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Task Force Arma 3 Radio


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TeamSpeak radio plugin for Arma 3. TFAR is now one of the finalists on Nake Arma Not War contest.

###Installation

  1. Download and unzip the 0.9.7 radio archive.
  2. Copy the contents of TeamSpeak 3 Client folder into the root folder of TeamSpeak.
  3. Copy the contents of Arma 3 folder into game folder – ...\SteamApps\common\Arma 3.

Every release of TFAR contains the latest version of СBA (Community Base Addons) as part of the archive. If you already have CBA installed, but uncertain about its version, then it's better to let Windows replace the existing folder.

###Configuration

  1. Make sure that Caps Lock is not used as the push-to-talk key in TeamSpeak.
  2. In the game settings, to avoid voice doubling, turn off Voice Over Network (VON), or change its assgined key to something other than Caps Lock.
  3. Open the plugin list in TeamSpeak – Settings> Plugins.
  4. Enable Task Force Arma 3 Radio.
  5. Disable ACRE and other similar radio plugins, if you have them, to avoid possible conflicts.
  6. Press the Reload All (bottom left) to restart all of the current plugins.
  7. Make sure the volume of alerts is not turned off in TeamSpeak – Options> Payback> Sound Pack Volume – set a positive value.
  8. Start the game with both @CBA_A3 & @task_force_radio addons enabled. You can do this by adding their names to the game shortcut, following the EXE file – …\arma3.exe -mod=@CBA_A3;@task_force_radio. However, the game's own menu is a more preferable place to do this (Settings> Expansions).
  9. Join the same TeamSpeak channel as other players using the radio. While playing in serious mode, the server will have a channel named TaskForceRadio, where all participating players will be navigated automatically at the start of a shared mission.

During the game, TFAR will change your TeamSpeak nickname to match the one from your current game profile. Make sure your in-game nick is at least 3 characters long.

We do not recommend using the plugin with simultaneous connections to multiple TeamSpeak servers.

We recommend disabling the preconfigured alert sounds used by TeamSpeak – Options> Notifications> Sound Pack: "Sounds Deactivated". To apply this change, make sure to restart TeamSpeak afterwards.

###Controls

Keys Action
Push⁠-⁠to⁠-⁠talk hotkey in TS    Direct Speech.
Caps Lock To talk on a radio.
Ctrl+Caps Lock To talk on a long range radio.
Ctrl+P To open the handheld radio interface (the radio must be in the inventory slot). In that case, if you have a number of radios – you can select the one needed. It is also possible to set the radio as active (the one that will be used for transmission). Also it is possible to load radio settings from another radio with same encryption code.
Num [1-8] Rapid switching of shortwave radio channels.
Alt+P Opens the long range radio interface – for this action to work, you either have to have long range radio on you, or you have to be in a vehicle as a driver, gunner, or co-pilot. If a number of radios are available – you’ll be asked to choose one. Also, one of them can be set as active. Furthermore, it is possible to load radio settings from another radio with same encryption code.
Ctrl+Num [1-9] Rapid switching of long range radio channels.
Ctrl+Tab</kbd To change the direct speech volume. You can talk: Whispering, Normal or Yelling. Does not affect the signal volume in the radio transmission.
Shift+P To open an underwater transceiver interface (you should be wearing a rebreather).
Ctrl+~ To talk on underwater transceiver.
Ctrl+] Select next handheld radio.
Ctrl+[ Select previous handheld radio.
Ctrl+Alt+] Select next long range radio.
Ctrl+Alt+[ Select previous long range radio.
Ctrl+[←,↑,→] Change the stereo mode of handheld radio.
Alt+[←,↑,→] Change the stereo mode of long range radio.
T Transmit on additional channel of commander radio.
Y Transmit on additional channel of long range radio.
Esc To exit from the radio interface.

###Radios

Radio Side Range /Distance
AN/PRC-152
(commander) 		BLUFOR 30-512 MHz
/5 km
RF-7800S-TR
(squadmate) 		BLUFOR 30-512 MHz
/2 km
RT-1523G (ASIP)
(manpack) 		BLUFOR 30-87 MHz
/20 km
(30 km for vehicle-mounted)
AN/ARC-210
(airborne) 		BLUFOR 30-87 MHz
/40 km
AN/PRC148-JEM
(commander) 		Independent 30-512 MHz
/5 km
AN/PRC-154
(squadmate) 		Independent 30-512 MHz
/2 km
AN/PRC-155
(manpack) 		Independent 30-87 MHz
/20 km
(30 km for vehicle-mounted)
AN/ARC-164
(airborne) 		Independent 30-87 MHz
/40 km
FADAK
(commander) 		OPFOR 30-512 MHz
/5 km
PNR-1000A
(squadmate) 		OPFOR 30-512 MHz
/2 km
MR3000
(manpack) 		OPFOR 30-87 MHz
/20 km
(30 km for vehicle-mounted)
MR6000L
(airborne) 		OPFOR 30-87 MHz
/40 km
Transceiver
(underwater) 		All 32-41 kHz
/70-300 m
(depending on waves)

Short range (handheld, of commander or squadmate class) and long range radios (manpack, airborne, vehicle-mounted) of same faction are configured using a common protocol, allowing them to communicate with each other. If the transmission is carried out using a short range radio – the sound will be of high-frequency. In the case of a long range transmission – it will be of low-frequency.

The quality of radio signal is affected by the nature of surrounding terrain. Worst case scenario – you are located at the edge of a steep hill. If you start moving away from the hill's edge, in direction opposite the transmitting player, you will start getting better signal reception. Best case scenario – a direct line of sight to the source of transmission.

Commander and long range class of radios support transmitting and receiving on two channels simultaneously. Pressing the "Setup additional channel" switch will mark the currently selected radio channel as additional. After switching to another channel you will hear both – active and additional channels.

####Distribution

  • By default, a long range radio is given out to squad leaders. If a given player is initialy wearing a backpack, it will be automatically discarded on the ground in exchange for a distributed radio.

  • Short range radios are given out to players who have ItemRadio in their inventory. At mission start, the process of radio distribution may take up to a few seconds to fully complete — note the game messages appearing at the center of your screen.

####In vehicles

  • A long range radio is available to driver, commander, gunner, and co-pilot. Not all vehicles support mounted radios.

  • Every vehicle slot has its own radio, which has to be configured separately. If you plan to switch seats in a vehicle, then configure the radio for each seat beforehand — for example, at the driver and gunner positions.

  • Vehicles are classified into open and closed (isolated) types. If you are in an isolated vehicle, you will barely hear any voices from the outside (and vice versa). However, when turned out, you will be able to hear voices from both, inside and outside of your vehicle.

####Interception

  • Radios can be picked up from dead players, and exchanged between players. In doing so, they retain all their settings (channels, frequency, volume).

To bypass the well-known game bug with disappearing world items and pick up a radio safely, we recommend you do so through the inventory screen while standing directly over its position on the ground.

  • Settings configured for vehicle-mounted radios are also persistently stored.
  • By default, all radios use an embedded faction-specific encryption code for transmission. In practice, this means that even if you somehow found out the radio frequency of your opponent you would still not be able to intercept their communication by simply switching to it on your own radio. To be able to listen and talk on their frequency, you have to first capture one of their radios.

While intercepting your opponent's communication using a captured manpack radio, it is preferable to get in and remain inside a friendly vehicle. This way, you'll be able to listen to the enemy chatter using manpack, while at the same time being able to broadcast to your allies using the vehicle-mounted radio as the active one.

####Divers

  • You can not talk underwater (even while wearing a diving suit). However, at close distance your communication partner can hear some indistinct speech (exception – if you are underwater in an isolated vehicle).
  • Being underwater, you can faintly hear muffled voices on land.
  • Use an underwater transceiver for communication among divers.
  • You can not use radio communication underwater (neither to talk nor to hear). If you want to pass some message – surface first. Exception – submersible at the periscope depth (divers can use a long range radio there).

###Operation modes The plugin supports two operation modes – serious and a lightweight mode.

  • Lightweight mode is the default mode. It is designed mainly for cooperative games. Its special feature is that using the plugin players can hear the dead, users not playing, users playing on a different server and users playing without the plugin avoiding the radio (just like with TeamSpeak). This makes games against people less convenient, but allows your friends to easily find out where you play, what's your frequency, etc. Naturally, those who play on the same server with activated addons and plugins will hear each other according to "radio laws": taking into account the radio frequency and distance.

  • Serious mode is designed for games played in player versus player (PvP) modes. To enable it, you need to create a TeamSpeak channel called TaskForceRadio (password – 123). Players enable the radio plugin, join a server and plan their game tactics on the channel of their side. At the start of a mission, in a few seconds time, players will be forwarded to TaskForceRadio channel. In this way, players can hear only other live players that have plugin enabled and are on the same server. Dead players, in turn, can communicate only with each other. After a dead player respawns – he will hear only live players again. After the game ends, the players are transferred to the channel they used for game tactics before mission start.

###Problem solving

  • Pipe error 230 – most likely, it means you forgot to enable the plugin in TeamSpeak.
  • If the plugin is red-marked in TS and does not load – you will probably have to update TeamSpeak.
  • If something doesn't work – try to reload the plugin first.
  • Caps Lock actions aren't working – common issue with use of special gaming keyboards, where Caps Lock code is different. Try changing your key mapping (by editing the userconfig).
  • If due to an error, you are no longer able to hear other players, even outside the game, open Setup 3D Sound in TeamSpeak and click Center All.
  • To eliminate possible errors with the plugin, developers may require your TeamSpeak logs. To copy it, select Tools> Client Log, tick all checkboxes at the top and, by selecting all of the text with Ctrl+A, copy it to the clipboard.
  • If TeamSpeak stopped working (Heaven forbid!) while using the plugin – it will show a dialog with instructions on where you can find the dump file (information about an error). I'd appreciate if you attached this file in your bug reports.

###For TS admins To be on the safe side, reduce the level of flood protection — right-click on server> Edit Virtual Server> More> Anti Flood — set the values at 30, 300 and 3000 (from the top).

###For developers If this plugin ever becomes popular, it would be great if we could avoid having piles of incompatible community forks. For this reason, if you’d like to contribute to the project, contact me – it is very likely that your improvements will be merged into the main branch. Looking forward to your pull requests.

###Special Thanks

TFAR © Michail Nikolaev, built with contributions from developers like you!

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