Cluster bombs were the first of the Future Weapons Series, though I've only just given it that name.

Wanted to show off a new weapon I have been working quite hard on -- an implementation of an XM-25 type counter-defilade weapon. Using no mods, this weapon replaces the M8 (or any other scoped/TWS weapon, with some small changes) with an XM-25 style airburst grenade launcher. This features laser rangefinding, custom keyboard controls, and a gunsight integrated HUD. Properly enforces a 5 round magazine limit, though if players pick up compatible mags they will become XM-25 rounds (nothing I can do about this without modding). Behave yourself.

It should be fully multiplayer compatible once I finish testing, and is easily added to any mission. Using this in conjunction with a weapon switching script, a soldier can carry both the XM-25 (M8) and another primary weapon (that uses a different type of magazine, such as the SCAR-H). Sidearms function as expected.

This video shows the weapon being used against a variety of stationary targets. Projectile damage and dispersion is fully modeled, but a bit larger than in real life. Terminates that truck with extreme prejudice!



This second video shows the weapon being used rapidly in combat against fortified enemy positions while friendly troops advance to take them.



Other than multiplayer testing, I want to add a custom sound to play over the regular sound before this is ready, and do a few more tests (behavior when the flight path is interrupted by an object, etc.). Then you'll see it in my new Future Warfare Series (FWS) series of missions, which will be supplementing and expanding on the STO series. And it'll also prepare you for some future stuff in ArmA 3!

A must have for that PMC mission on TT! This will make engaging those damned MG nests much safer. Great job as always, Tao!

Add it to the EVO weapons pile!

Actually if i'm being greedy Tao, can you add a bunch of other weapons in there? Like AK-107's? AA-12 with explosive shells? Golden AK?!

Bizons! Actually..yea skip the Bizons..

Don't we already have a golden AK for Arma2? The Frag-12 seems like a somewhat dubious concept to me.

However, I'd love to see a GM-94 (I don't know why nobody has made one):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NuX2aZCmrI4

Up to four rounds of pump-action thermobaric.

Silenced Bizons, I hear ya.

Device DM would also be neat for Spetz operators:
http://world.guns.ru/grenade/rus/device-dm-e.html

Oh, and I'm rather looking forward to trying your XM-25 - I've been waiting for someone to mod it in for years. The scripted functionality for the airburst looks to be most impressive!

In addition to MP missions for the server, I will release a brief SP mission so people can familiarize themselves with using it.

That Russian pump grenade launcher is pretty cool. I'm thinking about it...

Does it allow you to select explode before/impact/after? If I am correct the real one has three buttons. Explode before, explode on impact, explode after.

Nope, as of right now it is always airburst. That doesn't sound too hard to implement though. I'm not familiar with the real one other than YouTube videos.

So those options would be, it explodes before reaching the lased distance (what would this be for?), explodes after reaching the lased distance (airburst over the target behind lased obstacle, the current default behavior), and then just 'fly there, blow up when you hit something'?

Here's a good article for those who want to peak their interest in the XM-25 (although the thermobaric effects described mainly apply to large bombs - at this scale the main benefit is a reduction in shrapnel risks to the operator - relying on overpressure for the kill):
http://www.strategypage.com/htmw/htweap/20110516.aspx

Very useful information on the firing modes. I will implement selectable firing modes. My XM-25 isn't 'authentic' in UI since I can't mod anything, but I'd like to get the functionality pretty close.

I don't think I can implement point detonation delay though, even with mods. No way to detect if a bullet hit something but was not fully stopped by it. I suppose I could monitor the movement vector and wait for an abrupt change, but I would need to mod a bullet that doesn't do any damage but has a high penetration ability.

I have implemented Point Detonation, Airburst, and Window firing modes per the info in the article.

I've also corrected the frag pattern to be less contrived -- it is now a properly simulated by a burst of frags from the explosion point, rather than by my previous method. This improves the lethality considerably while giving better behavior inside structures and when bursted at higher altitudes.

Local multiplayer tests are also complete, and everything looks good. Just putting some final touches on before the dedicated server tests.

Don't give them to the AI.

o go on ... i'm feeling sorry for the russians, we get all these super killing toys and they get nothing

Actually, I wonder...

... incidentally, the AI can use it, in point detonation mode. They're not too effective, however.

Can you mount them on the MH-60's for that piracy patrol mission?

Airbursting the pirates!

I can't mount them per se, but I think I could give one to a guy standing in the helicopter, like the sniper. Same limitations though. I'll see about it when I finish the dedicated server test!

Well ...I did have two suggestions earlier in the thread
So the Russians at least have a fighting chance of getting attention (even if nothing comes of it)

Okay, this is ready for testing. I'll send off a test mission to adlabs in a bit. Details on the final implementation:

Everything is working well (PD, burst, window modes), with one important exception. The laser rangefinder built into the sight does not always provide a correct distance, and the laser suffers from bullet drop (lol). There is no way whatsoever that I can fix this without a mod (need a custom object) -- I've checked everything implemented in ACE/Mando to no avail. The backend for this is positively absurd, as you can imagine, but I'm surprised I could get it working this well at all.

If you need a perfect range, you will need to use the Vector then dial it into the sight. Otherwise, combine the sight's half-working rangefinder with the magic spacebar range to get an approximate range.

It's a shame really.

You have gone above and beyond! Don't worry about the small stuff.

It simply makes it less of a point, lase, deal instant death machine.

I can make that Russian pump-action grenade launcher pretty simply I think. I will use the M1014 shotgun base, limit it to four rounds, then use a 40mm HE explosion or something to simulate the effect. Hardest part will be picking the best type of explosion from the existing ones, since I can't do a real thermobaric weapon.

Another update. I have improved the behavior of the laser. I knew it was working better earlier in testing, and I couldn't determine why. Well, the 'laser bullet' is very sensitive to server load. When I was testing I had 4-5 units with the XM-25 (which is quite intensive, due to having to catch bullets in flight and change them, render a HUD, monitor ammo counts, deal with unit switching, etc.), and I also had two AI aircraft dropping cluster bombs and monitoring to see if they were parked to allow adjusting the CBU HOF/spinrate, etc. This was a lot of load combined with like 50 tanks driving around to get bombed.

I was able to improve the performance by increasing the delay slightly in some of my monitoring loops. The HUD may be slightly less responsive and if you're very lucky you could squeeze out five rounds instead of four in full auto, but the rangefinding works rather better. Worthwhile trade.

Also, I have added a Light Enhancement mode, activated by the Night Vision key. It's not thermal, but it'll let you see in the dark similarly to NVGs. Also looks way cool.

Very cool Tao!!

When would it be ready for the SimHQ server? Will it require a separate download?

far as i know Tao is building all his new weapons as scripts, so there included in the mission file .... so no separate download

Yes, no separate download, no mod issues. The trade-off is, no custom graphics, and some things aren't perfect.

I will replace a single player test mission in about 20 minutes, and a multiplayer mission will be ready for Monday.

Okay, here's a very shoddy test mission which does not include the latest performance improvements, bug fixes, or the Light Enhancement mode. That said, you can play with it in single player and maybe get a feel for it before Monday.

http://www.sendspace.com/file/4t9d42

The new CBUs are also in that mission -- CBU-97s on the AV8, and CBU-87s on the A-10. Not sure if they are even working correctly though, lol. You can use T to switch to the planes. Land and stop moving to adjust spinrate and HOF.

Again, rough test just to play around with it. High quality XM-25 in the multiplayer session on Monday, CBU missions to come later. I made the mission for 4-14 players, so if you don't show up, no one needs ya!

It would be great to team up with someone and create a mod based version of this (incorporating the scripts into a stand-alone mod).

one thing i did notice tao, is that if you laze a person you see a little puff of blood comeing of em

Yep, a side effect of the invisible, no damage bullet. Sometimes it will also cause them to sway backwards violently.

I have decided to try to make a mod version of this with a more true-to-life GUI interface. Going to take my sweet time on it though. It's been a long time since I've done any 3D modeling or texturing, and I'm not much of an artist. Plus I have to figure out how I can create a dynamically moving reticle based on the ranging... I know it can be done; there's a lovely version of the XM-25 for VBS2, according to YouTube videos.

I think the scripting won't be too hard though. Most of what is complex in it now is simply workarounds for having to use scripts instead of a mod.

I will release the scripts version, limitations and all, for anyone to use in few weeks after it has seen a little more testing and refinement on the server. As of right now it's working peachy-keen though, but new issues could crop up in different mission scenarios.

A brief update on the mod progress, since I'd rather work on it than talk about it a ton.

The ranging and sighting system is now fully working, with true ballistics (including air friction) taken into account by the targeting computer. What a pain! I can only imagine the formulas used in the real one, which also computes for the velocity changes due to powder burn rate variation based on temperature and altitude. It is extremely accurate out to 500m, as it should be. Beyond that, due to the required barrel elevation it is no longer possible to see the scope picture and the target, so it becomes a very heavy M203, but one which can hit with some precision out to 700 and which can lob to about 1050 meters at perfect barrel elevation.

The interface looks as much like the real scope picture as I can determine from published images and videos. Things that are not implemented, and will not be implemented in the first release: working battery (I cannot find battery life data), programming multiple range memory storage.

The airburst mode is also working well, though I need to continue tuning the shrapnel pattern and damage to be more correct. I am going to see about implementing Window mode, where it explodes after penetration. Need more info on ArmA's penetration model.

I have not started on the 3D model, but I have collected a lot of reference imagery. I will make a beta release with an early model as soon as I have something at all.

Progress has slowed down while I work on a top secret SimHQ project, but I expect to be putting that out very soon and getting back to the XM-25.