[HB] Enjoying the Sun.

The Sun.

'Metallic wings stretched,
Under the Sun.

No enemy wind nor edge*,
Shall bring me down.'


* not even the cutting edge of the advanced technology ;)


--
It was a while since i played Heliborne.

Game is still incomplete, in a early access stage.

JetCat Games is regularly providing updates & patches, too numerous for me to track or list them all.

After a time of not playing, i lost grasp of helis' controls, nevertheless, this all didn't stop me from flying a little aimlessly, from enjoying a view of the Sun.

[A3/A3H] Arma 3 Helicopters Flying Tutorial.

an Arma 3 Helicopters Tutorial Film.

(this a tutorial doesn't count in the 15-minutes of a low-res film limit on this blog).


i bought Arma 3 Computer Game + an Arma 3 DLC Pack that includes Arma 3 Helicopters, sooner than i expected that i will.

i bought on a www.kinguin.net service, they have cheaper Steam games.

Arma 3 is a very complex Military Sandbox game, even a look on world's military map alone shows this, as well as initial configuration / play options.

Without a tutorial it's very hard to start even, i should watch it carefully when i can, perhaps more than once as well.

Arma 3 game has civilian league as well, thankfully - i should start with it, at first with alone-training as well - to not bother other players with my incompetent & resource-costly maneuver trainings.

It will take a while since i'll play with Arma 3 Helicopters seriously however, for there's a lot to learn with Heliborne still.

[HB] AH-1J TOW Heli Flight.

a River Turn.


i've flied with AH-1J a little, a test flight in high on a map: 'Vietnam, operation Nguyen Hue'.

This map's objective is to capture enemy stronghold, using armored ground forces convoy to be escorted by the heli pilot-players.

Uncontested flight seemed easy enough at that altitude, despite a high velocity.

Turns were easy, even if a high momentum caused helicopter to move in arcs.

i admired the sights & a strong beauty of piloted armed heli (AH-1J TOW), as well as rotor animation that increased in rotation speed with the engine effort.

After a short while, i quit, taking multiple screenshots as well.




Island.

[AI] Artificial Intelligence.

'Machine Learning' is a field of Computer Sciences that considers Artificial Intelligence Software & it's construction.

This software has capability to learn, or in simple terms: a capability to increase quality of it's tasks performance, based on experiences from past.

For more, click if You wish:
- Systems that Learn, Artificial Intelligence,
- Learning Definition,
- Programs Learning,
- Neural Networks,
- Artificial Intelligence Learning Aspects,
- Machine Learning Theory & Related Sciences,
- 'Weak' & 'Strong' Artificial Intelligence,
- Artificial Intelligence Research Fields.


AI is a very complex software piece, associated with many risks.

Risks should be managed properly as well.

AI is a very complex code, susceptible to many errors in management & development, to failures at design stage, to budget & time-schedule dangers, as well as to team stress & psychological dramas.

Many of these Risks can be adressed with Use Cases & Automatic Testing of Software Parts.

[HB] Agile Chasers Squadron.

Introduction.



i chose all three of a very agile American chasers of a second generation - to excel at the 'dogfight' while maitaining an excellent speed ... so it's not so easy for enemy to escape the 'dogfight' anymore.

High speed is also agility, high climb rate as well.

There are tactics that require fast mobility, so it's a more of the tactics options as well.

i chose expensive arming for more aggressive tactics, rich in expensive & simple to use guided & unguided missles, with the operatibility of the tools as flares for example as well; 'operatibility' is 'amount of tools at our disposal'.

i spent almost all of of the available points on this squad.

There's a lot to learn with these choices, especially at these high helicopter speeds for me.


Squadron Composition & Uses.

1. UH-1B.



Basic 'dogfighter' with many rockets armament configuration, with great agility & durability as well; infantry capacity is 5; with flares as well.

Can be rearmed to include ATGM (Anti Tank Guided Missles) instead of unguided rockets.


2. AH-1J.



Main 'dogfighting' strength of this squad.

Excellently armed, with higher caliber machinegun, with unguided & guided missles, with flares as well.

Excellent durability & flight parameters as well; still it's challenging to pilot this machine.

Infantry capacity is 0.


3. Scout AH Mk 1.



A 'Scout' with only 3 infantry onboard troop units, agile & fast as hell but less durable than UH-18; slightly less armed than UH-18, better climb rate as well; it has flares.

Seems that it is the most challenging heli to pilot in this a squadron, but potentially fairly good for 'dogfighting' & 'chasing' in a skilled hands nevertheless; it's very high agility is also challenge for pilot, not only it's great speed; it's low durability is also challenge for pilot, probably more as well.

Can be rearmed to include ATGM (Anti Tank Guided Missles) instead of unguided rockets.

[HB] Initial Experiences with Heliborne.

Initial Preparations & Troubles.

i started with a fast & agile American UH-18 helicopter selection on a 'Vietnam, the Gulf of Tonkin' map with easier, lower-tier helicopters.

i learned from an another game that better turn ratio translate to the better & superior 'dogfight', speed mostly is different & weaker type of fight - 'outrun ranges & return'.

i used an external view, without the cockpit, as it's easier for now - as i gain experience i'll switch for cockpit & depth; i still had the HUD lines, HUD numbers & other HUD parts as well.

Practiced flight & landing under the pressure of time, it's far harder than i thought.

Learned to look at HUD numbers as well, these represent the angles of flight.

Captured one of the bases, unloaded all of onboard troops.


Enemies & Time.

Two players joined on the enemy side, they captured 3 bases soon.

Still have troubles with troops loading for more of bases capture - don't know user interface enough yet.

Fourth of eight of bases is theirs.


The Fight.

As i was landed enemy attacked frontally, our base opened fire.

i started & chased, shot him down with unguided missles, after a little of the dogfight as well - probably with base's support; was damaged nevertheless.

Later i understood that helis should fight from below, close to the terrain & conserve a rare ammo as rockets as well ... this time was probably different - i'll say fairly harsh words as i warn: 'a little of dick from above'; it's far better to gain altitude as You fight than fall afterall.

After first combat, the second enemy heli appeared, we exchanged fire, had rockets depleted soon, i am down.

Took an one screenshot with my loss (first one with win was lost, for i used a wrong screen-capture key).

Then i quit, they won.


A Poem.

'Dick Down.

a little of dick from above - it's down,
... she keeps that little dick that fell,
... with her heart'.

--

Lost.

[HB] Heliborne Challenges.

(an article under construction, should be edited in future as well).


Even if basics of uncontested flight seem fairly easy compared to more advanced sims, already had insights of a few of it's challenges as well.

These include:
- combat maneuvers & shooting, especially at great speeds,
- limited ammo management & memorization,
- challenges of 'a risky flights', especially with a flight closer to the terrain obstacles,
- turn & speedup maneuvers, in all directions - including up & down,
- terrain awareness & memorization,
- squad wings awareness, wing tactics & combat as well,
- ambushes, bases, ground forces involvement, they can move as well,
- a time pressures,
- probably much more as well.




More than a two of helicopters at once.
(click to enlarge if You wish.