Unrealistic officer caps - why not kevlar?

[David Shipley 0]

Is it this game, or did officers in the 1980s US Army really wear caps in the battlefield? I would think that'd make them a huge target for the enemy -- right?

Frankly, I think the caps look stupid, and I absolutely hate to play missions where I have to play as a helmet-less officer. It just ruins the feeling for me.

I've noticed some user-made missions have made regular soldiers to be officers. Is it possible to do this in the 1985 single-player campaign? Something to change in the config file or something?

Is there anyone that can do that? Please help. :-(

[Ex-RoNiN 0]

Yes, I can do something for you - move this into the correct forum

[PitViper 0]

its obviously a game convention for you to identify the officer since they cordinate squad movements, especially under attack. In real life, they would wear their kevlars in the field (although I've seen officers wearing patrol caps in the field more often than enlisted)

[nyles 11]

When I play around in the editor, I always use a standard soldier as squad leader. He then gets binoculars and some colored smoke. However, true officers or soldiers who should play this role in my "missions", remain with their helmet off. The reason is quiet simple. In the field, a trained sniper will have no problem in identifying commanding personel on the way how they act, but in OFP that way too difficult to show, so they simply get that hat. Sorted.

I don't mind officers in-game but they should have made a NCO class as well and use it as squad leader. Officers, as most people should know, do not lead squads normally.

[PitViper 0]

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (Nyles @ Nov. 23 2002,12:33)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">I don't mind officers in-game but they should have made a NCO class as well and use it as squad leader. Officers, as most people should know, do not lead squads normally.<span id='postcolor'>

*nods in agreements*

you would find LT's kicking around at the platoon level though.

[Airwolf 50]

most helmets wont stop an oncoming bullet anyways.

[David Shipley 0]

Yes, those are all very good points. Thank you for pointing them out. :-) But nonetheless, officers in a battlefield will be wearing their helmets, and I'd like it to be that way in OFP, too!

Isn't there a way? I read there was even a way to change the guns in the original missions by completely replacing them or something... can the same be done with officers? Their 'class' is changed to 'soldier'?

[red oct 2]

all i do, is take a regular soldier or gernader and just change is armorment using the addweapon and addweaponmag to what a offiicer carries.

[LT.Schaffer 0]

Hi All,

I agree,officers should be wearing helmets!maybe BIS could add a Officer with a Helmet as a unit you can use in your missions and still have the one wearing a cap for when your back at base.also maybe they could add to the uniforms some kind of Rank that way you could have the Rank for each unit on his Outfit{Staff sergeant,and so on}

What do you all think?

[Hit_Sqd_Maximus 0]

Isnt there 2 of these threads?

[Cloney 0]

Well, I use soldiers as my squad leaders. It gives the squad a bit more uniformity. I only use the capped officer in cutscenes or as "Marines". Sometimes I use them as Airforce Security for my airbases.

[ralphwiggum 6]

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (Hit_Sqd_Maximus @ Nov. 24 2002,04:16)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">Isnt there 2 of these threads?<span id='postcolor'>

thanx for pointing it out. i deleted the other one.

[PFC_Mike 2]

the best modern infantry out there are the US marines. Frandsen officers have helmets but they are wearing hats. I walways replace them in my missions with normal marines.

At least the Recon marines don't have distinctive officers.

It is stupid to have such obvious officers.

[shadow 6]

I can agree to that officers should wear helmets instead. The more they blend in with the rest of the soldiers the better. The officers are always the highest prioritized target by the enemy.

But I understand that BIS wanted to separate the leader from the rest for gameplay-reasons.

In the airforce I was tought that the helmet's only purpose was to protect your head from shrapnels, rocks and the likes from explosions, not protect your from a direct-hit.

I have never heard of a bullet-proof helmet.

If it exists and I was wearing one and got hit in it, I'm mighty sure the headache it would give me would make me wish I did'nt wear anything all and get it over with

[Bordoy 0]

the British Army Kevlar helmet can withstand bullets.

[Cloney 0]

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (Bordoy @ Nov. 24 2002,20:44)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">the British Army Kevlar helmet can withstand bullets.<span id='postcolor'>

I doubt it can take a direct flat line hit with a 5.56 bullet, nevermind a 7.62. What happens in that the bullet is deflected depending on the angle in which it hits. It would have to be a hell of a helmet to withstand a bullet going 2000+ fps.

[Jester983 0]

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (Bordoy @ Nov. 23 2002,23:44)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">the British Army Kevlar helmet can withstand bullets.<span id='postcolor'>

If it can then im betting its really heavy and really bulky.

I agree that the officers should wear helmets. Maybe they could add an animation where the officers take off their helmets and put on their caps like when around the base. Or vise virsa.

[PitViper 0]

I edited my Dynamic Range config.bin so that the officers are wearing helmets.  anyone wanna try it out? Shipley?

http://www.uvm.edu/~efisher/officerkevlars.zip

[ralphwiggum 6]

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (PitViper @ Nov. 25 2002,04:55)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">I edited my Dynamic Range config.bin so that the officers are wearing helmets.  anyone wanna try it out? Shipley?

http://www.uvm.edu/~efisher/officerkevlars.zip<span id='postcolor'>

so what do we do? shoot it in the helmet from behind from certain distance?

/off to watch the simpsons's

[David Shipley 0]

Oh, my God! It works! It really works!

Thank you, Mr. Pit Viper. Let's just say thank God you're not a woman right now. ;-)

Seriously, though, it works perfectly! It even works on other officers in the game - the general in SP now looks like he's Patton.

Well anyway, I'm off to replay the single-player missions. :-) Thanks for everything!

P.S. Ever thought about releasing this as a mod? Or maybe adding this custom config file - as a choice - for future additions of your sound mod? I'm sure I'm not the only one who would like it.

[PitViper 0]

I gave the soviet officers helmets also. Wasn't sure if you wanted that or not.

[David Shipley 0]

Russian officers, too? That's great - at least, I think. Russian officers don't wear caps/berets to battle neither, right? I really doubt it.

Thank you. :-)

P.S. What else can you replace in this config file? Could modders do the same? Say, replacing all M-16s for another rifle?

[PitViper 0]

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (David Shipley @ Nov. 25 2002,19:01)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">P.S. What else can you replace in this config file? Could modders do the same? Say, replacing all M-16s for another rifle?<span id='postcolor'>

I'm pretty sure.

[Blake 0]

Well, it's unrealistic that an 'officer' leads a squad in OFP in the first place. OFP could use NCO class to clarify the issue with sergeant's stripes on the sleeve or something. We will implement NCO class in the forthcoming FDF pack.

[tankieboy 0]

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (PitViper @ Nov. 25 2002,03:55)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">I edited my Dynamic Range config.bin so that the officers are wearing helmets.  anyone wanna try it out? Shipley?

http://www.uvm.edu/~efisher/officerkevlars.zip<span id='postcolor'>

Please explain in idiot terms how I use this instal to as I also dont like the hat idea.

A Brit issued helmet cannot take a direct hit (I wore one for ten years).

I Would also like to see some NCO rank structure within OFP.