The Great Battle

[Frans 0]

I was fighting the Great Battle. All things going fine, but then I ran out of missiles. Went back to Tandac (?) base to rearm and see if I could get a replacement gunner, as my first had died. On the ground I ordered the ammo- and fueltruck drivers to disembark (not gonna risk my chopper near that kind of drivers), drove the trucks to the chopper myself.

I hopped in the pilot's seat again and refueled and rearmed. So far, so good. The chopper had gotten a bit of a beating, so I decided to get out again and see if I could find a repair truck. I had only ran 50 meters or so when I heard a sound behind me: the helicopter was starting up! There was NOBODY in the pilot's seat, and my gunner was still DEAD. Before I could get back it lifted off and flew away towards the battlefield. After circling once it crashed into a forest - naturally.

I finally took a truck and drove away, as the enemy's remaining tanks were closing in on the base. "Mission completed", it said, and kicked me back to the briefing for the same bloody mission

Now I've got to try and escort those Blackhawks AGAIN! They had an average airspeed of about 30 and were performing their version of the Swan Lake or something similar on their way in. Took me ages the first time.

Look, I know you BIS guys are getting a pounding on the AI business, but a helicopter that flies itself, come on...

[b1sh0p 0]

Odds are it didn't say "mission completed" at the end. If I'm thinking of the right mission, if you don't kill off enough of the SLA armour and keep it from overrunning the US position, the mission is failed, and you start over.

Most likely, since it took you so long to reload and repair, that's why you lost. While you were away, the SLA cleaned house.

That'd be my guess anyway.

As far as the remote control chopper is concerned... that's odd.

[Frans 0]

I could've sworn it said "mission completed", but perhaps it was just wishful thinking

[Balschoiw 0]

There is a new waypoint command in Arma that tells units to search for enterable vehicles and use them. I guess that´s what happened in your mission. Someone was just searching for a cheap helo

[mr2 0]

i don't like that mission.

First the convoy flies that slow, that it takes ages to reach the destination. Than you 'd have the chance to kill tanks before they get near the landing zone, but no if you leave formation to actually ensure a save landing for the troops, you are being called a deserter and have to start again.

That's plain stupid - what is an escort supposed to do? kill threats for the escorted object, or?

I tried many times, but it seems to be impossible to kill those tanks before they overrun our infantry, especially since the steering of the chopper is as it is now.

[Frans 0]

There is a new waypoint command in Arma that tells units to search for enterable vehicles and use them. I guess that´s what happened in your mission. Someone was just searching for a cheap helo  

"Summon helicopter"? That's a bit more suited to Oblivion

The pilot's seat was empty when it flew by, and the gunner was dead.

And if anybody was looking for a cheap helo, they should get themselves a PicooZ, not my AH-1Z

[Batt.Folgore 0]

i don't like that mission.

First the convoy flies that slow, that it takes ages to reach the destination. Than you 'd have the chance to kill tanks before they get near the landing zone, but no if you leave formation to actually ensure a save landing for the troops, you are being called a deserter and have to start again.

That's plain stupid - what is an escort supposed to do? kill threats for the escorted object, or?

I tried many times, but it seems to be impossible to kill those tanks before they overrun our infantry, especially since the steering of the chopper is as it is now.

the same for me...too difficoult that mission and helicopter is hard to drive!

At last i did shift, minus, endmission...et voilŕ

Grass and helicopter are boring in AA

[b1sh0p 0]

I didn't find that one too hard. But I actually like the way the new helo's handle. Personally I always felt the OFP helos were too maneuverable, unrealistically so. The new ones feel just better, to me.

And no, I don't mean that I like the snap rolling and what not, but if you get good at controlling them, that never happens. They just simply don't turn on a dime anymore.

[mr2 0]

well i read a bit in th chopper threat. I understand all that technical mumbo jumbo, but from what i understand the easy flying in ofp was more realistic then this ground afficination in ArmA.

[Jigsaw 0]

I didn't find that one too hard. But I actually like the way the new helo's handle. Personally I always felt the OFP helos were too maneuverable, unrealistically so. The new ones feel just better, to me.

The choppers in ArmA simply don't move as smoothly as real choppers would: if I move the Joystick ever so slightly forward or pull it back very careful, the nose still makes gigantic movements (the crosshair jumps 50 or so pixels at a time). Precise aiming with unguided missles is impossible that way.

If real choppers would behave like that, the whole helicopter idea would have been dropped by humanity decades ago.

[troop 0]

Best example for the 'new' model is the blackhawk.

Still needs tweaking.

Worst: The Mi-17. It's just impossible to accomplish anything with this chopper as is now.

Used to feel alright in OFP.

[whopper_with_cheese 0]

ive had the misfortune to be up to this mission now.

Ive never played a game in 16 years of gaming - where i just wish i could skip half the missions (defeating the purpose of playing the game in the first place). Armor and choppers feel so cheap and nasty.

If you manage to survive the choppers not taking each other out at the start of the Great Farce, its the driving miss daisy trip at 20kph to the Tandang base or risk desertion that starts to get ones blood boiling.

My main issue is: what does one have to do to get a hellfire to hit something? In manual fire or not. I try different angles of attack, stationary hovering, and will be lucky if 1 of the 8 take a target out. Long range, short range doesnt seem to increase the odds.

Rockets seem to be a no-go as by the time you've pitched down to aim at something, the flight model becomes too lethargic to allow you to pull up and gain any alititude to clear the terrain.

And just to rub it in, when its decided you've taken too long to try and hit *something*, it ends the mission forcing you to go back to the start (cannot resume from the auto save or manual save).

Anyone offer advice on the hellfires, or can you just skip the mission altogether ? i've had a gutful

[mr2 0]

Maybe a small hint: the hellfires seem to find targets better when fired from rather low height and when speed isn't too high. But i think there is a bug, because i noticed that from similar positions sometimes the hellfires hit perfectly and sometimes they go somewhere that isn't even within the general range of the target.

[whopper_with_cheese 0]

righto, i've ditched the joystick and gone for mouse/keyboard - and i can comfortably sit 10metres above ground, behind the tanks at speed 5-20 and still hit nothing with the gayfires.

anyone wanting a free computer ? - stand outside my window cause mines about to go through it.

another query though: The mission briefing mentions you can TEAMSWITCH once the battle starts. Pressing my (not so) trusty teamswitch key does nothing.

Anyone got it to work ?

What do you switch to ? hopefully an AT soldier with enough rockets to destroy the enemy armour and 1 or 2 extra to take out the AH-1's for good measure...

[jmclaugh 0]

Same mission, and during one attempt at hunting down any enemy that I possibly missed so I could complete it, I had a very similar thing happen to my helo.

I had landed for more fuel, and the fuel truck was taking it's sweet time getting in position so I turned on 4x acceleration. Anyway, the truck had almost made it to me when my helo took off, on it's own, flew around very very eratically, and then crashed itself into the ground. All while I was still inside the helo.

It's definitely not an issue with an AI pilot stealing it (although one was on the ground nearby, just standing there) unless he sat on my lap, because both me and my gunner were alive and well sitting inside it.

[mr2 0]

also: i had no problems with ppl stealing my chopper while reloading (even i disembard to test re-arming), but i was (twice) only able to rearm ffar and gun - not the hellfires

[jmclaugh 0]

Yep. It won't rearm your hellfires if you use all of them first. Make sure you have at least one left, and it'll do it just fine. Not sure if the same goes for FFARs or the gun.

[Nemesis_wales 0]

u didnt park the heli in liverpool by anychance did u?

or newport where i live lol

insurance aint gonna pay out, u left keys in ignition :P

[teaser 0]

righto, i've ditched the joystick and gone for mouse/keyboard - and i can comfortably sit 10metres above ground, behind the tanks at speed 5-20 and still hit nothing with the gayfires.

ROFL OMG!

[rekrul 7]

I'm struggling with Great Battle as well, especially the long ride there. I kill tanks to the best of my abilities but I still fail, looking at a pile of burning tanks...

I tried a "shortcut" by getting my gunner to be the pilot, but alas he's as impatient as me and races off to the battlefield, making us both deserters.

[lt.chris 0]

well least u proberly did better than i do

the cobra is a such a hard thing to fly if u ask me it almost has a mind of its own like i even go into autohover and its going all over the place without even touching my mouse or keybaord

but none the less i tried again one day and failed for going AWOL from my chopper squad one day and it allowed me to progress to the next mission

[MeNeZ 0]

Man this mission bites. The AI still fly(and drive) exactly the same as OFP, if not worse.

Its so crap flying escourt with the other choppers because they keep lifting their nose high and then swinging back on their tail.

Then you have to fly close to the chopper idiot that cant even fly. Dont they use game testers? They should have made the player lead and everyone else flies formation on the gamer!!

THe AI suck at flying and this mission is actually quite painfull & I have restarted countless times which is raising my blood pressure!

[whopper_with_cheese 0]

just make sure u copy your save file after youve made it to the base, so you dont have to restart the mission from scratch when u fail.

Dont get too excited though, once u kill all the enemy you'll be left playing with yourself, stuck on the mission, like the rest of us are.

I've gone back to BF2 whilst bohemia earn their 25quid fixing my game.

[jasooon 0]

Hi

Ok this one is driving me mad, it is impossible to complete.

i have destroyed all the tanks and enemy soldiers. Parked my heli and got the drivers of the three trucks to disembark and follow me on foot all the way to the enemy base. We scoured the whole stretch to the enemy base in search of surviving enemy and found no more. even had my gunner jump in the pilot seat and follow from above scanning all around as we went.

Has anyone found a way past this mission yet as I am pretty frustrated.

Thanks

[Frans 0]

Make sure you save, then try the endmission cheat. Eventually this worked for me and let me get on with the campaign.