Plea to bis to enable helicopter control

[BAM 0]

When using tanks in OFP and you get in as commander then go to the gunners seat, you can still control the AI driver by using the arrow keys which is nice, since you can use the mouse to aim the tank guns yet still drive the tank with the arrow keys.

However, when you get into a helicopter as a gunner, you have no direct control over the AI pilot or the helicopter flight. This makes being a gunner in single player mode very unfriendly for obvious reasons. It would be great if you could (like the tank control implementation) control the AI driver/pilot using the arrow keys. This would then let you use the mounted cannon on the helicopter with the mouse, and control the movement of the heli with the arrow keys, making flying to and engaging targets much better.

As it stands now, the most you can do is select the pilot with the F2 key, then either click on a map position to get them to fly there, or tell them through the command menu to "target" an enemy, in which case they (try to) fly to the target in question. With this current setup, its nigh on impossible to effectively engage and target enemies. Even worse, this doesnt even work with the blackhawk, the most you can do as gunner in this situation is click on the map where you want the heli pilot to fly, and worse still, since the gun on the blackhawk is only on one side, you cant guarantee that your enemy target will even be visible when the AI pilot reaches the destination, depending on what direction the heli ends up facing...

Surely implementing AI pilot control via arrow keys would be a relatively straightforward task, since its already in place with the tank vehicles? It would really open up a lot more potential and more user made missions could be designed with the player in a helicopter gunner scenario...

I would be very interested to see what others think of this idea, I dont see any drawbacks and I really think it could greatly enhance the gameplay of helicopters in the game.

What do you think?

Thanks,

BAM:)

[Harnu 0]

I'd be quite against this. I mean, it's quite unrealistic to fly and gun a chopper from the gunners seat. Even with tanks I'm half and half.

What I would like to see is improved AI flight. THe most a gunner should be able to do is something like say "Double back" to the pilot.

[BAM 0]

I agree that having improved AI pilot helicopter flight would be great, but I think that would be very hard to implement in such a way that you could always rely on the pilot to get you in the position/height/angle you needed to engage targets.  

Yes, using arrow keys to control the heli whilst being the gunner isnt realistic, but it would really help the gameplay.  Anyway, you could just imagine that you as gunner are shouting to the pilot where to fly/move to - as it is when you are the commander in gunners position in the tank

If the option were to be put into the game, you could still choose not to make use of it anyway, so no loss for those who wouldnt like it - you wouldnt have to use it

[Tex -USMC- 0]

What I want is the ability to override the gunner from the pilot seat.

[eh remraf 0]

lol tex. Yeah, that would be nice.

[Die Alive 0]

It would be best if the pilot be the one who fires the FFARs, and the gunner have control over the TOWs and gun (Talking cobra here as an example). The pilot knows best when to fire off a salvo of FFARs because he is controlling the ship. From what I've read, Cobras in Vietnam, the gunner had control of the gun and GL launcher, while the pilot had the FFARs. And if the gun was being "used" when the pilot wanted to fire off FFARs, then the gunners gun would be shut off as long as FFARs are being shot.

-=Die Alive=-

[kegetys 2]

If you are the leader, and you have one of your men as the pilot and yourself as the gunner, you can order him where you want him to fly I think...

[nyles 11]

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (Tex [uSMC] @ Feb. 24 2003,04:46)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">What I want is the ability to override the gunner from the pilot seat.<span id='postcolor'>

Yeah, best would be to make this possible even during flight, in case the pilot gets killed. That way there is a small chance that you manage to takeover in time to prevent the chopper from crashing.

In general, I'd like to see it be possible to change from gunner to commander position while driving (but not to driver) and be able to do other possible changes of position as long as they are somewhat realistic.

Along with this it would be great, if a gunner would still be able to rotate the turret of a tank, when the driver is turned out. Another nice thing would be if you could order a gunner where to point his turret when you are commander (maybe something like freelook key + fire button, just like with infantry).

[hovmand 0]

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (Nyles @ Feb. 24 2003,16:41)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">Another nice thing would be if you could order a gunner where to point his turret when you are commander (maybe something like freelook key + fire button, just like with infantry).<span id='postcolor'>

I think you can do this by ordering your guy to look in the direction (N,S,W,E etc.)

[edc 0]

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote </td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">It would be best if the pilot be the one who fires the FFARs, and the gunner have control over the TOWs and gun (Talking cobra here as an example). The pilot knows best when to fire off a salvo of FFARs because he is controlling the ship. From what I've read, Cobras in Vietnam, the gunner had control of the gun and GL launcher, while the pilot had the FFARs. And if the gun was being "used" when the pilot wanted to fire off FFARs, then the gunners gun would be shut off as long as FFARs are being shot.

<span id='postcolor'>

Yeah, something like that would be nice to have.

[BAM 0]

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (Kegetys @ Feb. 24 2003,14:48)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">If you are the leader, and you have one of your men as the pilot and yourself as the gunner, you can order him where you want him to fly I think...<span id='postcolor'>

Yep, as leader you certainly can order the AI pilot where to fly to, but only by selecting the pilot with the appropriate F key, then either clicking somwhere on the screen, or somewhere on the map - this is really very tedious and inaccurate, especially in a situation where you need to quickly move into postition to shoot the cannon at an enemy.

One nice thing I did notice was that when you are the gunner in the blackhawk with the side cannon, AI soldiers shoot at you It was cool gunning down the oncoming ruskies whilst bullets where hitting all around the side of the chopper However sitting idle hovering isnt nice when an RPG soldier is around, more reason to be able to tell the pilot to nudge slowly forward, back, up or down with a quick press of the arrow keys...

BAM.

[shadow 6]

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (Die Alive @ Feb. 24 2003,15:42)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">It would be best if the pilot be the one who fires the FFARs, and the gunner have control over the TOWs and gun (Talking cobra here as an example).  The pilot knows best when to fire off a salvo of FFARs because he is controlling the ship.  From what I've read, Cobras in Vietnam, the gunner had control of the gun and GL launcher, while the pilot had the FFARs.  And if the gun was being "used" when the pilot wanted to fire off FFARs, then the gunners gun would be shut off as long as FFARs are being shot.

-=Die Alive=-<span id='postcolor'>

In the real Apache both CP/G and pilot can fly the aircraft and use the weapons-system. Ofcourse, without som kind of head-tracking (TrackIR?) the chaingun is pretty much useless for the pilot in OFP. It would be nice to be able to fly the aircraft from the CP/G-seat atleast. Most annoying when your pilot gets one between the eyes in OFP

Some info I heard on the Cobra: The CP/G controlls only have approx 25% responsiveness on the cyclic, tail and collective (meaning i.e. max collective left for the CP/G is 25% of max coll. left for the Pilot). Not sure why though. Obviously its intended so the CP/G can land the aircraft safely but not fight alone.

The flight-controlls for the CP/G and pilot in the Apache is 100% the same. However the Apache-modells feature fly-by-wire. Something the Cobra does not have.

[Die Alive 0]

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (Shadow @ Feb. 25 2003,04:37)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">Some info I heard on the Cobra: The CP/G controlls only have approx 25% responsiveness on the cyclic, tail and collective (meaning i.e. max collective left for the CP/G is 25% of max coll. left for the Pilot). Not sure why though. Obviously its intended so the CP/G can land the aircraft safely but not fight alone.<span id='postcolor'>

Yes, I've read this too in this book.

I don't remember the reason why, I'll check the book tonight when I get home.

-=Die Alive=-