Tutorial

[nightsta1ker 10]

I have been pondering the complexities of helicopter flying and wondering how BIS might get players up to speed with what's what. If I were designing the game, this is how I would do it:

In ArmA, there is a series of missions that teach you how to manipulate the ArmA world. It has been put into a mission type format, with objectives and repercussions to actions. In the end, a standard is usually needed to be met in order for the player to accomplish that mission.

Here is my layout for training missions in TOH:

Lesson 1: Beginning with an "intro flight". The instructor, who is with you for the duration, will start the ship and depart, describing basic systems along the way and giving you a chance to manipulate them before moving on to the next portion of the flight. It should cover preflight, startup, hovering, transition to foreward flight, foreward flight with climbs descents, turns, approach to landing, termination of approach to a hover, cool down/shut down. Very basic stuff, a quick mission just to get the player familiar with basics and some quick rules of thumb.

Lesson 2:Basic manuevers need to be covered in the next flight. A higher standard needs to be upheld. Altitudes and airspeeds maintained +-100 ft and 20 knots, etc. The player will operate the aircraft for the entire flight with verbal instruction only from the instructor. Flight will cover all of the above manuevers in more detail.

Lesson 3: Advanced manuevers like steep approaches, run on take offs and landings, confined area ops, pinnacle and ridgeline ops, and emergency procedures like autorotations both from altitude and from a hover, stuck pedal, low rotor RPM recovery. A higher standard of precision will be enforced (+- 50 ft, 10 knots).

Lesson 4: Radio communications (if featured in the game) and navigation should be covered in this lesson. A point to point "cross country" flight where the student has to navigate and communicate with ATC (if featured). All ATC directions must be followed and standards of precision enforced. Also, assuming complexity of the game, weight,fuel and power management should be covered as well.

Lesson 5: Commercial applications like sling loads, ag turns, and different mission systems will be covered in detail.

Lesson 6: Checkride will be conducted. Player will be held to advanced manuevers standard of +-50 Ft ,10 Knots. Player will be asked to perfrom 2-3 manuevers from each mission to standard in order to pass and earn his wings.

Each manuever should have it's own save point after completing so that players do not need to re-do the entire lesson should they fail or crash. That is basically how I would cover it. Anyone who already can fly a helicopter simulator should be able to skip these lessons if they wish and jump right into missions, but for those that are interested but don't have a clue, this would provide a fun and comprehensive way of learning the ropes. An interactive instructor that is able to provide basic feedback might be difficult to accomplish, but I would imagine a verbal warning if airspeed/altitude is busted or if the pilot does something wrong or out of sequence should be possible.

[samb 15]

+1

And if cockpit share would be included...

Sam

[nightsta1ker 10]

+1

And if cockpit share would be included...

Sam

That would be SWEET!

[LeftSkidLow 1]

I hate checkrides.

[nightsta1ker 10]

I hate checkrides.

Me too :eek: I have my CFI ride looming on the not too distant horizon. They say every pilot will fail at least ONE checkride in their career. For most pilots that checkride is the CFI. Luckily for me, I failed my PPFW oral back in 2001, so I already got my ONE out of the way!

[celery 8]

I am completely certain that the devs will include good tutorials.

[nightsta1ker 10]

I am completely certain that the devs will include good tutorials.

I am sure they already have something implemented, and it may well be a damn sight better than my suggestion. I'm just filling the time spent waiting by making suggestions. ;)

[Juzzy82 10]

What about tutorials for the various mission types, such as how to put out fires, etc. etc.

I'd love to see a list of the various mission types that will be available. That is what I am really looking forward to - just flying around can only be fun for so long!

[nightsta1ker 10]

What about tutorials for the various mission types, such as how to put out fires, etc. etc.

I'd love to see a list of the various mission types that will be available. That is what I am really looking forward to - just flying around can only be fun for so long!

I hear you. I think we are all looking foreward to having something to do. I used to be a member of the USEC virtual military as a helo pilot. I loved ferrying troops in and out of combat, even though the flight models for Arma were very limited and unrealistic. Having a game with realistic flight characteristics and lots of different things to accomplish will be very refreshing.

[.Taffy 10]

Personally I would look to accomlish these training goals fully (I'm somewhat diehardy-ish) and would enjoy the challenge. But if this course is intended to get people who don't have the experience up to speed and flying then you should really avoid the whole tutorial avatar saying "Do this perfectly and to my standard or you may not proceed".

People should be able do the tutorials and if they just can't get their head round something (for instance autorotation) it should be up to them if they want to carry on or not. It could be very frustrating otherwise.

Sure it will mean that if they're engine cuts they will most likely pancake but that would be their choice.

Otherwise a really good idea for organising a tutorial, with just the right amount of detail.

[bobocz 10]

Nightsta1ker don't you want to make nice holiday to Europe, BI is going to make some focus testing, that is something for you. But I guess that you are not fall into "non hardcore gamer" category any more ;). It can be interesting to see game, but it's the same like read movie script before seen movie.

[samb 15]

Well I live next to Czech Republic:) I'm just waiting for some serious simmers opinions on current version of TOH.

Sam

[nightsta1ker 10]

Nightsta1ker don't you want to make nice holiday to Europe, BI is going to make some focus testing, that is something for you. But I guess that you are not fall into "non hardcore gamer" category any more ;). It can be interesting to see game, but it's the same like read movie script before seen movie.

I wish I could do some game testing. Unfortunately travelling outside the country is out of the question for me.

[160thSOAR 10]

Really good idea! Having a comprehensive tutorial system for this game would be great.

I'm sure the developers are coming up with something like this, but I think the first training mission, where the instructor does most of the flying and lets you handle individual parts, would be a really good idea for people who are new to flying.

I had trouble landing an Mi-8 in the length of an Utes runway without blowing the engine out when I first started ArmA2. I was used to Battlefield-type of flying, which I was quite good at, and simply could not adjust for a very long time to the fact that the rudder was not my primary high-speed method of control. I constantly crashed, and it took me a month just to get basic skills. I spent a tremendous amount of time learning things that this tutorial could have easily solved. I'm now pretty good with helis, but it was all through watching other people and SP trial-and-error.

No doubt, flying in TakOH will require much more finesse than ArmA2 flying, but this tutorial system could take some of the edge off for players new to flight sims. (ME!)

[nightsta1ker 10]

I can't help but find it ironic that your profile name is 160th SOAR, yet your profile pic is of an MV-22. :oops: But I forgive you.

Thanks for supporting my topic, after watching the development coming along, I am quite certain that there will be an in depth tutorial for the game, though I doubt it will be anywhere along the same lines as what I suggested.

[CarlGustaffa 4]

So the first flight - learn to hover or something I guess, do you think it will be like

or like

? :p

[nightsta1ker 10]

Hopefully neither.