Friday

PC

The deciphered ArmA2 – Operation Arrowhead Q n’ A

Given how poorly ArmA2 has been received in a general sense (the hard core fans will get pissed at this, but wait until they read on) I find it surprising that BIS is seeing fit to release another game. Operation Arrowhead is technically an expansion for ArmA2, but given that it’s stand-alone, it reeks of starting over. There was recently a question and answer post on the BIS forums in which a moderator (w0lle) asked developer (Jennik) some questions gathered from the forums about this “expansion”. The whole thing is pasted below with the initial question in bold, the developers answer in italics and my thoughts in regular text. I’ve left all typos and bad english in place,  and that aside this won’t be pretty… and I used to be a fan-boy.

Will this be a completely new game? As in, will it add loads of new features to Arma 2, or will it just be a new campaign with a few weapons, but we still get charged for it?
Jennik: It’s more than just a new campaign. Arrowehead contains a completely new environment, US army units, weapons and vehicles and a lot more. At least, there will be some very new features introduced in Arrowheadt too.

New campaign, plus. Fine if it amounts to more than that… but it doesn’t, read on.

Will Arrowhead incude western forces besides the US?
Jennik: There will be some more than just US Army Units, yes.

I suspect he has no idea beyond having overheard there might be Brits.

Is there going to be a functional FLIR system out of the box (everything has heat based textures)
Jennik: Yes, there will be a FLIR system. We have one of the most sophisticated FLIR simulation systems already done for VBS2 and we will bring it in Arrowhead to fans of ARMA2 too.

In other words they’re taking something they already have from here, and slapping it into there. With almost any other developer I’d have faith that could work. Yes, it’s come to that point.

Will the game have Functional IR lasers (PEQ units) like in vbs2? Or Flashlights?
Jennik: I’m glad to say: Yes, and yes.

This is the sort of cheap-to-implement, but high-promo-value thing that you’re going to see a lot of. You watch, there will be a ton of videos showing soldiers walking around with laser sights and flashlights, but in the end it won’t amount to much gameplay wise.

Is the terrain based on Afghanistan? Or is it more of a desert?
Jennik: Kind of, it will include dense urban areas and the countryside too.

The smart thing to do would be to go all desert as the frame rate boost alone would help sell this thing. Why they think it’s wise to stick in a “dense urban area” that will no doubt cause the same frame rate issues all over again is beyond me. I think they’re masochists.

Who (among BIS and other Devs at IDEA games) has been/will be working on it?
Jennik: It’s fully under the team of ARMA2 makers at Bohemia Interactive.

That’s a good thing is it?

Who is doing the campaign and what experience are they aiming for as opposed to the free flow Harvest Red format?
Jennik: Ivan Buchta proved his skills in ARMA2 Operation Harvest Red campaign already and he’s is the Lead Designer again for Arrowhead. The campaign will be a bit different this time, we want the players to enjoy wider experience, so the campaign will contain parts being played for regular US Army units, pilots and tank commander too. A bit like original OFP was, even if I wouldn’t compare it.

I’ve heard a lot from BIS about how good the Red Harvest campaign is, but I really can’t verify any of it because I can’t play the damned thing without getting a BsoD or CTD. “The campaign will be a bit different this time”… hopefully that means it will actually work.

How large is Takistan? Can we count on arrid surroundings to be more system friendly?
Jennik: There are two maps of Takistan in Arrowhead, one presenting the countryside and mountains with villages and small urban areas and the second map of large urban area with the city of Zargabad.

He didn’t answer either question so I’ll take that to mean he has no idea how large it is, and isn’t confident there will be any performance increase. Can’t blame him there.

Release date
W0lle: When it’s done
Jennik: Exactly

Jesus Christ, seriously? If BIS followed “when it’s done” logic we still wouldn’t have Armed Assault much less ArmA2. I might accept “when we think it’s done” but even that is a stretch.

Will they somehow automate the inlcusion of ArmA II content for those that have it to encourage people who own it that Arrowhead will be just a huge expansion pack for them?
Jennik: This is difficult to say now, as Arrowhead will feature a newer and enhanced version of ARMA 2 engine.

“Difficult to say now” means no.

How performance will be compared to ArmA 2 and if the system requirements will stay the same? Also maybe ask if they have plans to further optimize ArmA 2?
Jennik: Don’t worry that we would throw it away because of making the datadisk. Thanks to the Arrowhead making I believe we will have a better chance too keep an eye on ARMA2 too. We plan to bring new patches and continue the support of the game as we did to the present day. The requirements should definitely stay the same for Arrowhead.

Totally ignoring the question about expected performance and having the same system requirements means this “expansion” will no doubt perform as good (bad?) as the original. As for the it allowing them to better “keep an eye on” ArmA2… that sounds like they realize ArmA2 is so screwed up that they’re just starting over again while promising to run back now and then and slap some duct tape on ArmA2 as they move ahead with the “real” product.

Will the future patches/expansions include other parts of Chernarus?
Jennik: Interesting question, I don’t know honestly

Not my department. Fine.

Will OA include serious engine changes: ex. armor hit system, flares/ECM?
Jennik: Yes, some of them will be included.

“Some of them will be included”. Very careful wording there, but there’s no better armor hit system… read on.

If the “west” side will be represented by US Army, what it would be: “Stryker” brigades or some infantry divisions on Bradleys/M113?
Jennik: There will be a variety of roles to play for US Army in AO

AO – OA… this game is starting to sound like Tony Danza from Who’s the Boss.

Who is the enemy? typical Taliban look alikes or a (fictional) regular Army like SLA in ArmA 1?
Jennik: AO will rather be unsymetrical kind of war even if it could happen you can face a very tough and well equipped enemy.

Yeah yeah.

Will there be russians?
Jennik: Who knows?

Yes, it’s a plot point but he doesn’t want to give it away. Fail.

What will the really new features be in OA?
Jennik: As I meantioned: Completely new story line, new factions, units, vehicles and weapons. New and completely different environment, new simulation features like FLIR, mounted flashlights, HUDs for airplanes and helicopter and even more.

New storyline… I’d be fine with a playable old storyline. New factions, units, vehicles, weapons… meh. New environment, also meh. I had been using the original maps from Armed Assault in ArmA2 and they worked fine (better in fact) so screw off with the environments, we can help ourselves. FLIR might be ok, but I swore I saw something like that in the campaign already though I can’t recall because the screen turned blue, and died.

Will the ammo/mag bug for weapons with dual sights be fixed?
Jennik: Honestly, I don’t know anything about this particular issue mentioned. Anyway I believe anything considered as bug being brought corrected.

Being “brought corrected” or just being brought? At this point, I suspect the latter.

Will it have proper physics implementation for units/corpses (ragdoll) and/or vehicles?
Will walking in and shooting from cargo positions be possible?
Will the hitpoint system for tanks be changed for some real penetration values?!
Jennik: I wouldn’t expect such huge changes in the game engine without making completely new game instead of the datadisk, though so complex and huge.

Too hard and not enough return on investment.

Arma II was originally announced to be released for a console, but we’ve heard little news since then. Have those plans moved to the expansion? Is a console version planned at all?
Jennik: Sadly, I can’t confirm anything about console version of ARMA 2 neither can I do for AO.

If MS was smart they wouldn’t touch these guys with a 10 meter cattle prod and say what you like about them, MS is sometimes smart.

What are the reasons to release it as a stand alone game instead of an Arma 2 addon?
Jennik: At least two reasons there are, which one of these is our wish to make it easier to get the game for players who didn’t buy ARMA2 previously. The second is that we expect better sales ofcourse.

The meal wasn’t cooked properly and a large portion of those at the restaurant found it completely inedible. At best it was different than what they ordered, and the waiters were typically nowhere to be found. Finally, the cook comes out and says they are soon serving the final course which will have to be purchased separately however, as they think it will help make the restaurant more cash. Screw you guys.

Will there be Co-op in Arrowhead’s campaign? If so, will saves in Coop work better and be far more stable by then compared to our experience in Red Harvert’s Coop saves?
Jennik: Most probably yes, as we considered cooperative MP being one of the very favourite features people enjoy in our games, but I can’t confirm this 100% yet.

It will have co-op, and it will work about as good as it did in ArmA2 because they are simply rehashing the hash, and slapping it out as a new product with a few “extras” thrown in.

Will the campaign be free roaming open world like Red Harvest?
Jennik: What would you expect? The corridor and level based maps as in other FPS?

ArmA2 has corridors, they’re just invisible and called blue screens of death. You can see the town, you just can’t go there or your system will explode. I prefer corridors.

How will Arrowhead’s open world experience be different than in Red Harvest?
Jennik: It will be different experience in the meaning of the environment and the role player will take.

Same thing, different storyline.

It will be more like Resistance (or you buy, or you´re “out” from the REAL game) or is more like Queens Gambit (some nice additions,mainly in the SP part, but not mandatory) ?
Jennik: Yes, I would rather compare it to Resistance too.

So not just a stand-alone game, but also an addon for ArmA2 such that if you don’t buy it you’re not really “in the club”. I’m sick of this damned club.

What is the price for the expansion?
Jennik: A medium rangeed price, not a full price for regular new game.

Small mercy.

Distribution around the world? Digital only? Full box? Any “Gold” Edition?
Jennik: Yes, not only, yes, most probably

Nothing unexpected there.

Will there be functional tank interiors? Like Optics, windows, doors
Jennik: Might depend on time left.

In other words, NO. What happened to “when it’s done?”.

Will the 3D Editor be further worked on / finished?
Jennik: We have some intentions with 3D editor, can’t confirm anything yet.

I have some “intentions” too, I’ll tell you about them sometime. Read above as NO.

Can we expect more modules for the editor? If so, what?
Jennik: There are already some of new, I would expect more of them, or enhanced versions of those already known from ArmA2

“Enhanced versions” mean “they might work this time”

Can the AI still aim/Target through trees ,bushes,houses,mountains…
Jennik: Nonsense

He doesn’t want to talk about it, and frankly neither do I.

Will any of the multiplayer systems be drastically changed? like netcode? browser? mission setup gui? admin tools? anti-cheat?
Jennik: I wouldn’t expect anything to be changed “drastically”

In other words, it’s going to be exactly the same so shut up.

To what degree do original ArmA 2 and OA interact? For example, can OA units be used in ArmA2 and can Arma 2 mods be loaded in OA with copying them all to a new directory?
W0lle: As said by Ohara: ArmA2 content can be used in Arrowhead with no problems.

Of course it can, it’s the same game with a few extras thrown in.

Will the terrain resolution be higher, feature micro terrain details?
Jennik: There were instects and mushrooms in A2, so what would you consider to be more “micro”?

He’s getting as tired of answering these questions as I am of reading them.

Will the movement system feature “vertical leaning?
Jennik: I wouldn’t expect the whole movement system to be modified very much as it would require so much time to implement this. Anyway, there are many tweaks we would like to make on the present system, but it depends on the time gived and it’s priority is still to be decided.

Again, it will be exactly the same. It doesn’t matter about tweaks they “would like to make”, once someone starts preemptively using excuses about how much time is left, that means it’s not happening.

Will AI be conscious of their role and act differently depending on it (e.g. machinegunner acts differently than rifleman)?
Jennik: The AI already acts differently depending on the weapon they carry in ARMA2, so, what would you expect?

Stupid question, stupid answer. Who knew?

Will the mission editor get updated to be more user friendly? Like drop down menu for scripts/actions rather than scripting.
Jennik: I wouldn’t say the mission editor is unfriendly for users, in fact we consider our mission editor being one of the most user friendly and easy to use mission editors you can get across all present games. You don’t really need to use a single line of script to design even a very complex scenario…

I’ll give them that, I like the editor and apparently like most everything else it will remain unchanged in Operation Arrowhead.

Are there any plans to make a final patch for ArmA1? If so, what will be patched and when can we expect it?
Jennik: I would say ARMA1 is in very good shape now and doesn’t really need any further patches. However, if there appear any serious issues in the future like HW/drivers related problems, I would expect something possible. Otherwise not.

Oh yeah, ArmA1… I should have just reinstalled that.

Is this actually some sort of top secret release thats going to be as groundbreaking as flashpoint 1, and Arma 2 was simply a distraction?
W0lle: LOL

Even the BIS forum moderator is hinting around that ArmA2 was so bad and poorly implemented that it must have just been a distraction. A joke right? Seriously, that was it? Really?

This entire question and answer session comes down to Operation Arrowhead being little more than ArmA2 plus a new map and a few mods… if you want that, just wait a bit and get it for free from the mod community. LOL, indeed.