Optimization and worse graphics: The key to a fivefold increase in sales of ARMA 3

[Recta DP]

We (me and four of my friend) were playing "Flashpoint" for years. Today we are all "working adults" and I'm the only one who plays Arma. Why? My friends are of course still interested in a game like Arma. However, no one except me has a high end computer, but just good laptops. Each of them would buy the game immediately, if it ran on his laptop. The laptops are not bad (Think Pad Mobile Workstations, Price: 2100 $) and most games can be played, but Arma is virtually unplayable. If you scale down the graphics quality of Arma 2, the only thing you get is an unplayable "pixel mess".

Me and my friends are not interested in better graphics, but in a proper combat simulation and realism. I would even play Arma 2 with the graphics of "Flashpoint". Arma 2 is actually the only game where I would wish that it had worse graphics. It is likely that the same applies to Arma 3.

This is of course quite subjective, but I do not think I'm totally alone with this.

[InstaGoat]

Just add a super high performance graphics setting that locks everything three LODs down, reduces viewdistance to 500 and turns off shaders. Presto! Instant high performance mode, 60+ fps guaranteed on any rig from 2006 gen onwards.

[tremanarch]

low polygon models of course, low res textures, low Areal detail such as trees and grass and bushes..

[MadDogX]

Lower poly models would not automatically mean worse graphics. By using techniques like displacement mapping (through GPU-side tesselation), you can shift some of the workload from the CPU to the GPU while retaining visual quality.

I really hope they're doing this. Anything that frees up CPU cycles is a good thing.

[metalcraze]

Displacement mapping will bring your FPS down just the same as putting those polys in there in the first place.
I also don't understand what you mean by shifting workload from CPU to GPU? High polycounts were GPU's workload all along.

And the point of OP was that his bros do not have top notch systems. So no displacement mapping for them.

Saying that - why not put ArmA2 graphics on minimum and play? It won't look worse than OFP.

[MadDogX]

I also don't understand what you mean by shifting workload from CPU to GPU? High polycounts were GPU's workload all along.

Geometry is always processed by the CPU and then sent to the GPU for rendering. The more complex the geometry, the higher the workload for the CPU. Especially highly complex scenes can get very CPU intensive this way, and if the CPU is overtaxed it can be a bottleneck.

Reducing poly counts frees up CPU cycles and can thus improve overall performance. Normally this results in reduced visual quality, but tesselation shaders can compensate for this by increasing the geometry complexity on the GPU side.

That's what I meant by shifting workload from the CPU to the GPU.

EDIT: Never mind, it seems I've been living in the past.

[Recta DP]

And the point of OP was that his bros do not have top notch systems. So no displacement mapping for them.

Saying that - why not put ArmA2 graphics on minimum and play? It won't look worse than OFP.

ArmA2 on minimum settings (especially the vegetation) looks worse than OFP; it really is unplayable, I've tried it several times. Some refused to continue playing and said that they would otherwise get "eye cancer".

What I still like: There is not that much LOD switching in OFP. The virtual world feels therefore more coherent and convincing.

[Mr. Bravo]

Hell no. If you're adults with jobs, then go buy yourselves some proper gaming-PC's for gods sake. If teens can do it, then so can you.

"proper combat simulation and realism" is as dependent on graphics and physics as anything else, and I think it's awesome that BIS is putting more work into this in ArmA3 (Especially when it comes to physics). ArmA2 is filled with frustrating realism-killers and limitations that can only be fixed with new hardcoded systems, which will of course put new demands on PC's. Technology must go forward, compared to all stoneage console-ports that are dominating the market.

Optimization is of course important and I'm sure BIS knows this already That's why we're getting a Community Alpha.

[antoineflemming]

Hell no. If you're adults with jobs, then go buy yourselves some proper gaming-PC's for gods sake. If teens can do it, then so can you.

"proper combat simulation and realism" is as dependent on graphics and physics as anything else, and I think it's awesome that BIS is putting more work into this in ArmA3 (Especially when it comes to physics). ArmA2 is filled with frustrating realism-killers and limitations that can only be fixed with new hardcoded systems, which will of course put new demands on PC's. Technology must go forward, compared to all stoneage console-ports that are dominating the market.

Optimization is of course important and I'm sure BIS knows this already That's why we're getting a Community Alpha.

In this current economic situation (world over, not just US), and when teens don't have to pay taxes (at least in the States they don't), and working adults do, when some working adults have families to take care of, and teens only have to take care of themselves, that's a really arrogant and ignorant thing to say. Maybe you Swedish guys have everything together and are living in your Utopia, sitting on your money, with no one to take care of, but in other parts of the world people actually have lives that take precedence over gaming.

That said, I'm kinda-sorta with the OP. Only thing I wish I could turn down is some of the particle effects. I notice that I get the most lag when there are particle effects going on, especially in MP. That usually marks the difference between like 45-50 FPS and like 15 FPS at the worst of times. Like smoke, and dust, that sort of thing. Is there some way to turn that off that I haven't recognized, or is there really no way to turn that off? If no way, then that's what I wish I could turn off. I'm not a fan of turning down things like textures and such. Can't stand a game with bad textures unless the gameplay is exceptional.

EDIT: Also, Recta DP, I hate Lenovo. I think they're terrible. At least the ThinkPad I had would overheat all the time. And NOT just when running ArmA.

[kimozabbi]

go buy yourselves some proper gaming-PC's for gods sake

Do you mean my 5 year old laptop won't be good enough? Just joking, I'm digging your attitude man, too many people want 'all the things' but expect it to run on a peice of rubbish.