CAS AA for EU1

[Guest Luetin]

Fairly self explanatory. One of the biggest problems I have noted on EU1 recently is the increased aggression of enemy Air. This seems after discussing with multiple people seem to be a change in the AI behaviour from Bohemia's end. It used to be that jets would merely circle an AO and that was the limit of their skill. Now they will hunt and destroy across the entire map area of Altis and even engage ground targets at the Airbase. In fact the AI has become so good in the air I have seen people accusing Zeus of controlling them multiple times because they cannot believe it's the AI.

 

If you have a well experienced co-ordinated force on the server this can be handled or at least coped with. As we know though this is far from often the case. I saw recently a force on the server spend over an hour to take the radio tower down. I was running AA CAS in the Buzzard and ended up shooting down I think it was about 8 enemy jets. Just off of one AO that is : /

 

With our 5 pilot slots, its now often that 2-3 pilots are still the max that is required as most forces only require large scale insert/evac at the beginning and end of engagements and in between its just small scale ferrying.

 

So I would like to propose that we permanently station at least 1 Buzzard AA CAS on base.

 

This will help significantly with engaging enemy air and protecting our Transports from inserting the forces.

 

The Buzzard AA has the added benefit that it has only its cannon for ATG meaning it has extremely light capability vs ground targets. This means that we wont run the risk of someone going Airforce Rambo and nuking an entire AO leaving just the scraps behind for the majority of the players on the server.

 

That is my request. I think it will benefit play overall on the server.

[Amentes]

Yeah, definetly something I'd like to see us get.

 

On a related note, I always put the AO-reward planes to good use whenever possible, but I know that they're often blocked off.

 

When I noticed the spawn initially, I quickly found that they always have any ATG missiles disabled, and that sorta made me assume that it was a replacement for the non.functioning UAVs, but it seems that wasn't the intent?

 

In my experience, people appreciate me helping them out when needed, and the lack of ATGs certainly make them less OP, so as long as the UAVs aren't functioning, I'd love to see that spawn get a UAV-style respawn timer as long as the Greyhawks don't work.

 

 

And if you're adamant about it not being used, remember to block it off properly, as I recently proved that it is indeed possible to Huron-lift a Buzzard over a bunch of Hesco barriers without too much fuss

[MDCCLXXVI]

1. Some work was done on our end awhile ago to ahem, make them a little more feisty and make more use of the open sky, and BACON did lower the accuracy slightly.

 

2. Soldiers will usually receive a jet as an AO reward, as you said it can be used to good effect against enemy jets. 

 

3. The CAS spawning regime was changed to optimize and improve the AI skill and decision making, but there is a mistake in the code allowing one (just one) to spawn after the radio tower has been destroyed.

 

4. The effectiveness of AI jets is something that warrants discussion by those interested. I like their effective cannon but dislike their AA missiles, especially after 1.34 update now Helo pilots cannot see the vector of incoming missile, to best avoid and land their soldiers safely. Without the AA missiles, however, they present little threat to NATO air traffic and lower that element of risk from air travel.

 

Some things to ask, for annex and in whatever scenario such type of enemy CAS is utilized:

 

- How should it re-arm, given limitations of AI? Should it land somewhere? Should it disappear for a time? Should they be active for a few minutes and then head back to the mainland? In effect, NATO has unlimited helicopters, should the AI jets be limited to just two AA missiles (or 4 for the AA buzzard)?

 

- Should there be a cap on the total number per AO, or an adjustment of the delay between spawns? Should only one spawn? Usually jets do not operate solo but in pairs at least. There are never more than two at once currently unless curators are creating more.

 

At the moment there is a certain robustness to prevent exploitation as was possible a long time ago against the jets. Now they hunt, and often in pairs, preying on the vulnerable helicopters. 

 

The new script has not had any rebalancing or tweaking aside from Bacon adjusting the accuracy/skill. 

 

5. Do players have the capacity to adapt and respond given the tools provided, or should more script regulations be put in place to compensate for inability to adapt? I see players dedicating themselves to AT or medic, pilot or repair, but rarely see a player dedicate themselves to AA unless in the jet.

 

6. I do not know why a curator often blocks off the CAS jet, that was never the intention, especially givin the virility of the enemy jets. They may have good reasons though, who knows.

 

7. The CAS was indeed stripped of its ATGM due to unrelenting abuse and unsportsmanlike temptations. CAS was never overpowered, just the E-Z-Lock ATGM are. The bombs and cannon provide good combined arms experiences.

 

8. Will see about the UAVs. If you want the exploding issue addressed, vote here: http://feedback.arma3.com/view.php?id=21685

 

The UAV armament issue is my fault. The weapons are stripped from it when it spawns, as I had thought for a time the bombs were the cause of the explosion. Nope!

 

Regarding UAVs, if there is interest in having them spawn in midair and just circle the base, that could be done to prevent the explosion issue, although they would be shot down and attacked far more often by enemy CAS.

[Amentes]

Good info

 

As for the AI jets and their missiles, the main problem isn't that they have unlimited missiles, but rather that even if you do manage to dodge the first attack, they'll keep coming back at you until you run out of flares. If it's possible to impose a limit on the number of missiles fired within a certain timeframe, surely that'd be a good solution?

 

Regarding the UAVs, while its true that they'll sometimes explode, several players including Alganthe and myself were reliably circumventing that problem and getting the UAVs in the air. I believe Alganthe wrote up a quick guide on how to get them airborne.

 

If the bombs were removed on spawn, it seems it's had the side effect of also removing them after the rearm script does its thing. As they were, given the right method, completely serviceable prior to this, please put it back the way it was.

 

Personally, I'd love to have a third GBU-12 Greyhawk. Keeping the AO-reward plane in I leave to you, but I might suggest, given Luetin's want of a more permanent air superiority presence, that if removed, you replace it with either an AA Buzzard as he'd prefer, or a Neophron (without AGMs) as I'd prefer.

[MDCCLXXVI]

Good info

 

As for the AI jets and their missiles, the main problem isn't that they have unlimited missiles, but rather that even if you do manage to dodge the first attack, they'll keep coming back at you until you run out of flares. If it's possible to impose a limit on the number of missiles fired within a certain timeframe, surely that'd be a good solution?

 

Regarding the UAVs, while its true that they'll sometimes explode, several players including Alganthe and myself were reliably circumventing that problem and getting the UAVs in the air. I believe Alganthe wrote up a quick guide on how to get them airborne.

 

If the bombs were removed on spawn, it seems it's had the side effect of also removing them after the rearm script does its thing. As they were, given the right method, completely serviceable prior to this, please put it back the way it was.

 

Personally, I'd love to have a third GBU-12 Greyhawk. Keeping the AO-reward plane in I leave to you, but I might suggest, given Luetin's want of a more permanent air superiority presence, that if removed, you replace it with either an AA Buzzard as he'd prefer, or a Neophron (without AGMs) as I'd prefer.

 

Yes I'm not sure what the issue is with UAV unable to re-arm. That was never the intention. The expectation was that the UAV would spawn dry (no bombs), and the operator would arm them and then take off.

 

There are no issues with the code, it seems doing this inadvertently stumbled across another issue (cant rearm a remote vehicle unless its weapons start with full ammo?) that would be best swept under the rug by restoring how it was previously

 

It's a 30 second fix, but you'll have to find staff who want to spend time sorting it out!

 

I personally like players having to fight for what they have and wouldn't give unchallenged air superiority to NATO willingly. It was expected that the CAS pilot will have to manage his CAS missions and also providing route security for the frogmen in the helicopters.

 

Nothing is up to me, you'll have to talk to BACON or Raz about it.

 

 

 

Re the third UAV ... I dont think The Defense Committee is prepared to increase the budget for the combat operations occurring on Altis, there is public sentiment that the war seems to be endless and only to enrich those who manufacture and produce vehicles. The civilian death toll has also a contributing political factor and sadly I doubt funding will be approved for a third UAV asset. An appeal to the Defense Secretary may yield fruit, however.