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FEATURE: Customizable aircraft loadouts
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Description

TL:DR: A system should be added that allows pilots to customize their aircraft's weapons load in the presence of an ammunition truck, similarly to this mod in ARMA 2 (but having each weapon be individually customizable within weight limits and with a real GUI) http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=0baCog8jjvI#at=89

One of the goals of ARMA 3 is greater customizability, hence the changeable clothes, weapon attachments, etc. In real life, each type of helicopter/aircraft doesn't have a fixed loadout of ordinance. AGM missiles can be swapped out for A2A or laser guided bombs or even loads of dumbfire rockets, as long as the loadout doesn't exceed space and weight limits.

I am suggesting a simplified version of this for ARMA 3 - customizable aircraft loadouts. Aircraft weapons pylons could be slots similar to the attatchment points on guns, meaning with a specialized ground vehicle one could swap out weapons on a grounded helicopter/aircraft. It need not be too complicated, as each aircraft could have a weapon weight limit and each type of weapon could subtract XXX pounds from the limit, making it impossible to make overpowered loadouts.

In summary, such an addition doesn't seem to be too difficult to make, since most of the work is already done with the weapon attachments, and it would greatly increase customization for aircraft, immersion, and pilot enjoyment.

Details

Legacy ID
1053210459
Severity
None
Resolution
Open
Reproducibility
N/A
Category
Feature Request
Additional Information

In the final version of the game, this would culminate in players configuring their loadouts to the mission at hand rather than simpily flying into an air to ground engagement with nothing but a 20 mm cannon and 4 AA missiles, something that just wouldn't happen in real life.

Event Timeline

GeneralScott edited Additional Information. (Show Details)
GeneralScott set Category to Feature Request.
GeneralScott set Reproducibility to N/A.
GeneralScott set Severity to None.
GeneralScott set Resolution to Open.
GeneralScott set Legacy ID to 1053210459.May 7 2016, 3:08 PM

nice feature. but would it not be sufficient to have different version of each units with different loadouts?
let us say for each heli a version with AASRM, one with ATGM and perhaps one without special weapon but double amount of dumbfire-rockets.
just as an example.
of course custom loadouts would be a cooler, but are much more work for the devs.

Having a bunch of different versions would be problematic at best - if you can't spawn vehicles and you're stuck with the wrong version for the job, you're done. For example you're playing wasteland, you need something that can take out the massive tank force coming at your base, and all you have is a blackfoot with AA missiles.

I don't really see a massive difference in work between making 5 different models for each heli, than adapting the current weapon attachment system to work with vehicles. I mean, modders have already ported ARMA 2 weapons and added the ability to attatch stuff just like A3 guns, so how hard could it really be? The only thing they'd really have to do 100% scratch have a new GUI for swapping out the weapons. The weapon swap truck could just be a slightly different textured version of the current transport trucks.

arziben added a subscriber: arziben.May 7 2016, 3:08 PM

well since pilots and gunners can't access their inventorys and don't really have any reason to do it, the inventory bind could work as the infantry inventory but for the aircraft, except that instead of a regular crate, it would be with the vehicle weapon crate. this way you could look at the content of the crate but the rockets/bombs etc would be incompatible with infantry (like the 3 fatigue slots)

They can't access their inventories already? I feel as though being able to access inventories while riding in a vehicle is important though... So you can transfer gear from the vehicle to you while you're on route to your destination.
I was thinking the aircraft loadout menu would be activated similar to the "rearm" menu of an ammuntion truck back in ARMA 2, except you could go into a GUI and choose exactly what you want in each slot (depending on what's in the truck of course - no infinite missiles).

i think it would spam the units list available in the editor at best, i would rather script the payloads as normally, unless a better idea is discovered

@GeneralScott, yes, this apply to the passengers, not the pilot/gunners :)
and the rearm option should be used as the same as for the infantry, picking the ammo fast

@Falcon did you read the OP? I'm not saying to make a bunch of the same vehicle with different loadouts, I'm saying there should be a way to customize aircraft weapon loadouts from a GUI ingame similar to weapon attachments.

@arziben it wouldn't literally be the rearm button - there would be two buttons, reload and rearm, one would function the same as ARMA 2 while the other would open a window to reconfigure the loadout.

Upvoted. You should be allowed to customize your aircraft's load out just as you would your character. It's necessary to properly configure your aircraft for the mission at hand.

LOWCZ added a subscriber: LOWCZ.May 7 2016, 3:08 PM

Found this mod for Arma 2; so it's been done before, by modders no less. All that really needs to be done is touch up the GUI, make it a bit more customizable, and de-ARMA2ify it...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=0baCog8jjvI#at=89

Can I plus 1 this again? This REALLY needs to be incorporated.

This has been needed since Arma 1. Looks similar to Mandos Missiles loadout system for the AH64D. I would love the ability to put TOW missiles on a Little Bird or have 16 Hellfires on an AH64D in Arma 3. PLEASE change the current vehicles to have a loadout configuration tool of some description. Similar to the Arsenal you have just done for Soldier loadouts.

I hope BIS take some time to look at this. Its a great idea.

I wrote something that I intended to post on the forums but still haven't decided whether I actually should or not.
However, I thought you guys might be interested: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1zC7mBNniNNiUsNRVyVJJTJ0bJBeRASjk_ne_acxrksA/edit?usp=sharing