This is a BASIC beginner's guide to the Pirate's site and for Armagetron Advanced. It is the first I have ever written, and hopefully won't be the last. ;) There are many helpful guides and tips on this and the main arma site, but new players can get a bit overwhelmed with the plethora of info. Let me take a minute and sum the basics up for you so you can get on the grid and start playing. Any questions, or editing that needs to be done, please let me know and I will fix it ASAP. Enjoy!
If you have made it here, then you have a good idea of the game objective and general gameplay. I won't discuss that, just a few little tweaks that will make your time on Arma a bit more enjoyable and productive.
~~~Pirates Site Navigation~~~
First off, let me thank you for visiting, and I certainly hope you will return. Getting around in here is a snap, and I will offer up these few tips to help you get familiar with the site.
Take notice of the blue bar underneath the pirates graphic at the top left hand of the page. There you will see links to Home, the Chat interface, Announcements, the Forums, and the Roster. Feel free to browse around and familiarize yourself. The sign up button is on the top right hand of the main screen. After you sign up, make sure to return and fill out the roster.
~~~Home~~~
Self explanitory...if you navigate away and want to make it back to the homepage, click it.
~~~Pirates Chat~~~
Ice Runner has introduced a brand new chat interface for us to use. Simply click on the "Pirates Chat" tab to access it. Upon entering, please take a second to change your name from the default to your own by clicking directly on your name. The user list is to the right. The dots beside the user names are color coded so you can see who is logged in/out. There are tabs in the bottom of the chat window where you can toggle between the main chat room and the Pirates Clan chat.
Smileys are at the bottom above the input bar. Included in the smileys is a cluster of four smileys (far right). If you click it there are a bunch more emoticons, a YouTube player, a place to doodle, and even a games to share! This chat system is laden with features. Come on in and enjoy!
~~~Announcements~~~
Check here often for any useful info that may pertain to the clan, site updates and general information.
~~~Forums~~~
Visit the forums to post any questions or helpful goodies you may have. Check the forums for your question before you take the time to post your query, as it may have already been answered. Not only is it courtesy, you will save yourself some time if it's there. Please keep it clean and respect others while on the forums.
~~~Roster~~~
Click this link to see your teammates. The mission statement and full roster can be found here. You will see the Pirates, Ninjas, Elite Pirates and Elite Ninjas are listed in full here. Player preferences such as favored position and frequented servers can also be found. If you haven't already done so, there is a link to join the pirates in the upper right hand of the page.
~~~General gameplay controls~~~
You have already hit the grid, you have a good idea of what is to be expected. You have left, right, the brake and core dumping down, but how does everyone make those tight turns? Here we go...
~~~180's~~~
A 180 can be executed without double binding, but is far more difficult and time consuming. That can cost you a life if you aren't crafty about it. The 180 is an act of grinding on an arena or opponent's wall, turning towards the inside and going back the way you came, creating a small tunnel inside the walls. You can also do a 180 with no outside wall at all. Braking (if possible) at the turn will help keep your walls closer together. These tunnels you create can be used to trap, gain speed, and sometimes effectively kill others (sometimes yourself if you're not careful). ;) Like anything else, practice makes perfect. Don't worry, it won't be long and you will have some super tight tunnels to sport and use to your advantage in the arena.
~~~Double Binding~~~
This is the act of assigning more than one key to an action. In the case of 180s, your left and right turns. Setting two keys for a left turn and two keys for the right will allow you to do a 180 rather quickly with practice. For a 180 to the left, press both left keys at the same time...press both right turn keys at the same time for a right turn.
You will find that the keyboard setup differs from one player to the next. Set the keys to what you are most comfortable with, practice with it and most of all, have fun!
~~~The Slingshot~~~
This is a technique that uses an acceleration tunnel, when you exit it, high speeds are achieved. Aptly named the slingshot, you go in, turn, and when you're on your way out, your skin is peeled back off of your face like you're in a centrifuge. Okay, that's a bit of an exaggeration, but once you try it, you'll see what I mean. ;) While grinding on an opponent's wall you turn and ride until you exit the tunnel. You can turn multiple times in a tunnel if you wish, gaining even more speed. Just make sure you don't get bound up in the process!
~~~In game chat~~~
While in game you are free to chat with others on the grid. Please make sure the type of server you are in is chat friendly if you feel like talking it up. Not all servers are as chat oriented or social as others. Please respect others while chatting, behaving in a sportsmanlike and civil manner will get you far in this game. Like many MMOs, Arma has it's fair share of people who are only here to attempt to ruin the game. Take no mind of this sort, it's common and they will be dealt with. Unfavorable actions will often get you kicked and/or banned from playing on a server. There is a place for everyone. The most proven and effective way to stir the pot is to own the grid, so have at!
Talking to other players is a simple process, while playing press the "s" key, type your message and press enter. The "s" key is set as default for chat, but you can set it to any key you wish. You can do this by going to Player 1 Settings and selecting the input configuration option. Use the up and down arrows to highlight the selection you wish to change. You will then be asked to select a key, smack whatever key you want to bind to the action and voila!
NOTE: When a player is chatting in game, a yellow triangle will appear above their bike indicating they are on auto pilot, this is also known as chatbot mode. Unless the player is afk or constantly chatting, it is common courtesy NOT to dump a player whilst they are chatting.
There are default settings for instant chat, some of these are fairly common to see, such as "Give the rim a break, hug a tree instead", "Lag is a myth. It is only in your brain", and "Are you the real Player 1?" Your instant chat output can be customized by going to Player 1 Settings>Instant Chat Setup and typing whatever you wish there. You are also alter what keys display your messages in the input configuration menu.
~~~Text colors~~~
You can change the color of your chat text and name if you wish by typing "0x" followed by the RGB color values (same as HTML).
If you choose a vibrant or bright color, they will be displayed on a black background and a light one will be on a white one.
To change the color of your name, simply put the code in front or in the middle of your name. If you put the code in the middle instead of the front, your bike tail color will be default as the beginning, and the rest of your name will be the color you entered, and will change at the point of entry.
Keep in mind that our names are limited to 15 characters. If you decide to use a color code, the code accounts for 8 characters and you will only be able to use 7 of those for your displyed name.
Example: Your name is "I'm here" and you have a purple tail on your bike. If you type the code "0xFF0000" after "I'm" and then type "here", the first part of your name will be purple and the last in bright red.
I will leave you with a few basic color codes below to get you started. There are tons of places to find a complete HTML color lists and charts on the web.
Red FF0000
White FFFFFF
Turquoise 00FFFF
Light Grey C0C0C0
Light Blue 0000FF
Dark Grey 808080
Dark Blue 0000A0
Black 000000
Light Purple FF0080
Orange FF8040
Dark Purple 800080
Brown 804000
Yellow FFFF00
Burgundy 800000
Pastel Green 00FF00
Forest Green 808000
Pink FF00FF
Grass Green 408080
~~~The console~~~
The console key can be used in a game to change your bike and tail colors. You can also change your name without leaving the grid. Some server settings can be accessed from here as well.
The default key for the console is the "^" key. You can change this to any key you like, just as you can direction and chat commands. You can use the console key and certain commands to learn about the server settings like cycle rubber, brake levels and similar parameters. You can change the key to open the console by starting the game>System Setup>Misc Stuff>Global Keyboard Configuration. Once there, highlight the Console Input line, and press enter. Press the key you want to use to open the console and it's a done deal.
~bike and tail colors~
To change your bike and tail colors use these codes, typing each in the console as a single line and using enter to accept:
color_r_1 #
color_g_1 #
color_b_1 #
This will change your bike and tail colors, of course plugging a number value where the "#" is. Please take note that sometimes your color changes may not show up immediately and will take a round or more to do so.
I have found a couple of terribly helpful pages with a fairly inclusive lists of bike and trail colors. These pages are property of their respective owners:
http://leibniz06.de/tempbla/arma_cl_table.php
http://aremagetron.co.uk/colours/colourpicker.php
~change name command~
Use the code below (in the console) to change your name in game:
player_1 name
This command, like the color codes, will sometimes have a delay before it takes effect.
As touched on above, there are commands you can use to see sever settings, and in local games can even change at will. Please check the wiki for a list of commands.
~~~Camera angles~~~
The default camera angle is obviously the most utilized of them all, but there are alternatives to that which can really amp up your game. Manually moving the camera angle to suit your needs can show you exactly what you want to see, and at the touch of a button. The keys for manual camera controls can be set in : Main Menu>Player # Settings>Camera Input Configuration. If I remember correctly, the default key for switching camera angles is "C". Glancing is my favored use of all the camera functions, as the view is changes when the (set) key is pressed, and only when pressed. The camera will snap back to the original view when the key is no longer depressed.
~Glancing~
As stated above, this view is temporary, and a keystroke will not hard set this view on your screen. It's the most common function used in the custom camera controls, and can be configured to look in four directions, being glance forward, glance backward, glance left and glance right. Unless you have changed the default settings, these keys are already set as the arrow keys. Keep in mind that glancing is very helpful, and can help you see who is grinding your wall, who is planning an ambush, etc. However, when you are glancing it is easy to get caught up in the action where you are looking, and you might forget to watch where your cycle is immediately headed.
~~~~~~~~~
Well, that about wraps it up for my beginner's guide. This is the tip of the iceberg when it comes to customizing and gameplay. You will find out much on your own and by networking with other players. Please leave any comments you may have below. Take care and happy tronning!
Shiny
If you have made it here, then you have a good idea of the game objective and general gameplay. I won't discuss that, just a few little tweaks that will make your time on Arma a bit more enjoyable and productive.
~~~Pirates Site Navigation~~~
First off, let me thank you for visiting, and I certainly hope you will return. Getting around in here is a snap, and I will offer up these few tips to help you get familiar with the site.
Take notice of the blue bar underneath the pirates graphic at the top left hand of the page. There you will see links to Home, the Chat interface, Announcements, the Forums, and the Roster. Feel free to browse around and familiarize yourself. The sign up button is on the top right hand of the main screen. After you sign up, make sure to return and fill out the roster.
~~~Home~~~
Self explanitory...if you navigate away and want to make it back to the homepage, click it.
~~~Pirates Chat~~~
Ice Runner has introduced a brand new chat interface for us to use. Simply click on the "Pirates Chat" tab to access it. Upon entering, please take a second to change your name from the default to your own by clicking directly on your name. The user list is to the right. The dots beside the user names are color coded so you can see who is logged in/out. There are tabs in the bottom of the chat window where you can toggle between the main chat room and the Pirates Clan chat.
Smileys are at the bottom above the input bar. Included in the smileys is a cluster of four smileys (far right). If you click it there are a bunch more emoticons, a YouTube player, a place to doodle, and even a games to share! This chat system is laden with features. Come on in and enjoy!
~~~Announcements~~~
Check here often for any useful info that may pertain to the clan, site updates and general information.
~~~Forums~~~
Visit the forums to post any questions or helpful goodies you may have. Check the forums for your question before you take the time to post your query, as it may have already been answered. Not only is it courtesy, you will save yourself some time if it's there. Please keep it clean and respect others while on the forums.
~~~Roster~~~
Click this link to see your teammates. The mission statement and full roster can be found here. You will see the Pirates, Ninjas, Elite Pirates and Elite Ninjas are listed in full here. Player preferences such as favored position and frequented servers can also be found. If you haven't already done so, there is a link to join the pirates in the upper right hand of the page.
~~~General gameplay controls~~~
You have already hit the grid, you have a good idea of what is to be expected. You have left, right, the brake and core dumping down, but how does everyone make those tight turns? Here we go...
~~~180's~~~
A 180 can be executed without double binding, but is far more difficult and time consuming. That can cost you a life if you aren't crafty about it. The 180 is an act of grinding on an arena or opponent's wall, turning towards the inside and going back the way you came, creating a small tunnel inside the walls. You can also do a 180 with no outside wall at all. Braking (if possible) at the turn will help keep your walls closer together. These tunnels you create can be used to trap, gain speed, and sometimes effectively kill others (sometimes yourself if you're not careful). ;) Like anything else, practice makes perfect. Don't worry, it won't be long and you will have some super tight tunnels to sport and use to your advantage in the arena.
~~~Double Binding~~~
This is the act of assigning more than one key to an action. In the case of 180s, your left and right turns. Setting two keys for a left turn and two keys for the right will allow you to do a 180 rather quickly with practice. For a 180 to the left, press both left keys at the same time...press both right turn keys at the same time for a right turn.
You will find that the keyboard setup differs from one player to the next. Set the keys to what you are most comfortable with, practice with it and most of all, have fun!
~~~The Slingshot~~~
This is a technique that uses an acceleration tunnel, when you exit it, high speeds are achieved. Aptly named the slingshot, you go in, turn, and when you're on your way out, your skin is peeled back off of your face like you're in a centrifuge. Okay, that's a bit of an exaggeration, but once you try it, you'll see what I mean. ;) While grinding on an opponent's wall you turn and ride until you exit the tunnel. You can turn multiple times in a tunnel if you wish, gaining even more speed. Just make sure you don't get bound up in the process!
~~~In game chat~~~
While in game you are free to chat with others on the grid. Please make sure the type of server you are in is chat friendly if you feel like talking it up. Not all servers are as chat oriented or social as others. Please respect others while chatting, behaving in a sportsmanlike and civil manner will get you far in this game. Like many MMOs, Arma has it's fair share of people who are only here to attempt to ruin the game. Take no mind of this sort, it's common and they will be dealt with. Unfavorable actions will often get you kicked and/or banned from playing on a server. There is a place for everyone. The most proven and effective way to stir the pot is to own the grid, so have at!
Talking to other players is a simple process, while playing press the "s" key, type your message and press enter. The "s" key is set as default for chat, but you can set it to any key you wish. You can do this by going to Player 1 Settings and selecting the input configuration option. Use the up and down arrows to highlight the selection you wish to change. You will then be asked to select a key, smack whatever key you want to bind to the action and voila!
NOTE: When a player is chatting in game, a yellow triangle will appear above their bike indicating they are on auto pilot, this is also known as chatbot mode. Unless the player is afk or constantly chatting, it is common courtesy NOT to dump a player whilst they are chatting.
There are default settings for instant chat, some of these are fairly common to see, such as "Give the rim a break, hug a tree instead", "Lag is a myth. It is only in your brain", and "Are you the real Player 1?" Your instant chat output can be customized by going to Player 1 Settings>Instant Chat Setup and typing whatever you wish there. You are also alter what keys display your messages in the input configuration menu.
~~~Text colors~~~
You can change the color of your chat text and name if you wish by typing "0x" followed by the RGB color values (same as HTML).
If you choose a vibrant or bright color, they will be displayed on a black background and a light one will be on a white one.
To change the color of your name, simply put the code in front or in the middle of your name. If you put the code in the middle instead of the front, your bike tail color will be default as the beginning, and the rest of your name will be the color you entered, and will change at the point of entry.
Keep in mind that our names are limited to 15 characters. If you decide to use a color code, the code accounts for 8 characters and you will only be able to use 7 of those for your displyed name.
Example: Your name is "I'm here" and you have a purple tail on your bike. If you type the code "0xFF0000" after "I'm" and then type "here", the first part of your name will be purple and the last in bright red.
I will leave you with a few basic color codes below to get you started. There are tons of places to find a complete HTML color lists and charts on the web.
Red FF0000
White FFFFFF
Turquoise 00FFFF
Light Grey C0C0C0
Light Blue 0000FF
Dark Grey 808080
Dark Blue 0000A0
Black 000000
Light Purple FF0080
Orange FF8040
Dark Purple 800080
Brown 804000
Yellow FFFF00
Burgundy 800000
Pastel Green 00FF00
Forest Green 808000
Pink FF00FF
Grass Green 408080
~~~The console~~~
The console key can be used in a game to change your bike and tail colors. You can also change your name without leaving the grid. Some server settings can be accessed from here as well.
The default key for the console is the "^" key. You can change this to any key you like, just as you can direction and chat commands. You can use the console key and certain commands to learn about the server settings like cycle rubber, brake levels and similar parameters. You can change the key to open the console by starting the game>System Setup>Misc Stuff>Global Keyboard Configuration. Once there, highlight the Console Input line, and press enter. Press the key you want to use to open the console and it's a done deal.
~bike and tail colors~
To change your bike and tail colors use these codes, typing each in the console as a single line and using enter to accept:
color_r_1 #
color_g_1 #
color_b_1 #
This will change your bike and tail colors, of course plugging a number value where the "#" is. Please take note that sometimes your color changes may not show up immediately and will take a round or more to do so.
I have found a couple of terribly helpful pages with a fairly inclusive lists of bike and trail colors. These pages are property of their respective owners:
http://leibniz06.de/tempbla/arma_cl_table.php
http://aremagetron.co.uk/colours/colourpicker.php
~change name command~
Use the code below (in the console) to change your name in game:
player_1 name
This command, like the color codes, will sometimes have a delay before it takes effect.
As touched on above, there are commands you can use to see sever settings, and in local games can even change at will. Please check the wiki for a list of commands.
~~~Camera angles~~~
The default camera angle is obviously the most utilized of them all, but there are alternatives to that which can really amp up your game. Manually moving the camera angle to suit your needs can show you exactly what you want to see, and at the touch of a button. The keys for manual camera controls can be set in : Main Menu>Player # Settings>Camera Input Configuration. If I remember correctly, the default key for switching camera angles is "C". Glancing is my favored use of all the camera functions, as the view is changes when the (set) key is pressed, and only when pressed. The camera will snap back to the original view when the key is no longer depressed.
~Glancing~
As stated above, this view is temporary, and a keystroke will not hard set this view on your screen. It's the most common function used in the custom camera controls, and can be configured to look in four directions, being glance forward, glance backward, glance left and glance right. Unless you have changed the default settings, these keys are already set as the arrow keys. Keep in mind that glancing is very helpful, and can help you see who is grinding your wall, who is planning an ambush, etc. However, when you are glancing it is easy to get caught up in the action where you are looking, and you might forget to watch where your cycle is immediately headed.
~~~~~~~~~
Well, that about wraps it up for my beginner's guide. This is the tip of the iceberg when it comes to customizing and gameplay. You will find out much on your own and by networking with other players. Please leave any comments you may have below. Take care and happy tronning!
Shiny
its GREAT!!!!
dang, cant figure out that tail thingy yet...oh well :P
