New FT Class - Helicopter Pilot

#1

New Class - Helicopter Pilot

This is the class for Players who are looking to get a birds eye view of the map. You don’t get a helicopter to start but who knows what the future holds. I think it would be funny if the voice lines were things like ‘I’m not even supposed to be here today man, I don’t belong on the ground.’, or ‘If I had my chopper, that thing would be dead!’.

Class Skills

  • Fly Helicopter, see below

  • Parachute Training, less fall damage due to your training. Ideally you’d role to avoid damage but as that requires an animation, I think a straight reduction is fine.

Stats

  • Health 3

  • Stamina 3

  • Movement Speed 3

  • Gear 3

  • Perks 3 (9 points)

Helicopter - New Mechanics

I’m not sure if we’re ever going to get vehicles and this one is kinda crazy to even suggest but I also think it’s both possible and would add a new element players would enjoy on both sides.

First I’m going to make a sort of list of assets we already have.

  • The flying Helicopters, likely the same model, is used for pickup and drop off but if not both could be useful.
  • The parked and destructible Helicopter, complete with some animation.
  • The drop pods (bonus objectives), these can be reused as crash sites for when the helicopter gets wrecked, which will be possible. If shot down it can crash at one of these predetermined spots. Doing the out of control thing it will move itself to one of these points if it’s going to crash.
  • Old Painless, the pilot can operate the under cockpit machine gun basically Old P. They could also be fired from the side doors if mounted. (The team might need to bring their own if balance requires it.)
  • The ropes for pickup, the helicopter could be able to go to any exfil and drop ropes for picking up teammates. Basically a circle you pilot into and the ropes drop, holding you in position, leaving you more vulnerable though, you can fly away with the push of a button. (Other circles could be added to compounds that are accessible.)

Now that’s done, I think you have some idea of what it could be like. It’s can be completely separate from the actual objectives but something you could use in a match to give you an edge against the AI or even the Predator with the right team. If you do choose to try commandeering a STGZ helicopter, you’ll be using that time instead of doing the mission.

As Predator has unlimited Plasma, the health of the helicopter should reflect it being shot quite a few times before going into the crash sequence. Weak points that are hard to hit, like the tail rotor can also be added to make it more a skill based challenge.

Having a helicopter would be very powerful, but you still have a mission to complete that will mean some of the team have to leave it at some point. While it won’t be the easiest thing to balance, it has some built in things mentioned above.

The fields of fire from the sides and front do not overlap, the front gun is locked in position and has no ability to rotate. The side mini guns will be able to rotate but only about 30 degrees, sideways and 20 up or down. It will take teamwork for it to be truly effective.

Other things that could be added, say for a forth team member on board, is the ability to fire countermeasures from the copilots seat. Flares from under the ‘wings’ or back of the bird. A flack burst or two. Lastly, it’s possible the helicopter has a set number of rockets under the wing, non-guided or fly by wire, controlled or launched by the pilot or copilot.

STGZ can use these helicopters against you if you do not disable them before alerting a camp. Levels of alert should be added to reflect what’s happening in the game. Destroying the helicopter quietly will not increase the alert until found, destroying it loudly will cause an alert level increase.

Levels of AI Alertness

The first level just heightens the guards awareness slightly, they’re more on guard, harder to sneak up one and more likely to run for an alarm.
The second level the camps add extra guards and they know something is wrong.
Third the helicopter gets launched to search for the cause of the disturbance. (Can be avoided)
Four the helicopter and guards will be even more alert and actively pursuing you. (Has you spotted and must be lost)

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New FT Class - Hacker
Poll: Should Jungle hunter 87 be released for everyone to unlock or purchase? (Stop posting about it. Poll says all)
#2

Sure cool. And the pred can get a drone mode for the drop ship with weapons that attack the ft.

With a base of 500k hp, and infinite ammo, since it would shoot plasma blast.
Can also scan for ft, which mud has no effect on it.

The plasma blast would cover a 10 foot radius and do 500 damage.

2 Likes
#3

Oh and while were at it, give pred a whip so he can grab/strangle ft, being able to drag them across the map. A nice strangling animation would be extremely satisfying, as well as being able to grab/throw ft around.

Disarming the ft would be cool too.
This second post isnt sarcastic.
However I feel wanting a vehicle is ridiculous for the current state of the game.

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#4

Writing a lazy length post eh? Lol

#5

I think it would be fun to shoot down a Helicopter.

I don’t expect it to have so much HP that it is indestructible. I also expect it to be very hard to shoot the Pred at range while somebody else flies you or you’re trying to fly yourself.

If FT’s have to go and get it, and do the mission you get a longer mission, which means more time to Stalk. If they don’t take it they better sabotage it, cause otherwise it’s going to be their problem.

This is a video game, the whole point is to have a little fun man.
This is a low tier boss fight… but the boss is going to have players trying to work together to function. Sometimes a team in a helicopter will be a challenge and sometimes you’ll play with them and make them crash.

Crashes could result in being dropped to pick up health, without the pick up. And if you have less than Pick up health you’re downed. Crawling from the wreckage. Lots of ways to make it work.

Bothers you that much, Kill the pilot first and it’s not a problem any more, 😉.

#6

For the current state of the game, it’s not a good idea, and illfonic wouldnt be able to implement it without god knows how many bugs.

At least what I want is reasonable.
But this isnt a good idea.
Unless pred gets a vehicle himself.

That or the chopper cant fly high, it has to be a fat slow bird, ect.

#7

Probably won’t have a very high Flight ceiling, backwater will be the map it will have the most maneuverability (fuck that’s a weird word), I figure it will have a hard time getting out of range of the Predator.

The in game reason can be avoiding anti air guns or rockets.

I figure just above the trees in the other two maps, but with the same do not leave warning, but if you stay out too long, a rocket can blow you down to the map in a normal crash sequence.

PS. I think they could do it, about a year give or take a couple months. It’s why I suggested it now. Got other new classes to finish but this one took precedence because of the complexity.
Also included AI improvements I think could work via alert levels.

PPS. Also the health will need to be balanced so a FT can take it out if it’s used against them, if anything it will have fairly lower health but a resistance to Plasma on non weak points. That should work, also you may be able to shoot the two people manning the side guns. Only one of which you ever need to worry can shoot you.

Is it as bad as you thought Fire, or could it be just a little bit of fun?

#8

It would be cool to blow up an apache after a heated battle.

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#9

I dont even… dude I said current state of the game. So that right there says I kind of agree with you later down the line.

But even then I dont trust illfonic to pull it off.

Especially not the a.i. being able to use it effectively.

I’ve used shitty choppers in EDF. it’s not fun.
Neither is piloting a fat transport chopper.

This isnt just me hating, its speaking from experience.

1 Like
#10

Behold! The Blade Fighter! Tell me you don’t wanna pilot this thing!

752×564 28.3 KB

#11

Sorry, I was using your response to add more on the down-low.

You brought up a lot of the concerns I thought people would have, so thank you.

PS. That does look rad.

Edit, helicopter controls have got to have gotten better but I’ll take you’re word for it, don’t remember the last game I flew one in. I figure they would use the model we have now, but I actually picture a Vietnam chopper, not the big ones the medium escorts, with the side guns. I don’t know choppers though.

#12

Make Zeus playable lol.

Does anyone remember operator mode in Armored Core V where they’re not a character in the match but instead get an overview of the battlefield and infogather/call in support?

#13

I remember playing an armored core on the ps2, it was fun as hell.

#14

Never Played it, it’s a good idea if they made it work though. The overview idea is something I’m working on for another class.

I haven’t worked it all out to make a Hacker Class. If we had more interact able things on the map or during missions, it would be easier to write up but I still need to work out how to make it not just a fun concept but useful to the team. Next week maybe.

Never considered using Zeus as over watch, that could work too.