Lightweight PLA mod?

[accuracythruvolume 547]

Well with the release of APEX, BI has granted upon us not only several (renamed) QZB rifles but also the chinese language.   This means that a PLA faction should be fairly lightweight to be able to create.  I do realize that massi and possibly others have already produced a PLA mod, but I believe a lightweight PLA faction still has its appeal.

 

I think there could be a use for this.  Some exploratory configing shall be in order...

[subunit 31]

Great idea. Keeping the number of mods down is important for keeping our group's cohesion. We would greatly appreciate a PLA mod that doesn't go beyond Apex + CUP as dependencies. I haven't had much time to play with Apex but hopefully the QBZ-likes reflect that platform's limitations. I was at the range last year with my TAR-21 and had an opportunity to compare a buddy's QBZ and was shocked by how poorly it handled relative to the Tavor.

[accuracythruvolume 547]

I the now vanilla QZB-ish rifles include the base one, a UGL verision, and a MG version with a longer barrel.  That last one can also double for a DMR rifle as well.    I was thinking the same thing, keep any dependencies down.  Maybe cup for some vehicles.   Infantry only would be totally dependency free.  Currently digging around for some type 07 cammies.   Some good stuff out there so far.

[proingy747 1]

There is this mod which isn't that big but it comes with weapons and I'm not sure if it actually available as a manual download.

http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=655153321&searchtext=PLA

[accuracythruvolume 547]

Hmmm interesting find!   That might be what I was intending to make.  Wonder if they speaketh the new language?   D'loading to investigate  http://www.armaholic.com/page.php?id=26957

[road runner 4344]

I've released over 4 different PLA uniform addons, based on the NATO Bufor/Crye's, if someone wants to use these, be my guest !

[accuracythruvolume 547]

I have spoken with the VME mod creator over on Armaholic and he stated I could use the mod for further development.  It's a really nice mod with custom weapons, accessories and uniforms.  They are working on vehicles as well.  I tested their launchers against both CUP and RHS armor and both get damaged nicely.  No need to reinvent the wheel.   The only thing I could add is custom textures for tanks and whatnot.  At this point I think the PLA faction is covered by VME, props to proingy747 for the find.  

 

If anyone see this thread in the future, check the links above for your PLA needs.

[hcpookie 3770]

This is a great idea.  Need to rename all the "future weapons" to their correct names of course but it sounds like the base units are already there and ready.

 

Makes me want to start building PLA versions of the SAM/AAA stuff :D

 

 

A question - are those Asian faces?  Accurate Asian faces have always been a problem.

[subunit 31]

I have spoken with the VME mod creator over on Armaholic and he stated I could use the mod for further development.  It's a really nice mod with custom weapons, accessories and uniforms.  They are working on vehicles as well.  I tested their launchers against both CUP and RHS armor and both get damaged nicely.  No need to reinvent the wheel.   The only thing I could add is custom textures for tanks and whatnot.  At this point I think the PLA faction is covered by VME, props to proingy747 for the find.  

 

If anyone see this thread in the future, check the links above for your PLA needs.

 

Does the VME mod use the mandarin radio protocol? If not, I think there would still be some value in having a version of the VME mod that uses the new radio protocol + Apex weapon assets to keep the size of the mod down. The main reason I haven't used VME is the lack of an ALiVE config, tbh.

[accuracythruvolume 547]

Yes, they just updated to the new chinese language.  They might even do a custom chinese language

 

hcpookie, if you can do some PLA inspired SAMs, that would be great!  Your SAM pack is already awesome and some others thrown in the mix would be good too!

[ski2060 167]

Does the VME mod use the mandarin radio protocol? If not, I think there would still be some value in having a version of the VME mod that uses the new radio protocol + Apex weapon assets to keep the size of the mod down. The main reason I haven't used VME is the lack of an ALiVE config, tbh.

I'd love to see the VME stuff in Alive also, but you'd have to work up something for vehicles, either combining CUP or RHS for now. 

And Pook SAMS with them? Damn...  if only there was a RHS version of SAMS.  My unit are mostly texture snobs and stay away from CUP :(

[autigergrad 2034]

Does the VME mod use the mandarin radio protocol? If not, I think there would still be some value in having a version of the VME mod that uses the new radio protocol + Apex weapon assets to keep the size of the mod down. The main reason I haven't used VME is the lack of an ALiVE config, tbh.

 

VME works fine with ALiVE.  I've used them in a couple of missions.  

[chortles 263]

I have more than a little interest in this topic because finally board members acknowledge that the PLA is a thing instead of just NATO vs. Russia, so...

I was at the range last year with my TAR-21 and had an opportunity to compare a buddy's QBZ and was shocked by how poorly it handled relative to the Tavor.

Would this be a friend with the Canada-legal export weapon? The ergonomics were changed in the subsequent QBZ-95-1 military weapon (i.e. fire selector above the pistol grip, as glimpsed on the CAR-95) but from all I've ever seen these changes were not implemented in the Canada-legal weapon's iterations.

 

@accuracythruvolume: I see from VME PLA's classlists that if you go for 'real-world' then for the CMR-76 you'd be down-calibering down to 5.8 x 42 mm, albeit a different loading than the CAR-95 but possibly shared with the CAR-95-1. I doubt that VME PLA will remain "lightweight" for long though once they're public about their vehicles...

 

@ski2060: I'd wait on what VME PLA reveals for their vehicle lineup; I confess to a certain boredom with PLA depictions using exclusively reskins of Russian vehicles, and the last time I remember PLA-specific vehicles depicted was in Arma 2's ACEX_PLA.

[drebin052 324]

I have more than a little interest in this topic because finally board members acknowledge that the PLA is a thing instead of just NATO vs. Russia, so...

 

You mean other armies exist other than those two? Nonsense! WHAT IS THIS BLASPHEMY THAT YOU SPEAK OF CHORTLES? /s  :D

 

Sarcasm aside, the Apex "QBZs" aren't sensible choices if you intend to make a modern-day or even near future representation of the PLA as they're cheap export variant models, not the real Type 95. BI couldn't even get the calibre right on the QLG-10A by making it load 40mm grenades...

 

On the other hand, VME's QBZs are far more better but look...odd when you mount any non-VME optics onto them as they made the rail adaptor an optional attachment that occupies the underbarrel slot of the weapon instead of having them appear automatically or permanently fixed like Toadie's weapons, so any non-VME optical sights will float above the carrying handle instead of being affixed to the weapon if you don't have the rail adaptor equipped on the weapons.

 

They also can't accept any non-VME side rail attachments like flashlights or laser pointers:

 

 

It's only somewhat visible on the QBU-88 here, but the attachment hovering issue stands out a lot on the QCW-05 for instance. If you can live with that, I'd wait for a bit like what Chortles said and hold out to see what VME will come up with next.

[subunit 31]

VME works fine with ALiVE.  I've used them in a couple of missions.  

 

Whoah, cool. You don't happen to remember the faction name, do you?

 

 

I have more than a little interest in this topic because finally board members acknowledge that the PLA is a thing instead of just NATO vs. Russia, so...

Would this be a friend with the Canada-legal export weapon? The ergonomics were changed in the subsequent QBZ-95-1 military weapon (i.e. fire selector above the pistol grip, as glimpsed on the CAR-95) but from all I've ever seen these changes were not implemented in the Canada-legal weapon's iterations.

 

Yeah, correct, it was the semi-auto civilian version (Type 97). I'm not talking about control ergonomics though (Tavor has questionable ergos in places as well), but handling during fire. Though the Type 97 is about the same weight as the Tavor, the felt recoil is much higher- it took me probably 1.5x or 2x as much time to get back on target for a followup shot. I could feel the whole action working in my shoulder, the bolt carrier slamming back, disengaging the bolt, hitting the recoil buffer, etc. I'm sure you'd get used to it with training but it felt really obviously inferior to a Tavor or AR15. I'm not sure if there are any meaningful mechanical differences in the action between the 95/97 but I was under impression that other than select fire they were basically similar.

[hcpookie 3770]

So l have a question - is this "further development" actually more than just discussion?

 

And question #2 - this will be an expansion of the VME mod, correct?  This one:

 

https://forums.bistudio.com/topic/192618-from-china-virtual-military-engineers-vme-pla-mod-for-arma3/

 

... ???

 

 

Reason I ask is that the VME mod has been out for about 2 years.  If there aren't vehicles yet, there likely won't be... A PLA version of my SA-10 is called the HQ-9.  A faction change and maybe a new camo skin, and it would be complete.  I'll have to research additional types of the SAM's they have to determine how many can be compared 1:1 for easy "conversion" from within my SAM pack.

 

Now.  The lack of vehicles.  There are PLENTY of meshes to be found online to flesh out the faction.  A quick search and I found some tanks, planes, etc.  And of course my Flanker pack would be a 1:1 equivalent, just need to be renamed.  A few weeks' worth of 3D editing could bring quite a few PLA vehicles to the fight.

 

Vehicle weapons will need investigating.  Those would certainly need to be assessed because most of them would certainly be 1:1 analogs to Russian/Soviet designs.  However there are PLA-only models unique to the PLA.

 

 

Edit to add.  The BIS rifles don't really "look" right to me.  IF you're referring to the so-called CAR-95 here:

 

http://arma3.com/apex

 

... it looks to me like it is similar, but not a 1:1 equivalent for the PLA rifles.  Close but not close enough to qualify.  The VME weapons look correct.  But reading the thread, it does look more like the "export" version.

[subunit 31]

 

 

Edit to add.  The BIS rifles don't really "look" right to me.  IF you're referring to the so-called CAR-95 here:

 

http://arma3.com/apex

 

... it looks to me like it is similar, but not a 1:1 equivalent for the PLA rifles.  Close but not close enough to qualify.  The VME weapons look correct.  But reading the thread, it does look more like the "export" version.

 

:wacko: I'd only messed around in the editor a bit before release and since then only had time to play some of the co-op campaign, so I hadn't actually looked closely- but you're right, the QBZ-like in Apex is the Type 97 FTU (flat top upper). It's not only an export model, the FTU was made indigenously in Canada as an aftermarket upper receiver by an aluminum machinist who also makes an M14 stock system (lots of Norinco M14 clones in Canada). As part of some kind of import deal you can now get them off the shelf like that. The one that I was shooting had the regular carry handle (earlier import model) and had a red dot mounted on that.

Anyway, VME it is, although I guess we now have most of the guns necessary for a "Canadian blackrifle insurgency" mod..

[hcpookie 3770]

So l have a question - is this "further development" actually more than just discussion?

 

And question #2 - this will be an expansion of the VME mod, correct?  This one:

 

https://forums.bistudio.com/topic/192618-from-china-virtual-military-engineers-vme-pla-mod-for-arma3/

 

... ???

 

 

Reason I ask is that the VME mod has been out for about 2 years.  If there aren't vehicles yet, there likely won't be... A PLA version of my SA-10 is called the HQ-9.  A faction change and maybe a new camo skin, and it would be complete.  I'll have to research additional types of the SAM's they have to determine how many can be compared 1:1 for easy "conversion" from within my SAM pack.

 

Now.  The lack of vehicles.  There are PLENTY of meshes to be found online to flesh out the faction.  A quick search and I found some tanks, planes, etc.  And of course my Flanker pack would be a 1:1 equivalent, just need to be renamed.  A few weeks' worth of 3D editing could bring quite a few PLA vehicles to the fight.

 

Vehicle weapons will need investigating.  Those would certainly need to be assessed because most of them would certainly be 1:1 analogs to Russian/Soviet designs.  However there are PLA-only models unique to the PLA.

 

To the OP:  I just searched and found no less than THREE different PLA mods in Arma 3.  Are you planning to expand upon the VME mod as a base line?  Really interested in developing more stuff for PLA.  I will likely create some PLA options for my SAM pack (currently being updated) but will hold back on the rest until I better understand the plan moving forward.

[accuracythruvolume 547]

To the OP:  I just searched and found no less than THREE different PLA mods in Arma 3.  Are you planning to expand upon the VME mod as a base line?  Really interested in developing more stuff for PLA.  I will likely create some PLA options for my SAM pack (currently being updated) but will hold back on the rest until I better understand the plan moving forward.

 

 

IM sent  B)

[chortles 263]

@hcpookie: One of the VME PLA authors credited on Steam Workshop confirmed that vehicles are still planned:

About the vest we're not gonna address this as a priority. Beasue as you may see the most requested items are vehicles. so we're patching up all the current infantry development right now, and we're gonna move on to vehicles ASAP.

A July 3rd comment from cycle6 mentioned that "Yes the vehicle and aircrafts are still under development. It may take a while before we can finish all of them, but we may release some transportation vehicles soon." I'd recommend keeping an eye on their comments, if only because it's not as dreck as a stereotypical Steam Workshop item thread. :P

 

@drebin052: For what it's worth, cycle6 also said this re: the whole rail adapter business:

@mortified_penguin
Oh yes. If you need to add non PLA standard opticals.There is a picatinny rail for most VME PLA weapons in "bipod".
It adds as a "bipod", but it shows up as an optic adapter. It's very easy to find in "load out" in eden editor.

But, for now we haven't find a way to force ppl add the adapter before mont the non PLA standard opticals.

[drebin052 324]

@drebin052: For what it's worth, cycle6 also said this re: the whole rail adapter business:

 

Yep...too bad there's no non-scripted way for them to implement rail visibility on the fly.  :(

[accuracythruvolume 547]

Not a super big deal, just use the VME optics on their guns.  So what if vanilla or RHS ones or whatever don't all work.  Let's just say the PLA is being preparatory.

 

Interestingly enough, the PLA do use some Russian stuff, but have a lot of their own indigenous designs.   Even the type 99 tank has its own look.

[subunit 31]

VME works fine with ALiVE.  I've used them in a couple of missions.  

 

I had a chance to check this out finally, VME does not have a functioning ALiVE config. PLA_FACTION does not spawn PLA, it spawns CSAT.

[Nichols 243]

I use Massi's PLA Mod and have been using Pook's Sam Pack but going with the earlier versions of the tracked SAM vehicles.