Targetting from Heli's

[Hostilian 11]

Hi all,

I've previously been able to target Hellfires at tanks etc - with some inconvenience (AH1 in this test). Well I could in 1.0-1.02 anyway.

I would sit over the brow of a hill, turn free view on, move my view to select target, hold down lock/zoom button and the target gets locked. I fire.. Everyones happy.

I could also do this without free view - though a pain to do - going straight at a tank etc and holding down lock.

My keys are as follows.

lock or zoom - hold 2nd mouse button

reveal target - hold 2nd mouse button

next target (both of them) - Backspace

The next target button works fine, so I could use this method. However its manually doing it that doesnt seem to work any more with hellfires (Or MG when firing at other choppers). Am I doing something silly?

been testing it in the editor this morning (cadet and vet), and having exported it to single missions.. Oh and before you ask.. The tanks are manned.

Please help.

#C

[max power 21]

Try holding down the command button (default space). Also, try using the search function!

[InsaneDruid 0]

Speaking of helis, target locking and "next target".. im still trying to get behind the method the next target thingy works - along with the radar.

I've set up a test mission, me as bluefor, spawning right next to an empty chopper (cobra or hokum, testet both). In about 3km range, i set up 6 shilkas as my targets, all as opfor.

Thing is, the radar often does not show them, or only shows them as white "blobs", so that I can't get a lock on them with the "next target" function. Even if I can see and lock them manually with the nose cam of the hokum. If i fire at one (manually locked) shilka from high distance, then the remaining shilkas wil notice me, and THEN MY radar identifies them as enemies, giving me the "next target" option? Why is this? Why does the next target funktion only works after the enemy has seen me?

I tried the same mission with the modification that I was spawning with an AI gunner in a flying cobra - in that case (nearly) all of the shilkas are marked as red dots in the radar, right from the very start right from the same location where the hokum radar shows nothing?

[Big Dawg KS 6]

Quote[/b] ]Why does the next target funktion only works after the enemy has seen me?

Not quite, that'd just be stupid. You see there's actually a logical explanation behind this that most people don't see. The radar only identifies the vehicles as manned when they are moving (or the engine is running), otherwise they'll show up white (meaning empty/unmanned or civilian; no threat). If you just place an AI shilka somewhere in an open field without any waypoints and nothing to engage, it will just sit there with its engine off (so they don't waste fuel, another good AI feature), showing no signs of any life. The instant they (the shilka crew) see you however they spring to life (so far this is perfectly fine behavour for waypointless AI without any orders), they turn on their engines and open fire. At this point you know they've got to be manned, so then the radar indicates to you it's a threat. The fact that they see you has no direct relation to wether you can identify it, it's just that the actions they take as a result of seeing you makes them easier to identify as a threat. If you think about it it's a good thing it does this, otherwise the game would be giving you superhuman senses that allow you to detect the crew inside an armored vehicle. And you might ask why not make all enemy vehicles (empty & crewed) show up red then... well then you'd be wasting ammo on empty vehicles. I see no problems whatsoever with how the radar identification worked in OFP and how it continues to work in ArmA, to me it's completely logical if you individually consider all the smaller aspects that contribute to the overall appearence. You should also keep in mind that the radar is just a visual aid to help you deal with the inherent lack of situational awareness ingame, it's far from a being a true realistic radar system.

[max power 21]

Targetting in OFP is weird. It's based off of some abstraction of infrared tracking and foe identification. The radar is a visual representation of the AI applied to the player. When an AI vehicle is idle, the engine is off. When the engine is off, the vehicle is not considered a threat. When the shilkas notice you, they turn their engines on to move their turrets.

[frederf 0]

To answer the original question. No, you cannot manually select targets with the mouse in ArmA like you could in OFP. You can only use the <NextTarget> key to cycle through the known enemy targets. My disappointment too, makes it super tough to target empty vehicles!

Quote[/b] ] Even if I can see and lock them manually with the nose cam of the hokum. If i fire at one (manually locked) shilka from high distance, then the remaining shilkas wil notice me, and THEN MY radar identifies them as enemies, giving me the "next target" option? Why is this? Why does the next target funktion only works after the enemy has seen me?

I tried the same mission with the modification that I was spawning with an AI gunner in a flying cobra - in that case (nearly) all of the shilkas are marked as red dots in the radar, right from the very start right from the same location where the hokum radar shows nothing?

The reason for this is for targets to show up red they have to be "revealed." The AI gunner notices the targets way faster than you do. Even though you are alone you are still auto revealing targets, it just doesn't show up visibly. Have you ever put your mouse cursor over a soldier in a mission and have his tag go "Unknown" -> "Man" -> "Rifleman" -> "Squad Leader" in a few seconds? That's you discovering him.

Try running up on a group of 5 T-72s (manned opfor) in an AH-1 with an AI gunner, then try it again with only you as pilot and hellfires set to manual fire. It takes a while for the lone pilot to be able to cycle targets because it takes a while for him to discover the targets for himself. The AI gunner really speeds up the process (and you can hear him discover since he calls it out aloud).

A fix for your problem, maybe use the <Reveal Target> command with your dot on the tank? It's a tall order in a wobbly chopper but should speed up the discovery process.

[max power 21]

To answer the original question. No, you cannot manually select targets with the mouse in ArmA like you could in OFP. You can only use the <NextTarget> key to cycle through the known enemy targets. My disappointment too, makes it super tough to target empty vehicles!

That's a negative. You can manually select targets using the command button.

[frederf 0]

The command button brings up the command pop up menu only. It doesn't select any target.

Unless you mean a more complicated procedure that involves the command button in a grander scheme of control input, in which case please describe the procedure.

[max power 21]

The command button brings up the command pop up menu only. It doesn't select any target.

Unless you mean a more complicated procedure that involves the command button in a grander scheme of control input, in which case please describe the procedure.

Hold down the command button and right click with your target in the centre of the screen.

[frederf 0]

Seems to work ok. It works best with an AI gunner, alone it doesn't though.

I hold command button, hold zoom in, and press lock button. Takes three buttons but works ok with an AI gunner. Haven't tried it with a human gunner. I also have a procedure when I'm a gunner with an AI pilot.

Switch to cannon.

Switch on optics

Put cursor on the target

Reveal target (J for me)

Lock target (L for me)

Switch to AGM-114 Hellfire

Fire AGM-114

Switch to cannon

Mouse over next target

Reveal

Lock

Switch AGM-114

Fire AGM-114

etc

[max power 21]

Why do you switch to cannon? You can use the optics with the hellfire too.

[frederf 0]

If I don't switch to cannon then the cursor remains at the firing dot (straight ahead) and not following my crosshairs.

[max power 21]

That's some weird stuff! I don't think you need to hold down the command cursor to target when you're the gunner, though, do you? Regardless, that's some weird behaviour.

[InsaneDruid 0]

Thanks for the explanations. Now it seems logical. I never though about the engine beeing off or not.

Which is a shame, since I playing OFP/ARMA since the day they came out.