E mais algumas notícias do ArmA2 foram
divulgadas em um tópico nos fóruns
da BIS, a notícia feita pela revista
alemã PC-Games
é um vídeo que traz uma prévia do jogo
e também uma entrevista do Maruk. O jogo
provavelmente vai ser lançado entre novembro\dezembro desse
ano (2008). Andam falando na comunidade internacional que o sistema de
prédios e construções do jogo ainda
está muito ruim e também o sistema CQB (Closed
Quarters Battle). E confiram algumas imagens do jogo:
Abaixo as iamgens da revista alemã PC-Games
mostrando a extensa matéria que a revista publicou, e
também o texto "em inglês":
Armed Assault 2
No compromises. The military simulation from CZ stays ultra realistic.
Marek
Spanel is a very relaxed man. We recognize that quickly when we visit
his enterprise somewhere in CZ. This is because he was able to earn
glory and much money with the tactic-shooter Operation Flashpoint,
which was selled over two million times. And if you consider that only
ten people worked on the first game of BI you can imagine, why Marek is
always in a good mood.
The inofficial sequel, called Armed Assault for legal reasons, was sold
up till now 300.000 times.
Now
BI is working with 50 people on their next game, following the
consequent way of the predecessors. Armed Assault 2 will be a hard
war-simulation, who's first objective is being realistic. That's why we
took a closer look at an early version of the game in the office of the
developer, asked Marek many questions and even took a video, which can
be found on the magazine-dvd.
There shall be no experiments.
Marek says straight on that ArmA 2 will be exactly the game fans are
waiting for. No less then being the most realistic war-simulator on PC.
The setting will be the fictional country of Chenarus, freely
translated into Blackrussia. Protests smolder and pro-communist forces
try to reintegrate the country into Russia. The conflicts escalets when
the "Cheanrus Red Star Movement" conquer vast parts of the country and
even the capital Chernogorsk in 2009.
But the reintegrations fails.
The premier minister Alexander Baranov is executed, the leaders of the
rebellion call out the Social Republic of Chenarus. The remaining
democratic fores ask the West for help. Naturaly the Americans don't
let themselves be said that twice and send their forces into the
country. Together with the army of Chenarus they shall drive the
rebells back and free the country.
BI has learned. In ArmA the
player only was a tiny little wheel in the war-machine. Sometimes as
pilot, sometimes as simple soldier or as BlackOp. The story only was
about the missions, not about the person sitting behind the gun. An
idenfitication with your character simply failed under these
circumstances. Many players didn't like that. So like in the ArmA addon
Queens Gambit BI is counting on special characters. In ArmA 2 you play
in a 5-man US Marine Corps team. This squad called Razor consists out
of individualists, who even have an own biography.
master Sergeant
Patrick Miles joined the army with 19. Through outstanding duty in Iraq
he was made leader of the Razor team. Other team members are Chad
Rodriguez (heavy weapons), Brian O'Hara (medic), Randy Sykes (sniper)
and Matt Cooper (grenades).
As soon as this squad enters combat you
can switch between the characters as you like. In addition you can
controll the behaviour of your men.
A reworkes version of the ArmA
command-system will be also found in the second part. The developers
still work on a more user-friendly handling. For example you don't have
to order assaults via keyboard anymore, but your mouse will
automatically recognize if your sending your men into cover or if they
have to engage a target. Soldiers now even use cover on their own and
spy around corners. This is because of the new micro-AI system. It
gives the soldiers the possiblity to behave acurat in special
situations, like moving around objects, take cover or give suppressive
fire.
"The micro AI is a real break-though for us" says Marek. With
the new technic fights shall be a lot more exciting. "A fight with 5
enemys now is a real challenge.
Different to CoD4:Modern Warfare
events aren't scripted. AI is reacting to each situation on their own.
Sounds good, but lead to some funny situations in the first versions of
the prequel, when your own men cleared a whole city without your
support or needed patrols didn't make it to their designation. But BI
worked hard on this part, promises Marek.
A bit more complicated
will be sending whole armys into battle. There will be battles in Armed
Assualt 2 with up to 100 men on each side. How many you will command
yourself is still uncertain. At the moment you have around 30 soldiers
under your command including tanks and gunships. For commanding these
masses effectivly a new system called "High Command System" is
designated to help you. This works similar to a strategy game, where
you select your units from a top-view and send them around on the map.
Though this feature wasn't finished in the showed version, you even
shall be able to change the direction your units are viewing. But still
you will take part in the battle.
The massive enviroment in
ArmA 2 includes 230 km^2. This time the developers even took real
terrain as archetype. They simply took a part from CZ and changed in
into the country Chernarus. Beaches and souther flair as seen in ArmA
won't be found anywhere. Instead you have untouched forests, vast
plains and big cities, like Chernogorsk.
Many missions are no longer
set in open air, but in bombed houses or factories, since the
developers want to put close quaters combat more into the foreground.
Another new technic will make destructible buildings possible. With the
right weapons you will be able to destroy buildings completly. The cool
thing: The holes in houses can be used to shoot through. (This system
wasn't finished, too in the shown version) How many houses will be
destroyable is still uncertain. But we guess that only a small part of
a city will have this system.
A label of the serie has always
been the very acurate vehicles. More than 50 ground and air vehicles
will be included in ArmA 2, like the russion T-90, or the Hind. A view
into the cockpit reveals details, players are only used to in flight
simulators. Even a small fan is turning.
But that's not everything.
Anti-Air measures like the Tunguska tank or the BTR-90 for transporting
troops are included as well. In fact you know many of these vehicles
from the prequels, but even new things made in into the game, like the
MV-22 Osprey, which can be seen on the DVD.
In addion there are
civilian vehicles, but not old cars like the brand Lada or tractors.
This time you can find modern VW Golfs for example. (A hint for the
strong German community?)
Coming to weapons the developers also have
amazing knowledge. Ivan Buchta, responsible for the design of the
enviroment, turns out as a real expert on this area. With bright eyes
he tells us about the real examples of the over 50 weapons you can use,
including over a dozen variants of the AK-47. Fights won't be just
simulated, but calculated accuratly. Ballistics consists out of factors
like deflection or the stuff the material is made of. "If a bullet hits
your leg, it has been really fired and it's flying path correctly
calculated.
At the end some things about the engine. Such a huge
world with millions of objects and dynamic acting AI eats a lot of
ressources. This is one point why ArmA 2 isn't shining like Crysis or
CoD4. Nether the less, modern Direct-X-10 graphics and multi-core-cpus
will be supported. Another thing Marek is pointing out: Why should
tanks and choppers glare and have complex effects, when in just doens't
simulate reality?
BI stays true to his way of developing games not
following the mainstream. On the one hand there is the danger do
develope past the main markets, but on the other hand the fans of the
realistic fights will thank it the guys from CZ, so Marek Spanel can
stay a very relaxed man.
Conclusion:
After the visit in
CZ I had to play a round ArmA at first. Thanks to many patches it's
much better then at the start. A prove for the work the developers are
still putting into their products and how importent a working community
is for them. 'cause since ArmA is a born-and-bred simulation, BI is
listing properly to the fans and what they like or dislike. The results
flow directly into ArmA 2. The properly greatest defect was the AI
which stays under observation. Only a test of the final product will
show, if the new micro AI works. But on the sector for military games
there is no ways past the developers from CZ.
Original
article by Robert Horn.
 
 
 
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