[Game] The ArmA 2 thread (hurr hurr, no Armed Assault 2)

[Amerikaner]

I like Steam as well but you'll agree that Steam is kind of a resource-hog. It takes a long time to load and uses quite a bit of memory running in the background, not something I'd want when I'm running an already demanding game. That's one of the reasons why I always recommend Sprocket, because you don't have to run a separate program in order to run the game.

And I'd say that simply downloading a 400 Mb patch is much easier and faster than being several hours 'behind schedule' (if not more than that) while waiting for the patch to appear on Steam. It has happened several times when we were getting ready to play an ArmA 2: CO session and one of our Steam users couldn't play because Valve or BIS hadn't updated the Steam version yet, while the rest of us were already in the briefing screen. There's even a long-running thread on the BIS forums about the various problems people are having with the Steam versions.

Sprocket > Steam, when it comes to BIS games for sure.

I don't doubt that some people have problems with ARMA and Steam but for me it's no problem. All of the people I play ARMA with have the Steam version so we're all dealing with the same wait. I can see why it can be frustrating for others though.

As far as Steam being a resource hog, I haven't run any official benchmarks but I really can't imagine it affecting performance all that much. There would be articles every single week complaining about something like that. And considering I'm running a machine that's decent but hardly top of the line and I'm getting great performance on every game I play I just don't care about that most likely negligible percent.

@Nimsky You aware that the retail patches (not the DLC ones) are compatible with the STEAM version too?

it's just not 'officially' supported route

Would this affect future auto patching from Steam? Say I manually updated my version on Steam but then the official Steam update comes, what happens then? Do I have to continually manually update from then on out or will it still function like I never did anything manually?

Also I still don't understand the process of Steam updates. If I understood you correctly, you said that you must replace large parts of ARMA through Steam whereas you don't have to do that with retail updates but then you said if Empire gives you 1gb of content then the patch is 1gb. That sounds like two different systems. And if you're saying you can install the smaller patch manually to the Steam version then why is the auto-update so much larger if it's supposed to be doing the same thing?

Btw Dwarden, thanks for being so active in the ARMA Series Steam forum, the BIS forums, and here. There only seems to be a few other developers with directly helpful feedback to the community like you offer to the fans.

 

[Colt .45 killer]

Would this affect future auto patching from Steam? Say I manually updated my version on Steam but then the official Steam update comes, what happens then? Do I have to continually manually update from then on out or will it still function like I never did anything manually?

It's possible to tell steam to not update your game, after that I guess you could install patches manually. Whether steam itself will check in the game files to see what the current version is before installing an update i do not know. ( if it checks the game files instead of keeping its own records then you could install retail patches and not bother telling it to hold on the updates). IMO this is least a problem in ARMA as servers are usually a day or two slow to update, seeing as updates ocassional break scripts or missions that require a bit of fixing.

 

[Dwarden]

just for these who don't have OA on STEAM ...
60% off if You have ARMA 2 already otherwise 50%
and combine with 33% off both DLCs

 

[Rak]

Don't forget the 3Gb patches.

 

[Apos]

http://www.sprocketidea.com/joomla/...category_id=14&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=2

ArmA 2 Combined Operation -50%, it cost 19.99 euro now.

 

[213]

sometimes this game plays and looks great. sometimes it sputters around and the gameplay degenerates into something awful like on par with battlefield.

wish they'd remake the original campaign with new modern storyline cause the most recent official campaigns have been trashy.

 

[Flogger23m]

Edit:

The dumb Amazon downloader randomly started up and finished downloading.

Only took roughly 45 minutes while I was afk.



Got the games installed, and I do need a new PC to run it properly. I will turn down the settings to see if it will run any better.

Any recommendations as to what I should turn down?

 

[Dwarden]

Anyone have a link to download the files? I don't need a crack or anything, I just need the files.

Dumbass Amazon downloader will not let me download the ****ing game I paid for.

At least I have my CD key.

And game developers wonder why people don't pay for their garbageware.

so You call our game gargabe because some sale website downloading system is ****ty ...

seriously sometimes i wonder if people use brains

anyway

Happy New Year to Everyone!

 

[Colt .45 killer]

Just finished a mission on UTES. started at 1:30 finished at 7:30. long and adrenaline filled awesomeness.


YouTube - OPERATION FOOTHOLD v1.02.wmv

short 13 min video of the awesome.

If anyone is interested in doing missions / training with the group shoot me a PM for TS 3 info.

 

[Flogger23m]

Looks like they increased the recoil in the final version of the game.

If I fire a two shot burst from an M249, the first round hits the target while the second one hits 3-5 feet above him. This is at 150-200 meters.


Makes the machineguns worthless.

But the first OA mission was pretty nice.

 

[LemoN]

Makes the machineguns worthless.

Try using them prone.

 

[fiftyone]

Try using them prone.

And hold your breath !

 

[Flogger23m]

True, prone is a bit sensible.

But still, that much spread for an M249 is just insane. They messed up one of the things they did right.


I'm on the 6th mission for the OA campaign. The one where you fly an AH-64... but it is impossible to make yawing work. This means you are constantly loosing control and crashing.


Funny thing is that it works fine in ArmA 1. Bohemia Interactive must love screwing up what they actually did right.
So much for trying to complete the campaign.



The game still seems very broken. Good thing is only cost me $12.50.

 

[Oldih]

True, prone is a bit sensible.

But still, that much spread for an M249 is just insane. They messed up one of the things they did right.

Try disabling mouse smoothing. I have no problem firing (and hitting with some reasonable degree) short bursts even up to 200-300m distance with Pokemon, M249 or even AK47 after I disabled mouse smoothing. Of course that's not valid for prone\barely visible targets, but if it's just moving around or standing still it's another story.




Inb4 someone mentions ACE, I know it's basically impossible with it

 

[Flogger23m]

I will have to give that a try.


Another thing that annoys me is that the friendly AI is still extremely stupid.

They can't follow me going in a straight line.

This means you are often playing by yourself, with your squad/Stryker/M1A1/whatever saying "where are you?" constantly. And these missions are just not designed to be played with one person.


And then thousands of other things that just suck any fun right out of the game.


Have night vision on? Has it been on for 15 minutes are your eyes are adjusted? Try reloading a checkpoint. Your eyes magically now need 1 minute to readjust to it.

And this gets you killed as you are blinded, fighting enemy technical and infantry all alone because your AI is so damn dumb.

Turn off your lights and exit a vehicle so the light does not blind your night vision sights? Well, it magically is still on once you exit the vehicle.

Looks uglier while running far worse than ArmA 1? You got it!

The slowest, most difficult to use command menu known in any video game? Right here.

Stupid, illogical, and cumbersome control menus? Can't get much worse.

Player having guns that recoil 2-3x more than the enemy AI? Yea, right here to.



Just so many things that piss me off about this game. I hate restarting a damn mission every time the friendly AI gets it head stuck in the sand and gets lost. Can a straight line really be that difficult to follow?



You would think after the 3rd ArmA game and their DLC, they would fix the basics. Instead, we get a poorly done bug fest with one man VS entire army gameplay... except, unlike CoD type games, it is impossible to fight a 1000 man army.


Infantry simulator? Not even close.

 

[Apos]

(...)

Single Player in ArmA .

1. Find good team and play together against AI (with Zeus mod) or other clan (with ACE and ACRE).
2. ...?
3. PROFIT!

 

[BigDawgKS]

You would think after the 3rd ArmA game and their DLC, they would fix the basics. Instead, we get a poorly done bug fest with one man VS entire army gameplay... except, unlike CoD type games, it is impossible to fight a 1000 man army.

Sadly, bugfixing alone brings no revenue...

 

[Amerikaner]

Have night vision on? Has it been on for 15 minutes are your eyes are adjusted? Try reloading a checkpoint. Your eyes magically now need 1 minute to readjust to it.

It does not take 1min.

Looks uglier while running far worse than ArmA 1? You got it!

Not true.

The slowest, most difficult to use command menu known in any video game? Right here.

Stupid, illogical, and cumbersome control menus? Can't get much worse.

It's really not that bad.

Player having guns that recoil 2-3x more than the enemy AI? Yea, right here to.

Lay prone, crouch, or simply say steady and burst. If you're having that much trouble you're doing it wrong.

Your other points are pretty understandable though.


Flogger you're obviously very passionate but do you realize it's very grating to read your posts? Speaking in absolute negativity constantly in every thread and using the emoticon incessantly will not bring anyone to your viewpoint. But if you just wanna vent you're doing a good job of it.

 

[Flogger23m]

Sadly, bugfixing alone brings no revenue...

I'd rather pay them $20-30 if they just fixed some of the major issues with ArmA rather than add in more weapons and vehicles (which all feel exactly the same).

Just about all of the weapons I've used where added in ArmA 1 mods anyways.



Sure, I can play online, but I doubt that will fix the idiotic enemy AI and the movement and control issues.


I just tried to play some more... and I've had multiple enemies just stand in front of me while I was in an M2A3. One had an RPG. They where only 50 or so meters away from me.

I often find them standing, face against a wall. I can walk right up to them and they will fail to see me.


Other times they can shoot from a standing position with far more accuracy than any human player can.


Super human abilities or dumb as a sack of rocks - it is so inconsistent. It varies from enemy to enemy within the same mission.


Another annoying issue when using the night vision is that it is sometimes impossible to see. It is that dark. Quitting the game and reloading it fixes this issue. Needless to say, it is annoying as hell.


Even at $12.50, I feel like I've been robbed. They fixed one thing in the series since ArmA1: you can move while reloading. But did that require a $50 game? Why not just patch it?

The weapon animations? It is 2010, and there are only 3 sets of animations for all of the weapons? Seriously?


I would thought the latest patch would fix some of the issues, but seems that it does not.

 

[213]

learn how to use paragraphs. you don't have to put a space between every sentence.