Arma has always asked a lot of its players. Yet, although it can be a challenge, the depth and diversity of Arma's gameplay has long been one of its greatest strengths. Unlocking that potential, though, is no simple matter; nevertheless, this is the main objective of the Arma 3 Bootcamp Update.
Below, we set out the ways we've sought to achieve this goal. Ahead of its release (and the impending development-branch staging), we want to introduce Bootcamp's new modes, sandbox content, and refined gameplay mechanics. We'd like to share our motivations and present the benefits to new and veteran players alike.
Month-on-month, since launching in September 2013, Arma 3 has continued to expand its installed and active player-base. Recently, we passed the 1m copies mark and shared our roadmap for the next two years. The Bootcamp Update, then, is part of a longer-term view, part of a platform that we hope will continue grow for many more years to come. It's also just one piece of our ongoing development. Worked on in parallel with the Helicopters and Marksmen DLCs, the Expansion, and continuous optimisation and stability updates, it's a small but significant part of our combined efforts.
Of course, Arma 3 Bootcamp's new content builds upon pre-existing scenarios and helpers, too. Our Showcases are bite-sized introductions to a variety of gameplay, while the (recently updated) Campaign offers progressively more responsibility, challenge and complexity. However, rather than focus upon adding 'traditional' tutorials (something akin to those in Arma 2: Operation Arrowhead), Bootcamp's content is characterised by its variation. It includes singleplayer, multiplayer and non-gameplay components, together unified under a new item main menu: Learn.
UNIT: Jiří Wainar, Senior Designer, Playable Content Design Dept. TO: Arma 3 Dev-Branch Users OPSUM: Survive / Adapt / Update: recent changes & additions to the Arma 3 campaign.
EVALUATION
Hi, guys! Recently, we've published some changes to the Arma 3 campaign. We'd like to discuss the motivations behind our work and share some of the features and improvements it has brought about.
During the development of Arma 3 and its campaign, we had to make many decisions about what we wanted to do and what was feasible in the given time frame. Although we strived hard to find a good balance between stability and extra detail, there were some things that we wanted to develop further. After Episode 3 was released, we identified certain campaign systems we felt that we could expand: gear persistence, interaction with the gear pool, and patrols.
PERSISTENT GEAR
Our original plan covered the items that have the biggest impact on gameplay (i.e., weapons, attachments and magazines), so we gave players the ability to gather such items and carry them from one mission into another.
- Early Headaches : Since - at the beginning of our development - not all assets were so solid, narrowing the selection to only the most important types of the gear also saved us a few headaches. We also wanted to make sure that players would always have the required gear for any given mission (imagine a player starting a scuba mission without a rebreather). For these reasons, I created a system that allowed a designer to set up any unit's loadout in the mission config and specify if the gear should be persistent or not.
The core idea was to make player’s gear and the gear of his squadmates persistent through whole campaign. Such persistent gear was taken from the base's armory when units were heading into the mission and returned back when they returned (if they survived). However, through testing, we discovered that having persistent gear on squadmates was actually viewed by our player-base as a bug.
- Splendid Iteration : Players often wondered why 'their' weapons disappeared, or where 'their' optics went, etc., missing the fact that their squadmates had the gear equipped. To counter this, we set up a simple rule: gear is persistent for the player and all units under his command. So, if player is responsible for the unit, he can equip it (via the briefing menu) and the unit’s gear will be persistent.
*Survive: only gear on player is persistent; player doesn't lead a squad. *Adapt: player’s gear and gear on his subordinates is persistent. *Win: gear is not persistent for all missions not directly linked to each other; player and squad are usually rearmed between missions.
While this schema worked, it became obvious from the reaction of the community that persistent weapons, magazines and attachments were not enough. People wanted all gear to be persistent. The core campaign patching task was there.
- Adapt / Win : The issue was quite complex - and we wanted to be careful to make sure player's campaigns would always be playable and stable - but we made a plan to move forward:
1° We had to redo all the base compositions, adjusting the armory areas to make sure the new items would fit. 2° Next, I had to extend my scripting API for inventory interaction to cover and correctly categorize all the new gear. 3° Last but not least, we revised old scripting commands - extending their functionality - and created some new ones to cover all the needs that were raised.
Hopefully, it will feel natural to the new guys starting the Arma 3 campaign. And, for the veterans that have played the campaign and want to give it another try with these improvements, notice that there is a new cargo box on every armory with the stuff you were previously missing. There you can find all the uniforms, vests, headgear, goggles, backpacks and items you gather on the missions and patrols. Make good use of it!
PATROLS
The last big system we wanted to improve upon was Patrols. This was quite a big kind of beast - very 'sandboxy' stuff - that could be approached in many ways to different levels of detail.
From the feedback we got, it was obvious people wanted 2 things the most:
1° Proper handling of vehicles (i.e., the ability to go in and out of the patrol in their vehicle). 2° Support for squads (i.e., no more lonely walks)!
Implementing those features to the existing campaign systems was not so trivial. It was by no means just adding parked car or two on the base compositions! The problem was more about creating a system for triggering the patrol with and without the squad and/or vehicle in a way everyone will understand. The goal was to find a solution that allowed us to add what we wanted, but avoid adding new menus and conversations. Different approaches were tried until we found one that did the trick and the drawbacks and limitations were acceptable.
- Triggers & Vehicles :We have now added the possibility to trigger a patrol by interacting with one of the new, dedicated vehicles and, also, changed what happens when patrol is actually triggered. Instead of starting the mission immediately, a start point selection screen is displayed instead. This is especially handy for situations where the player is starting a patrol from the middle of the hub by jumping into the patrol vehicle.
A quadbike has been added to every base in 'Survive' and 'Adapt'. If a player gets in, he will start patrol without the squad. The quadbike is persistent, so if player gets to the base on different quad, the former one gets replaced. On every base in 'Adapt', there is also an offroad dedicated for starting patrols.
- Squads & POIs : Squad selection mechanics are loosely linked to the way patrols are triggered. This allowed me to avoid creating new menus and conversations, yet still give players the possibility to go on patrol alone on foot, alone in vehicle. On the 2nd and 3rd base, where most Points of Interests (POIs) are available and new players know more about how to command their squad, there are several guerilla fighters in the vehicle: the player’s patrol squad. The squad and the (offroad) vehicle are persistent. If a squad member dies, he is gone and must be replaced. Take care! There are a limited number of replacements available.
Thanks to my colleague, Vašek Oliva, who made the compositions, we were able to add several POIs to the patrols in 'Survive' (Episode 1). There are also some new micro-compositions there, so the patrols in 'Survive' should now look more lively.
POOL INTERACTIONS
Extending gear persistence to all items was just the first step. Another big issue that brought a bunch of complaints was the way the player interacted with the armory; specifically, the automatic re-equip for the next mission.
- Step by Step : From the beginning, we wanted to give the player some freedom about what equipment to take into the next mission, yet, maintain some control over it to ensure he will be able to complete it. The obvious solution was to give the suitable gear to the player before he leaves the base and allow him to re-dress afterwards. This was a simple fix, but not ideal; testing demonstrated that the continuous re-dressing turned out to be quite annoying. So, this became our #2 issue to fix.
I sat down with the mission designers and created a list of required gear for each mission. It turned out that only few of those missions really needed a specific item or piece of gear to complete. So, the definitions can stay quite vague, giving players the freedom of choice they were asking for. With the specifics of every mission’s required gear, I could finally start writing the new system. While working on it, I also revised the current mission flow for the bases and created the dynamic navigation system.
- Take Two : Now, when you select the mission and complete the briefing, you are no longer teleported directly to the armory and re-dressed. Instead, your gear is scanned and compared against the mission’s required gear. If you have everything needed for the mission, you are directed towards the assembly point. If you don’t have the gear on you (or you 'lose' the required gear on the way to assemble point), you are automatically re-directed to the armory, and you simply cannot leave the base.
When you get to the armory, the list of required gear is shown to you, so you can quickly check what you were missing. During the first visit, you don’t need to search for it; the gear is given to you automatically (and, in case you want to try the mission with the recommended gear, you can still get it by interacting with the armorer character).
- Cargo Improvements : That wraps up the major improvements to the campaign. Of course, we addressed numerous other issues and made tweaks here and there (which you probably will not even notice unless you suffered because of one of them), but that is nothing cool to write about.
So, in case you are thinking about giving the campaign a second try - or if you didn't try it yet - grab your favourite weapon, take the gear of your choice, and smash through The East Wind. Good luck, soldier!
FROM: Project Lead TO: Arma 3 Users UNIT: Main Branch ACTIVITY: Game Update: 1.22 (Campaign improvements, Linux server performance, GameSpy removal) SIZE: ~1021 MB
FROM: Project Lead TO: Arma 3 Users INFO: Update 1.22 imminent, Bootcamp status PRECEDENCE: Flash
SITUATION
Time for another main branch update! Later this week, we'll be deploying version 1.22. It's primarily a maintenance update (the last one before Bootcamp Update), but it does have a few highlights. Designer Jiří Wainar has wrapped up improving the campaign hub mechanics, with fixes to persistent gear and additional options during off-hub Patrol (vehicles and squads). An OPREP will detail these changes soon. Linux server admins should see a serious FPS boost thanks to optimizations by programmer Marián Krivda. And this is the update that will remove GameSpy technology and make Steam the default MP implementation (documentation on server queries inbound). If you'd like to get a preview of 1.22 and help us through final testing, you can temporarily download a special Steam branch 'Release Candidate Build' (access code Update122Arma3Splendid). That is the exact version we're testing for release, though there is no changelog available yet. Oh yes, as much as many of us love following the football World Cup in Brazil - Arma 3 Balls will not turn into a real DLC. Perhaps an idea for a #MakeArma entry? INTELLIGENCE
A recent script command let's you open a YouTube video directly in the Steam overlay (if enabled). openYoutubeVideo gives quite a bit of control over the various options, since you don't just provide the video ID, but other playback parameters as well. For security reasons we have restricted its use to outside scenarios only (e.g. in the game's UI or a mod's UI). We'll be using it ourselves to link & play the Community Guide series from within the game in Bootcamp Update.
OPERATIONS
Community member Westonsammy posted a poll on the forums asking everyone what they think we should focus on for Arma 3's continued development. We have formed our internal road map and presented large parts of it, however, it's certainly interesting for us to see what you think our priorities should be. We know it's not the first nor will it be the last thread of its kind, but cast a vote and discuss away!
LOGISTICS
Bootcamp Update is reaching its final stages of production. MOCAP was done a little while ago, and we are recording voice actors this week. Then the playable content designers will have all content to finalize their scenarios and get them through testing. We'll likely be staging parts of the package on devbranch quite soon after update 1.22, starting with the sandbox aspects.
The F3 team is pleased to announce the release of v3-1-0 of its mission development framework, our most significant release yet.
We've added and improved many features; highlights include:
[list][*]Reworked folder structure: now F3 is more modular than ever. [*]Radio Systems Support: use ACRE or TFR via mission parameter. [*]F3 Simple Wounding System: ArmA 2-like medical system and dragging. [*]AI Caching: reduces server load by automatically caching distant enemies. [*]F3 Spectator Script: now with player tags, maps and a smoother camera. [*]Premount: fast and flexible way to premount troops in multiple vehicles. [*]MapClick Teleport: highly configurable, now supports HALO insertions. [*]Mission Conditions: Improved to take full advantage of improvements made in Arma 3. [*]AssignGear: Streamlined to ease modification of uniforms, backpacks and attachments. [*]Fixed issues with JIP and respawn, and implemented an improved JIP component.[/list]
To make it even easier to start using F3, we've updated our fully illustrated online tutorials for making adversarial and coop missions.
Added Admin Briefing component: - Lists endings and allows admin to invoke them by clicking a link. Updated E&E Check component: - Allows passing of side instead of array. - Groups/units are now passed as an array of strings to prevent script-errors. - Optional boolean (last parameter): toggle if to check playable units only (default: true). Updated the F3 Simple Wounding System component: - Made the release action created on yourself so its always around. - Tweaked SetDowned. - Added longer delay before system starts to allow for desync'd players.. Updated F3 Spectator Script component: - Modified the freecam to use correct height in follow-mode. Fixed typo in AI Skill Selector component. Fixed error in Radio Systems Support component.
3-1-0 RC5 | 11 JUN 2014
Added Radio Systems Support component (replaces ACRE support component): - Supports ACRE and TFR systems via single mission parameter. - All radios cleared to avoid duplication of radio items. - Optional: radio frequencies split based on unit's side. - Spectator chat correctly handled for all players. - Radios assigned based on assignGear calls (from unit init). - ACRE only: vehicles filled with radios, depending on size. - New component works separately from the F3 Folk ARPS Assign Gear Script component for locality purposes. Updated Fireteam Member Markers component: - Team colours are now assigned in arrays at top of script (easier to modify, same functionality). Updated Join Group Action component: new notifications. Updated ORBAT Notes component: - ORBAT lists vehicles, crew and any loaded elements. - ORBAT lists individual medics (under their element leader). Fixed F3 Spectator Script component: - Fixed issues for players joining into spectator mode during a no-respawn mission. - Fixed various tags and camera issues. Fixed several components for use with JIP/respawn: - Fireteam Member Markers component. - F3 Folk ARPS Group Markers component (specifically for specialist markers). - Join Group Action component.
3-1-0 RC4 | 03 JUN 2014
Fixed AI Skill Selector component: removed references to precursor component. Fixed F3 Folk ARPS Platoons component: incorrect group names for some FIA groups. Fixed F3 Folk ARPS Assign Gear Clothing component: incorrect uniforms for FIA drivers. Fixed F3 Simple Wounding System component: typo with variable name. Fixed F3 Spectator Script component: tags and camera issues.
3-1-0 RC3 | 29 MAY 2014
Updated F3 Folk ARPS Platoons component: - Added CO/DC driver (repair) slots (all factions). - Added UAV Operator slots to FIA. Updated MapClick Teleport component: added HALO option. Updated Mission Conditions Selector component: - Night option now features full moon. - Other options adjusted (better dawn/dusk etc.). Fixed ReadMe File Template component: removed ArmA 2 references. Fixed F3 Folk ARPS Assign Gear Script component: incomplete lists of classes in headers. Fixed F3 Spectator Script component: minor issues. Fixed F3 Simple Wounding System component: minor issues.
3-1-0 RC2 | 28 MAY 2014
Updated F3 Folk ARPS Platoons component: - Ground vehicle drivers and selected helicopter crew members are now able to repair vehicles. - Ground vehicle commanders have rangefinders. - Fixed AAF DC group assignment. Updated Safe Start component: - Changed frequency and duration of notifications. - Changed name of parameter variable. Fixed ACRE Support component: script path(s). Fixed Debug Mode component: string paths (several were still referring to f\common) Fixed F3 Folk ARPS Assign Gear Script component: - Removed blank between assignGear and ; in unit INIT lines. - Removed nul = for unit INIT assignGear call. Fixed F3 Folk ARPS JIP Reinforcement Options component: paths (were still referring to f\common). Fixed F3 Folk ARPS Group Markers component: markers work for JIP players. Fixed Mission Conditions Selector component: issue with overcast implementation. Fixed PreMount component: - Fixed incorrect function calls in modules for CSAT. - Made more robust. Fixed E&E and Casualties Cap components: ensured code spawned happens globally. Fixed SP Editor issues (various).
3-1-0 RC1 | 24 MAY 2014
Restructured folders and files: - Nearly all components now rest within their own sub-folder. Added AI Skill Selector component: - Replaces the old AI Skill Selector (A&D and Coop) component. - Allows the skill levels of all three combatant sides to be set individually via mission parameters. Added F3 Folk ARPS Assign Gear Attachments component: - Works with F3 Folk ARPS Assign Gear Script component. Added F3 Folk ARPS Assign Gear Clothes component: - Works with F3 Folk ARPS Assign Gear Script component. Added F3 Simple Wounding System. Added F3 Premount component: - Mission makers can quickly and easily mount multiple groups in multiple vehicles. - Mission makers can control use of crew seats and group cohesion across vehicles. - Pre-placed modules support easy mounting of squads from pre-placed platoons. Added Respawn Templates component: - Replaces Respawn INIT component. Added MapClick Teleport component: - Replaces the Mission Maker Teleport component. - Can also be used by players in-game. - Mission makers can restrict usage by number of uses and/or time. - Mission makers can restrict usage to group leaders. Added support for OPFOR and Independent FIA platoons to following components: - Briefing Template component. - F3 Folk ARPS Assign Gear Script component. - F3 Folk ARPS Group IDs component. - F3 Folk ARPS Group Markers component. Updated Authorised Crew Check component: - Now incorporates Authorised Crew Type Check component. - Mission maker can now control access to passenger seats as well. Updated Buddy Team colours component: - Fixed bug with teams that begin in vehicles. Updated Casualties Cap component: - Now incorporates Casualties Cap (Advanced) components. Updated Dynamic View Distance component: - Mission makers can now control view distances for vehicle passengers. Updated F3 Folk ARPS Assign Gear Script component: - Backpacks parameter renamed to Loadouts. - Added UAV operator loadout to all factions. - Changed default AT for AAF faction to RPG32. - Replaced all binoculars with rangefinders. - Fixed issues with respawn and JIP. - F3 Folk ARPS Assign Gear component is now called using f_fnc_assignGear (omitting the folk). - Uniform types (e.g. light, crew, diver etc.) for each unit type can now assigned in the faction's assignGear file. - Added new uniform types: ghillie suits and special forces (AAF don't have a dedicated AAF loadout, FIA use CTRG). - Backpack loadouts have been moved into their own file. - Attachments are now assigned as local variables, can be assigned as a per-type basis. - Added options for handgun attachments. - Tweaks to improve perfomance when loading vehicles with assignGear. Updated F3 Folk ARPS Group IDs component: - Reworked to tidy up code and bring up to standard. Updated F3 Folk ARPS JIP Reinforcement Options component: - Fixed component for respawn and JIP. - Uses RespawnTemplate instead of a EventHandler. - Added optional removal of old player corpses. - Added optional enforcement of old gear. - Added JIP menu allows joining no group or staying in old group if it still has members. Updated F3 Folk ARPS Platoons component: - Added UAV operator to each CO/DC team for NATO, AAF and CSAT. Updated F3 Spectator Script component: - Full sized map. - FOV Zoom. - Tag names for players. - Completely overhauled camera- now much smoother. - Revamped tags. Updated Mission Conditions Selector component: - All relevant files moved to f/missionConditions. - Split f_setMissionConditions.sqf into three files: fn_setFog, fn_setDate, fn_setWeather. - Updated component to take advantage of BIS improvements in weather system and sychronisation. - Updated component to allow usage of new setFog array. - Updated component to allow smooth time transitions when changing the date. Update Multiplayer Ending Controller component: - Component is now called using ["ending"] call f_fnc_mpEnd and needs only to be called on the server. - Updated to take advantage of Arma 3 improvements. - Component now accepts optional second parameter: true (default) displays "mission completed" type of ending, false "mission failed". Updated Safe Start component.
FROM: Project Lead TO: Arma 3 Users INFO: Devbranch 101 PRECEDENCE: Flash
SITUATION
About two weeks ago, our CEO Marek Španěl, tweeted into the world that the Arma 3 player community is now over a million strong. We're excited to have you all playing the game in many different ways, from traditional military coop, to completely different ways of building out the platform! It has also occurred to us, that not all of you are yet familiar with how we update the game. Let's go over the basics:
The main and default version on Steam receives a larger game update approximately once per 3 to 4 weeks. If you haven't disabled Steam's automatic updates, there's nothing for you to install manually. Just let the game update and you're good to go. On update days you may experience brief interruptions in multiplayer services, while servers and mods update their data.
We do also pride ourselves on updating the game daily. If you're interested in the freshest developments, fixes and additions, you can opt into a Steam 'beta' branch via the client.
Right-click Arma 3 > Properties> BETAS tab > select Development Build from the drop-down (no access code needed) > let the game update.
Caution! This is an experimental and largely untested version that contains data directly from individual team members as they work. Some times a part of this version can be completely broken. Do not use this branch unless you would like to participate testing or are otherwise interested in it. We thank those who do and who have helped us catch errors ahead of big releases!
Main branch updates are the culmination of 'devbranch' versions, community testing and internal QA. It is the recommended version for most players.
In the games industry as a whole, this week is all about E3. We have chosen not to deploy a battle bunker in Los Angeles this year. Instead, the month or so of hard work that goes into prepping the game for such expo, is poured directly into the various upcoming releases - Bootcamp, Helicopters DLC and the Expansion terrain.
INTELLIGENCE
The Report In! developer interview series is picked up again by Audio Lead Jan Dušek. He explains a few of the audio technology changes compared to previous Arma games, where we get our samples, and how far the radio protocol has come since Arma 2! He wraps up with a look at the series' music, created in cooperation with audio designer and composer Ondřej Matějka. We're quite glad to have been able to expand our audio team, both for Arma 3 and the whole company. It allows us to give some more love to sounds over the coming years.
June's Make Arma Not War newsletter is out! There's an update about add-on support for both the contest and the game itself. We really hope to get the first version of the game launcher out on devbranch this month, as well as to release its companion publishing tool in the Arma 3 Tools suite. Please do read the section about the use of third-party content - it's ultimately up to contestants to not violate licenses and be fair. Direct cooperation with contestants has been good so far; let's continue that trend!
Missed the International Committee of the Red Cross' interview with Christian Rouffaer and video overview of the Health Care in Danger category? Visit this page to find out all you need to know. It's an important topic and the reward offers a once-in-a-lifetime insight into this aspect of armed conflict. OPERATIONS
A number of people have reported that the Steam server browser is taking very long to list servers, or is blocking other traffic in their routers. There are thousands of servers, all queried for information about their status (scenarios, players, mods, etc.) - by comparison, GameSpy had a limit of listing just 500. Some routers identify this traffic as a form of flooding spam and shut it down. Take a look at this Steam support ticket for a possible work-around. We continue to try to improve our Steam server browser implementation.
LOGISTICS
Related to the above, we've now passed the date that GameSpy officially was supposed to switch off its master servers. While the servers were still up afterwards, we have proceeded to remove their technology from the game (on devbranch now and in the next game update). We thank GameSpy for providing their services for as long as they have! Read more about how the transition is handled for various Bohemia Interactive games in this forums post (including a web-based server browser for older games).
Based on community feedback, our encoders have added a new config parameter to all Karts DLC assets: DLC = 'Kart'; Modders and scripters can read this entry and process in-game assets however they please. Do note that this is not an engine-required entry, but rather convenient meta-data. It should not be fully relied on outside of the vanilla game.
Arma3 'Minimum' specifications or … is Arma 3 going to be playable on my Athlon II x2 250 / GTS 450 DDR3 ?
I read that kind of question again and again well before Arma3 Alpha release, and that kind of question is asked not only by people have extra low end configurations but also by people having high-end rigs.
Well, today my purpose is to explore the limits of the official «Minimum » specs. Here they are from the Official Arma3 web site.
Minimum OS : Windows Vista SP2 /Windows 7 SP1 CPU : Intel Dual-Core 2.4 GHz / AMD Dual-Core Athlon 2.5 GHz GPU : Nvidia GeForce 8800GT / ATI Radeon HD 3830 / Intel HD Graphics 4000 - 512 MB DirectX® : 10 RAM : 2 GB
A rig for the test :
It happens that I own a PC having more or less this configuration. It has been built to host my work in progress as a Map-Maker as well as a repository for backups. Based upon an Athlon II x2 250 / 4 Go de DDR3, a 500 Go HDD for the OS and a pair of 2 To HDD for data. Later a GTS 450 /1 Go DDR3 had been added so I could watch series while my main rig was dealing with Visitor3.
The release of the first episode of the ArmA 3 campaign : “Survive”; was the signal I needed to start making some tests on Arma3 with this rig. So I got a spare old Intel 80 Go SSD inside in order to host Steam files and there we go !
Some settings, some tests and results :
1° Playing Singleplayer : I have played in SP : Missions I created in the Editor, Showcases, “Survive” and Arma3Mark Stratis unofficial Benchmark.
I did many attempts with various tweaks and settings but I started the tests playing with the settings given by the Autodetect function.
Autodetect set all options on “Low” in the video quality section, set global “Visibility” at 1000 m and totally disabled the AA&PP section. On the GUI the FPS rate jumped to 50.
In game, I was getting a stable 30 FPS, and Arma3Mark was around 32/34 FPS. It was playable but without grass or clutters on the ground, trees looking like candyfloss, buildings blank textured; no other words for it : the game was ugly. However the superb lights effects were there helping me to bear the overall ugliness.
So, as I was finishing the tests, playing some mission out of Camp Maxwell, I couldn't stand it anymore. So I decided to change the settings in order to find a better balance between playability and visual quality and after some tweaking I made the choice to set all the “Quality“ parameters on “Standard”. All the following pictures and the benching results in the SP part were done with those settings.
ArmA3Mark : of course, with these settings the bench results were a bit lower, around 23/27 FPS. Starting at a low 17 FPS but with a nice finish at 23 FPS !
Showcase Infantry : good start and ending around 30 FPS. Slight slips under 20 FPS during the fight in Girna. In the same place, low quality for mid-range building textures but quite playable and enjoyable.
Campaign : Camp Maxwell - Mission Blackfoot : good visual quality in the forest, the FPS frame rate falls down a bit to 18 FPS during Miller briefing but overall it's playable and enjoyable.
2° Playing Multi-Player : I have done many tests on various servers having a low ping and playing well built missions.
On a heavy populated server with a ping of 45 in “Low” with 900 m global visibility I have been getting 8/15FPS = it's ugly AND unplayable. Quite a shame, really.
On a un-populated server with a ping of 35 in “Standard” with 2000 m global visibility I have been getting 10/15FPS = again, quite unplayable with an image quality which appeared less good than in SP.
So we are getting at a quick conclusion : At the moment, it's not possible to play in MultiPlayer with such a config. But the weirdest thing is that I have been getting lower visual quality ingame and at the same time a very low GPU load (around 30% for the test on the 1st server and around 50% for the test on the 2nd one.)
Conclusions
Before I conclude this 1st tests row, I will say I can see the limits in them : the subjective side and some bias. - Limits : I'm not a specialist, just a dedicated Arma veteran player. - Subjective side : I have done a “choice” by throwing aside playable but ugly settings in order to play a visually better game at the price of some FPS drop in Single Player. - Bias : the main one being I had to connect 2 screens on the GPU in order to get hardware result while playing getting a large 2704x1050 total screen. But in fact I am getting a 100% CPU load on GUI only, as soon as I am in-game, the GPU load is falling! On the other side, I have tested the game with only the 1680x1050 gaming screen connected and it shows no difference FPS wise.
So to conclude, I can tell that Arma3 is quite playable and enjoyable in Single player in Missions and Campaign as well on a configuration nearing the “Minimum” official specs. But at the moment, I'll repeat myself but only to make it clear : this configuration does not allow playing in Multi-Player. From my point of view, the “Recommended” official specs configuration seems to be in fact the minimum configuration to play and enjoy MultiPlayer.
In the future, I will have a look at what can be done from my side to enhance performances, dealing with better RAM, better GPU ... so, to be continued !
Note1 : I am quite fond of ArmA3Mark, you can find it here. Note 2 : were used in these tests HWiNFO64, TechPowerUp GPU-Z, Drives Meter, Fraps. Note 3 : most of my interrogations about the minimum specs concern were raised while answering questions on JV.com French forums here. (Careful : French Language - Click at your own risks) Note 4 : I have used GamerCentral.de server as a test base too often, thanks guys !
FROM: Project Lead TO: Arma 3 Users INFO: DLC strategy, Karts release, Scripting commands PRECEDENCE: Flash
SITUATION
And then there were Karts ... we can imagine that was quite the surprise! We felt it was important to only release the April Fools content together with our blog on Arma 3's downloadable content strategy. The package really is intended to be a fun test-bed for this approach, rather than a serious addition to the military sandbox. The charity aspect reinforces this. In terms of the impact this small project has had on the team's workload ... very little. In no way does this affect e.g. programmers working on multiplayer optimization. A lot of the work on Karts' content, in fact, was done outside of normal office hours by a handful of people who had fun doing something slightly different. For example, Senior Artist Martin Valášek contributed the primary model, created at home to further train his vehicle modeling skills. Project LeadJoris-Jan van 't Land donned his designer hat once more to create the unforgiving Time Trials - so you have him to blame for the seemingly unbeatable medal times!
Senior Programmer Jan Marečekhas added two inventory-related Event Handlers for modders: InventoryOpened and InventoryClosed. They allow for expanding the game's behavior when opening / closing the inventory UI, and even to fully replace the behavior with a scripted system.
Another programmer recently adding script commands is Šimon Kolčiter. He has introduced native vector maths commands (which existed as scripted functions, but are much faster when handled in the engine).
The DLC blog unleashed quite a wave of information, so we'll do our best to address feedback, questions and further developments over the next weeks and months. This will also take the form of a new OPREP soon, but let's highlight a few things now:
We have been collecting your feedback on many channels, and are taking it all on-board as we evaluate the approach. We still have a slew of aspects in the works that will e.g. enhance the 'sense of purchase', rather than 'just removing notifications'. We don't believe in making rash decisions right after announcing and releasing this first version with Arma 3 Karts, so we'd like to take some time to iterate.
Those who explored the DLC files, noticed the data is contained in EBO files (encrypted PBO containers). It's not our plan to keep this encryption in place forever. While a timeframe is not known, we expect to switch to PBOs some time after a DLC package has been released. That way modders can learn and take inspiration from our data (though this should be covered via samples, documentation and in-game tools - let us know which parts are missing).
It is fully possible to release add-ons that contain variants of DLC assets. By inheriting from our configuration classes or linking to the same P3D model, you also inherit the DLC technology. That means your variant is subject to the same restrictions and notifications as the primary DLC.
Notifications for DLC are not shown when not actively using that DLC. So don't expect DLC ads in stock campaign scenarios for example. We also don't want notifications to take away user input in most situations (so you don't crash a helicopter just because you have to click to close something).
We keep making a point of "features are free, content is paid". Let's take a look at what it means for Karts specifically. There are a few, admittedly modest, improvements to the Arma 3 platform for everyone - regardless of owning the DLC. For Arma 3 Helicopters this will likely be a longer list.
Vehicles (not just karts) now support Inverse Kinematic animations for pedals (feet) for accelerating and braking.
It's possible to select specific liveries, instead of just random ones for various vehicles.
Terrain surface definitions can define friction to make driving on them more district (not yet on main branch).
LOGISTICS
Check out the full changelogs for last week's releases. There is the SPOTREP for the main game (1.20), and the TECHREP for the Arma 3 Tools update (0.66 - thanks to Julien Vida for his many contributions). We've also followed up with a small hotfix to the tools today, see TECHREP #00010.
Korneel van 't Land has informed us of the Arma 3 Karts release - the first paid DLC for Arma 3 - and a new entry about Arma 3 DLC Strategy on the Developers Blog.
Prague, Czech Republic, Thursday 29th May 2014
A few weeks after the studio shared its 2014-2015 development roadmap for Arma 3 (announcing upcoming DLCs and a major expansion), Bohemia Interactive today posted a new devblog to explain how it aims to prevent a split in the Arma 3 playerbase.
DLC often fractures a game's playerbase, which is most noticeable in the multiplayer environment, where such a split prevents players that do not own DLC from joining friends who do own it. Given the nature of Arma 3 as an open platform, Bohemia Interactive set itself the goal to develop an alternative solution. While the new strategy is somewhat experimental, Bohemia Interactive's plan is to make all Arma 3 downloadable content available to all owners of Arma 3, with reasonable restrictions applied to those who have not purchased them.
Consequently, Bohemia Interactive’s approach will enable those who do and do not own Arma 3 DLC to play together. Furthermore, it provides players with a generous try-before-you-buy system. Players will also be able to purchase the DLC directly from in-game, which will unlock the content immediately without having to download additional data. Alternatively, people can also still buy the DLC out-of-game, directly from the Steam Store. Besides offering advantages to players, the new strategy also benefits the Arma 3 development team, who no longer have to maintain multiple sets of data, and will not need to test every single combination of ownership for every game update. Plus, with regards to future playable content, the development team can, to some degree, rely on all players having access to DLC content and features.
Joris-Jan van 't Land, Project Lead on Arma 3, explains: "A key component of our new approach is the idea that, while new content is paid, new features are entirely free. This enables us to grow the platform with significant new gameplay updates for everyone who owns Arma 3, while offering up great extra content for those players who want to experience it and support our ongoing development."
To try out the new DLC approach from a player, technical, and business perspective, Bohemia Interactive today released Arma 3 Karts - the first paid DLC for Arma 3. Originally announced as an April Fools' joke via the Splendid Split parody video, the Arma 3 Karts DLC features a 20hp 4-stroke engine go-kart, several kart liveries, playable race driver and marshal game characters, new kart-racing Time Trials and Steam Achievements, plus various race objects to build your own racetracks. As the Karts DLC is considered to be a fun little side-step - and also as a way to trial the new DLC strategy - a portion of the proceeds from the sales of the Arma 3 Karts DLC will be donated to the Czech Red Cross. The total amount raised will be announced on www.bistudio.com in June 2014.
Last but not least, Bohemia Interactive revealed the pricing of their planned DLC packages. While the Arma 3 Karts DLC is available for the exceptional price of 1.49 EUR / 1.99 USD / 1.19 GBP, the Arma 3 Helicopters and Arma 3 Marksmen DLC will be sold separately for 12.99 EUR / 15.99 USD / 10.99 GBP. Those who want the complete Arma 3 experience can save more than 25 by picking up the Arma 3 DLC Bundle for 19.99 EUR / 24.99 USD / 16.99 GBP, which includes Arma 3 Karts, plus the upcoming Arma 3 Helicopters and Arma 3 Marksmen DLC.
The main game Arma 3, which has sold over one million copies to date, is available for purchase from Steam and Store.bistudio.com, where people can pick between the regular edition (44.99 EUR / 39.99 GBP / 59.99 USD) and Digital Deluxe Edition (49.99 EUR / 42.99 GBP / 64.99 USD). The Digital Deluxe Edition includes digital extras such as the Arma 3 soundtrack, maps of Altis and Stratis, a 350-page tactical guide, and a Steam version of the original Arma: Cold War Assault. A boxed version of Arma 3 is sold at many major high-street retailers. The entire development blog post can be found on Bohemia Interactive’s website.
Korneel van 't Land has informed us about Bohemia Interactive and International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) promotion campaign about respect for health care in video games.
Prague, Czech Republic, Wednesday 28th May 2014
Bohemia Interactive and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) today shared a new video to raise awareness for the topic of ‘Health Care in Danger’. In the video, Christian Rouffaer - head of the ICRC's international humanitarian law and video games project – discusses his role at the ICRC, the ICRC’s Health Care in Danger campaign, and the connection with Bohemia Interactive’s €500,000 Make Arma Not War contest.
The ICRC’s Health Care in Danger campaign, which is part of the organization’s many efforts to protect victims of war, aims to address the current violence against the health care sector - ranging from direct attacks to patients, medical staff and health-care facilities and medical transports, to denial of access to and forced entry and looting of health care facilities. The campaign was launched as a response to an uprising of illegal and violent acts that impede or prevent health care delivery.
Aside from developing practical solutions to improve the safety of health care, the ICRC is also committed to raising public awareness for the problem. This led to the unique collaboration with video game developer Bohemia Interactive, who is well-known for its award-winning Arma® military game series. Looking to create a change in virtual reality which can hopefully be carried into the real world, the two parties set up the Health Care in Danger Special Award as part of Bohemia Interactive’s €500,000 content creation contest for Arma 3. Given to the entry which covers the topic of ‘health care in danger’ the best, the winner(s) of the award will go on a one-week trip to an ICRC mission in a foreign country, organized by the ICRC.
“We’re looking for game content where medevac procedures are more complex. For example, a game mod where providing first-aid to a wounded enemy would be rewarded - or new hospital, ambulance, medical personnel and equipment models, which other players and mission builders can use to enrich their gameplay. We believe that you can get inspiration from many real-life stories from past and present conflicts”, said Christian Rouffaer, who also represents the ICRC in the Make Arma Not War jury.
The winners of the Make Arma Not War contest, including the winner(s) of the Health Care in Danger Special Award, will be announced on January 15th, 2015. More information about the Make Arma Not War contest, the rules, prizes, and categories is available on www.makearma.com.
FROM: Project Lead TO: Arma 3 Users INFO: Update incoming, Netcode, Vehicle camera shake PRECEDENCE: Flash
SITUATION
Followers of our daily experimental devbranch may have picked up on things slowing down as far as data updates go. That's because we have been on a data lock since last week, in order to prepare a game update. Version 1.20 is set to go later this week if final testing let's it roll out. On the tools side, there will be a new version of Addon Builder. Its primary new features are the ability to binarize data for both Arma 3 and older Arma games. Besides that the User Interface has received a facelift. This may seem unimportant, but it's done to allow bigger changes coming up with regards to Steam Workshop and add-ons.
INTELLIGENCE
In recent months, Real VirtuosoOndřej Španěl, has been working on changes to the way network messages are send in multiplayer games. This was done for DayZ stand-alone, but in this case can help Arma 3's netcode as well. In basic terms, previously the netcode would send full packets with all information about updated objects (not just static objects like ammo crates, but characters, vehicles, etc.). That has been changed now to only send the difference to the previous state (similar to how Arma 3 updates on Steam only need you to download the changed data). This does not change the amount of data to process after reception, but it does lessen the amount of data to send (lower network traffic). Programmer Vojtěch Hladík has merged the changes to devbranch. This implementation is enabled by default there, but can be disabled using server config entry guaranteedUpdates = false. We'll be testing the approach for some time before we roll it out to main branch. OPERATIONS
For our Helicopters DLC we've started to work on a few camera shake effects that contribute to the immersion of flying a copter (based on G-forces). Now that the technology exists in the engine, our encoding team will begin setting up good parameters for all stock helicopters. After that we'll also be looking at other vehicle categories, such as airplanes, cars and boats. Initial results should start to appear as we release the data lock next week.
LOGISTICS
One of our recent additions to the programming team, Richard Biely (welcome Richard!), has been fixing up some of the server admin commands:
#kick: the game was checking input only against player nickname and player number (UID wasn't checked). The command also works with strings now (so both #kick sho and #kick "sho" work). #exec ban: the game only considered a player number as a valid input. In order to make bans work with player UIDs and player nicknames, support for string input needed to be implemented, e.g. #exec ban "crowe" or #exec ban "12345" do the trick now.
Script command addUniform now only works for uniforms of a units' side. If you were using it on uniforms of a different side in your previous projects, please change the command to forceAddUniform to prevent having naked soldiers in your scenarios! You can also use the new isUniformAllowed command to check if it is actually possible to don the uniform.
FROM: Project Lead TO: Arma 3 Users INFO: Welcome newcomers, Company anniversary, Misc. technology PRECEDENCE: Flash
SITUATION
Regular players will have seen a wave of newcomers join the frontlines this past weekend. We were hosting a Steam Free Weekend, which meant the game was temporarily available to play for every Steam user. It allowed anyone to get a taste of Arma 3 and pick it up at a sizable discount. We welcome all of the new recruits! Hopefully Arma veterans can show them the ropes and share some of their awesome multiplayer experiences. Since its launch, Arma 3 has made the installation and update procedures much smoother, but there's still ground to cover within the game. We are working on enhancements to better orient new players with the Bootcamp update. The package is close to having all of its content in prototype status. That means the content exists and is playable fully (scenario flow / logic, assets, systems, etc.). The next stage focuses on adding flair: voice acting, MOCAP animations, better-looking UI elements and more.
INTELLIGENCE
We were proud to share our 15th company anniversary with you. Your congratulatory messages meant a lot to us. It was awesome to see so many people who have been with us since the very start. Hopefully the free copy of Arma: Cold War Assault gave you a nice glance at Arma's beginnings. To see the evolution of Arma (and our other games) in motion, check out this anniversary video. And you might like to browse through our new company brochure, to get a better understanding of our history, interests and goals.
A final bit of info for owners of non-Steam versions of Arma 2 (and DLC / expansions): you can now redeem the Steam versionsusing your original CD keys. This will also facilitate multiplayer via Steam for Operation Arrowhead, after GameSpy shuts down at the end of this month.
OPERATIONS
Programming lead Dr. Hladík has deemed the current state of surface friction for vehicles not satisfactory, and thus added a new parameter for surface types that solves many issues. The new surfaceFriction works well with the longitudinal and lateral stiffness parameters of wheels and should provide a distinctive feeling of grip on various surfaces. The technology is work-in-progress now as our QA team is testing the changes under various conditions.
LOGISTICS
Our other programming lead, Ondřej Martinák, reports: "A new command line parameter '-enableHT' has been added which instructs Arma 3 to use all hyper-threaded CPU cores . Use of this parameter may increase the game's performance, especially on Dedicated Servers with high amount of players." It should be noted that we don't expect large improvements this addition, but every little bit helps.
Korneel van 't Land has informed us about Bohemia Interactive 15th anniversary celebration.
Prague, Czech Republic, Thursday May 15th 2014
Bohemia Interactive, the creators of the award-winning Arma® series and DayZ®, are proud to celebrate its 15th anniversary. Founded in May 1999, Bohemia Interactive released its debut title Arma: Cold War Assault (originally released as Operation Flashpoint: Cold War Crisis*) in 2001, and has since then developed more than 15 games and expansions. The studio’s birthday celebration is accompanied by an Arma 3 Free Weekend and a Bohemia Interactive Weekend Sale on Steam, plus a free game for everyone.
From 15th May until 18th May, all Steam users are able to play Arma 3 for free, with access to all content except for the second and third campaign episode. Those who would like to continue playing afterwards can pick up Arma 3 with a massive 40% discount. Bohemia Interactive’s other released games are also on sale – and while the studio does not usually offer discounts on its Early Access games, for its 15th anniversary Bohemia Interactive made a special exception, and has included DayZ and Take On Mars in the sale with a fitting 15% discount. Furthermore, as a birthday gift for everyone, Arma: Cold War Assault – Bohemia Interactive’s debut title – is available for free from now until the end of the weekend, and will stay in people’s Steam Library afterwards - providing them with the opportunity to experience where it all began.
In addition to the free game, Bohemia Interactive today also announced that people who have previously bought a non-Steam version of Arma 2, including the expansions and DLC, are now able to redeem their product on Steam using their original Arma 2 or Arma 2 expansion game’s CD Key (often found inside the box or provided by the reseller via e-mail).
Last but not least, Bohemia Interactive published a brand new video. Looking back at 15 years of making games, the 15th Anniversary video showcases the games which the studio has developed during the past one and a half decade. For the people who are interesting in learning even more about the studio’s background and future direction, Bohemia interactive also deployed a new company brochure.
"I’d like to thank everyone who has contributed in any way to the amazing 15 years at Bohemia Interactive. The journey so far has been exciting, often challenging, sometimes hard - but, ultimately, always rewarding” , said Marek Spanel, CEO and co-founder of Bohemia Interactive. "While the games industry has fundamentally changed since the early years, our community continues to stand at the heart of everything we do, and together we will continue to create incredible games."
For more information about Bohemia Interactive, please visit www.bistudio.com. To keep track of all the latest news, be sure to follow Bohemia Interactive on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.
FROM: Project Lead TO: Arma 3 Users INFO: Development update PRECEDENCE: Flash
SITUATION
The team is working on a lot of things in parallel. Some devs are focused on near releases and others are doing pre-production on the expansion. Broadly speaking, the programmers are looking at more (multiplayer) optimizations and platform support. Most of them also have a long-term technology assigned, such as sling loading ropes, and they are doing feasibility studies and prototypes for those. They are working together with sandbox designers who typically provide analyses for the features (how should the tech be controlled? What are the functional requirements? Etc.). We would expect such features to be released to devbranch in advance of DLC releases. The RotorLib helicopter flight model for example, would be unleashed for the current fleet of helicopters well ahead of the new DLC helicopters being published.
Meanwhile our artists are producing assets ranging from supporting objects for the Bootcamp Update, to the new heavy transport helicopters, to initial static objects for the expansion terrain. The playable content designers are in full production of the Bootcamp tutorial content. These are not the tutorials you may expect; we've sought forms of content that teach relevant skills, but not just key bindings. They try to explain what Arma offers over more traditional shooters, and also to provide fun to veterans.
40 contestants have submitted their entries for Make Arma Not War so far and it's great to see their concept & promo materials, and even first-playables! In cooperation with the International Committee of the Red Cross there is a special prize for the entry that covers the theme of 'health care in danger' the best. Have a look at the project's Twitter. They are inviting contestants to contact them for information on the topic. A dedicated feature about this will be released on the MANW website soon!
LOGISTICS
We're going over requests and suggestions related to server administration. A few things have already made it to devbranch. It is now possible to store multiplayer scenarios in sub-folders. Note that these are still listed in the game as a flat list, but later the folder structure is to be represented in-game as well. A security feature makes it possible to whitelist certain file extensions for extensions.
Scenario designers might find it useful to know that an asset's texture randomization script routines can now be terminated by setting variable BIS_enableRandomization to false in the asset's variable space.
FROM: Project Lead TO: Arma 3 Users INFO: Roadmap blog PRECEDENCE: Flash
SITUATION
So, now you know our plans for 2014 and 2015, or at least the major milestones! We hope you're excited for the updates, DLC and ultimately expansion. More specific information will obviously be shared as we approach each of the releases, with the Bootcamp update and Helicopter DLC first in line (not counting regular game updates). But, rather than rehashing the blog here, we recommend you read it and get the full context of what's next for Arma 3. We are now writing a follow-up blog that goes into specifics on how we intend to handle DLC, namely in such as way that avoids fracturing the platform and its player-base wherever we can. You can expect it later this month.
INTELLIGENCE
A message to Supporter Edition owners: since the expansion is revealed to be not stand-alone, it is included in your bundle. All currently announced paid additions are included without extra charge: Arma 3 Helicopters, Arma 3 Marksmen and the expansion. Thank you again for your support since the early days of Alpha.
The entire in-game Field Manual has been exported to the Community Wiki. Tips, explanations, weapon & vehicle info, hidden features, find them all here.
OPERATIONS
Let's take another look at what we said in the roadmap blog: "features are free, content is paid". To elaborate using the example of sling loading, this means everybody who currently owns Arma 3 or will buy it later (regardless of the Arma 3 Helicopters DLC) will be able to sling external loads under helicopters. It also means the rope technology is available for user-generated helicopters, or even completely different applications. What you will gain by purchasing the DLC are, among other things, carefully selected new and high-quality helicopters that are capable of transporting heavy loads.
Another example is the RotorLib flight model for helicopters. We will provide this flight model for all previously released helicopters in Arma 3 whether or not you own the DLC. It should be repeated that this flight model will be an option in the game. It offers distinct benefits for precise control over rotary-wing aircraft, and makes the simulation more authentic (particularly having control over the collective). But those who would want to stick with the Arma 3 flight model can do so. We don't even expect it to be default on the normal difficulty setting. Actually owning the DLC will give you the cool new birds and other content.
LOGISTICS
Find details on the recently released 1.18 game update in its SPOTREP, and a changelog for Arma 3 Tools in the corresponding TECHREP. Today we are deploying a small hotfix for the game, to address multiplayer performance and stability.
Bohemia Interactive today released their 2014-2015 development roadmap for Arma 3. In a brand new post on Bohemia Interactive’s devblog, Arma 3’s Creative Director Jay Crowe and Project Lead Joris-Jan van ‘t Land explain the studio’s intention to support the game with platform updates, downloadable content, and an expansion.
Platform updates are major enhancements to Arma 3, and will be available to everyone who own the game. Extending the Steam Workshop implementation (currently limited to player-created scenarios) to support mods is a key goal. Another important addition to Arma 3 will be the release of the Bootcamp update. This free package will give newcomers a varied introduction to the game, while veteran players can look forward to refinements of certain vanilla features.
Besides platform updates, Bohemia Interactive will also reinforce Arma 3 with downloadable content (DLC). Each exploring a specific theme, Arma 3 DLC will focus upon new sandbox assets, official scenarios, and features. Bohemia Interactive stipulates that DLC game features will be free to everyone, while DLC content will be paid. The studio is currently working on a plan to prevent a split in the multiplayer player-base, which will be explained in more detail in the next few weeks.
Bohemia Interactive's first planned DLC is Arma 3 Helicopters, which is scheduled for release in the second half of 2014. The Helicopters DLC should feature new transport helicopters, an option to use Take On Helicopter’s RotorLib Flight Dynamics Model (FDM), plus several new game mechanics. The Helicopters DLC will be followed up by the Arma 3 Marksmen DLC, which should include new weapons and a focused overhaul of certain shooting mechanics.
The studio is also developing a major expansion for Arma 3, which is currently penciled in for late 2015. While much of the pre-production work for the expansion is still underway, the intention is to deliver a range of new sandbox content and features alongside a new terrain - which offers a distinctive feeling and gameplay.
Last but not least, the devblog post mentions that work on stability and optimizations, as well as large-scale MP performance, will continue. Together with the scheduled platform updates, downloadable content, the expansion, and the €500,000 Make Arma Not War contest - Bohemia Interactive intends to develop Arma 3 as a long-term platform.
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Armed Assault info site is closing
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