Armed Assault

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This article or section contains information about a computer and video games>computer or video game .
It is likely to contain information of a speculative nature, and the content may change dramatically as the game's release approaches and more information becomes available.

Armed Assault is an upcoming computer game by Bohemia Interactive Studio (BIS). It is a tactical military first person shooter which is considered to be a successor to Operation Flashpoint. The game is anticipated to be fully updated with modern graphics, physics and a complete game engine overhaul, including a new streamlined campaign and game editing tool.

Armed Assault is being developed by a 15 member team at BIS, a Czech game developer. No publisher for the game has been announced at this point despite the mistaken belief that IDEA games[link], with a declaration of cooperation between various small developers, was a publisher.

Due to legal issues between BIS and Codemasters, the original publishers of Operation Flashpoint, Codemasters owns the intellectual property to the game. Since BIS has severed its connection with Codemasters and no longer own the Operation Flashpoint name, Armed Assault is considered to be the direct descendent of Operation Flashpoint but not a full sequel (hence references to Armed Assault as Operation Flashpoint 1.5) while a total sequel to Operation Flashpoint is currently referred to as "Game 2". Codemasters plans to release a rival title to BIS using the name Operation Flashpoint 2 with which BIS has no participation. The current estimated release date is July / September2006 based on an official declaration of an Q3 2006 release.

The game will only be for Microsoft Windows at the present time. However, the port of Operation Flashpoint as to the Microsoft Xbox suggests that BIS may consider a similar port with Armed Assault to the Xbox 360 or a similar system.

The game will feature both single player and multiplayer modes of play so an Internet connection will not be necessary. The multiplayer game, however, will require a high speed broadband connection for optimal gaming online. Also, soon after Armed Assault’s release, an array of modifications and add-ons as well as official patches will be available for download to enhance the game.

Contents

1 Storyline
2 A military simulation
3 Multiplayer
4 External links

4.1 Fan sites

Storyline

Armed Assault aims to replicate the realism of combat in a highly intense, brand new campaign, all of which takes place on islands that may measure up to 400km squared: four times larger than the islands of Everon and Malden featured in Operation Flashpoint.

The campaign in Armed Assault takes place on the fictional Atlantic island of Sahrani, a nation which is divided into a northern communist regime and a southern democratic monarchy. The narrative begins with US forces, after a few months of training in the south, leaving. The northern dictator uses this moment of weakness to attack the rest of the island. The player takes on the role of one soldier in a squad not rotated off the island before the conflict began. The squad aids the local militia in fending off the larger and more powerful neighbour’s offensive.

The campaign will follow a linear storyline. However, each level in the campaign will have a multitude of non-linear options for the player to complete the mission. The player’s ingame performance and choices will determine how the storyline progresses and ultimately will have a bearing on the war itself. For example, a mission to seize a crucial town can have a substantial effect on the story depending on the player's level of success or failure. Failure to successfully complete an objective does not result in the game ending but merely becomes another thread in the tapestry. Hostile squads will act independently of the player's actions so that they may be engaging in an activity dictated by the game AI that does not necessarily involve the player. This implies that the game has high replay value as no two games will be identical.

Despite initial claims, Armed Assault will not feature revamped campaigns from BIS’ back catalog.

A military simulation

The game developers are known for their dedication to realistically simulating the combat environment as closely as possible. So, apart from realistic weapons, vehicle models and terrain, realistic weapons’ ballistics, recoil, reloading, sighting and damage as well as realistic character and vehicle movement and speed are anticipated. Birds and insects, for example, will be AI controlled and react to the player's character, while terrain and static objects such as trees and buildings will be destructible in the game environment. Further developments suggest that felled trees, for example, can be used as cover by infantry while armoured vehicles will be able to plow a path through forests. Helicopters will have realistic handling and avionic responses requiring time to master while the actual campaign itself will feature real-time action, but not necessarily constant action. Military tactics will also reflect real world scenarios where patience, flanking and hard cover will need to be used. However, for gameplay reasons, swimming and jumping are not available to the player.

Controversially, BIS has introduced a new feature into the game where it is possible to switch characters in mid-battle. This feature adds to the potential replay and gameplay opportunities, however, fears remain among the Operation Flashpoint and Armed Assault communities that this may weaken the immersion and emotional potency of the game if it is easy to effectively teleport out of danger into the relative safety of a main battle tank.

The higher levels of difficulty place restrictions on the number of times the player may save their progress. A completed mission will save the player's progress and the player may save once during a level. Recent articles speculated that the game may appeal to a more mainstream gamer by offering the option of saving more frequently and adjusting the often daunting difficulty level, but this has not yet been confirmed by BIS. Also ingame options such as displaying a HUD or weapon crosshairs can be changed. The game will feature support for peripherals such as TrackIR.

Multiplayer

The multiplayer aspect of the game will feature a "join in progress" ability so that players can jump straight into the action. The number of people allowed in a multiplayer game is unlimited and is only limited by the server's capability. NPCs will also be available in the online game, both as allies and foes, while the dynamic mission editor will allow users to script complex battle scenarios for players to enjoy. A cooperative mode of gameplay will also be included allowing players online to complete the single player missions as a human player squad. The Armed Assault community also promises to provide the game with custom content such as new missions, campaigns, factions and weapons.

External links

Fan sites

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