Czech Games Magazine Article

[Pave Low]

cgm.cz Armed Assault Article (in Czech)

New Screenshots:

* Click the pics for the larger versions

[Pave Low]

Part 2 of the interview is out and here is a translated version of both parts:

new Czech interview has been made. Jiøí Rýdl, marketing director of IDEA games, have answered some questions regarding Armed Assault. Some of the new features we will see, that is mentioned here, is the ability to turn over trees, and use them as a barricade against cars on a road.

Hurby was so kind to make an english translation of the interview.

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Operation Flashpoint was created only by 12 developers. How many do you have today and how are they divided in creating of Armed Assault and [Operation Flashpoint: Dragon Rising]?

Nowadays, we have a few basic groups - first group of about 5 people with Ondrej Spanel in lead is creating engine. There are about 15 people working on every game using this engine, alltogether we can talk about 35 developers, without the Australian branch-establishment.

What is the Australian branch-establishment occupied with?

They are developing the VBS2, another generation of military simulator, which the Australian and American forces are training with.

You have grown quite well! Do you still fit in your cottage on the edge of forest? ) Are you working on both games there?

Although BIS still settles there, the Armed Assault team settle in newly reconstructed offices in Prague 5.

Do you have any military advisors in your team?

Well, they are not a part of our team, but some are helping with the development of VBS, which influences the appearance of the games.

What's the reason that you don't work with Codemasters anymore? What consequences will it have and does it influence the release dates of your games?

Partnership with Codemasters was ended by both-side agreement, so we will release Armed Assault with another publisher.

About Armed Assault, on the forums, people discussed the name from all the views. Many stated that this name is just WIP one and it's not very "special". So, is this name final or will the publisher or you change it?

In my opinion it is pretty interesting title, we won't change it, only when discussed with new publisher.

You aren't in good stance with Codemasters about the name copyright, did you think of calling the Game 2 just Armed Assault 2?

Absolutely not. Armed Assault will introduce a fictive conflict from the near future with improved OFP engine, but Game 2 will be a breaking game with many features unseen in military simulations.

We have talked about the new publisher. Do you know, who will it be? Will you want to not be held down in supporting the community like before?

I believe that every publisher is happy when a developer supports his game after it's release. I dont't have any fears about this.

What do you think of Enemy In Sight, a project of Illusion Softworks, which could be a rival for Armed Assault?

Enemy In SIght of course is a rival, because like Halo of Battlefield it is inspired by OFP, but it is a different game in many ways, more concetrated on one man's action.

The introduce of Armed Assault on this year's E3 was a big surprise for many people. If we look at the release date, it were surely a good news for OFP community. Is the Q4 2005 still actual?

Well, when we look at the date this interview is being made, it is not. We decided to give the game many new technologies, which have mostly in graphic view improved it a lot. All our concern is to release it in the middle of this year.

OFP 1.5, how is ArmA sometimes called, will be surele welcomed by the community, which awaits it for endless three years. What changes would you like to meniton?

I would like to mentin that ArmA really is a OFP sequel, the fans will get what they already know.

Will ArmA have a strong story like OFP? Can you tell us more about it?

ArmA will take place in a fictive country, where the northern democracy is attacked by southern dictature right in the moment the United States forces get away in expectation of no more danger. With the rest of contignent you will help there, where it is needed most.

Will we meet some animals, too?

Yes, but don't expect squirells bearing your ammo.

Close combat, like bayonets, was completely forgot in OFP. Will be this option in ArmA? Many discussed about jumping, too.

ArmA is like OFP concentrated on ranged fight in huge open area, but we are making some progress in close fight, just don't expect fighting. About jumping, it will not be in ArmA, but there will be other ways to get through fence.

What engine will ArmA run on and what changes will it have?

It will have improved OFP:Elite engine, that means higher distance view, option of massive multiplayer battles and others. You can see much more trees now (you can uproot them to create barriers). Another changes are much more detailed towns and new object destruction capabilities.

The questions were answered by Jiøí Rýdl, marketing director of IDEA games, representing among others BIS.

Second part:

In the second part of interview with Jiøí Rýdl we'll get more info about engine, multiplayer and supporting MODs for Armed Assault, but we'll look at the "Game 2", too.

What changes can we expect in the enviroment, nature? Will the engine support rivers or tunnels?

Rivers will be supported in limited ways, you can maneuver vehicles on them, but you cannot swim. Tunnels are not supported.

Talking about the engine, what system requirements will ArmA have? Did your experience with the optimalization of X-box OFP help in this?

Of course, not only the X-box version helped in optimalization, engine is still in development and many improvements will appear in the next generation games. Optimal configuration for ArmA will be Pentium 4, graphic card with 256MB memory, but minimum will be even lower.The X-box version was useful mostly in memory requirements of the game, withou these we won't be able to make over million objects on the map.

That relates to graphic of the game. What nwew technologies will ArmA have? Do you plan (for example in some patches) supporting PhysX?

ArmA engine is made with DirectX 9 and has HDR effects and other advanced technologies. The physics of ArmA will be the technology developed by BIS, that means no support of PhysX.

How did you work on AI? What changes will it have from OFP?

Mostly the feeling you are a part of giant machinery, which evolves with events, but not only by one of them. Your companions obey your orders, they react on different battlefield situations and of course your enemies try to find a weak spot in your defence - they plan outflanking, call reinforcements and if they are not in advantage they don't draw the attention. From OFP we have removed many bugs and AI better uses the output of your computer.

Let's look at the game itself. Will it be event more realistic or more like arcade than OFP?

It remains the same, we want to be as realistic that the playability does not suffer.

Do you have real models of the weapons and vehicles that will appear in ArmA?

Not all of them, but BIS guys have tested many of them and some vehicles were in the studio in Støíbrná Lhota.

Multiplayer is a must in ArmA. What game mods can we expect? How many players will be supported in one game?

The most interesting is the option to join game that has started before, it can last to few hours. That is because a real attack of few tens of soldiers on fortified base on theother side of huge island doesn't take few minutes.

Will there be voice chat?

Yes.

Easy editor and making your own units are a great attraction even now. Will ArmA have the same?

Of course. Mod support is one of the main BIS concerns.

Mission makers want to know if the script commands will be like OFP ones and new ones will be added, or will you start from the very beggining?

We use the old scripting with new abilities, so who wants, he can make more, who does not want, can make with what he already knows.

What will be the addon compatibility from OFP?

Compatibility plays a big role in developing, it would be a pity if you lost many thousands fan addons, but we'll have to modify it a bit because of the new graphics.

Will be ArmA localized in czech? Do you want complete dubbing?

That depends on publisher, but yes, we want a complete czech version.

The X-box version has been recently released. Do you plan ArmA for consoles?

Not yet. We can think od XBOX360, but that depends on publisher, too.

Thanks for the interview. I wish you the will to continue in your fantastic work.

the "Game 2" Q and A is posted Here

[Striker-1991]

nice one

[jay316]

that q/a was verry promising info, i got a new desktop from one of the pics too, very happy about the news so far.