UAVs: Feedback and wishes

[armourite 10]

Is the unit actually being fired upon? AI will disregard a hold fire order if they are being engaged.

Thanks, I think that is it. Although the drone was way too far to actually being hit, it was being fired upon (watched it with Zeus).

---------- Post added at 02:19 ---------- Previous post was at 02:13 ----------

About enabling the Radar on the UAV (changed my initial question for clarity.)

When using the UAV's in any multiplayer environment, we want to prevent Human players abillity to see enemies on the map when the radar is enabled. Is it possible to enable the radar for the drones (so options like Follow / Destroy Unit works), but to not see every enemy contact? Best scenario would be if enemies can be seen on a cTab device but not on the ARMA map?

[soulis6 24]

Thanks, I think that is it. Although the drone was way too far to actually being hit, it was being fired upon (watched it with Zeus).

---------- Post added at 02:19 ---------- Previous post was at 02:13 ----------

About enabling the Radar on the UAV (changed my initial question for clarity.)

When using the UAV's in any multiplayer environment, we want to prevent Human players abillity to see enemies on the map when the radar is enabled. Is it possible to enable the radar for the drones (so options like Follow / Destroy Unit works), but to not see every enemy contact? Best scenario would be if enemies can be seen on a cTab device but not on the ARMA map?

Yeah this may have been my problem too, I think even infantry were firing on it, even though it was almost 2000m in the air. I would love some way to make it stay in position circling around, not diving down to 100m and trying to strafe the enemy on it's own. Is there any way to force this?

[Imperator[TFD] 444]

When using the UAV's in any multiplayer environment, we want to prevent Human players abillity to see enemies on the map when the radar is enabled. Is it possible to enable the radar for the drones (so options like Follow / Destroy Unit works), but to not see every enemy contact? Best scenario would be if enemies can be seen on a cTab device but not on the ARMA map?

No it's not really possible.

I would love some way to make it stay in position circling around, not diving down to 100m and trying to strafe the enemy on it's own. Is there any way to force this?

I plan on making a UAV tutorial video soon that will show players the easiest and most effective way to utilise the UAVs. This will include an answer to your question.

[Variable 322]

I plan on making a UAV tutorial video soon that will show players the easiest and most effective way to utilise the UAVs. This will include an answer to your question.

That would be most helpful. Looking forward to it. Thanks Imperator!

[Joe98 91]

I plan on making a UAV tutorial video soon that will show players the easiest and most effective way to utilise the UAVs.

I too look forward to this.

My ground UAVs and air UAVs get shot up easily by the enemy.

.

.

[thelog 10]

We may moan about the UAV's of Arma 3. But remember the makeshift UAV system from Arma 2. You had to use it in the OA campaign and also had the choice of using it in Chernarus.

Anyway what I wanted to ask is; is there any plans to give each faction unique UAV's. I was hoping that they were just using the same ones for everyone as placeholders. It's not looking that way though is it?

[Imperator[TFD] 444]

I was going to develop my own UAV tutorial video that covered the aspects of their usage but it seems someone already has!

I strongly recommend that anyone even remotely interested in utilising the UAV's to their full potential.

[Variable 322]

That's a very useful guide, thanks for bringing it up Imperator.

[Imperator[TFD] 444]

If/when I get some good solid free time (with kids? HA!) I might actually remake this anyway as there's a few things he mentions or does that are tickling my OCD.

Plus I can also cover their usage in scneario creation as well if there's enough interest.

[nicholmikey 11]

If/when I get some good solid free time (with kids? HA!) I might actually remake this anyway as there's a few things he mentions or does that are tickling my OCD.

Plus I can also cover their usage in scenario creation as well if there's enough interest.

I appreciate your interest :) I made video after trying to learn how to use the UAVs but found the game documentation had nothing useful. I spent about 4 weeks only playing in the UAV slot and asking other players questions until I had enough information to use them, then I felt I had to share what I had found.

I made a few mistakes that I tried to fix with annotations, but a new video would be a good idea for sure, it would also be nice to cover stompers and darters.

All I have made since is wacky invention videos, I need to get back into Arma lol.

[kocrachon 2]

So, I don't think its a secret that the UAVs in the game can use a little touching up, I was wondering if there is any new info on that?

 

So far my one complain is the same, getting the UAV to fly a flight path steadily, marking/lasing and dropping a bomb on its own target, are still a PITA, simply because a UAV is really just a vehicle with an invisible pilot in it and still reacts accordingly.

 

Are there any big plans in the future for UAV/AI improvements?

[drebin052 323]

There is a thread for this already.

 

That being said, I'm guessing we'll have to wait for Tanoa before any major updates for drones come.

[kocrachon 2]

There is a thread for this already.

 

That being said, I'm guessing we'll have to wait for Tanoa before any major updates for drones come.

 

Thread is filled with hundreds of wishes but what feels like little/no communication. I am wondering if we can expect big changes or if we are going to just keep getting little bits here and there.

[merlin 17]

Sorry to bump such an old thread; But is it possible to use the soundscape from the UAV operator instead of the UAV (which is often just engine noise) when in the turret camera? I think microphones in a microUAV are very rare and in my experience pointless. Local audio is important for the situational awareness of the operator and much less irritating over prolonged use. The only exception i can think of where UAV audio would be useful would be controlling the UAV from third person. I'm sure we've all watched countless UAV video feeds from the middle east in the last decade and they've all been eerily silent, with the annoying buzz of UAV noticeably absent. From what little i know about vehicle configs I cant think of a simple solution short of muting UAV audio altogether.

[lexx 1363]

Agreed. At least disable the outside sounds when in first person of the UAV - this should be a simple config change. It's highly annoying to hear that super loud GRRRRRRRRRRRRR all the time.

[Tajin 349]

The MQ-12 Falcon seems to have serious trouble following waypoints. (not to mention that it is a bit hyper-sensitive when controlled manually)

[lex__1 422]

I opened some tickets. What you can tell on these questions?

- To change AV terminal, has to give the chance to see a condition of character of the UAV in key points.

https://feedback.bistudio.com/T120263

- Loss of two tasks from one option "Autonomous".

https://feedback.bistudio.com/T120265

- UAV support type. There are some problems. For any UAV, after a choice the "support" type.

https://feedback.bistudio.com/T120280

[St. Jimmy 272]

Please give more altitude options and possibility to set above sea level altitude. These two are very important things and UAVs are still lacking of those options.

 

Then I also noticed that the camera locking feels pretty bad currently in the RC branch...

 

// Camera locking seems to be OK in the currently released main.

[VTOLAFMPLS:3 36]

                gimbal stabilization missing

            almost impossible to lock targets for tracking from 1km

 

 

                                                skidding causes an explosion

 

 

 

 

                   collision lights can't be disabled

 

 

                                                                      Stomper RCWS always pointed north when automated

[rafareusch 0]

I'm having this issue for a long time now, every UAV I use the AV Camera shows this default ""pilot"" camera, (yes, the camera is locked in a building). Some times i manage to show the Turret camera (Correct one) but if you press esc or aim down sight ( anything that temporarily closes the AV Feed) the camera will go back to default and show the ""pilot""'s view. Any solution to this?

http://i.imgur.com/7cNNsrd.jpg

[_Steve0 1]

On 05/12/2016 at 10:23 PM, rafareusch said:

I'm having this issue for a long time now, every UAV I use the AV Camera shows this default ""pilot"" camera, (yes, the camera is locked in a building). Some times i manage to show the Turret camera (Correct one) but if you press esc or aim down sight ( anything that temporarily closes the AV Feed) the camera will go back to default and show the ""pilot""'s view. Any solution to this?

http://i.imgur.com/7cNNsrd.jpg

 

Check out this ticket in issue tracker: https://feedback.bistudio.com/T121561

 

If enough voices are calling attention to the problem we might get a fix...

[kklownboy 43]

yeap the Sound, the Waypoints, the AV camera feed, and the lack of a good gimbal. 

[CoxM 0]

Here are some pretty major issues that I have run into:

 

1. I have trouble in Tanoa of getting the Darter and the Falcon to go anywhere autonomously.  Both will stall before they reach the destination and spin in circles.  The only way to get them there is to fly them manually.

2. If I send them to a waypoint it is impossible to stop them from trying to reach it even if I delete it or turn off autonomous on the UAV terminal.

 

Yesterday and today I did some testing.  I sent a Falcon to the middle of the map in Tanoa and about 25% into it's flight it started going in circles and at one point even came back to where I was.  I deleted the waypoint and flew it to the waypoint at 2000m and went to the turret control just to see it turn away from where I had pointed it.  I went into the terminal and turned off autonomous, took control of it and pointed it at the target I wanted to enguage.  As soon as I switched back to the turret control it started flying itself away from where I had left it.  The Darter and Falcon both do the same thing.

 

3. If the UAV crashes, even if by enemy fire, I can't control any other UAV (Does not always happen).

4. If I die while connected to a UAV The UAV I was connected to can't be controlled by anyone, including me.

 

These are extremely frustrating as yesterday I was in a multi-player mission and after taking 20 real time minutes to position 2 Darters where we needed them to watch a convoy, we ended up dying in a helicopter crash.  We were not able to re-connect to either UAV, which resulted in a mission failure as we did not have 30 minutes to send 2 more Darters into the area.  If real life military UAVs were like this I could understand, but they are not. 

 

[kklownboy 43]

#4  use ctab (look it up), landed it and have somebody disassemble it. You will get it back when reassembled.

#3  see above.

#2  waypoints suk.  Changing altitudes,helps, only one waypoint at a time and NO behavior setting,  taking control when needed to get over a hangup,     removing AI control completely when on station. also very short waypoint moves....

#1 Dont use on Tanoa( bad ai flying map, have you seen how helos fly on it! insane).

[Imperator[TFD] 444]

On 1/27/2017 at 9:30 AM, CoxM said:

Here are some pretty major issues that I have run into:

 

1. I have trouble in Tanoa of getting the Darter and the Falcon to go anywhere autonomously.  Both will stall before they reach the destination and spin in circles.  The only way to get them there is to fly them manually.

2. If I send them to a waypoint it is impossible to stop them from trying to reach it even if I delete it or turn off autonomous on the UAV terminal.

 

Yesterday and today I did some testing.  I sent a Falcon to the middle of the map in Tanoa and about 25% into it's flight it started going in circles and at one point even came back to where I was.  I deleted the waypoint and flew it to the waypoint at 2000m and went to the turret control just to see it turn away from where I had pointed it.  I went into the terminal and turned off autonomous, took control of it and pointed it at the target I wanted to enguage.  As soon as I switched back to the turret control it started flying itself away from where I had left it.  The Darter and Falcon both do the same thing.

 

3. If the UAV crashes, even if by enemy fire, I can't control any other UAV (Does not always happen).

4. If I die while connected to a UAV The UAV I was connected to can't be controlled by anyone, including me.

 

These are extremely frustrating as yesterday I was in a multi-player mission and after taking 20 real time minutes to position 2 Darters where we needed them to watch a convoy, we ended up dying in a helicopter crash.  We were not able to re-connect to either UAV, which resulted in a mission failure as we did not have 30 minutes to send 2 more Darters into the area.  If real life military UAVs were like this I could understand, but they are not. 

 

 

1: Darter and Falcon both have issues with circling on the spot if you raise their altitude above 200m.  Only known solution, manually set your own altitude and the drone will hold it.

 

2: Cancel the waypoint and disable autonomous AI in the UAV control panel and the drone will stay still and keep the engines off once landed.

 

3+4: I can't comment on these as I have not tested them.

 

 

I strongly suggest watching the UAV video linked in this thread for further lessons on how to properly use the UAVs to their full potential. :)