Recording a gameplay demo is a function missing in many games and would improve ArmA 3. It would also offer movie-maker like possibilities.
Another specific usage for me would be: Play the game at normal resolution with good fps and recording the game. Later during playback use a completely different resolution and quality setting (in my case: 6K HD) + a few external (not necessarily ArmA 3) tricks to get a nice constant 30 or 60 fps movie.
Don't see why A3 couldn't have this considering VBS 2.0 has playback functionality: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aaCVVMoDeMk. Detailed, replayable post action analysis would be an awesome tool for players, mision makers and modders alike.
Arma 2 been has After Action Review program, by Zvukoper(Mikhail) and VBS have it inside
I think, wold be good to make it on server side, and server can record it in some specific file format and save it, server admin can distibute it after on server/clan/public website for interested users
Server: add param in command line -record=1, the can be recording
Valeus for -record=
0 - disabled
1 - Enabled (always record each mission from start to end)
2 - Start record only by Admin command
Admin: Admin can launch recording if press button in 'Server control' section and spawn small dialog menu with settings, OR type in chat this command: #record "FILE_NAME" TIMEVALUE
if TIMEVALUE = -1 recording stopend only when mission end, else time in seconds.
User: can load this file in ?editor and watch it as "movie" with trackbar, and can switch between players and ai, change views, and can zoom, can turn on/off tags and markers on map by each unit position, switch unit by click on map on unit marker. Free fly camera be perfect too!
AND! With this feature you can detect cheaters!
So its time to have it inside for better cqb, pvp expirience! :)
Keep it up
Not "only" multiplay / server side. The client and single player must be recordable too. If we have to decide before starting a mission or joining a server would be fine, via menu option or command line. Including an "always record" option since you never know when something funny happens. If one recording per mission automatically lands in %appdata% or in the according steam directory that would be fine too, filename yyyy-mm-dd_hh-mm-ss. Playback from menu only and only if the file (any name) is in the right directory would be fine with me too.