PA JOE IS BACK!
We have risen from the ashes like a musclebound, cigar-smoking phoenix.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tl92wiSMHXkWho we are: A growing ARMA 3 group made up primarily of Penny Arcade regulars, with a smattering of associates for support.
Our mission: We aim to have fun pretending to be high-speed-low-drag army mens, and we accomplish this with flair (sometimes... maybe... with lots of explosions, shenanigans, and the odd blue on blue incident...). Accuracy through volume is a thing right?
Who is welcome: Any PA member with ARMA 3 and the desire to play semi-real missions / campaigns with PA JOE (this isn't CoD, and team play is mandatory by design of the game being more simulator than shooter). Must also play well with others.
What we play: The Zeus campaign is currently on hold until I return from working out of town, but that doesn't mean the fun stops there.
@Mojojoe has stepped up to host games in my absence, and the group plays pick up Patrol Ops (dynamic mission generator) on the regular.
OLD OP/ ZEUS CAMPAIGN INFOI'm am running a semi-realsim campaign, with games once or twice a week.
It is a campaign to liberate Altis from CSAT occupation, and to stablize the country against the rise of the militant fascist government, backed by the Altis Armed Forces.
Playable faction is NATO, with Free Independent Altis (FIA) forces assisting.
Features I am using:
- Zeus curator official DLC, played by myself.
- Persistent map, updated session-to-session (liberate a town, have it change hands for next session).
- In-game objectives, both large and small, scaled to the number of players in real-time through Zeus.
- Side missions, to keep the action going and to bring the campaign alive.
- Ventrilo for communication.
$$$ DONATE - "SERVICE GUARANTEES CITIZENSHIP" $$$The server currently costs 30.00euros/month to operate. The hosting company Vilayer has made clan operation a cinch. Simply click on the following link, enter a donation amount (vilayer sets the minimum at 5euros), and pay via paypal. This sends your monies directly to our clan account and will be used to pay for rental fees. Vilayer publishes the names of backers to me via my service console, and I will reward said backers with priority slotting, ensuring that you will always have a slot free, even if we are full.
https://www.vilayer.com/cl/grouppay.php?hash=44b11-a787e-321ca-215a8-b8643-c04b7-53
SERVER INFOServer: 198.27.80.213:2302,
password is wang,
Vent: vent20.gameservers.com,
Port: 4384,
vent password: wang
SERVER RULES1. Keep to the current objective - I know that Altis is an amazing creation with lots to see, but having guys off on their own means I have to split my attention between groups and reduces the quality of Zeus oversight for all; outside of the current mission bubble, I purposely empty all AI content to keep server load down and lag to a minimum. Also, AI processing/ pathfinding seems to get dumber the more processes you create.
2. Identify and help newbs out - PA JOE is and will always remain all-inclusive in my mind. ARMA has a noticeably steep learning curve and we've all been there at one point. More people = more people to play with when regulars can't make it.
3. Don't argue over tasks, and share piloting or driver jobs - This one explains itself. If you need time in the pilots seat, launch a private game and practice. Otherwise, split the job between guys at your level, I don't want to have to play referee. If everyone agrees that one or two guys do certain jobs, that's better. We are fighting for democracy after all.
HANDY MODS
BACK STORY (highly recommended that you read, as it details the 'why' and the current mission):
OPERATION ALTIS FREEDOM
Situation:
General – The independent Mediterranean island-nation of Altis is in turmoil due to a recent military coup. The Altis Armed Forces (AAF), led by General Philippe Alexandros, has overthrown the long standing democratic government, throwing the country into chaos. Through the use of brutality and hardline methods, General Alexandros has managed to establish a firm hold over East Altis, and now seeks to turn his attention westward. Meanwhile, the destabilization of the country has attracted the interest of the Canton Protocol Strategic Alliance Treaty (CSAT), which has taken advantage of the situation to invade Altis, thereby expanding its power base in the region. There is also speculation within the intelligence community that CSAT intends to exploit the country’s mineral wealth, and primarily seeks to obtain the heavy metals necessary to fuel its budding nuclear weapons program. CSAT currently holds the majority of West Altis. NATO has been uncharacteristically quick in responding to the crisis in Altis, and has dispatched expeditionary forces to attempt to stabilize the situation. Due to the speed of deployment, NATO forces have managed to secure a tenuous foothold in Central Altis, and have managed to capture the country’s main airfield.
Friendly (NATO)- The 31st Multinational Expeditionary Force (MEF), commanded by Col. Bassman was stood up and deployed in record time, mainly due to the redirection of forces already in the region. This has allowed for the quick capture of the port town of Kalithea, as well as the Athena Airfield (Athena). Holding these key locations will continue to be important, as they facilitate and act as the supply points for the entire MEF. The MEF itself is comprised of elements of the American, Canadian, British, and German armed forces. CAMP FREEDOM was constructed adjacent to Athena, and is the current NATO headquarters for OP ALTIS FREEDOM. FOB MOOSE was established west of Athena, and is the stepping off point for operations into West Altis. Although air superiority has yet to be established, indirect fire from supporting offshore naval vessels is available in certain circumstances, and experimental high-altitude armed drones have been deployed to the region.
(FIA) – The Free Independent Army of Altis (FIA) is comprised of current and retired members of the AAF who left the army prior to the rise of General Alexandros and the subsequent coup. They believe in an Altis free from tyranny and are motivated to seek the return of a democratic and free Altis. FIA freedom fighters were quick to contact NATO forces, and have offered their support and local knowledge to assist in stabilization efforts. They have access to a limited quantity of stockpiled small arms, and converted ‘technical’ vehicles mounted with heavy weapons, and have been successful in small engagements with both the AAF and CSAT through the use of guerrilla tactics.
Enemy (AAF) – The AAF is commanded with an iron fist by General Alexandros, and mainly operates from the Damnos Army Base, altho it has a suspected secondary HQ somewhere in the vicinity of Molos. AAF units are universally hardline, well-trained, and extremely motivated ideologically. Efforts have been made to locate the whereabouts of General Alexandros, but he keeps a constantly shifting location. Any attempt to infiltrate his organization have been fruitless, usually at the loss of the operative. AAF equipment is slightly older than what NATO has access to, but is well-maintained, and operated by skilled soldiers. AAF doctrine heavily favours a combined-arms approach, and enjoys support from a surprisingly coordinated armoured corps.
(CSAT) – CSAT occupation forces are being led on Altis by Col. Ammad Fahroum, which intelligence suggests has set up headquarters in Fort Kastro on the West coast of Altis. Being a well-funded global alliance, CSAT has access to state of the art training and material. Their technology parallels and even surpasses NATO capabilities in certain areas. Its units are comprised of well-paid, well-trained soldiers. Because of the suspected intent to exploit mineral assets in the country, CSAT occupation has been relatively light in terms of civilian casualties. Their doctrine is a mix of the old and new. CSAT forces rely on a ‘boots on the ground’ approach, and they favour the use of infantry units supported by unmanned drone usage.
Col Bassman’s intent – My intent is to contain or eliminate the CSAT occupation and to re-stabilize Altis by defeating the AAF and removing General Alexandros from power.
Posts
Ideally, I would like to see around 10 players. This would allow the campaign to be interesting but manageable as Zeus. The module itself is quite good at maintaining player interest and at generating an unlimited amount of content at random.
For example: I had 2 friends play test for me as I learned the interface. Within about 5 minutes of spawning I had their FOB being hit with sporadic mortar fire, complete with an 'incoming' siren wailing from the command post. I then generated a "spotter" in civilian attire and placed him in a building with sight lines to the base. Once placed, I created a mission on-the-fly to "locate the spotter in order to eliminate the mortar fire". They went up one of the towers in base and used their binos to locate him. At this point they could have done a number of things: laser the target for an A10 bombing run generated by Zeus, give me a grid for a fire mission, or run down and try to shoot him the old fashioned way. They chose to run down and shoot him. Unfortunately, he had trip mined the entrance to the building to guard against this... boom .
For anyone interested, my steam profile is: http://steamcommunity.com/id/xo_centric
*UPDATE* I've figured out random patrol scripts and random area-specific enemy spawns. What this means is that I can populate towns and countryside with a specific enemy type, and it will spawn a random amount of clone groups who will choose their own routes.
edit- is there a cheaper than steam's full price option out there? 60$ is steep.
should already have it as its free.
Cool beans. Lets do this then, PA JOE ASSEMBLEEEEEEEEEEEEE!
I assure you that my man shooting skills are at least slightly better than my MS paint skills.
any day but friday- thats my gw2 wvw night
I will be pushing a schedule and server info out via steam/PM as soon as I get a box up and stable.
Any must do tweaks for fps? I have a 2500k and 780 ti.... still hovers between 30-40 on high.
More info can be found on the Bohemia Interactive site regarding launch options:
https://community.bistudio.com/wiki/Arma_3_Startup_Parameters
I think it's kinda bogus that the community has to optimize their own experience, but we live in the barren wasteland that is PC gaming so it's our own fault.
**UPDATE** - Phase one of the campaign mission is set up, just need to get the server box configured properly and we'll be golden.
Upside:
I completed the first mission of the Altis Zeus campaign, annnnnnnnd...
PA JOE now has an official Arma 3 server:
[PA JOE] - Zeus campaign. | Vilayer.com
198.27.80.213:2302
password: the usual PA password
Server is open for voting and free-play by PA Joe members, unless scheduled for a campaign mission, or when I'm on to Zeus.
Next scheduled session: Weds 7 May 6pm EDT
Downside:
I am new to server administration, so bear with me.
I wrote a backstory for the Altis campaign. It's a little long, but will paint a picture for the campaign, and highlight the first mission:
OPERATION ALTIS FREEDOM
Situation:
General – The independent Mediterranean island-nation of Altis is in turmoil due to a recent military coup. The Altis Armed Forces (AAF), led by General Philippe Alexandros, has overthrown the long standing democratic government, throwing the country into chaos. Through the use of brutality and hardline methods, General Alexandros has managed to establish a firm hold over East Altis, and now seeks to turn his attention westward. Meanwhile, the destabilization of the country has attracted the interest of the Canton Protocol Strategic Alliance Treaty (CSAT), which has taken advantage of the situation to invade Altis, thereby expanding its power base in the region. There is also speculation within the intelligence community that CSAT intends to exploit the country’s mineral wealth, and primarily seeks to obtain the heavy metals necessary to fuel its budding nuclear weapons program. CSAT currently holds the majority of West Altis. NATO has been uncharacteristically quick in responding to the crisis in Altis, and has dispatched expeditionary forces to attempt to stabilize the situation. Due to the speed of deployment, NATO forces have managed to secure a tenuous foothold in Central Altis, and have managed to capture the country’s main airfield.
Friendly (NATO)- The 31st Multinational Expeditionary Force (MEF), commanded by Col. Bassman was stood up and deployed in record time, mainly due to the redirection of forces already in the region. This has allowed for the quick capture of the port town of Kalithea, as well as the Athena Airfield (Athena). Holding these key locations will continue to be important, as they facilitate and act as the supply points for the entire MEF. The MEF itself is comprised of elements of the American, Canadian, British, and German armed forces. CAMP FREEDOM was constructed adjacent to Athena, and is the current NATO headquarters for OP ALTIS FREEDOM. FOB MOOSE was established west of Athena, and is the stepping off point for operations into West Altis. Although air superiority has yet to be established, indirect fire from supporting offshore naval vessels is available in certain circumstances, and experimental high-altitude armed drones have been deployed to the region.
(FIA) – The Free Independent Army of Altis (FIA) is comprised of current and retired members of the AAF who left the army prior to the rise of General Alexandros and the subsequent coup. They believe in an Altis free from tyranny and are motivated to seek the return of a democratic and free Altis. FIA freedom fighters were quick to contact NATO forces, and have offered their support and local knowledge to assist in stabilization efforts. They have access to a limited quantity of stockpiled small arms, and converted ‘technical’ vehicles mounted with heavy weapons, and have been successful in small engagements with both the AAF and CSAT through the use of guerrilla tactics.
Enemy (AAF) – The AAF is commanded with an iron fist by General Alexandros, and mainly operates from the Damnos Army Base, altho it has a suspected secondary HQ somewhere in the vicinity of Molos. AAF units are universally hardline, well-trained, and extremely motivated ideologically. Efforts have been made to locate the whereabouts of General Alexandros, but he keeps a constantly shifting location. Any attempt to infiltrate his organization have been fruitless, usually at the loss of the operative. AAF equipment is slightly older than what NATO has access to, but is well-maintained, and operated by skilled soldiers. AAF doctrine heavily favours a combined-arms approach, and enjoys support from a surprisingly coordinated armoured corps.
(CSAT) – CSAT occupation forces are being led on Altis by Col. Ammad Fahroum, which intelligence suggests has set up headquarters in Fort Kastro on the West coast of Altis. Being a well-funded global alliance, CSAT has access to state of the art training and material. Their technology parallels and even surpasses NATO capabilities in certain areas. Its units are comprised of well-paid, well-trained soldiers. Because of the suspected intent to exploit mineral assets in the country, CSAT occupation has been relatively light in terms of civilian casualties. Their doctrine is a mix of the old and new. CSAT forces rely on a ‘boots on the ground’ approach, and they favour the use of infantry units supported by unmanned drone usage.
Col Bassman’s intent – My intent is to contain or eliminate the CSAT occupation and to re-stabilize Altis by defeating the AAF and removing General Alexandros from power.
Mission: MOOSE THRUST
PA JOE will assault south from FOB MOOSE to secure objectives “Labatts”, “Stella”, and “Newcastle”. This will seal off approach to Athena from the SW by CSAT forces, and allow secure operation of the airfield.
Execution:
PA JOE will execute MOOSE THRUST in 3 phases, with flair and audacity.
Phase 1: Assault and secure objective “Labatts”.
Phase 2: Assault and secure objective “Stella”.
Phase 3: Assault and secure objective “Newcastle”.
End state – MOOSE THRUST will be complete when the port at objective “Newcastle” is secure, and all friendly forces return safely to FOB MOOSE.
Service and Support:
Air support – Available through callsign “Zeus”.
FIA – Available through contact at FOB MOOSE.
Armor – Available through callsign “Ironsides”.
Engineer – Available through callsign “Echo”.
Command and Signals:
All requests will be routed through callsign “Zeus”.
Main bit of feedback I'd give is that a more directed set up in terms of objectives and loadouts would be preferable (for me at least) we kind of just meandered from location to location and changed up gear constantly.
Also I'd love if the next operation involved armor or attack helicopters, you boys can keep your dainty marksmen rifles. All I need is a cannon.
In response to your feedback:
1. I will be playing a more verbal Zeus-as-high-command in further games, now that I have the knack of the module. This means I will keep you guys more focused, and you will have better updates on-the-fly.
2. Custom loadouts scripted into the respawn menu may be above my skill level, for now. My interim solution is to add a larger quantity/variety of supply crates to the respawn in FOB MOOSE.
3. Expect a helo insertion side mission at some point. So you pilot types will be able to show off your skills soon.
Things you should have picked up:
- There is a anti-NATO element within the populace, and they are not above IEDS or booby-trapping (be careful).
- CSAT has access to a large supply of disposable drones.
Things I learned about the Zeus module to spice up further games:
- If you give me a grid reference for a fire mission (when available), I can lay down fire on the map.
- Ammo drops are possible (again, if air support is free)
- Vehicles drops are ALSO possible (need to finish MOOSE THRUST to allow them to launch birds from Athena tho)
- Give players a bit if lulls to regroup and reorganize.
Hopefully we have a bit bigger turn out next time.
I will be announcing the next session here and sending invites when I get the map updated with your guys progress. Expect Weds and Sat games tho.
Remember: Knowing is half the battle!
Unfortunately work is not too understanding of half days for ARMA... Bastards.
Anyway, any ideas what's going on with that or am I just boned?
You were getting into Love Buggy on drone warfare.
True realism etc. etc.
Also I want to point out I am usually terrible at shooting in Arma and that's why I take automatics. Somehow I hit every single drone I fired at in a single burst.
Sadly, bubble flyers and viper tanks are not in the ARMA code.
if not thats cool.
I've played a lot of DayZ and some Wasteland and recently Battle Royale but I have almost no experience with standard Arma 3 so I know very little about orders and the map. Still if that's ok I'll join up with you guys, maybe I'll learn a thing or two before I drop a live grenade in a helicopter.
So long as you're vaguely aware and on the ball I think you'll be fine, we're hardly milsiming it here. It's more like D&D night with grenade launchers.
EDIT: Also somehow we avoided G for Gearing anybody all evening. I'm surprised.
Should have mentioned I was working all weekend away from home, so that I could not Zeus a game.
Next scheduled session will be: Weds 14 at 6pm EDT.
Also, if you guys want to run any of the vanilla coop missions between scheduled days, the server is always up. I have completed the map update and added most of your guys requests to the next mission. I will also test the mission so that I don't have to restart the server 10 times again.
All are welcome. As stated, I run the game more like Army-D&D than a total milsim, altho you'll probably hear some semi-real back and forth on the comms between the players and myself acting as high command.
Im also up for practice together on tuesday if anyone is free.