OFP:DR vs ArmA2 - SP Campaign and gameplay

[Art Blade]

So this was the game we were all so eager to get. This is especially interesting to compare with ArmA2, a game released quite a bit earlier.

I think a pro/con might help, regarding SP CAMPAIGN and gameplay - this is my personal oppinion. I am sure some of you agree, some disagree, but at least you know what I think.

OFP:DR cool new and easy to handle command system simple commands ballistic rounds, great shooting physics great weapon animation (switch/reload) on max, always smooth graphics great sound clever AI, only one incident, intense combat enemies are fairly visible enemies are not 110% accurate almost no glitches no real tutorial no open world feeling (no time to explore) map mode: commands not always easy to issue individual team members not so easy to command campaign is hasty, no real immersion missions seem strange sometimes giant world, you hardly see it. few vehicles, fewer to use no influence on campaign quite short campaign (7-9 hours)

ArmA2 good tutorial training missions (armoury missions) missions and campaign make sense big game world, immersive vehicles very realistic, rich in detail many vehicles usable during missions good weapon choices campaign changes due to your decisions all-seeing AI, 110% accurate AI walks and shoots through walls Enemy almost invisible, hard to hit very complicated command system many glitches, many bugs, some lethal despite many patches still bugs graphics may stutter or lag sometimes on max

[fragger]

Thanks for the comparo, mate, interesting list of pros and cons. I've only played Arma2 out of these. I had to go and blow my gaming budget on it only a few days before OFP:DR came out, my butt still hurts where I kicked it. The horrendously complicated commands and the large number of infurating bugs have put me off A2, for me the pros of the game, and to be fair there are pros, don't compensate for the drawbacks. I've put it back on the shelf for now, I may attempt it again sometime when I'm as one with my Zen and earthly things cause me no distress. For now I say bugger it, I'm going back to Africa to blow up the Post Office, purely for the theraputic value ;D

OFP:DR sounds like the choice out of these two games.

[Art Blade]

That is basically my conclusion. I withdrew from ArmA2 because of those unspeakable bugs.

[PZ]

Just loaded and played the game for a few minutes - reminds me quite a bit of A2 in the landscape.  I really like how the talk is much more realistic in OFP2.  Have not done much (don't have the time to play yet), but so far it is similar to A2

As to the bugs in A2 - so far I've not encountered much that has stopped me, and the mods to decrease the accuracy of the AI seems to help a bit.  Plus using the Lost Key mod (as well as many others) has greatly improved my game play experience.  It is probably "luck of the draw" as far as an individual's experiences.  The most annoying thing for me so far has been the stupidity of the AI when they drive.  They must have a blood alcohol of 2% to drive so ineffectively, crashing into buildings, running off the road, etc.  Even the mods to improve their driving ability has not cured them of their alcoholism.

[Art Blade]

The driving-AI in OFP:DR is the same. Let them drive cross country and they..., ah forget it, drive yourself :)

The bugs and the mods... the list above is vanilla games, no mods. Patches ok, but no mods or cheats. If you do compare them like that, vanilla, ArmA2 looks like a pre-alpha compared to a perfectly working game in OFP:DR ;D

[deadman1]

The only drawback to driving yourself that I have noticed is that the AI teammates wont fire the mounted gun. Unless you sit in the command position and point out specific targets the enemy will turn you into swiss cheese. Or am I missing something? ::)

[Art Blade]

in my case I, the first mission, I drove back to the LZ after cleaning that village. On arriving, my gunner did open fire on the enemies he spotted.

Have your team enter the vehicle, then get in yourself. Hit LSHIFT to change seats with the driver (you can check if there is a gunner, should be though). Then issue the general order RoE "fire at will" - the gunner will  :)

[PZ]

... issue the general order RoE "fire at will" - the gunner will  :)

Excellent - I too had the problem of the gunner not firing.  Was in the first mission and I came racing upon a stone shack which had a couple of enemy soldiers near it.  I hopped out of the vehicle and my guys kept rolling toward the shack with no one doing anything about the fact that they were being fired upon.  It was almost like they were on a Sunday casual drive through the countryside with no worries at all.

[gvse]

If I can add something to the A2vsOFP2 debate:
1. In A2 yo can order your men to go prone and stay prone. while in DR you can order them to stay, and they decide on the stance (sometimes the decision is unwise).
2. The way your avatar is holding the weapon is more realistic in A2 than DR which has more of a regular FPS vibe going on (i.e. gun is so in your face that it becomes a fetish ;)).
3. I believe field of vision is wider in A2 (better) but the graphics of DR are so much more atmospheric. I'm sick of A2 and its green palette. Daytime in A2 is sickening ;)
4. AI of DR is much better when it comes to cqc
5. Sometime I get the impression that the scale in DR is a bit off, i.e. beuildings seem a bit too small when set against the characters. Plus there should be more built-up areas in DR!
Overall, as far as I am concerned despite all the shortcomings DR wins hands down, and once they release patches, dlc and hopefully mods it's going to rock! :)