FROM: Project Lead
TO: Arma 3 Users
UNIT: Main Branch
ACTIVITY: Game Update: 1.12 (Slammer UP tank, Vehicle optics, Linear car controls)
SIZE: ~709 MB

SPOTREP #19



FROM: Tools Commissar
TO: Arma 3 Modders
UNIT: Tools
ACTIVITY: Version 0.56 (More samples, BankRev)
SIZE: ~10 MB / ~300 MB

TECHREP #4

reported by Joris-Jan van 't Land on Tuesday 4th March 2014

FROM: Project Lead
TO: Arma 3 Users
INFO: Alpha anniversary, Zeus intel
PRECEDENCE: Flash

SITUATION
Tomorrow will have been a year since the release of the Arma 3 Alpha. Thanks to your enduring support and the hard work of the development team, Arma 3 has evolved into a cool military package. And it continues to grow and mature. As a small bonus for this mini-anniversary, we're including a new variant of the Slammer MBT in tomorrow's update. The Urban Purpose variant features a commander machine gun turret, a smaller caliber cannon, shorter barrel, and enhanced armor.
The update will also sport improved optics for armored vehicles - giving them more unique and authentic styles. Alongside the game update, we'll of course be bringing the Server packages to the same version. The Arma 3 Tools suite is to receive more samples for various vehicle types, as well as a tool to extract PBO data.
  
INTELLIGENCE
Petr Kolář reports: you may have already noticed that new holders for various objects appeared in the Editor together with the Zeus Beta release to development branch. These are meant to improve mission making by adding a possibility to place weapons on specific spots, and not only for Zeus. It is easier for example to make your own firing drills with a wide variety of weapons on the ground around shooting positions. We have even added an empty one on popular demand, in order to fill it with stuff using initialization scripts. All weapons, inventory items, headgear, vests and uniforms should be available to use (and loaded with respective magazines in case of weapons).
Let's continue last week's look at some of the cool aspects of Zeus:

• There is a strong potential for training. Team up with an experienced player and let him or her be a cooperative Zeus who runs you through improvised combat drills, navigation training, tactics, or anything else you can think of. This form of multiplayer training can be very intuitive and powerful.
  
• It is very easy to create custom scenarios which use Zeus technology in some way. Many things are possible, but it starts by simply dropping in a player character and a Game Master module (F7). Check out the documentation to learn more about setting up resource / unlock schemes, using custom add-ons, defining editable objects and areas, and more.
  
• The Zeus tech, especially when broken down to its smaller components and modules, can be used for other projects. Think of other game modes or features like spectating for example.

  
OPERATIONS
As we get closer to the release of the 'Win' campaign episode, the work on the new vehicles comes to its end. We are primarily tweaking the jets' flight models and getting the final sounds in place. A few new sound triggers in the engine will be usable for community aircraft as well: landing gear and flap SFX. Ideally we'll be staging the assets on devbranch next week.
Another small Task Force has been mopping up work on drones, based on player feedback and a few internal requests for upcoming scenarios. This forums post sums up what has been fixed / changed over the past few weeks.

LOGISTICS
Need some new wallpapers for your PC? Grab the new ones for the Make Arma Not War contest, or the splendid Arma 3 ones!

Quote

This mod will be used for the first time in the tac this Sunday for a mass test. So be prepared to bind your custom action keys 1(Self interaction) and 2(User interaction). I recommend left windows & right shift.

Features:

• Units are bleeding
  
  • Bandage bleeding units to prevent death
    
  • If bleeding too long you will die
• Knockout
  
  • Unit can get knocked out if too much damage received
    
  • Unit can get perma knock out or temporary knock out (temp knock out is calculated everytime!)
    
  • Epinephrine can be used to get knocked out units back
• Custom death
  
  • Unit can be revived with a dephibrilator (After Bleeding is stoped)
• Broken legs
  
  • When you receive too many hits in your legs you wont be able to move anymore until a medic heals you with a MedKit
• Drag KnockedOut / Death units
  
• A Module for simple implementation
  
  • Just add the module to your mission and every player will get initilized after
• Pain and with this also usable morphine
  
• Reusable Medkits
  
• Real value output of checkunit
  
• autoapply to all missions (optional via userconfig)
  
• some settings are editable via the module

Current Version: 0.3.0 Beta (Updated 1/3/14)
Download Xmed (@XMedSys_A3 on Kev's)

Note: When using the defibrillators you must yell out CLEAR! Also note there is no one watching the medic's back while he is doing his thing in the top picture.

A new version of CBA for ArmA 3 has been released.

Changelog:

• Added: Support for new A3 Event Handlers - killswitch
  
• Added: Support for the Ability to remove cba_versioning.pbo from the server. - ViperMaul
  
• Improved: Action Monitor Initialization - killswitch
  
• Improved: FlexiMenu's protection against bad Menu Definitions - Dr. Eyeball
  
• Fixed: Missing default BIS event handlers for Helicopters - killswitch
  
• Fixed: More Undefined variables in expressions - killswitch and ViperMaul
  
• Fixed: MPframework.sqf Error: a3mp_zues.pbo triggers latent Arma2 code in CBA - ViperMaul
  
• Fixed: Little glitch towards to the top left of the screen on certain maps. - Thanks Kju and killswitch

Download

CAF aggressors has also been updated on our servers. (And Kev's Updater)
Changelog:

• Fixed many many errors, should be much more stable
  
• Pack re-written completely, Must DELETE 1.0 or you will have issues
  
• Added Civilians for Africa and Middle East
  
• Added NEW weapon sounds by JSRS
  
• Groups tweaked slightly
  
• Factions re-named
  
• Added MCC compatibility
  
• classlists.txt included in download (@CAF_AG1.5\classlists.txt)

Download
Hotfix (required as well)

FROM: Project Lead
TO: Arma 3 Users
INFO: OPREP - Refactoring anims, Patch incoming, Zeus intel
PRECEDENCE: Flash
SITUATION
Our offices were recently invaded by a Eurogamer.net Task Force. They chatted with our developers, and recorded an impromptu Let's Play Arma 3 Zeus. The video quality is not great due to their recording setup, but there is a sneak preview of two new vehicles. You'll see the CSAT CAS jet in action with work-in-progress animations and sounds. A vehicle we have not yet spoken about, and which is coming to the 'Win' episode, is the Tempest heavy truck. Further diversifying the factions, this vehicle and the usual variants for ammunition, fuel and repairs, will be added to CSAT (as an additional vehicle, not replacing their fleet of Zamaks; avoiding issues in existing scenarios).
The rest of the video focuses on Zeus, showcasing more of its features and being mean to innocent goats. Zeus development itself continues rapidly. A few new features are available on devbranch already: load-outs for ammo containers & remote control of AI units.
Finally, we're preparing a main branch update which should hit next week. This update precedes the release of the 'Win' closing act, still targeted for late March.
INTELLIGENCE
The Community Focus got refreshed with a diverse range of highlighted projects. Have a look at a promising dinosaur mod, as well as the Tactical Battlefield PvP project. Next is a salute to another Russian community and we wrap things up with a playthrough of Zeus.
Speaking of, let's repeat a couple of aspects of Arma 3 Zeus to address common questions:

• Zeus can be a physical character on the battlefield, or an almighty virtual presence.
  
• There can be multiple Zeus in one scenario, not just one. This allows for concepts like Zeus versus Zeus with AI, and for distributing the load of managing the experience across more people.
  
• Zeus can be both against or with the players or any mixture of that depending on the scenario.
  
• Zeus powers and abilities can be limited in a scenario (e.g. any 'supernatural' powers can be disabled).
  
• Starting with a blank canvas in Game Master mode is just one example of using Zeus technology. You can also layer Zeus on top of a fully scripted and pre-designed coop scenario. Perhaps in such case Zeus only influences the patrol routes of existing units.

OPERATIONS
Animation programmer Šimon Kolčiter posted an OPREP titled "Refactoring Anims". He goes over a behind-the-scenes effort to bring some much-needed organization and structure to our web of animations. Not a lot of this work is visible to players right now. Basically it produces the same results but in a better way. It will however allow for a more robust starting point for new animation-related features over the next years.
LOGISTICS
We are currently recording the voice acting for the 'Win' episode. That also means we'll do two new Radio Protocols (voices). One of these is live on devbranch already, while the second one is to be processed and will appear somewhere between now and the episode's release.