Bug or Feature – ArmA: Armed Assault Talk

Hello. at first sorry for my english, I hope you understand me. I wanna write about Armed Assault version 1.08 (with no any mods). I think the game was relased as a beta version (sorry for sincerity), and after two (almost 1 GB) patches, has still so many bugs and shortcomings. some of them i have found during play and put below. I hope them will be fixed together with next patches, what would make the game better and more realistic. I also hope developers/programmers value my work and consecrated time.

Bugs and shortcomings in Armed Assault v.1.08:

1. Performance and dual core optimization.

• the smoothness of the game is unacceptable (mostly in multiplayer, towns and at high terrain settings), also on new, fast computers. I think the game needs new graphic engine, cause this one is not enaugh effective, and engine is a weakest point of this game

2. The multiplayer.

• why the hell 99% of the servers uses Evolution map? where are TDM/FFA/CTF modes? ppl want to play other modes and maps, not only cooperative on Evolution!! where are the official (BI) or clan servers like EA servers in Battlefield2, or army servers like in Americas Army? I have no idea, but I can say one, this game has no multpilayer, it has coop mode only

3. Visual.

• the screen brightneess fade in while zooming: video, looking at the floor, or just at another place (particularly at night): video. this is horrible and alike performance, make the game almost unplayable
• grass and buildings slow down the game too much. at open terrain or desert, ArmA works well
• screen vibrate after switch to the Windows (by pressing alt-Tab) and return to the game. it looks like refresh rate fall down: video and it happens only if I have antialiasing/anisotropic filtering enabled in drivers (not in game)
• in vehicles should be visible nicks of players are in, just a while after enter the vehicle (like in Battlefield 2): image
• fuel state should be visible also in civilian cars
• MP5 submachine gun's sight looks poor and cover aimed target: image. left finger of the left hand should be closer to the palm: image
• when soldier is laying and looking high, his head is placed too high: image1, image2. it also doesn't look so good...
• in 3rd. perspective (TPP), crosshair should move left and right while leaning, just like in 1st. person perspective (FPP): video
• palms with no gloves looks poor and surrealistic
• I can't see a smoke from damaged choppers/aircrafts/vehicles

4. Physics.

• flying and jumping: tanks: video, APC's, crashed aircrafts: video and choppers
• aircrafts on the groud returns (reflects) from obstacles, doesn't crash nor explode. I think it doesn't need any comments :P

5. Artificial Inteligence.

• friendly AI loses in the towns, between buildings, and can't keep up to the leader if he's sprinting (all the time "Where are you?!")
• friendly AI shoots also after command "Hold Fire"!!! if you spot enemy group, you can't subordinate each soldier, because they begin shoot with no order. it must be fixed
• enemy AI knows where I am, also if I come near to them very silently, immediately turn and shoot

6. Animations, smoothness at online playing.

• while strafing fast, player's weapon shouldn't go down: video. it should be at normal height, just like while strafing slow: video. strafing fast animation looks really bad and surrealistic
• deadly hit opponent doesn't come down, but still continue to play started animation (reload or take out weapon for example), as if the bullets only affect him when he's not while on animation
• player should can reload weapon during movement
• while driving cars, trucks etc., hands should move left and right: video
• also at low ping (40 - 60) soldiers are jumping, lagging (while entering choppers/vehicles as well). sometimes all is too slow and looks like an one big lag. maybe the game needs also internet optimization? I dont know...
• run (unlike walk): video and go prone video animations, looks poor. while running, soldier's head move like at chicken ^^
• another little bug while reloading at lean. after reload there is no leaning animation: video

7. In game aircrafts.

• there is no avionics, no radar scanning, no locking, no nothing. I think ArmA also needs some electronics countermeasures like chaff and flares from aircraft/choppers. maybe also a simple radar dome, TWS (Threat Warning System), or jammer like in LockOn: Modern Air Combat? it needs just a simple sound, so you can know if you are locked or not, and how strong the lock is (sound volume/frequency increases and decreases as far as strength of lock changes - just like in LockOn)
• smoke from tanks should be also nice. thats all would make the game better and more realistic. at airfight, without these features, this is not the "Ultimate Combat Simulation", but just a console arcade

8. Tiring.

• player tires too quickly while crouching (also if doesn't move), much quickler than while running! why he tires in crouch at all? I don't know, but it should be removed!

9. Crashes.

• game crashes while loading map, if disc is heavily fragmented

10. Head bug.

• this is horrible. "0-0-7" fix often doesn't work. you must exit the server and reconnect. besides it, if you are noob, how can you know about this fix? only if someone tell you about it, or if you accidentaly find into command menu. it should be implicated into the game, not into command menu! first time I can see something like this

11. Binocular.

• something's wrong while laying down, if you have binocular in hands. after laying down, soldier put away binocular and take it on again, so it takes too much time: video
• after take out binocular, weapon fire mode switches from burst/auto to single
• also can't move, keeping binocular in hands: video. it should be made like in Americas Army and other games

12. Shooting.

• while shooting from lean position, and from the corner of building, you hit this building, not target you're aiming: video. it happens also when you are at prone - bullets hit the ground not the target

13. Messages bugs.

• image1, image2, image3

14. Sound.

• most sounds are poor, compare to XAM or ModWar mods
• aircraft sounds are horrible
• if hardware acceleration is enabled, music volume works bad. if in game music is ok, in menu is too quietly. if in menu is ok, in game is too loudly. it should be fixed or menu music volume added to the audio options
• can't hear music in game menu
• there is no any sounds (shout or something), from opponent killed/injured with a grenade. you don't know if your nade hit or not

15. Player's rank.

• rank (and points need to promotion), should be visible on player's gear, or in right low corner of the screen: image1, image2. here is a link for Army Ranks if someone needs: link
• image - this is soldier's class (role) like: rifleman, machinegunner, group leader, medic, sniper, etc., not rank (like private, corporal, sergeant, lieutenant and so on...)
• player's rank should be found near role, so everyone know which vehicles can drive: image1, image2
• vehicle icon should be moved or removed
• some roles (sniper, engeener, group leader and others) has no any icon: image and some (SF Assault, SF Marksman, Engeener and others), has the same icon: image. I suggest add something like this: image for sniper and this: image for engeener. generally gear in ArmA needs some supplements

16. Ammo crate and weapon change.

• after spawn, at ammo crate, should be visible weapon icon, not ammo icon: image, so player don't need to use action menu and select inventory, just press action key to change his weapon. no one changes ammo, but weapon after respawn, so it should be easier and faster

17. Entering choppers.

• entering choppers/vehicles is still too hard. sometimes can see "gear" icon, not "enter vehicle" icon, and people open inventory, instead of get into the chopper

18. Results.

• scores list should contain all players on the server, not only first 10: image. weaker players (particulary noobs) also wants to know their score and how many points they need to the next rank

19. Prison.

• if you get negative score and you are in a prison listening stupid "banana song", you can't even say "sorry, my bad" nor anything. admin may ban, and you can't even excuse yourself! after kick or ban (while being in a prison) you can't also hit OK (nothing happens after this) and go to the options, or exit the server: image. it really sux!

20. Bleeding.

• no bleeding, nor bleed to death like in Americas Army. medic role should be more helpful (wanted)

21. Grenades.

• changing the firing modes (semi/burst/auto) shouldn't switch to grenades. if you select grenades while switching firing mode, you lose a target for a moment, what disturb at aiming

22. Server browser.

• in the browser, there could be a "favourite" tag. also server explorer should be added, so you can write server name and find modded servers (like XAM for example)

23. Radio.

• report current position should be add to command/status menu

...and for the end, one more screenshot: image. anyway, I love this game, maybe because there is no more military games like this (except Americas Army), or just because ArmA is cool even with these bugs... :)

Thanks to:

Aki & Atlantis

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fatal1ty, Poland (mickey_pl 10:31, 6 August 2007 (CEST))