FROM: Project Lead
TO: Arma 3 Users
INFO: Meet The MANW Winners, Remote Script Execution, Extension White-Listing
PRECEDENCE: Flash
SITUATION
As of last Friday, the Steam branch for the 1.46 Release Candidate is available for testing. If you'd like to join the test, or just pre-load the update, open Arma 3's properties in the Steam Client. Then select the BETAS tab and enter access code Arma3Update146RC. The RC branch will now be available in the drop-down above. Please be aware that you cannot connect to 1.44 main branch servers, and the RC branch may still be updated daily until release. Please submit any issues to the Feedback Tracker with clear indication of the version you're running. Early next week is when we're planning to publish this update to everyone, so there still is a solid week of testing ahead of us. Thank you all for your effort and time!
INTELLIGENCE
Get to know the Make Arma Not War winners! We've published a very interesting series of interviews with the winners in all categories (both individuals and team representatives). You'll get overviews straight from the creators, read about the inspiration behind their entries, and catch glimpses of their future plans. Digging deeper, there are some nice behind-the-scenes concepts, fun trivia and insight into the varied development processes. Coming from a broad range of backgrounds, it can be very inspiring to read these stories. If you are an aspiring modder yourself, be sure to check them out!
Alongside Helicopters DLC, in the free 1.34 platform update, we added 4 new Virtual Reality Training courses focusing on ... you guessed it: helicopters. You can get educated about the gameplay mechanics involved with rotary-wing flight by selecting LEARN and VR TRAINING from the main menu. This will boot up the simulation-within-simulation training hub. Select the desired topic by either shooting the 3D marker or walking to it. An unlock scheme guides your progression through the courses, starting with the "Basics". This is what each course will attempt to teach you:
- Helicopter - Basics (flight basics, flight, takeoff and landing)
- Helicopter - Weapon Systems (guided missiles, door gunner, unguided missiles, auto-cannon, aerial combat)
- Helicopter - Sling Loading (mechanics)
- Helicopter - Advanced (low flight, refuel and rearm, countermeasures, crash landing: auto-rotation, crash landing: tail rotor failure)
1.0% of worldwide rotor-heads have actually achieved "Virtual Pilot" thus far, meaning they have completed all 4 courses. Senior Designer Josef Zemánek suggests that sometimes it's better to just restart if you move too far away and lose control of the aircraft. It's possible to return to the hub at any time by pressing 'Esc' and selecting BACK TO HUB. We'd add that it's important to find fixed points of reference, especially in the VR world, where the unclear horizon can make it hard to orient yourself. Still wanting more detailed guides? Go through Andrew "Dslyecxi" Gluck's Art of Flight video series!
Marksmen DLC's update 1.42 introduced a few subtle AI suppression features into everyone's game. Check out this simple visualization of the effects suppression has on an AI soldier's precision when returning fire in the "Real and Simulated Wars" blog.
Summer is coming! Team Bravo in the Brno office organised a well-deserved after-work BBQ. The weekly photo shows them toasting with very special beer kindly provided by fellow Czech game developer Warhorse Studios. Cheers folks!
OPERATIONS
Discussion of remote script execution last week, caused a bit of a security concern. Let's address the major points that were raised:
- These commands will not yet appear in 1.46 main branch. We'll be finishing them on Dev-Branch first.
- Unlike some seem to believe, remote script execution is already possible now, via scripted methods. This is now a new concept, and quite many mod(e)s leverage the capability. And yes, so too can those with ill intent.
- There are BattlEye hooks that server admins can use to control these commands.
- There will be further methods to control, limit and possibly diagnose the use of these commands. We believe this will lead to a more secure environment without restricting the appropriate use of this technology. We'll share our plans soon, so you can evaluate whether they covers all use cases.
Now for some sterner words: while we all benefit greatly from the open development approach, we do believe this only works when there is mutual respect. Alerting us to potential issues, such as the one above, is very much welcomed on our official channels (Feedback Tracker, forums, @Arma3Official, and various others). However, certain community creators organizing aggressive spam campaigns against the personal accounts of our developers, is not helping anyone. It should not be your first method of reaching us when there is ample time to process your feedback in a normal manner. We thank you for understanding.
LOGISTICS
Since Arma 2: Operation Arrowhead it is possible to expand the game's functionality via custom DLL extensions. These offer powerful features to the creative mod(e) out there, but can also open the game to attack. The enhanced BattlEye protection in 1.46 will require extensions to be white-listed, or their access to the game's processes will be blocked. In order to get your extension white-listed, please contact BattlEye support via its web form or support[at]battleye.com. Be sure to include the file name, a description and possibly a download link. You may also contact Online Services Consultant David Foltýn via his Twitter or the forums to speed things along. We are discussing ways of dealing with fast-moving extension development within communities, as well as a more robust extension framework generally.
On the documentation front, Designer Radko Voda has provided an essay on recoil configuration as implemented in platform update 1.42. Find not only a description of CfgRecoils, but even some tips and tricks on how to set up recoil according to your needs. The samples of weapons in Arma 3 Tools were updated to this new level of technology a while ago already.
Senior Encoder Martin Gregor brings us an explanation of a subtle change that was made a short while ago. On the topic of In-Game User Interface, he says: "Names used to show up near cross-hairs when pointing at objects in the world. In order to limit unimportant information, this is no longer the case for decorative or environmental objects. The Editor and Zeus interfaces still show the display names of the objects to creators."