Visual aid for picking up cargo

[zoog 18]

When you have to slingload cargo etc. you have to be exactly at the right spot above the cargo. An error of a few centimeters causes problems to attach the cargo in the game because the attach bar won't start loading. Once you've triggered it you have a bit more leeway. I've been hovering countless of times right above the cargo, but it seems to be just a few centimeters wrong and then the sling doesn't get activated.

Normally someone on the ground might give you directions as to where you need to go to be exactly at the right spot to pick it up (I guess). In the game this is not the case and the markers on the GPS are not accurate enough.

I think it would be nice to have a visual aid to help you to the exact location for the cargo to be attached. I've posted an example below. The center of the crosshair is the helicopter, the blue dot is the exact location of the cargo, the aid is very precise and sensitive and only activate for example 2 or 3 meters away from the cargo. Or some kind of aid can be added to the instrument left from the example.

Added to the issue tracker, if you're interested in such a feature, please vote for the issue: http://dev-heaven.net/issues/25301

Or something like this:

Or this:

Edited October 9, 2011 by zoog

[Arcto 10]

Sounds like a great idea.

I had to cheat and use the external camera after I hovered around for ages trying to pickup the first load. Unfortunately I couldn't get it to detach at the drop off point so like any real life pilot would have done in that situation I gained a load of height and nose dived into the ground.

[MD500Enthusiast 10]

if you turn your hud markers on so you can see the waypoints etc you'll have your marker. besides it's good practice for you to hover around looking out the side window to see if you're drifting left or right, that will teach you coordination with your stick.

[zoog 18]

if you turn your hud markers on so you can see the waypoints etc you'll have your marker. besides it's good practice for you to hover around looking out the side window to see if you're drifting left or right, that will teach you coordination with your stick.

Yes, that's possible. But markers are not accurate enough (and not even allowed in expert to always be turned on). I've spend countless of minutes and minutes hovering over the cargo. But it seems there is just one precise sweet spot on which the cargo attaches. It seems more like trial and error to find this sweet spot than experience in hovering the helicopter. For me it feels not right. If it really has to be so precise there should be someone on the ground or or a crew member in the chopper giving directions as to how close you are with your hook. I cannot imagine a pilot will always do this on his own in real life.

Game wise this could be done like for example mentioned above (or some other way of course).

Edited October 9, 2011 by zoog

[bobocz 10]

Great idea! I like it.

How it is in real life, foreman give you order via walkie-talkie? This way it would be also interesting.

[Arcto 10]

I'm sure if you asked Dyslexi (the shack tactical guy) could you borrow his Shac Tack hud code and rework it for use on cargo crates he would not mind.

[Isaac 10]

I'm buying this...

[MD500Enthusiast 10]

Yes, that's possible. But markers are not accurate enough (and not even allowed in expert to always be turned on). I've spend countless of minutes and minutes hovering over the cargo. But it seems there is just one precise sweet spot on which the cargo attaches. It seems more like trial and error to find this sweet spot than experience in hovering the helicopter. For me it feels not right. If it really has to be so precise there should be someone on the ground or or a crew member in the chopper giving directions as to how close you are with your hook. I cannot imagine a pilot will always do this on his own in real life.

Game wise this could be done like for example mentioned above (or some other way of course).

actually when i completed the mission it wasn't that precise at all. i think you have to be at a certain height from the rooftop for it to start working. then just hold it there until the progress bar reaches 100.

[zoog 18]

actually when i completed the mission it wasn't that precise at all. i think you have to be at a certain height from the rooftop for it to start working. then just hold it there until the progress bar reaches 100.

Interesting. I've been testing again for the last hour picking up and dropping cargo. I have the same gripes with dropping the cargo. The cargo is visually located exactly on the marker, it's on the roof, next to the foreman. I'm flying in a hover with virtually no speed, different altitudes and still the cargo isn't dumped. Very very frustrating, especially if you can see the freakin cargo nice and well on the exact location it should be dropped. Just spend over 10 minutes trying to get the game to actually recognize that the cargo is in the right spot, altitude is right etc. without any luck. This completely ruins these cargo missions for me :mad:

Maybe it only allows you to drop the cargo when at the exact right altitude. But I tried different ones from really close to pretty high, I can see the cargo sitting on the concrete but nothing happens. At least there should be some cues as to why the cargo is not dropped (ie. speed, altitude is wrong etc.). In the mission summary there also is no info about the right circumstances for the game to recognize picking up or dropping cargo.

[lusht 10]

How can this gauge be separated from the rest? I'd like just this one, positioned in some corner, so i don't have to switch to external

[LeftSkidLow 1]

Great idea! I like it.

How it is in real life, foreman give you order via walkie-talkie? This way it would be also interesting.

In real life, you take the doors off and stick your head out the door looking straight down.

[buznee 0]

The other important part is knowing when you get on tension. I think the foreman or someone should tell you something like, forward... forward... left.... steady steady.... 10 ft slack, 8 ft, 3 ft, 1 ft... you're on tension. Knowing how much slack you have is pretty important so that you know to come up slowly onto tension. It would be neat for the rope or cargo hook to break if you get on tension too hard.

[One1111 10]

I agree that some direction should be given like Buznee suggested. Almost like the POLICE mission where the guy saying "too fast", "good height", "too far", etc., while you are trying to hover over the building so they can fast rope down.

[MD500Enthusiast 10]

Interesting. I've been testing again for the last hour picking up and dropping cargo. I have the same gripes with dropping the cargo. The cargo is visually located exactly on the marker, it's on the roof, next to the foreman. I'm flying in a hover with virtually no speed, different altitudes and still the cargo isn't dumped. Very very frustrating, especially if you can see the freakin cargo nice and well on the exact location it should be dropped. Just spend over 10 minutes trying to get the game to actually recognize that the cargo is in the right spot, altitude is right etc. without any luck. This completely ruins these cargo missions for me :mad:

Maybe it only allows you to drop the cargo when at the exact right altitude. But I tried different ones from really close to pretty high, I can see the cargo sitting on the concrete but nothing happens. At least there should be some cues as to why the cargo is not dropped (ie. speed, altitude is wrong etc.). In the mission summary there also is no info about the right circumstances for the game to recognize picking up or dropping cargo.

ok i think i know your guy's problem, so here's the trick. make sure when you're coming towards the building where you drop off the cargo you come in high so that the altittude of the cargo is "ABOVE" the building top. hover steady and lower the cargo to the ground, make sure the cargo line isn't too slack when the cargo hits the floor so you can drag it to different locations on the building top to try and trigger the unhook process.

[docehrenhoefer 10]

It´s not so difficult.

-While in autohover, you can do very fine movements in all directions using cyclic controls. Use the crosshairs / dots in the VVI to do fine tuning the movement in the horizontal plane. It shows you where you are moving, so counter this movements.

-do a complete autohover a few meters in front of the mark point, use pedals to center on the mark point, approach slowly until the height over ground is equal to the distance to the markpoint shown. Then you hover directly or at least very close to the mark point.

-then sink slowly while hovering, normally about 30 ft over ground the slingload will be attached / cleared.

I would really fancy to have a PIP where you could look directly downwards.

[OMAC 254]

I didn't have any trouble with the cargo on Expert. Use G to temporarily show transparent map to direct you, and use external view sometimes, as it is allowed on Expert by default (thank heavens!) and is thus not cheating.

[lazerath 10]

I agree with the Original poster! I would like to see something similar introduced into the game!

[CarlGustaffa 4]

as it is allowed on Expert by default (thank heavens!) and is thus not cheating.

Yeah, great! :cryy: Sign of things to come (to A3)? Only three difficulties and we can no longer be guaranteed to find no 3rd person servers?

[OMAC 254]

External view can be disabled on Expert if you like...

[ocramweb 0]

Ohh mirror, pretty mirror tell me where my load is...