ArmA II - Successor to Operation Flashpoint & ArmA, by Bohemia Interactive

[curryking1]

I don't know how to start this thread, so I'll let wiki do the honours! XD



*CLICK BOX TO HEAD TO OFFICIAL SITE*

ARMA 2 (often incorrectly referred to as Armed Assault 2)[7] is a military simulation game for the PC developed by Bohemia Interactive Studio. It is considered the spiritual successor in the Operation Flashpoint-series following its predecessor, ArmA: Armed Assault (ArmA: Combat Operations in North America). ARMA 2 was officially announced on August 22, 2007 at the Games Convention in Leipzig, Germany.

ARMA 2 is a tactical shooter with significant vehicle and aircraft elements. The player is able to command AI squad members which adds a real-time tactics element to the game. This is further enhanced by introduction of the high command system, which allows the player to command multiple squads using the map. ARMA 2 is set primarily in the fictional Eastern European nation of Chernarus, (meaning "Black Rus’"). The Chernarus landscape is based heavily on the Czech Republic, the home country of the developer. The original Operation Flashpoint (OFP) was developed by Bohemia Interactive Studios (who own the Real Virtuality engine) and published by Codemasters (who own the Operation Flashpoint brand). ArmA and ARMA 2 are the technological successors to OFP. Operation Flashpoint: Dragon Rising is Codemasters' independently.

I've been looking forward to this for a while, I'm excited to see how their third instalment will improve the game. This and Street Fighter IV PC just completely surprised me with their release dates. I found out today both of them are tomorrow hahaha.

Apparently it's already out in EU, and it comes out in NA tomorrow, July 7.

I haven't read anything in a while on the console versions which were rumoured/reported to be on the way as well.

I think jaxmkii may want to take this for a spin btw, considering it's both a good stress test for a beast of a PC, and it's military simulation at it's finest.

Whoops... forgot about all caps in titles... lol.

[Kiwi]

Is there a single-player demo anywhere? I found a demo on the official site, but it's only a multiplayer demo?

[curryking1]

I guess that's all there is if that's only what's available on the official site.

The game is meant for multiplayer though. I had no idea there was a demo, I would've got that before.

[masteratt]

The demo is single player Matt.
Go to official site- http://www.arma2.com/ and on banner far right, just get demo.

Demo is also available on Steam.

I pre-ordered this game (yes 100%legal!) as I thought the devs deserved it.
My luck turns out it runs a bit laggy on my setup due to dodgy AI scripting (hogs too much CPU resource) but these guys always support their game until an ant in a hole can play it so it's all good, just a bit of waiting.

The game, I only done two missions but is one of the more exciting FPS games.
You know it's going to have immersion when training takes you 3 hours to pass properly
Not for old folks or ones with a weak heart.

If you thought games were getting too easy (i.e: 90% of gamers), and you like FPS games (i.e: 90% of gamers) then you should definitely buy this.

[Methusaleh]

I gave the demo a whirl a few days ago. Ran it at all max settings without issue. Very similar feel to Operation: Flashpoint, right down to the voice "acting." This is a serious simulation and much overdue IMHO.

[masteratt]

^ You are lucky man.
I was going to upgrade my PC just for this game (lol) but didn't have the moolah.

And yeah that reminds me, voice "acting" is very very very very very bad.
Almost ruins the whole game but as Methusaleh said it is almost identical to Operation Flashpoint so if you could put up with it there, you can put up with it here. Plus this is a better game so it makes it easier to do so.

[Kiwi]

The demo is single player Matt.
Go to official site- http://www.arma2.com/ and on banner far right, just get demo.

Demo is also available on Steam.

Crap, I forgot I had Steam!

*goes and downloads*

I hope my laptop will run this.

Edit: It does, very badly. Shame, the vids looked cool.

[Segitz]

It runs quite good on my pc (the demo, that is)... God, I loved Operation Flashpoint

Will wait for it to be on sale and grab it!

[masteratt]

^good by then it should be "perfectly" patched. one patch already improved my performance greatly (couldnt even turn on AA before it) so more patches are sure to make everything awesome.

And curry:

Whoops... forgot about all caps in titles... lol.

You can edit your titles now

[curryking1]

^Ah, thanks for letting me know

Great there's excitement for this! Those of us who are pwn-pwn enough to get it running at least a little bit well, we should all play a game sometime

Just read eurogamer's quote on this...

"It's Oblivion with assault rifles."

Loollll. Funny and obviously addressing the size of the game (which is way bigger than Oblivion btw), but probably a bit inaccurate though for most other things.

[masteratt]

i wasn't too fond of that quote either but it makes more sense as you play.

[Kiwi]

I updated the drivers for my graphics card, and it runs a tiny bit better. But I have to put the settings onto Very Low to be able to play it without a ton of lag

[curryking1]

i wasn't too fond of that quote either but it makes more sense as you play.

Haha, I was aware of the dialogue workings and stuff in ArmA II. It does make sense in a way. I definitely know what you mean... it sort of applies... but then it sort of doesn't... it's too superficial of a comment for it's own sake.

ArmA II is just a beast of a simulation, and Morrowind, I mean sorry Oblivion, is just Morrowind.

I'm probably going to be getting the multiplayer demo soon, so if anyone else still has it installed or is going to download, I should be up trying it out in a day or two

I can't really put this into the scope of a game for myself... my mind is turning it down lol. I guess online it's like Battlefield 2 without limits... haha. Must be sheer madness... I just know I'm going to be destroyed as soon as I get online by mortar fire or a bullet from 500m away I just never saw coming...

Edit - Here is a quote I'm sure is much more in tune with the game

In an age where most developers are reaching out to embrace casual gamers, ArmA II is something of a refreshing exception. It is unashamedly ambitious in its design and execution, embracing rich complexity at the expense of accessibility.

http://www.videogamer.com/pc/arma_2/review-2.html

Edit - After I get this game I think I'm pretty much covered for hardcore modern tactical shooters with the smaller, CS-like competition in SOCOM and the uber-tactical and hyper-realistic ArmAII lolz.

[curryking1]

[youtube]SSKIgfdg7fY[/youtube]

^Basic controls walkthrough from the official site here.

Edit - Fixed the link, oops lol, had the whole youtube link in the youtube tags by mistake.

I'll write some notes for anyone who doesn't feel like watching right away.

-MOUSE to look, WSAD to run
-entire body always present in the game, your body and weapon are always fully simulated in the game like the previous ones
-all controls modifiable in menu of course
-hold SHIFT to walk

-3rd person camera always available in singleplayer and on some multiplayer servers
-in some aspects a third person view is more realistic than a first person view 1. in the real world you have much broader peripheral vision 2. like in real life there is the ability to see and feel what is around you

-holding ALT will allow you to move in one direction while looking in another, named Free Look, relevant because keeping situational awareness crucial in the game (my note: turning left to right in this game constantly is much slower)
-click C to stand, X to crouch, Z to prone, you may still move, crouching or prone makes you a smaller target, your weapon more accurate

-double clicking vs. holding buttons provides different functionality e.g. double clicking SHIFT will toggle walking vs. running, holding shift will walk and releasing will bring you back to running
-double clicking vs. holding Q will similarly affect lean left behaviour, same applies to E

-no jumping, only vaulting over low obstacles
-stamina influences precision, decrease stamina by running
-hold RIGHT MOUSE to hold breath and zoom in/aim for accurate shots
-click RIGHT MOUSE to use iron sights/scope, you cannot run while scope 'it is not possible to run, because of course in real life you would injure your eye running with the iron sights close to it'
-it is not possible to run and reload at the same time, reloading will slow you character down

-click Q/E to roll left/right, you may also flatten grass in this way so it does not obstruct your view

The guy narrating is awesome. I want to buy the game just because of him, and I already want to buy the game because of the game itself

[Kiwi]

Here's a showcase of how good the AI can be

[youtube]RvfM_f9zjUI[/youtube]



Seriously though, watching some of the videos of this game on YouTube makes me want to build a beast of a machine just so I can play it.

[curryking1]

That was so pro!

OMG i'm actually lol'ing pretty hard hahaha.

[masteratt]

See the problem there is there is no script for the AI if anything is blocking the runway. Or maybe there is script and it told it to go run off the runway to the trees LOL

Either way it should be tweaked so it...Slows down I guess? Would that be possible if it's very high speeds but not high enough to take off?
I'm pretty sure there is something better to do than just slam into the trees (ps: LOL) but can't think of anything right now so maybe the AI is good.

[curryking1]

Why not just run over the guy?

Plane: let's say... 8,000 kg? Person: 80 kg?

Plane wins

See, if it's a tank, I think the AI should just gtfo of the plane. Really it's either you:

1. follow the instructional video and crash your plane into the trees or

2. stay in the plane and watch it get shelled close distance using a 10 cm wide artillery shell or

3. gtfo out of the plane and run like Forrest

I'd do three personally if it were a tank.

[Kiwi]

[youtube]eZ_IlKiRxMs[/youtube]

This guy has a bunch of other ArmA 2 vids on his channel, most of them in lovely HD

As for the game itself:

[curryking1]

^Looolllll, wtf with the raping cows with lead, wow... lol.

Some more 'WTFBBQ' courtesy ArmA II and it's fans... who are already tearing apart the game and rebuilding it I'm sure haha.

[youtube]khG8pVEmzO4[/youtube]

Errrrrrrrrrr..... Lolz?

Computer and Videogames review is really spot on btw. Very straightforward, even if the writing is a little spotty :P

I ***king love this game before I even have it.

I feel like now I'm looking forward to a PC game. This is something only possible on PC and something you'll only get on PC. It's technically mindblowing and ***king mad hardcore.

***k yeah. Only wish Bohemia could streamline it more. Someone ought to fund these guys with 20 million pounds!

The Eurogamer review is actually very good also. Go for the CV&G one for something a lot more specific. The Eurogamer is just fun to read and as good, just less specific.

Some sniper shooting...

[youtube]MLGXIH02Nw4[/youtube]

Some aircraft driving...

[youtube]MOSQbXn6jQw[/youtube]

And how can we forget Wagner in all of this?

[youtube]bvaB7l7SaEE[/youtube]