Fun? Yes this is awesome fun. This is Arma3 using the Zeus RP server functionality built into the game. I am the dungeon master for these sessions, and I am also the voice of all the NPCs. I use some special software to do the radio voices, so it is fun playing the NPCs on the good guys side while watching the star of the show do his stuff. For everything I put him through, DarkgarX is a good sport and enjoys the heck out of our broadcasts.
I have control of the NPCs, I can jump into any one of them at any time, but they run on AI otherwise. It makes for some pretty silly situations as I play things straight when the AI has trouble pathing or run people over, but it's all in fun. I try to play this fair without making the enemies know everything, but that's just my DM skills coming into play.
This is awesome, and it shows what happens when game companies are brave enough to provide full dungeon mastering capabilities in multi-player games. This, this is roleplaying meeting online gaming, and it is incredibly fun and cool. Those who used to DM the old Neverwinter Nights game know what I'm talking about, and this is the more modern military open-world version of that game.
We have this technology now, and I can only imagine the fun that could be had with a swords-and-sorcery version of a game like this. Having an interactive world where multiple players can log into with AI opponents is one thing, that gets you to the MMO level, but having a real-living DM come in and play the enemies, layout the missions, and control the scenes is just so cool it's beyond words.
We're so stuck in this money-grabbing progression-dependent MMO world that people have forgotten about immersion, player input, creativity, and fun. This game, this one is a special one, and I enjoy the heck out of playing a DM in a modern-military sim in an online multi-player environment. Now only if the rest of the gaming industry would catch on with this idea, we would be having some serious fun online.
"Combat Mission" new episodes weekly over on Twitch TV, staring DarkgarX and myself.
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