ARMA 3

[MengJiao]

Burning too much time catching up on ARMA mod videos at work, the Unsung mission where a helicopter flies over the patrol group while music plays from mounted loudspeakers (complete with the doppler effected sound as the chopper crosses overhead) as it makes a gun run on some VC sampans makes it a definite "must load," for me....after I get the SP DayZ scenarios to work...and I finish the campaign that I've started...and I shepherd the two characters I've got floating out there on vanilla DayZ servers to some sort of safety... :P

Having way too many ARMA irons in the fire is for-sure a first world problem of the highest order.

Unsung is an impressive total conversion. I've found the maps to be pretty buggy though. I get a lot of CTDs. That has not stopped me from loading the units and vehicles onto to other maps and setting up battles. The unit list is vast and they all look great.

Plus the Unsung troops have a better-than-average set of things to say.  And you only have to include a few of them (and even re-equip them) to get the things they say.

[Grim.Reaper]

Grim...check out a mod called "Dynamic Recon Ops". There is one for every landmass in game...

Nice, and thank you!

Loving this mod so far...really like how things are different all the time....likely nothing to do with the mod itself, but often I get objectives to blow things up.....for the life of me, can't figure out how to do that.  Doesn't appear any of my soldiers have devices to blow things up and if they do, I have no idea how to order them to do it after looking through the command options.  Anybody have any thoughts?

[Jarhead0331]

There is a supply and weapons cache on map. Sometimes it's right where you start, other times it's designated on the map. There is a wide variety of explosives in the cache. Additionally, sometimes you have artillery support. You can use that to destroy targets, as well.

[Grim.Reaper]

There is a supply and weapons cache on map. Sometimes it's right where you start, other times it's designated on the map. There is a wide variety of explosives in the cache. Additionally, sometimes you have artillery support. You can use that to destroy targets, as well.

Ah..thanks....missed the depots....I did try artillery once when it was given, but kept being off target, likely due to my bad spotting.

[Jarhead0331]

You can also start the mission in arsenal mode which lets you totally configure your solider.

[Grim.Reaper]

I was wondering what that meant....just had a decent mission, up until the end:)  Finally had a good artillery strike, destroyed the vehicle target....thought things were calm then, began strolling to my Helo evac...and BAM....ambushed and killed on the way:)  Was still fun...

[Yskonyn]

I have been stabbing away seriously at ArmA 3's vanilla campaign and yesterday evening completed the last mission on Stratis. I am quite pleasantly surprised by the length of the campaign so far and the presentation is like an action movie. Very engrossing!
It's clear the campaign is used to showcase several technical features in the game which can be taken as inspiration for creating your own stuff.

I can't wait to start the Apex campaign, but I read that there are tie-ins from the vanilla campaign, so I want to complete that first.
Very much recommended to play, gentlemen.
Just stay a little in the back of the formation with your AI brothers in arms. Let them spot and fire first and then proceed from cover to cover.
Always stay in formation; if the team leader keeps his position that usually means one of the AI men in the fireteam is still spotting a threat. Usually they will be able to flank and seek the enemy out after a while.
Be patient and the missions flow pretty well, considering the limitations of operating under an AI officer.  O:-)

[Hofstadter]

The 160th S.O.R. had our first mission on Tanoa. The jungle is intense.

[Jarhead0331]

I have been stabbing away seriously at ArmA 3's vanilla campaign and yesterday evening completed the last mission on Stratis. I am quite pleasantly surprised by the length of the campaign so far and the presentation is like an action movie. Very engrossing!
It's clear the campaign is used to showcase several technical features in the game which can be taken as inspiration for creating your own stuff.

I can't wait to start the Apex campaign, but I read that there are tie-ins from the vanilla campaign, so I want to complete that first.
Very much recommended to play, gentlemen.
Just stay a little in the back of the formation with your AI brothers in arms. Let them spot and fire first and then proceed from cover to cover.
Always stay in formation; if the team leader keeps his position that usually means one of the AI men in the fireteam is still spotting a threat. Usually they will be able to flank and seek the enemy out after a while.
Be patient and the missions flow pretty well, considering the limitations of operating under an AI officer.  O:-)

The apex campaign will most likely disappoint you. Although the missions are well conceived and the technical features such as voice acting and cinematics are top notch, I can't help but feel let down by the spawn system and the fact that there is no AI in your squad. I'm very annoyed at the mp focus of a traditionally sp component of the game. Although I felt it was reasonable initially, some of the later missions in the fairly brief campaign are very difficult when solo.

Just to be clear, I'm not disappointed with the apex expansion in the least. Tanoa is a star. It's just the coop campaign that disappoints me. No matter, e user made content so far is very satisfying.

[Yskonyn]

So, JH, if you want to play solo the other three slots of the co-op system do not get filled with AI members?

[Hofstadter]

So, JH, if you want to play solo the other three slots of the co-op system do not get filled with AI members?

Nah. Its made so that when human players are added, the difficulty goes up. Though im not sure what constitutes difficulty. Its a little pathetic

[Jarhead0331]

So, JH, if you want to play solo the other three slots of the co-op system do not get filled with AI members?

Correct. As I indicated to Grim earlier on in the thread, technically, a solo player is not really "alone". There is another squad of 4 AI in the field with you supporting your objectives, and they do come in handy. In one mission, they were providing overwatch while I infiltrated and assaulted a Syndikat weapons storage facility. Once things went hot, the AI team was very effective in suppressing the enemy and destroying two QRFs that tried to intervene.  Unfortunately, since I was playing solo, I was the only one assaulting the facility and this was a real immersion breaker. It also added unnecessary challenge in spotting and avoiding or eliminating hidden enemies. 

Additionally, the AI squad is often times not with you as you move from objective to objective, or are off doing something else while your squad is left to achieve the primary mission. During those times, if there are no other players in the campaign with you, you will be alone. As a result of this mechanic, there is also no command opportunity. Very frustrating and disappointing.

[Skoop]

I would be game to do the coop campaign with any of the grogs, I'll have to take a look at it today.  Is the system clunky for coop ?  How do you send invites to friends ?

Edit:

Played through the first 3 missions of the coop campaign, it was fun.  Just randomly dropped into a mission in progress.  The server setting was set pretty hard so navigating through the jungle without markers and sniper AI was brutal. 

[jomni]

I'm liking the Dynamic Recon Ops.  Does anyone who what the Action vs. Milsim option does?  Jarhead?

[JudgeDredd]

I'm liking the Dynamic Recon Ops.  Does anyone who what the Action vs. Milsim option does?  Jarhead?

I would hazard a guess MilSim meaning Military Simulation and therefore harder than "action"?