Tried ARMA II today...

[Mister_Virgo]

Don't feel bad, OP. I tried it and I didn't like it either. Mostly because the name should have been: "Oh My God I Just Died Again By Some F***ing AI Somewhere 300 Meters Away In The Green Forest Wearing Green in the Land Where Everything is Green. I Cannot See Anything."

Also, I have yet to see a server that had anywhere near reasonable ping. Bleh

 

[Murphy]

Well, it's not just a tactical shooter like Delta Force 2 or I.G.I. Once you learn to give the AI some credit (e.g. don't shoot from where they saw you last. If you go prone, move a bit before you fire and then move again before you fire again. Don't try to cake-slice somewhere in the open like you could in certain other tactical shooters because they'll be aiming at that corner already after you shot someone else from there and drop you the moment they see you! Mix things up. Try not to have the horizon against your back as you'll give them a clear silhouette to aim at...
The AI seems dumb as a brick when you watch them roll back and forth in a tank a while before they decide to simply run something ridiculous over as they desperately try to get their tank out of a town even though they should easily be able to... But it's VERY sophisticated and once you realize that and you start acting accordingly you'll see they act very realistically.

You won't just get shot by a laser-aiming god on 'roids like a strong Counterstrike bot. Not as a rule anyway. If you think that's what the AI in ArmA:CWR, ArmA or ArmA2 is like the fault lies squarely with you.

 

[LugNut]

No one that jumps into Arma likes it at first for a few reasons:

The controls are complicated and clunky.

It plays very, very differently than the normal FPS. Heros and RAMBOs die, quickly and over and over. You need to think and play with others as a squad to succeed. Success often means just controlling an area, not killing everyone on the other side.

Since it's a realistic environment, it's takes a while to be able to hit anything accurately, especially at distance. You need to control your breathing and stance. No laser shots in the midst of the sprint here. Suppression also works and works well. Half the time you're shooting to suppress, not so much to hit anyone.

Big maps mean unlimited avenues of approach and retreat. Also, since there are effectively no walls, you can always get flanked. watch your back.

Big maps mean long range firefights. It's hard to see where the enemy are, where fire is coming from and who just pinged you.

There's no gamey BS, no leveling, no perks, no nothing.

I tried A2 after release for a couple of weeks and gave up in frustration, it was a buggy mess and I just sucked at it. I couldn't get the awesome scale of battles out of my head though and came back after @ 6 months (and a bunch of bug fixes) and once OA came out I was hooked. It still lacks in a lot of areas, but it provides an experience like no other. You can't compare HOS and A2, different philosophies and end results.

I hope BIS can improve A3 enough to make it more accessible to the hardcore gamer and less frustrating as well.

 

[Game-Enthousiast]

I always liked "sims" or realism games so for me hopping onto the arma train was not difficult. But as people said before i have to confirm clunky controls especially when talking about Arma 2 (vanilla). I bought Arma 2 without touching it for months but...On the other hand since i discovered Arma 2 Operation Arrowhead and the many missions and mods available i have become hooked.

Especially a mission/mod called Insurgency has conquered me and my little spare time fully and is being fanatically challenged by my wife complaining about saturday or sunday gaming sessions.

It is a mod/mission that somehow induces teamwork I have seen in few games so far. Whenever I get online with 2-3 buddies we usually manage to fill up our squad pretty quickly and actively communicate with basically everybody. The broad approach and vast amounts of possibilities also make this a jewel for me in my box. So of course apart from complex controls this game can really kick some a**.

 

[Colt .45 killer]

set your camera bob to zero in your settings. It's set about 70% or so by default IIRC and thats enough to make most people sick.

 

[I. Kant]

I remember the day I discovered the head bob slider — which wasn't easy, due to the borked Polish translation and a lack of option to go English (basically, the option was labelled as something you'd expect was translated from "control helmet", so I thought along the lines of TrackIR). Oh, glorious day, I bless thee eversince!

 

[Apos]

ArmA 2 (stock, w/o mods and custom missions/campaigns or on freeplay) = don't touch it, AI and other players are weak/retarded, game isn't enjoyable at all, lacks ACE features.


ArmA 2 CO + ACE, ACRE, AI mods, Blactcore, etc = I love it and highly recommend to start with it. Brilliant, exciting, unique gameplay and missions that includes strategy and deep atmosphere of real warzone, plus game has tons of great features that never been a part of MP game.

You can argue about many flaws of ArmA 2, but as long as you don't give it a try to "play it as suppose to be" you won't enjoy it. You simply cannot play a tactical teamwork game with some random rambo type dudes w/o proper addons.

 

[Cyper]

Singleplayer is great for me. Requires a lot of teamwork and is far more enjoyable and fun than playing on random MP servers. Especially now with all the DayZ jocks around.

 

[Dr.Atkins]

I recommend playing the tutorials thru just to learn the basic keys and then try some DayZ and customize the controls while you learn how Arma2 works.
And before you start playing, just try to get your head over the fact that A2 feels very clunky and complex in the beginning and just accept it and in no time you will get used to it.

You could always try some sp-missions or fool around in the editor with different mods to learn how the game works and when you want some mp-action without bots, try PR:A2;

This is Project Reality - Arma 2 - YouTube

Project Reality for Arma2 is great a mod if you want to try A2's PvP aspect. But if you truly want to have an immersive realism session then u have to join some squad/unit/clan and use ACE, ACRE etc...

 

[[Mad_Murdock]]

Yeah ArmA isn't everyone's cup of tea. It took me a long time to warm up to it as well, but I kept coming back, and now I can't leave.

I don't really do MP, as I rarely have the time to dedicate to a true ArmA MP match, and can't suffer the, pardon my french, egotistic morons that populate DayZ (not everyone, but you all know who I'm talking about).

Anyways, i like to throw together some small unit actions in the editor, and spend some time trying to get my 6 man unit into an enemy airfield and, hopefully, back out. Things like that. Stealing planes is a particularly favorite one of mine.

 

[luciferintears]

To each their own.

Yes ARMAII is clunky but you kind of get over it (so was Ost Front but we loved it all the same). No other game comes close to the intensity of a well played ARMAII match.

I was playing online a few weeks ago as an apache pilot with my friend in the gunners seat. we both had mics and were providing CAS for the advancing infantry forces on the ground and escorting the Blackhawks. There is nothing more epic then circling around and building firing hyrda rockets into it until in collapses.

Afterwards i was piloting a Hind as the Russians ferrying troops and supplies to the AO with my friend acting as the gunner. I didnt fire a single shot but my adrenaline was definitely pumping when i heard the bullets pinging off my fuselage as i dropped a spetsnaz team off on the roof of a building.

Iron Front looks cool too, I'll probably pick it up during a sale. here is a video. Freaking Ivans executed a surrendering German pilot! I love the gunshot sounds in Iron Front i find its a big improvment over ARMAII

Allied push for Drozhino - YouTube

 

[Flogger23m]

There is nothing more epic then circling around and building firing hyrda rockets into it until in collapses.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3fshLl5GmRM&feature=g-u-u

With that "flight model", horrible sounds and control scheme? To each their own.

If you want to play a co-op Apache game, get Apache Air Assault.

 

[Grabbed_by_the_Spetsnaz]

Two things put me off in this game

The abysmal user interface that made everything so god dammed tedious (like getting into a HMMV: Stop scroll to open door, get in, scroll to turn on engines, drive), and god forbid your middle mouse scroll was playing up and you had to use the [ and ] buttons. Squad command was also as terrible (press f4 to bring up your squad, press f1 to select fireteam select f5 for them to scout area, press m for map, press f-somthing to re-select team, press icannotremeber for them to actually move). BF done this so much better in 1942 and BF:2MC before it was the whoel "E to everything".

Second that bloody motion blur when you move your mouse to the side, I don't know if it may have just been my old comps GPU or if you could turn it off, but that f**king blur literally made me motion sick.

 

[Cyper]

Two things put me off in this game

The abysmal user interface that made everything so god dammed tedious (like getting into a HMMV: Stop scroll to open door, get in, scroll to turn on engines, drive), and god forbid your middle mouse scroll was playing up and you had to use the [ and ] buttons.

Squad command was also as terrible (press f4 to bring up your squad, press f1 to select fireteam select f5 for them to scout area, press m for map, press f-somthing to re-select team, press icannotremeber for them to actually move). BF done this so much better in 1942 and BF:2MC before it was the whoel "E to everything".

Second that bloody motion blur when you move your mouse to the side, I don't know if it may have just been my old comps GPU or if you could turn it off, but that f**king blur literally made me motion sick.

You don't have to open the door before entering a vehicles in ARMA2. Because you can't open doors on vehicles. You don't have to turn on the engine either. It's done automatically when you press W. You don't have to play with motion blur. It can be turned off in options.

You say Squadcommands is terrible because you must press a button to scout a area, press M for map... makes no sense and does not explain why its bad. ''Its bad because its bad''. And no, Squad commands in BF are not neccessary 'better'. The most obvious flaw: BF doesn't have enough commands.

 

[Flogger23m]

ArmA's Command interface is terrible. I wish they could make something along the lines of SWAT 4/Raven Shield.

 

[[Mad_Murdock]]

Hey while we're on the subject of ARMA2, and I don't want to resurrect the other AMRA2 thred, can one of you guys enlighten me on a good mod combo? I am running CA+ACE+ACEX+ACRE+ZeusAI+GL4+COSLX, and I think the different AI routines are conflicting and making the AI functionally retarded. I play SP mostly if that helps.

 

[Rak]

Zeus AI is outdated, Try the ASR AI + TPWC AI instead. You could also try Blastcore for improved visuals.

 

[Cyper]

ArmA's Command interface is terrible. I wish they could make something along the lines of SWAT 4/Raven Shield.

I don't see what's bad with it, though, or how the command system could become better.

 

[[Mad_Murdock]]

Zeus AI is outdated, Try the ASR AI + TPWC AI instead. You could also try Blastcore for improved visuals.

Hmmm, ill give it a shot. Thanks man!

 

[luciferintears]

With that "flight model", horrible sounds and control scheme? To each their own.

If you want to play a co-op Apache game, get Apache Air Assault.

you go in expecting different things. ARMA is not a flight simulator but by god the combined operations are fun as all f***!

when im in the mood for some realistic piloting i play DCS A10C or Blackshark.