Expansion pack: Operation Arrowhead

[PZ]

IDEA Games and Bohemia Interactive have announced the development of ARMA II Operation Arrowhead; the standalone expansion pack to ARMA II. Watch for more during GamesCom, which takes place this August 19-23 in Cologne, Germany.

Set into the new, visually attractive environment of hilly central Asia, Operation Arrowhead will offer realistic combat simulation experience in a modern day setting with unprecedented freedom of movement, actions and tactics. Players will enlist into various roles within the US Army, from basic infantrymen, through special operatives, to pilots and tank crew in this new installment in the award winning line up of military simulators for PC from Bohemia Interactive.

Check out the IGN article

[JRD]

Great find PZ...
New roles, characters, scenarios and environments  :)

In Cologne heh? I know someone who might camp at GamesCom this year  ;)

[PZ]

Indeed, I was thinking the same  ;)

[gvse]

I'm not sure I will buy it. The other day I got really frustrated with friendly AI doing ridiculous mistakes, getting stuck, not following orders and being unable to find me. Plus I get choppy frame rates in Chernarus towns, and they do not warrant that, being ugly as hell! Then again, today I had a blast playing close quarters skirmishes in Avgani and Afghan Village maps.
I'm gonna wait and see how OFPDR will pan out, and I think I will not be disappointed as all the recent previews look very promising :)

[JRD]

I'm not sure I will buy it. The other day I got really frustrated with friendly AI doing ridiculous mistakes, getting stuck, not following orders and being unable to find me. Plus I get choppy frame rates in Chernarus towns, and they do not warrant that, being ugly as hell! Then again, today I had a blast playing close quarters skirmishes in Avgani and Afghan Village maps.
I'm gonna wait and see how OFPDR will pan out, and I think I will not be disappointed as all the recent previews look very promising :)

You have a good point there gvse... not sure if I'll spend more cash on another ArmA title while there is lots of user created content available and with great quality..
More likely save my gravel to OFP2, a beautyful war sim with better polishing as far as we know.

[PZ]

I read somewhere that BI was going to address performance issues as part of this package, so I guess we'll see.  I like the setting however, looks kind of like the middle east - have never been too fond of the Chernarus landscape - kind of bland. 

I'll probably get it to see how it works, and report back to you guys yay or "neigh"

[Art Blade]

hehe, gamescom... actually not really interested in that, but you never know... Since I was never the great enthusiast for A2, I hope OFPDR will be more to my taste.

[gvse]

If I decide to get it, I will wait till it's available in shops here as A2 was released in Poland last week, priced at... 70zl (about 16euros) whereas I bought it for 45euro from an internet shop. Great, huh? I have no regrets though because I have had loads of fun planning missions in the editor for the last 2 months or so.
The Middle East setting is definitely appealing but I reckon the Avgani map already provides that vibe rather well, and it will tide me over till BI release the expansion pack, and then we will see. Maybe OPF2 will make me forget I have ever played A2? It is likely, given that infantry missions appeal to me the most, and they are the focus of OPF2.

[PZ]

Wow, that's an incredible price drop in such a short time.  Still the same price in the stores here.  I just looked at some of the OFP2 videos that deadman posted the link to - and I'm with you; I might forget all about A2 if OFP2 is as promising as it looks! (just kidding, I really like the editor in A2 so much that I haven't really played the official game hardly at all)

[Art Blade]

gvse, that is a good point... actually I like being on foot as a virtual soldier, never fancied much tank, plane, heli etc raids. I do love flying but not as part of an attack :) I think this is another point wich is important to me but never realised it was. Well, driving in a car to get quickly from point A to point B is alright, but the actual fighting is best on foot for me. Even in FC2, where I love driving for sight-seeing purposes, I was never keen to drive just to get to the fighting. I like it if I get dropped at the war zone so I can enter the fight. OFPDR: waiting for it :)

[gvse]

No, no, it's not a price drop; it is the original retail price, and the game has just been released here, 2months late compared to other parts of the world.
And yeah, I don't care much for tanks, and planes, and helis; I use them mostly for extraction, support or as targets to destroy. What might interest me in BI expansion pack is the new terrain, not all the toys. Anyways, we are going to be spoilt for choice :)

[PZ]

Ahhh... I misunderstood...

I agree with you about the expansion pack - it is the terrain that I'm interested in more than the missions.  That and the potential for increased performance.  :-X  Any way, it will keep me occupied until OFP2 arrives in the stores.

[gvse]

 Guys,

Looks like I will be buying OpArrowhead after all. Just check out this site to see some of the new units and environment: http://dslyecxi.com/screens/ArmA2/Arrowhead/
Now, that is impressive! Plus, I read over at BI forum that the expansion will feature such improvements to the engine as FLIR (infra-red vision [heat is detected and the image is rendered in black and white]) and flashlights (they sure have been paying attention to the newly released OFP2 video footage), not to mention Mid East inspired dense urban area and the countryside!
My decision to buy the game has also been influenced by BIS giving us access to beta versions of upcoming patches for A2, and the fact that OpA will be in the mid price range, i.e. less than A2. That's what I call customer support!

[PZ]

Looks excellent gvse - although I'm not exactly sure how it works.  Does it require ARMA2 to be installed or is it an entirely new stand-alone game?

[JRD]

It sure looks great....

Some of the urban areas/houses reminds me Assassins Creed..

If it is in the mid range price (I wish I read half price  ;D ), than maybe I get it....  ::)

[gvse]

It's a stand-alone, i.e. no A2 required, but if you do have A2 then you can use units from either game on any map.
One of BIS reps said this in an interview with BI forum mod:
"What is the price for the expansion?
Jennik: A medium rangeed price, not a full price for regular new game."
Full interview is here: http://forums.bistudio.com/showthread.php?t=84463

[PZ]

Cool - so those of us with A2 will get a whole new setting in which we can play.  :-X

Definitely worth getting for me because I really liked the buildings depicted at the link you provided.  Kind of remind me of the dilapidation in FC2

[RedRaven]

nicely INDEED - actually found a mod with Apache for A2 earlier today, textures are plain but its fun, also found a Dune buggy thing like in vid trailer for OFP2. cant find links for them but if you want to play just search thru wheeled vehicles in ArmA1 files on Armaholic site :-X

Edit - really like the old style motorcycle, and the city or what ever it is looks like a run-down council estate from here in the UK ;D

[gvse]

the city or what ever it is looks like a run-down council estate from here in the UK ;D

That's a good one! ;)

[RedRaven]

they have opened official site for it.....

http://www.arma2.com/arrowhead/

not much there but some nice screen shots at the moment. Blurb about it sounds interesting tho.

[PZ]

Looks good - has the environment that I personally like (dry desert) - too bad it is still such a long way off, but we'll have OFP2 to keep us busy.

[RedRaven]

forgot to mention its a stand-alone release, so it will not need A2 to run.