VBS2 alignment with ARMA3?

[Tupolov]

VBS2 v1.50, due May 2011, addresses:

Terrain size and view distance limitations
Support for underground spaces
Fidelity of armor (UK MOD focused)
Support for multi-channel
Vehicle physics (through PhysX)
Other (listed below)


Underground spaces
Full support for underground spaces placed in Visitor 4, OME or RTE
Trenches, basements, sewers, caves, tank ditches are all now supported

Terrain size and view distance
500km x 500km maximum
40km view distance maximum

Night vision improvements
Change brightness, intensification

Lighting improvements
Multiple point and spot lights possible in the one place, with proper shadowing
Units can properly hide in shadows

Large objects (>50m) may have collision geometry

Proper loiter waypoints for UAVs

Improved driving simulation
Gearbox and brake key mapping

Improved window damage
Different damage states
Configurable penetration

Fire rocket launchers from standing and prone positions

Accurate grenade throwing

Improved wounding model

Support for assault ladders

Support for boggy ground

VBS2 1.60+

Terrain paging
Multi-resolution terrain in VBS2 v1.60, September 2011
Terrain paging in VBS2 v2.00, March 2012

MC4 parachute and scuba capability
New underwater rendering is at Beta
Due in VBS2 v2.00, March 2012

Generally working to a major release every 6 months
With monthly minor iterations
VBS2 v1.50–May 2011
VBS2 v1.60 –September 2011
VBS2 v2.00 –March 2012

[AussieTerry84]

Good point! makes you wonder if ArmA 3 is due out around March?

[ScratcH1]

Good point! makes you wonder if ArmA 3 is due out around March?

ArmA III is sheduled for summer 2012

I'm pretty sure that we'll see some of these features in ArmA III

[AussieTerry84]

Summer for us is Oct-Feb :P

But that march 2012 update makes me think of ArmA 3.

[Ebolavirus]

Support for multi-channel, now i wonder if thats sound related. if it is that'd be well interesting

[Innomadic]

Summer for us is Oct-Feb :P


Woot, Arma 3 present for Southern Hemisphere!

[Flash Thunder]

Very likely I dont see why BIS would leave out the ability to have 40km viewdistance, if you got a good enough Cpu then kudos the game will look insane!

another feature something called render to texture already in VBS2 will probably ;) come to Arma 3 since everyone wants it so badly. :yay:

[kylania]

another feature something called render to texture already in VBS2 will probably ;) come to Arma 3 since everyone wants it so badly. :yay:

It's confirmed in Take On: Helicopters, so hopefully A3 will get it as well.

[EricM]

Even though VBS seem to have a different code branch, it's very encouraging to see all this...

I like the way BIS is able to spread the cost of development across VBS, Arma, and now Take On, and make them all benefit from the other ones in return, in one way or another.

In any case, most of those improvement are technical and do not seem like special features for military training (like AAR etc...) so I don't see why they wouldn't implement what they can into Arma 3.

[Darkhorse 1-6]

Large objects (>50m) may have collision geometry

Terrain size and view distance

Underground spaces

Those are things I would (maybe not kill) maim for.

[InstaGoat]

VBS has some things I´d be excited for.

What I raised an eyebrow about was the integration of a technology called Xaitment. It´s apparently related to the AI, in particularily pathfinding. Does anyone know more about this?

[neokika]

VBS has some things I´d be excited for.

What I raised an eyebrow about was the integration of a technology called Xaitment. It´s apparently related to the AI, in particularily pathfinding. Does anyone know more about this?

Maybe its this (http://www.xaitment.com/).

_neo_

[CriminalMinds]

Large objects (>50m) may have collision geometry

Can someone explain what this means? :confused:

[Big Dawg KS]

Can someone explain what this means? :confused:

In the current engine, single objects over a certain size lose collision. Hence why the carrier in ArmA 2 is divided into smaller objects.

[froggyluv]

Maybe its this (http://www.xaitment.com/).

_neo_

That looks like some serious pathfinding middleware - I think urban's going to get a whole lot better... at least for VBS2 :D

[5LEvEN]

They should add xaitment.... I don't even think we need a poll to decide if people would want it :D

[MacScottie]

All these things in ArmA III plus the abiltiy to move around in moving vehicles and shoot out of them as well would probably make ArmA III surpass other games I've played in the last 20 years as the best game ever made.

[NodUnit]

In the current engine, single objects over a certain size lose collision. Hence why the carrier in ArmA 2 is divided into smaller objects.

Would you say that opens a possibilty of controlling such things?

[CarlosTex]

I want xaitment

[KrAziKilla]

I want xaitment

[Big Dawg KS]

Would you say that opens a possibilty of controlling such things?

Perhaps. I would say it is a necessary step.

[froggyluv]

Sorry to dig this old dog up


VBS2 is an industry-leading, game-based simulation employed by many military organizations around the world for training use. xaitMap, xaitment’s dynamic 3D path-finding and automatic navigation mesh generation tool, pre-processes VBS2 terrains to support the simulation’s overall AI. Additionally, the integration of xaitment’s tools xaitMove and xaitControl will provide VBS2 users with high-fidelity solutions for path-following, movement, crowd simulation, character behavior modeling and the creation of finite state machines to augment current VBS2 capabilities.

Source: http://www.xaitment.com/english/blog/press/xaitment-partners-with-bohemia-interactive-105.html


Honestly it's hard not to drool over what this could mean. AI having a real understanding of both terrain and buildings as well as enhanced FSM calculations :inlove:

Have BI given us a definitive no on this? If not, I'm holdin out with candlelite vigils. If so, I'm marching straight to my regional bank manager's office for a sit down over a personal military training loan.

[neokika]

Have BI given us a definitive no on this? If not, I'm holdin out with candlelite vigils. If so, I'm marching straight to my regional bank manager's office for a sit down over a personal military training loan.

Nop, they didn't mentioned it for A3 at all.

_neo_

[Tonci87]

We need a Dev here....

[Nicholas]

I'm sure the partnership between Bohemia Interactive and xaitment is strictly over VBS2.

I doubt seeing this come to ArmA 3

[RobertHammer]

Xaitment won't be in ArmA 3

[neokika]

Xaitment won't be in ArmA 3

And why is that true? :p

[maionaze]

And why is that true? :p

He's got hidden cameras in the BIS house , that or he asked a BIS dev , but the first one makes much more sense .

[Tonci87]

Tim5nU3DwIE&feature=player_detailpage#t=19s

[NoRailgunner]

Are BIS ArmA AI and xaitment AI tools/features that easy to combine and compatible? Will xaitment test AI or will they "only" deliver solutions?

[frostwyrm333]

"pre-processes VBS2 terrains to support the simulation’s overall AI" - this is suspicious, pre-processing? and what if you spawn a box in AIs way?
might be doing some obvious pre-calculated paths but in arma AIs movement is very ambiguous

otherwise those things look incredibly even if their meaning is somewhat cryptic

- Underground spaces - whole underground bases, road tunnels, vietnam tunnels?
- Lighting - if it means that light doesn't pass through objects then this is epic
- gearbox - this probably won't get to arma, may be interesting
- large object collisions - star destroyers :-)

Some of this stuff will definitely get to Arma 3 but, we will just have to wait (as always)

edit: also I found other stuff in the VBS2 pdf http://goo.gl/H9yeI
- Oxygen 2 or 3D Studio Max (from v1.50) for importing 3D models
- handheld periscopes
- dismemberment
- Parachute flares and trip flare
- Terrain grids no longer have to be specific sizes, but still square