All Things Radar

[-ZG-BUZZARD 0]

I was just sitting as a gunner in a BIS Shilka on the first Mapfact Island... and I was saying to myself: "Something's amiss here". I was staring at the round radar display and I thought that it actually should be working, or it shouldn't be there in that way. When I stepped outside, I saw the radar dishes turning near the main airport of the island and thought to myself: I sure hope radar isn't just going to be a strip with dots on it in ArmA. Having read that ArmA will even have its own ATC tower building, I secretly hoped that radar would be something working displayed on a large round green display with the classic sweeping arm denouncing all contacts - could it happen in ArmA? What do you think? I think it would be better for not only ATC purpouses but also WSOs and that kind of thing... but would it be possible?

[frederf 0]

Modern radar systems usually have an abstracted symbology that is processed from the raw radar image, so that they are boxes and not fuzzy patches isn't so unrealistic.

The radar strip in OFP was a simplication of a lot of things for a lot of systems. If, for example, one were to enter an ATC tower and get a different type of radar, say top-down scope. That'd be nice.

[Commando84 0]

yeah i thought a nice animated radar central would be cool. Dunno if it couldn't be done in ofp. But maybe in arma. See what happens, maybe it will be ablet to be modded in, cause of the dx 9 rendering systems or something?

[grayace 2]

I would really like to see a passive radar, (Electronic Surveillance) so it would be really cool to pick up bearing of active radar sources... even it can be implemented on the current radar bar, just a graphical line, spikes on certain directions, and power of signal could define if its a ship, ground or air based radar...

[UNN 0]

Quote[/b] ]I was just sitting as a gunner in a BIS Shilka on the first Mapfact Island... and I was saying to myself: "Something's amiss here". I was staring at the round radar display and I thought that it actually should be working, or it shouldn't be there in that way. When I stepped outside, I saw the radar dishes turning near the main airport of the island and thought to myself: I sure hope radar isn't just going to be a strip with dots on it in ArmA. Having read that ArmA will even have its own ATC tower building, I secretly hoped that radar would be something working displayed on a large round green display with the classic sweeping arm denouncing all contacts - could it happen in ArmA? What do you think? I think it would be better for not only ATC purpouses but also WSOs and that kind of thing... but would it be possible?

Depends what your talking about. As eye candy, yeah you can in OFP so the same goes for Arma. Integrated into Arma's default interface, who knows. But probably not

I believe Arma will only provide aircraft for the American led forces, at least in any significant numbers? Plus, still only one working runway AFAIK. So perhaps there is no need for them to add those features just yet? Although that’s not to say, what you and Grayace mentioned, is not currently being worked on, outside of BIS

[mahuja 12]

The north has some planes too - which means that they've got to be hiding at least one airport on that big chunk of landmass they got.

[TrevorOfCrete 0]

i read a while back that the islands are capable of now having multiple working runways. sorry no source, it was probably in a discusiion on a forum or from and interview a long way back.

[frederf 0]

Does the unit's radar detection just get the unit's posotion? Because with that data and the proper transformation equations you could make a proper circular god's-eye-view scope, right?

[Commando84 0]

multiple runways, that would be very nice if it works. Maybe i can finalize some civilian air plane company flying passengers around and landing at every airport. Would work something like the bus line in Nogova. Only thing would be how to make planes refuel themselves. Could make for some spy missions and other type of missions.

[24Gamer 0]

The north has some planes too - which means that they've got to be hiding at least one airport on that big chunk of landmass they got.

i read in a recent article that north does not have its own air force. are you sure?

[UNN 0]

@24Gamer

I read the same thing, also something about there being only one working Airport on the new, official Arma map. As per the regular OFP maps.

About support for more than one runway. I can't remember seeing anything about that. Perhaps it was about VBS? Does VBS support working aircraft carriers as well as the regular runways?

It's an important point for me, so I would be surprised if I missed that one. As I plan on updating my multiple runway scripts. If Arma will allow me to finally sort out all the things that never worked the way I wanted.

[frederf 0]

I'm not sure what you mean by "supporting multiple runways." Isn't a runway just a dump expanse of concrete somewhere? What's problematic about having more than one?

AI? autoland?

[Big Dawg KS 6]

i read a while back that the islands are capable of now having multiple working runways.  sorry no source, it was probably in a discusiion on a forum or from and interview a long way back.

Yea, I recall reading this too, it was a while back.

Quote[/b] ]AI? autoland?

Yea.

[chipper 0]

In OFP there can only be one air strip that the AI Planes will take off and land on. AI planes can take off from anywhere there is enough clear path for take off but can only land at the AI compatable air strip.

[UNN 0]

Quote[/b] ]I'm not sure what you mean by "supporting multiple runways." Isn't a runway just a dump expanse of concrete somewhere? What's problematic about having more than one?

AI? autoland?

Yeah if you name each airport, then you’re going to have to have multiple action menu options. Soon as you make multiple runways an option, you start opening up potential for more problems. Inevitable someone will want to have interconnecting runways, or runways in close proximity to each other. So then you start having to manage the airspace and taxiways and runways, to avoid collisions. Sticking with just one, means they can avoid all that.

Even if you stipulate that there is only one runway per airport, if you wanted them to be controlled by opposing sides (East\West) the amount of airspace needed certainly goes beyond OFP's map size. Perhaps even Arma's new maps without rescaling the terrain.

While I would love to see multiple runways and airports supported by the default engine. I have to accept the fact that BIS might have more important things to worry about for now, when it comes to game play.

Quote[/b] ]In OFP there can only be one air strip that the AI Planes will take off and land on. AI planes can take off from anywhere there is enough clear path for take off but can only land at the AI compatible air strip.

True, but without extra scripting, they can only takeoff in a single fixed direction. The scripts to make AI take off and land any where, are very simple to write. But that’s just scratching the surface, coming up with a system that caters for just about anyone’s mission requirements is another thing all together. Add the that the variety of aircraft available and many other factors. Which is what BIS have to do.

[havocsquad 0]

Regardless, there needs to be support for more than just one runway on a map.  I highly doubt such a large campaign island for ArmA with two different countries bordering each other on an island would NOT have an airport/airbase for each side.

I doubt one side or the other side does without an airport/airbase while the other one has one in the ArmA campaign.

[UNN 0]

I agree with 90% of your reasoning, that’s what motivated me in the first place with my own stuff. Although I'm not convinced the islands are big enough just yet, to warrant this. Perhaps if we can re-scale the Arma maps like the AEC island in OFP?

You could argue a small island only needs one airport. Given a sudden turn of events, then things might not change overnight. Not to mention the logistics of any small country maintaining a significant air force. So I am not going to rule out the idea of only one side having fixed wing aircraft just yet.

I did try and dig out some of the old interviews, without much luck. All I could find was this:

http://ofp.gamepark.cz/index.php?sekce=news&archiv=true&page=1

Quote[/b] ]The town in the small area between the North and the South part is divided by the border line. The airport in the south part is bigger than before and even includes an air traffic control tower.

Ok, so you could argue he is only referring to the airport located in the south. So therefore not ruling out an airport based in the north, that is either the same size or smaller than, the original OFP airports. But unless someone has access to the beta\demo version of Arma, only they can say for sure.

Hmm…the connection to the original question about Radar displays is tenuous. So sorry for slowly dragging this off topic.

[frederf 0]

If you could have a custom arrangement of target boxes while in a vehicle (read circular ATC scope) then it's certainly possible to make custom radars and other displays (read modern tank interconnectivity electronic maps).

As for humans... humans can land on anything paved (autoland aside). So the problem with multiple runways is AI. I don't see what the huge problem with the AI is with multiple runways. Just have the aicraft attempt a scripted landing at the closest logical object runway to the land waypoint. Runway value would be coded into the runway logical object so the AI would say. Land waypoint at X1, Y1, Z1. Closest runway is X2, Y2, Z2, land there. Execute landing script based on the value of "runway heading" (possibly other info as well) that is read from a database of runway data.

This is more or less how the H-pads work with helos. Helo will try to land on the closest one.

[andersson 285]

Maybe it would be possible to have one runway per side. So east-planes would only recognise their runway and will autoland and taxi there..?

That would support 4 runways; west, east, res and civ.

UNN was talking about problems with airspace (and I do believe UNN knows what hes talking about ), but I cant see that problem (but I do not know what Im talking about! )

[UNN 0]

It really has nothing to do with what I know. I, like the bulk of the other people on the Forums get my info from interviews and screen shots e.t.c

When it comes to the practicalities of Airspace and Airports during times of war, I certainly don't know anything about the real life deployment of Airbases i.e East and West forces during the cold war. I approach OFP from a gamers point of view, fortunately for me there are knowledgeable and experienced people I can consult, when the time arises in the future.

But even as a gamer I know it's not a good idea to operate an Airbase within range of your enemies artillery or having your approach path passing directly over the battlefield.

Like I said, it's has nothing to do with that. It's all down to what BIS decide to put into the game while they wait for the publishing side to be sorted out.

Unless you or anyone else has a hotline to BIS, the Demo or the Beta. Then it's just speculation based on what we have already been told.