Professional Pilots

minigunmonk · Post by **minigunmonk** » 2005-11-12 23:57

This has probably been suggested previously, but the cure to all Plane/Chopper stupidity would surely be a separate pilot class. If we want realism, then why can every pereson on the battlefield fly an aircraft? If the pilot class had disadvatages, such as no armour, knife and pistol only weapons, then it would discourage idiots from using aircraft for personal transport ie; fly to action and bail out. Most people who take the game seriously like to focus on one class or one vehicle anyway. Its resonable for a trooper to be able to jump in a jeep or truck (tank?) and operate it, but a jet or helicopter? I think not. Can anyone suggest problems with this idea?

DAWG · Post by **DAWG** » 2005-11-13 00:25

It has been suggested before, although I am not sure about the part of allowing only pilots to use helos, planes etc. If it can be done, then I think it would make a big difference to the number of n00bs, currently using attack helos and fighters as taxis. Good idea, hopefully the mod can create a pilot class ( i believe this is being done already ) and lock the aircraft to that particular kit.

Artnez · Post by **Artnez** » 2005-11-13 00:59

Only as long as you can limit classes per map.

Imagine starting the map with 10 pilots.. not a good thing. If I decide to be a pilot and spawn in, the first 2 will take the aircraft I was going for and all I have after that is a pistol. If someone else takes the armor and APCs while I'm running for the aircraft, I'll be useless.

minigunmonk · Post by **minigunmonk** » 2005-11-13 02:17

Thats a good point I hadnt thought of, but in a way dont you get that already? When a lot of people go sniper at once or engineer? This would only be a problem on unorganized servers i think. If there was any kind of teamwork it could be overcome pretty easily.It may even help by making people think twice before commiting to aircraft? maybe not. Slightly off-topic, but why does it take two people to man a humvee, but only one can operate a tank? this anoys me because it takes more teamwork to operate the lesser vehicle. A tank should have a driver a gunner and commander(on the .50), the APC should have a driver and a gunner minimum. Because of this I think there is also a simular issue to the aircraft thing, where dickheads always grab the tank/APC because they can operate it alone (then proceed to waste what they have in a singlehanded attempt to take on the entire enemy force). I think single operator vehicles detract from the team-play element. As a final note regarding the original problem of too many pilots etc, I guess there would have to be an intelligent spawn system for determining required classes? cheers.

Artnez · Post by **Artnez** » 2005-11-13 02:45

minigunmonk wrote:Thats a good point I hadnt thought of, but in a way dont you get that already? When a lot of people go sniper at once or engineer? This would only be a problem on unorganized servers i think.

Not true, since a sniper can still be effective in taking down infantry. Good snipers, like myself

, have no problem in dealing with any infantry threat. A group of great snipers can rip a group of assault infantry to pieces.

A pilot, on the other hand, would have no body armor and a simple pistol, making him completely useless.

I think a better approach would be to have pilot kits laying around (like in Desert Combat for BF1942) that you can pick up.

You would have 1 kit per aircraft. As soon as an aircraft is destroyed, the kit spawns again.

But since no one has yet to clarify how moddable BF2 is, I can't say if this will work or not (technically speaking, not gameplay-wise).

Mad Max · Post by **Mad Max** » 2005-11-13 02:52

I think most chopper pilots have body armour these days for the "just incase" moments, seeing as choppers are more liable to get shot at with small arms seeing as they operate closer to enemy forces than fixed wings who tend to be nice and safe a few thousand feet in the air.

minigunmonk · Post by **minigunmonk** » 2005-11-13 09:10

I think the pilot kit near the aircraft (to be picked up before flying), solves the shortcommings of all pilots and no troops. As long as the kit stays current until your next respawn (which it does Im sure). Ive never really played BF1942, only BFV. Thanks for the input all..

Post by **Wolfmaster** » 2005-11-13 13:15

In fact, the pilot class is already in the works for the dev team. The pilot class will, obviously, the only ones that can fly the air assets and will pretty much suck in ground man-to-man combat.

Post by **BlakeJr** » 2005-11-13 14:02

A new class is born. The Kamikaze class.
How many will actually bail out if they know all they get on the ground is a pistol and a jar of peanutbutter? Not many. They rather dive their stricken craft into the ground and wait for a respawn praying, for whatever gofdorsaken reason, that the jar of peanutbutter survived the crash...

Disclaimer:
The jar of peanutbutter is doing a cameo appearance in this post and really have nothing to do with the mod. At least not that I know of.....

Post by **Wolfmaster** » 2005-11-13 14:25

lol you're starting to behave like artnez... and that's not a good sign.

j/k

Stu007 · Post by **Stu007** » 2005-11-13 18:31

good idea, but yeah, then everyone will be pilot class, and 80% of those will be idiots who kamikaze.

goodoldxelos · Post by **goodoldxelos** » 2005-11-17 01:34

For each plane make 1 pilot kit that spawns next to it(no two seaters), for helicopters make 2 pilot kits that can fly helicopters only! But in transport positions anyone can enter. As for weapons, fixed wing pilots carry at most a pistol and you could give them a flare gun. As for rotary wing pilots, you could give them MP5's or a sort of submachine gun, and armor is within acceptable realism.

USAF-Marshall · Post by **USAF-Marshall** » 2005-11-17 01:39

IMO they should make a pilot class and make it so that you have to roll for it like you do Commander. Just dont make it based on rank but on random roll so it would be fair.

Post by **BrokenArrow** » 2005-11-17 02:27

thats a good idea marshall. thats something that no one can whore right?

as for no two seaters... why?

Cerberus · Post by **Cerberus** » 2005-11-17 03:06

Because having some idiot who sits around in a plane and OCCASIONALLY drops guided bombs on targets is a waste of a player.

Post by **BrokenArrow** » 2005-11-17 03:30

then it should kindof be the players choice whether or not they want to 'waste' themselves by being able to make percision strikes on enemy positions or vehicles.

USAF-Marshall · Post by **USAF-Marshall** » 2005-11-17 05:19

Can make it so that they can be voted out too just like the Commander if the teams feel a need. That could stop the Whoring of it.

ECale3 · Post by **ECale3** » 2005-11-17 08:56

maybe splitting hairs to this level will prove detrimental to gameplay.

Post by **BrokenArrow** » 2005-11-17 22:47

maybe, but you cant say that quite yet since were still in the brainstorming process.

schoolchildren · Post by **schoolchildren** » 2005-11-19 15:52

How About a Pilot Squad?

so we don't have some like "Pilot Spawn near me and fly me to the _____" and add a command "requesting a pilot, over" so that one pilot form the 5 (or is it 6?) man squad will be taxied over to the location requesting a pilot in a hmmwv.

Same thing for Armour drivers.
(I think that anyone should be able to drive hmmwvs/transports)

btw, i would make the pilot/driver squad special, so that it is closed 100% of the time and people can only be rolled into and and people can be booted from it by a popular vote.