FFG and the availablity of the two helicopters varies

[moose1am]

I noticed tonight while playing the FFG platform for the first time that the #2 helicopter was not available in several of the quick missions I chose. But I had two helos in the first regular mission for the FFG.

Just curious how come there is only 1 helo in the quick missions?

At first I thought I did something wrong. But I had helo #1 in the hanger or in 30min standby mode and still could not get helo 2 to show up as available. deck was green and all. Helo #1 showed in the hanger when set to 30 min standby thingy. The helo 2 VAB thing when using the Helo Status VAB button would have the 30 minute button blacked out and the 15 and 5 minute buttons could be clicked and they would blink forever. The helo #2 never did become available. And a few times it was shown as DOWN?

I have only read this section of the manual one time so maybe I am missing something.

I did have the CWIS on Hold bTW. Didn't want to shoot down my own helo's. Thanks to the guys in the cartoon thread for reminding me about the cwis thing. The cartoons thread sticky was funny and helpful.

I was able to launch helo 1 and get it to fly around to various waypoints and drop buoys and torpedoes. It located a sub for me when I use the AI controller on the Helo and then I told the helo to drop a torp on top of that sub. Loud explosions were reported at a bearing of 183 from my ship by the sonar operator.

My first mission I had a torpedo launched towards me from a 211 bearing and I went to flank speed and headed straight for the torpedo. I was hoping to get to the torpedo before it was enabled but that didn't work. It got me instead. So much for watching the hunt for red octber and the Kapitan's tactics on evading torpedos.

[Dr.Sid]

Mission can be designed to use just one helo. Quick missions and some other uses just one.

Yeah .. running toward the torpedo really does not work most of the time Most useful technique is called 'clearing the datum' .. you must predict where the torpedo is going to, when it will enable, and what area it will effectively scan for targets. You must not be there when it enables. Take course 90-120 degrees to the torpedo, flank speed and you should be OK. Also drop some OTS buoys to watch what torpedoes really do.
Nixie is pretty useles, your speed is your main advantage.

[BobbyZero]

Originally Posted by Dr.Sid

Nixie is pretty useles, your speed is your main advantage.

Not necessarily...Nixie works fine for me (stock DW 1.04). My solution is to take the same bearing as torpedo, go flank speed, stream the Nixie, and then slow down to 10kts. Torpedo always hits the Nixie (at lest so far...). If there is another torpedo behind, well... But that happened only once.

So, if there is one torp after me, I use the mentioned tactic. If there is more than one torp after me, I turn 90-120degs and go flank.

[moose1am]

Thanks guys for the tips.

I need to learn how to use the mission editor but man that's something that I am not familar with.

It's fun just trying to learn what buttons do what action and which order to push the buttons. I'm taking my time learning this game very slowly. I am working on one componet or system at a time.

I didn't find any demos or tutorials on how to drive the FFG surface ship.

At first I thought that I had a bug or something when I coul not get the second helo. But now I understand that's just how some missions are designed. I wasted a lot of time last night tying to figure this out. But I did finally remember that these type of things are controlled by the mission developer. I remember things like this happening when I was playing in a Seawolf. Some missions were different than others. Or maybe it was the P3C aircraft of the Helo.

I sure wish that when using the FFG we would order the helo's to use the dipping sonar but understand that can't be done in single player mode. Only when using multiplayer mode can you requst your partner to use the dipping sonar. My first platform that I learned was the Helo as it had a demo tutorial. But it's been over a year since I played with the HELO in single player mode.

I have lots of free time on my hands these days so I'll spend a few hours looking into this game today.

QUOTE=BobbyZero]

Originally Posted by Dr.Sid

Nixie is pretty useles, your speed is your main advantage.

Not necessarily...Nixie works fine for me (stock DW 1.04). My solution is to take the same bearing as torpedo, go flank speed, stream the Nixie, and then slow down to 10kts. Torpedo always hits the Nixie (at lest so far...). If there is another torpedo behind, well... But that happened only once.

So, if there is one torp after me, I use the mentioned tactic. If there is more than one torp after me, I turn 90-120degs and go flank.[/QUOTE]

[Bort]

Only having one helo is actually pretty realistic. Most of the time FFG's only deploy with one, because there aren't enough helos to go around.

[SeaQueen]

Originally Posted by Bort

Only having one helo is actually pretty realistic. Most of the time FFG's only deploy with one, because there aren't enough helos to go around.

Besides, with two helos where would you put the gym?

[Bellman]

Moose I'm in the gymn so sorry this is OT............................

Edited: ''Can you live with a Time Share plan for the Gym? ''

Sure thing.

[moose1am]

Can you live with a Time Share plan for the Gym?


I played around with the mission editor and created a few missions. Simple missions but missions none the less. I managed to get two helicopters for the FFG user to control. The only problem is that both helicopters start out in the air. But they are close enough to the FFG to get a link and command them to land one at a time. This takes some time but I managed to get both of them landed and put into the 30 minute Standby mode which parkes them in the two hangers.

I got interested in doing this and figuring out how to do it when I noticed that in one of the games original missions the FFG had two helo's already onboard at the start of the game. So I figured that there must be a way to get this setup with the mission editor.

I went back though the forums by doing a search for "FFG" and found some threads that talked about helicopters and how to get the FFG driver to control the helos.

At first I was just adding the Helos and setting them up as Controllable Platforms but that won't let the FFG driver command the helicoputer. If you don't check the check box for "Controllable Platforms" when you make the helicopters then you can control them from the ASTAC station. I didn't have the will power to read though the entire Editor manual yesterday.

Basically I was trying to make a few easy missions with just one or two subs in the mission so that I could learn the ins nad outs of the FFG. Sort of got sidetracked by the helo thing in the process. Got that figured out for the most part.

BTW. When I added a helo to the game and make a NON Controllable Platform there were three options to choose from. In the air, Time to take off and then on Reserve or something to that effect. Does the manual tell what these three options do? If so I'll seach though the editor's manual and try to find out for myself. If not can someone explain what the Time to Fly and reserve stores or whatever that is .. means?

Originally Posted by SeaQueen

Besides, with two helos where would you put the gym?

[kage]

Originally Posted by moose1am

At first I was just adding the Helos and setting them up as Controllable Platforms but that won't let the FFG driver command the helicoputer. If you don't check the check box for "Controllable Platforms" when you make the helicopters then you can control them from the ASTAC station. I didn't have the will power to read though the entire Editor manual yesterday.

BTW. When I added a helo to the game and make a NON Controllable Platform there were three options to choose from. In the air, Time to take off and then on Reserve or something to that effect. Does the manual tell what these three options do? If so I'll seach though the editor's manual and try to find out for myself. If not can someone explain what the Time to Fly and reserve stores or whatever that is .. means?

On the FFG property pages there are a place where you can select loadout, the default is 1 helo.

The FFG is supposed to be able to control all helos which 'originate' from it, which are only those launched from it after the game starts and those added by right clicking the ffg, and selecting add in-flight.

Time to take off and that last one are only useful on AI platforms.

[moose1am]

Thanks Karge. I found what you said now. I made a mission that starts with two helicopters on the ship at the start of the game. There is a lot to learn.

Originally Posted by kage

On the FFG property pages there are a place where you can select loadout, the default is 1 helo.

The FFG is supposed to be able to control all helos which 'originate' from it, which are only those launched from it after the game starts and those added by right clicking the ffg, and selecting add in-flight.

Time to take off and that last one are only useful on AI platforms.

[Micksp]

Here is another one useful option - "Flight Shedule". It is accessible via right-click menu, you must have the FFG selected first. You can set the air unit readines 5, 15 or 30 min from those option.

[moose1am]

Thanks for that tip. I'll give that a try. I am going to do some editing today.
[
QUOTE=Micksp]Here is another one useful option - "Flight Shedule". It is accessible via right-click menu, you must have the FFG selected first. You can set the air unit readines 5, 15 or 30 min from those option.[/QUOTE]