Attack Helicopters Suggestion

[DarthDisco]

In the past, I have suggested many different things concerning the balancing and features of attack helicopters in PR. I would like to partially revisit a suggestion I made some time ago concerning the realistic nature of the Laser Targeting and Laser Guided Rocket modes.

We can all agree that modern helicopters are far more advanced in terms of their target acquisition capabilities than those we see in PR. However, the sacrifices we endure are necessary to preserve gameplay balance. I would like to offer up an extremely small suggestion that just might help move the bar up a notch for realism, without losing balance.

Previously, I suggested that attack helos should be able to lock on to and fire guided missiles without the benefit of a Laser Spotter, as they do in real life. Instead, I would propose the following: that the gunner, while using the Laser Guided firing mode, should see a targeting box around any appropriate vehicle (i.e. Tanks, APCs, AAVs), Trucks and light transports are debatable for this point. However, the targeting box acts simply as a HUD indicator, and cannot be locked on to. In this way, we simulate the helicopters ability to use RADAR to track ground targets, while still leaving the actual missile guidance in the hands of the operator.

Laser Targeted firing will continue to operate as before.

The only advantage this will grant helicopter gunners is a relief from having to squint at their monitor and scratch their heads as to whether that fuzzy gray blob is a tank or a rock. And even then, this minor advantage can be countered by programming the targeting icon to only appear when the target vehicle is already within visual range, say 700m.

Of course, all of this is moot if creating a non-lock-on targeting icon is hardcoded and impossible.

[arjan]

I like it

[Rhino]

its a interesting suggestion thou I can see it just making it too easy for attack choppers to find targets.

[Alex6714]

Well it is easy enough for an AAV to find targets.

[Big Lebowski]

Wasent it like this back in 0.5? Anyways i agree with the suggestion.
With the limited spawn of attack helicopters already in place i dont see the big problem.

[Lynx]

oh yea! Nice one!
but this new Heli feature should be able to be spoofed by things like
wrecked vehicles and other radar anomalies so the gunner would have to ID a multitude of blips to find a target
also: allow tanks to be invisible to heli-radar when they hide inside heavy structures like bunkers

[Rhino]

Well it is easy enough for an AAV to find targets.

and how many kills do AAVs get on the average game, and how many do attack choppers get?

[Alex6714]

and how many kills do AAVs get on the average game, and how many do attack choppers get?

Well, it very much depends on the skill of both parties. Just like the atack helicopters the AAVs need a bit of teamwork, although not as much.

[Rhino]

Well attack choppers have alot more targets who are many times massed together in support trucks or bunkers. Whilst the AAV has around 4 targets in total which for the most part and flying solo/only 2 players.

yep, I prove my point

Also a AAV should be more powerful than a chopper in combat with each other and it being hidden is one of its biggest advantages.

[Harrod200]

Indeed; it may be more realistic, but in terms of gameplay, stealth is an important part of the game and is the only real way an AAV can do anything against aircraft.

[Sadist_Cain]

I really like the idea of the funky green boxes, course it would be very easy for them to spot targets but how about making it so a green box dosnt show up around an enemy AAV. I can forsee chopper pilots going "Funky green box" blind and not noticing the AAV staring up at them, could add that lil smidge of balance n stealthliness

[DarthDisco]

its a interesting suggestion thou I can see it just making it too easy for attack choppers to find targets.

As I mentioned, we can counter-act the advantage given to the gunners by limiting the range at which the targeting box appears. How much easier will this actually make things for the gunner? Any decent gunner will already have spotted most targets beyond a 600m range anyways, the box will simply help in identifying Friend from Foe.

Which reminds me, I had forgotten to suggest that we also include the X box marker for friendly vehicles as well... to help simulate onboard IFF detection.

Bottom line, I don't see this as giving experienced gunners any further advantage, but it WILL allow newcomers to the attack chopper game to improve their skills without having to spend countless hours of mental practice trying to figure out what an APC looks like on screen through 600m of fog.

[DarthDisco]

Indeed; it may be more realistic, but in terms of gameplay, stealth is an important part of the game and is the only real way an AAV can do anything against aircraft.

I really like the idea of the funky green boxes, course it would be very easy for them to spot targets but how about making it so a green box dosnt show up around an enemy AAV. I can forsee chopper pilots going "Funky green box" blind and not noticing the AAV staring up at them, could add that lil smidge of balance n stealthliness

Keep in mind, the boxes look the same regardless of whether you are looking at tank, APC, or AAV. So it is still up to the pilot to recognize the danger and avoid it. Also, only the gunner sees the boxes, not the pilot, so he would have no warning as to an AAV unless given one by the gunner, who, assuming he is of average experience, is more likely to assume he's seeing a tank and in fact order the pilot to attack, making him even MORE vulnerable to the AAV.

Call it hiding in plain sight.

[Mora]

I'd like to see this but not every chopper has such a radar. Only the apache has the longbow radar system. So only the apache should get it. Then it would be unbalanced against the other attack choppers but realistic. And that is what PR is all about.

It just means AAvs has to work more with the team instead of just camping around the hills shooting at the bunkers on kashan.

[Flanker15]

See Harrod's rain of death AAR and replay for reasons not to buff the helicopter. So many dead tanks.....
Oh the Cobra and PLA chopper don't have radar anyway.

[gclark03]

Why neuter the Apache (or keep it neutered) because the Havoc doesn't have a similar targeting system?

[Flanker15]

Havoc does though! Only the cobra and PLA chopper don't.

[Waaah_Wah]

yep, I prove my point

Also a AAV should be more powerful than a chopper in combat with each other and it being hidden is one of its biggest advantages.

AAV's have a range of 1200 meters, so if you would make these boxes show up at around 700 meters, the AAVs should still have the upper hand. And if you guys would make it possible to turn off the radar on the AAVs to engage chopters with the cannon without giving a missile warning, the AAVs would deffinately have the upper hand in an engagement

Btw, if an AAV lets a chopter get closer to it than 700 meters, it really deserves to get blown up.

[Mora]

Exactly