My woes with helicopters

NakedCrook · Medic **Joined**: 22 Jan 2009

I am looking to create a helicopter that only shoots forward. I have managed to do this only to a degree. I have managed to create a helicopter that only shoots in the direction that it is facing. However, if I direct the helicopter to shoot, say, 180 degrees in the other direction then it will just sit there.

So, does anyone know the flag that I need, if there is even one in existence, that will tell the helicopter to always turn to the correct firing angle while always keeping the turret shooting and facing forwards?

I am using NPatch.

I would really appreciate all input.

Lt Albrecht · Posted: Thu Jan 22, 2009 6:17 pm Post subject:

It doesn't work, full stop with balloonhover.

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NakedCrook · Medic **Joined**: 22 Jan 2009

What exactly do you mean?

do you mean that if the flag "BalloonHover=yes" is on my helicopter I cannot achieve my desired outcome?

Sorry, but I do not fully understand.

For what its worth, my helicopter does not have the "BalloonHover=yes" flag.

Lt Albrecht · Posted: Thu Jan 22, 2009 6:49 pm Post subject:

does it fly? Then it can't do what you ask. There are workarounds but most are messy so I won't go into details.

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Daz · Energy Commando **Joined**: 26 Apr 2003

Lt Albrecht wrote:

does it fly? Then it can't do what you ask. There are workarounds but most are messy so I won't go into details.

It can't be done, actually it can be done, but I'm not telling you anyway?
Contradictory and unhelpful.

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Orac · Posted: Thu Jan 22, 2009 7:22 pm Post subject:

I remember frustration with the Nighthawk, it has that problem.

NakedCrook · Medic **Joined**: 22 Jan 2009

I think I have an idea. I may use gattling Logic to help me get a work around. If I get it to work I will post it up for future Reference.

Unfortunately, I cannot test my theory until later. Stay tuned.

Lt Albrecht · Posted: Thu Jan 22, 2009 7:47 pm Post subject:

It's only possible by making the heli's body a turret, and then it shows over the rotors and always faces southeast when not moving, and it can shoot on the move whether you like it or not.

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NakedCrook · Medic **Joined**: 22 Jan 2009

Its funny you should suggest making the body the turret. I already tried that. My only problem was sometimes the plane would appear to fly backwards. That was the closest I got. If anyone can help me fix that one issue that would be cool. Unless there is no fix for that...then I guess I am screwed then.

BTW, the gattling logic experiment failed.

Team SomeGuy · General **Joined**: 18 Aug 2006

NakedCrook wrote:

I am looking to create a helicopter that only shoots forward. I have managed to do this only to a degree. I have managed to create a helicopter that only shoots in the direction that it is facing. However, if I direct the helicopter to shoot, say, 180 degrees in the other direction then it will just sit there.

So, does anyone know the flag that I need, if there is even one in existence, that will tell the helicopter to always turn to the correct firing angle while always keeping the turret shooting and facing forwards?

I am using NPatch.

I would really appreciate all input.

This "problem" is well documented. Even my mod has to be built for the time being around it.

First off is what it is. The problem with this the Locomotor=JumpJet does not adhere to proper facings when targeting. (Excepting the possibility of SHP infantry as they face correctly) Any JumpJet like your helicopter will never properly face a target inherently. On pursuits they will kinda face them, but never by passive acquire or by continuous firing.

Put OmniFire=yes on your weapons and this will "fix" your issue albeit halfassed because of WW idiocy.

Take OmniFire=yes and change it to no, and the unit will only fire at thing directly in front of it. (Assumes no Turret=yes as Turret= code overrides OmniFire=yes)

Unfortunately, this leads to your original problem. The unit will still engage and shoot normally, it just will never face the target inherently.

This problem is known on all RP versions, NPatch versions and retail RA2/YR.

A fix idea was proposed on the Ares bugtracker. Ares itself however is not done yet.

AprilWar · Posted: Fri Jan 23, 2009 6:23 am Post subject:

Try giving it the Fly= locomotor. And a low FlightLevel so it doesnt cause trouble with Range

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Team SomeGuy · General **Joined**: 18 Aug 2006

Pity Locomotor=Fly does not work for VehicleTypes. Just like Locomotor=JumpJet is broken for AircraftTypes.

I've tested both.

Converting his helicopter to an AircraftType and Locomotor=Fly is one option.

I just wonder if this guy wants it as a JumpJet or an AircraftType?

AprilWar · Posted: Sat Jan 24, 2009 12:34 am Post subject:

Yes it works. You can even add to them some tags like FlightLevel, IsDropship n stuff.
But if you build them from a WeaponsFactory it will get stucked in the Bib. That's the only bug

The problem is not with Jumpjet=yes.. its the Jumpjet locomotor.
Don't delete JumpJet=yes so it uses the alternate production animation

btw, adding a jumpjet locomotor to an aircrafttype makes the plane extremely slow.

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NakedCrook · Medic **Joined**: 22 Jan 2009

Sorry for the slow reply...school work needs love as well.

Anyways, I just did it the lazy way and converted the vxl to an SHP. I tried making it a [VehicleTypes] but when the helicopter flies around it spins around really fast. I guess it has something to do with the [VehicleTypes] because when I moved the unit to [InfantryTypes] it worked perfectly but is now being built from the barracks, built from the infantry tab (as opposed to the unit tab) and is now being cloned at cloning facilities.

This game never lets us win.

anyways, is there anyway to fix this (either by making it a [VehicleTypes] and make the SP animate correctly or to keep it an [InfantryTypes] and make it built from a war factory and built from the units tab (as opposed to the infantry tab)?