One issue with OA...

[the_duality]

Hello everyone,

Recently got a copy of OA and loving it so far, apart from a couple of niggling issues:

I play a lot using the mission generator wizard, using it to generate a "combat" mission with secops and support etc. It worked fine in vanilla ArmA, but now when playing a combat scenario in OA with the KSK troops, some of them insist on switching to their pistols, even when engaging at 400m and beyond. If I teamswitch to them, they have ammunition available - and their currently loaded magazines are not empty. Bit of an immersion killer, and frustrating as hell. Any ideas?

The other issue, which I assume is addressed a lot on the forums is the driving AI. Even when a vehicle is already on the road, if I give it a move order, it moves off-road for a bit, then returns to the road - which is incredibly annoying and unrealistic. Knowing BIS however, I am sure this is work in progress

Any solutions to the first issue would be appreciated!

[Cole]

Both are (unfortunately) very known bugs, and hopefully atleast the pistol one will get fixed soon. AI drivers however.. I wouldn't count on any giant improvements.

Solution to the first issue? Remove their pistols!
Sounds bad, but afaik theres no other "fix" to this... yet.

[Jakerod]

Yeah the best solution to the pistol thing is to have them drop their pistols on the ground or into a vehicle if you have one. That way you can use their ammo later on.

[the_duality]

Good to know that it is a known bug and I am not just losing my mind!

Having played a little more, especially with exiting ArmA2 content, there are a few things that are now glaringly obvious - such as ArmA2 weapons having a laser pointer at them and no way to use it, and the one that disappointed me most - the AH-1Z Cobra is pretty much un-useable. I can't view ammo levels in the Cobra without being the gunner, and there is now no HUD. This is in the Armory, I have not tried in the editor yet.

Are there any plans for BIS themselves to fix these issues? I couldn't find anything about the Cobra in the community issue tracker anyway. I really do hope they plan on bringing at least some of the ArmA2 content up to OA's level, some of the ArmA2 content (such as the Cobra) is barely worth playing any more IMO.

[Sputnik Monroe]

The pistol bug has been around since they introduced pistols with Resistance nine or ten years ago, it'll never ever get fixed.

The AI driving I don't understand, it was completely broken in Vanilla OFP fixed within a few patches and near perfect in Resistance, then went down hill with Arma onwards.

One step forward, two back?

[Bozmore]

maybe one of the very few things codemasters contributed more to than bi

[Baron von Beer]

If the driving is a work in progress it's a long time coming.... As said, in OFP:Resistance, convoys worked pretty well. In Arma 1 convoys could get chaotic, but were possible. In Arma 2/OA trying to get a convoy to do anything but drive 20m, stop, twist, turn, do the hokey pokey, resume for 20m, rinse and repeat, is like trying to get a pack of baboons on LSD during mating season to perform a Broadway musical.

Tracked vehicles sort of works, because they can rotate while idle. Wheeled vehicles, best to leave in groups of 2 or less. They still spazz out now and again, but at least they don't make every other vehicle behind them do the same.

[the_duality]

Well that is disheartening!

I can forgive the driving to a certain extent - it is one of those things I have just come to accept. But the promises of having both ArmA2 and OA content in one, yet finding that you might as well just run the games separate (because next to no features have been ported) is a bit of a kick in the teeth to be frank. I love BIS games, I can see through the bugs and enjoy them for what they are - but when things are just broken, and there is such a disparity between the quality of OA's content and the original ArmA2 content - after it was promised that everything is compatible etc, it is slightly disappointing.

Edit:

Also @Sputnik re the pistol thing - I never had any such issue in ArmA2 vanilla, the issue only started for me in OA

[CarlGustaffa]

Haven't tried in OA yet, but convoys were possible in Arma2 as long as they didn't spot any enemies, at which all hell broke loose. They do take some time to "get organized" when they start, but I didn't have the problems mentioned if I managed their maximum speed.

Wheeled vehicles, best to leave in groups of 2 or less.

Not much a a group then, huh?

[Baron von Beer]

It's at least a group in editor terms.

Like type vehicles do have a higher success rate in larger groups, they just break out the dance routine less frequently. Differing speeds of different wheeled types, and especially tracked & wheeled vehicles mixed are a recipe for disaster.

I've often wondered if a new formation would help. Column Spaced, or whatever you want to call it. A new formation option with increased spacing from the standard column. Won't help when one of the drivers decides "I'm going to cut 90 degrees and stop for absolutely no reason", but it would probably help a lot when they decide "I'm going to veer slightly, slow down, and then resume the speed I was going for absolutely no reason".

The extra space would presumably help prevent the ripple effect when the latter occurs, which almost always has one of the reacting drivers behind pull the former, and the former is what typically turns convoys into gigantic cluster f***s.