finally made the transition to what seemed to be a more mainstream platform: PC. Our goal was to create a 3D vehicle simulation game in an open world. Five years later, influenced by many inspiring people and rejected by some of the biggest publishers, our first Arma game was released by Codemasters in 2001. It became a massive success worldwide.

Fast-forwarding a bit, after more than a decade of Arma game-making, what experience or challenge has been the most meaningful?

We started releasing our first content updates in the summer of 2001. We called those ‘add-ons’ at the time, but nowadays they would be referred to as DLCs. We always worked hard to support the modding community by releasing tools and sample content. This was in no way a small undertaking for a team of our size (we were with 10 people in total), but it more than paid off in the end. To us, seeing the creations and response of players, was and remains extremely satisfying and rewarding.

Arma 3’s development started in 2010. Could you tell us some more about the first stage of its development?

Originally, we were playing around with the idea of bringing the authenticity of the Arma series to a more sci-fi futuristic setting. This resulted in a couple of experiments, even along the lines of Arma meets aliens. However, as I suspect, many of our player base will be relieved that we ultimately decided to adjust the direction. Even though Arma 3 still takes place in the near future, with some prototype tech and vehicles, the game is much more faithful to our previous installments. Our obsession in space exploration is now vested in Take On Mars.

And then, a widely reported event in the media has been the arrest of two Bohemia Interactive employees on the Greek island of Limnos on suspicion of espionage. What is the current legal situation?

There hasn’t been any news since they were released on bail in February, but from what we know, the case is still pending and at some point the court should make a decision. It’s great for us to have our friends and colleagues Ivan and Martin back working with us, and we sincerely hope this whole unfortunate incident will be over soon. Now the only thing we can do is to wait.

On a more positive note, Arma 3 took a new development route with the Alpha and Beta. What were your motivations behind this decision, and how has the early-access approach benefited Arma 3 and your company?

We had always wanted to go for this approach, since we don’t believe it’s possible to properly test a game of this magnitude without involving our players. The rise and evolution of digital distribution has enabled us to do so. We tried to balance this new method for everyone: early adopters got the game at a much lower price, and we received their support and feedback before the game was officially released. There’s no doubt that Arma 3 benefited tremendously from the early-access program. ...

Prague, Czech Republic, Thursday 12th September 2013

OUT NOW - Available in digital and physical retail stores worldwide, Bohemia Interactive is proud to announce today’s much-anticipated release of Arma 3. The brand new launch trailer introduces players to the authentic, diverse and open combat in Arma 3’s massive military sandbox.

Set on the Mediterranean islands of Altis (270 km²) and Stratis (20 km²), Arma 3 features 12 singleplayer showcases, 3 factions showcases, 9 multiplayer scenarios, 10 firing drill challenges, more than 20 vehicles and 40 weapons, 5 factions, the scenario editor and modding support. The post-launch campaign will be made available via 3 free DLC episodes after release. The complete overview of content can be found here.

“We’re incredibly proud of the release of Arma 3, as well as of the unique collaboration with the people who joined for the early-access development. We experienced some significant setbacks in the past years, but the fantastic public response to the Alpha and Beta kept us going,” said Joris-Jan van ‘t Land, Project Lead on Arma 3.

“Together we’ve made a game that truly meets its potential - while establishing a platform to build upon and grow even further. Our long-term commitment to Arma 3, in combination with the creative modding community and Steam Workshop, means this is just the kick off. We thank everyone for their splendid support and welcome you all to join our journey ahead.”

People can purchase the regular Arma 3 (44.99 EUR/39.99 GBP/59.99 USD) or the Arma 3 Digital Deluxe Edition (49.99 EUR/42.99 GBP/64.99 USD) from Steam and Store.bistudio.com. A boxed version of Arma 3 is also available at many of the major retailers.

Last but not least, Arma 3 Alpha and Arma 3 Beta participants will be able to play the final game after downloading the automatic update on Steam. Visit this page for answers to some of the more frequently asked questions.

FROM: Project Lead
TO: Beta Users
INFO: Release week!
PRECEDENCE: Flash

SITUATION

Welcome to Arma 3 release week! In two days we are transitioning from Beta to full release. For some of you Alpha and Beta veterans this is almost like any patch that has come before, albeit a huge one. For others this is going to be the starting point of their Arma 3 experience. For all of us, this is the first step on a hopefully long journey - as the platform grows and matures. This Thursday, 09:00 GMT+1 (Prague), is our target time for the switch from Beta to full version on Steam. Things are prepared and staged, so it should be feasible. We'll keep you posted via our (social) channels - including unveiling the splendid launch trailer!

INTELLIGENCE

We forgot to highlight the most recent Community Guide video last week, so here it is: an awesome look at snipers and launcher teams. The next episode is well on its way already, and very nicely showing how all elements in Arma 3 come together to form combined arms warfare.

Let's also not forget a Report In! with our Playable Content Lead, Jaroslav Kašný, who is now cracking the whip to get the first campaign episode finished with his team.

The Community Focus widget was updated on the main page - with some cool videos resulting from staging the release content. It also features a shout out to one of the local Czech communities at ARMAseries.cz. Naturally we will continue to update this widget after release; there is loads more to feature! On a related note: we've featured our second Workshop dev favorite scenario. Creative Director Jay Crowe selected the fresh approach of Wulfenstein by Pavelbier.

There is going to be a SPOTREP to detail the changes from the last Beta patch to the release version on Thursday.

OPERATIONS

As will often happen, in some regions the DVD retail version of Arma 3 has already ended up with people. Until the game is officially released on Thursday, installing it before that time will 'downpatch' the game to the Steam Beta. You are of course free to use it that way, but it means the update on Thursday will be larger for you. Keep this in mind if you are on low bandwidth Internet connections. Basically the DVD version is a Steam Product Code with a partial data snapshot on the disc. The snapshot will make the download smaller, but it still must activate and update at least once.

To confirm: we will continue our daily experimental builds on development branch as per usual. In fact, there is a rather huge backlog of updates queued up behind our project's release data lock. Once this lock is relaxed on the 12th, our team is free to publish to Steam devbranch and you'll likely see many, many tweaks and fixes immediately. We'd recommend those on low bandwidth connections to stay clear of devbranch for the first few days as the updates can easily reach gigabyte territory. Main branch patches will also resume. There is no exact timing for these, but we intend the cycle to be similar to the Alpha and Beta stages.

LOGISTICS

After release, owners of Digital Deluxe Editions (and selected retail Deluxe editions) will find their bonus content downloaded to their Steam installation directory for Arma 3. Browse to the Bonus sub-folder (example path \Steam\steamapps\common\Arma 3) to get your tactical guide, maps and soundtrack. Further tracks may be added to the soundtrack together with the campaign episodes.

We recommend most users to switch back to the main game branch on launch. Daily builds on development branch will continue, but we imagine a lot of you have been on this branch just to preview the release content.

Your system may benefit from updating drivers for e.g. graphics hardware. In some cases there are official beta drivers that help Arma 3 - but use these at your own risk.

To ensure your system is well-prepared for the full game, please do a file integrity check via the Steam client after all data has downloaded. If you are using non-SSD storage, please defragment your drives after downloading. This can significantly increase performance. You could consider doing a full re-installation, but it's not mandatory. Starting with clean user profiles can also help (resetting options and controls) - but be careful not to mistakenly delete your editor scenarios.

FROM: Project Lead
TO: Beta Users
INFO: Sandbox staging, Review version, Radio Protocol
PRECEDENCE: Flash

SITUATION

Release prep continues and we're carefully juggling what changes we will still update the September 12 release version with. Today we're also sending the press review build to the global games media. We're excited to learn what they think about the game and Arma 3 as a long-term platform. The current version on development branch is not representative of this review version entirely - that branch contains experimental changes and of course still lacks content. That is about to change however; tomorrow's devbranch update will add all sandbox release content - a week before the rest of the world gets to enjoy it all!

INTELLIGENCE

With the staging of Altis, an issue with its memory footprint on low-memory 32 bit PCs was highlighted. This was hotfixed by increasing the default amount of memory allocated for people running the game on a 32 bit OS (this change should not affect 64 bit users at all, but that claim is being investigated here). We also posted ways of testing different values via EXE shortcut parameters and methods of generally increasing the OS memory settings (at your own risk). Programming Lead Ondřej Martinák summarized solutions on the forums.

Over a thousand scenarios have been published to Workshop already, and the game isn't even released yet! We've started to put some of our dev favorites in the spotlights. Programmer Ondřej was the first to submit his selection and he went for 'Ground Attack' by DICS. His comments on the scenario: "You control an attack helicopter with a simple objective: destroy the enemy vehicle convoy. The mission is focused on action, with smooth gameplay and some really nice attention to detail. While you're at it, also be sure to check out its sequel: Ground Attack II."

OPERATIONS

Besides the memory hotfix and workaround above, the programmers are working on optimizations to reduce the game's memory footprint generally. Some of these efforts have already made their way to devbranch, and more will come soon. A few examples of areas they are working on: the system dynamically generating road models on the terrains, on-the-fly shader creation based on current video settings, and storing of font data (Arma 3 supports a lot of large character sets such as Japanese and Korean).

All release version radio protocol actors have now been recorded, processed and added to the game. That means new English, Farsi and non-native English (AAF) speakers. Several exciting tweaks have also finally made their way into the game. The voice used by your avatar now matches your profile settings, and when you play as a CSAT character in the sandbox, you'll speak Farsi. Something which is especially cool for immersion is a fix which makes it possible to hear groups other than your own communicate in 3D space. So if you are sneaking up on a CSAT patrol, you'll hear their speech and can potentially find out what they know or what they are planning.

Besides release work, our playable content designers are working hard on finalizing the first campaign episode. They have gone into proper iterations based on all scenarios existing in a good playable state. Yesterday some of the last animations were recorded in the MOCAP studio. The designers' priority now is to finalize the texts (briefings, tasks, conversations) for translations and voice-over work. Meanwhile they keep tweaking the scenarios to serve as a cool introduction to the campaign.

LOGISTICS

If you still have Arma 3 Alpha Lite invites in your Steam Inventory, feel free to delete them. They have been expired since the Beta launched, and will not offer anything useful to you now or in the future.

Bohemia Interactive today released a brand new episode in their Arma 3 Community Guide video series. Taking a closer look at two specialized infantry roles, Andrew Gluck (better known as Dslyecxi) from ShackTactical covers a number of tips for sniper and anti-tank/anti-aircraft teams in Arma 3.

The Community Guide series opened with a more general introduction to Arma 3, whereas the second and third Community Guide took a closer look at infantry combat and multiplayer teamwork. The fourth video celebrated a milestone in development, as the game transitioned from Alpha to Beta. The previous Community Guide focused on helicopters.

People who want to jump in before Arma 3’s launch on September 12, can already purchase the Arma 3 Beta (34.99 EUR/29.99 GBP/44.99 USD) and the Arma 3 Digital Deluxe Edition (44.99 EUR/39.99 GBP/59.99 USD) from Steam and Store.bistudio.com. Both editions include a version of the full retail game, and the prices will increase upon the release of Arma 3.

FROM: Project Lead
TO: Beta Users
INFO: Altis deployed, Sandbox staging
PRECEDENCE: Flash

SITUATION

Yesterday we finally pushed the Altian homeland to development branch. It was great to see a lot of players jump into multiplayer and take a road trip together to explore the vast terrain. The rather sizable update came in over two gigabytes of data, because it did not only contain the Altis terrain data, but supporting objects as well. Included were its vegetation, rocks, roads and many static objects, such as the unique landmarks and other structures.

Next week (hopefully September 4th) we have another large development branch deployment planned for everyone who is already with us in the Beta. All of the rest of the sandbox content is to be staged on development branch - meaning tanks, artillery, static weaponry and more. We're only keeping playable content for the actual release. While we understand everybody is wanting to try out the content, please do remember that development branch is an experimental daily build. We do not offer guarantees this branch does not contain major issues and it passes very little testing. Check the disclaimers before opting in, and consider switching back to the primary version after September 12th.

INTELLIGENCE

We'd like to welcome the communities in Australia and New Zealand to an official Facebook page for their region. It is managed by our distributors Down Under - All Interactive - and they have special local events and activities coming up.

OPERATIONS

The gentlemen looking after our AI have deployed another round of tweaks and tests to development branch. They've mainly focused on Close Quarters Battles to make the AI not as easily caught unaware and oblivious to nearby threats. Their rotation speed and accuracy is affected by more factors now (like players) and they are more reactive. This does also make them more of a challenge, and our devs are looking for feedback to tweak the values. They also welcome isolated reproduction missions for specific bugs. It is still unclear whether these changes will be approved for the release version. Firstly, we need to check whether they work generally, and then to see how they affect existing scenarios.

LOGISTICS

For a lot of people Altis appears to be running great. For others however, there are reported issues with loading and running it. We are working on investigating this with priority. Some of our developers may contact people on the forums directly via Private Message, asking for system details. Your contributions to isolating the problem are appreciated.

Meanwhile there are also other factors that can impact your performance. There were a few rather persistent errors in the RPT logs, which were fixed on devbranch today (or can be disabled by using the -nologs parameter, but that also removes our ability to trace issues). Secondly, this was a large data update and if you've been on devbranch for a while, you'll have experienced daily data changes. If you are not using SSD storage, try defragmenting your drive. Verifying the Steam data integrity via its client can also ensure you do not have corrupted data.

Finally, now could be a good moment to revisit your video settings, previously optimized for Stratis alone. Altis is a much larger terrain and balancing your details, view distances and similar settings can help a lot. The maximum (Ultra) settings we offer in our game are there to suit the needs and abilities of future and enthusiast hardware. There may certainly already be PCs that run these settings now, but we recommend care when evaluating what configuration is right for your hardware. The auto-detect option is a good starting point.

In this illustrated, step-by-step tutorial, you'll create a simple adversarial mission (team vs. team) using the F3 mission development framework for ArmA 3.

You'll use many components from F3, but by no means all of them. The tutorial will explain how to configure those components that require input from the mission maker. The tutorial will also explain the components that are automatically enabled simply by using F3 to make the mission.

When you finish this tutorial you'll have a mission that's ready to play on either your locally-hosted server, or uploaded to your community's dedicated server. To help you check that you've correctly followed each step, a downloadable copy of the tutorial mission folder is linked at the end.