I have played more than 4,000 hrs. in Arma 3, most of that logged on NAK servers. In the last few years I have been a regular NAK $upporter, but recent trends, and player comments heard on the Quicksilver server disturb me. I am seeing long-time players quitting. Why? Quicksilver play has become too lopsided. The server has become more arcade-like, and less realistic. The A.I. have many programming advantages over players to begin with, but that has been exponentially increased recently with the way admins are designing (and I use that term loosely) missions. A.I. now have hugely overwhelming numbers, super-human skills and abilities, and are placed and activated in ways that are far from realistic. In short, playing on Quicksilver has become more than anything else…an arcade game of survival. Not achievement. I miss being able to use planning and tactics, which at times long past was possible because the A.I. was not so overwhelming. Successful gaming needs to leave players with the feeling that victory is possible. It doesn’t have to be easy. But it should be do-able. Are the admins actually aware of the the small groups who typically play on Quicksilver? 1-5 players is common. It is rare to see 10. I’m trying to stay supportive, but when I gear up as a sniper, and crawl on my belly a half klik through dense jungle and carefully place myself in good cover…and after taking one shot the entire A.I. population knows my exact location, and takes me out with a few shots. Or how about when playing alone, before even firing a shot, one of those hot rod armored vehicles races from the far side of an AO and takes me out with a single burst as soon as I peek around a tree trunk? C’mon guys. You could do better.
Tanoa Quicksilver hasn’t been updated in a very long time, and I agree it’s a neglected server. Unfortunately, our current focus is towards Altis I&E Primary, since the majority of our players are on that server. This does not mean Quicksilver will be shutdown or left untouched forever. We have been working on a Altis update for quite some time now and plan on releasing it by the end of this month for the new years update. Our plan was Website Forums → Altis → Quicksilver → etc. Do have to keep in mind our admin team, developer team at that (less than 3 people), are busy with life, family, work, so on so forth. We’re all volunteers and would love to roll constant updates but it’s simply not possible. I will keep your post in mind and give Quicksilver some love in the near future. Hopefully this post is sufficient enough for the time being, but if you have any more comments or concerns please reply below for us to look into.
overwhelming AI numbers - yes based on how many people play on this server this definitely need some tweak, but you still want some challenge so maybe stop spawning AI so damn often. i can deal with actually QRF mechanism like transport helo dropping troops, but randomly spawning infinite number of AI really isn’t helping any gameplay. and defending HQ is… i couldn’t remember how many times i racked out on defending HQ. you can probably finish listening to a shaw ryan podcast, watch the whole LOTR trilogy then take a shower and come back, the counter attack probably still going on.
super-human skills - no quicksilver AI ain’t nowhere near altis AI, the altis superbots the real plague with no gameplay value whatsoever. though constantly find yourself limping 90% of the time during firefights is really annoying but i think it’s just because too much AI spawning in all directions.
arcade-like - again, no where near altis BS. altis server can rot in hell, this is actually fun to play.
it only needs few fixes
- fix the issue where players can’t hear enemy weapon sound - the only times i get to hear enemy weapon sound are - when Vipers using type 115 - or, when in this insurgency side mission that only occurs in George town. then again if you don’t fix AI numbers, you probably won’t hear anything the entire game session other than just enemy firing.
- get rid of some of the AI spawning mechanism. this is no kidding, in main ao you are literally fighting an undead army. you can kill off an entire platoon and there are still herds and herds of enemies coming after you, it almost feels like the main ao is controlled by a force meter or something, like when the force meter is high enemies can just spawn troops near player cluster proximity anytime it wants.
- this is only a minor issue but either don’t spawn enemy helo near main base or have AA systems in the base. it doesn’t even make sense since players are invincible in main base and also not able to shoot at base, it brings nothing to the gameplay.
- more love for modded players. first of all, what’s working on altis is not working on quicksilver is a real pain. i don’t understand how the whole whitelist thing works but it’s pain in the A$$ to figure out which mod works on which server, it also ain’t helping since on quicksilver you have to stare at the initializing screen for what feels like eternity, and what’s showing on the homepage is pretty much useless at this point. we aren’t modding for a easy win, we’re modding to make characters somewhat resembling real life u.s military, and often, u.s military special operations forces. in other words, we’re making the gameplayer even more harder than vanilla, as we’re not carrying 8 boxes of .338 ammunition nor do we carry a big A$$ vorona with 4 rocktes in a bergen backpack. there already this myth on the infamous “custom animations” prevent us using a whole list of great mods and had to work with original modders or making nak compatible versions ourselves, only to find out either 1 - no mod request response whatsoever from any admin, or 2 - approved in forum but restricted on the actual server, which is super frustrating.
Wow! Excellent points. I was trying not to be too unkind. I realize this is a labor of love and, frankly, I don’t know how anyone could do this for any length of time. While I’m definitely NOT a coder, I do hand code a very large HTML website (no one does this any more!), so I have some understanding of the effort required.
In short, my feeling is that the primary technique used recently, to keep the challenge level up, has mainly been to seed in huge numbers AI that just seem to keep coming from all directions. At the very least, I would like to have the experience of working through strong points, one-by-one, until I can get close enough to tackle the main objective. When I clear an area, that’s an interim reward, and I shouldn’t have to worry about AI constantly spawning to my rear or surrounding me out of nowhere.
This kind of never-ending AI pressure is also at the root of feeling the player has to suit up and equip as a one-man-army, ready for any and all contingencies. It renders “role playing” pointless. The only reason we see so many in the medic role is that players get wiped so frequently it’s the only way to keep play going until conclusion.
As mentioned, I am not a coder, but couldn’t it be possible for we players to “design” missions to help take some pressure off the admins? I would think of the AI as units occupying specific strategic points designed to impede the players from reaching the main objective. Points would be gained for achieving each sub-objective - much the same as when specific area targets such as the radio tower are taken. This would allow admins to keep AI seeding confined to smaller specific areas. Would this be more or less work for the admins? Yes, this might detract a bit from the sense of immersion - having to take sub-objectives before taking the main. But this is really no different than having to clear a certain amount of the AI before the enemy commander will go down. There is obviously still a “game” aspect to this style of play, but nothing’s perfect. It isn’t really a “sim.”
Bottom line is that this ancient title is still quite amazing, and able to create a pretty decent feeling of immersion. As it stands, it now feels more like a Zombie survival title, not the astounding mil-sim wanna-be it still is.
Another idea: How about setting up sub-objectives around the AO and Numbering them. Each Sub would have to be taken in order (kind of like being assigned missions by “command”). This would tend to foster players to select a role or specialty load-out to contribute specifically to the mission. This also allows admins to set up the sub-missions with high difficulty levels. I.E.: Challenging locations, powerful defenses, or even high numbers of AI. They would just be confined to relatively small areas. Instead of players dying and constantly respawning, they would either be revived by a medic (the numbers of which should be restricted) or penalized by being made to wait 10 minutes before returning to the AO. Yes, I know this sounds like I’M inventing a new game, but in fact this would just involve changes to what already exists, perhaps with minor coding changes to things like the player spawning restrictions. I also feel this would encourage more group play, and also be less intimidating for noobs, as they would more likly to be in company with more experienced players. I just think Quicksilver could be so much more.
I’ll note some other complaints or suggestions from a previous player.
- Add flares to mortars.
- Double amount of friendly boats (areas where they can TP to, pickup/dropoff).
- Include attack pawnee & another attack plane to the pilot slot.
- Static carrier strategically placed where it’s an alt spawn point (helo, maybe a plane, etc).
- Add more random vehicles to spawn across the map when players are nearby (ambulances, etc).
- Add the new altis transport to tanoa at some point, they say transport is a major issue.
- Claims lots of players want more boats and boat missions.
- More FOBs (click to teleport) around the map to make transport easier.
- Add or edit hemmet transport trucks with NO INVENTORY at FOBs.
- Maybe add a defend main base mission (or an attack from outside).
- Add a ambush style mission (ie convoy on a set path and the players need to ambush it).
Additional note: enemy attack drone (over ao/dropping dorito (GBU) on players) is very annoying and they hate it. Ruins the fun. Said to add more infantry
I’ve taken your posts into consideration. We’ll look into Tanoa this year.
@wmetcalf @nisbelc02 Don’t give up on us yet. Got some things in the work now, including a new host for Tanoa.
TEXN here,
Yep, lots of things wrong with that server. I would like to point out, Quicksilver has been one of the most challenging, yet fun servers in the NAK lineup. I remember capturing 4-5 AO’s in a 2-hour span. I also recall being constantly killed, over and over. Not much fun.
That is one place where even a small team of 4-5 people can take multiple areas in an evening. I will say, transportation has always been a problem. If one looks at it in a tactical sense, the transportation strategy has some merit. It essentially rewards the player if the transport mechanic is used as ersatz teambuilder. Follow the sequence of destroying certain facilities first, and your reward will be success.
Anyway, that’s my story and I’m sticking to it. YMMV
Regards,
Add flares to mortars.
- it’s cool and all but it’s not that much of a issue since we can just load flare rounds in grenade launchers. especially for players who runs RHS can always have a M320 gl as a sidearm and put it in the backpack like me.
Boat stuff
- idk if players asking for a SWCC op or just a method of insertion or whatnot, personally and speak for my buddies i think we’re cool with the current settings - it’s a tool, there’s time and place to use it, doesn’t need to be everywhere, if the insertion point is too faraway you can always work with helo pilot and do a helocast. at the very least, you can just choose the engineer role and your toolkit can spawn a zodiac when you’re in water. i honestly don’t know what more you want.
Include attack pawnee & another attack plane to the pilot slot.
- i think i can speak for all CAS pilots that you should be able to choose what aircraft to use for the mission. but i also don’t wanna see 20 jets flying all over the sky and 50 people lined up at hangar waiting for aircraft spawn cooldown so don’t add more pilot slot.
Add more random vehicles to spawn across the map when players are nearby (ambulances, etc).
- there are random vehicles all over AO. well maybe not all over but yes there are random vehicles spawning inside AO and despawns with AO. i just never tried to use one, maybe it’s locked by default so players can’t drive it idk, it could be rigged for all i care, i just occasionally use them as cover or concealment.
Transport is a major issue / for FOBs
- this is most definitely not true. at all. the entire arsenal at parking lot, vehicles you can use in fobs, free littlebird, blackhawk, chinook… even vtol. and a built-in slingload system. i really don’t know what were they talking about. no we don’t need spawn points all over the map, it’s not altis, take the time and effort to use the right tool and plan a route. if we’re adding more FOBs we might as well just teleport anywhere we want. we don’t want an arcade style gameplay on quicksilver.
Maybe add a defend main base mission (or an attack from outside).
- well just host a base defense on tactical tuesday or something. personally not interested. take over an AO and there’s chance you’ll do defend HQ for what feels like hour long. or, again, hop on altis where you literally have to defend every single mission. i don’t see any fun factor.
Add a ambush style mission (ie convoy on a set path and the players need to ambush it).
- yes pls. if vanilla arma physics works like any other game i would even suggest vehicle interdiction.
Additional note: enemy attack drone (over ao/dropping dorito (GBU) on players) is very annoying and they hate it. Ruins the fun. Said to add more infantry
- no, you’re supposed to be punished for fighting in one spot for too long in a near-peer setting. ask ukrainians and russians to see if that’s false. i don’t see nobody complaining about enemy mortars. it’s a very cinematic death you have to admit. love it. pls keep it. but it’s just one thing that i don’t understand is, it seems like the kasatka (enemy helo, forgot what it called in arma) also able to drop GBUs and that is one very odd loadout even for csat. maybe there’s a drone on top of the helo but from my pov and map it really looked like an attack helo just dropped a GBU on us.
it’s just my opinion as a player from milsim unit, and i think some people would agree with me that, we’re not seeking for a full on jsoc roleplaying navy seal delta force bravo 6 going dark shoot you in the face type of gameplay on NAK, nor do we want a messed up arcade sandbox like altis server. we just want something in between like, take what’s fun from milsim or private game session and mix it with the NAK gameplay that we all familiar with, mix them up just enough to not feel arcade or repetitive. like i said, really, you don’t need a major update for the quicksilver server, if it ain’t broken don’t fix it, so just fix some issue that breaks the normal gameplay and you are good.
Had a very telling experience last evening going solo against the Regen mission. Took out a sniper and a NYX (sp?) and was quickly taken down. Re-spawned and moved into into a good position no more than 100 meters from the objective, which was in sight . It was guarded by Vipers. I was never able to get any closer to the objective. I took down over 40 vipers and they just kept spawning. I stayed at it just to see if the spawning would eventually stop and allow me to approach the objective. It never happened. I just gave up and logged off.
I agree. Quicksilver still has a lot to offer. I kinda like the Helo transport, though I have my impatient moments where I wish for a faster way back in after being downed. But I am a 30 year pilot and experimental aircraft builder - including rotorcraft - and I really enjoy piloting the helos around the great Tanoa map. Turn on advanced flight mode and it’s a pretty realistic experience.
OK, I have complained about the sad state-of-play on the Quicksiver server. It’s only fair that I offer some suggestions that reflect How I would like to see play altered.
There are groups out there that use mods and serious military-style operations in Arma. NAK servers do not reflect this style of play, which requires much learning and massive amounts of time and practice with dedicated players. This type of play represents the highest level of realism possible using ARMA. NAK’s Altis server represents perhaps the least realistic play (and is also a great learning platform for multiplayer and ARMA noobs - I started there years ago). I feel the Quicksilver server should represent something in-between.
The most important thing to change is to get rid of the Arcade-like feel that happens when the AI are seeded all over the map and are triggered to spawn by the presence of the players. The taking of OBJECTIVES should be the main goal, and the AI should be concentrated in the objective areas. In real conflict, armies (which almost always have limited assets) usually exist in groups, and are placed in specific locations for specific reasons. Combatants are not just scattered far and wide over vast areas, waiting for enemies to stroll by.
Main objectives should be heavily defended and difficult to overcome, and contain the bulk of the AI. Sub-groups of AI could be placed at surrounding outposts, to delay or discourage approaching players. Taking these outposts would be, in essence, small “sub-missions”. In any case, when areas are cleared, (which brings a sense of accomplishment - even if taking the main fails), players should not have to worry about AI spawning randomly behind them. The only time AI should pop up on the flanks or behind the players should be if the posted AI decide to leave their original positions and move out against the players (something that might have to be defended against).
Another way to have AI appear in positions at flank or behind the players would be to have reinforcements come into the map, perhaps in a convoy. “Headquarters” would announce that an enemy convoy has been spotted heading in your direction at “X” on the map (essentally like the AI helos which appear and drop off reinforcements). This might require the players to ambush the convoy (another interim mission).
Other elements that might contribute to better game play:
Make “stamina” active. This would prevent players from gearing up with unrealistic loads. It would also prevent players from shouldering their weapons and running a kilometer across the map with a full pack. This would make transport more important, and perhaps offer more purpose and reward for transport pilots. Maybe ground vehicles shouldn’t re-spawn, and would remain in play and continue to be utilized.
From what I have witnessed of game play this might not be feasable, but - to encourage more group play, maybe every role would be pre-equipped with some amount of gear relevant to that role. Some carrying capacity would still be available for the player to add items of choice.
Another thing that would add challenge would be to ban mods that offered enhanced or unrealistic game play, such as reducing weapon sway or recoil. This might prevent players from using advantageous “super weapons” such as large cal MG’s. Stamina would also affect the decision to choose such weapons since carrying ammo for them would introduce some serious impediments. I would actually miss some of these myself, but it WOULD level gameplay for everyone and make the whole shebang feel mor realistic.
Stop using “sniper armies.” In Arma, snipers feel like an AI cheat if you use too many. Restrict them to perhaps one or two pair per mission.
I would also like to see performance of the “hot rod” armor units tamed to make them act more like the multi-ton, slow moving monsters they realistically are. Im sure others have additional ideas.
Bosco19