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Marines
16 May 05, 21:12
While BI will be at E3 this year it does not negate the fact that OFP2 no longer has a publisher.

Yeah you heard me, Codemasters has since dumped the title from their lineup of future releases.

So what does this mean for us, the OFP guru's? Well for one, it means that Operation Flashpoint will no longer be the title as the OFP name is copyrighted material, and thus the property of Codemasters. I think that you hard-core OFP players should head over here. (http://www.armedassault.com/) If you don't recognize that screenshot, you should, it was an alpha build screen released well over a year ago.

What will become of the series we love so much?

Ivan Rapkinov
16 May 05, 23:03
It'll become VBS2 and be sold over the internet ;)

BI has realised they don't need Codemasters taking a share of their profits.

Marines
16 May 05, 23:06
It'll become VBS2 and be sold over the internet ;)

BI has realised they don't need Codemasters taking a share of their profits.

I don't have 500+ dollars US to spend on a title that is solely a training product. :(

Ivan Rapkinov
16 May 05, 23:11
My point was that BIS realised that selling it over the net through their own stores was just as effective as letting CM take a cut. And codemasters aren't exactly a publishing powerhouse top begin with.

Marines
17 May 05, 00:04
My point was that BIS realised that selling it over the net through their own stores was just as effective as letting CM take a cut. And codemasters aren't exactly a publishing powerhouse top begin with.

BI isn't Valve, James.

I think OFP is dead, unless they can find a publisher.

We will see.

Hellfish6
17 May 05, 01:04
I think that you hard-core OFP players should head over here. (http://www.armedassault.com/) If you don't recognize that screenshot, you should, it was an alpha build screen released well over a year ago.

I'm a moderator on the BIS forums - I've never seen that shot on public display before yesterday. Where, pray tell, did you see it a year ago? If it was a widely publicized pic, I assure you I'd have known about it. It is quite different from any other OFP pic that has been released since VBS was announced - and very different from Xbox pics. Look at the soldier models. Those a dead giveaways.

What is more, "Armed Assault", despite it's fairly uncreative name, is rumored to be one of three games announced at E3 by BIS (the other two are, presumably, OFP Xbox and OFP2). What it is, nobody's quite sure yet. BIS is notoriously close-lipped and they do like to play games with their fans - wait till after E3 and then start talking about this stuff.

As for finding a publisher, I don't think BIS is worried.

Marines
17 May 05, 09:29
I'm a moderator on the BIS forums - I've never seen that shot on public display before yesterday. Where, pray tell, did you see it a year ago? If it was a widely publicized pic, I assure you I'd have known about it. It is quite different from any other OFP pic that has been released since VBS was announced - and very different from Xbox pics. Look at the soldier models. Those a dead giveaways.

I saw that screen on ofpfiles.com almost a year ago, however, I could be wrong. Since you're a mod over there please oh please keep us updated, as I can't take these rumors anymore. :)

It's killin' me.

What is more, "Armed Assault", despite it's fairly uncreative name, is rumored to be one of three games announced at E3 by BIS (the other two are, presumably, OFP Xbox and OFP2). What it is, nobody's quite sure yet. BIS is notoriously close-lipped and they do like to play games with their fans - wait till after E3 and then start talking about this stuff.

As for finding a publisher, I don't think BIS is worried.

IIRC, OFP2 was slated for a late 2005 release? If that is so, they're running close to their deadline.

Marines
17 May 05, 09:44
:edit:

I recently reinstalled my OS and lost all of my OFP additions.

Does anyone (James/Hellfish) happen to know where I can find the ADF addons?

Hellfish6
17 May 05, 12:04
OFP.info is the best place to find OFP addons.

OFP.info's results for ADF (http://ofp.gamezone.cz/index.php?oblast=news&search=adf)

As for a late 2005 publishing date, no - last BIS announced it was going to be mid 2006. The original pub date was late 2004, then various times in '05, and now '06. Personally, I wouldn't expect it before summer '06, simply because software always takes a lot longer to make than you think and it's always, always, always delayed. By late '05, we should have a better idea of the ship date.

Marines
17 May 05, 13:23
OFP.info is the best place to find OFP addons.

OFP.info's results for ADF (http://ofp.gamezone.cz/index.php?oblast=news&search=adf)

Yep, that's one of the few sites I frequent, thanks for the find.

As for a late 2005 publishing date, no - last BIS announced it was going to be mid 2006. The original pub date was late 2004, then various times in '05, and now '06. Personally, I wouldn't expect it before summer '06, simply because software always takes a lot longer to make than you think and it's always, always, always delayed. By late '05, we should have a better idea of the ship date.

Bah! I thought it was slated for a summer '05 release.

Oh well, I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

Hellfish6
19 May 05, 14:30
Press Release (http://www.bistudio.com/presspages/aapressrelease.html)

Press release – New game from Bohemia Interactive Studio


Prague, Czech Republic – 19th May 2005

Armed Assault
Format: PC CDROM
Genre: First person military combat
Release date: Q4 2005
Publisher: To be determined

Bohemia Interactive Studio is proud to announce the development of the first person combat game – ARMED ASSAULT.

Brought to you by the creators of Operation Flashpoint*: Armed Assault will reacquaint gamers with the ultimate in realistic, combat gaming.
Armed Assault features a new engine with a fresh modern setting. Freedom of action and immersive complex environments, blended with a unique touch of total simulation.

Get ready to explore massive environments. Combat intelligent enemies that try to outthink and outmaneuver you. Preserve the lives of yourself and your squad members in the heat of a modern armed conflict.



Compatible with community created content
Large selection of playable military and civilian gear and vehicles
Fight for freedom in a new storyline
Map covering over 100 sq. km, in extreme detail
Comprehensive multiplayer support with join in progress
Customizable game with built-in mission editor



This looks more like an OFP 1.5 than OFP2 (which will probably be announced tomorrow). This is all that's known about it - most important revelation is Join In Progress for MP games, which was sorely missing from the original.

I don't know of any new features beyond this - hopefully some other missing features in the original (wheeled vehicles firing missiles, thermal sights, etc.) will make it into this.

I know I'll buy it no matter what, but I hope it's a significant improvement.

And yeah, there's a petition to change the name of the game. "Armed Assault" just isn't very interesting. :rolleyes:

Hellfish6
19 May 05, 21:02
OFP2 Screenshots: click here (http://www.gamespot.com/pc/action/operationflashpoint2/screenindex.html)

Marines
19 May 05, 22:00
OFP2 Screenshots: click here (http://www.gamespot.com/pc/action/operationflashpoint2/screenindex.html)

I sure hope those are alpha or beta screens, not because of the graphics, but because of the total lack of gear those Marines are wearing. Either way, it still looks damned good! :surprise:

Any idea as to what the campaigns will entail and where they are located?

Hellfish6
19 May 05, 22:05
Not a clue, yet.

Marines
19 May 05, 22:10
Not a clue, yet.

So...the rumors of three seperate campaigns, one in Southeast Asia, and Africa are just that, rumors.

We can pretty much confirm an ME addition.

Marines
19 May 05, 22:44
A few more.

Marines
19 May 05, 22:45
Two more.

pp(est)
20 May 05, 08:47
uh oh, and thus begins another long wait...
(I gave up hope for OFP2 at least half a year ago, but now I have to resume waiting)

Patrocles
20 May 05, 08:48
wow! :surprise: those pics look too good to be true! Are the shots from the in-game engine?

GAZ NZ
20 May 05, 23:05
As per the post on the operation Flashpoint Editing Centres site
as per below

It's been an exciting and confusing week. Lots of official news from BIS (Bohemia Interactive Studios, the creators of Operation Flashpoint), changing websites, "leaked" screenshots, semi-official news from Codemasters (the original publishers of OFP), arguments over what "OFP2" really means .... If you are totally lost, read on.

The key to this puzzle is the relationship between BIS and Codemasters. Or rather the lack of one. There has been no formal announcement but it appears that Codemasters and BIS have parted company.

Codemasters own the name "Operation Flashpoint" and have said this week that they intend to produce a game called Operation Flashpoint 2. We don't know who the developer will be but it seems unlikely to be BIS.

BIS have published plans for three games this week (details below), one of which used to be known as OFP2. If Codemasters and BIS kiss and make up, which is still possible, then the BIS OFP2 and Codemasters OFP2 will probably be the same game. If they go their seperate ways then there may be two games, one called OFP2 and developed by parties unknown, and the other called something different and developed by BIS.

But why has this all come to a head now? Because this week in Los Angeles USA there has been an event called E3. It is the biggest annual trade fair of the computer games industry. Everybody who is anybody is there, as well as quite few people who are nobody. BIS are presumably looking for a new publisher and E3 is the ideal spot to find one. The news about future releases is meant to attract the attention of possible publishers, and gives BIS a chance to mention that the last time they produced a game it sold 1,500,000 copies. In the computer games world, that's a lot.

To help create that attraction, and provide some entertainment for their fanbase, BIS have used a sophisticated marketing plan involving daily press releases, unannounced changes to one website, the creation of another, and the "leaking" of screenshots for all three games by an imaginary BIS employee on Monday and Tuesday.


1) "OFP" for Xbox


Wednesday's BIS press release was about "OFP" for Xbox, which is due this autumn. At least we assume it's for Xbox, the press release was a little ambiguous. It is currently unnamed and probably won't be called OFP, even thought that is basically what it is. Details are scarce, but it appears to be an upgraded version of OFP:Cold War Crisis and OFP:Resistance.

Note that this Xbox game - which is years overdue and in fact was promised for for autumn 04 as recently as this time last year - is not an Xbox version of Armed Assault (see below). It is unlikely to include Red Hammmer, since that campaign had nothing to do with BIS.


2) Armed Assault


Thursday's press release was about Armed Assault, which is due in time for Christmas. This was the big surprise of the week. We don't know if it will be standalone (probable) or an expansion pack based on OFP. This game has been talked about in theoretical terms in the past, usually under the name "OFP1.5". It appears to offer a new game engine, a new island and and a new campaign, but will still be compatible with existing user-created content like addons and missions.


3) The game previously known as OFP2


Friday's announcement was about BIS's unnamed future game, which is due in Q4 2006. It will be set in 2010 and features new generation technology. This is the game that up till now was referred to as OFP2, but we can't call it that any more. While Armed Assault is essentially an improved version of OFP, this new game - which is still a first person combat simulator - marks a quantum leap in the technology.


The websites

There are two websites - which were at the heart of things early in the week but are already drifting into obscurity - relevant to all this excitment.

- http://www.flashpoint2.com/ This is long established but hasn't said anything much for a while. A few days ago it changed (thereby attracting our attention) and there were further changes on Monday. The site represents a television set with three channels other than the default welcome channel. One is now showing Armed Assault, one the unnamed future game and one is bluescreen. It seems likely that the intention was to show a presentation of OFP Xbox material, but for one reason or another this never happened.

- http://www.armedassault.com This is a new site which first appeared a few days ago. Establishing its subject matter is left as an exercise for the reader.

Ivan Rapkinov
21 May 05, 08:27
yawn - sticking with VBS1 ;)

:laugh:

GAZ NZ
21 May 05, 16:35
As noted this morning on the OP CZ website

Spec Ops 9 noticed that Gamespot has posted a very interesting Operation Flashpoint 2 E3 2005 first hands-on impressions. Here are some parts of it, you can read the full article here.

One new aspect to battles is just the sheer number of units that will be available on-screen during the game. Battlefields will be around 400 square kilometers in size, and literally hundreds of soldiers and vehicles will be able to coexist on them.

One example of this was shown to us, and it was quite impressive watching huge groups of allied soldiers march across a battlefield with tanks and other vehicles following along.

Whereas the original Flashpoint took place in 1985 during Cold War operations, Flashpoint 2 will take place during a fictional near-future conflict in the year 2010. You'll be able to play in three different areas, including Southeast Asia, Central Europe and Africa, and you'll play as three different soldier types during each section of the game, including a Marine Corps solider, a US Army officer and a Special Ops operative.

As you play the game, you'll be able to upgrade your squads and soldiers through what Bohemia refers to as something of an RPG-like leveling system. In another nod to RPGs, you'll also be able to chat it up in real time with NPC allies, and learn valuable reconnaissance intel from them.

A big part of the visual upgrade is the damage modeling, which is fully dynamic across the many set pieces you'll find on the battlefield. The developers showed us one example, where when driving a tank, a nearby building was targeted and fired upon. The first hit did a little damage, but nothing too devastating. The next hit took a big chunk out of it, and the next one practically eradicated it. The developers state that no two explosions will look qui

te the same, as the debris will always fall dynamically.

Of course, Flashpoint 2 will feature online multiplayer. Bohemia wasn't able to provide exact details of what kinds of modes, or how many players you'll be able to compete with or against, but they stated that they plan to make the multiplayer a big part of the game, and will try to squeeze in as many players as they possibly can. One notable improvement over the original Flashpoint's multiplayer is that in this game, you'll be able to join battles in progress. In the first Flashpoint, you'd have to wait for an open server, or sit in the chat lobby waiting for your friends to finish. That won't be the case, here.

Another thing that Bohemia wanted to emphasize was that they recognize and appreciate the fan communities that have developed from Flashpoint and its expansion packs. While not the biggest game in the US, the game certainly had its fans here, and internationally, Flashpoint developed a big mod community. Flashpoint 2 will once again include a robust map editor for committed players to mess around with, and like the first game, Bohemia fully intends to support the game with new content long after its release.

Patrocles
24 May 05, 10:47
E3 update from the simHQ report on OFP2. sounds like a great game in development if what they say is true...
:)


First off, there is some confusion over the name Operation Flashpoint 2 and Armed Assault. These are actually two different games. Armed Assault is, from what I understand, an interim title using the engine developed originally for military use. Armed Assault will feature a new engine, multiplayer code, and physics but retaining much of the original game play from the first game. The game will ship essentially with the original Operation Flashpoint and Resistance (sorry, no Red Hammer) style mission setup.

The really cool thing about this game is that the game will allow the importation of most of the mods and user made add ons that have literally transformed this game into whatever you want it to be. This game sounds to be something of a hybrid, not a 'true' new game in the total sense but essentially a new game in many of the most significant features. The game is planned for release sometime in quarter four of this year.

This game alone would have been enough for me to give a 'good job' to the guys at Bohemia but then they told me about what they are doing on Operation Flashpoint 2 and it literally knocked my socks off.

Operation Flashpoint 2, if they pull off what they want to do with this game, will take tactical shooters to an all new level. I am not kidding here, they are going for what I think may be the ultimate tactical shooter to date. A shooter game that will never play the same, will continuously surprise you and will draw you in like nothing before it. The more I heard about what Bohemia was attempting to do, the more I was amazed.

OFP2 trades the cold war setting for a 'futuristic' setting of 2010 in areas that look suspiciously like the places US forces currently are deployed. You won't have real world places (e.g. Iraq) listed as the place of allied deployment, but the new game engine uses satellite data to reproduce real world areas in pretty solid detail. I saw some renderings of terrain that looked suspiciously like Afghanistan on the pre-alpha version of the game that was shown to us.

Graphically the game is supposed to be substantially improved over the original title. The stuff we saw was pre-alpha, and as such was not optimized. Even so, the terrain at this time already looks better than the original game and looks almost as good as any other tactical shooter currently on the shelf. The team has even gone to the trouble of getting detailed shots of the plant life in the 'fictional' land that is not noted and is rendering that plant life in full 3d. Some shots of the game in its full glory look amazing, scarily so at times.

The vehicles rendered look very nice, almost photorealistic and look to have at least doubled the poly count of the original game. Soldier animation's and graphics are significantly improved as well and the troops look very realistic and are planned to move and gesture like a real person. This will become more important as I go on.

View and draw distances are going to be improved as well and the plans are for them to scalable to boot. One of the bigger gripes with the original game was the fog effects which limited the effectiveness of some of the air weapons in your arsenal. Now you can set the view range as short as 1km away and as far as (they hope) 5km away depending on your hardware capabilities. In addition there are plans to limit the number of drawn objects for people in aircraft so they don't have to deal with the slowdowns caused by trying to draw large amounts of objects quickly.

The game will ship with an American campaign, like the first game. The campaign will actually ship with three specific chapters, or essentially three different campaigns. The player will start out as a USMC private essentially playing the game as a grunt out in a combat environment. The second chapter will have the player play a 'mid level commander', essentially a platoon leader controlling a small group of men in battle. The third chapter will have the player play as an SF detachment officer, essentially doing all the deep secret hoorah stuff.

The game will be a little different with its control of soldiers than the original OFP. This version is planned to have the individual control groups of troops (teams or squads) more than individual soldiers. How this is going to work I am not totally sure but it looks like the higher you go up the chain the more control you will have over groups and the less you will have control over individuals. This is a nice touch since a company commander would rarely, if ever, send individual soldiers out to do the mission. Instead he or she would instruct the platoon leaders to perform a task and then let that individual leader perform the mission. You get a feeling of command that will actually be put into the game. If the game pulls this off it will be a first.

But wait, I'm not done yet. If you think all this is amazing, you read what they want to do with the actual game engine. In this game there is going to be no real set mission, no real set paths or anything of the type. Essentially the idea is going to be that all the individual units in the game (which Bohemia states could run into the thousands) will actually operate as individuals and will interact with other units in the game. Essentially what they are saying is that if an AI unit goes out on patrol and finds the enemy they can report it and remember it. If they don't find that enemy unit then you may not find out about it until you run across it.

In other words, your decisions, especially if you are a higher level player in the game, can and will affect what happens in the game. In addition, the decisions you make in the game will have consequences. Not only will friendly and enemy AI be modeled in the game but there will be neutrals in the game that you will have to interact with and the decisions you make will have an effect on what happens later on.

For example, if you say or do something that ticks off a fellow soldier (you can interact and ask limited questions of the soldier in the game) by doing something that the troop would obviously dislike then the trooper may not tell you some information that may prove to be vital later on. Likewise, your interaction with the local people will have an effect on their treatment of you and your fellow soldiers later on. If you shoot, pillage and destroy wantonly in the game then the next time you enter that village the people could range from sullen and uncooperative to downright hostile.

In addition you can be disciplined for doing things that are outside your rules of engagement. Yes, it is a game so there probably won't be any virtual courts marshal but there will be consequences for your actions.

Essentially this means the game is a combination of a role playing game on top of being a combat shooter. This really is going to be a stretch for Bohemia Interactive but if they pull this off they will make every other combat shooter obsolete. Without a doubt they are trying to raise the bar to a whole new level and I really hope they pull this one off.

GAZ NZ
24 May 05, 17:28
World War II Engineer Corps


Parker's E3 Coverage


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I had a chance to talk with Maruk Spanel, Bart Van Paassen, and Paul Statham of Bohemia Interactive Studios at last weeks Electronic Entertainment Expo in Los Angeles. They were kind enough to show me what they have in store for strategy war gamers in the near future.


There are actually three different projects in the pipeline from Bohemia. The first of course is the Xbox version of the original Operation Flashpoint. This, as I was told, is basically completed. There are also two different projects being prepared for the PC. While they are two different games, they are actually closely related and will share a lot of technical features. Let me explain.


Bohemia has spent a lot of time working on a new highly detailed graphics engine. The new models in their current projects are not only highly detailed, but sport gorgeous normal mapped textures. The attention to detail can be seen all the way down to the tiny wrinkles on the pocket of a soldier's ammo pouch. The graphics engine is based off Bohemia's work on the Virtual Battlefield System, or VBS1, currently used as a training tool by armed forces around the world. But it's not simply the same engine on a different game. A lot of work has gone into optimizing code and creating greater levels of detail that action gamers have come to expect.


The improvements to the graphics engine also includes improvements to the terrain detail. No longer is the world of Operation Flashpoint poulated by barren ground and pixelated trees. A new in-house tooled named Linda, has helped Bohemia create a highly detailed vegetation system. Each plant is modelled after a plant found in the real world. Every single tree is accurately modelled, adding a lot of depth to the already realistic environment. Along with the enviroment, Bohemia has worked on creating real time weather effects. On clear days, the sun can momentarily affect visibility if you choose to look directly it. And storms now look and act like real storms. This included offshore effects. Weather affects the water in the sea. When it is storming the waves (yes waves) will be larger and behave a little more violently. When the weather dies down the sea will be more calm and light will even reflect off of it.


As with the original Operation Flashpoint, graphics are only a small part of the equation. Bohemia's goal is to make a large-scale tactical war game. Therefore, a lot of work has gone into the gameplay aspects. The concept is to have Operation Flashpoint 2* take place in several different chapters much like the original. Each chapter will have the player in a different role from infantryman, to tank crew, to pilot, to special forces operator. There is supposed to be a full-scale war going on around the map. To achieve this Bohemia has implemented a way of having every action on the map recorded. If a helicopter flies overhead, then it is on it's way to perform an action. It is either dropping off or picking up troops or it is on it's way to attack an enemy position. Everything in the game will have it's own goals and priorities to handle. There will even be civilians living and going to work in the cities. If Bohemia can pull this off, it should give the player the feeling that his is not Rambo, rather he's just a lowly soldier in a conflict much bigger than him.


In order to make the player feel that he is really in the boots of real soldier, Bohemia is trying to implement some RPG aspects into the game. A.I. characters are going to be able to observe and learn things on their own. The player will then have to ability to chat with the A.I. to find out information. In the demo Maruk Spanel showed me, he walked up and a computer controlled bot and asked him if he has seen the enemy. The bot replied that he had seen the enemy and told us where. The information the bot knows is not scripted. He has to actually see something before he will know. This is a unique and depth-enhancing aspect to the game. The player now has the option to gather his own intel before going into a battle. Along with that the character will be able to build up their skills, such as strength or accuracy, in between missions. This was still an early version, but this should create an interesting approach to playing through the campaign.


Bohemia also plans on implementing a full chain-of-command system. From Colonels all the way down to squad levels. For mission editors, this should add a new level to the game. Imagine a mission where you have to command several different squads to achieve an objective. This should allow for larger battles and more complex strategys. Although this is a feature yet to be realized, it does appear very promising.


Mission editors will also need to consider the equipment loadout that the troops will carry in the missions. Yes, the equipment in the game will be fully customizable. If the player will need a scope on their rifle, then the mission editor can add it. If he want a sniper to carry as little extra equipment as possible, then they can remove all of the gear that's not necessary. This is a feature that has been done in games like Rainbow Six, but to no where near the scale that Operation Flashpoint 2* will offer. Bohemia is also hoping that this feature will be handy for the MOD community. By giving people the ability to add different features to the M4 (a scope, a laser, camo, etc.) then there wont be a need for addon creators to create 5 different versions of the same weapon just for minor detail changes.


Speaking of modding, Bohemia is very excited about the mod community that has sprung up around Operation Flashpoint. They fully realize that the Operation Flashpoint engine can be used to create many different gameplay scenarios. They also realize that were were a few limitations to the original Flashpoint engine that are being corrected for Flashpoint 2*. One of these limitations is the use of multiple guns on a single vehicle. This is a limitation that Bohemia is working on correcting and we may be able to see tanks with working machine guns in OFP2*. Another focus is collision detection. The original Flashpoint had trouble with collision detection in that it was nearly impossible to land a helicopter on another unit (like a ship), or to walk around in the cargo area of a moving object. VBS1 already has collision detection that allows for movement in a moving cargo area. This will be updated and used in OFP2*.


A big question that I hear a lot from addon creators, is "Will OFP1 addons work in OFP2?". I took the question to Bart Van Paassen of BIS and he gave me a short answer of Yes. BUT, OFP2* will be using a new engine. Bohemia is trying to make it as compatible as possible and nearly every addon made for OFP1 should work in OFP2*. But to utilize the new features provided by the OFP2* engine there will be, for example, new config entries for physics.


The other PC project Bohemia is working on is actually a game that will essentially be OFP 1.5. Tenetively titled Armed Assualt, this new project will serve as a bridge between Operation Flashpoint 1 and Operation Flashpoint 2*, which is expected to be completed by late 2006. Armed Assualt will include all of the original Operation Flashpoint content in a new graphics engine. From what I was told, Bohemia is hoping addon makers will used Armed Assualt as a way of learning the features of the new graphics engine. Armed Assualt will also have a lot of offer non-editors. There will be a new 100 sq km extremely detailed island, a new story line, and an upgraded comprehensive multiplayer mode that now will allow players to join games already in progress. Armed Assualt is expected to be ready by the end of this year.


Armed Assualt is meant to be a taste of what OFP2* will be like. With OFP2*, Bohemia will introduce 500 sq km highly detailed maps (no longer called islands). The architecture of the islands is going to be a vast improvement over the original. Buildings will no longer crumple up like paper when destroyed. I was able to witness Maruk Spanel blowing holes into the walls of buildings with a tank. After so much damage the building will even collapse, killing anyone inside. This will create a much more war-torn environment than the original. Now streets may be littered with debres. But the tank that does the damage isn't safe from getting blown up itself. You can now blow the turret off of a tank. When vehicles explode, they truely explode. If you are unlucky enough to be in the way of a flying door or rotar blade or other piece of shrapnel, consider yourself out of commission. The realism in the explosions is something that must be seen to truely appreciate. In the demo I witnessed the original OFP1 particle effects were still being used, but will some improvements on that and you may find yourself ducking under your computer when your ride explodes.


From what I have seen Bohemia is on the ball with both Armed Assualt and Operation Flashpoint 2*. Many things that te loyal community, and addon created have been asking for will find their way into the game. After the little over an hour I had to talk with Maruk Spanel and Bart Van Paassen, I believe that OFP2* will no doubt be as big a hit as the original Operation Flashpoint was nearly four years ago.