Ac-130

AC-130

Why not it would be awesome (I can just dream of using a 105 on Col. Aziz:yay::yay:)

Yeah, wish it is official with 3 gunners, 1 pilot, 1 co-pilot and the ability of autopiloting in circle form [Waypoints on map like the MQ-1 UAV does]

Personally I don't think that the AC-130 is that important to the game, it has bery little impact in Afganistan because of collatoral damage, It is a cool aircraft but it isn't really seen that often (besides CoD). The whole AC-130 system would be hard to use effectively because of the way the AI spots things, so it could really only be used against vehicles, besides that you would have to get it to fly high otherwise it could probably be taken out by a wire guided missile (because it is big and slow).

To be honest I think an Apache has a bigger impact than a AC-130 because it is accurate, has better anti-armor systems and has a more accurate 30mm chain gun, plus it can fly closer to the ground and hover.

If your really that desperate for an AC-130 then you can just use a user made one.

AC-130 piloted by ai can be easily made to spot stuff properly. It would be an amazing addition to the game as part of a proper JSOC DLC but I agree there's little "serious" use for it in the current arrangement of things. We use Lurchi's ac-130 on our public server and it's a lot of fun but just a teeny tiny bit overpowered :)

In reference to your sig, just because he gets that impression doesn't mean he's lying... Just dumb.

Everyone here wanted an ac130 only because of COD.......

Actually I have wanted it in this series of games since Desert Combat.

I don't really think it matters what hardware is being used where in the real world, since when did we let that start limiting what units we can use in game? Odd logic if you ask me. We can make whatever scenarios we want..its a game.

I for one think it would be a great addition.

for you that want a AC130 here you go: http://forums.bistudio.com/showthread.php?t=99545

NOTE: not mine

have you considered how this could disbalance the game? i mean, the Ac-130 is a death-spewing machine from hell...

would that not be "overkill"?

poor takistani people... they wouldn't stand a chance, specially since the AI is so uninclined of taking cover inside structures

an awesome plane, sure! - now, as for a game addition... i'm not so certain :rolleyes:

I think you worry about the AI's feelings too much. In war there is no such thing as "OverKill", it is merely "highly efficient". Also, I'm not sure how much cover a building would provide versus a AC130...my guess: some where between not much and bugger all.

No, it's overkill. For server reasons, we're not fighting divisions or even battalions here. Nor are we thousands or even hundreds or players that needs this support. Nor will you be able to see the targets if using proper altitudes (even low flying UAVs get into trouble quickly here). Nor will player adhere to a simple request of only using it a night. And people complain when they are forced to do something they don't like. It's all about realism when it comes to having the equipment. That same realism is thrown out the window once you want to use it.

Efficient? The guys operating it would just level the places they're at. Just see how artillery in Domination is typically (exceptions exist) is used. You could make a co05-Domination where the only thing was this AC-130. You'd do main targets in 2 minutes. And probably nobody would ever want to be ground unit, because all you ever did was relocate while the AC-130 did everything. Yeah, it's efficient as hell. But the fun goes out the window.

I'm not saying it has absolutely no purpose. Maybe the occasional AC-130 AI support was available. But I wouldn't want any of my players ever get to play with it in a MP mission designed for public use, as it (imho) would ruin the gameplay of any game.

have you considered how this could disbalance the game? i mean, the Ac-130 is a death-spewing machine from hell...

would that not be "overkill"?

poor takistani people... they wouldn't stand a chance, specially since the AI is so uninclined of taking cover inside structures

an awesome plane, sure! - now, as for a game addition... i'm not so certain

The game is already heavily unbalanced to begin with.

Come on, the USA, United Kingdom, Germany, Czech Republic, Chernarus, and United Nations vs Takistan?

Again, this is supposed to be a simulator of military equipment and warfare. Warfare is never balanced.

Warfare is never balanced.

True, but games are supposed to be fun.

People seem to flip back and forth between realism/unbalance and fun/restrictions at the drop of the hat. I've got the B52 mod that is a true city leveler. I hardly use it but it's nice to have, no reason to not build an AC130.

Ac-130 can provide some serious firepower and under normal conditions it's horribly overpowered. If it's used as a mobile heavy fire support/overwatch platform to support special forces who would otherwise be without any artillery then it becomes very useful indeed.

how can i make the battle of takur ghar in ebank's new map without it?? :((

I think it'd be pretty cool to have, but since the great AC-130 script is available and doesn't count as a mission addon requirement since it is a script it seems kind of useless to make BIS create one fro scratch.

I'd like to see a AC-130 in a support role. And a decent mission to show it.

For example your part of a recon team perched on some rocky outcrop in afghanistan. Your cover gets blown (been calling in arty all night) and you get surrounded by taliban from all directions blasting away with aks, 50 caliber, RPGs. Its 1am pitch black and you got no support as your deep in enemy terrortory. Six advises you got to hold out till dawn and only a AC130 is on station to keep you from being overrun.

I have seen photos of the ac130 firing at night and that is a pretty good spectacle in itself.

BTW I can't even script/program a webpage so I can't turn this into a mission..sorry peeps.

Problems:

1) AI needs to be able to use it.

2) Players have to be able to use it, without making them supa killas (the overkill argument). Your scenario above could easily have been scripted, most likely with better results even.

3) Safe altitude, how to do it? You can only see objects so far in Arma.

4) The way fog is implemented (it's not a ground thing, but a visual distance thing). Any level of fog would make the plane inoperative in Arma, but in real life fog is mostly an issue when landing.

5) The way clouds are implemented (the "3D particle clouds" are not sufficient, and the 2D ones doesn't work). Cloudy weather on the other hand, would cause problems for such operations, in real life, but have no impact at all in Arma.

True, but games are supposed to be fun.

so give the us army water guns instead of rifles? sorry, but this is a simulator, not call of duty. plenty of "fun" arcade games out there if this one is too unbalanced for you.

I don't see how adding more units and vehicles to the game would ruine it.

There is already a AC130 script and someone is making a model so your prayers have been heard.

btw, we already got the MLRS, thats far more overkill than a Spooky II. What's up with all the nay sayers? Just because it was in COD doesnt restrict the use.(and hey, we all played it and enjoyed it) If so, we better get all the SF models out of the game!

Well an authentic AC-130 could be nice to have aswell as an proper working S-300 and S-400 SAM system. :p;)

btw, we already got the MLRS, thats far more overkill than a Spooky II. What's up with all the nay sayers?

Yeah that's overkill too. And I have never been able to find a use for them, other than as mission objectives. And wherever I have seen them used, it ruins the mission more than helping it. So other than a prop, it is (for me) a waste of spent resources. What's up with us nay sayers? What's up is all this focus on bigger and badder. Kill more enemies than the mission can produce. Sometimes less is more. For me a 60mm mortar would be worth ten times as much in gameplay compared to an AC-130. The 60mm would be less effective than the 80mm (which I'm also having problems with as most players doesn't have any sense of the rules of the battlefield and will level anything), which gets more action, increases survivability, more tension, and prolongs the firefight.

so give the us army water guns instead of rifles? sorry, but this is a simulator, not call of duty. plenty of "fun" arcade games out there if this one is too unbalanced for you.

Huh? You really consider Mk16/Mk17/M107/Whatever water guns, and an AC-130 (which we were discussing) a rifle? I must say you have a rather odd look on the concept of a simulator by that statement.

My point about "fun" is what is already seen; few wants to play east because they are under in tech (at least with Takistan units), or they prefer playing west because that's where all the fun high tech gizmos are.

I fully agree that war is unfair and unbalanced. But when one side becomes empty... Well... Assymetric warfare isn't about overrunning an enemy. You may out tech your enemy, but for gaming that should be countered with being out numbered in force. Instead what I've seen is that you become out tech'ed and out numbered. I hate loosing ;) but with this it's not even fun to win.

We all asked for assymetric warfare, and got it. But it failed, because not many wants to play on an already doomed side and the winning side will become even stronger. Players wants to have fun. Having a chance is fun, if each side has its strengths and weaknesses. Doomed to loose by not having a strength is not.

Btw, I'm not saying that is the situation today in Warfare games (which isn't terribly realistic in the first place for many reasons). I'm mostly a Coop gamer anyway. But the number of "where is PvP/PvP is dying" posts is telling me something. If unbalance drives people off, it doesn't matter how realistic it gets as you don't have any foes... Is that your definition of fun? Hence my post that "games needs to be fun".

Cant you ristrict the use of certain weapons in MP?

I think an AC-130 is not really the weapon you want to use when you go house seaching, when doing specops in the middle of the night being outnumberd and outgunned it might be usefull against technicals and light armour.

Maybe the scenario has to keep the balance and not the weapons available to make the scanario with.

Huh? You really consider Mk16/Mk17/M107/Whatever water guns, and an AC-130 (which we were discussing) a rifle? I must say you have a rather odd look on the concept of a simulator by that statement.

He is not referring to various weapons as waterguns, he is referring to your previous statement

True, but games are supposed to be fun.

Meaning that if its supposed to be fun, why not just give them water guns, that would be more fun that real guns. I wouldn't quite call this a game. Yes, it technically IS a game, but in my honest opinion the scale tips more towards the military simulator side. An AC-130 is completely realistic which is the basis of what MilSim's strive for. Personally, I don't think BIS would go out of their way to make an AC-130. The most I would hope for is engine changes to allow 3rd parties to make one. However, I do not even think that is necessary. The AC-130 scripts make an excellent representation of the plane. All that is needed is perhaps a model so it's not just a plain C-130 flying around in the sky (even though you would never ,or perhaps I should say rarely, see it since they aren't used past dawn or before dusk).

Oh, ok. Misread that then. I still consider it overkill, and waste of R&D money (and there are a few obstacles on that road) compared to how useful it would be. Same for MLRS, but at least they can be used as targets or props, an AC-130 could have used a regular C130 instead for that.

I agree it's a simulator, at least for me, but when "choosing the stuff" I always consider gameplay - I have to. But bigger and badder ruins the public gaming aspect, an important aspect to recruit new people to the game. They instantly get the wrong idea about what it is all about. It's vulnerable to ground forces during the day, and already established air superiority is pretty much a requirement in the theater/area they operate in before they are put to use. Domination with an AC-130 is guaranteed (easy to mod in), and don't expect anyone to give a rats ass about the plane being a night plane only. And with enemy fighters constantly spawning, you can't say we have air superiority established.

When requests are made, the "it's for realism" card is played.

When using the equipment, the "it's a game" card is played.

AC130 may be good for realism, but it is for sure bad for gaming.