I continue to remain impressed with Arma 3 as a whole..and specifically the helicopter stuff (both default and DLC). I've been playing hours and hours of Arma 3 the past few weeks, both single player and online, and absolutely love the environments, lighting, and the improved flight model that came with the DLC and that has been being improved since. Is it perfect? No..but I think it strikes just the right balance between too complex and approachable by novices. It doesn't please people at both ends of the spectrum, which means it's probably just about right for most people. Particularly considering Arma is a land warfare game/sim, so the fact that we have any advanced stuff regarding helos is a plus in my book.
What I really like about A3 and the community is that they are really branching out and making A3 into a bunch of things for a bunch of people. More and more civilian rescue type missions are coming out, and there are all kinds of mods and improvements that are really making the gameplay fun for all types of players.
This morning I gave a new mod a shot where you fly a helicopter equipped with a fire fighting tank. It was really cool to see this type of mod....
LINK!A3 has probably the best visuals for helicopter flying of any sim out there right now. Low level detail level is fantastic (the very small geographic area is likely the large reason why so much attention could be paid to the islands)...
Near the fire..hit the dump button.. You have to make several trips to get a fire out..
Refilling the water tank...
Second up..is an absolutely awesome mod for the Taru DLC by NorX which adds some interesting functionality to the Taru pod system...
LINK!So I just set up a very simple mission with the empty Taru, and a bunch of the Taru modules on the runway. In the stock DLC, you can pick and choose which type of Taru you want to fly (empty, cargo, troop transport, medical, refueler, repair) but you can't attach or detach the modules on the fly. Until now! Why BI didn't include this functionality in the DLC is beyond me...but it is awesome!
So I have a squad of troops and I order them to mount the troop carrier module. Normally, you would already have to have the module attached to the Taru to actually be able to take it anywhere...
I fly over, engage the winch, and sling load the module...
With the mod installed, you get additional options in the scroll menu..one of which is "Attach the pod". Selecting that winches the pod up to the helo and with a clunk, it attaches!
If you fly over 80 meters, it is safe to then release the pod, and it will deploy a parachute to safely drop whatever pod you are using to the ground...
When you are testing though...you should probably check the wind direction!
An "oh crap" moment for sure...
Fortunately, I give the command to dismount the pod, and everyone survives...<g>
So trying a bunch of other options. This time I go, sling load the pod, winch it up and attach it, then land. It is good to see the squad can still mount it in this configuration (as one would expect..)..
I also shot one of my AI in the legs hoping I could order him to proceed to the medical Taru pod. He will go to it, but I can't get him to heal at it. I can get him to enter it..and one would think that entering the pod and laying down would heal him up (perhaps a modder can make this so). With human players, you can approach the module when it is attached to the helo, and heal at it. I don't know if a human player can heal at a detached module (I'm betting they could, since you can refuel at a detached refuel module)..
Even when sling loaded, the squad will mount and dismount the Taru pod...
Deploying the pod looks like a bit of a disaster for the first couple seconds..but the parachute billows out and it starts to gently drift down. I suppose you could air drop the poor squad onto an enemy position, but that would be pretty terrifying for them. Fortunately, they can and will fire from the pod...
Down safely..but not a very level spot!
I pick up the empty pod, take it up on the ridgeline, set it down and order the squad into it again... Gotta love A3's lighting, dust, and beautiful settings...
Really enjoying A3 in all respects, and really enjoying the helicopter DLC and the stock helicopter stuff...
BeachAV8R