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  SPOTREP #00047 Official    

On August 26, 2015, Joris-Jan van 't Land has reported a SPOTREP #00047 on the official Arma 3 web site.

FROM: Project Lead
TO: Arma 3 Users
UNIT: Main Branch
ACTIVITY: Game Update: 1.50 (File Patching, Remote Script Execution, Animation Tweaks, AI Visibility Tweaks, Script Commands)
SIZE: ~889 MB / ~431 MB

NOTES


  • Consider using the Steam client option to verify the integrity of the local game cache to avoid corrupted data after downloading this update.
  • Consider defragmenting your HDD after downloading large updates.
  • A Legacy Build Steam branch is available for advanced users. It contains the previous significant main branch version (1.48). It can be used to compare specific changes between major releases. The access code for this branch is: Arma3Legacy148
  • You can find the servers in the Steam library (switch the filter to "Tools") - "Arma 3 Server" (based on your OS, it will download the Windows or Linux version).
    • Administrators can also use the command-line SteamCMD utility. The app ID is to be 233780.
    • NVIDIA GameWorks™ Technology provided under license from NVIDIA Corporation. Copyright © 2002-2015 NVIDIA Corporation. All rights reserved.
  • In case of problems, please check the Bohemia Interactive support F.A.Q., Arma 3 F.A.Q. or BattlEye F.A.Q.
  • You can help us to further improve the game by posting your feedback on the Feedback Tracker.


Full changelog and SPOTREP


  August 26th, 2015 - 21:43 By Old Bear   Comment (0)  

  SITREP #00120 Official    

On August 25, 2015, Joris-Jan van 't Land has reported a SITREP #00120 on the official Arma 3 web site.

FROM: Project Lead
TO: Arma 3 Users
INFO: Experimental Port Betas, Special Edition, Samples, Edita
PRECEDENCE: Flash

SITUATION


For a couple of weeks, we've mostly reported on main branch updates like 1.50 (Release Candidate testing still on-going). However, a large part of the team is working on the production of assets for Tanoa and the rest of the expansion. These range from natural objects like trees, bushes, rocks and ground clutter to artificial structures like buildings, fences, signs and landmarks. Then we also have production of new vehicles and weapons in its early stages. Besides assets, there are new features and technologies in development. Some of them you'll see trickle into the game via updates, others are more connected to the expansion. The first details will soon be shared in the road map blog, after we nail down some of the planning.

That road map was also the main topic for our in-company Arma Development Conference 2015 last Wednesday. Once per year we bring our Arma developers together from their various offices across the Czech Republic. The objective is to present each other with progress and to discuss the plans for the next year. It's also great to meet everyone face to face and catch up. Another part of ADC is some sort of military or otherwise Arma-like experience. Last year we took the team to a shooting range. This year we had the opportunity to race around in the mud in military trucks, a BMP and a T-72 Main Battle Tank!









INTELLIGENCE


Several weeks in the making, the "Turbines and Dust" machinima by Mike Herrmann and Nefron shows off an impressive action-packed vehicle chase. Enjoy the insane-level helicopter flying skills that we are very envious of!



Virtual Arsenal mode lets you save the load-outs you create, and doing so will net you the "Lock and Load" achievement (10.8% global unlocks). The load-outs are saved to your profile, so they can be used elsewhere in the game and across sessions. You should only be aware that a load-out containing items from an inactive addon or mod, will not be available to load. Any scenario can set up equipment containers to open the Arsenal interface and let players pick their own load-outs. Official End Game multiplayer has such containers at the F.O.B., and other (custom) scenarios use them too. Another application is Zeus multiplayer. Game Masters can place equipment containers (Units > Empty > Other > Ammo), or use load-outs for the available respawn kit (Respawn > Loadouts). Take a look at the technical documentation if you're creating your own scenario and would like to use this functionality.




OPERATIONS


We can finally share news about the experimental client ports to Linux and Mac. They are being prepared for public beta release very soon (shortly after update 1.50). We consider them a complementary service to owners of the primary Windows version, so anyone owning that version, will also have access to the ports. It should be pointed out that there are some significant limitations, which we'll detail along with the start of the beta. There is also a possibility that these ports will never graduate from beta, but we will be evaluating their popularity and usability for some time. Keep an eye on our information channels to be notified about the beta starting!

LOGISTICS


The Bohemia Interactive store now offers a very special edition of Arma 3 for collectors and fans. It includes the most complete digital edition of the game itself, as well as some awesome physical collector items. We especially like the laser glass statue of an Arma 3 infantryman and the game's logo cut inside it. For a limited time, you can purchase this package with free shipping. Is it a little strange to release this edition so long after the game's release? Probably! Our company has been entirely focused on digital distribution, and we never planned to do such physical edition of the game. Previous Arma special editions were typically done in cooperation with publishers and distributors. This is a good opportunity to get a physical distribution pipeline up and running ourselves on a limited scale. We may start selling some of the merchandise separately in the future, but that's not confirmed yet.




Two weeks ago we outlined our plans for the separation of the Arma 3 samples from the tools. These changes have now gone live. In addition, Valve has changed the way in which free applications are handled on Steam. They are no longer automatically added into your library. We've manually added both apps to all ownership packages of Arma 3, but if you still don't see them, please visit their store pages (Arma 3 Tools / Arma 3 Samples) and install the 'games' there. To be clear: ownership of Arma 3 is still not required for either app, but you do need a Steam account. Tools Commissar Julien Vida has all the details in this forums post.




Remember that tank we drove during ADC? It's actually ours! Bohemia Interactive bought a decommissioned T-72 and she's called Edita. She is very much able to drive, but her gunnery systems have obviously been disabled. We actually need to drive her around every now and then, to keep her in good shape (it's a tough job, but ...). Now she stands parked at the Team Mike office compound, proudly displaying her BI squad.xml logo. Getting her to the offices made for a surreal early morning. Many of us were gathered at the gate at 07:00, waiting for the massive truck combination to arrive. The truck managed to get stuck on the narrow roads, so Edita drove the last leg of her journey. There is no specific goal for having her around, but we did already expand our audio recording libraries with the roar of her engine and tracks rolling over hard surfaces (and destroying them). Welcome to the family!
...



Full display for SITREP #00120 on the official Arma 3 web site

  August 26th, 2015 - 05:34 By Old Bear   Comment (0)  

  SITREP #00119 Official    

On August 18, 2015, Joris-Jan van 't Land has reported a SITREP #00119 on the official Arma 3 web site.

FROM: Project Lead
TO: Arma 3 Users
INFO: Update 1.50 Highlights, Community Group Spotlight, Server Monetization Feedback
PRECEDENCE: Flash

SITUATION


Now that Release Candidate testing has begun for 1.50 (Steam access code: Arma3Update150RC), let's go over the highlights of additions, tweaks and fixes for this update. Engine-supported remote script execution is finally being rolled out, after a lot of work on its configurability and security. The update also disables file patching by default, and lets server administrators deny connection of file patched clients. We have tweaked the data and configuration of certain bits of vegetation and other 'clutter' on Altis and Stratis to improve how visibility is simulated for Artificial Intelligence units. Previously mentioned tweaks to (crouched) sprint animations and vehicle steering have also been included.

In terms of fixes, further optimization of the memory footprint are included, as well as at least one invalid memory addressing crash fix. This work continues still, with a few more low-level optimizations requiring more testing. Our thanks for community efforts such as the one organized by Altis Tales to aid us. Other welcome fixes are for TrackIR, unrestricted movement exploits and the inability to use Night Vision Goggles as a vehicle passenger. Read more details here and discuss the RC here, as we push for a release next week. The best place to report issues is our Feedback Tracker.

INTELLIGENCE


The Arma 3 community consists of many varied players and groups, playing the game in the way they like best. Of course one such way is to role-play authentic military operations as large and organised units. Some units are open to anyone and some have recruiting rules. Some are dedicated to a specific region of the world, others are international. They often use specific mod mixes and sometimes even create mods for themselves. Custom scenarios frequently apply Player-versus-Environment cooperative gameplay, but not necessarily so. Many units host training sessions, special events and competitive meet-ups. We think this is a great way to experience what Arma has to offer, though it can be daunting to new players and hard to get into. We have plans to support groups more over the coming months. For now, let's take a look at a (very random) selection of units and events that caught our attention during just this past week. Cheers to 1st Combat Division, 16 Air Assault Brigade Milsim, BTS Brasil, 16th Infantry Regiment Arma 3 Realism Unit, BattleGroup XXI, 40 Commando Arma 3, 101st Airborne Division, CentralOp and Reality Gaming for sharing their experiences!
























OPERATIONS


At the start of 2015, we began a year-long trial for Arma 3 server monetization. About half-way through now, there have been both approved and denied servers, as well as those which switched to voluntary donations instead. Please let Associate Producer Vojtech Schubert know how you feel about the topic and our specific implementation thus far on the forums!

LOGISTICS


If you're curious about the Terrain Processor tool, you may find this tutorial very useful. It instructs users on its basic usage and demonstrates how to use OpenStreetMap geographic vector data in your terrains. Sample data and projects are available to study as well.

There are many approaches to creating scenarios for players. You can prepare them before-hand using the editor, or curate them in real-time using frameworks like Zeus. StrategicGamingTV has started a series of videos discussing the latter especially. It gets into topics like intention versus perception and freedom versus restrictions. The focus is on being a role-played high command Game Master who can react to player actions dynamically. A general tip they offer is to not focus on killing the player at every turn, while obviously providing a good challenge. To quote one of the videos: "Arma is a game of risk management". Sounds about right!


  August 19th, 2015 - 06:53 By Old Bear   Comment (0)  

  SITREP #00118 Official    

On August 4, 2015, Joris-Jan van 't Land has reported a SITREP #00118 on the official Arma 3 web site.

FROM: Project Lead
TO: Arma 3 Users
INFO: RC 1.50 Incoming, Terrain Processor, Community Upgrade Project
PRECEDENCE: Flash

SITUATION


It's our intention to prepare update 1.50 for Release Candidate testing later this week. Extensive build tests would then be conducted during next week (and the flanking weekends), before releasing the update the week after that. Keep an eye on our @Arma3Official Twitter channel for the access code and multiplayer stress test details. We realize one huge obstacle for those willing to participate, is Steam Client's inability to install parallel branches of the game. Our Game Updater utility in the Arma 3 Tools suite does allow you to do that, but for the moment you'll need its Dev-Branch. Your help, whether you're a player, modder or server administrator, is tremendously useful. We're grateful for your support while we try to not only maintain the game, but make it better!

INTELLIGENCE


High time for another episode of our Community Guide video series, in cooperation with Andrew "Dslyecxi" Gluck! This episode deals with the tactical employment of Machine Gun Teams. Specifically, it describes how the roles in such team can be divided and where you might position the team in the battle space. The guide also explains how a gunner can best suppress or engage a target or position. Take a look for yourself and then boot up the game to start practicing your gunnery and teamwork skills!



Last week's dev photo was taken at the entrance of GDC Europe. Five of our developers attended the conference to meet their peers, discuss hot topics, be inspired and of course to see cool tech and games. Another one of our Bohemia Interactive colleagues, Eugen Harton (Associate Producer for DayZ) held a well-received lecture on the controversial topic of cheating. It would also appear that several people spotted and snapped our fleet of Arma 3 vehicles traveling in Germany.




Have you tried all seven Marksmen DLC weapons yet? Achievement "Marksmen Weapon Master" at just 2.5% global unlocks, says you haven't. Even if you do not own the DLC, you can try all these weapons without restrictions in the LEARN > VIRTUAL ARSENAL mode. Pick the Rifle category in the left menu bar, scan for the Marksmen icon on the right of entries, select one of them and hit TRY. You don't need to try every color variant, but feel free to do so. Alternatively, you can open the DLC Content Browser by pressing Shift + P in the main menu. Click the MARKSMEN tile and check how long you've used each weapon, or TRY them directly from there.

The 5 rifles and 2 medium machine guns in the DLC were described in detail in Sandbox Lead Lukáš Haládik's OPREP. Some more information on each weapon can also be found in the in-game LEARN > FIELD MANUAL, in the Weapons Info category. This is the complete list in case you have any trouble finding them:
  • Cyrus 9.3 mm CSAT marksman rifle

  • MAR-10 .338 CTRG marksman rifle

  • Mk-I EMR 7.62 mm NATO marksman rifle

  • Mk14 7.62 mm FIA marksman rifle

  • ASP-1 Kir CSAT special purpose rifle

  • SPMG .338 NATO Medium Machine Gun

  • Navid 9.3 mm CSAT Medium Machine Gun


The Community Upgrade Project is a cooperative undertaking whose goal it is to port all Arma 2 content to Arma 3 standards. A large portion of the source data used is contained within the licensed data packages that were released to modders for free. There is no denying the immense effort it must take to achieve the lofty goal, but their initial releases are very impressive. Join us in expressing our gratitude to all contributors for putting in their time and delivering this mod to all players (under APL-SA license!). Very recently, they have released the first version of the CUP Units Pack, in addition to updating the CUP Weapons Pack. Amazingly, both the CUP Terrains Pack and CUP Vehicles Pack are also in the works.

OPERATIONS


Animation Encoder Martin Kašpar has placed a call for feedback on animation tweaks. You can try the current state in Dev-Branch and submit your notes in its discussion thread. We'd like to focus your attention to the crouched sprints, whether that's unarmed or while holding a sidearm, primary weapon or secondary weapon. The goal was to make them more plausible and balanced. While we have you looking at the movement animations, please also test whether any movement exploits you know about have been addressed in this version.




Our testing of Arma 3 on Windows 10 so far has been promising. The issues we do know about are mostly caused by performing upgrades from another version of Windows. This can be done without a loss of data, which has the potential to damage certain libraries that we rely on. It's possible to repair such libraries by using the solutions listed on this page. For the safest and most robust upgrade path, consider doing a fully clean installation or an upgrade with loss of data (but obviously make sure to back up first!).

LOGISTICS


A new terrain-making tool has started its public testing phase on the Arma 3 Tools Dev-Branch. Terrain Processor is meant for making mass changes and additions to Arma terrains. While separated from Terrain Builder (to facilitate easier maintenance and tweaking), it does require users to import the results into TB in order to use them. One practical use case is to import many thousands of objects from geographic data. Another is the automatic alignment of terrain under roads. Impressively, the developers behind this tool have launched it complete with a manual, sample project data and tutorials. Let us know what you think on the forums. We hope it helps terrain creators, like the team behind the Australia mod by Aussie, to achieve their goals more efficiently. Many thanks to the one and only Ivan Buchta and programmer Marek Novosad for making this happen!



We've decided to separate the Arma 3 Samples from the Arma 3 Tools application on Steam (both still freely available). The sample library will likely keep growing, and some people just want the tools, or just the samples. For the time being, the samples will remain part of the tools, but we recommend you start using the separate application once it becomes available. Both applications can be found by switching your Steam library to "Tools". Later, we'll probably remove the samples from the tools permanently.

Another upcoming change is the removal of the licensed data packages from Arma 3 Tools (they were a special gigantic branch). If you are using this branch, we recommend you copy the data to a different folder soon (to avoid having to re-download). These packages will only be available via the primary download channels on our website.


Extract, full report on Arma 3 web site.

  August 17th, 2015 - 16:09 By Old Bear   Comment (0)  

  Arma 3 – Community Guide: Machine Gun TeamsTrailer Videos    

Korneel van 't Land has informed us that Bohemia Interactive has deployed a new video on machine gun teams in
Arma 3.

Prague, Czech Republic, Thursday August 06th 2015

In support of the virtual troops, Bohemia Interactive today released a brand new video for its military shooter Arma 3, providing useful tips on how to operate effectively as a machine gun team.

Aimed at anyone with an interest in tactical gameplay, the video covers some of the basic principles behind gunnery and target engagement, positioning on the battlefield, suppression techniques, and the separate roles in a machine gun team.



The Arma 3 Community Guide video series is produced in collaboration with former service member and leader of Arma's popular community group Shack Tactical, Andrew Gluck (better known as Dslyecxi). Previous Community Guides covered topics such as infantry combat, multiplayer teamwork, helicopters, sniper- and launcher teams, combined arms warfare, air assaults, guerrilla warfare, ground vehicle crew, and the Arma 3 Zeus DLC. The complete Community Guide playlist is available on Arma 3’s YouTube Channel.

To enlist for Arma 3 service, the regular edition of Arma 3 (44.99 EUR/39.99 GBP/59.99 USD) and the Arma 3 Digital Deluxe Edition (49.99 EUR/42.99 GBP/64.99 USD) - which includes the Arma 3 soundtrack, tactical maps of Altis and Stratis, a tactical guide of more than 350 pages, and Bohemia Interactive’s debut game Arma: Cold War Assault – are available for purchase on Steam and the Bohemia Interactive Store.

Those who are new to Arma 3, but are looking for the most complete experience, can also pick up the Arma 3 Extended Edition. The Extended Edition includes the Arma 3 Digital Deluxe Edition plus the Arma 3 DLC Bundle, and saves people 9.99 EUR/11.99 GBP/14.99 USD over buying the vanilla game and DLC bundle separately.


  August 6th, 2015 - 19:56 By Old Bear   Comment (0)  

  SITREP #00117 Official    

On August 4, 2015, Joris-Jan van 't Land has reported a SITREP #00117 on the official Arma 3 web site.

FROM: Project Lead
TO: Arma 3 Users
INFO: Dev Diary Tanoa, Personal Protection, Mod Highlights
PRECEDENCE: Flash

SITUATION


For many people in games land, this week is about the annual Gamescom expo in Cologne. While some of our developers are attending its sister-event GDC Europe, we don't have a formal presence at the show this year. We decided to focus on development and use the extra time for all the cool stuff we have coming up. In the next couple of weeks, we'll finally publish our roadmap update blog, with more specifics of the themed updates on the road to the main expansion next year. We've also not stopped the effort to address memory and crash issues in and around the game for upcoming version 1.50.

INTELLIGENCE


Whether or not you want the "Scapegoat" achievement on your record may be quite subjective. Only 1.4% of worldwide players have been permanently marked so far. The achievement relates to the free multiplayer Zeus DLC. Watch this useful tutorial video by Luetin to see the framework in action within the editor. One of the Game Master / Moderator abilities is to embody any non-player unit and remotely control it. This is a powerful tool to tell your story. One application is to spawn a civilian in a town, take over control, start role-playing, and provide the players with Intel about their mission. You can also take over an enemy vehicle and engage the players, or help them. Should you get killed by a player while doing so, you get this achievement. You'll have made an innocent NPC your scapegoat.

Using this functionality is simple. Go to the "Modules" list and select "Remote Control" from the "Zeus" category. Drop it onto any non-player entity and start controlling it. There are a few limitations, such as the inability to issue squad commands or to use the UAV Terminal. Press 'Y' to return to the Zeus interface (this also happens when the unit you're possessing dies). Our own Zeus, Karel Morický, has two tips to share:

  • When engaging players, shoot to suppress, not to kill. You can very easily intimidate and scare the players to great effect using this ability, but actually killing them may not be productive for your scenario.
  • Speak on the direct speech channel via VOIP. This will even make the NPC's lips move and is a great way to create a more dynamic scene for the players.

There are many great play-through videos out there, but the designers on our team enjoyed this one a lot! EvilViking13 takes us on a tour of trials and errors while designing a coop scenario for his group (the video description details where you can grab it yourself). He narrates a testing session with an analysis of the nature of sandbox games and their complexities in design. Dealing with the vanilla game, mods and handling all the dynamic situations that may occur due to player agency are all factors to consider. There are also some tips and tricks on how to approach creating big and complex missions, by learning as you go. The end result looks like a lot of fun too!



OPERATIONS


The freshest developer diary is all about Tanoa. Creative Director Jay Crowe and yours truly sat down in the office yard to discuss the inspiration, characteristics, potential and status of the new terrain. The video speaks for itself, but we'll take the opportunity to clarify a few things you were discussing after seeing it:
  • The new 3D editor has reached internal Alpha, and is shaping up to be a very useful tool. It retains the simplicity of creating a scenario, but allows far more efficient workflows. This is still a scenario editor, which does not let you modify the terrain itself. It will however be much, much nicer to build complex object compositions. The 3D editor will be free to everyone with Arma 3.

  • The work-in-progress water and lighting enhancements will not only be free for all Arma 3 players, but we're also configuring them properly for Altis and Stratis.

  • Our stance on building interiors has changed from the main game's terrains. In the broadest terms, fewer buildings will be fully enterable. You'll find more buildings that are partly enterable, and also some that cannot be entered at all. Kavala's hospital is an example of being partly accessible. There are various reasons for this approach. We all know that Altis had a great many enterable buildings, but they were void of furniture and felt suspiciously empty. We don't have the resources to solve this by producing top-notch varied interiors for all buildings. There is also performance to consider, which is helped by having more solid structures. This topic may be controversial, but we felt it better to be open about this at an early stage. We're still producing the final structures and experimenting with the balance, but it's quite clear not every building will have a full interior.




Martin Kašpar, one of the more recent recruits of the animation team, is seen handling one of our prop weapons in the latest weekly photo. We own a collection of disabled and mock-up weaponry that our developers can use for reference material. That may be for actually re-creating a weapon, or for feeling the weight of holding one, looking down sights, manipulating the moving parts, etc. And of course they are just awesome office decorations! Martin himself focuses on the graph of animation states and delivering animations for new features. Some of his recent work has been a special 'frozen' animation spider for competitors in Firing Drills, tweaks of the ambient animals, and fixing reported exploits of player movement.




Improvements of Personal Protection are being tested internally, and should make their way to Dev-Branch not too long from now. Specifically being targeted is the precision of protection on the character's body. At the moment, wearing a helmet will protect your entire head. In the new version, the helmet will actually only protect the parts of the head it covers. Similarly, body armor with special neck and groin plates make a real difference. The trade off between their weight and added protection will become even more pronounced. In technical terms, the change will let encoders define more hit points per piece of protection and configure how damage is distributed. Samples will of course be updated to reflect this.

LOGISTICS


Lots of good developments were shared in the community since the last report! First up, ACE3 has reached version 3.2.0 and also started distributing an official build of their open-source project via Workshop.

Matt Dean has updated his Marine Expeditionary Force mod to version 2.2, promoting it with some spectacular screenshots of USMC characters, weapons and vehicles. His mod too, you can subscribe to on Workshop.

Our final spotlight of this week (don't be shy modders, share your media and releases with us) shines a light on the C2 - Command & Control framework. It seeks to push squad commanding forward in terms of usability and options. Get it on Workshop now!



The web team reports that the Bohemia Interactive forums were migrated to their new engine, so you can start posting again. The operation took longer than expected due to back-end issues. The previous forums were also heavily customized with pages of plug-ins, which were hard to carry over. We are working on improving the experience, adding some missing features, and doing stylistic tweaks. It may take some more time to get the forums in the shape we'd like to see, but the robustness of the core is going to be important in the long-term.

If you are using the licensed data packages via the special branch of Arma 3 Tools, please copy the data to another location. We'll be removing this branch and Steam mirror of the data. It will remain fully accessible via the primary download locations on our website (direct or Torrent).


  August 6th, 2015 - 19:43 By Old Bear   Comment (0)  



 
 
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