Armor Improvement System (AIS)

[cyruz 103]

Author has stopped supporting and developing this mod, hence the post removal.

[zelectec 10]

Mainauthor left the modding community and im alone on AIS now. Im only the guy for models/textuires so all of his code is gone. I wont release any of his code since im not sure about his status.

[ACPL Jon 68]

How about hooking up with the author of RAM? (this sounds so porn-ish... oh internet, what have you done)

Real Armour Mod, it is.

[irfanahmed1979 10]

Can I have a similar system for helicopters blocking AA missiles?

[heavygunner 179]

As it has been written before this mod is dead due to the author being gone.

[irfanahmed1979 10]

Oh, I missed that.

[bakerman 247]

I will do a Q&A regarding this mod to clear up the status of the team and project.

Why hasn't there been a release in ages?

Feature creep. I initially began working on this mod because I enjoyed it. It's fun researching and developing new things, unfortunately completing this process is a tedious process. I started of with a simple active protection system script, after nearly a year we ended up with a team working on improving virtually all aspects of ARMA 3. Let that be a warning to any new modders.

Is the mod still in development?

No, development has been halted for a few months now. I will still create a new script for something interesting every now and then, but that's the exception.

Will the mod ever be released?

No, at least not in its full glory. I may decide to release some of the modules depending on personal and public interest, there's a list of all the modules at the bottom of the post.

Why won't you complete the mod?

It all boils down to the fact that I don't like ARMA 3, I really wanted to, but I just can't get into it for a long list of reasons. I haven't played this game for almost a year, it's simply just no fun for me. I've been holding out for that one super mod (ACE) in the hopes that it will make the experience enjoyable, but that never happened.

Why did you go MIA?

I was tired. I was really tired of working on, or rather for, this game. All of us working on AIS gave up weeks and even months of our time to work on this mod. After a few months it felt like we were working on fixing ARMA3 rather than modding it, essentially doing Bohemia's work for them. This mental shift was the end of it all.

What is the current state of AIS?

We joked about renaming the mod to Arma Improvement System, because we were working on everything from brand new infantry weapons to a new flight model, going far beyond the initial scope of improving the in game armored vehicles. It would have been a sort of spiritual successor to ACE and more, we really loved that mod in A2. Because of its size there are several modules all in various states, I will list them below:

- blast fragmentation and spalling

- accurate simulation of anti-tank and sub-caliber munitions (already part of RAM)

- accurate simulation of vehicle armor (already part of RAM)

- brand new APS script which operates on threat vector and signature with real world delays and operational+destructible components

-

- all ammunition and weapons reconfigured and scripted to closely resemble real world counterparts

- re-skinned vehicles with higher quality textures

- introduced vehicle weak points and sub-components

- introduced sensor damage and broken glass on vehicles

- introduced vehicle recoil with Newtonian physics (the GAU-8 will slow you down even in a dive)

- reworked smoke effects and some other misc particle effects

- new infantry and vehicle weapons

- a huge grenade pack with over 40 different grenades

- introduced simulation of ERA modules

- introduced a new flight model (made obsolete by latest patches)

- reworked all vehicle load outs and introduced new versions

- introduced hit post process effects on vehicles

- introduced vehicle FCS with new interface

- reworked vehicle physics for greater realism

- new environmental effects and particles

- a bunch of other misc stuff

[Spartan0536 189]

I will do a Q&A regarding this mod to clear up the status of the team and project.

Why hasn't there been a release in ages?

Feature creep. I initially began working on this mod because I enjoyed it. It's fun researching and developing new things, unfortunately completing this process is a tedious process. I started of with a simple active protection system script, after nearly a year we ended up with a team working on improving virtually all aspects of ARMA 3. Let that be a warning to any new modders.

Is the mod still in development?

No, development has been halted for a few months now. I will still create a new script for something interesting every now and then, but that's the exception.

Will the mod ever be released?

No, at least not in its full glory. I may decide to release some of the modules depending on personal and public interest, there's a list of all the modules at the bottom of the post.

Why won't you complete the mod?

It all boils down to the fact that I don't like ARMA 3, I really wanted to, but I just can't get into it for a long list of reasons. I haven't played this game for almost a year, it's simply just no fun for me. I've been holding out for that one super mod (ACE) in the hopes that it will make the experience enjoyable, but that never happened.

Why did you go MIA?

I was tired. I was really tired of working on, or rather for, this game. All of us working on AIS gave up weeks and even months of our time to work on this mod. After a few months it felt like we were working on fixing ARMA3 rather than modding it, essentially doing Bohemia's work for them. This mental shift was the end of it all.

What is the current state of AIS?

We joked about renaming the mod to Arma Improvement System, because we were working on everything from brand new infantry weapons to a new flight model, going far beyond the initial scope of improving the in game armored vehicles. It would have been a sort of spiritual successor to ACE and more, we really loved that mod in A2. Because of its size there are several modules all in various states, I will list them below:

- blast fragmentation and spalling

- accurate simulation of anti-tank and sub-caliber munitions (already part of RAM)

- accurate simulation of vehicle armor (already part of RAM)

- brand new APS script which operates on threat vector and signature with real world delays and operational+destructible components

-

- all ammunition and weapons reconfigured and scripted to closely resemble real world counterparts

- re-skinned vehicles with higher quality textures

- introduced vehicle weak points and sub-components

- introduced sensor damage and broken glass on vehicles

- introduced vehicle recoil with Newtonian physics (the GAU-8 will slow you down even in a dive)

- reworked smoke effects and some other misc particle effects

- new infantry and vehicle weapons

- a huge grenade pack with over 40 different grenades

- introduced simulation of ERA modules

- introduced a new flight model (made obsolete by latest patches)

- reworked all vehicle load outs and introduced new versions

- introduced hit post process effects on vehicles

- introduced vehicle FCS with new interface

- reworked vehicle physics for greater realism

- new environmental effects and particles

- a bunch of other misc stuff

Bakerman I am glad to see you back on the forums, your Community Ballistics Calculator has helped my work immensely, thanks again, and welcome back!

[.kju 3245]

What does interest you - what do you like?

* How about WW2 era (ie Iron Front in Arma 3)

* How about A2+OA content (CUP/AiA)

Are you mainly into SP, COOP or PvP?

Are you the Bakerman from the games.on.net community?

[bakerman 247]

@Spartan0536

No thank you! I am very glad to see you working hard and improving a bunch of mods.

@.kju

I like anything believable which provides an immerse experience, that includes WW2 and A2, but I don't think I'll ever get back into arma or anything BI related. I really don't mind supporting other people with research, techniques and tools (like the work I did for Spartan). I've had lengthy discussions with Olds about how one could incorporate the work we did on RAM into your projects and beyond, so we can have a talk if you are interested.

I played a bit of organised COOP and PVP, mostly in A2.

Not that I know of.

[stephsen 79]

wow they looks like a deep interesting projekt ,im curious !

[miketim 20]

So are you going to make a new thread, if your making like ACE 4: Dank Edition like you say, you might want to differentiate it with an newly named thread.

[serjames 357]

Mike - you probably need to read his post again.. lol

SJ

[miketim 20]

gg I should learn to read.

Nice catch there mate, I managed to miss the entire point :cool: I just knew after I made that post that I probably hadnt read likie 85 percent of it, I pretty much saw the word ACE :) lol

Well Baker good luck on the rest of your journeys whatever it may be.

[theevancat 277]

It's a shame to hear about people leaving, but in the end if you're not having fun then you're not having fun. Arma's a bitch, and it isn't the job you work to feed your wife and kids. You don't need to do it. I can totally understand where you're coming from.

So with your content, it's also a shame to see something developed and then stopped. Especially on something of this magnitude, its impact could be huge even if it was released in more or less WIP way. I can personally say that a lot of these features would be immensely appreciated.

So why not talk to the people at, say, AGM (or release it open like Aplion did when he left), and ask them if they want to inherit your work if you don't want to continue? You get the credit as being a huge impact on the community scene with this addition, and you can see your work prosper on in a new generation of motivated teams with momentum and a possibility to go far (AGM, again.) Not that you weren't motivated - this alone shows that you were. Your stuff has already been of assistance to a lot of people. I guess this would go the same way.

But that's just my two cents. I'm not sure if you've already thought about this, but it's what I think would be a good idea.

[irfanahmed1979 10]

I would have loved to have a system to block AA missiles for both fixed-wing and rotary aircraft in the same manner as the AIS (which I used in DUWS).

[.kju 3245]

@ Bakerman

Thank you for sharing your thoughts and these insights!

I can fully understand what you are saying doing this for almost ten years now..

That said as long as the modding process itself is fun, one has a vision and see purpose,

and has people to work together with and people to work for - that are to make use of ones hard labor,

it can be fine even without playing much or at all.

However when this is not / no longer the case, there is no sense to push it / stick to it.

Wrote my thoughts on the state of arma modding and related conclusions I made in this thread,

in case you still care about that.

Olds is already assisting us in CUP and IFA3. If your communication is good already, its fine.

Otherwise you could join our Skype group chat - not sure if you are already past this state though.

Other than that I agree with TheEvanCat - please consider to put your work on Dev Heaven/GitHub

with a license to allow others to built on-top of it. You can still go forward as you want to and make

occasional updates or even releases - would be great to see those!

However I think these two could still work fine next to each other.

In any case thanks for the heads-up and everything you have do so far. :bounce3:

[bakerman 247]

I have some good news and some bad news regarding AIS.

As some of you may have noticed RHS made an announcement that they forgot to ask for my permission when they used AIS prototype code in their Escalation mod. While I'm flattered that they chose to use my armor system, their implementation of my (somewhat broken) code was incompatible with the work I did for AIS & RAM. :(

The good news is that I've settled things with RHS peacefully and I'm now cooperating with them to ensure compatibility between AIS, RAM & RHS. I'm also working with Olds on some new features that I'm sure some of you will be very excited to see. :)

[serjames 357]

great to see you back Bakerman :-)

[frankfranconi 24]

I'm glad you're continuing to work on this. Lately I've been playing a lot of DUWS and it's really amazing how worthless armor of any kind currently is. Nearly every AI Squad running about has one AT-Specialist armed with a Titan and they really fuck things up. I'm not even talking about High Command Squads because not only do they 'catch' every missile coming at them, but they also like to drive their vehicles into walls and ditches. But that's another story.

It's just outrageous that a $6 million piece of hardware lasts about 5 minutes on the battlefield with limited use and is destroyed by an $80'000 missile fired by some poor sucker sitting in a bush. I'm really looking forward to seeing armor retake its rightful place in battle ;)

[irfanahmed1979 10]

I have some good news and some bad news regarding AIS.

As some of you may have noticed RHS made an announcement that they forgot to ask for my permission when they used AIS prototype code in their Escalation mod. While I'm flattered that they chose to use my armor system, their implementation of my (somewhat broken) code was incompatible with the work I did for AIS & RAM. :(

The good news is that I've settled things with RHS peacefully and I'm now cooperating with them to ensure compatibility between AIS, RAM & RHS. I'm also working with Olds on some new features that I'm sure some of you will be very excited to see. :)

Good to hear that. I know that you'll be busy but whenever you do get free can you come up with a script for blocking AA missiles against aircraft? I know it might sound unrealistic but just as frankfranconi said about armour, the same is true about aircraft. They get blown out of the sky pretty easily and the amount of flares just isn't enough to survive in a hostile environment. I play DUWS (originally by Kibot) and I loved including your AIS script in it. It worked like a charm except that when the number of combatants got very high, I did get some hits(but that is a general problem in DUWS and it has been attributed to the game engine).

[frankfranconi 24]

Quite some time ago I did exactly what you want. I modified the AIS script to include aircraft, and that was all there was to it. AA missiles were just blown out of the sky by an unknown force. I don't have the modified script anymore, but it's really easy to replicate as you just have to add the vehicle classes of the aircraft you wish to protect to the array of protected vehicles in the script.

[bakerman 247]

@frankfranconi

With the work we're doing at RAM to get the accurate CE/KE penetration and protection models in game the Titan (Mini-Spike) will be far less effective against tanks.

@irfanahmed1979

The root of the problem is the high hit probability of AA missiles, coupled with poor CM simulation and you get the current situation. It needs some work, but that's a story for another day. My new APS script is far more authentic than the original one, it relies on working sensors and launchers. Thus it will only be on vehicles with the required components (Merkava Mk4 & T-80UM2), however it is possible to screw realism and add an 'arcade' APS to any object. So that should enable you or anybody to quickly and easily add an APS to any aircraft you wish.

[frankfranconi 24]

My new APS script is far more authentic than the original one, it relies on working sensors and launchers.

Oh my, looking forward to that one!

[chops 111]

Great to hear you're back in action Bakerman!