In other news I recently purchased Operation Flashpoint Dragon Rising for the PC. I was interested to see how it would stack up against ArmA 2, unfortunately for me it doesn't, and perhaps it comes down to the fact the game as a whole isn't for me. I do like some elements of the scenario editor, and the havok physics engine implementation is pretty cool in some regards. Unlike ArmA2 or VBS2, the editor for OFPDR is external to the game as an executable, and only contains a 2D view, so it's similar to the old mission editor interface. Scripting for the game is via LUA, an editor for which is embedded into the mission editor and learning this language isn't really optional if you want more than 63 player or non-player entities. If you put more than 63 AI and playable units in the scenario, you need to script showing certain groups up at points of the game with triggers, or the scenario simply wont run.
The physics is reasonably well executed, ragdoll physics are implemented for corpses, and buildings blow apart with debris going everywhere. However, despite my best efforts in an Abrams, I can't run down trees while doing 60km/h. Minor dismemberment is present in the game, shooting someone's limbs off with a 50 cal is achievable, however not really noticeable until you get up close. The particle effects are somewhat wrong as well, smoke and dust just doesn't look realistic, and even VBS2's standard effects are better.
I personally don't see this game having much of a military application in its current state, some ideas are good, particularly radial menus, however those can be seen in America's Army 3 and other well known applications. Having said that if it was altered it might have a purpose for soldiers, particularly if tools were available. It's a shame because it's one of the few large scale FPS type games that could enter into any form of competition with VBS2, possibly even SB Pro.
Speaking of VBS2, isn't 1.3 overdue? I'm guessing a delay of this duration could only mean one thing - feature overload, which is probably a good thing, provided the features are well executed. According to the forums we should be able to expect the new version at the end of the month as it has been in final testing for a few weeks.
Also, I'm seeking assistance from the wider community on developing a better understanding of dedicated servers, how they work, why they fail and their configuration, I have been experimenting myself, but I'm trying to find a good balance. Anyone who has any solid information and experience in this area, please get in touch. Additionally, reasonable experience operating with LVC Game would be appreciated. Unfortunately any information that BIA/BISim might have on running dedicated is not very detailed, and currently the best source is the bistudio wiki.
Jamie.
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