Folk ARPS

I'm always going to be fond of the mix of old-but-still-widely-used weapons and vehicles, and the landscapes that hark back to the conflicts of the 80s and 90s. I guess I just find it easier to get a measure of immersion in such a setting, as opposed to the unrelentingly FUTURE WAR of Altis/Stratis.

Sadly, I'm not sold on Arma 3. The graphics and stance controls are neat, but apart from the issues I have with the weapons/vehicles, I just can't get used to the fact that everything feels "wrong" somehow. It's partly due to the fact that I suck at Arma 3 even worse than I sucked at Arma 2 (yes, that's possible... somehow), but after a year of trying intermittently I'm losing patience. Also, the penetratingly loud VON means I'm not able to appreciate banter on the group channel, as I almost always feel compelled to stay quiet rather than indulging in the chat and joking that made previous sessions so enjoyable.

I have to take a travel-mandated break anyway, so I might come back to it in a month or two. I don't really want to give up, but not sure it's for me. Probably because I'm very very old and therefore scared of change.

*launches into 5 hour long rant about how people used to wear onions on their belts, as was the fashion at the time*

I seem to have begun to miss three specific things about ArmA 2 - with time, I'll get more used to A3 and the fond memories will fade appropriately.

1) It was so much easier to spot dudes in A2 than A3 - silhouettes were more distinct, the visual landscape was less chaotic, and overall it was just easier to notice sneaky enemies in A2 than it has been in A3.

2) A3 is so lush and filled with gras, tall reeds, and such that it makes Chernarus look like the Sahara desert. Between an incredibly thick layer of gras, foliage up the wazoo, and row after row of reeds, situational awareness is a bitch - more so than in the forests of Chernarus, IMO.

3) I miss the '80's. Notably, I miss reproducing hot Soviet-on-Afghan COIN / Guerrilla action, with sneaky AK / Enfield wielding mujahideen outmaneuvering the ponderous Soviet motor-rifle troops and vehicles... until the full might of Mother Russia manages to trap and crush the rebel scum.

~ Ferrard

I enjoy the fact that whereas in A2 I felt vaguely competent in a middle-range firefight, now I feel like an imbecile with a poorly sighted-in rifle and shaky hands. Similarly, the encumbrance systems - despite the annoying panting sounds - now reflects the out-of-shape slob I really am, and not the Olympic-standard running machine I was in Chernarus. These two factors combine to slow things down, and make every exchange of fire more exciting and - often - more prolonged.

However, I miss all things Soviet.

AKs, M113s, UN troops and SPG9s are all things I'm going to miss. That and not needing a transport crew per (approx.) one fireteam.

But then, everything else in ARMA3 i look forward to:

• Longer, more interesting firefights.
• Lovely terrain.
• (Transport) vehicles that can take a beating (player convoys etc. are actually an option now).
• Helicopters with good survivability, making aircav an option.
• More content to look forward to.
• New and improved scripting commands, also the ease of implementing functions.
• Editor improvements (debug console first and foremost).

wolfenswan wrote:SPG9s

Yeah, I'm sure everyone else will really miss the SPG9s in Wolfenswan's missions too. Right?

Right?

Anyone?

Right, thanks for reminding me:

I *LOVE* the new mine (system) in Arma 3.

I'll miss the era's technology (AKs and M-whatsits and all that are very distinct and great guns) but at the same time, the possibility of a few missions with working drones and all sorts of magic future toys is fun too. I'll get used to all the new stuff but I still get excited when we're just rocking mid-range rifles and ironsights (usually taking off my optics if the gun has good ironsights anyways) so it might take a while but we'll all get there eventually. And then A4 will happen and oh god, why are there mechs.

m0ntag

To be fair, all the stuff in Arma 3 either exists or is feasable. Even the earthquake generator, if some mad scientist tried hard enough.

For that matter, I'm sure someone will be working on mechs in the near future, if not already. It'd be awesome to bypass traffic with a mech, at least.

Personally, I'll miss having assault rifles that don't take a headshot to kill still. Also, static MGs for all factions without thermals.

Arma 2: OA was not only the game I met the then ARPS and later on FOLK guys with, it's also my first taste of organized multiplayer. As such, I will miss Skirmish Devils, Night Patrol and VTS, which were my most fond memories with ARPS. On the other side, I will most certainly miss Finale. Finale was awesome.

But most of all, I will miss Indian Summer.