FROM: Project Lead

TO: Arma 3 Users

INFO: Update 1.36 plans, Dev Hub feeds

PRECEDENCE: Flash

SITUATION

Our sights are still trained on Marksmen DLC production. More weapons are progressing from wishlist entry to design analysis to concept art to 3D mesh. The first of them have entered the final artwork stages of texturing. After that they are handed off to animators to deal with holding and reloading them. But the DLC and its platform update are still a few months away, so let's take a look at something coming up sooner. Update 1.36 is slated for the beginning of December. While it's a maintenance update, there are some cool things we're hoping to include (depending on testing!).

Tests of recent server-side multiplayer optimizations are looking promising. Optimizations of the file system will soon be deployed to Dev-Branch and can help with the start-up of the game for example. Then there's an important update to the launcher, adding support for local non-Workshop mods. Another launcher-related improvement to enter testing soon is an improved BattlEye anti-cheat solution. It should be more effective at keeping undesired behavior at bay in multiplayer servers.

INTELLIGENCE

Some of you requested a RSS feed for the Dev Hub (the place you are most likely reading this). Web developer Jervant Malakjan has delivered and he's thrown in two other types of feeds. The RSS and Atom feeds are quite standard and can be used by various readers. The JSON feed is actually used by the game's launcher, and can be queried using a few parameters.

feed: rss / atom

type: spotrep / sitrep / oprep / techrep

page: <number>

count: <number>

OPERATIONS

The configuration of Vortex Ring State simulation in the Advanced Flight Model for helicopters is going well. We believe it's ready to include in update 1.36, so start re-thinking your 'collective down full' straight descents. It's also going to be possible to determine the use of AFM on a server-level. The priority of AFM configuration will be: server.cfg > description.ext (scenario) > options. The parameter is forceRotorLibSimulation (0 - options, 1 - forced on, 2 - forced off).

LOGISTICS

We were sent a nice and simple web tool which lets you quickly create and host an Arma squad XML. These are the files that let you configure a squad / clan for multiplayer. The most visible result of using such XML is the squad emblem on vehicles (and above groups in Zeus). Thanks to Marco Rieger for this unofficial service!