Vanilla+: Need To Know

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Cam
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Joined: Sun Dec 02, 2012 10:35 pm

Vanilla+: Need To Know

Post by Cam »

So, what is this “Vanilla+”, and is it contagious?
Vanilla+, as you may have guessed from the name, is essentially a vanilla session, much like the current Tuesday and Sunday sessions, with a few mod-based additions. A number of small and good quality mods will be used, namely ACRE and a few of the more popular terrains, or islands, available for ARMA 2.

Does this mean I’ll need to install Six Updater and run it every 5 minutes to get the latest updates?
Not unless you (like me), have a strange and unexplained love for Six Updater. All of the mods can be acquired either packaged in a (relatively) easy to install zip file or through a Six Updater custom repository (a simple way of downloading all the mods you need, in one preset). The mod-set is very unlikely to require an update more than once every few months, meaning that downloading and installing mods is (almost) a one-time procedure. The size of the pack is less than 2 ½ gb, and there’s only 5 mod-folders, with only ACRE requiring anything more than a drag, drop and the running of a shortcut to install. The manual installation guide, and the guide for installation through Six Updater are both available in the sub-forum.

I’ve got all that installed, and I’m hearing things about “radios” and “positional audio”, what do those words mean and how do I do them?
Both of those features are added by ACRE, a complete overhaul of the voice communication system for ARMA.

Essentially, think of ACRE (Something Something Radio Environment) as being a replacement of the In-Game VON, but with added realism points. The main feature is that it replaces TeamSpeak’s ordinary “global talk” feature with a positional system, so that voices come from the player’s body.

As well as that, it adds radios, which allow you to have a similar command and communication structure to the ordinary, FA-style system, but with an in-game interface, for added immersion.

The positional audio works perfectly from installation, and links directly into Teamspeak, so there’s no extra key-bindings needed, but the radios require a bit more learning. See the thread on using ACRE for a simple explanation of how they work in our sessions.

How does slotting work? Is it the same as the ordinary sessions, where we split off into our respective team channels on game-start?
It's not far off, but it has a few adjustments, to suit the way ACRE works. Namely, instead of splitting off into separate channels, everything is handled within one channel, with briefings being done in-game. This requires a bit more organisation and responsibility on the players part, but it also allows everyone involved to talk among themselves, whilst the commander plans, without being disruptive, due to the nature of ACRE.

However, slotting still works in exactly the same way. Players will be asked to use text chat for general banter, whilst the host organises the initial slotting phase, just to ensure that the game starts as soon as possible with as few issues as can be managed.

Alright, I’m on board on the metaphorical tractor, when is it?
Sessions take place at 8pm GMT Saturday, every week.

To join the server, either beforehand, to check your addons, or on the day of the session, either filter in the in-game browser for "Folk ARPS" and select the server named "Folk ARPS Vanilla+", or hit the "Remote" button on the bottom of your server-browser and enter:

Address: server.folkarps.com
Port: 2302
Password (will be prompted on connection attempt): freedom

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