Arma Reforger has made me a better person

[Brutus]

The first time I played arma reforger, I was 20 years old. I booted up, passed the intro credits, and went straight to the server browser. After finding the biggest player lobby I could, I pressed join. "Server full" the screen reciprocated to my dumb greasy face. I waited sat watching as the playercount remained stagnant at 128/128. For a brief moment it flashed to 127. As soon as I noticed, I pressed join as quickly as my mouse could, but this effort was met by a download mods screen. I eagerly complied and downloaded the mods only to again be met with a dissapointing "server full". As I waited, my phone buzzed. "Brutus!" the caller exclaimed, its been a long time. I'm having a birthday party tonight. I know we haven't spoken since highschool, but I felt like I should invite you. We had some good times on arma 2, remember?" The voice was familiar, but I couldn't put my finger on it. I hesitated for a moment before saying, "Yea, its been a while!" trying my best not to acknowledge a growing lack of recollection regarding who this strange number belongs to. "DayZ was hellish. I am not sure if I can come, though. I am in queue right now on Reforger waiting to join a server." I stated insecurely. The voice laughed like a chattering m60 shorty from Arma Reforger. "That's okay, the invitation is there if you'd like."
I hung up after we shared a moment of platonic (friendly, not gay. I love milsim and cool guys fighting wars in a simulation) silence. I continued waiting for the player count on this stupid 128 player server to change. It remained unchanged like a rock in the moon's dust. I waited, and waited, but the thought kept within my mind, "should I have said yes? Who was that, how did he still have my number after all those years?"
In my wonderment, a message blinked on my phone. It was the same number. but instead of a phone call, it was an address. I continued waiting in thought. My leg bounced under the weight of my conscience. I jumped up from my chair. My judgement tapping the floor of the ring. I ran over to my dresser and scrambled to put on something casual, but not raggedy like the Soviet M88 jacket in the game Arma Reforger. More...M70 Parka... "adorned in the Alpenflage camouflage pattern". I brushed my teeth and combed my hair, then rushed to my car. The drive wasn't long thanks to the dissociation skills I accrued while grinding days away driving across Cherno in DayZ mod. The street felt familiar as I parked, yet surreal at the same time. As I approached the house, I heard the low bumping of today's pop music through its brick walls. "With music this loud, they'll be found by cops as easy as someone who hides in grass from an enemy who's draw distance is turned all the way down!" I laughed in thought. I knocked on the door. After a brief pause, I waited. It reminded me of the lobby I had been trying to enter prior to being invited. The door opened, and from its crevice I noticed a man's face. "Ben!" I exclaimed, "its been a fat minute!"
The man's face lit up in response. He was the one I spoke to! I thought he was an enemy player using my teams own radio to lure me into a trap! "Happy birthday", I said with a smile that blurred my vision. "Thanks buddy, I'm glad to see you came. Everyone is here. Even stacy! I remember you two being kinda weird back then, but shes really glowed up!"
My heart sank, the last time I spoke to Stacy, she never wanted to see me again after I had fallen down the stairs at prom because it was too dark, and spilled punch all over her and her friends. If only I had the gen3 nightvision monocle like I could did in arma 2. Stacy wouldn't hate me like she does now. I hesitantly continued alongside my old friend while my smile faded out of existence as if being unrendered beyond 2500 meters. I said my hellos to everyone, Johnny, Lyle, Christa, even his weird grandad who smelt of harsh liquor and would occasionally mumble things like, "I lived dayz you ♥♥♥♥♥" or "I WAS in milsim, THE milsim. I WAS A COLONEL" under his breath like gravel. But I avoiced Stacy. I felt like I was a lone squad of infantry, without AT, without air support, without light armored support. My paranoia was high, I was being watched from every treeline while my game ran at 15 fps. Before I could realize, I was ambushed. Stacy was behind me! She flanked me! Unprepared, I stammered, "H-hey, whats up?"
She awkwardly looked down before her mouth opened, "Brutus! Its been a long time. I've thought about you a lot since we last met." I looked at her dumbfounded, not only had she invaded my defences without a fight, but she did it without a ghillie suit...
She continued, "I am sorry for how I responded back then. It was so childish. I was embarrassed and I felt so ashamed."
I didn't know how to respond at first, but I mustered up some courage. "We were silly kids, I think about you still sometimes."
She smiled warmly her gaze cleared longingly into the floor. "Lets get some drinks sometime!" I said, met brightly by Stacy's laugh.
The night continued. I drank with fervor as my old friends gathered to dance and share stories of the past like strangers in Bashnya, vagrants by chance, sharing in the warmth. Away from hypothermia and discussing the potential dangers of looting airfield. Freshly respawned upon a quick death by sniper in Elektro. "How the time flies..." I thought to myself...


2 years pass. I am 29 now. Stacy sits with me on the couch. Arma 4 is coming out in two months. "We got arma 4 before GTA 6!". Skyrim has been automated into an AI overlord. It is the only show on TV. My hand caresses Stacy's swollen belly as we watch Arma 2 DayZ videos on amazon-hulu-max-netflix now that national geographic has become a collection of classic videogame playthroughs. We are only 3 months away from bringing another life into the world. Like the prospectant sun whose glow radiates brightly ahead of us along the horizon.
I lean over to my other side, after kissing my wife on the forehead. My computer screen verbalizes to me visually with its pixelated lips. 128/128. I smile while I lean back into my loving wife and ponder... "I guess waiting was the fun this whole time..." but the playercount dropped again! I smashed my fist on the mouse. It echoed throughout our house. I crawled up to the screen, the lights of its glow burning into my skin. I waited...and waited...

It answered...
"Download required content 2megabytes". The download was fast, but my knee bounced quicker... "Server full"

[IRA Combatant]

>If only I had the gen3 nightvision monocle like I could did in arma 2.
Except you can
>2 years pass. I am 29 now. Stacy sits with me on the couch. Arma 4 is coming out in two months. "We got arma 4 before GTA 6!". Skyrim has been automated into an AI overlord. It is the only show on TV.
Pshhaahahaha, Arma spent time on making the game good all this time while Bethesda and Rockstar became American hyper corporations and abused their IPs.. not that shoving Arma into DayZ and calling it "Arma 4" isn't some kind of horrifying kidnapping