Cp wrote:If the apache carries hellfires with laser seekers (for example the hellfire K) then yes, you point your camera and laser towards a target, the camera locks on to the contrast and follows the target, the laser is activated and the hellfire is launched, then all you have to do is make sure the laser+camera can see the target until the missile hits.
If the apache carries hellfires with a active radar seeker like the hellfire L, then you find your target with the longbow radar, send the info about where it is and what the target looks like to the missile (done automatically) and then you fire. The missile will find its way to the target by itself and the chopper is free to do whatever it wants. thus it can theoretically have 16 hellfires flying to different targets at the same time.
The Apache in PR carries laser guided hellfires (You can easily tell the diffrence by looking at the nose of the missile, the laser guided hellfires have a transparent nose and what looks like a camera behind the glass (that "camera" is the semi-active laser seeker) the radar guided ones don't have glass on the front)
which means its the first of the two explanations that would apply to PR, infact what we have in PR today isn't far from what it is in reality with one big exception, we can't track targets by locking on to the contrast of the target.
even with the ability to lock on to contrast, we'd still have a very watered down apache.
Then the entire lazing business is... stupid, to be honest. Give us FLIR, and make us manually establish a target (That black tank shape in your vision), then you can instantly fire and the entire lazing business is done away with and it's at least semi-realistic.
But you have to keep the lock the entire time you're doing this, or else it can't track the target and the missile will just fly straight until it's out of fuel or hits something. But this is only for seeing the target. The "spam at markers" should still be done though.
So this is just to add a mode to have a "designate target, insta-lock, fire, keep lock until it hits, or you might miss"
And FLIR. FLIR is what's needed to make this all happen, or else it just doesn't make sense. Heck, if the tank could find something where it thermally blends in with the background, you'd introduce a new tactic. Breaking lock could also be achieved by deploying smoke.
On maps that are AA and armor-heavy, the Apache (If it indeed IS on the map) could get the Longbow radar and Longbow Hellfires. Difference is just that the threats can already be seen within your VD, you can launch at targets in your VD behind terrain, but you can't fire more then one at a time and you have to keep lock to fire behind terrain. If you have line of sight then you don't have to keep lock and you can fire one as soon as you acquire a target.
AA should be dispatched by HAT or armor. Which would make the Apache stick with armor or infantry. They cover each other. And the attack chopper in INS would be useful because it has FLIR. An Apache covering infantry as they clear a village for caches would work well. (This is only for maps with attack choppers already in them.)
FLIR in CA (Possibly port this to PR?):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2RkkRQ3EANY
So it is possible to make... I would really like hear somebody of DeV's about this.. Since this would really make some new charm in to game...