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.

SITUATION

Right after releasing last week's final Beta patch, the team dove into preparing a solid build for Gamescom 2013. By burning some weekend midnight oil, yesterday we had a build we were happy with - and it flew to Germany last night. Today the Bohemia crew is setting up the business and public booths: installing the games, configuring the settings, and running through their presentations. Representing Arma 3 are designers Jiří Zlatohlávek and Karel Mořický. They'll be showing off the cool release package starting tomorrow, so expect plenty of coverage. Both Arma 3 and DayZ standalone are hands-on playable at the public booth. Visit us in Hall 9.1 (booth 32) if you're there!

The rest of us are testing, testing and testing the release build. We're evaluating issues on a case-by-case basis and selecting the ones we need fixed for September 12th. What remains is investigated and logged for post-release work. What about Altis?! The mothership is inbound and visitors of Gamescom can explore it however they like. It is also ready to land on development branch the day after Gamescom closes - August 26th. With it comes a whole bunch of new static objects - from obviously required vegetation, roads, rocks and buildings - to some more dynamic objects for scenario design.

INTELLIGENCE

So far the Steam Workshop support for scenarios is really proving its worth. It is a good first step towards more extended support. We love getting to work in the morning, selecting a random scenario, and having some quick fun. There are even some scenarios with custom voice work and music already. We look forward to more and more, especially on Altis!

If you're unsure how it all works: you can browse the Workshop in-game via the Scenarios menu. The Workshop button at the bottom of the screen will open it in the overlay (it is also possible to browse and subscribe out-of-game via any browser). Then all you have to do is a pick a scenario and press Subscribe. The scenario will be downloaded into the game, and you can immediately start it. Once you're done playing, you see a button in the debriefing screen which opens the scenario in Workshop once more. Rate the scenario, leave constructive feedback for its creator and share it with your friends. Subscribing to multiplayer scenarios works in a very similar way, except you start by creating a new server and open the overlay there.

OPERATIONS

You may have noticed updated voice acting for those showcases which feature the CSAT faction. We've finally recorded all release (including Alpha and Beta) conversations in the Farsi language, and it really adds a nice immersive feeling to them. Note that the main thing remaining to do this week is to record the actual dynamic radio protocols. So, until then, you'll hear English for the CSAT radio protocol - and that includes the Gamescom build.

Users of development branch will have also witnessed tweaks to inventory capacities and fatigue. Lord of the Bounce, Petr Kolář, elaborates : " the current status is going to stay as it is for release of the game, but the designers are working on improvements in this field on daily basis. We have already reduced being able to carry a ridiculous amount of stuff without impending some notable drawbacks. Soldiers are still able to lift some heavy burdens (to a much lesser extent than before), but moving with them disrupts their aiming skills a lot. You may experience the changes best while fighting in a group with encumbered AI soldiers; they tend to slow down the advance to have at least some energy to shoot precisely."

LOGISTICS

It should be noted that not all of the work seen on development branch will make it into the 1.00 release version. Our team wants to continue their work, but some of the changes are too risky to merge into the release build during the next few weeks. Imagine an AI improvement that enhances CQB behavior for example. This is very exciting work, but it can also change the behavior of existing scenarios. From now until release we go through the fixes in development branch daily and pick those things that are needed / safe. The rest will be used for patches.

FROM: Project Lead
TO: Beta Users
INFO: Release plans, Workshop, Fixed-wing aircraft
PRECEDENCE: Flash

SITUATION

Wow! Lots of things to go through this week, so let's get to it. We dropped some intense bits of news on everyone, including our campaign release plan and the primary release of the game on September 12th. It was hard to say all we wanted to say in one (rather lengthy) blog. We hope it answered some of your questions, and helped explain the situation we are coming from. We like the contents of the release package and look forward to unleashing it in exactly one month.

Meanwhile, we are pestering our Quality Assurance department with getting the final Beta patch out nicely - ideally this week. Besides a huge log of improvements, its primary focus is the Steam Workshop going live. Already enabled in development branch, you can now publish scenarios from the editor and subscribe to them from within the game as well. At the moment the Workshop contents is only visible to owners of the Arma 3 Beta, whereas it will become visible to everyone. Cool stuff is already actively being published, iterated, given feedback and enjoyed!

INTELLIGENCE

Arma 3 will have its primary release on September 12 2013 worldwide. Join the countdown to launch!

The campaign will be released in three episodes in the months following release. Do please take time to read our blog with further insights into how this came about.

Episode 1 of the new season of Community Guide videos has meanwhile gone live and takes a look at helicopter mastery.

There has been a lot of talk within the community about the release package and assets perceived as missing, most notably more fixed-wing aircraft. We are planning to release more content in patches, besides the campaign itself. Let's explain what's going on:

- During our project review last year, we significantly changed the direction of the project - we feel for the better (details in the blog). This included a significant iteration of what we refer to as the ORBAT - our list of vehicles and weapons. Our priorities changed: building the game up from the infantry level, to combined arms support, and now arriving at the larger war. This led to certain assets being moved down in the priority list, a few being removed, but also entirely new and splendid content being commissioned (Ghosthawk, Darter, Ifrit, Marid, Kamysh, Zafir, etc.). The setting and factions also changed - resulting in assets previously shown on screenshots as OPFOR to become BLUFOR (Hunter, Slammer, Panther, etc.), along with some more faction reshuffling.

- A few assets seen in screenshots and other media were taken well before the project review, when Arma 3 was a different game. We remain convinced the changes were for the better. It wasn't optimal to show placeholder and prototype content before we knew we could finish it. This has also led to a renewed stance to public statements - not confirming or announcing content before we are quite sure about it (starting October 2012). Specifically vehicles like the F-38 (as we called it), were only ever placeholder assets taken from Arma 2, and used to showcase flight and the new clouds, as well as to test fixed-wing PhysX. They were meant to be significantly updated or re-done to match, but due to a shift in priorities, not finished in time. There was no ill-intent when showing them - rather overly ambitious goals, enthusiasm and a desire to share development progress.

- Adding content post-release is not necessarily new for our games, and a tradition we've stuck with ever since OFP Cold War Crisis. Veterans may remember the free Ultimate Upgrade packages adding major vehicles such as the Su-25, Chinook, Vulcan AA, Kozlice shotgun and more. Another example was the addition of Warfare mode and USMC units to Arma 1. Some of the content will be brand-new and some is finished content shown in the past. Top priority for the artists now are two Close Air Support fixed-wing beasts, one for both primary factions. And there is more cool stuff to come!

OPERATIONS

With regards to the Steam Workshop - we knew there were modders who have expressed concerns about the license agreement. Because of this we've discussed options directly with Valve and pursued more agreeable terms. Note that we still view this as an optional (but very exciting!) service to share content. The old methods are still in place and we have no intentions of changing that.

Our drones (Darter, Greyhawk and Stomper) will miss the final Beta patch this week. Instead they will be added to development branch soon. A few functionality issues are being resolved, but we absolutely cannot delay the patch.

Internally we are going to be on a development lock down very soon and up to release. This effectively means we will only make important fixes to release content. This is done to ensure stability in the release version. It may mean the updates on development branch are less significant - although we do want to stage a lot of release content there ahead of September 12th! We will also need to re-skin the game from Beta to release, so don't be surprised if Beta logos and texts start morphing into their final versions.

LOGISTICS

Last Saturday evening we attempted to do a live-stream of release content. It was partly thwarted by our Internet connection, but ultimately a version went up two hours later. A few hours before the stream, we ran tests and things were green across the board. When we were just about to go live, we found the upload connection being interrupted frequently - causing dropped frames in the stream. We decided it would be better to record the same presentation offline and upload it immediately afterwards. Check out the results here!

Bohemia Interactive today announced the release date for its upcoming tactical military shooter, Arma 3. Available in digital and physical retail stores worldwide, Arma 3 will launch on Thursday September 12, 2013.



Benefiting from the splendid support of Alpha and Beta participants, Arma 3 ships with the large open terrains of ‘Altis’ (270 km²) and ‘Stratis’ (20 km²), 12 singleplayer showcases, 3 faction showcases, 9 multiplayer scenarios, 10 firing drill challenges, more than 20 vehicles and 40 weapons, 5 factions, the scenario editor and modding support. The Arma 3 singleplayer campaign will be released across 3 free DLC episodes after launch.

To launch the countdown, the Arma 3 devteam is hosting an official Twitch.tv livestream on Saturday August 10 at 17.00 UTC. Live from Bohemia Interactive HQ in Prague, everyone is invited for a sneak peek at Arma 3’s release package. The livestream is expected to last about one hour, and those who do not want to miss out can already enlist for the event via Arma 3’s Facebook page.

Last but not least, Bohemia Interactive has opened the Countdown To Launch web page. Here players can find a complete overview of the content available in Arma 3 – alongside descriptions and screenshots.

To participate in the final stages of pre-release development, people can purchase the regular Arma 3 Beta (34.99 EUR/29.99 GBP/44.99 USD) or the Arma 3 Digital Deluxe Edition (44.99 EUR/39.99 GBP/59.99 USD) from Steam or Store.bistudio.com. Both editions include the full retail game and prices will increase upon launch.

In September, we're launching Arma 3 across digital and retail stores worldwide with new singleplayer, multiplayer and sandbox content along with our crown jewel, the Altis terrain. You can check out the details of our launch content over here. Our campaign, however, will be made available across 3 free episodes after release.

Supplied as free DLC to everyone who owns the game, the first episode, Survive, will be available within the first 4 weeks of launch. The Adapt and Win episodes follow in the months thereafter. Read on for our rationale behind this move and for some new details about our release package.

Back To The Future

When Arma 3 was first announced in 2011, it followed a more 'traditional' structure: plan - implement - release - support. Since those early days, much has changed. During the course of development, it became clear to us that to deliver the best game we could - one worthy of being a true sequel in the Arma franchise - we'd have to rethink some of the initial plans.

One of the most important decisions we made was to push the game towards a public Alpha and Beta testing phase. This has been an extremely useful experience for us. It stands, without question, that now more than ever our company believes in the adopted project methodology. It cannot be overstated how much the feedback and widespread testing has helped to improve the stability of the Arma 3 platform.



Paradigm Shift

The focus upon small, quick deliverables, the advantage of rapid, targeted feedback, and the experience of putting a game out into the wild has matured the team and improved the overall quality of the game. This has translated into regular pre-release updates and the gradual refinement and extension of the platform. It's made Arma 3 a better game. Furthermore, it has energized our team, many of whom were fatigued by a lengthy, difficult project. We've all enjoyed seeing long streams of positive feedback and constructive criticism.

However, these benefits have also come at a certain cost. This was the first large project we've run this way and things weren't always perfectly executed. Making frequent - sometimes fairly significant - changes to the base game makes it a true nightmare to create, test and manage a big number of complex missions. Let's say a given designer has four scenarios under their direct control. It's not unlikely that, after finishing a quick iteration of all four, the first couple are already broken. Assets are changed, environment locations get updated, bugs pop up, AI tweaks result in different behaviour, placeholder content is finalized. The list goes on and on.

This, of course, is a challenge that faces most game developers; however, the more fundamental these changes are, and the later that the root causes are identified, the harder it gets to deal with them. Developing a good campaign on a settled platform is far more effective. In the past, Arma has garnered something of a reputation for instability. We've been single-minded in our pursuit of real improvements in this area. In the context of this development, our Showcases have proven themselves to be the most robust content to develop, publish and maintain. These focused scenarios set a benchmark for the diverse range of features in Arma 3. They enable us to share with players real improvements like fluid animations, new radio protocol, improved lighting, upgraded sound engine, etc., through challenging, open gameplay.

Quality Over Quantity

Combined Arms, Tanks, Gunships, SCUBA, Night, Supports, Commanding, Infantry, Armed Assault, Helicopters, Drones, Vehicles, when all these things come together - and when players aren't held back by silly bugs - we think it's an experience unlike any other. We've chosen to invest in these scenarios, as well as in the various multiplayer modes, the huge sandbox of weapons, vehicles, factions - not forgetting the Challenges, Faction Showcases - and, of course our Editor, which unlocks the full potential of the mothership: Altis.

Meanwhile, we've been empowered to further develop key pillars of the game. We've made refinements to the AI, important fixes to the terrain, extensions to the platform of weapons and vehicles, etc., without fear of breaking something like a campaign. Just releasing the Alpha and Beta without making frequent updates would have been pointless. Instead, we've tried to put some real effort into a two-weekly patching cycle and daily builds on the Development Branch. Our pipelines were evolving with us as we went, meaning things like automated changelogs were not ready straight away - costing manual labour every update. Going through these things now will benefit the release, post-release support and future projects alike.

Set alongside the openness of the platform - the potential to make and share custom content, itself already being created and refined - we hope Arma 3's release sets a new standard of quality for us, and marks a step in the right direction towards fulfilling the real potential that our series has long threatened to deliver.

Turbulent Times

This is not to say that the project has been without issue. Arma 3 started life with a very different team and a very different scope and direction. Since 2012, we've seen the number of developers working on the game double, absorbing the Mníšek studio and bringing in a bunch of talented new hires in key positions across all 3 studios. And, later on in the year, we found ourselves in a position to conduct a thorough project review, which fundamentally re-evaluated the direction that the project was taking.

This turnaround was made no easier by some of the unpredictable events of last year. The uncertainty that was produced and the impact it's had - on both a professional and personal level - cannot be emphasised enough. It made a tough time exponentially more difficult. In the end, this process culminated in the successful release of the Arma 3 Alpha, and, despite some tough, pragmatic choices, we believe that it's put us in a much better long-term position.

Furthermore, the project plans, which crystallised last October, did not sufficiently take into account the great impact that public development would have in parallel to our internal milestones. More time went into directly supporting the Alpha and Beta than was planned, leaving less attention for the full game content. While it pushed our relatively small team's resources further, we stiill fully believe in the early access release strategy, and the benefits it has wrought.

Task Force Campaign

So why deliver the campaign after release? Simply put: it's not ready. There are several factors - some of which we've touched on above - that have made it infeasible for us to finish our work to the level of quality we'd be happy with for this release. Why make it at all? Well, we like campaigns and we simply want to make and play them. We also know that we owe it to our community, who've backed us from the start. To those eagerly anticipating the experience, we sincerely apologize for the additional wait. While we would have loved to include the campaign at launch, we could not accept compromising on its quality.

How has it taken so long, then? As mentioned above, the project has experienced fundamental changes in terms of its vision, scope, scale, and setting. Put frankly, almost two years of work related to the original direction was binned. Through a process of playing, evaluating, and honest reflection, we found that the original plan was not headed towards what we expected from a legitimate Arma sequel. The changes that were necessary to put the project back on track have been costly and difficult but, ultimately, we feel, worthwhile.

As we approach the end of Beta, we are also faced with various things that lock us in creatively. One such thing is localization. The game needs to be translated for many regions of the world and that requires finalized source texts. Similarly, doing voice acting takes time. We can't wait and rush things in the last moments before release. Finally, games need to be rated in many markets, for which rating agencies need a solid and near-final playable build well ahead of release. Effectively this all means the campaign would have had to have been finished roughly two months ahead of its launch. It was not.



Countdown To Launch_

Even though it differs from the original planned launch strategy, we have full confidence in Arma 3’s release package. When the game deploys, players will be met with a set of 12 diverse Showcases and 3 Faction Showcases, 10 Challenges, 9 multiplayer scenarios across 4 unique modes. Together with a huge sandbox of weapons and vehicles, an editor to create and share custom missions, and the enormous canvases of Altis and Stratis upon which to make them.

Looking at the game from the perspective of players joining us at launch - even in the brief absence of the campaign - there's a big variety of out-of-the-box singleplayer content. For players that have already supported us in our pre-release development, we believe that commissioning the new Altis-based Showcases, adding new Challenges and multiplayer modes, expanding the sandbox, and unleashing Altis itself, means a wealth of great new experiences await them, too.

We think of the main release as a platform - the beginning of a long lifetime for the game. A platform that will grow with official content additions, fixes, improvements, as well as with user-generated content. Veterans of the Arma series know that previous games have matured and become better with time. Our team is committed to supporting Arma 3, and we already have lots of post-release plans. Your feedback has and will continue to shape prioritization. Looking back to 2012, reflecting upon the progress the game has since made, evidenced by the success of the Alpha and Beta programmes, we're proud of the upcoming release. It's a product of our team's hard work and of the unwavering support of our dedicated community.

Thanks for keeping the faith and see you on the frontlines!

Joris-Jan van 't Land, Project Lead
Jay Crowe, Creative Director

FROM: Project Lead
TO: Beta Users
INFO: Patch released, Dev branch highlights, Early release prep
PRECEDENCE: Flash

SITUATION

After last week's release of the second large Beta patch, we are now storming towards what is likely our last patch opportunity ahead of release. The goal for that patch is still to include the second content package (sporting various aerial and ground-based drones), as well as Workshop support. The latter is ready to release from a technical point of view, but we are getting the publication side set up with our partners at Valve. Read more about how the final stages of development and patching will work further on in this report. Oh, and later in the week we should have the first episode of a new season of Community Guide videos ready for you; a spectacular look at rotary wing flight!

INTELLIGENCE

The Artwork tab on the Arma 3 Steam Community Hub has been enabled. Show us and the rest of the world some of your cool Armart!

The deadline for submitting details for the Supporter Edition credits has ended. We are doing final checks on the submissions and are integrating them into the game. For those unaware: the first 2500 purchasers of this edition will be seeing their name in the credit listing - as a thanks for their investment into Arma development.

Development branch has been seeing some rather sizable improvements recently. There's been work done on a new style collision envelope (for characters with rifles only at the moment). Helping with issues like clipping, sticking and general handling, the animation team is continuing to do apply fixes. Most recently going up steep stairs has been tweaked. Other changes target the flight models of helicopters (more below), and there's been a cool change to the RPG42's sights and implementation. Give it a go if you don't mind the risks and frequent data transfers on dev branch.

We've officially announced our attendance of the Gamescom expo in Germany this year. Go hands-on with one of the Arma 3 Release Candidate iterations - including Altis, Main Battle Tanks and new showcases. DayZ Standalone will also be available, showing off the improvements since E3.

Our colleagues are releasing the next entry into the Take On series this Thursday! Take On Mars will be available via Steam's Early Access for all aspiring Mars Rover engineers, and can be pre-ordered via our Store!

OPERATIONS

A while ago we disabled rain because we were not satisfied with the graphical state. In the meantime, we've investigated some options for improving it, and identified a modest set of refinements we hope to include for the final game. A more significant overhaul is desired, but we're rather saturated with other tasks right now.

Task Force ROFLcopters, comprised of virtual pilots like Ondřej Kužel and Ivan Buchta, spotted several slow-moving helos on the horizon and decided to re-tweak them. New parameters were added thanks to joint effort of Vojtěch Hladík and Petr Kolář. It is no longer needed to handle distribution of mass in the model, and hope for better results by shifting a few pounds around the vehicle. Some issues have arisen while using strange values - beware of AI getting into endless spirals upwards while tweaking your own helicopter. This still has to be disposed of by moving the center of mass.

LOGISTICS

Moving into the final stages of development for the Q3 release will have impact on our patching cycle and Development branch updates. More details are going to be announced, but in general: we need to stop patching the default Beta branch at some point. One reason is the re-skinning of the game from Beta to full release. Once we start this, we cannot easily keep the Beta updated. Therefore, after the release of the third patch, further changes will only be made available on dev branch (some of which you will welcome with open arms - without a doubt!). The first update of default branch after that point in time is to be the game release.

Internally we are going to also apply what we refer to as 'data locks'. Hated by many of the team's developers, they are a necessary evil to be able to assure quality of the critical Q3 release. We cannot continue development right up until release day. Every little change has the potential to affect other parts of the game. No realistic amount of testing can cover this effectively. The data lock means our developers focus entirely on testing and fixing critical issues that prevent release. Every change needs to be authorized before it gets accepted into the Release Candidate. Then, after a hopefully successful release, we continue to a fairly similar pattern of patches and daily dev branch updates.

Prague, Czech Republic, Thursday 25th July 2013

Calling in the support of two extra vehicles and the BattlEye anti-cheat engine, Bohemia Interactive today released a major new update for the Arma 3 Beta. The ‘APC Package’ adds the BTR-K Kamysh and IFV-6c Panther, while the integration of BattlEye (BE) aims to improve the Beta’s MP experience.

The first vehicle in the APC Package, the OPFOR's BTR-K Kamysh, serves as a prime example of first-class Russian engineering, The Kamysh is equipped with a CTWS turret fitted with a 30mm cannon, coaxial machinegun and 2 guided AT missiles, making the vehicle significant in the infantry support role.

Its NATO counterpart, the IFV-6c Panther, boasts strong armor to achieve maximal protection for the transported crew. A standard Panther is armed with a RCWS HMG, 40mm grenade machine gun and smoke flares. They can take up to 8 soldiers in the cargo area.

Another highlight in the update is the much-anticipated arrival of BattlEye - the anti-cheat software developed by BattlEye Innovations. Providing a new layer of multiplayer security, this anti-cheat software helps server hosts detect and respond to multiplayer hacks.

Combined with various other improvements and fixes, players will download the new Arma 3 Beta update automatically via Steam. The complete overview of changes is listed in the changelog and/or can be found on the official Arma3 website.


Arma 3 Beta
To participate in the Arma 3 Beta, people can purchase the regular Arma 3 Beta (34.99 EUR/29.99 GBP/44.99 USD) or the Arma 3 Digital Deluxe Edition (44.99 EUR/39.99 GBP/59.99 USD) on Steam and Store.bistudio.com (both editions include a Steam version of the full retail game upon release). Prices will increase once the full and final game becomes available.

FROM: Project Lead
TO: Beta Users
INFO: Upcoming patch, AI tweaks, Firing Drill improvements
PRECEDENCE: Flash

SITUATION

As the working days slowly start to melt together, we are preparing the release of the second Arma 3 Beta patch. This update will bring the BattlEye anti-cheat implementation and tracked APCs to the main game branch. Speaking of these armored vehicles: in the full version of the game, both will have Anti-Air variants as well. Sneaking up on us after that is the next content addition, which you probably have spotted a glimpse of in the official Beta trailer. Another huge focus is the full game and its release. All personnel is being mobilized, we are working with our external partners, and finalizing the release schedule. Within weeks you should know the specifics of the Arma 3 Q3 release, as well as some of our plans beyond that.

INTELLIGENCE

Visit the Arma 3 website for another cycle of the Community Focus widget. Shown off this time are two cool Beta videos and an impressive-looking mod package adding Private Military Company content. We look forward to seeing this mod continue development of even more equipment, as well as progress on other quality mods out there! Finally, we reach out to one of the German community hubs over at Armed-Assault.de. Incidentally we are today hosting a small studio visit for a German game website and magazine. They are getting a sneak peak at full game content, so stay tuned for coverage.

Programmers Vojtech Hladik and Krzysztof Bielawski have taken on the effort of communicating the Artifical Intelligence work we have done and are still doing in this Captain's AI log on the forums. Not everything is as visible as adding a new APC or helicopter, and these changes are fundamental to gameplay. It might give players a better understanding of what it takes to develop and improve AI for a game as big as Arma 3.

OPERATIONS

Thanks for your feedback on the Firing Drills added with the Beta. In the full version you'll find a few additions that some of you have mentioned would be nice. The mode will be enhanced with optional bonus targets, adding a trade off between speed and bonuses collected by finding and engaging these. There is also more emphasis on bonuses for accurate target engagements. Will you go for the quick hit on-the-move, or do you take your time to aim and get a center-mass shot off. The types of targets are expanded with steel, popper targets and skeet clays. After we finish the full game's Courses of Fire, we may try to trickle some of this into the Beta drills.

Today our audio team has begun recording the final actors for the Radio Protocol - bringing more variety to the collection of voices. They are also improving the use of the direct speech channel now that the overhaul of the protocol itself is complete. This aims to bring back hearing radio communications nearby as well as over the radio. It would also move combat shout messages back to this channel rather than a squad's intercom.

LOGISTICS

Senior Designer Karel Mořický has started a useful page on the Community Wiki to track documentation relevant to modders. We'd like to eventually integrate these updates into the (now) Beta hub as well, especially after release. This is when we intend to step up our game when it comes to tools and documentation. Recently, Karel has been documenting enhancements to the editor module framework. How to use it as a scenario designer, how to design and configure your own modules, and more.

Prague, Czech Republic, Thursday 18th July 2013

Bohemia Interactive has released a brand new trailer for Arma 3. Presenting the new SP showcases, MP scenarios, firing drill challenges, faction, vehicles and weapons available in the Arma 3 Beta, the video also teases vehicles and military hardware that will be added in the near future.

The Arma 3 Beta features the 20 km² island of Stratis, 20 weapons, 18 vehicles, 3 factions, 8 showcase missions, 4 multiplayer scenarios, 4 challenges, the scenario editor and modding support. To participate in the game’s development, people can purchase the Arma 3 Beta (34.99 EUR/29.99 GBP/44.99 USD) or the Arma 3 Digital Deluxe Edition (44.99 EUR/39.99 GBP/59.99 USD) on Steam or Store.bistudio.com. Both editions include a Steam version of the full retail game upon release. Prices will increase once the complete game becomes available.

Starting with the successful Arma: Cold War Assault (originally titled Operation Flashpoint*: Cold War Crisis) in 2001, Arma 3 is the latest installment in Bohemia Interactive’s award-winning tactical military shooter series for PC. Set in a massive Mediterranean sandbox of over 290 km², featuring 40+ weapons and 20+ vehicles, Arma 3 provides an authentic, diverse and open combat experience - supported by a wide variety of singleplayer and multiplayer gameplay.

*Operation Flashpoint™ is a registered trademark of Codemasters Software Company.

FROM: Project Lead
TO: Beta Users
INFO: Beta patching, MP invites, Fatigue effects
PRECEDENCE: Flash

SITUATION

Later this week we are wanting to release the first Beta patch on the main branch. There is a long list of cool updates that many of you have already seen on Development branch (a few are highlighted below). This first patch will not yet contain the bigger additions you are no doubt waiting for. As we stated before, we will stage and test those on dev branch first. This patch release is the starting signal for that deployment. We will begin with BattlEye, Workshop integration and content package #1. This package is to feature two brutal new heavy vehicles - one for BLUFOR and one for OPFOR. They both embody the firepower and logistics themes we're exploring in the Beta perfectly. Before the assets appear on the branch, we'd like to share a teaser shot of these beasts via our usual channels - stay tuned!

INTELLIGENCE

Continued efforts to leverage the Steamworks-integration have brought a few small cool features. You can now invite Steam friends into your public MP game. Those friends can accept the invites within the game and connect to whichever server you are on, without having to search the server list.

Another nice fix has been the removed need for a loading screen when closing the in-game map. You can now much quicker get back to the action after checking your position on the battlefield.

OPERATIONS

With the release of Beta and newly separated Post-Processing video options, came feedback about the blurring caused by fatigue. These effects had been in Alpha for many weeks, but it became apparent to people because they were no longer linked to any of the settings. Since the blurring causes motion sickness and head aches for some people, we feel it's important to be able to disable this type of feedback. Our first step in addressing this has been to switch to a type of blur that can be disabled via the PP options.

There is one graphical enhancement we are going to have to take out for the initial release of Arma 3. You may have noticed more use of functioning doors on vehicles while getting in and out. Unfortunately there are issues with this approach we do not have time to address (without taking away resources from more critical areas). Examples relate to doors on large shared passenger compartments and grenades thrown into vehicles. Even if we were able to correct those, we would not have time to enable it for all vehicles (their meshes are not all prepared for it). This inconsistent state is not acceptable to us and therefore we will disable the doors for release. Since it does look very cool, we hope to re-visit this post-release and do it right.

Another enhancement did finally make it in: animated fire mode selectors on personal weapons. It's a little touch to be able to see the selected mode on your weapon when looking down (especially when bullpup rifles place them in rather awkward places!), but it's cool nonetheless.

LOGISTICS

The Community Focus widget on the main Arma 3 website got refreshed with two nice fan-made Beta trailers. We also link out to our friends in the French community. Finally, there is a look at the added freedom to look around when using 6DOF head-tracking in helicopters.

Our programmers have recently had some wins in the field of optimization, but we want to be careful sharing these performance gains. As we keep saying: this is a forever ongoing effort. Just because we were able to sneak in a few extra frames per second here and there, does not mean we believe this task is done. Please also understand that there are many types of optimizations. Some are global, some relate to specific graphics hardware vendors and / or drivers, some work only in specific game scenes, some are CPU-based and some GPU-based, some relate to network traffic, etc.

FROM: Project Lead
TO: Beta Users
INFO: Beta release, content additions, BattlEye and Workshop
PRECEDENCE: Flash

SITUATION

Last Tuesday we transitioned from Arma 3 Alpha to Beta, and it went quite smoothly. This was yet another simulation of the release in Q3, letting us improve the processes. As with the Alpha release a few months back, this second major public milestone helps lift our spirits for the final sprint. We enjoy reading your positive comments and take your feedback and criticism to heart. We followed up with several days of significant changes and fixes on Development branch and will continue to do so. While we do not yet want to reveal the specific Beta additions we are planning, we think you'll be very happy to receive them. Two content packages are being readied with priority and they are both larger than the Sniper Package for Alpha.

The next couple of months are going to be a major test of our endurance. We need to support and maintain the Beta, but also prepare for the release later this year. That release comes with a lot of extra project tasks which must be done, but take away resources from in-game development. Games need rating, games need localization for various regions, the boxes need finalization, the disc-versions need a special installer and much more. Luckily we have some amazing people working with the core development team, helping with this publishing work.

INTELLIGENCE

Besides being busy with the Beta launch, the second reason for not doing a SITREP last week was the release of the next Community Guide video. In his fourth update, titled 'SITREP I', Andrew Gluck took a last look at the Alpha, ran through several community mods, and finally discussed the contents of the Beta.

We've also published another Report In! interview, this time with Quality Assurance Lead Miloslav Cinko. Read about how Arma 3 gets tested, and how Miloslav's team supports us to try for the best possible level of quality for every release.

OPERATIONS

One of the additions to the Beta was the Firing Drills challenge game mode. It's been insane seeing the record times and play through videos you've posted! This was just the first release of this mode, which will get updated with new features and of course additional drills. A key update coming as soon as possible is accuracy-based scoring. This will introduce an interesting trade off between moving through the Course of Fire quickly and scoring higher bonuses for accurate target engagements. Additionally, one of the goals for the Firing Drills is to make it possible to design an entire COF within the editor using modules, and to share it via Workshop. This is not yet possible now, and setting up a drill requires config work. Stay tuned for updates!

LOGISTICS

The two primary updates to the Beta we want to roll out on Development branch a.s.a.p. are BattlEye anti-cheat and Workshop for SP& MP scenarios. Both are being prepared now, so we can get them tested on that branch, before including them in a main branch update.

Prague, Czech Republic, Tuesday 25th June 2013

Supporting the development of its upcoming tactical military shooter Arma 3™, Bohemia Interactive has released the anticipated Arma 3 Beta. The Arma 3 Beta expands the game’s diversity by focusing upon heavy firepower and military logistics. Combined with the playable content from the Arma 3 Alpha, the complete package features the 20 km² island of Stratis, 20 weapons, 18 vehicles, 3 factions, 8 showcase missions, 4 multiplayer scenarios, 4 challenges, the scenario editor and modding support.

Jay Crowe, Creative Director on Arma 3, adds:
“The Beta is a big opportunity for us to involve more players in Arma 3's development and is the next step along the road towards our full release. With a variety of new singleplayer and multiplayer scenarios and a whole bunch of new sandbox content, we're looking forward to introducing players to what true combined arms combat really means in Arma 3.”





People who participated in the Arma 3 Alpha will gain access to the Arma 3 Beta by downloading the automatic update on Steam. Those who are new to Arma 3 can purchase the Arma 3 Beta (which includes the full retail game when released) from Steam or Store.bistudio.com.

Here they can choose between the regular Arma 3 Beta (34.99 EUR/29.99 GBP/44.99 USD) or the Arma 3 Digital Deluxe Edition (44.99 EUR/39.99 GBP/59.99 USD). Those who would like to sponsor development further, also have the option to purchase the Arma 3 Supporter Edition (69.99 EUR/59.99 GBP/91.99 USD) from Store.bistudio.com. The price of each edition will increase upon launch of the full and final game.

Arma 3 is the latest installment in Bohemia Interactive’s award-winning tactical military shooter series for PC. Set in a massive Mediterranean sandbox of over 290 km², the game will have 40+ weapons, 20+ vehicles, a wide variety of single- and multiplayer gameplay, and limitless options for content creation.

More information on Arma 3 can be found on www.arma3.com

Key Features in the Arma 3 Beta

Stratis Island
Take your first steps in Arma 3 by exploring the 20 km² island of Stratis. Navigate its rugged terrain, expansive forests and man-made airbase.

Showcases & Challenges
Enjoy a taste of Arma 3’s diverse gameplay by completing a selection of 8 showcase missions. Or run through the competitive firing drills to hone your shooting and movement skills.

Multiplayer Scenarios
Form a squad and team up to fight against your enemy in 4 co-operative multiplayer scenarios.

Vehicles & Weapons
Master air, land, and sea with the 18 vehicles featured in the Beta; choose your gear, pick from a collection of weapons, customize your loadout.

Content Creation
Start creating your own experiences with the powerful scenario editor; create mods for others to play; and join our creative community.

Revamped Engine
Navigate the battlefield with fluid new animations; feel the devastating power of combat with the upgraded sound engine, new ragdoll simulation and PhysX™-supported vehicles.

Prague, Czech Republic, Thursday 20th June 2013

Today Bohemia Interactive confirmed the 25th of June as the official release date for the Arma 3 Beta. Building upon the well-received Arma 3 Alpha, the Arma 3 Beta features a varied selection of brand new content – including 10 vehicles, 7 weapons, 4 showcase missions (Combined Arms, Supports, Commanding & Night), 2 multiplayer scenarios and 4 challenges.

Set against the beautiful backdrop of Stratis (20 km²), the Arma 3 Beta turns its focus towards firepower and logistics. The Challenges game mode will also be making its first appearance, enabling players to practice their weapons handling and movement across a selection of firing drills. Plus, all of the content from the Arma 3 Alpha will be available, alongside the popular scenario editor and modding support.

Joris-Jan van ‘t Land, Project Lead on Arma 3, adds:
“Having just showed off the Beta for Arma 3 at E3 2013, we are keen to get it into gamers' hands quickly. Bringing some heavy firepower and additional transport options will allow for more diverse scenarios in both singleplayer and multiplayer. We also can't wait to open up the Steam Workshop scenario publication, which will make content-sharing with other players much more convenient.”






People who are currently participating in the Arma 3 Alpha will gain access to the Arma 3 Beta through an automatic Steam update. Those who are new to Arma 3 can join in by purchasing the Arma 3 Beta (which includes a version of the full game) from Steam or Store.bistudio.com.

The price of the Arma 3 Beta, in comparison to the Arma 3 Alpha, will be increased. The regular Arma 3 Beta will be available for 34.99 EUR/29.99 GBP/44.99 USD (current price: 24.99 EUR/19.99 GBP/32.99 USD), while the Arma 3 Digital Deluxe Edition will be sold for 44.99 EUR/39.99 GBP/59.99 USD (current price: 39.99 EUR/34.99 GBP/49.99 USD). Please note that the current (heavily discounted) Alpha deal, which includes Beta-access and the full game, will still be available until Tuesday June 25th.

Those who would like to sponsor development further have the option to purchase the Arma 3 Supporter Edition (69.99 EUR/59.99 GBP/91.99 USD) from Store.bistudio.com. The Arma 3 Alpha Lite, a free but limited variant of the Arma 3 Alpha, will be discontinued after June 25th.

FROM: Project Lead
TO: Alpha Users
INFO: E3 2013, video options, stream-safety
PRECEDENCE: Flash

SITUATION

The E3 team is back from Los Angeles: tired but proud. We had a good show, nice booth and many great visitors! And let's not forget the lads on the home front doing the second pre-E3 livestream while we were airborne. They showed the Combined Arms Beta Showcase twice, failing miserably both times! To top it off they included a very nice presentation of the full game's Altis terrain. Community Intelligence Officers set to purpose to piece together all shown frames of the strategic map, arriving at a rather 'unique' version of the map.

One set of content we had not revealed until E3 is the Challenges game mode. The Beta will release with four Firing Drills, which are quick, fun and addictive shooting (sports) courses. They allow for training of weapon handling and movement and can be a nice change from the regular scenarios. This and more is demoed in video coverage like here, this, and another one.

We should also clarify a statement about fully modeled vehicle interiors. Most, but not all vehicles have these rich 3D interiors. The philosophy is similar to Arma 2: Operation Arrowhead for the same reasons. Primarily heavy armor driver and gunner positions lack 3D interiors, but their passenger spaces are available!

Still recovering from some jet lags, we are now all straight back into Beta finalization. As announced at E3, it will release next Tuesday, June 25th. Staging on Development branch is still something we're trying to make happen before the weekend. Standard Development branch updates can become interrupted while we prep.

INTELLIGENCE

Unlike previously announced, the Alpha Lite program will run until Beta release on June 25th.

User Interface guru Vladimír Hynek shares with us two great new things slated for Beta. In his wise words:

"A long time anticipated feature - tweaking of post-processes separately, was added. The layout of the whole video options dialogue was redesigned, so it is easier to find which options are placed under which tab. A couple of smaller tweaks like a FPS indicator, EditBoxes connected to sliders, and permanent highlighting of tabs were added. While still Work-In-Progress, the dialogue works better already."

And another tidbit streamers have been waiting for:

"To make the life of our live streaming community a bit easier, we've introduced a Stream Friendly UI switch to the Game Options. It hides the player's name from all dialogues including map and inventory and also from the name tag displayed when cursor is pointing at another player. Player's chat and server name in the multiplayer score table are hidden too."

OPERATIONS

A forever hot topic is game performance. One of our programming leads Ondřej Martinák is in the process of writing a development blog on this topic. He will share a bit more details on how our engine operates, explore what has already been achieved in terms of optimization, and what will still be done for Arma 3. We'll of course let you know when it's published.

LOGISTICS

Beta will come with a number of class changes to Alpha content, which will break user scenarios and other content until it gets updated. We will however this time release a full conversion table to make the transition smoother. Going into Beta we will also become more strict about class changes for released content. It will be our goal to prevent it almost entirely (unlike we have said for Alpha).

The next game EXE to be released on Development branch will likely already be Beta-skinned. Its description and icon will look like it's the Beta. More importantly: it will already change profile paths, registered file extensions, etc. Be aware of this when you go looking for your settings and other content!