The Campaign 3 Playtest (26 March 2025 — 9 April 2025) was an informal campaign designed to determine the efficacy of a massive rewrite of the war game rules from version 3 to version 4. The campaign was abandoned by Fleff due to the workload required on his end to resolve orders every round. Additionally, the Endurance Coalition server was fixed during this campaign, which made the Arma III server accessible again. As a result, interest in Arma III soon dwarfed that of the war game for Fleff and some participants.

Campaign 3 Playtest

Photograph of a playtest of Crysis (2007) in Leipzig, Sachsen, Deutschland.
Location
Planet Baolo, Ghoveo Island Chain
Status Abandoned
Factions
BBM_Ping
Sticky
Sirdog
SierraKomodo
Comrade
OPFOR
Strength
2 battlecruisers
1 battleship
1 bomber
1 cargo tender
2 cruisers
3 destroyers
1 fleet carrier
1 interceptor
1 multi-role fighter
1 sea warfare helicopter
1 stealth destroyer
1 strategic reconnaissance aircraft
2 strike aircraft
2 submarines
5 hydrofoil flotillas
Casualties and losses
N/A 3 hydrofoil flotillas

Background

 
Map provided by command on 25 February 2025 of the Ghoveo Island Chain with markings of the deployment zone and the Tabar Straight.

The regiment, commanded by BBM_Ping, was advised that he would land to the southwest of the Ghoveo Island Chain. He was then ordered to secure the general area around the Tabar Straight for further operations in the area.

Pre-deployment planning

 
Map with writings by BBM_Ping of his general plan of action once deployment was underway.

The regiment was comprised of 2 battalions led by Sticky and Sirdog. After a meeting held on 3 March, it was determined that SierraKomodo and Comrade would fall underneath Sticky's command. In contrast, Sirdog was a single element by himself. The fleet makeup decided by BBM_Ping was that he would comprise the fleet carrier, Sirdog would be air operations, Sticky would be a screening fleet, Comrade would be a surface action group, and SierraKomodo would be reconnaissance.

BBM_Ping sent out a general order that the specifics of fleet composition, to be influenced by the aforementioned planning, was due on 9 March. After this was completed and approved by him, BBM_Ping confirmed to command that his regiment was ready to deploy.

Initial deployment was executed on 26 March.

Campaign chronology

Round 1

  Orders opened 26 March. Orders resolved 31 March.
 
The battle map provided by command at the conclusion of round 1.

A combined force of air and sea — comprised of units from SierraKomodo's, Comrade's, and Sticky's forces — head towards the north east. They quickly engage three hydrofoil flotillas which are immediately destroyed on contact. Then, to the western perimeter of the island of Kula, two more hydrofoil flotillas are seen heading south towards a grid with one of SierraKomodo's nuclear attack submarines. Nothing else of note occurs this round.

BBM_Ping instructs Sirdog's air units to continue heading east towards the air field on Sopau. Sticky is instructed to ensure the patrol boats spotted off the western perimeter of Kula cannot threaten the rear of the carrier, but otherwise, Sticky's forces should maintain general direction with the fleet.

Round 2

  Orders opened 31 March. Orders resolved 3 April.
 
The battle map provided by command at the conclusion of round 2.

The battle for the Tabar Straight begins proper. The chunk of Sticky's battalion engage multiple destroyers, a cruiser and a battle cruiser right on the straight, with both sides getting direct hits on one another. As a stroke of bad luck, one of SirreaKomodo's submarines makes direct contact with an OPFOR submarine in YR-76, resulting in it being targeted by both destroyers, taking damage. Further to the north, a battleship under Sticky's direct command engages a battle cruiser at the Iron Bottom Sound with both units hitting the other. Even further north, SierraKomodo's strategic reconnaissance aircraft spots yet another destroyer and battle cruiser at the mouth between the islands of Karu and Ghoveo.

To the west, a destroyer under SierraKomodo's command that was sent to the west of Kula at BBM_Ping's orders receives fire from the two hydrofoil flotillas spotted in the previous round, though they fail to meet their target. SierraKomodo's previously unspotted submarine in grid YL-76 engages one of the flotillas, failing to get a hit.

Sirdog's units make contact with the airfield on Sopau and, after getting the greenlight from BBM_Ping, begins bombing it, managing to do some damage. Sirdog's interceptor recieves contact from an OPFOR multi-role fighter and gets hit, with the interceptor responding and missing.

Nothing else of note occurs this round. Surprisingly, no units in the operational area were destroyed.