RKSL Studios

[Prydain 1]

Great work RKSL, with all of the work you guys keep showing us it is hard to keep up.

I was going to post earlyer but I needed some dinner and poped out to the pub and some guy I know told me that he plays Armed Assault and he was also following your work, strange coincidence.

Just a quick question about the naval stuff; is it as high priority as the aircraft? For us map makers, will a lot of aquatic area be needed?

[Guest RKSL-Rock]

Great work RKSL, with all of the work you guys keep showing us it is hard to keep up.

I was going to post earlyer but I needed some dinner and poped out to the pub and some guy I know told me that he plays Armed Assault and he was also following your work, strange coincidence.

Just a quick question about the naval stuff; is it as high priority as the aircraft? For us map makers, will a lot of aquatic area be needed?

Its funny i was talking to an old friend yesterday. we haven’t seen each other for about 4 years and he brought up ArmA.  saying he’s playing online etc and there are some great looking mods due.  He mentioned RKSL.  Although he didn’t believe me when I said it was me :P

What do you say now then Thom “Beastie†Sutton!?!  

Re the Naval stuff.  Right now it’s a fairly low priority.  The naval aspects are being done in cooperation with CBFASI of FLK fame.  Unfortunately he’s a little preoccupied with real life right now so we haven’t really had much time to discuss it.  When we have some news we’ll post.

[Tankbuster 1747]

I'm having a little debate about whether to script an airbrake when the throttle is at minimum. The current model is very hard to slow down even on full flaps.

I think that's a good idea, Rock. I assume the brake will deployable at any airspeed?

To be honest after a MP test last night I really don’t think its needed. Macca, Rum and I were able to fly both accurately and consistently at 5m at 160kph a number of times. As long as you plan your route in its fine. This isnt a fighter after all.

Fair point. For the short field landings will it have wheel brakes and/or thrust retardation?

[Guest RKSL-Rock]

Fair point. For the short field landings will it have wheel brakes and/or thrust retardation?

There will be thrust reversers that will slow you down and eventually reverse you.

[Shashman 0]

Not retarders which will retard you

On average, how much time do you spend working on a particular airframe, and which of your (completed) projects has taken the most work?

[Tankbuster 1747]

OT: Somewhere on Youtube, there's an incockpit video taken in an Airbus as it comes into land. Just as the aircraft crosses the runway threshold, the computer voice says "retard". I assume it's to remind the pilot to throttle back but deep down, I wish it's the computer passing comment on the pilots forthcoming "unexpected violation of the ground/air interface".

[Guest RKSL-Rock]

On average, how much time do you spend working on a particular airframe, and which of your (completed) projects has taken the most work?

According to the file timer in Catia & NO2 the average is 27hours from start to finish. Some models like the Mig-23  only take 5-6 hours though it depends on how many interuptions i get through the day. That doesnt include mapping or textures by the way. I log everything. I'm sad that way and it helps with copyright issues for the commercial work i do.

The longest ive ever spent on an OFP /ArmA model (thats just model time not setup and configing) was 182.5 hours for the Harrier and still counting.  That includes 7 rebuilds and some significant reworks.  The 8th rebuild should start once ive finished the C-130 base pack, but it should be a relatively short build this time as ive now got some pretty good frame references and a decent polycounts to play with.

Although to be honest the thing i find that takes the most time is sorting out all the animations and trimming the handling.  Although with O2PE animation preview in buldozer that is going to be a lot faster from now on.

[Shashman 0]

Cheers for that

I ask as I'm considering getting into addon making and editing, just to get an idea of the amount of social life I'd have to give up

Having said that, I'd probably save money on the drinks I'd not be buying out

[UNN 0]

Quote[/b] ]For us map makers, will a lot of aquatic area be needed?

That’s certainly a good way of exploiting some of the addons we have planned. The larger the maps the better IMHO. At least with plenty of water it keeps the object count and development time to a reasonable level for map makers. There's an already healthy, if small, group of addon makers working on naval vessels, aside from our own plans. We would certainly want to be able to use those, along with our stuff. After all, the Nimrod still features in our plans, not to mention some scripts I'm itching to write.

Quote[/b] ]I ask as I'm considering getting into addon making and editing, just to get an idea of the amount of social life I'd have to give up

For me the main casualty is playing Arma itself Some how I start going though a combination of guilt and motivation, to get on with our projects, every time I sit down to play Arma just for fun.

[Guest RKSL-Rock]

For me the main casualty is playing Arma itself Some how I start going though a combination of guilt and motivation, to get on with our projects, every time I sit down to play Arma just for fun.

Yeah I have a similar dilemma. But playing online with VCB has spawned a new motivation for me. It’s also been the driving force behind some of my more recent plans for arma projects.

[hokum15 2]

Fantastic!

Model looks stunning!

I cannot wait to have this in my arma missions!

A question which i'm sure has probaby been asked but i'm being lazy for a change

Can the Herc carry landrovers?

I assume its compatible with the cargo system which would mean some cool forward support mission!

My hat off to you all.

[Guest RKSL-Rock]

A question which i'm sure has probaby been asked but i'm being lazy for a change

Can the Herc carry landrovers?

I assume its compatible with the cargo system which would mean some cool forward support mission!

Yes it can carry Landrovers. The full list of default vehicles is below:

- Landrover (all 3 versions)

- UAZ (all 3 versions)

- HMMWV (all 3 versions)

- Offroad 4x4

- Motorbikes

- BDRM (all 3 versions)

- M113 (this might exclude the vulcan - see note below)

NOTES:

The Styker and Vulcans seem to have an odd effect with the geo lod of the Hercules, pushing it along. There appears to be a clash. This may mean these vehicles will not be air portable in the Hercules.

[UNN 0]

Quote[/b] ]Can the Herc carry landrovers?

I assume its compatible with the cargo system which would mean some cool forward support mission!

It has been asked before :P But it's a good opportunity to pole people about a problem I mentioned earlier.

Here's a couple of pictures I took of a 4x4 driven into the cargo bay:

The pic on the left is the internal view from my player object, sat in a cargo position. The second is the command view from the same player object looking at the same vehicle.

In the first pic, even though it draws the 4x4 at the correct scale, it's rendered as though it's outside of the aircraft

There are some lengthy work a rounds we could do to avoid this, so the questions are:

-Is it something you could put up with?

-Is it something we should avoid by not allowing vehicles to be driven into the back, prior to loading?

-Do we go for a simple solution that switched a players view to that of the aircraft, once the player enters a cargo position and only return the camera once the player disebarks.

-Do we add possible overheads to the scripting, mp performance and object count. To avoid, what is essentially eye candy? Assuming there is not a p3d based fix we can apply.

Ok, I admit, the last question is somewhat loaded So you might have guessed, I can live with either of the first three.

Any other unit outside the aircraft, or any external view, will draw the 4x4 correctly. Once the 4x4 is loaded into the cargo position, it will be rendered correctly for all players.

Edit: Sorry added one more option I thought of.

[da12thMonkey 1943]

So it's only a bug for people sat in cargo seats in the back while the vehicles are being driven up the ramp and into the aircraft?

I could put up with that, no problem. I could also cope with the second solution you posted:

Quote[/b] ]-Is it something we should avoid by not allowing vehicles to be driven into the back, prior to loading?

Would that option also allow the issues with the Stryker to be avoided if the vehicle didn't have to make contact with the ramp.

Admittedly, driving in and out of the aircraft yourself is more desirable, but I wouldn't regard this second option as anything that would ruin the experience for me.

[Prydain 1]

When driving up the ramp and into the aircraft does it not class as a collision? I mean, the aircraft is a vehicle after all.

[VXR 9]

When driving up the ramp and into the aircraft does it not class as a collision? I mean, the aircraft is a vehicle after all.

Without any scripts I can drive up the ramp into the airplane, it becomes a problem when I start to fly with the Hercules.. the car just gets left behind. (without scripts)

[Hoot1988 0]

how did BAS get over this problem with their choppers in ofp? if i remember correctly drive a jeep into the back of a Chinhook and it came up with a action that stuck the jeep tot he chopper.

also just a thought, IF you can get it to work correctly, would their be a method how a addon maker can make his vehicle loadable on your Hercules with out going through you? For example i make my version of a UK laddie after your release, however i wish to allow mine to load on it. would their be away of adding a small compatibility file or extension to your file without creating incompatibility issues in MP?

sort of like when you add codecs to a media player to allow them to play a certain file. this would add something to allow the herc to carry my vehicle?

[Prydain 1]

I just noticed the side doors on the video, will they be the enter/exit ports for troops to paradrop?

What graphics options do you fly with Rock? I have everything on high but have a medium view distance as a penalty.

[DaSquade 0]

@VXR and the others of the team:

Maybe a wild step in the dark, but have you guys did a test with a 'locking' geo/roadway cage? I mean once the car is in the correct place you 'action' to lock the car, this by animating a geo structure with roadway (last to more or less prevent shaking) around the car.

More or less based on the trailer hook that gnat experimented with.

It might not work at all, but maybe worth the test.

Quote[/b] ]how did BAS...

Can't remember and again wild step in the dark, but thought it was a proxie magic they used.

[VXR 9]

@VXR and the others of the team:

Maybe a wild step in the dark, but have you guys did a test with a 'locking' geo/roadway cage? I mean once the car is in the correct place you 'action' to lock the car, this by animating a geo structure with roadway (last to more or less prevent shaking) around the car.

More or less based on the trailer hook that gnat experimented with.

It might not work at all, but maybe worth the test.

Quote[/b] ]how did BAS...

Can't remember and again wild step in the dark, but thought it was a proxie magic they used.

The ramp itself already has a roadway and geolod I believe, loading in the car and closing the ramp would do to prevent the car from falling out off the back in your theory. Sadly I already had an attempt but it just leaves the car behind.

About the side doors, I only know a little about what is gone be scripted in the C130 so I can't tell anything about it, I just paint the creations

I'm sure UNN and Rock will find a solution.

[-HUNTER- 1]

For me the main casualty is playing Arma itself Some how I start going though a combination of guilt and motivation, to get on with our projects, every time I sit down to play Arma just for fun.

Yeah I have a similar dilemma. But playing online with VCB has spawned a new motivation for me. It’s also been the driving force behind some of my more recent plans for arma projects.

Not speaking for everybody offcourse, but its the other way aswell. Allot of these projects are going to be great for MP games, especially the ones that are realistic. The posibilities of the missions we can do with all these addons are absoluletly endless. Just the helicopters alone will garantee atleast 2000 hours of fun!

Quote[/b] ]The Styker and Vulcans seem to have an odd effect with the geo lod of the Hercules, pushing it along. There appears to be a clash. This may mean these vehicles will not be air portable in the Hercules.

Any idea what causes that? Because for the vulcan its kind off strange that it causes an error while the 113 wont...

Will the antenna of the vehicles be visible thrue the aircraft skin while loaded? The humvee have got a larger antenna, the stryker also has larger antenna I believe...

Too bad I cannot help you with some smart idea or something.

And allmost 200 hours spend on the harrier... thats awesome, not the time spend on this model, but the time spend on the die hard community most of them coming from OFP that will get to play with THE best model possible for arma.

[Guest RKSL-Rock]

Ok I’ve made a quick video to illustrate the problem I mentioned:

how did BAS get over this problem with their choppers in ofp? if i remember correctly drive a jeep into the back of a Chinhook and it came up with a action that stuck the jeep tot he chopper.

@VXR and the others of the team:

Maybe a wild step in the dark, but have you guys did a test with a 'locking' geo/roadway cage?

Yeah it was the first thing I tried.  It doesn’t work.  See the above video.

They used a system similar to the one UNN has developed.  But OFP allowed us to use “GeoCages† (This is a technique that uses the geometry lod to enclose the addon to hold it in place.)  Unfortunately ArmA’s engine isn’t as forgiving as OFP’s was.  GeoCages just don’t work anymore.

See #6 in the Video.

Quote[/b] ]how did BAS...

Can't remember and again wild step in the dark, but thought it was a proxie magic they used.

Yeah it was.  Our system, as UNN has said previously, is a development from that idea.  The thing to remember here is that what we are asking doesn’t really affect the cargo system’s function.  Just what you will see when you use it.

also just a thought, IF you can get it to work correctly, would their be a method how a addon maker can make his vehicle loadable on your Hercules with out going through you? For example i make my version of a UK laddie after your release, however i wish to allow mine to load on it. would their be away of adding a small compatibility file or extension to your file without creating incompatibility issues in MP?

We’ll find a way to make it as community friendly as possible.  Don’t worry.

[Commando84 0]

hehe nice video! love the different music style you use

hope you can solve some of the issues, i myself would love to drop in m1a1 tanks bit thats not possible? Btw have you tried a 5t truck with the cargo system being inside the plane? like do they work well togheter? Thinking of some sweet support missions for pilots in large scale coop missions or so where pilots could fly in ammo to ground units desperate of ammo

[Guest RKSL-Rock]

i myself would love to drop in m1a1 tanks bit thats not possible?

No, you can’t drop tanks out of a C-130.  Especially when they don’t actually fit inside the plane in the first place.

Btw have you tried a 5t truck with the cargo system being inside the plane? like do they work well togheter?

Just like the tanks they don’t actually fit inside the airplane.

[Shashman 0]

The OFrP team released a C-160 Transall which imho was 'cleverer' than what BAS achieved, for transporting loads such as vehicles and pallets of ammo crates, fuel drums etc which could then be para dropped by the player or even by AI (dont quote me on the AI part though. It's a strictly 'IIRC' )...

Perhaps have a word with them, for your Herc project and woes?