SITREP #00217

FROM: High Command
TO: Arma 3 Users
INFO: Community Spotlight, Apex Protocol Singleplayer
PRECEDENCE: Flash

SITUATION

Last week we've released a hotfix for Arma 3's 1.82 platform update, which was initially deployed together with Tanks DLC. As always, we're now collecting feedback on the hotfix and we'll be evaluating our next steps from there. In the meantime, we're also still defining the exact priorities of our development team in the coming months. This should answer some remaining questions before we can share our future plans for the game. Keep in mind that many of our developers will slowly begin to move onto other projects at Bohemia. That means our next roadmap will be of a much more modest scope than previous roadmaps. Nonetheless there are definitely still several exciting updates/projects in the works for Arma 3!

INTELLIGENCE

It's been two years since the Iron Front mod was released. The goal was to bring weapons, vehicles, and gear from the World War 2 era to the Arma 3 platform. After 29 updates, its authors took some time to look back on the progress made in an epic roadmap blog. Of course, a roadmap wouldn't be a roadmap without addressing the future. Their new plan: introduce a major expansion! This expansion should drastically expand the number of British units. Aside from that, they also mention other future releases. If you're interested in this outstanding Arma 3 conversion, then you'll certainly appreciate this blog, which proves once again the enthusiasm and dedication of the Iron Front team!

Wargamer.com, a web-portal focusing on covering war and strategy gaming, released a guide for those who are interested in buying Arma 3 DLC. The article provides a clear overview of all the premium additions with some personal buying advice from the editor. Of course everyone will always have their own preferences, but all in all it's an interesting evaluation for anybody who owns the base game but is not yet sure which DLC will fit their play-style.

Mil-sim community group 21st Realism created an original Unit promo trailer. To recruit new soldiers for their unit, they have one of their own members, 1LT Boltz, explain why he's part of the Unit and what kind of adventures/comradery are waiting for those who want to enlist. If you're interested in joining, do visit their web page for more intel!

OPERATIONS

Last week, Arma 3's Update 1.82 was reinforced with a hotfix to address issues that were reported since the initial release of Tanks DLC. Aside from some crash cases, the hotfix also tweaks the effectiveness of AA missiles, handling of civilian cars, and more. Kudos to everyone who contributed by reporting these issues on our Feedback Tracker. Without you, we would certainly not have been able to resolve this many issues.

In response to feedback, last year we commissioned an internal experiment to try and port some of the "Apex Protocol" co-op scenarios (the campaign that shipped as part of Arma 3 Apex) to a fully fleshed out single player experience. While technically this proved feasible, we found that a lot of additional work would be required, such as additional voice acting sessions and rewriting most of the scripts. Unfortunately this proved not to be possible with our current resources. For that reason, we've now formally decided to cease this effort and discontinue the development of the conversion. Of course we understand that this was something many of us would have liked to see. Still, even though it's more geared towards co-op gameplay, we believe that the Apex Protocol campaign experience in its current form is highly enjoyable.

LOGISTICS

Last but not least, let's appreciate one of the unsung heroes in the splendid Arma community. Lou Montana has been creating, filling, and updating a lot of the Community Wiki pages for other scripters to use. An example of this effort is an expansion of the Magic Variables page, and very many function library definitions/specifications. Thank you as well as all other contributors for your work. It adds a lot of value and is highly appreciated!