Virtual Battlestation 2-Worth the money?

[General_J0k3r]

yeah. if i understood it right, arma is a spin-off from VBS2 which is used by armies all over the world.

i would suggest: wait for ACE for ArmA and you'll have a VBS2-like experience .

[Marine94]

Sorry im lost here. whats ACE?

I only got arma yesterday

[jackal22]

Can somebody please explain what features are missing from standard arma (gold edition) and that vbs2?

most importantly, is the ability to create custom scenarios there? like how they did it by placing some insurgents in buildings and then the us forces on the ground.

^that is really what i would get it for, making custom scenarios like that that i could play either co-op or single player with.

would appreciate if someone could answer that question.

[A-10Warthog]

theres a HUGE difference between the 2. the ultra realistic vehicles for example. shit they even have turn signals.

[[R-DEV]OkitaMakoto]

Originally Posted by jackal22

Can somebody please explain what features are missing from standard arma (gold edition) and that vbs2?

most importantly, is the ability to create custom scenarios there? like how they did it by placing some insurgents in buildings and then the us forces on the ground.

^that is really what i would get it for, making custom scenarios like that that i could play either co-op or single player with.

would appreciate if someone could answer that question.

You can edit great misions in ArmA. Honestly, stick w/ ArmA. VBS2 would be an amazing buy, but you wouldnt have too much multiplayer Im guessing and its just too much...

ArmA has a fully workable mission editor, tons of people have it with some great clans, tons of addons re made, etc...

[Fullforce]

No for the love of God no.

It's just ArmA with some very neat extras. It's in no way worth the price tag. Don't even consider it. Buy something else, buy ANYTHING else because for $1500 you would be better off buying a top of the range PC because VBS2 will offer nothing on top of your original ArmA experience.

Oh, and it's Virtual Battlespace 2.

Originally Posted by Marine94

Sorry im lost here. whats ACE?

I only got arma yesterday

ACE is an upcoming mod for ArmA which will increase realism and such. If you have Operation Flashpoint, then check out the WGL mod which is essentially the same thing.

Originally Posted by [R-PUB]A-10Warthog

theres a HUGE difference between the 2. the ultra realistic vehicles for example. shit they even have turn signals.

I hope that's sarcasm.

Originally Posted by M4nicMin3r

To be correct about it ( ) ArmA is a modified version of VBS. ArmA was released to the general public as a more accessible and cost effective version of VBS then turned into a game for general release

Wrong. ArmA is the game, and VBS2 is the enhanced modification of it. BIS made ArmA, and then BIA made VBS2 from that engine, much like OFP to VBS1.

[Dslyecxi]

Let me preface this post with this:
My job involves VBS2, and I am the one who did most of the VBS2 Technology Trailers - if any were linked in this thread (I'm on wireless right now and can't check), I probably made them. I am actually at a conference right now showing off the AVRS loadmaster/door gunnery simulation built from VBS2. It's an awesome training tool, and the military loves it. I greatly enjoy working with it, and I am super enthusiastic about VBS2 for the military market.

With that out of the way...

VBS2 is a modification of Armed Assault that is oriented towards providing a low-cost (relative to normal simulations) training tool for military forces, one which can be run off of COTS (Commercial Off-The-Shelf) hardware.

VBS2 is developed by Bohemia Interactive Australia (BIA), whereas ArmA is developed by Bohemia Interactive Studios (BIS). BIA is out of Australia, BIS is out of the Czech Republic.

VBS2 is a continual work-in-progress - as new customers adopt it (ie: USMC, ADF, UK MoD, US Army, etc), their purchase of enterprise licenses typically comes with a set of custom-tailored vehicles, features, etc. These vehicles, features, etc, when not sensitive (ie: not classified), end up in the overall VBS2 release. Because of this, VBS2 continually expands their vehicle set and feature set, because they are constantly getting additional funding from adoptees. This is a dramatically different business model from a gaming studio like BIS.

VBS2 is great as a training tool for the military. It allows for fantastic training opportunities and has features that facilitate this - for example, the real-time editor, the after-action review module, and more.

I personally have been playing VBS2 and working on it for my company since February of 2007. I am intimitately familiar with what it is able to do.

Now, with all of that being said...

If you, as a civilian, purchase VBS2 at $1500, you have lost your mind. The only acceptable reason to own a copy of VBS2 as a civilian is because you woke up one day and could not stop shitting money. If that's the case, fantastic - more power to you. Enjoy playing VBS2 in multiplayer with five other people, max, or enjoy playing it, taking screenshots of it, and posting those for other people to see - that's basically all you'll be able to do with it.

VBS2 costs over 50 times as much as Armed Assault. To put it as bluntly as possible, there is absolutely no way that VBS2 has 50 times the content, quality, or simulation fidelity as ArmA, for the purposes of a civilian user.

There are no magical changes from ArmA. The damage model, physics, movement system, AI, etc, are usually identical and certainly not significantly better in any area. It is a militarized version of ArmA, not some magical happy fantasy land version of ArmA that somehow mystically fixes everyone's complaints with the core game. It is a fantastic application for the military, because ArmA is a fantastic application for the military, and VBS2 is just a military-authorized-to-use version of it that has added various things that the military wants for training purposes.

Simply put, it is not worth it for a civilian to purchase VBS2. Anyone who tells you otherwise is full of shit, I promise.

If you don't have ArmA and you think VBS2 looks cool, buy ArmA! If you want more than vanilla ArmA, watch for the release of the Advanced Combat Environment mod in the not-too-far future. It's going to add a huge wealth of features, vehicles, weapons, etc, to ArmA, and it will be completely free.

If you have $1500 to blow, here's an idea: Upgrade your computer! ArmA2 is in the making, and investing money in a computer for it is going to be far wiser than buying VBS2.

Also, every time a civilian throws $1500 away to buy VBS2, God kills a newborn litter of kittens.

Think of the kittens.

[jackal22]

wow I have no intention of buying VBS2, can think of much better uses of the cash.

I was just wondering if there is a map editor and scenario editor like in those vids, dont care much for the realism, the breathing noises got on my nerves.

[A-10Warthog]

Originally Posted by Fullforce

No for the love of God no.

It's just ArmA with some very neat extras. It's in no way worth the price tag. Don't even consider it. Buy something else, buy ANYTHING else because for $1500 you would be better off buying a top of the range PC because VBS2 will offer nothing on top of your original ArmA experience.

Oh, and it's Virtual Battlespace 2.



ACE is an upcoming mod for ArmA which will increase realism and such. If you have Operation Flashpoint, then check out the WGL mod which is essentially the same thing.



I hope that's sarcasm.



Wrong. ArmA is the game, and VBS2 is the enhanced modification of it. BIS made ArmA, and then BIA made VBS2 from that engine, much like OFP to VBS1.

well idk anything about the engine or arma's modding capibilities so sadly. no it wasnt sarcasm

[Fullforce]

Originally Posted by [R-PUB]A-10Warthog

well idk anything about the engine or arma's modding capibilities so sadly. no it wasnt sarcasm

Well I don't see how turning signals affects a game in any way shape or form, nor how it justifies dropping $1500 on a game.