Over the past few months you've been fighting hard over the scraps of "Argo" space station. Meanwhile, we've been working hard on expanding and improving the game. And now we're finally able to announce the official release date: June 22nd is the day when Argo will be released as a free game on Steam!
As some of you might have already noticed, we'll be updating the game's name from "Project Argo" to simply "Argo". This also means that Argo is no longer a Bohemia Incubator game. Speaking of Bohemia Incubator, even though we didn't know exactly where we'd end up when we went down this new road, it's mostly certainly been worth it. If you remember the Bohemia Incubator video and the very first Argo devblog, we pursued a variety of goals with this project:
Learn and practice multiplayer design
Collect player feedback
Support the Arma 3 platform
Introduce a 'metagame'
Release a product in 2016
Looking back over what have been busy months, I can proudly say that we've accomplished each of our goals. We now know much more about what it takes to develop a competitive game, thanks in no small part due to the amazing feedback of our players. Additionally, we've introduced a metagame where players can unlock new weapons and gear. This has helped us both in terms of design as well as by taking some first steps towards developing the online systems that can facilitate such a metagame. Meanwhile, the Arma 3 platform will be receiving Argo's Malden terrain for free in the form of the Arma 3 Malden DLC (also releasing on June 22nd). Last but not least, our team has successfully released the Open Prototype in 2016, and with that experience under our belt, we look forward to Argo's official launch in three weeks.
But perhaps more of interest to you, the player, is how the game has changed since the Open Prototype release. On a higher level, we always intended Argo to be more fast-paced and competitive in nature than Arma 3. However, over the course of the development, we've slightly adjusted the game's pacing in various ways to emphasize teamplay and communication more. Aside from that, here's a list some of the other highlight changes and additions:
We reduced the number of in-game UI elements to immerse players more into the game
We introduced leaderboards
We implemented a metagame where you can earn points and experience to unlock new weapons and attachments
We did several iterations on the terrain
We re-designed the Link game mode (read the blog for more info!)
We will add the Combat Patrol coop mode, which lets you go on a mission with your friends and you can replay this mode on almost any part of Malden
Furthermore, as a special bonus, Argo will also include a trimmed down version of the well-known 3D Scenario Editor from Arma 3. Although we still see Arma 3 as the primary modding platform, and therefore the available content in Argo's editor will remain somewhat limited, we still wanted our players to be able to create their own versions of Argo game modes or even completely new ones. Creativity stands at the core of all Bohemia games, and Argo is no different.
Everything in Argo will be available completely for free to everyone. There are no hidden micro-transactions, and there isn't any type of payment required to be able to play the game. Just claim Argo on Steam or the Bohemia Store, and you'll be able to enjoy everything it has to offer, for FREE! At the same time, we know that some of you are eager to support our development, and for those we'll be offering the completely optional Argo Supporter's Pack in the form of a DLC on Steam, which you can pick up at €10/$10. To express our gratitude, the Supporter's Pack will come with a few cool in-game rewards:
Set of 13 exclusive animations for the MVP screen
Bundle of 23 unique apparel items, including facewear and headwear, and backpacks (these items are purely cosmetic and do not offer any gameplay benefits)
Highlighted name in the leaderboards
Access to premium servers that will be exclusively available for Argo Supporters
Access to vehicles in Argo's Scenario Editor
Finally, on top of the official launch of Argo, and in celebration of the Arma series’ 16th anniversary on June 22, Bohemia Interactive will be releasing Argo’s re-imagined Malden terrain for Arma 3 in the form of the free Arma 3 Malden DLC. This free package will include the 62 km² terrain of Malden, plus Arma 3’s variant of the aforementioned cooperative Combat Patrol multiplayer mode. The exact details of the Arma 3 Malden DLC will be announced later.
Whether you'll be purchasing the Argo Supporter's Pack or not, we want to thank everyone who has been playing our game, shared their feedback, and reported issues. We hope to see all of you on the Malden battlefield for many gaming sessions to come.
That's a wrap for now. Be sure to mark June 22 in your calendars, and most important of all, enjoy the game!
Lukáš Haládik Project Lead
P.S. Did you know that June 22 is a special date for our company? Sixteen years ago, on June 22nd 2001, Bohemia Interactive released its first major game Operation Flashpoint: Cold War Crisis. With Argo's in-game terrain Malden being a re-imagination of the classic OFP terrain, we felt this would be a fitting way to celebrate the anniversary!
Over the past few months you've been fighting hard over the scraps of "Argo" space station. Meanwhile, we've been working hard on expanding and improving the game. And now we're finally able to announce the official release date: June 22nd is the day when Argo will be released as a free game on Steam!
As some of you might have already noticed, we'll be updating the game's name from "Project Argo" to simply "Argo". This also means that Argo is no longer a Bohemia Incubator game. Speaking of Bohemia Incubator, even though we didn't know exactly where we'd end up when we went down this new road, it's mostly certainly been worth it. If you remember the Bohemia Incubator video and the very first Argo devblog, we pursued a variety of goals with this project:
Learn and practice multiplayer design
Collect player feedback
Support the Arma 3 platform
Introduce a 'metagame'
Release a product in 2016
Looking back over what have been busy months, I can proudly say that we've accomplished each of our goals. We now know much more about what it takes to develop a competitive game, thanks in no small part due to the amazing feedback of our players. Additionally, we've introduced a metagame where players can unlock new weapons and gear. This has helped us both in terms of design as well as by taking some first steps towards developing the online systems that can facilitate such a metagame. Meanwhile, the Arma 3 platform will be receiving Argo's Malden terrain for free in the form of the Arma 3 Malden DLC (also releasing on June 22nd). Last but not least, our team has successfully released the Open Prototype in 2016, and with that experience under our belt, we look forward to Argo's official launch in three weeks.
But perhaps more of interest to you, the player, is how the game has changed since the Open Prototype release. On a higher level, we always intended Argo to be more fast-paced and competitive in nature than Arma 3. However, over the course of the development, we've slightly adjusted the game's pacing in various ways to emphasize teamplay and communication more. Aside from that, here's a list some of the other highlight changes and additions:
We reduced the number of in-game UI elements to immerse players more into the game
We introduced leaderboards
We implemented a metagame where you can earn points and experience to unlock new weapons and attachments
We did several iterations on the terrain
We re-designed the Link game mode (read the blog for more info!)
We will add the Combat Patrol coop mode, which lets you go on a mission with your friends and you can replay this mode on almost any part of Malden
Furthermore, as a special bonus, Argo will also include a trimmed down version of the well-known 3D Scenario Editor from Arma 3. Although we still see Arma 3 as the primary modding platform, and therefore the available content in Argo's editor will remain somewhat limited, we still wanted our players to be able to create their own versions of Argo game modes or even completely new ones. Creativity stands at the core of all Bohemia games, and Argo is no different.
Everything in Argo will be available completely for free to everyone. There are no hidden micro-transactions, and there isn't any type of payment required to be able to play the game. Just claim Argo on Steam or the Bohemia Store, and you'll be able to enjoy everything it has to offer, for FREE! At the same time, we know that some of you are eager to support our development, and for those we'll be offering the completely optional Argo Supporter's Pack in the form of a DLC on Steam, which you can pick up at €10/$10. To express our gratitude, the Supporter's Pack will come with a few cool in-game rewards:
Set of 13 exclusive animations for the MVP screen
Bundle of 23 unique apparel items, including facewear and headwear, and backpacks (these items are purely cosmetic and do not offer any gameplay benefits)
Highlighted name in the leaderboards
Access to premium servers that will be exclusively available for Argo Supporters
Access to vehicles in Argo's Scenario Editor
Finally, on top of the official launch of Argo, and in celebration of the Arma series’ 16th anniversary on June 22, Bohemia Interactive will be releasing Argo’s re-imagined Malden terrain for Arma 3 in the form of the free Arma 3 Malden DLC. This free package will include the 62 km² terrain of Malden, plus Arma 3’s variant of the aforementioned cooperative Combat Patrol multiplayer mode. The exact details of the Arma 3 Malden DLC will be announced later.
Whether you'll be purchasing the Argo Supporter's Pack or not, we want to thank everyone who has been playing our game, shared their feedback, and reported issues. We hope to see all of you on the Malden battlefield for many gaming sessions to come.
That's a wrap for now. Be sure to mark June 22 in your calendars, and most important of all, enjoy the game!
Lukáš Haládik Project Lead
P.S. Did you know that June 22 is a special date for our company? Sixteen years ago, on June 22nd 2001, Bohemia Interactive released its first major game Operation Flashpoint: Cold War Crisis. With Argo's in-game terrain Malden being a re-imagination of the classic OFP terrain, we felt this would be a fitting way to celebrate the anniversary!
Hello mercenaries, we released a small hotfix to adress some of the post update issues. Enjoy!
Size of the update: 90.6 MB
- Fixed: Various small issues with voice-overs - Fixed: Issues with loadouts in respawn screen (e.g. duplicated loadouts or invalid 'Rifleman' loadout appearing in the list) - Added: Reward for re-capture of your node 2
Hello mercenaries, we released a small hotfix to adress some of the post update issues. Enjoy!
Size of the update: 90.6 MB
- Fixed: Various small issues with voice-overs - Fixed: Issues with loadouts in respawn screen (e.g. duplicated loadouts or invalid 'Rifleman' loadout appearing in the list) - Added: Reward for re-capture of your node 2
Hello mercenaries, the long awaited update is finally here!
Size of the update: 11,9 GB
Known issue: In about 5% of games loadouts in respawn screen are duplicated. It shouldn't cause any gameplay issue, all of the loadouts are functional.
Leaderboards: Have been wiped for update purposes and players will now start from scratch. No worries though, we remember who was the top 10 and plan to treat them for their hard work and dedication!
Scenarios: Added: Redesigned Link is back - Hardcore difficulty only (Official severs, on unofficial ones both difficulties are available) Added: New voice-overs for certain situations, mostly for Hardcore Link Added: Server auto-kick function, meaning: When player is inactive or exceeds the number of allowed friendly kills he is kicked by the server Rule 1: When player performs team killing more than twice the player is kicked Rule 2: When player is inactive/idle for longer than 60 second he is kicked. Added: Levelling system, meaning that by playing the game player will acquire XP and eventually Level up. Upon Leveling up, player will receive a Skill point with which the player can unlock certain weapons, throwables and attachments in Skill tree Added: Multiple beautiful billboards, quite a few of them being from winners of "Create Your Own Billboard Contest" Changed: Clouds uniform to improve the factions balance Changed: Respawn disabled issue was addressed again and hopefully for the last time. Let us now if you encounter it again Changed: Rewards for scenarios were tweaked to correspond better with Leveling and player progression Changed: UGLs have 2 grenades (down from 3)
Equipment: Added: New Equipment screen was added - Skill Tree. Players will from now on receive XP for games and when they level up, they will receive Skill points. Using these will open certain weapons, throwables or attachments in Skill Tree and Loadout screen. Use them well! Changed: There are no predefined loadouts in missions. In Loadout screen players will now have the ability to create up to 5 predefined loadouts from equipment unlocked in Skill Tree. These loadouts will then appear in respawn screen. In case player does not create any loadout, the player will be stuck with default ones Changed: Guest players will always be able to use only default loadouts in mission Disclaimer: Most of equipment tab functions such as levelling, skill tree and saving loadouts are only available to logged players
UI: Added: New UI for Link scenario to correspond better with new design Added: New kill cam screen will appear after you die, showing the position or player from where you were killed Added: Reward breakdown screen now appears after the end of the game instead of score table Added: Screen between rounds was added to provide players with more information during the game, not just after Added: Field Manual updates Changed: Friendly player awareness improvements: Preview of uniforms added to loading screen as a static picture Changed: We added a timer to "Kill self" button because we noticed players used it to deny enemy players the points for their elimination Changed: GPS is now turned on by default and you can see friendly players on it Changed: Tactical ping turned on by default + visual update
Bugfixes: Fixed: Game crash after start - 0xC06D007E Fixed: Multiple Level Design bugs Fixed: Incorrect camera position in the MVP of Raid Radio Station Fixed: Ping refresh-rate Fixed: Countdown in score table is active at the beginning of match and then resets Fixed: Mismatched team columns in Lobby Fixed: Vineyards are not visible on the map Fixed: Incorrect messages in scenarios Fixed: Text overlaps in various display resolutions Fixed: Dead Ficus tree - wrong geometry Fixed: JIPing into last round of a map without the chance of playing shows player in MVP as default model with ANY name. Fixed: When more players are downloading airdrop, only one can hear the ticking sound of progress Fixed: Type 115's secondary muzzle name is now displayed without colour variant in weapon info Fixed: Buildings are not destructible anymore, as intended
Hello mercenaries, the long awaited update is finally here!
Size of the update: 11,9 GB
Known issue: In about 5% of games loadouts in respawn screen are duplicated. It shouldn't cause any gameplay issue, all of the loadouts are functional.
Leaderboards: Have been wiped for update purposes and players will now start from scratch. No worries though, we remember who was the top 10 and plan to treat them for their hard work and dedication!
Scenarios: Added: Redesigned Link is back - Hardcore difficulty only (Official severs, on unofficial ones both difficulties are available) Added: New voice-overs for certain situations, mostly for Hardcore Link Added: Server auto-kick function, meaning: When player is inactive or exceeds the number of allowed friendly kills he is kicked by the server Rule 1: When player performs team killing more than twice the player is kicked Rule 2: When player is inactive/idle for longer than 60 second he is kicked. Added: Levelling system, meaning that by playing the game player will acquire XP and eventually Level up. Upon Leveling up, player will receive a Skill point with which the player can unlock certain weapons, throwables and attachments in Skill tree Added: Multiple beautiful billboards, quite a few of them being from winners of "Create Your Own Billboard Contest" Changed: Clouds uniform to improve the factions balance Changed: Respawn disabled issue was addressed again and hopefully for the last time. Let us now if you encounter it again Changed: Rewards for scenarios were tweaked to correspond better with Leveling and player progression Changed: UGLs have 2 grenades (down from 3)
Equipment: Added: New Equipment screen was added - Skill Tree. Players will from now on receive XP for games and when they level up, they will receive Skill points. Using these will open certain weapons, throwables or attachments in Skill Tree and Loadout screen. Use them well! Changed: There are no predefined loadouts in missions. In Loadout screen players will now have the ability to create up to 5 predefined loadouts from equipment unlocked in Skill Tree. These loadouts will then appear in respawn screen. In case player does not create any loadout, the player will be stuck with default ones Changed: Guest players will always be able to use only default loadouts in mission Disclaimer: Most of equipment tab functions such as levelling, skill tree and saving loadouts are only available to logged players
UI: Added: New UI for Link scenario to correspond better with new design Added: New kill cam screen will appear after you die, showing the position or player from where you were killed Added: Reward breakdown screen now appears after the end of the game instead of score table Added: Screen between rounds was added to provide players with more information during the game, not just after Added: Field Manual updates Changed: Friendly player awareness improvements: Preview of uniforms added to loading screen as a static picture Changed: We added a timer to "Kill self" button because we noticed players used it to deny enemy players the points for their elimination Changed: GPS is now turned on by default and you can see friendly players on it Changed: Tactical ping turned on by default + visual update
Bugfixes: Fixed: Game crash after start - 0xC06D007E Fixed: Multiple Level Design bugs Fixed: Incorrect camera position in the MVP of Raid Radio Station Fixed: Ping refresh-rate Fixed: Countdown in score table is active at the beginning of match and then resets Fixed: Mismatched team columns in Lobby Fixed: Vineyards are not visible on the map Fixed: Incorrect messages in scenarios Fixed: Text overlaps in various display resolutions Fixed: Dead Ficus tree - wrong geometry Fixed: JIPing into last round of a map without the chance of playing shows player in MVP as default model with ANY name. Fixed: When more players are downloading airdrop, only one can hear the ticking sound of progress Fixed: Type 115's secondary muzzle name is now displayed without colour variant in weapon info Fixed: Buildings are not destructible anymore, as intended