IR Beacon

[LtSoucy]

Guys on most games would this ever be used. Most pilots just play around and shot targets where opposition might be.

[Scarlet_Pimp]

The troops use the IR pointers on thier rifles (can't remember the name) to point at the enemy, and they use the IR strobe to mark friendly positions to prevent friendly fire. Think these devices only work at night and they don't give of heat its infa red light which can only be seen through night vision.

[LeggyStarlitz]

IR beacons are used but only ever at night, because they can be seen with NVGs by pilots. In the day, the same job is done with color smoke.

You're not going to use an IR beacon during the day because a pilot isn't going to be using NVGs during the day. They'll be using their plain old eyeballs.

[AfterDune]

If you want to have something in-game, instead of shouting "we need some devs here!!!", start developing yourself. Or at least try. It's the least you can do.

[Sniperdog]

Any ideas as to why this can't be in game besides the whole "its only used at night". I think this would be very easy to put in.

Necro ftw

[Hitperson]

[superhunty123]

Yeah at the moment littlebirds just hang around like a bad smell and have no coordination with infantry (unless using mumble or what not!). This would deffinately help that.

[LtSoucy]

lol, I really cant believe someone revived this topic!

[Ninja2dan]

Hitperson;1136143']

Love it.


As for the discussion on topic, the use of IR strobes to mark a target during the film was a very unlikely tactic. The reason that they used it in the film was to identify the target area and help ensure friendly units were not hit. Aka, only shoot the visible strobe, not everything that moves. But in order to do so, you'd need all friendly units to remove or deactivate their own personal strobes. That in turn would mean all friendlies in the area would have to refrain from combat during the airstrike in order to prevent FF incidents. It's just not a good idea, and could prove dangerous. Normally we mark our own positions and let the air support decide what to target. While it might have been possible, this whole thing was pretty much added for movie fun.

In real life we do have several ways to mark a target. We can pop a red M18, we can use a TLD, and many ways that can't even be simulated in PR. I don't fly much in PR, so I am not aware of any problems that pilots may have seeing spotting smoke. But because individual squads can't directly communicate with CAS or a FAC, having a better way to mark targets would be useful in PR. It might not be too realistic, but it might work as an alternative to not having other realistic methods of identifying the target better.

Of course, then we have to think about the Squad Leader and their kit issue of a TLD. In real combat, only an FO or FAC will have a TLD. So in PR, every squad already has an advantage of marking targets that goes above reality. I wouldn't say it's an unfair advantage though, because it does balance out against aspects that are missing.


I guess the question is, do the majority of dedicated pilots have any problems at this time identifying or confirming target assignments given by squads? If a commander is not present on your team, would a squad-dropped visual marker help in supporting those teammates better? Is there any real point in taking the time to add such an item?

[HangMan_]

This is a realistic idea. I it should be throwable but have a very short range. This would only really work if the pilots got NVG's or the copilot was constantly on the TADS. Still a very good idea though

[Jedimushroom]

IR-Infra Red... It emmits Infra Red Light.. not insane amounts of heat... temperature would not be an issue... It's basically a grenade giving of really strong infra red flashes...

Actually infra-red light is heat, that warm glow from the fireplace, that's infra red.

[Hotrod525]

The troops use the IR pointers on thier rifles (can't remember the name) to point at the enemy, and they use the IR strobe to mark friendly positions to prevent friendly fire. Think these devices only work at night and they don't give of heat its infa red light which can only be seen through night vision.

AN/PEQ4...

[Hunt3r]

Ok, let's clear up some things.

Infrared is heat. Ever been to say, a buffet and they have those warming lamps that keeps the food warm? That's IR keeping it warm. IR lasers basically emit a beam of heat that goes in a straight line.

As it is, LBs can see IR lasers. It's that big box in the HUD of the LB. That's more then enough for the LB to do a gun run. So just get a lase, and get the CO to bug the LB squad to attack everything on the green box area.

[Sniperdog]

Is there any real point in taking the time to add such an item?

It would take almost no time at all to make this. Quite literally you could take the code for a smoke grenade and make a few small tweaks (the biggest job is the creation of a simple IR Beacon model)
Checklist:
-Create an IR Beacon model
-Remove the code for the smoke effect
-Remove the smoke deployment sound effect
-Remove the pin pulling from the deploying sound effect
-Edit the animation so it doesn't have a pin pulling at the beginning
-Switch some names around
-Add a laser target object.

[Fluffywuffy]

On the US Army's ACU blouses they have IR tabs sewed on to them already.