Earlier this week I sat down with Day Z creator Dean Hall to talk about the new standalone game. Read on for information on why the mod version of the game will now "open up", how dogs work, how original Op Flash developers came back to work on the new title, how "underground construction" might work, and for an explanation of why there won't be a military simulator mod of Day Z. At least not yet.
]]>The most well-attended session at Rezzed was Dean 'Rocket' Hall chatting about the game/mod of the moment, DayZ. Zeitgeisty!
Relaxed and charming, he goes into the making of the open-world zombie survival mod for Arma II before fielding a ton of audience questions on everything from the nature of fun to 'Day Z hipsters' and in-game kidnappings. It's a shame you missed it. If you're very well-behaved I might let you watch a recording of it below, though.
]]>Arma III is still quite some way off, with a release date of "2013", but Bohemia are starting to reveal more and more of the latest iteration in their ongoing soldier sim project, giving us some tantalising glimpses of an overhauled engine and a reworked game. Creative directors Ivan Buchta and Jay Crowe took some time out from working on their near-future weaponry simulations to tell us about their plans for the game, the meaning of the near-future setting, the impact of Day Z, and the value of modding.
]]>Day Z has a bit of a problem. I realise that by writing about it that I might make people realise that it's possible, and therefore make the issue worse, but hey, I am sure Rocket is aware and will want to fix it. In the meantime, I had to laugh...
]]>"The civil war in Bystrica is at its end. But it’s not the end of fear for the people. War criminals like Colonel Miyovic still terrorize the country with their militia looting and murdering civilians. Forces of the Czech Republic Army are sent to restore order." Go Czech army! Also this: "15 new missions in the singleplayer campaign, scenarios and procedural template gameplay modes" and "two new summer-season terrains: Bystrica and Bukovina." One of those is the lovely green environment pictured above. £8 pre-order pricetag on this, it's turning up in Q3 of this year. One for a, uh, limited audience, perhaps.
]]>A large part of the internet is telling Day Z stories. People feel compelled to communicate what they've experienced in there. There's a good reason for that. This unfinished modification is more interesting than 90% of games that will land in the same year. It is a game that - for many people - represents this kind of experience we were promised. An open-world, persistent, zombie game, where survival is the goal, and where each encounter with another real human being is a moment of terrible tension. What's astonishing about this unassuming zombie mod is that it manages to take what is most interesting about MMOs - persistence, co-operation, risk of genuine loss in PvP - and add them to a multi-server FPS. Not just any FPS, either, but the monstrously deep simulation provided by master soldier sim, Arma 2. It's unflinchingly bleak. It offers freedom, while threatening destruction. The stories that result from it are enthralling.
]]>Day Z is the best thing I've played so far this year.
On my first go, I bled to death in the dark, alone on a forest trail.
]]>I don't know why I am surprised to see Arma 2 players effectively role-playing in their game, but it was still a bit strange to watch this video (below). It's a bunch of footage shot by a "cameraman" as he and a reporter accompany the chaps from UKTF clan in their patrols on the game. They get ambushed, obviously, and plenty of dodgy-voice acting and life-threatening excitement ensues. Get through the first couple of minutes and it actually becomes pretty tense and exciting. Good job, those men.
Relatedly, if you an Arma 2 fancier, why not join our Arma 2 community?
]]>Op Archers? Owners of Operation Arrowhead, anyway. If you are one of those people - as you should be if you like soldier simming - then you are entitled to a preview version of Take On Helicopters, the forthcoming commercial chopper game from Bohemia Interactive. It looks like this is a sort of add-on for Operation Arrowhead which demonstrates the new flight model and pilot animation using a "light chopper" (pictured). Perfect if you were wondering how you were going to be able to get through another weekend without some simulated hovering.
]]>Want to shoot men in the company of men? Then you've come to the right place! We're going to be playing Operation Arrowhead this weekend, thanks to the heroic band of brothers who operate the server. Details? Yes! You are best off with Mumble & Operation Arrowhead 1.56. Server IP: 81.19.209.123 Server Password: rumpus
]]>Okay, so most of our games for this Game Club thing are going to be cheap or free, but there will be a few full-price excursions. One such is the first of our community-led evenings, which will take place on the Unofficial RPS Arma 2 server this coming weekend. To play on there you will need Operation Arrowhead patched up to 1.54, or whatever the latest is if BIS randomly release another one. The server can be found at "RockPaperShotgun - Unofficial edition" or 81.19.209.123:64738, and there is a mumble server at the same address. Password for both the server and Mumble is: rumpus
]]>After the mild success of our previous adventures in Arma II: Operation Arrowhead, we've decided to do one more event on the borrowed RPS server before it is placed on a flaming barge and pushed out to sea. The event will take place this Saturday, 11th August September, from 8pm BST. I will post a new password in this thread half an hour before we start. First come first served and such.
So, having run a competition to equip some of our cleverest readers with copies of Arma 2: Operation Arrowhead, we set out to play one of the game's co-operative missions on a splendid 64-man server provided for us by JestServers. Thanks, Jest!
We picked one of the community-made missions for the game, of which there are many different kinds. This sprawling, multi-objective desert operation would test us to the very limit, write new legends, forge new heroes, and make some people feel a bit silly.
]]>Update: the password is "rumpus".
]]>UPDATE TWO: Oh dear. Problems with the server for this means we're going to have to postpone. Again. I know, apologies! I'm going to have to get RPS its own games box for these kinds of eventualities! Sorry about this. We will get our Arma 2 game soon. More details later.
]]>So, the hurrah/bah list for this competition. Hurrah: winners of the Arma 2: Operation Arrowhead competition will be receiving their codes and links this afternoon. Bah: We're going to have to postpone the actual co-op game until the 29th of August, despite having asked everyone who be available tomorrow. Hurrah: That gives you all some time to practice. Bah: But perhaps some folks will be busy that weekend.
Anyway, read on below for more information and winners.
]]>Following the release of Operation Arrowhead BIS have continued to add to their Arma II line-up, and the British Armed Forces pack is next in the pipeline, as DLC for Operation Arrowhead. You will be unsurprised to learn that it features a range of units that appear in real British military, including soldiers, weapons, and vehicles, which will be available to play in multiplayer battles. Trailer below, natch.
]]>Oh for heavens sake, yes we know they're not strictly tanks but... anyway, want a chance to win a copy of ArmA 2 expandalone, Operation Arrowhead? Want to play a big old co-op ArmA 2 game with fellow RPS readers and writers? If "yes", then click the digital King's Shilling below to find out more.
Join us!
]]>A demo? A demo! Turns out BIS are releasing a fairly beefy demo for the recent expansion pack, Operation Arrowhead, including some single player scenarios, a mission from the main campaign, some multiplayer missions and even the mission editor. Get the 3gb download here.
]]>And Bohemia Interactive have released a video which shows off some of the stuff that means Arma 2 - and its Operation Arrowhead expansion which arrived on the 28th, last month (sorry, I missed that entirely) - definitely isn't just a first-person shooter. This High Command tutorial (which is below, and spotted via Mr Blue) shows off all the means by which the game allows you to direct a battle, rather than just fighting it yourself. Reminds me that we need to have a crack at doing a bit more Arma 2 coverage on RPS, and get some multiplayer going. Yep.
]]>It's always time for war in ArmA 2, and that's never truer than on the arrival of expansion pack, Operation Arrowhead. Set three years after the original conflict, another flashpoint in the region causes Americans to administer tactical face-biff to local forces. It's a big old single-player campaign that we really should do a hands-on preview of some time soon. MAYBE WE WILL. Anyway, videos...
]]>AH-64 Apache gunship, M2A3 Bradley IFV, MH-6 Little Bird... I confess I know as much about these things as I do about the mating habits of giant grasshoppers, but many people are greatly enamoured of them. The tanks and aircraft I mean, not the rutting insects. Such enthusiasts will be duly pleased by this really very pretty trailer for Operation Arrowhead, the upcoming standalone expansion for ARMA 2. Interesting that it's standalone, given ARMA's audience is something of a fixed one and thus surely most potential purchasers of this will own ARMA 2 anyway, but I guess it's a sensible way to try and reach beyond its niche.
]]>Military mega-shooter Arma II has some mod tools out for those people who want to turn it into celestial strip-chess, and you can get hold of them here. Rather more interesting news for the general gaming public, however, is the announcement of an expansion back, Operation Arrowhead. The standalone expansion pack will apparently be shown at GamesCom, and takes place when "a new flashpoint in the Green Sea region heats up and coalition forces led by the US Army are sent to Takistan to quickly restore peace and prevent further civilian casualties." So plenty more of the same, it seems. We'll bring you some more details on that when we get hold of them, or you can keep an eye on this thread on the official forums.
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