It's not...not at all... Ground Branch from www.blackfootstudios.com look for a special announcement April 16th... yes, of 2012.

Going to need more than a screenshot to get excited. Spent way too much time getting hyped up waiting on that thing, and even that was years ago. I do wish them the best, but no more hype for me please.

ArmA III graphics look different. Also, there's not enough Sci-Fi stuff in there to make it ArmA III. I go for Ground Branch as well (thought the project is dead, though).

My job to spread news... believe/do whatever you want.

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LOL, so true. The armaverse HAS become the "most realistic" scifi shooter series. SAD, but true. I have pretty much given up hope for anyone to do a true to life small arms infantry type deal.

Yeap, unfortunally so true...
my only hope is that BIS won't get nearly the amount of money that they got with ArmA2 (and Op. Arrowhead) and realise that this was because of the HUGE mistake of "transforming" ArmA3 in a Sci-fi shooter and release an addon (along the lines of Op. Arrowhead) based on a present, past or at best VERY NEAR future setting/scenario.

I'm neither dismissive nor hyped for it, however. If it comes, it comes.

The Jedi Master

actually this thread ain't about ArmA3... so take that there... this is about GROUND BRANCH, i ask that you stay on topic now... thanks.

What would be the point of adjustable weapon zero? When I was in I zeroed my rifle exactly once...

Perhaps he just means adjusting the elevation for long distance etc?

I'll be interested to see how far this project has moved along.

Ground Branch

BlackFoot Studios' premiere title; Ground Branch is based on the real life subsection of the Special Activities Division of the Central Intelligence Agency. The Special Activities Division typically carries out deniable covert operations on foreign soil and often goes into a situation before anyone else, before Special Forces, before the SEALs, before DevGru; SAD Ground Branch is the true tip of the spear. SAD Ground Branch operatives are mainly recruited from Army Special Forces or CAG units and are experts in field craft, surveillance, small arms, hostage rescue and Close Quarters Battle.

Being a CIA unit Ground Branch has a free hand to get the job done and as such will take measures which military units cannot. There are laws in war and Ground Branch tears those pages out of the book when necessary. They are the gunslingers of modern day warfare and are not a direct combat unit but instead rely on stealth and hit and run tactics. This means their operational manners may be deemed questionable by some at times. Ground Branch isn’t sent in to be an ambassador of good will, they are sent in to get very specific results.

As players, gameplay will be deliberate, calculated, gritty and heavy. Without the consequence of death and loss there is no depth to the game. Loss will be personal and unavoidable. We are not taking the moral high ground but players will sense the impact of thier actions. Your gear choices, route choices, team plan and actions against the enemy will all play into your success or failure. Multiplayer games will be methodical with pockets of quick but intense firefights all the way to long drawn out engagements against an equally matched team. There is no artificial balancing, but the individual’s skill and decision making will be what allows them to succeed.

BlackFoot Studios Launches BFS 2.0

Posted: April 16, 2012

In 2004, the industry witnessed the opening of BlackFoot Studios, an independent development studio created by John Sonedecker, former Lead Artist for Red Storm Entertainment and one of the driving forces behind the award winning Ghost Recon series.

John’s professional career in game design and development spans over a decade of involvement and influence in high profile projects including several Triple A Tom Clancy titles, and developing tactical simulations for the military.

In 2007, www.BlackfootStudios.com was launched, and Sonedecker revealed the beginning development of Ground Branch, the premier title from his studio that would return the first person shooter genre back to its tactical roots.

With authentic realism and gameplay based on intelligent strategy, fans of the first person shooter genre would once again experience a true tactical military experience that is hard to find in today's gaming market. The Blackfoot Studios forums and community quickly swelled with a loyal following.

Despite the difficulties faced by independent developers without a big name publisher, John and his team remained steadfast in their endeavor. Through several years of perseverance and dedication, Ground Branch slowly took shape and became a reality.

Now, on April 16th 2012, after working under the radar to bring tangible results to their loyal community, BlackFoot Studios is returning to the forefront with the reveal of its redesigned home website, and a new second site dedicated specifically to Ground Branch.

With all new content, never before seen screenshots and game footage, inside information and one on one talks with the BlackFoot Studios developers, BFS 2.0 will bring Ground Branch back into the spotlight.

BlackFoot Studios would like to thank its loyal community that has stuck with us from the beginning, not only through the exciting times, but through the quiet times. And now, we invite all of our existing members, and new ones, to continue with us into the next phase of the studio's growth and Ground Branch's development.

Welcome to BFS 2.0.

Just PvP on release? Sorry, I'll be waiting for the SP/coop, as that's the only part I play in these games.

I haven't done PvP in almost 10 years.




The Jedi Master

You can play BF3 and COD realistically PvP on the right servers...

Do you ever play MM or TT?

No, not really at all. No matter how you play those games, they can not be realistic (instantly bringing someone back to life who was blown up with an RPG ect.). BF3 actually does bring suppression into play which surprised me, but that is about the only thing realistic about it. CoD is a pure twitch fest.

ArmA 2 is just awful for PvP. Maybe the PR mod fixes that, but otherwise, it fares really poorly as a PvP game. SP and co-op? Good. PvP? Awful.

I do agree with the rest of you, PvP was the least aspect I was looking forward to but it is the simplest to do for obvious reasons (lack of sophisticated AI, squad commands, voice lines, mission briefings and the like) which is why they want to get it out of the way first. Get the core movement, weapon, damage, and loadout mechanics done and shape it into something playable. Sell and get funds to finish making the SP/co-op.

Not ideal, but it looks like their only option. If the PvP game sells poorly, there probably won't be an SP/co-op portion. Something to consider.

At the least, detail training ranges in which you can practice can give you a few hours of fun. I've spent many hours on virtual shooting ranges in GRAW 2, America's Army, Red Orchestra, ArmA ect.

Hey guys, thought I would drop by and mention that Co-op and SP are strictly resource/funding issues for us. Part of the Kickstarter will outline what our funding is going towards and what can additional funding past the goal would add to the project. Co-op and a full SP campaign fall into that. So it is completely dependent on the success of the Kickstarter if it's done initial or add on later.

Cheers!

After years of silence they come back saying their releasing a MP only game that they want you to pay for in hopes that they MIGHT be able to release some SP content down the road.... yeah, I'll pass. America's Army is FREE and pretty much accomplishes the same thing. I'll stick with ARMA II thanks.