FROM: Project Lead
TO: Arma 3 Users
INFO: 2014 recap, Winter break, Happy holidays!
PRECEDENCE: Flash

SITUATION

Welcome to the last Arma 3 SITuation REPort of 2014! After a turbulent release year in 2013, our team was excited to continue supporting the platform and game this year. Let's quickly run through the major developments: we started by completing the campaign with episodes "Adapt" and "Win". That also meant adding 2 fixed-wing CAS aircraft, the Tempest series of trucks and 2 Altis Points of Interest: the ghost hotel and the stadium. We then unleashed the divine powers of Zeus multiplayer, which we've since seen used in many communities and in ways beyond what we had envisioned ourselves.

Then things got a little crazy, with us taking the April Fools parody to an actual DLC: Karts. That first premium package allowed us to trial a new DLC strategy and also resulted in a sizable donation to the Czech Red Cross. Realizing the vanilla game did not yet welcome new Arma players as well as it could, our team released the Bootcamp Update, offering various learning experiences and the Virtual Reality environment. We then hit a couple of rough patches, literally, causing various multiplayer issues. Our attempts to optimize and stabilize the game did not always work out on a large-scale. We've since improved this situation, but there's still work to do in this area. The year drew to a satisfying close with the Helicopters DLC and accompanying platform update.

Given that we've not even discussed many other additions and improvements, like expanded Steam Workshop support, we're looking back at a great year for Arma 3. We'll now be taking a quick winter break, before diving into yet another year of support. Our thanks to all players, our community, mod makers, livestreamers, server administrators, forum / Feedback Tracker / Community Wiki moderators, business partners, and not least of all: everyone at Bohemia Interactive! We wish you happy holidays and a most splendid new year!

INTELLIGENCE

The Arma subreddit has received a nice face-lift, also providing some useful links to official and unofficial resources. You'll find a supportive community, interesting player stories, funny pictures and awesome videos. While this is not an official channel, we have more than a few devs roaming around there.

We have stopped supporting the 'contributor' feature of Steam Workshop for now. Contributed items have been removed from your lists of published items to minimize confusion (no actual items were removed of course). After speaking to Valve, it would appear this feature is not quite well supported and therefore not useful in its current form. If this changes in the future, we'll certainly react to any changes Steam rolls out.

As the time of writing there are a few days left to vote for your favorite Arma 3 mods in the ModDB annual top 100. Four mods made the cut this year, so head on over and show your support!

OPERATIONS

Some of our developers frequently appear in these reports. Others operate in the shadows and yet without them we could not develop the game. Let's shine a light on these people, starting with Mastering Lead Jan Kyncl. Mastering is a set of activities that results in the final, you guessed it, master of the game. This means ensuring the correct and complete data exists in the right place, that meta-data is accurately configured, that the collection of parts brought in by all departments works together as a whole, and many more tasks of this nature. Jan is also responsible for publishing every single change to Steam. Every update of every branch of every Arma 3 application on every day - quite a feat! Kudos to Jan and those who assist him for being the backbone of our team.

Bohemia Interactive will be closed for a winter break from Monday December 22 until Friday January 2 inclusive. That means our regular operations for Arma 3 will be paused for that duration. Dev-Branch updates will likely continue until this Thursday and resume when we get back. There will also not be another SITREP until we open back up.

LOGISTICS

Tools Commissar Julien Vida would like to remind modders that they can switch to the Arma 3 Tools Dev-Branch if they experience issues with the main branch suite. This version can help to address a few issues in Addon Builder and WAVtoWSS.

Find more French unofficial translations of these REPorts via Elements Gaming. Most recently they've published translations for last week's SITREP and the latest OPREP

FROM: Project Lead
TO: Arma 3 Users
INFO: Internal Marksmen prototype, Update 1.36 released, REPception
PRECEDENCE:

SITUATION

As we enter the last month of the year, the team is focused on one more 2014 development milestone: the Marksmen DLC sandbox prototype. This means having a final plan for the exact assets and features that we'll finish during the first quarter of 2015. Said plan is backed up by internally playable prototypes. This could mean the first version of a new weapon's model, a scripted prototype of a gameplay feature, a proof-of-concept for a scenario, etc. The feasibility studies should wrap up soon and we'll have go / no-go moments for some of the tech. Having a solid sandbox foundation will later help the designers to use it effectively while developing playable content. We are trying hard to get some very cool stuff in the DLC and accompanying platform update, and it's looking splendid so far!

INTELLIGENCE

Did you miss the exact change log for update 1.36? Take a look at SPOTREP #00037! Perhaps you've noticed we delayed the release of the update by a day. In fact, this change of plans was so last-minute we had already begun to release the accompanying Arma 3 Tools update. The reason for the delay was the discovery (based on community reports) that one of the multiplayer server optimizations caused a potential instability. We had tested these multi-threading optimizations on special profiling servers for a few weeks with good results. Then we found a thread safety problem in a few freshly submitted crash reports. It was decided to take those optimizations out of 1.36 and continue to develop them via the special profiling branch. Certain other optimizations remained in tact, such as tweaks to the file system.

There are still 2 recurring crashes that we know about, but cannot solve at the moment. One is related to the PhysX libraries and we hope to address it by an update of the libraries in 2015. The other occurs also in our other games and we believe it to be connected to Steam. We are still working with Valve engineers to solve this one.

OPERATIONS

QA Specialist Ondrej Kužel performed a post-flight inspection of the Advanced Flight Model for rotary-wing aircraft, introduced in Helicopters DLC / platform update 1.34. His report follows an earlier look at the integration of third-party middleware RotorLib to support the AFM. It mainly looks back at what we believe was a very productive example of community collaboration. Be sure to expand the hidden bonus section dubbed "Oukej's Frequent Flyer Bonus Miles" for some tips and tricks!

LOGISTICS

Leading the way for update 1.36 was yet another iteration of the Arma 3 Tools suite (available in the Steam library for anyone - filter for "Tools"). The Tools Commissar himself, Julien Vida, does a good job of providing some context to the changes in his status report: changes to existing tools, a new tool and fresh samples. Considering those samples, the previously mentioned PSD source template for Taru liveries is available on the Tools Dev-Branch. An issue causing suspiciously long packing when using Addon Builder is being investigated.

FROM: Project Lead
TO: Arma 3 Users
UNIT: Main Branch
ACTIVITY: Game Update: 1.36 (Vortex Ring State, Launcher local mods, Headless Client revamp, CMAA)
SIZE: ~1010 MB / ~611 MB
NOTE

• Consider using the Steam client option to verify the integrity of the local game cache to avoid corrupted data after downloading this update.


• Consider defragmenting your HDD after downloading large updates.


• A Legacy Build Steam branch is available for advanced users. It contains the previous significant main branch version (1.34). It can be used to compare specific changes between major releases. The access code for this branch is: Arma3Legacy134


• A Make Arma Not War Build branch is available for competitors and jury members. It will contain the 1.32 main branch version throughout the rest of the contest. The access code for this branch is: MakeArmaNotWar


• You can find the servers in the Steam library (switch the filter to "Tools") - "Arma 3 Server" (based on your OS, it will download the Windows or Linux version)
  • Administrators can also use the command-line SteamCMD utility. The app ID is to be 233780.
  • Physics simulation powered by NVIDIA® PhysX™. NVIDIA® and PhysX™ are trademarks of NVIDIA Corporation and are used under license.

Full changelog and SPOTREP

FROM: Project Lead
TO: Arma 3 Users
INFO: Final 1.36 tests, Headless Clients, Workshop Mods
PRECEDENCE: Flash

SITUATION

We are three Release Candidates into update 1.36 testing and things are looking good. Our programmers are analyzing a few more crash reports, but we hope to be ready for main branch tomorrow (CET). You can join the final stages of testing by opting into the RC branch using access code Arma3Update136RC in the Steam client BETAS tab for Arma 3. This will effectively preload the update ahead of release, even though there may still be more iterations. Be aware that the majority of public servers will not be join-able until they update as well. If you spot a new issue in the RC, please submit it to the Feedback Tracker and clearly mark the version you encountered it in. Thanks!

INTELLIGENCE

Update 1.36 will bring big improvements to Headless Client technology after a solid period of Dev-Branch testing. The new implementation will ...

• ... see HCs placed as virtual entities in the editor, and then having them automatically assigned to slots in the lobby.


• ... make HCs only visible to admins.


• ... support Linux servers.


• ... not require additional Arma 3 licenses.

If you are already using this advanced scripting tech, please be aware you may need to update existing scenarios. The Community Wiki documentation has been updated to reflect this.

Some categories of the Make Arma Not War contest have been temporarily re-opened for submissions. Unfortunately a sizable number of contestants had not submitted their work properly. This was a tough decision for the MANW committee, but the contest's ultimate goal is to highlight quality content. Take a look at this news article to find out whether your entry is affected or not.

We've introduced a new command-line parameter for multiplayer server admins: -loadMissionToMemory. It should help servers which use a HDD, which restart the same scenario frequently, and which have a relatively small amount of scenarios in their cycle.

OPERATIONS

The next evolution of Workshop support is on the horizon! Valve has rolled out a new Steam SDK, which will allow for several big enhancements. There should no longer be an item size limit, and multiple files per item will be supported. These changes open to door for full mods. The roll-out of these changes will begin on Dev-Branch after 1.36's release, and happen in stages to ensure reliability across the branches. The designer in charge of Workshop-integration, Jirí Zlatohlávek, describes a few automated changes to existing and future items: "With the upcoming mods for Steam Workshop, we will change how files are stored on Workshop, allowing more files to be uploaded for both new and old items. This means the 'Addon' tag will effectively become irrelevant. We will be first updating files tagged with 'Addon' to also include tag 'Mod' to prepare to this change. When the new SDK is implemented, we will be removing the tag 'Addon' and keep only tag 'Mod'. This change should not require anything from you, but if you plan to publish any addons soon, we advise you to already include tag 'Mod' for your files to be visible in Launcher."

Virtual Arsenal caretaker Karel Morický, has incorporated a few nice additions for the mode. Selected weapons show various statistics such as Rate of Fire, effective range, impact and weight. Character equipment shows approximate armor levels, load and weight. No extra configuration is necessary, so community equipment will show these stats as well.

LOGISTICS

Senior Artist Oldrich Kríž has prepared a PSD template for the Huron's texture as part of the Arma 3 Tools update alongside 1.36. This should make it more comfortable to create your own liveries. We'd like to also provide this for the Taru at least.

User Interface designer Vladimír Hynek has added a feature to scenario selection screens that allows scenario designers to display relevant data. We will primarily use this to display the Challenge medal targets and your actual results. Perhaps you can imagine your own usage, so check out the updated documentation (look for overviewScript functionality)!

FROM: Project Lead<
TO: Arma 3 Users
INFO: Unofficial translations, "Support" documentation, Launcher local mods
PRECEDENCE: Flash

SITUATION

There are not a lot of development updates to report on this week. Marksmen DLC production proceeds at a good pace. We've also taken the first data snapshot for the 1.36 update, and the programmers are preparing their special EXE branch. Once both are combined, the team's embedded QA devs will begin full build tests. They will be assisted by our shared multi-project QA team in Prague, especially for multiplayer. This includes several large-scale sessions involving 30 or more testers, and simulated 64+ client sessions using Headless Client technology. Besides that, we'll likely be requesting your assistance for even larger stress tests (on the CHIMERA test servers). To this effect, you can expect the usual Steam Release Candidate branch to open soon.

Do you prefer reading these reports in your own language? There are a few kind souls in our community who are translating the weekly SITREPs into French and Russian. It's hard for us to verify what may be lost in translation, so our English original on the Dev Hub is the only official source. However, many thanks to these volunteers for contributing in this way!

INTELLIGENCE

It's time to create your own "Support" MP scenarios! Designer Václav Oliva has posted an excellent step-by-step guide to the Community Wiki with help from mode creator Jirí Wainar. Once you've set up your own scenarios, be sure to share them on Workshop for everyone to enjoy!

Have you unlocked many of Arma 3's Steam achievements yet? It's very interesting to see the global statistics, though these are admittedly a little skewed. The achievements were not there from the start (especially considering the Public Alpha), and new batches of achievements have been added per major release. As for the design behind our achievements, we've deliberately stayed away from things we don't find fitting for Arma. You'll not likely see things like "Killed X enemies with head shots". Rather, we've tried to let the achievements be a guide for content you may have missed. And to challenge you to achieve top results in some areas. Do you have any good ideas for achievements?

On a related note: we plan to make it possible to end Faction Showcases in a more straight forward way in update 1.36. This will be done for the "Showcasing" achievement especially ("Showtime" and "Meet and Greet" only require you to start them, not complete them).

OPERATIONS

Programmer Lukáš Bábícek has in recent weeks been working directly with Intel engineers to find and implement optimization opportunities. This has yielded some results you may not directly notice, such as terrain rendering and shadow improvements. One addition is directly visible however, namely the inclusion of anti-aliasing post processing effect CMAA. This effect is available on Dev Branch in the video options (PPAA drop-down). It should be faster than SMAA while retaining a similar quality level.

LOGISTICS

Support for local mods in the launcher has arrived on Dev Branch. Launcher programmer Jirí Polášek reports: "The launcher has been extended with a long-awaited feature called 'local mods'. It allows for users to add their Arma 3 mod folders directly to the 'Addons' tab instead of using the plain 'Mods' parameter field. These mods are treated same way as Steam addons, and you can easily turn them on and off and include them in presets. To add a mod, press the '+' button in the 'Addons' tab.

Apart from adding local mods manually to the list one by one, there is also an option to continually detect mods in specified folders and automatically include them in the list. Open the launcher options (gear icon at the top right) to set up your monitored folders."

3-2-0 | 15 NOV 2014

Added Insignia component.
- Includes insignia for NATO, AAF, CSAT and CSAT urban uniforms.
Added Loadout Notes component.
- Displays loadout section in the briefing, with player weapons and items at mission start.
Added UAV Recharging component:
- Allows recharging of backpack-carried UAVs using laserdesignator batteries.
Added Zeus Support component:
- Adds functions to give hosts easier access to Zeus using the debug console.
- Can be invoked from Admin briefing and F3 Spectator Script.
Updated F3 Common Local Variables
- Removed optional looping (bloat).
- Removed automatic broadcasting to reduce impact on network.
Updated F3 Spectator Script:
- New UI.
- Freecam.
- Revised unit list with groups.
- Map Markers.
- Now with context map clicking: in freecam you are moved above the select unit, in chase/first person camera selects the unit as the observed unit.
- Camera Marker.
- Tracers on map.
- Minor edit to LocalGroupMarkers allowing you define faction (used to show other factions group markers for everyone, old style still compatible).
Updated Fireteam Member Markers component:
- Fireteam member markers re-colour after joining a new group using the Join Group Action component.
Updated F3 Folk ARPS Platoons component:
- Changed NATO and CSAT TH1 and TH2 helicopters to Huron and Taru.
- Added TH1 element for FIA (civilian M-900).
Updated Folk ARPS Assign Gear Script component:
- Faction can now be forced using an optional third parameter.
- Added support for faction-specific crates.
- Added GPS for medics.
- Improved order of execution to avoid locality issues.
- Improved comments in the script files.
- Disables BI gear randomization by default to prevent overriding of F3 gear randomisation.
Updated Medical Systems Support (F3 Simple Wounding System):
- Extra FAKs added to player loadouts (controlled via variable in init.sqf file).
- Reduced network traffic.
- Various bug fixes.
Updated Name Tags component:
- Fixed driver position not properly displaying seat values.
- Added new variable f_nametags_shadows to govern the outline of the displayed nametags (default is 2).
Updated Radio Systems Support component:
- Added support for ACRE2.
Updated Safe Start component:
- Now sleeps for 60 real seconds (instead of in-game seconds).
- Runs almost exclusively server-side and broadcasts notifications and disabled safety to all clients.
- Now disables player vehicle weapons as well.
- Reduced duration of "X minutes remaining" note to 10 seconds.
Fixed E&E Check component:
- Component would activate ending/code even if all tracked units were killed.

FROM: Project Lead
TO: Arma 3 Users
INFO: Update 1.36 plans, Dev Hub feeds
PRECEDENCE: Flash

SITUATION

Our sights are still trained on Marksmen DLC production. More weapons are progressing from wishlist entry to design analysis to concept art to 3D mesh. The first of them have entered the final artwork stages of texturing. After that they are handed off to animators to deal with holding and reloading them. But the DLC and its platform update are still a few months away, so let's take a look at something coming up sooner. Update 1.36 is slated for the beginning of December. While it's a maintenance update, there are some cool things we're hoping to include (depending on testing!).

Tests of recent server-side multiplayer optimizations are looking promising. Optimizations of the file system will soon be deployed to Dev-Branch and can help with the start-up of the game for example. Then there's an important update to the launcher, adding support for local non-Workshop mods. Another launcher-related improvement to enter testing soon is an improved BattlEye anti-cheat solution. It should be more effective at keeping undesired behavior at bay in multiplayer servers.

INTELLIGENCE

Some of you requested a RSS feed for the Dev Hub (the place you are most likely reading this). Web developer Jervant Malakjan has delivered and he's thrown in two other types of feeds. The RSS and Atom feeds are quite standard and can be used by various readers. The JSON feed is actually used by the game's launcher, and can be queried using a few parameters.

 http://arma3.com/loadDev

• feed: rss / atom
• type: spotrep / sitrep / oprep / techrep
• page:
• count:

OPERATIONS

The configuration of Vortex Ring State simulation in the Advanced Flight Model for helicopters is going well. We believe it's ready to include in update 1.36, so start re-thinking your 'collective down full' straight descents. It's also going to be possible to determine the use of AFM on a server-level. The priority of AFM configuration will be: server.cfg > description.ext (scenario) > options. The parameter is forceRotorLibSimulation (0 - options, 1 - forced on, 2 - forced off).

LOGISTICS

We were sent a nice and simple web tool which lets you quickly create and host an Arma squad XML. These are the files that let you configure a squad / clan for multiplayer. The most visible result of using such XML is the squad emblem on vehicles (and above groups in Zeus). Thanks to Marco Rieger for this unofficial service!

FROM: Project Lead
TO: Arma 3 Users
INFO: "Support" MP livestream, Community videos
PRECEDENCE: Flash

SITUATION

Senior Designer Jirí Wainar and Creative Director Jay Crowe joined Associate Producer Matt Lightfoot for a livestream event last Friday. After an introduction about Helicopters DLC, they showcased the new "Support" multiplayer mode by playing a few rounds and crashing a lot of aircraft. While they were transporting troops and supplies around the battlefield, some of our other devs tried to answer questions in the chat. A question that popped up a few times was about when players can expect a new official terrain. The answer is: in the expansion, after Marksmen DLC. We have selected its geotype and a prototype of the terrain has been in production for some time. Since the setting is quite different than Altis and Stratis, and indeed very fresh, our artists have also begun creating the loads of new objects and buildings. We are not yet ready to reveal more specifics about the setting. The first details will be probably not be shared until some time into 2015. Visit our Twitch channel archive to view the stream in its entirety, or just go play the mode yourself, on our official servers for example.

INTELLIGENCE

To those not able to get their joystick analog thrust controls to respond how they like; take a look at this post by QA Specialist Ondrej Kužel. Using an admittedly counter-intuitive configuration, you should be able to get things under control. We're tracking the topic in this Feedback Tracker issue, and are investigating possible improvements.

The same Mr. Kužel has foolishly issued a personal Time Trials challenge to the world. Prove that you have beaten his times and get a free beer in Prague (no other expenses covered)!

We were collectively amazed by DCAL's machinima "Bring The Rain". What impressed us the most about this tribute to the United States Marine Corps, is the pain-staking effort that it must have taken to capture all these action scenes. Splendid job!

Another cool video is brought to you by routine contributor Andrew "Dslyecxi" Gluck: "The Transport Pilot - Art of Flight #8". He goes over every detail of flying troops into and out of an Area of Operations using helicopters. Planning, modes of flight, ingress, Landing Zone procedures, egress and a full Air Assault walkthrough are all shown in some 30 minutes of beautiful scenes.

OPERATIONS

We're aware of reports about a loss of performance on (dedicated) multiplayer servers between 1.32 and 1.34. Of course this is being looked at, though we are so far unable to reproduce similar circumstances. This could imply specific network conditions, but we don't have enough data to tell yet. More tests and being run in cooperation with affected server admins. We'll update you when we learn more.

LOGISTICS

You may have seen a small update to Arma 3 on Steam yesterday. This was not an update of the game itself, but the Steam common redistributables (the Visual C++ 2013 redist specifically). These are shared libraries that programmers use for common operations and functions across many games, including ours. This is also not a new concept, and Arma 3 had already been using the 2010 and 2012 redists. We are slowly phasing out these older versions and moving fully to the latest 2013 version.

It's been around four months since our last major update and, since then, much progress has been made! For the most part, we've turned our attention towards enhancing helicopter gameplay. However, with Arma 3 Helicopters DLC, there's much more to it than that.

So, on the eve of its release, we want to introduce the new sandbox and playable content on offer. Alongside that, we'd like share the collateral benefits our continued development brings to the A3 platform, taking a look at the splendid array of new features and additions available to everyone.

PREMIUM CONTENT




HEAVY-LIFT HELOS




Our new sandbox content seeks to enable new kinds of helicopter gameplay and create new opportunities for combined arms operations.

CSAT’s sky-crane inspired Mi-290 Taru and NATO’s CH-67 Huron, based on a modified Chinook design, are capable of carrying a large number of troops and transporting relatively heavy under-slung loads across the battlefield.

PLAYABLE CONTENT





Our splendid new scenarios are designed to demonstrate the unique challenges and rewards offered by advanced rotor-wing flight.

Showcase Sling Loading tasks players to master the use of their heavy transport helicopter and support NATO forces on Altis, while five new Time Trials question even then most experienced pilot's skill against the clock.

PLATFORM UPDATE

While the basic goal of our development has been to add new depth and breadth to helicopter gameplay, another key aim was to offer benefits to all players. With our new features and content, combined arms gameplay in general has benefitted, and the Arma 3 platform is all the better for it!

Most clearly, our Advanced Flight Model brings a new level of authenticity. In addition, we took a shot at enhancing their logistical role (with Sling Loading) and created new gameplay for units in transit (with Firing from Vehicles). Everyone that owns A3 - whether they own the DLC or not - benefits from these features and can play together seamlessly.

ADVANCED FLIGHT MODEL




While, at its heart, Arma 3 focuses upon infantry combat, we also know that our combined arms gameplay is what truly sets us apart. Drawing upon our experience with Take On Helicopters (TKOH), the central pillar of Arma 3 Helicopters is an authentic flight dynamics model.

Sandbox designer, Karel Kališ, went into more splendid detail in his recent OPREP but, in short, this new feature is composed of three key aspects: new helicopter handling; a configurable set of helpers; and new gauges and indicators. Worthwhile noting, too, is that it's completely optional, configurable, and compliant to server configuration.

SLING LOADING




Under-slung helicopter cargo offers both interesting new helicopter gameplay and contributes to the broader concept of logistics.

From a pilot's point of view, sling loading offers new challenges and opportunities. While it's possible to drop in supplies without landing, flying with an external load affects handling and poses new problems of unexpected collisions!

FIRING FROM VEHICLES




Rather than being passive observers in transit, players (and AI!) in special cargo positions can use their weapons to engage threats.

This gameplay isn't exclusive to helicopters. Any vehicle with suitable cargo positions – trucks, assault boats, etc. – can leverage this feature. Check out Senior Programmer Krzysztof Bielawski's OPREP for the juicy details!

FREE CONTENT

NEW MULTIPLAYER




'Support' is a new, helicopter-oriented MP mode based on Sector Control gameplay with a non-combat focus. Players are tasked with transporting their team's forces in and around the Area of Operation, whist providing logistical support by delivering supplies and executing medevac missions.

Based on a community-friendly, modular framework, 5 official TvT and co-op scenarios introduce a variety of locations and gameplay conditions, in which competing factions use different types of helicopter to fight for control of the battlefield.

NEW TRAINING




Adding complex new mechanics requires us to support players with the appropriate means of learning about them!

Using the experience and tutorial framework introduced in our Bootcamp Update, we've added a set of VR training missions that help players to master the art of helicopter flight.

NEW OBJECTS



We've added a variety of new objects, ranging from landing platforms to ropes and engine cranes.

Of course, this stands to benefit our creative community, too. Content creators are free to draw upon an extended pool of helicopter-oriented items to enrich their own scenarios.

NEXT OBJECTIVE_
Looking ahead, we're set to continue along the path sketched out by our 2014-15 roadmap and carry on fulfilling the resolutions outlined in our new year blog. In short, that means continuing to support, refine, and invest in the Arma 3 platform. Development is already under way to further deliver on those objectives. Recently, we shared some progress on our Game Launcher and Steam Workshop Integration. Handling non-Workshop addons and streamlining the process of discovering and installing server-required addons remain key goals. Work, too, continues apace on our next DLC, Marksmen, which we'll explore in more detail over the next few months.

Last - but by no means least - our longer-term plans are in good shape, with splendid pre-production on our Expansion terrain and some positive noises emerging from our top-secret R&D department. Of course, it almost goes without saying that we're still committed to resolving various miscellaneous issues, to squeezing out more network performance and engine optimisations, and to keeping the community up to date with our short-term progress. Speaking of which, with the MANW content-creation contest now closed for submissions, we're looking forward to playing the entries and putting together our finalists. Thanks to everyone that's participating and contributing to the process, and best of luck to all!

On behalf of the A3 team,
Jay Crowe (RiE)
Creative Director, Arma 3

FROM: Project Lead
TO: Arma 3 Users
INFO: Helicopters sandbox Dev-Branch, Vortex Ring State, DLC survey results
PRECEDENCE: Flash

SITUATION

As of yesterday, Dev-Branch users have the first staged version of the Arma 3 Helicopters sandbox content (all assets without the multiplayer scenarios, VR training, showcase or challenges). We'd like to remind you that the DLC has not yet officially released, so there may be ownership issues for some users. That means that even if you own the Supporter Edition or DLC Bundle (and therefore Helicopters DLC), the game will try to convince you that you don't. Please be patient as we try to get that sorted out in the Steam configuration. At the latest, you'll have your ownership come November 4th.

Let's take a look at the list of secondary assets, besides the Huron and Taru helicopters. One additional helicopter is the civilian variant of the xH-9 family, the M-900. This is an improved and optimized version of a model from Take On Helicopters. It has a less spartan interior compared to its military siblings. There is also a weapon load-out / livery variant of the Orca, which we're using in the upcoming multiplayer mode: Support. Scenario designers will find a significant list of new ambient / decorative objects. There are helicopter base objects, military F.O.B. objects, office appliances and more. Get a preview of the list here.

INTELLIGENCE

Now that Jiří Zlatohlávek has read every single response to our DLC strategy survey, he's also posted a summary of the results on the forums. We have specific ideas for tackling the 'key findings', which we'll share when we're closer to rolling them out with game updates. Thanks again to all respondents for providing your valuable feedback and time.

Captain Miller wants you to vote! If he has wronged you in any way, do it for the greater good! The Make Arma Not War contest will close for new entries on October 28, and your votes are needed. By voting, you will help select the 20 finalists in the Singleplayer category and support your favorite authors. As an incentive, we're hosting a little competition in which you can win a cool Arma 3 goodies package. Check out the details here, and VOTE NOW_

OPERATIONS

Our partners at RTDynamics have provided us with an update to the RotorLib libraries, which introduces the simulation of Vortex Ring State. This effect occurs when a helicopter descends into its own down wash and it can cause a rapid loss of lift. We'll now be tweaking the individual helicopter configurations to support this feature. However, there is a chance the feature will not be ready in time for the November 4 release. Library updates can be risky and we don't have direct control over them. It may very well be decided that we'll leave the feature out of the Arma 3 Helicopters (1.34) release, and add it via the next update.

Our designers have also done a rather big iteration of the Sling Load Assistant. This User Interface element is accessible via RCtrl + B by default and appears in the lower-right of your screen while you are picking up a load. The iteration should improve its usability by making the presented information more intuitive and easier to interpret quickly. Staying on the topic of UI, we've also updated the Advanced Flight Model gauges. They now have improved textures and support the changeable color profiles.

LOGISTICS

Just when we thought we had a good update (1.32), it became clear campaign progress for many users got corrupted. This was swiftly hotfixed, but we apologize to those users who had already discarded their old saves. Testing compatibility of campaign progress (not mid-mission saves!) is part of our build tests. It worked for our internal testers, but apparently not in all cases and we should have caught that.

FROM: Project Lead
TO: Arma 3 Users
UNIT: Main Branch
ACTIVITY: Hotfix: 1.32 (Campaign saves)
SIZE: ~17 MB / ~7 MB

NOTES

• Consider using the Steam client option to verify the integrity of the local game cache to avoid corrupted data after downloading this update.


• A Legacy Build Steam branch is available for advanced users. It contains the previous significant main branch version (1.30). It can be used to compare specific changes between major releases. The access code for this branch is: Arma3Legacy130

CHANGELOG

• Fixed: Incompatibility between some older campaign saves loaded in version 1.32. Our apologies for the inconvenience, especially to those who have already restarted or reverted their campaign(s) meanwhile.

FROM: Project Lead
TO: Arma 3 Users
UNIT: Main Branch
ACTIVITY: Game Update: 1.32 (Fixathon, New script commands, New event handlers, Weapon Inertia)
SIZE: ~1.2 GB

NOTE

• Consider using the Steam client option to verify the integrity of the local game cache to avoid corrupted data after downloading this update.


• Consider defragmenting your HDD after downloading large updates.


• A Legacy Build Steam branch is available for advanced users. It contains the previous significant main branch version (1.30). It can be used to compare specific changes between major releases. The access code for this branch is: Arma3Legacy130