Scopes with implemented rangefinder

[D_wolf 1]

I shouldn't probably even talk about this but here it goes...

Since Arma 3 is set in the future why do we still have to use a rangefinder to determine a target's distance. Why can't sniper scopes have an implemented rangefinder that automatically zeros the scope? I KNOW this would make sniping A LOT EASIER. But come on... it's the future and some weapons from today already do this like the XM-25 grenade launcher (which I think will also be added to arma 3) here: http://www.imfdb.org/images/thumb/1/18/Arma3_xm25.jpg/600px-Arma3_xm25.jpg (129 kB)

Anyway this would make spotters completely useless... maybe their only use would be measuring wind speed and direction. I don't mind using a rangefinder and having a spotter with me but... Future yo

Leave your thoughts

flameshield: on

[progamer 14]

There is a sniper that basically holds your hand every set of the way and records your kills. It's for hunting though.

[Sneakson 1]

There is a sniper that basically holds your hand every set of the way and records your kills. It's for hunting though.

Yes... "hunting"... "animals"... :rolleyes:

[ZoneTrooper 10]

First rule in the Army you always fight and die with your Brothers.I have never seen a army,that is sending out 1 man army soldiers who are capable to destroy everything alone on there path.

In every normal army unit on the planet,you operate as a team,and everyone has his special abilities and equipment,like the medic,group-leader,Heavy-Weapon support,anti-tank,snipers etc.

And it will never change like you wanna have it,1 sniper who can kill everyone alone with sniper scopes wich includes rangefinders,balistic-computers,thermal/infrared vision,anti reflection scope protection etc.

You always need some one who is fighting with you,because alone i guess only a Speznas,KSK/Navy-Seal,or Green Bereat soldier would survive in such a situation cause of there extrem mental and physical training.

But i guess that we gonna see some sniper scopes wich include atleast thermal vision or infrared.

[2fast 11]

i have a script that does that... for all scope view though. And measures wind speed. But it is made for my personal mod, so u have to adapt it a bit to work in your game

//Global unit script

if(!(GameLogic_YQ_MOD getVariable ["RangeFinder", false]))then
{
   GameLogic_YQ_MOD setVariable ["RangeFinder", true];
   player sideChat format ["YQ_MOD: Range Finder Enabled"];    
}else{
   GameLogic_YQ_MOD setVariable ["RangeFinder", false];
};

while{GameLogic_YQ_MOD getVariable ["RangeFinder", false]}do
{
   if(cameraView=="Gunner")then
   {
       _target = cursorTarget;

       _dist = 0;
       _distT = 0;
       _typeT = "NONE";
       if(true) then {
           _pos = screenToWorld [0.5,0.5];
           _dist = round(_pos distance player);
       }; 

       if(isNull _target) then {        
       }else {
           _distT = round(player distance _target);
           _typeT = typeOf _target;
       };

       //calculate wind information
       _wind = wind;
       _windX = _wind select 0; //value -10 to 10
       _windY = _wind select 1; //value -10 to 10
       _windSpd = sqrt((_windX^2) + (_windY^2));        
       _windDir = 0;    //must initialize value
       if((_windX>0) and (_windY>0)) then {
           _windDir = atan(_windX/_windY);
       };
       if((_windX>0) and (_windY<0)) then {
           _windDir = 180 + atan(_windX/_windY);
       };    
       if((_windX<=0) and (_windY<0)) then {
           _windDir = 180 + atan(_windX/_windY);
       };    
       if((_windX<=0) and (_windY>0)) then {
           _windDir = 360 + atan(_windX/_windY);
       };
       if((_windX==0) and (_windY==0)) then {
           _windDir = 0;
       };
       if((_windX>0) and (_windY==0)) then {
           _windDir = 90;
       };
       if((_windX<0) and (_windY==0)) then {
           _windDir = 270;
       };

       //_windDir = round(_windDir);
       //_windSpd = round(_windSpd);

       _dirPlayer = getDir player;    
       if(_windDir<_dirPlayer) then {
           _windDir = _windDir + 360 - _dirPlayer;
       }else{
           _windDir = _windDir - _dirPlayer;
       };    

       if(_windDir>180) then {_windDir = _windDir-360;};
       _windSpd = round(_windSpd*sin(_windDir));
       _windDir = round(_windDir);    

       //_text = parseText format["Distance<br/><t color='#00FF00'>%1m</t><br/><br/>Target<br/>%2", round(_dist), typeOf _target];
       //hintSilent _text;
       //_text = format["D %1m T %2 W %3", _dist,_distT,_windSpd];
       //titleText [_text, "PLAIN DOWN",0.01];

       _text = format["<t align='left'><t size='0.5'>DST %1M<br/>TGT %2M<br/>WND %3<br/>OBJ %4</t></t>", _dist,_distT,_windSpd,_typeT];
       [_text,0.53,0.8,0.2,0,0,1403] spawn BIS_fnc_dynamicText;    

   }else{
       //do nothing when not in gunner view
   };

   sleep 0.1;
};

player sideChat format ["YQ_MOD: Range Finder Disabled"];

Edited July 27, 2013 by [FRL]Myke
php tags added

[[frl]myke 14]

@2fast

please use either code tags or, like i added to your post, php tags. It makes scriptcode better readable.

[2fast 11]

Myke;2450530']@2fast

please use either code tags or' date=' like i added to your post, php tags. It makes scriptcode better readable.[/quote']

thanks! first time trying to post code. will use that next time! hav a good day =)

[becubed 24]

Zonetrooper, I would say the first rule of any army is win. The features D_wolf mention already exist. Civilians can buy the Bushnell yardage pro riflescope. The military can use the Barrett BORS system, while it doesn't have a laser range finder it has an angular one where you enter target size and then mark the top and bottom of it using the crosshairs.

[nmdanny 22]

I agree it would be completely logical to add a built in rangefinder to the sniper scope, but it probably wasn't implemented for balance, as it would allow snipers in A3 to just point at a target, see the range, zoom to it and shoot, while in real life

sniping is more complex and requires you to compensate for wind and other factors that aren't implemented in A3.

So I think if a mod introduces more realistic sniping mechanics, it could implement built in rangefinders, so that they wont make sniping overpowered and so simple.

[NicotinKickballovich 1]

I'd like a rangefinder as well, just like Russian PSO scopes have or the very least the mil-dot system in M24's, DMR's and Mk12 SPR's back in ArmA 2. Even G36's had a rangefinder in their scopes.

[rkadair 10]

Funny the early version of alpha had this was scroll wheel down

[EliteSniper 10]

I hope this is not implemented. It totally ruins the aspect of a spotter, and will make sniping way to easy. I really enjoy getting into position, then taking out my range finder, finding my range, then zeroing my scope, then finally taking my shot. Most of the time I know distance from experience in the military.

Also, it maybe in the future but this isn't 2500, this isn't Halo. We've been using iron sights and ACOG sights for 30+ years and I doubt 30 years from now we'll have a built in range finder on a scope.

[metalcraze 290]

I hope there will be no rangefinder scopes. Rangefinder implementation in ArmA is incorrect and will only break the already unrealistically overpowered onemanarmy snipers even further.

Rangefinders are supposed to be used rarely due to laser overheating and burnout and are not 100% reliable due to beam dispersion and widening but in ArmA3 they constantly detect range every second with pixel precision which is very annoying and gives completely not plausible advantage.

The appeasing of a casual player has to stop somewhere. Not even arcade shooters allow cheats like ArmA's rangefinders. And no 20 years from now laws of physics will not change.

Edited July 29, 2013 by metalcraze

[becubed 24]

Rangefinders are supposed to be used rarely due to laser overheating and burnout and are not 100% reliable due to beam dispersion and widening but in ArmA3 they constantly detect range every second with pixel precision which is very annoying and gives completely not plausible advantage.

The laws of physics don't have to change, currently civilians can buy the Bushnell Yardage Pro rifle scope. This is from it's manual that be be found here

Once the device is on and the power button or remote trigger pad is held down for over 2 seconds, the device transitions to SCAN mode. This mode allows the range to be continuously updated for as long as the power button / remote trigger pad is depressed. As with any laser device, it is not recommended to directly view the emissions for long periods of time with magnified lenses.

[Smurf 12]

Early A3 videos had and I don't miss them:

And that is asking for the game to be less real in favour of a more fun gameplay, sure as hell it will be common thing by 2035.

[virtualvikingx 19]

I hope this is not implemented. It totally ruins the aspect of a spotter, and will make sniping way to easy. I really enjoy getting into position, then taking out my range finder, finding my range, then zeroing my scope, then finally taking my shot. Most of the time I know distance from experience in the military.

Also, it maybe in the future but this isn't 2500, this isn't Halo. We've been using iron sights and ACOG sights for 30+ years and I doubt 30 years from now we'll have a built in range finder on a scope.

Eh? It already exists on civilian market, buddy. Although I see your gaming/simulation points.

[metalcraze 290]

The laws of physics don't have to change, currently civilians can buy the Bushnell Yardage Pro rifle scope. This is from it's manual that be be found here

And your point is? That such scopes exist? Of course they do. But they are not anything like pixel precision range finders in A3 that work on any distances permanently.

[Variable 322]

That's why the future setting is so wrong. It justifies such feature requests that eliminates even the slightest challenges from the game.

[dale0404 5]

That's why the future setting is so wrong. It justifies such feature requests that eliminates even the slightest challenges from the game.

No actually, it doesn't. Even if these requests were implemented into the game, it is easy enough to not include them if you want. All it takes is imagination.

[Varanon 892]

No actually, it doesn't. Even if these requests were implemented into the game, it is easy enough to not include them if you want. All it takes is imagination.

As long as mission makers just include Virtual Ammo Box, there's a good chance that everything that is in will be available...

I wonder what happened to the good old description.ext weapon/magazine/backpack selection and gear in briefing...

[Masharra 10]

I wonder what happened to the good old description.ext weapon/magazine/backpack selection and gear in briefing...

Way of the dinosaur way of the dinosaur.

This is progress. The future!

[x3kj 1247]

Way of the dinosaur way of the dinosaur.

This is progress. The future!

First time i played the combined warfare scenario i slowly checked out what i could equip, accidentally clicked on a parachute which dropped the AT launcher - and got ejected from the helictopter (mission autoeject) and it flew away... Guess i'm not future proof. Can someone burry me?

[becubed 24]

And your point is? That such scopes exist? Of course they do. But they are not anything like pixel precision range finders in A3 that work on any distances permanently.

Sorry metalcraze but I don't understand your point. The scopes exist, they provide constant updates at an accuracy of +-1/m. How is this any different?

Edited July 30, 2013 by becubed

[dale0404 5]

As long as mission makers just include Virtual Ammo Box, there's a good chance that everything that is in will be available...

I wonder what happened to the good old description.ext weapon/magazine/backpack selection and gear in briefing...

Ah, but how many people actually include VAS? I know a lot of the public missions out there do use them but I bet most if not all mission makers who focus on realism don't. (Not knocking VAS btw).

[Varanon 892]

Ah, but how many people actually include VAS? I know a lot of the public missions out there do use them but I bet most if not all mission makers who focus on realism don't. (Not knocking VAS btw).

(Not knocking VAS either)

The problem is that with the currently missing briefing gear selection, anyone who WANTS to give a choice to the players will use something like VAS. I still hope the gear in briefing will return one day (according to a private exchange with RiE, it's on the Todo list, so here's hoping).

On the topic of range finders, I think in Arma they are somewhat overpowered due to the fact that they basically just constantly show you the distance. They should work like in real life, i.e. press a button, then the laser will turn on for half a second, and you'll get the result. Since it's laser based, it also means that the laser will have to reach the target unobstructed, so smoke would basically make your range finder ineffective (well, you can probably measure the distance to the smoke). Also, due to atmospheric scattering, range finders' accuracy will detoriate over distance (although I don't know how far this actually is). Also, rain will have an influence, you can basically forget about getting a decent reading in rain (Did I mention I REALLY hope they will bring rain back, even if it's just the original effect used before ?).

I personally think that a halfway realistic range finder would be more interesting gameplay-wise than the magic distance measuring we have now, no matter whether it's integrated into a scope or not.