Development Blog & Reveals

[suiside 95]

except that those are free.

i guess not totally, when you consider they put the game up on the market in alpha for 25 euro there are cheapskates out there thinking things are free which were paid for by the supporter edition ?

on another note i saw the rolling heli pad from TOH (thanks bis)

[Chairborne 2594]

Theoretically, none of those features would have existed if the heli dlc was never released/announced...

Have you ever browsed through the game configs during alpha or beta?

Sling load animation references have been there since day one as far as i remember.

Edited September 25, 2014 by Chairborne

[roberthammer 582]

Me too...

Hey, BI, why not add the helicopters from Take On: Helicopters and Take On: Hinds in the DLC ? I mean, it's already adding the flight model from ToH

While i agree but i think they keeping those for the expansion

[dezkit 28]

Have you ever browsed through the game configs through alpha and beta?

Sling load animation references have been there since day one as far as i remember.

Why yes, I have, actually,

Those animations were there because the helicopters (Merlin, Littlebird, etc) that had those animations were ported from TKOH.

[Chairborne 2594]

Theoretically, none of those features would have existed if the heli dlc was never released/announced...

Ghosthawk had them too.

[dezkit 28]

Ghosthawk had them too.

They are inheriting from "Helicopter_Base_H" which is the helicopter class introduced with TKOH :P

[Chairborne 2594]

Which means these features were intended from the beginning...!

[pettka 694]

Which means these features were intended from the beginning...!

You are actually messing the terms of "causality" and "correlation" - You may or may not believe me, but sling loading was not planned before we started the DLC :icon_twisted:

[slatts 1978]

the co-axial rotor skycrane is a nice idea. I know Kamov made a smaller light version so a larger one isn't too far fetched in my books :)

[chortles 263]

IIRC a dev stated that the Mohawk and Hummingbird/Pawnee models were upgraded relative to the TKOH equivalents, though the bit about config ancestry from TKOH doesn't surprise me a bit.

[zimms 22]

I get that the engine features that come with the DLC wouldn't exist without it, but still, everyone gets them for free (thanks BI).

I'm afraid though that not many people will buy the DLC, except those who already did with Supporter/Deluxe Editions or DLC bundle. For people who didn't get either the situation now is: do I want to pay 12€ for 2 helis and some time trials, or do I just take the other stuff for free?

I hope BI's generosity doesn't backfire and we can enjoy many awesome updates in the future.

[artisanal 22]

I top the idea to be able to use the TKOH heli's, especially for those who own the game :)

Edit : ArmA 3 rearmed anyone ? :cool:

[chortles 263]

Me too...

I don't know why when airframes-wise BI has never hinted at more than the two transport helos... but I'll agree that the other non-airframe content seems sparse for what's behind the paywall, and the fact that there's also not-behind-the-paywall playable content (that is, only some of the mission content is DLC-exclusive) isn't helping.

[Chairborne 2594]

I get that the engine features that come with the DLC wouldn't exist without it, but still, everyone gets them for free (thanks BI).

I'm afraid though that not many people will buy the DLC, except those who already did with Supporter/Deluxe Editions or DLC bundle. For people who didn't get either the situation now is: do I want to pay 12€ for 2 helis and some time trials, or do I just take the other stuff for free?

I hope BI's generosity doesn't backfire and we can enjoy many awesome updates in the future.

Why do i have to pay for two helicopters i don't like?

The market works in a way that if i don't like something i don't buy it.

Hopefully if enough customers do the same, BIS gets the message that evidently this futuristic scenario is not what their users want, or maybe i will be the minority and BIS will keep going this way.

BIS chose this market strategy, why is it wrong if we take advantage of it and choose what assets do we want?

As for the "cheapstakes" debate, I don't like to throw away my money on something that is (was) given with the premise of "we are going to add more stuff and features but we're not telling you what exactly, and maybe a couple DLCs along the way but we're not going to tell you what they are going to be either! you give us the money now and in a year we'll tell you!", and if i was to change my mind now i would still have to pay more as a penalty. So all in all is a fair system.

[Wiki 1558]

I would have liked a MH-53M Pavelow IV too - even if remastered and upgraded to the ArmA 3 standards skins...

We have Chinooks since OFP, but never had a Pavelow...

[neodammerung 8]

at least now I understand why they didn't want to take the same road they took with Arma 2 DLC content.

Two helicopters : not a lot of textures to blur and make the user want to buy high-def textures :p

[Wiki 1558]

I would have liked a MH-53M Pavelow IV too - even if remastered and upgraded to the ArmA 3 standards skins...

We have Chinooks since OFP, but never had a Pavelow...

So, I think I'll have to rely on the community to have this chopper?

[enex 11]

Why do i have to pay for two helicopters i don't like?

The market works in a way that if i don't like something i don't buy it.

Hopefully if enough customers do the same, BIS gets the message that evidently this futuristic scenario is not what their users want, or maybe i will be the minority and BIS will keep going this way.

BIS chose this market strategy, why is it wrong if we take advantage of it and choose what assets do we want?

As for the "cheapstakes" debate, I don't like to throw away my money on something that is (was) given with the premise of "we are going to add more stuff and features but we're not telling you what exactly, and maybe a couple DLCs along the way but we're not going to tell you what they are going to be either! you give us the money now and in a year we'll tell you!", and if i was to change my mind now i would still have to pay more as a penalty. So all in all is a fair system.

They way I'm thinking is - I will pay you for bringing Shooting from vehicles, TKOH and sling loading, (despite being free) but I shall dislike helicopter designs on forums.They have my money because they care for us (features free, content payable), and because of top voted/wanted feature being implemented (mentioned above namely FFV, slingloading,TKOH).

And then there is creative break which in my opinion BI is doing - let them create their own crossover guns/vehicles for this arma to break away from same old

Russian AKs and American M4s, but I anticipate next arma to find us something more down to ground relating.

The hardest part with content this year is lack of relation to it.

Edited September 25, 2014 by enex

[nmdanny 22]

Why do i have to pay for two helicopters i don't like?

The market works in a way that if i don't like something i don't buy it.

Hopefully if enough customers do the same, BIS gets the message that evidently this futuristic scenario is not what their users want, or maybe i will be the minority and BIS will keep going this way.

BIS chose this market strategy, why is it wrong if we take advantage of it and choose what assets do we want?

As for the "cheapstakes" debate, I don't like to throw away my money on something that is (was) given with the premise of "we are going to add more stuff and features but we're not telling you what exactly, and maybe a couple DLCs along the way but we're not going to tell you what they are going to be either! you give us the money now and in a year we'll tell you!", and if i was to change my mind now i would still have to pay more as a penalty. So all in all is a fair system.

You're not completely wrong, it's just that buying the 16$ DLC is also a way of showing support to BIS for implementing the new features.

Ultimately BIS has put themselves in a bad spot by being too generous: The three new features alone(FDM,Sling loading/rope physics and firing from vehicles) can justify a 16$ price tag, with the two helicopters acting a bonus for those who don't mind the futuristic setting. But these helicopters themselves aren't worth 16$ when you can get higher quality helicopters as free mods.

[IndeedPete 1038]

Hm, I'm looking forward to the DLC and I gladly support BIS with buying the DLC bundle. However, am I right that there won't be much actual content? I mean, two helos (plus some editor objects), one showcase, an MP mission and a few time trials? I really don't enjoy that time-trial-shooting-range-achievement stuff and was hoping for, no expecting, a small campaign. Nothing too big, just like Bootcamp. Four or five small missions where you fly the new helicopters all connected by a nice side story with some (as usual) superb voice acting. Is that not going to happen or did I miss something?

[Wiki 1558]

No, you didn't miss it:

coming with the DLC (exclusive content):

2 choppers (various versions, but only 2 of them), plus 1 showcase mission + some objects

[odie0351 67]

So, I think I'll have to rely on the community to have this chopper?

Yep, and unless BI does something else down the road based in a pre 2008 world, you should never see the Pavelow in an official setting because A) the Pavelow has been retired and replaced since 2008 B) While the basic H-53's have been exported to a few countries, the Special Operations variants were not C) Even a futuristic Pavelow variant of the new CH-53K King Stallion is unlikely as to my knowledge the Air Force has not showed any interest in the aircraft, if I had to bet their probably more than happy with the Osprey that replaced it.

Meanwhile Boeing, the main guys building the current H-47 series, are supposedly working on an heavily upgraded/modified CH-47 based aircraft to compete for the Army's heavy lift program. Not to mention

rumors of a "stealth" Chinook being part of the Bin Laden raid, so I'd say there is a lot more grounds for a Chinook than a Pavelow.

As for this "Taru" aircraft for CSAT, I have strongly mixed feelings. On the one hand its well modeled, looks good, and is certainly something different. However the one thing I will say I certainly don't like is that the version shown herehttp://arma3.com/assets/img/post/images/arma3_dlc_helicopters_screenshot_04.jpg only appears to have 8 seats, WTF is the point of a heavy lifter if it cant carry any more personnel than the Medium lifts, or hell even the attack helicopter! Maybe being as it's black it's meant to be a special ops variant and uses this cargo setup to utilize the FFV feature, and there's a normal variant with a proper cargo space, or a cargo pod, that carries a respectable number of troops, but if not than I'm certainly not happy with this aircraft. While meant to lift heavy cargo loads, Heavy lift helo's are also meant to be able to transport large numbers of troops to and from the battlefield, not just serve as tactical sling loaders:j:

Edited September 25, 2014 by Odie0351

[IndeedPete 1038]

No, you didn't miss it:

coming with the DLC (exclusive content):

2 choppers (various versions, but only 2 of them), plus 1 showcase mission + some objects

Well, I don't want to judge the DLC before I get my hands on it but that sounds a bit slim to me. As said before, I expect at least an afternoon / evening full of playable content with story, voices and all that stuff. I'd be highly disappointed if that won't be the case. Even in that bundle I've paid like 10€ for each DLC. I actually hoped BIS would pick up the story in the DLCs and finally give some answers to the story questions many players have from East Wind. But, I'll be patient and wait for the release to see if I'm right! (I hope not...)

[mistyronin 1181]

Well, I don't want to judge the DLC before I get my hands on it but that sounds a bit slim to me.

I'm in the same position. For one side BI gives the features that are for free ( FFV, slingload and rotorlib ), which as someone said before are worth the price ( at least for me ).

On the other side you get the helicopters, that while still "futuristic" are more reasonable than previous vanilla vehicles ( the CH47 with stealth look and CH53 nose and the CH54 tuned with coaxial rotors, are kind of cool and make sense for 2035, unlike most of the CSAT vanilla equipment ).

But they feel too few for me. I wouldn't have mind if the rest of the content were vanilla helos with other textures ( like the ToH ones, that are hidden ). Or a civilian version of the MH9 with the doors they removed in the alpha.

I also was hoping for more SP content ( being showcases or a little campaign like in the bootcamp ).

Edited September 25, 2014 by MistyRonin

[zukov 490]

i don't understand this complain about the upcoming DLC what they has written, is that we will get

Edited September 25, 2014 by Zukov