Setting up and using ACRE - a3g/a3g-information GitHub Wiki

It is very important that you read everything carefully and follow every step.

If you don't, chances are high that you won't be able to communicate with anyone during ops or that you will miss some orders.

Installation

1. Make sure you have the modpack installed and you are synched

If you're not downloading anything anymore and only are uploading, then you are synched.

2. Install the newest version of Teamspeak

You can download the newest version on http://www.teamspeak.com/.
If you're still using an older version please upgrade.

3. Install the ACRE Teamspeak plugin

Open up your Arma 3 folder (usually found in C:\Program Files\Steam\SteamApps\common\Arma 3). Btsynch will have downloaded the mod folders into this directory and one of these contains the plugin.

Open @a3gMP\teamspeak\plugins. In this folder you will find 2 DLL files. Copy both DLL files into your Teamspeak plugin folder which can usually find under C:\Program Files\TeamSpeak 3 Client\plugins.

4. Setting up Teamspeak

  1. Go to Settings -> Setup Wizard, it will guide through the basic Teamspeak setup. Make sure to use push-to-talk (PTT) instead of voice activation.
    I would recommend using a button that is always in your reach for PTT, so for example a thumb button if your mouse has one, or Tab or Space. Make sure that they don't interefere with any of Arma's hotkeys. You do not need to set any hotkeys apart from PTT.

  2. Enable the ACRE plugin by going to Settings -> Plugins and ticking "ACRE2". Make sure you have the TFAR plugin disabled if you have used that before.

  3. Go to Bookmarks -> Add Bookmark and put in the following:
    Label: a3g
    Address: 46.165.239.231
    Nickname: Your ingame name
    Server Password: 123456
    If you want, you can also disable the Teamspeak sound by selecting "Sounds deactivated" as sound pack in the bottom right.

  4. Teamspeak doesn't have to run in administrator mode and according to the Devs, running TS and Arma in administrator mode can cause issues with ACRE. Personally I didn't have issues with this yet, but if you do try running both Arma and TS in normal mode.

5. Setting up Arma

  1. Unbind the following keybindings in your Arma 3 controls:
    Voice over network: 2x Caps Lock
    Push to talk: Caps Lock

  2. Any ACRE keybind can be changed by going into your controls settings in Arma and clicking "Configure Addons" in the bottom, then selecting ACRE 2. You can use the alternative radio keybinds for accessing your first, second and third radio similar to TFAR.

Usage

1. Talking directly to somebody

To talk directly to somebody that is near you, you only have to press your PTT key. You can also change how far away somebody can hear you by pressing and holding Tab, a bar will appear and you can use your scrollwheel to adjust your talking volume. For TvT games I would highly recommend to set it to very low and mostly communicate via radios.

2. Talking via the 343 radios

Usually missions provide every player with a rifleman radio. They are meant to be used for important communications within your squad such as calling out enemies or calling for a medic; personal blogs do not belong on a radio channel. Please see radio etiquette for proper procedures.

To transmit a message with your radio, press Caps Lock. An overlay in the bottom right of your screen will show up, telling you that you are currently transmitting, which radio you are transmitting with and what channel you are currently on. Once you release Caps Lock this overlay will disappear again.

On mission start ask your squad leader what channel your squad is on. Most of the time Alpha will be on channel 1, Bravo on channel 2 and so on. To switch channels open your radio menu by pressing Ctrl+Alt+CapsLock. You can left and right click on the channel selector to switch channels. Once you think you are on the right channel you can confirm this by quickly asking "Radio check?" via the radio and seeing if your squadleader responds.
Additionally you can set the volume of your radio with the volume selector.
An advanced feature is changing the block, you can do this by detaching the handle by clicking on it and clicking the blue button. This will shift all channel frequencies, so you can only communicate with people on the same block and on the same channel.

343 radios have a quite limited range as they should only be used for inner-squad communication. Be aware that hilly terrain can decrease this range significantly.

3. Talking via the 148 (for squadleaders)

For basic functionality the personal radios work exactly the same as rifleman radios, you can switch channels and set the volume via the selectors at the top. However, they can be used for squad-to-squad or squad-to-command communication if you don't have a backpack radio since they have a far better range than the 343 radios.

4. Talking via the 117 (for squadleaders)

Again, basic functionality is the same, this time there are buttons labeled "VOL" and "PRE" two change volume and channel. There is some in depth functionality for these radios, but I would recommend considering the ACRE wiki for that.

5. Radio etiquette

For anybody:

  • Only transmit important information with your radio
  • Let others finish before you start talking, else they or you might not come through at all
  • Speak slow and clear, do not shout
  • Think before you talk, keep your radio messages short and precise:
  • Contact, patrol, south-east about 200m, at that church!
  • Playername needs a medic to the west!
  • If you need a second to think but are not finished yet, say "break" and shortly interrupt your transmission
  • If a message is directed at you, make sure to respond at least with "Copy" or "Negative"
  • If you didn't get a message on the radio because you were distracted or it came in scrambled say "Say again?"

For squadleaders and command:

  • Your commands should be clear and have no room for misunderstandings
  • If you have an emergency message, you can interrupt others by saying "break break!"
  • If you hear a "break break!", stop transmitting if you are and listen closely
  • Keep everyone updated on your position and status
  • A basic transmission should look like this:
    A: Command, this is Alpha.
    C: This is command, send it.
    A: Alpha has reached waypoint 1 and is about to push into Neochori, how copy?
    C: Good copy Alpha, be advised, an enemy tank was spotted in the north of Neochori earlier so keep your AT ready.
    A: Copy that command.
    You don't need to get super professional with your transmissions, but sticking to some rules makes it easier for everybody involved.

6. Hotkeys

If you open your map and click on Radio -> Controls in the top right you will get a complete list of all controls you need. Additionally you can change keybindings by going to Configure -> Controls -> Configure addons -> ACRE2.