Any chance of the Apache getting realistic weapon controls?

[PantlessMidget]

I was wondering if the DEVs or CONs are working on universal controls for the Apache? By this I mean that the pilot can also control the weapons. In normal combat circumstances the pilot would control the 30mm chaingun to protect the aircraft from close-range targets while the WSO (gunner) looks for targets or recons the area.

To solve this you could give the pilot 30mm controls with free-look which would require hovering, this would cause many pilots to become more realistic in their flying patterns and would cause them to have more of a stand-off role. The 30mm could be used by the gunner also while the pilot navigates terrain or does a gun and run pass.

Another question is if the WSO would receive aerial rocket controls? Normally the pilot doesn't control those but the WSO instead waits for the signal by the pilot to fire (usually in 2 or 3 rocket bursts). I understand there may be a barrier here because the pilot and gunner obviously cannot control the same gun, so to solve this just distribute the weapons.
Pilot= 30mm chain gun, flight controls
WSO= Hellfire missiles, aerial rockets, laser designation for Hellfires.

Another suggestion is: make the hellfires uncontrollable within 50-75m. This meaning the missile comes off the rail, flys straight, gains control mid-flight and seeks target. This would eliminate unrealistic engagement distances, and this is what happens when a Hellfire is launched in reality. So to sum this up, remove folding fun aerial rocket controls from pilot, give pilot 30mm chain gun as free look. WSO gets all hellfire controls, and TADS (target aquisition designation sight, which is the laser des.), pilot gets flight controls.

By doing all of this you are making things harder and more realistic for the target and the helicopter's crew. This would make it harder to solo in the helicopter because the pilot could not shoot anything without hovering, and would encourage communication between the pilot and gunner (which should be mandatory).

I would love to see this re-configuration in PR, because right now I fell like the helicopters have been somewhat over looked.
-Pants

[motherdear]

the free look chain gun in real life is controlled by a head controlled guidance system, so normally you would not hover over the ground anyway. realisticly some of the gun systems could be more refined, but with the limit in the engine and effectiveness of the systems i think we will have to put a "limit" on how much we do to the systems (the choppers feel fairly balanced at the moment if used right)

[[=TC=]nuetron]

WOW! flying, controling the Hdras, the Sidewinders, the Chaingun, and looking for targets????
What is this, the Ka50???(which I suggested and will be in eventually for Russia)

ever hear of SENSORY OVERLOAD?!?!?!?!?!

download Allied Intent Xtended(its fun anyways, and has coop/ SP support,
-find a server playing Coop Karkand
-make sure it has people in it
-make sure it is 64 player map

now, I first experienced SENSORY OVERLOAD on this map, you see, it is during an encroaching rainstorm. With the colors and 3D map alone.... I couldnt take it, I had to shut off my 3D map and sit in a white room(ingame) for a while just to not freak out because of just so many colors bombarding me!

Imagine doing that WITH weapons responsibility, I cant do that with a little bird on Karkand without turning the 3D map off, imagine flying, looking for targets, trying to evade anything incoming, AND controlling weapons aystems, I(and many of you) can do this, but it gets to be straining on the eyes and a huge weight on your shoulders, meanwhile you are flying, shooting at enemies without a nosecam, making sure that you dont crash, and communicating with your copilot.

whilke your copilot is.....
looking for enemies............

Sucks for you, your like those dads that are whipped so they carry the 2 babies and the hand bags with the baby formula and diapers while the wife just walks around freely.

GOOD LUCK!!! I highly doubt any DEV will even remotly think of 1 pilot taking all this responsibility unless they are thinking about the Ka50.
(comming soon-enough, to the PR Russian mod in a near future near you!)

[DarthDisco]

Giving the pilot control of the 30mm would just not work. I agree with the above that Attack Helo's are fairly well balanced at the momment. The only suggestion I still have is that the gunners need to be stabilized from the aircraft. That is how it works in real life. And that is forgetting completely the fact that in real life Attack helo's don't have to wait for "laser designators" or manually guide a missile to its target. The Radar picks up 128 targets, sorts out the 8 / 16 most threatening ones, and locks them into the firing computer, all in a manner of seconds.

Naturally this would give attack helo's an unfair disadvantage... fine. But at least stabilize the gunner so the helo doesn't have to float for a ridiculously long period of time to make a shot.

[Mora]

Pilot controlled 30mm.. and what if the pilot uses a joystick?

No the chopper equipments are good as it is now, although i will like too see more missile fire modes.

"make the hellfires uncontrollable within 50-75m" Will cause unrealistic flight pattern

YouTube - PR HellFire test
I was trying to make a sort of top down fire mode doesn't really work..

[Alex6714]

In my opinion helicopters could use a bit of work:

Sounds,

A tiny bit of deviation for the hydras.

Better physics (no losing control when on low throttle settings) if possible.

Stabilisation for gunner, as good as it can be in the engine.

Some kind of autolock mode that isn´t overpowering, such as holding the crosshair over a box for a little while or at least boxes to easily identify targets.

[PantlessMidget]

There wouldnt be sensory overload, and yes mora it would indeed make peoples flight patterns more realistic. I agree the engine has limits and thats why I sort of dumbed down the controls as stated above. I dont know if the 30mm for free-look will work but, I'd love to see it.

[Mora]

In my opinion helicopters could use a bit of work:

Sounds,

A tiny bit of deviation for the hydras.

Better physics (no losing control when on low throttle settings) if possible.

Stabilisation for gunner, as good as it can be in the engine.

Some kind of autolock mode that isn´t overpowering, such as holding the crosshair over a box for a little while or at least boxes to easily identify targets.

As far as i know it isn't possible to have an "aimbot" with the bf2 engine.
of course it will work with t3h 1337 hax0z hax... but that isn't a option too i suppose.

However, i agree on boxes on targets, just within visual range should be good.

Better sounds, definitively for the gun and as well for hellfire launch.

Something like this:
[GVIDEO]http://video.google.nl/videoplay?docid= ... 2479886702[/GVIDEO]
I know the sound isn't in good quality but you'll get the idea.

And here is the PR hellfire launch sound.

[Sabre_tooth_tigger]

Sounds like its being launched by steam or something and the hull is vibrating

[DeltaFart]

Id say give the hellfires to the pilots to give them teh realistic feel of the computer(which is actually those side things next to the cockpit that I first though were steps, stupid me, shoulda realized they would put something useful in those, imagine playing PC games on that system O_O) The 30mm and hydras are given to the gunner

[Mora]

What makes you think that would be better? Hydras are unguided hellfire are guided, so let the pilot control the unguided missiles -> hydras and the heat seeking missiles.

The layout is good as it is why would you want to change it.

[Alex6714]

What makes you think that would be better? Hydras are unguided hellfire are guided, so let the pilot control the unguided missiles -> hydras and the heat seeking missiles.

The layout is good as it is why would you want to change it.

I agree mucho.

Who aims the hydras? The pilot, he should fire them. Remember this is the BF2 engine, even freelook fails at life.

[[=TC=]nuetron]

There wouldnt be sensory overload, and yes mora it would indeed make peoples flight patterns more realistic. I agree the engine has limits and thats why I sort of dumbed down the controls as stated above. I dont know if the 30mm for free-look will work but, I'd love to see it.

But it WOULD be sensory overload, have you tried what I said to do??? with the dark colors the back drop and the light colors mixing and popping out, it overloads the eyes. I couldnt see, not literally, and it didnt overload me like I need to stop playing for a while, but the colors were so much, plus the 3D map got in my line of sight and I needed to shut it off.

Plus, the controls are more like the Ka50, and less like the good ole Ah64 if we give the Pilot the Hydras, the Sidewinders, and the gun! plus what if the gunner is using it? Then how does the Pilot switch to the gun and take control of it?

I think its best to leave the Apache B, and leave the ALL IN 1[pilot] helicopter to the Alligator..... On the Russian Federationteam for when it comes out.

[PantlessMidget]

Obviously you didnt read the OP, the pilot and WASO would have equally distributed controls. All Im doing is reconfiguring a few things for realism. The 30mm for the pilot so he can protect the helicopter while the gunner is aquiring targets, thats might stop AA from working as effectively and the pilot would have a good field of view.