Arma 3 Helicopters DLC Discussion (dev branch)

[Imperator[TFD] 444]

Not even just that, the AAF have gun pods on their Buzzard, the same Gun Pod capable (and they do this in real life) of being mounted on the Helicopter where the mini guns are. It would have made much more sense, and it would make up for the lack of main attack helicopter at the moment. Something like an Armed EC-155, and un armed version for the civilians would have been more ideal than a copy pasted Wildcat from Arma 2 though. The model just simply doesn't look as good as other Arma 3 content.

Edit: Rotor-Lib inbound for beginning of next month to DEV branch.

One could use that logic in regards to lots of vehicles in the game. The PO-30 Orca for example; I'm sure the 7.62mm minigun on the side could easily be replaced by a .50cal and become far more potent but BIS have determined that the current loadout suits and we get what we get.

I do dream of the day we see the option to adjust loadouts on vehicles properly in game, similar to how John_Saul's F/A18 and Su-35 mods work with their intuitive interfaces.

[Gutsnav 13]

Will there be a limit to the types of weapons that can be fired from the helicopters? I'm having nightmares of a Ghost Hawk flying past, two RPGs, or even Javelins, being aimed out both sides + miniguns blazing.

If BI does it right, there should be no restrictions. You can fire RPGs from helicopters in real life, right? But in real life, backblast is going to kill / injure everyone in the helicopter when you fire. Hopefully they will make this a feature. But they will probably add restrictions instead :/

[CaptainAzimuth 714]

If BI does it right, there should be no restrictions. You can fire RPGs from helicopters in real life, right? But in real life, backblast is going to kill / injure everyone in the helicopter when you fire. Hopefully they will make this a feature. But they will probably add restrictions instead :/

They should first release it with no restrictions, just so we can see what people do. Chances are, though, someone would go a more practical route, and bring a Titan AA on an MH-9 for possible self defense. Other than that, shooting from vehicles is meant to be used as a form of self defense otherwise, and is mainly used with vehicles that are not armed.

---------- Post added at 14:05 ---------- Previous post was at 14:03 ----------

One could use that logic in regards to lots of vehicles in the game. The PO-30 Orca for example; I'm sure the 7.62mm minigun on the side could easily be replaced by a .50cal and become far more potent but BIS have determined that the current loadout suits and we get what we get.

I do dream of the day we see the option to adjust loadouts on vehicles properly in game, similar to how John_Saul's F/A18 and Su-35 mods work with their intuitive interfaces.

I made a feedback tracker ticket for this, and it's got a decent amount of votes, but it's still marked as new. I doubt they would add something like that soon though, maybe in the future. It would become another award winning feature for Arma 3 if they could pull it off though.

[nullrick 10]

The customization for vehicle loadouts like John_Saul's F/A18 and Su-35 mods would be amazing. Still, I think it's too much logic for BI to adopt.

But lately I've been wondering what variant of RotorLib would be added with the Helicopter DLC? Or will it be combining features of them all?

[chortles 263]

The customization for vehicle loadouts like John_Saul's F/A18 and Su-35 mods would be amazing. Still, I think it's too much logic for BI to adopt.

Ehhh, more likely the sheer "arm's length" treatment of air power by BI is why they don't spend the time to do a script-less implementation (remember: if it's scripted, a method is non grata at BI, which is why they don't just take what users did) as opposed to just continuing to do what they've done in the past -- different loadouts being separate vehicles in the Editor, and only specific weapons at that. The key change that would have to come from BI would be a script-less implementation both of the rearming GUI and the rearming process, since (as both dezkit's Ivory Aircraft and my F-35B port demonstrate) the aircraft model can be configured in such a way as to visually support any aircraft weapon(s) and not just specific weapons as in BI's method, but both still use BI's "different loadouts are different vehicle entries in the Editor and in Zeus".

(BI's method has all of the possible underwing weapons being proxied onto the jet's underwing pylons -- the Twin Cannon 20 mm gun pod is part of the airframe model and not subject to any of this -- using show/hide animations where the Buzzard's "base" config class hides them all, while each loadout config class has differing values to show only the specific underwing weapons used in that loadout; this isn't as versatile as Ivory Aircraft or my F-35B port but still allows BI to not reuse the same airframe with differing pylons/launchers and weapon proxies like they did with the AV-8B in Arma 2.

Also, the weapons status displays of the Wipeout and Neophron are smoke-and-mirrors: they're actually specific to the loadouts that BI gave them, static textures with plenty of show/hide animations, and only those loadouts' weapons (and in those positions) are proxied onto the airframes, unlike what was done with the Buzzard.)

[CaptainAzimuth 714]

The customization for vehicle loadouts like John_Saul's F/A18 and Su-35 mods would be amazing. Still, I think it's too much logic for BI to adopt.

But lately I've been wondering what variant of RotorLib would be added with the Helicopter DLC? Or will it be combining features of them all?

Wait, Hold on... which one? You mean there are multiple Rotor-Libs?

[nullrick 10]

Wait, Hold on... which one? You mean there are multiple Rotor-Libs?

RotorLib FDM - Seems to focus on heli maneuvering on both ground (taxing) and air as well as learning instrumentation and physics simulations that can tie into turbulence.

------------------------------

RotorLib CGF - Adds, or focuses on, other heli operations/uses; insertion/extraction, fast-rope, Anti-Surface Warfare, cargo transport and recovery of explosive devices and small vehicles (drones/smaller undersea/seafaring vehicles).

[Gutsnav 13]

...and physics simulations that can tie into turbulence.

Tuh Tuh Tuh TURBULENCE?!? This may explode my poor computer.

Anyway is there a problem combining PhysX with both variants of RotorLib ? Are they even compatible? Or did TKOH do this already?

Because Buggy Ropes + Quad Bike + Innocent Bystanders = Recipe for Disaster.

[[evo] dan 79]

Tuh Tuh Tuh TURBULENCE?!? This may explode my poor computer.

Anyway is there a problem combining PhysX with both variants of RotorLib ? Are they even compatible? Or did TKOH do this already?

Because Buggy Ropes + Quad Bike + Innocent Bystanders = Recipe for Disaster.

TOH didn't use physx at all for anything. The ropes were only single player until you added a script made by Neo vfor MP compatibility.

[nodunit 397]

Tuh Tuh Tuh TURBULENCE?!? This may explode my poor computer.

Anyway is there a problem combining PhysX with both variants of RotorLib ? Are they even compatible? Or did TKOH do this already?

Because Buggy Ropes + Quad Bike + Innocent Bystanders = Recipe for Disaster.

Or hilarity.

[kremator 1064]

Or hilarity.

Now this would be good!

[CaptainAzimuth 714]

RotorLib FDM - Seems to focus on heli maneuvering on both ground (taxing) and air as well as learning instrumentation and physics simulations that can tie into turbulence.

------------------------------

RotorLib CGF - Adds, or focuses on, other heli operations/uses; insertion/extraction, fast-rope, Anti-Surface Warfare, cargo transport and recovery of explosive devices and small vehicles (drones/smaller undersea/seafaring vehicles).

If they add FDM, which I suspect most likely, I'd be disappointed if they don't add a high quality Medium Helicopter to go with it. The EC-155 would literally be the best choice, and I'd love to Taxi around in that on the Altian Airport.

[chortles 263]

The only type officially named was "heavy transport", so I expect a pair of Chinook/Mohawk equivalents, instead of a Ghosthawk/Orca equivalent (what I imagine you mean by "medium") on the other hand...

[AveryTheKitty 2626]

The only type officially named was "heavy transport", so I expect a pair of Chinook/Mohawk equivalents, instead of a Ghosthawk/Orca equivalent (what I imagine you mean by "medium") on the other hand...

I'm hoping for either a Chinook and Mi-26 or an Osprey.

Please make it an Opsrey. :D

[chortles 263]

I'm hoping for either a Chinook and Mi-26 or an Osprey.

Ehhhh... for your information, in Arma 2 it was just a fixed-wing aircraft that happened to have vtol = 3, not an 'actual' helicopter config-wise.

[mistyronin 1181]

Ehhhh... for your information, in Arma 2 it was just a fixed-wing aircraft that happened to have vtol = 3, not an 'actual' helicopter config-wise.

But in real life it's used to sling cargo and vehicles.

BTW according to pilots, it's flies more like a plane than a helo, although obviously can hover.

[mr_centipede 31]

So how's the impression of helo since the RotorLib has hit devBranch? I'm still downloading at the moment.

[Grumpy Old Man 3540]

The rotorLib is very sophisticated to say the least.

I'm a very happy Grumpy Old Man right now.

[mr_centipede 31]

Just tried it myself.... I can say it's hard... with just using keyboard and mouse. I don't know how realistic it is, but I can say it's complex. So are we expecting the "helo is unplayable now" crowd next?

[x3kj 1247]

experienced a bug and resulting crash when diving real steep, symptoms: first spazzing out, then extreme loud sound [first time i had headphones on... felt like it busted my ears]

I suggest you people avoid diving real steep from high altitude. Here's one reproduced crash, it didnt spazz out the same as the first time and the deffening sound was much shorter.

WARNING: REDUCE YOUR VOLUME, loud sound

tested with arma3diag.exe

rpt crash part

Edited August 4, 2014 by Fennek

[byku 13]

Hah crashed... like 10 times in a row at start-up :D... epic! LOVING IT ^^ What's the stuff with AH9 torque going down a lot during flight? :P

[kecske 46]

I know its minor but since the heli DLC is inbound this should be fixed: Clock in Ka-60 is mirrored

Another small but nice feature would be to enable the same pedal animations in helicopters as in karts

[blackpixxel 53]

Nice to see the flight model on the todays dev build!

Here are my experiences (without autotrim):

Mi48: -completely unplayable. While it hovers extremly nice (no real need for trim) the helicopter has _no_ power. It sinks even with full throttle (Is there no testing? How does this find its way to the dev branch?)

AH99 Blackfoot: -not enough power, the aircraft hardly climbs. I expect an atack helicopter to be agile and fast.

Ghosthawk: -defalt trim is completely messed up. When I want to hover at one place I have to push my joystick nearly to the down-right limit and give about 50% pedals to the right. Shouldn't the default trimm allow the helos to hover at least a bit stable?

But all in all I really love this new update. It makes alot of fun and the sound improvements are awesome too. It is nice to hear when the engine RPM changes when you tilt your swashplate or give more collective!

[royaltyinexile 175]

Hey, guys,

Alucard (dev-tags pending) just started a thread where he outlines some of the specific feedback we're looking for.

If you don't mind, that'd be an ideal place for feedback related to today's RotorLib integration!

Best,

RiE

[neodammerung 8]

So are we expecting the "helo is unplayable now" crowd next?

No risk since it's something optional