Quote:
Originally Posted by Buchon
Calling ArmA flight simulator is a bit generous.
I guess his correct definition is Infantry Simulator.
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Are you referring to my post?
Arma does infantry combat well, but armored and flight is "semi-simulator". It's way more detailed and complicated than BFBC2 and the focus is not on fast-paced action, but using tactics and real-life caution when advancing on the battlefield.
Multiplayer in ARMA II can be EPIC because of the importance of good, coordinated teamwork. Many missions I've played you set out with a goal and plan how to acheive it, but things change and you need to rethink the plan again. You'll be looking at maps, scoping out villages and spreading out teammembers more than you'll be doing actual shooting. All weapons have real simulated ballistics with bullet drop, stopping power decrease and wind calculated. An RPG-7 does not fly slowly with a long smoketrail (when using the right mod (I'd recommend ACE 2)). It's more like firing a tankshell. The backblast will wound or kill your teammates, the rocket will impact and penetrate the armor killing the crew inside more often than blowing up the entire tank.
If you are used to the fast-paced action of BFBC2, then it'll be a new experience to try ARMA 2.
Compare it in real-life where you can say the pace and action of BFBC2 is like paintball, versus arma 2 which is like hunting in the forest. The reward for pulling something off in ARMA 2 is far better IMO than winning a match in BFBC2.
You have a wide variety of weapons, vehicles and a few maps (large-scale ones for campaigns and smaller ones for testing and fooling around). The game comes with a good mission editor that simplifies stuff like making a unit move from A to B, wait for a second unit to catch up, and assault point C at the same time from two flanks etc..
The flying in ARMA is more realistic than the battlefield series, but does also not fulfill a simmers requirements.
Yes, you have to manually lower/raise flaps and gear. You have the option to start and shut off your engine(s), you fly at realistic speeds (maps are huge so it's not scaled down like in all bf games), and damage can result in various failures (instruments, fuel leaks, engine shutdown, tailrotor, mainrotor).
Also, you can't just jump into a tank or heli and go solo. For driving tanks you need a driver and gunner minimum. A commander with better optics for target spotting and giving orders is recommended. That suddenly makes your tank a 3-man coordination masterpiece, or total flop. You can fly a heli, but without your gunner you're pretty useless, as you need him to lock on to targets, fire the machinecannon and help you spot threats. There's no option to bail out of a heli with a chute (in the unmodded version you can) and you are vulnerable as heck!
Normally a single shot from a rifle caliber round will render you dead or incapacitated. If hit in the chest/head you are most likely dead. If hit in the arms your aim is horrible and if you are struck in the leg you are forces to crawl. You can also bleed to death if you don't bandage the wound and if you fail to bandage it you will need a medic to stop the bleeding/restore some of your health.
The game has an EXCELLENT sound engine that simulates being shot at quite well and also simulates how sound is obscured by obstacles and makes it harder to point out where it's coming from and how far away it is. A sniper firing at you will really give you chills even if you're not close to being hit. The supersonic crack of the bullet passing you followed by the distant poof of the snipers rifle some hundreds of meters away is a thrilling experience.
Here's a nice distant view of CBU hitting a village
Then close up
Edit and some A-10 flying to show the scale of everything better...