How steep is the learning curve in ARMA 2!?!?

I'm getting the game soon, thought i'd get to grips with the game that supposedly has a massively high learning curve by downloading it.. and wow.. I'm finding it really difficult. I'm usually quick to pick up on new games but ARMA is truly something else.. I'm sat here in the middle of an intense firefight (It's the second mission FGS) and I'm trying to lob a grenade, which I forgot you have to hold for more power, then trying to change firemodes on my Mk 16 for about 5 minutes, all whilst being popped at by some idiot with a PKM.. took me about 10 minutes to remember how to get my actual Holographic sight up (I'm playing Arrowhead) on the Mk16.. It's very fun though! I can't join any legitimate servers yet because I haven't got it, but I'm struggling like hell so it's a case of sitting in the tutorial over and over and over just to let it sink in.. I thought (After about 3 times of doing the infantry tutorials) Sod this! I'ma try fly a choppa >. Oh lord, NEVER use BF/PR controls in ARMA. I s**t myself at the lack of control I had, and just went back to the infantry.. where I belong currently.

I'm having a cracking time though, I find it amazingly realistic as it stands, never mind with ACE/ACRE. Just about to start my "Driving" Tutorial, oh lord, this is gonna go badly.

BTW.. Can't post this in the ARMA 2 sections, I don't have permissions or something or other.

Its STEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP!

Tip of the day: Dont waste your money..

I'm proper getting into it actually, But BF3 comes before ARMA2 on my to-buy list ;D

Well. Not that much of a step, however its too buggy for my liking. I've got it and I just get annoyed by the movement of my character, it's almost like he can't do anything smooth.. Played PR for ArmA2 aswell, not really into it..

I do agree with the "Clunkiness" of the infantry, but.. I've just commanded a tank, and the only thing that comes to mind after going "Target that Tank, 200m". *M1A2 Fires* "Target Destroyed" is win.. ARMA2 PR is only V0.1 though.. Remember PR v0.1 for BF2? It was just vanilla with more damage.. Give 'em time to expand it! I currently can't wait to purchase the whole shebang and get on multiplayer!

The last community I played in was a pure ArmA community and I will tell you now the game is amazing and s**t at the same time. In no way would I call it a combat simulator.

The huge maps and mod support for extra content are amazing. Like sometimes we could get a UN skinpack on and a load of UN vehicles and do peacekeeping missions where some of the guys would play civilians and that sort of thing, they were awesome because some of the guys used to spend half their time scripting missions and that sort of thing.

Another one we used to do was put it on hardcore mode or whatever they called it. Turn off GPS and map icons and just have people spawn in random places in the middle of the night all over the island with just a compas and a map with no aid markers on it (You could not see your position etc). There would be a designated LZ somewhere and everyone had to make their way to it but the island would be crawling with enemy patrols, roadblocks and civiliand walking and driving around the roads. Everyone then had to get to the LZ but obviously first we had to find out where we were, but in ArmA you could use things like road signs and all sorts to figure it out as the maps are like proper OS maps almost.

At the same time as we could do all these cool missions and scenarios, the game mechanics were clunky as hell and if you got into a firefight with the AI they were just killing machines. 300m perfect accuracy with an ironsight AK47 was not uncommon. If they had a PR like deviation it would sort it out somewhat. But there was still stuff like 3 RPG-7 rockets nearly destroying an Abrams with TUSK armour added onto it and stuff like that.

Its not too bad, had an awesome few games with this game. Patch 1.60 will fix the biggest problem for me which was the warping of stuff in MP. When it comes out it will probably worth trying to do some more Ace/ACRE missions with the clan

The first few games are always hard work. Agree completely with the cluckyness of infantry movements. Though I guess it would also be hardwork to be smooth when carrying a backpack, 2 weapons and a Javelin.

But give it a couple of attempts and finally all will make sense xD

Oh god.. Playing the british campaign.. so far been shot down by a US AA, and then took 20 minutes trying to split the squad between two jackals. all is not well.

I say save your money and buy BF3.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5FlVL5jy4Rc

this is the reason why I couldnt play arma 2 longer then 10-15 minutes.

I say don't bother with BF3 and buy Arma. Then install Six Updater and sync with United Operations and play with them. Or install PR:A2 and wait for more people as the playercount is really low right now.

The one major problem I had until recently was the gorram warping or teleporting of distant or even nearby units. The beta patch and next official will fix that 100% so now it's a pretty awesome game.

BF3 will be fun for a couple of weeks and then it'll get boring again. PR will live on because of the constant development and people playing it, making every round a little different (mostly)