[EYE] The Zeus

Enhance Your Experience is a Miniseries of Guides, that are aiming to help you have a nice experience during Multiplayer Games in Zeus mode. In these Guides I will try to lay down some standard procedures to follow, as well as give insight to the Mindset of the Zeus and how to interact with the Players and give some practical tips to use while in Zeus mode. I will also reference other Guides in the Credit section, for anyone to look up if you want to go into more Detail on specifics.

Mindset & Attitude

One of the most important things is always your Mindset and Attitude. Especially as the Zeus it will be your Job to set the tone for the game itself and the way you behave will inevitably have an effect on the Players as well. Granted, there are always some Trolls you can't get to fit in with all the other Players on the Server, but you can deal with them quite easily as well.

First off, you have to be as clear and concise as possible. You're the Game Master and have to think on what you want to do and how you want to accomplish the goals you're setting out to do. This is a main part of Storytelling and the Narrative you will be going for, during the rest of the game. The best kind of Zeus games are some that tell an interesting story, with all the fighting in between. Otherwise you could just throw wave after wave of enemies into the ranks of your players and they'll most likely grow bored with it.

Secondly, be polite. It may seem like a small portion, but your attitude towards the Players will always matter. If you appear to be annoyed and grow more and more agitated or act like you're just a generous god who simply does it all for the Players, it is likely that you will alienate even serious Players on the Server. It's only natural that you will get annoyed with someone, who acts like that and if you're seriously not having fun while Zeusing, just don't do it. You'll have to know your own limits and have to call it a day if you feel like you're just getting more and more agitated by playing, because nothing good will happen if you're not able to calm down anyway.

Third, say no. You will often encounter Players that want a tank, a Jet, a Helo or something else. The ability to say no and stay polite while doing it, is paramount. It is up to you to decide whether or not you will give the people something or not. This is a main part of the first point I made, as you have to know what fits the Narrative, but you'll also have to consider Balancing. Especially when you have a lot of Players on your Server giving one a Tank for example can result in others asking for it and then you suddenly have a Tank Platoon inside an Infantry based game or what might be even worse would be that the one Tank suddenly roflstomps the enemy, while everyone else lags behind and are essentially useless. It will be your job to ensure that all the players are able to have some fun as part of a bigger Unit.

Fourth, don't justify yourself. It will be very important that you don't end up constantly justifying your actions in front of the Players. You can tell them a polite no and maybe add that some stuff is for Balancing / Storytelling reasons, but don't go in-depth with those explanations. You will just cripple your own ability to use that time for something useful and generally annoy all the other Players on the Server, if you tell them off each time. You have to consider that they're most likely talking in the Side and Group Channels as well and each time you address something, it will make it harder for the serious Players to coordinate with one another.

Fifth, get rid of troublemakers. This is also important to keep the Players in line. If you allow one of them to go about doing mischief, trolling, annoying, insulting, teamkilling or destroying valuable Equipment for no reason, get rid of them. For this and other reasons it will be very important for you to have the Admin position.

Sixth, even the odds. Speaking from my experience as a Player a game is only fun if it's an uphill battle. Just utterly destroying the enemy without any problems is boring. But the opposite of that is quite agitating as well. If the Players are just unable to win you will have to do something about it. Sometimes this inability to accomplish their mission stems from a tactical ineptitude, so some advice can help already and sometimes it's really just because you've gone and overdone it on the enemies. In these cases you will somehow need to even the odds or provide more challenges. Depending on whether they're currently just roflstomping the enemy or get utterly destroyed by them.

[First Steps] 1. Questions to ask yourself

If you join a Server with the intent of becoming a Zeus, it usually is the best idea to think about it beforehand and afterwards joining on an empty public Server, so you can set it up as quickly as possible.

What Map do I want to play on?

Considering this will have the biggest impact on the game, it is the most important one. Stratis is a fairly small Map for example. Putting any tank or jet warfare on it, is not really going to happen. Even Malden is too small for Jets. Even Tanoa and Altis just pass by underneath you when you get into a Fastmover. But that's just one thought. The Map also decides which sides you can play as and which enemies you can face. For example AAF on Malden seems like a bit of a stretch or the FIA roaming Tanoa.

Which side do I want to play?

This can also influence your Map choice, but it can be interchangeable depending on which one you prefer. If the Map is less important than the sides, you're going to lead with this question. If the Map is more important than the sides, then obviously it's the other way around.

You can sort of emulate other Factions and Scenarios, but that takes a lot of effort to set up as well as some luck, with your Players as they will have to suspend their disbelief a little. For example I was once put into the Vietnam jungle emulated by Tanoa as we fought the Vietcong represented by Syndikat forces, as the US Army represented by NATO. But as I said, it's a lot to set up really, so the general idea is to use the standard Arma lore and build on it.

What do each of these sides have to offer?

Thinking about the strengths and weaknesses of each faction is useful to set up the entirety of the game. Suddenly giving the Syndikat for example NATO Tanks is a bit ridiculous and will most likely get called out. So thinking about their Resources and abilities, as well as mindset is important to set up an interesting narrative.

What kind of opposition do these sides face?

Every story is only as good as it's villain. So thinking about the Opposition you will be facing and what you can reasonably take on will vary. For example it is interesting Storytelling as FIA Guerilla forces to go around this large AAF fortress with a Tank Platoon in it instead of attacking it, while en route to your AO.

If you don't have any idea about the factions here's a short run down, until I have the time to make an excessive Guide about them or find one, that is suitable.

NATO – available on every Map and the Ops can range from Spec-Ops behind enemy lines, over hardcore infantry warfare to Tank and Aerial battles.

CSAT – same as with NATO, although the standard Narrative of Arma 3 has to be changed a little depending on the Map, considering they were thrown out of Stratis, Altis, Malden and never actually held an official mandate on Tanoa.

FIA – available on Stratis & Altis. They are great for setting up Guerilla warfare. Depending on the timeline you can throw them against NATO, CSAT and / or the AAF. Naturally there's also the option to play them allied with NATO and still running Ops for them.

AAF – available on Stratis & Altis. They are pretty good to play for a more lax military Setting. Also checkpoints and base defence, as well as seek and destroy missions against the FIA. Depending on the timeline they can face NATO or be allied with them, while always fighting the FIA. If you really change things up you might even be able to pit them against CSAT.

Syndikat – available on Tanoa, Malden, Stratis and Altis. Although their main base of Operations is Tanoa, I feel you can put them as drug pushers, as well as human and weapons traffickers on each of these Maps. They're also probably the only faction I'd say would actually go against civilians. They can sort of be connected to CSAT as well as the FIA and AAF, but generally they should be used as the enemies of all.

Which difficulty Preset do I want to take?

The difficulty Preset is sometimes locked on Servers, so be sure to check if it's on “(forced)” or not. If not you can choose it yourself if you got the Admin rights and set up the Mission anew, I will explain that Part with The Admin portion of this Guide in-depth. Important for now is to know the Ups and Downs with each difficulty.

Recruit will generally get you an influx of many players, that just want to have a good time, as the enemy isn't too much of a challenge. The main problem with this difficulty though is that you may have to put out ridiculous amounts of enemies, just to make it a bit of a challenge the more Players come onto the Server.

Regular is generally a good idea to use as it's fairly balanced and the enemies are not too shabby. Depending on the skill of the players you have and their coordination though, you'll have to look at the Balancing though, that it still is somewhat of a fair fight.

Veteran is usually what draws more experienced players in and those who seek a challenge. It can be rather unforgiving and is pretty good to set up an uphill battle. This can naturally alienate a lot of people and sometimes your Server will just stay completely empty, as there are not a lot of people that search for a Server like that, speaking from my experience.

[First Steps] 2. On the Server

Once you have prepared to go onto the Server, just quickly set up everything you need. Here's a step by step guide on the most important things to do:

1. Vote yourself Admin

Open the Chat and enter:

#vote admin [YOUR NAME]

Once you have done that you should see the Chat saying “Logged in as admin”. If not you either made an Error or someone else got onto the Server as well and you will need his vote as well, or leave to search for another Server.

2. Restart the mission

Open the Chat and enter:

#missions

This is mainly so you can set the difficulty, map, as well as the side you're going to play.



For the next few steps you just need to click the options on the Screen. It will be highlighted in white what you have chosen. You can change it any time you want afterwards.

3. Choose Server Difficulty Preset (Recruit, Regular, Veteran or Custom)

4. Choose the Map (Stratis, Altis, Tanoa or Malden 2035)

5. Choose from the possible Missions

6. Note that the sides in brackets behind the Zeus options will set you as either OPFOR, BLUFOR or Independent.

This will be important for setting the enemies down in Zeus, as the Units from each category will only attack the opposite faction and depending on your set Parameters Independents as well.
CSAT = OPFOR
NATO = BLUFOR
AAF / Syndikat = Independent

7. Click on the Vote button once you're happy with your Setup.

8. Open the Parameters by clicking the button.

9. Edit the Parameters to your liking.

You can see my usual setup in the Screenshot. I won't be explaining everything here but the most important ones are:
God Mode – Enabled will allow you to use all assets from the getgo
Game Moderator rights – If you don't have a reliable partner who sets up everything with you it's best to set it to spectating only as people can just get in the position and troll if they want. Even with the JAM Menu they can do quite a bit of damage before you get to ban them. If you have someone reliable though you might want to consider giving them essentially the same rights as the Zeus has.

10. Ensure that the Admin debug console is enabled

If you have it disabled you can't run Scripts, set up an Arsenal, edit the View Distance and basically anything that requires Scripts. You will still be able to kick people without it though, but it's a bit of a pain.

11. Once you're happy with the edits you made go back, put yourself into the Zeus

This concludes the First Steps you should undertake before starting to Zeus. For the Standard Zeus stuff like setting down Objects, Units etc. pp. please refer to the Field Manual and the inbuilt Arma 3 Tutorials.

The Admin

If you have read through the first steps, you know how to make yourself Admin and what you should use it for to begin with. I also addressed a bit of stuff regarding the Admin in other Parts of the Guide, but I want to ensure you know why you should have the Admin as the Zeus, what your Job is with that and some practical stuff on how you can use it.

1. Why is it important that the Zeus has Admin privileges?

The Zeus's Job is it to ensure that the game flows uninterrupted. Not only by things that can normally come up, with a new spawn point when you want to give your Players an Arsenal there, but also Trolls. Even while setting up Missions on the side, the Zeus has usually the best overview, over the Area. If you see someone falling out of line and not following the commands of the Squad Leaders / Base Command, then you can immediately intervene as you will be the only one seeing that one Hunter driving down the lonely road or flying the Helo into nowhere.

Usually it's best to address this first and if the Player doesn't respond just kick him once. If he rejoins and continues this, it's best to just use JAM to ban him from the Server, so you can continue. But just having the Admin privileges, usually is enough to get Players fall in line again.

Another thing why you should have it and especially not Players, is basically because you're the Storyteller. It is up to you to decide what kind of Vehicles and Equipment the Players should have access to. But if one of the Players has the Admin rights he can essentially abuse the Debug Console to spawn whatever he wants, set down a full Arsenal anywhere and even ban you from the Server if he feels like it. To make it simple, if you don't have the Admin Privileges you're in a weakened position and can only hope that some random guy will actually fall in line and actually do what you tell him to and even if you're lucky enough to do that, it still is kind of a hassle as you have to coordinate with him the entire time when you want something special set up.

2. Some practical tips for using the Admin privileges.

Some very basic things I took out of J's Guide and generally always use are the following commands. He has put a lot more of advanced stuff inside his Guide, so check it out. You'll find it in the Credits section.

One of the first things I do though after setting down a Supply Box, I set down a Unit next to it, to possess it and then make it an Arsenal by moving close to the Box, aiming at it and running the following command:

["AmmoboxInit",[cursorTarget,true]] call BIS_fnc_arsenal;

If you take a look at the Screenshot I will explain it now in further Detail.

1. Standard Sign

This is the standard sign you'll see on newly spawned Boxes and Vehicles you can access. They are not made into an Arsenal yet. This is very important to keep in mind, as you sometimes have to run the Command a second time, as it doesn't pick it up at times.

2. Arsenal Sign

If you have successfully made something an Arsenal it should flash that sign if you take aim at it, while possessing a character. It's a good way of checking whether or not something is an Arsenal right now or not.

3. Debug Console

I have cropped it into the Screenshot just for better understanding, usually you would see the Menu left to it so don't mind it. I usually click first on the SERVER EXEC button and to execute you see a tiny Speedometer sign left to it. If you want to execute any command you typed into the Debug Console you just click on it and it will run through it.

The other way to make an Arsenal is simply to set down a vehicle like an HEMTT and double click it while in Zeus mode. Once you've done it something like this here should show up:

1. Execute Drop down Menu

The first part of that Execute menu is a drop down menu, showing the commands you have used in the past. It is quite good to execute several times the same command on different objects, if you want to for example create more than one Arsenal or set some Units to God Mode.

2. Execute Line

The execute line underneath the Drop down Menu functions very much the same as the debug console, although these command lines are just executed on the Unit / Object in Question. You can make the HEMTT an Arsenal that way as well, although the command differs a little as you can see. I'll put it for Copy & Paste down here.

["AmmoboxInit",[this,true]] call BIS_fnc_arsenal;

One last thing I want to address for utility reasons from the very start is the View Distance. It is usually pretty low on official Servers which is a problem for serious Snipers, as well as any Aircraft. So you wanna crank that up using the Debug Console again. The command for that is:

{4000 remoteExec["setviewdistance"];} remoteExec ["bis_fnc_call",0,true];

The value of “4000” in the beginning is just something I use. You can even make it go higher or lower, on official Servers the standard is at 1000.



And just to reiterate, if you want to get more advanced stuff like for example Unit Animations, the Aircraft Carrier and other things, just go into the Credits section and use J's Admin Debug Console Guide for Public Zeus for reference.

Full Arsenal

Alright now that you know how to create a full Arsenal, I should probably explain the Ups and Downs that you have to expect coming with it. Just to get you started with it, the full Arsenal I've shown you in the Admin section, will enable your players to just move up to it and equip themselves with whatever Gear they want. All weapons, Uniforms and Utilities are enabled.

The Advantage

The biggest advantage is probably that you save yourself a lot of micromanagement and bickering with the Players, as they can simply adjust their Loadouts depending on the Situation at hand, so you don't really have to care whether or not you created the correct Loadouts for a specific Mission nor micromanage every teeny tiny little bit of Equipment.

The Disadvantage

It is basically prone to be abused. The full Arsenal enables you to also get into CSAT Uniforms as NATO guys or use weaponry not cleared for NATO. It can also happen that people start taking hundreds of drones and crash them cluttering your Map, which decreases performance. But naturally, simply the ability of taking every weapon, enables them to utilize even stuff they're not supposed to have.

How to deal with it

The approach I take to deal with that is usually I make it very clear what they're allowed to have and what not. If one acts up, I usually end up banning them if they don't fall in line and if generally everyone is abusing the Arsenal I threaten to delete it altogether. Leaving them just with the Standard Loadouts and those I have crafted myself. This threat usually is enough to ensure that everything is going swimmingly. You can also create a whitelisted / blacklisted Arsenal, but I never really cared so far for that. I'm pretty sure you can find out how that one works fairly easily though with a bit of research. If I'm ever interested, I'll probably add it to this Guide as well.

Loadouts

Loadouts are something I have addressed multiple times so far. They're simply said the things the Players spawn with. Arma 3 has several standard Loadouts at it's Disposal for the side you're currently playing, but you can make them yourself as well, if you're not happy with those. To enable them in the game you simply put down a “Loadouts”-Module, which you can find under Respawn.

Generally speaking Arma will have some of them enabled as Standard. If you want to make sure that the people only get what you put out you have to enable one of the Loadouts you wanna have and then press the “Clear”-Button on Screen, so that all others will stop existing. It's very important you enable one, as Arma 3 will always leave one Loadout, as players couldn't spawn otherwise.



Once you have done that you can choose all the other Loadouts you want to enable for your Players. I have some standard Loadouts created for my games and enable them, even with a full Arsenal at the ready, so even Newcomers have something to use, even if they're still lacking the knowledge of how to put some useful gear together. It's also pretty good if you actually need to delete the full Arsenal, as they will know that you have some stuff ready they will be forced to use by that point.

1. Advantages of Loadouts

As stated above one of the advantages of Loadouts is that even Newcomers have something they can use and if you restrict the usage of Arms and Utility to just those Loadouts, you can control what the Players will and will not have in Detail. It certainly gives a bit peace of mind to know they're not suddenly going to set up several dozens of mortars, without you allowing it.

2. Disadvantages of Loadouts

The disadvantage is naturally you will have to put some time and effort in creating these Loadouts. You will also need to keep in mind what your guys have access to and even if you have put a lot of effort in, you'll never be able to please all parties involved, as there are multiple different ways of playing Arma. Some prefer heavy armour in which they can barely move, while others prefer speed and go with less armour and some take the middle ground. There are even more varieties to it, but just counting them like this is enough, because each would be already 3 different varieties for Standard classes to put down, which would be a bit of a pain.

3. Why use Loadouts in combination with a Full Arsenal?

It's not just advantageous for new Users, but also the ones that just joined the Server. Simply by looking at the Loadouts you have given them, they can get a general idea of where you're currently going with your mission. If you only put Gendarmerie Loadouts live, they'll know that it's a mission where you're playing the Gendarmerie. At the very least serious Players will do that.

4. How to create my own Loadout?

The best way I think is to use the Virtual Arsenal from the main menu of the game, to set things up in peace. You can also make some adjustments to Loadouts while in-game, when you just put down a unit and put an Arsenal on it, loading up the Loadout in Question you want to change up and then save the changes you made on it, before putting it live. If you have no idea of where to start yourself with creating Loadouts, you can also just start a Zeus Server in your LAN and set down Units from each faction, put an Arsenal on them, make the changes you want to make and then save them as your own Loadout.

Coordinating with the Players

Considering that Zeus Serves can go in Co-op missions up to 16 Players + 1 Gamemoderator on the side and in a Deathmatch up to 48 + 1 it can get pretty hectic while playing. So coordinating with the Players is key. I generally tend to simply do Co-op missions, so it still is somewhat tolerable if there is some Radio Discipline, but generally I don't want to support 16 Players directly.

One general rule of thumb has become to set up one Player as Base Commander, which will generally be your go to partner to talk with. You can either make someone you think is capable enough base commander or let the players decide. Usually that person will then step up to the task and be quite helpful to you as the Zeus, as he will point out who the troublemakers are, which you can then take down a peg.

It also makes it easier to communicate, as you don't have to address every single person yourself. That Base Commander will usually be the one that requests things from you. In some instances you will also have to deal with Squad leaders directly but better 4 to 5 people who actually show some Radio Discipline than none.

I tend to also leave the decision on who is allowed to use which vehicle I put on standby in the hands of the Base Commander, so I don't really have to care about it and they can decide themselves on how they want to use their Resources. It gives the entire game even more of a tactical feeling and I tend to actually enjoy that as a Zeus if they are coordinating themselves.

Vehicles

As a last thing I want to add to this Guide, is something about vehicles. You should always keep in mind that military vehicles, with the exception for a Quad maybe, will always be very expensive in real warfare. Just this thought alone should make you use them rather sparingly. But the other is, that vehicles can be incredibly powerful as well.

All the carefully placed units, all the work and effort you put in setting up a Scenario can be destroyed by one tank you granted your players to use, as they just roflstomp over the enemy, leaving you wondering why you even put in all the effort in the first place.

So it is really worth it to micromanage at least the vehicles you give your players to use and generally put down a set amount of cars / helos / jets you have granted them to use and then lock them until they have organised and want to use it in their mission. To punish the usage of vehicles in different situations, I tend to set down AT mines as well as launchers to use against the Players, so they will always have to stay on their toes while using them.

Also ensure that you only Respawn vehicles for them if they really weren't at fault for something. Arma 3 tends to sometimes flip cars and tanks in the most unrealistic way possible and sometimes it is a Troll that's crashing a helo or jet. If that happens get rid of the troublemaker and give them a new one. But if they just made a mistake, they shouldn't get a new one, as getting punished for a bad decision adds some stakes to the scenario and makes it more intriguing.

[Credits] Useful Guides

Here you will find some stuff that is useful to use and I generally use or refer to myself, while Zeusing. So credit where credit is due. I will also try to expand on this Section, whenever I find something useful.

First off I want to recommend the amazing JAM Script, which helps you to enforce Law & Order on public Zeus Servers. I am not currently aware of all it's features, but just the ability to ban Players from a Server is quite helpful. You can get rid of Trolls and other troublemakers fairly easy and don't have to constantly kick the guys again, which honestly is quite a pain in the arse.

J-WoLF's Admin Menu

The same User that made the Admin Menu Script also has a nice Guide for the Admin Console as well. I have learned quite a bit by reading through it myself and recommend you do the same for practical knowledge on the matter. This will enable you to enhance the experience of your Players even further and give you some fun stuff to play with.

Admin Debug Console Guide for Public Zeus

With that I will end the Guide for now. I hope I was able to help you a little and give some insight on how to Zeus. If there's anything you need clarified, just let me know in the comments and I'll try to clear it up for you.

[JOA]

Anyone know where we can find J-WoLF's Admin Menu or debug console guide? Links are broken

[shnibbity]

Does anyone know where is JWOLFs steam profile? or atleast a good arma 3 script injector

[Infernus]

@racecar You are just a dickhead

[Tau]

Thank you for this!

[racecar]

haha i always join public zeus and join as the moderator and blow up everything :)