[Mini-mod] Combined Arms

[[R-DEV]Sniperdog]

Originally Posted by case1489

hay i need help i lode it up and nun it just gos to a black screen and nun so wot is going on ???

Try waiting a little bit longer it should take about 15-30 seconds for the BSS logo to appear. If you still have no luck post in here and try to be a little bit more specific about your issue and try to type a little more legibly :P. Things like

What your operating system is.
What link/website you got your installer from.
Whether you updated a previous installation or used the full installer.

[ma21212]

Combined Arms has tons of stuff that PR dont, alot of cool stuff from Javelin missles to different vision modes on tank.

[Rudd]

Thought I'd put some screenies up

Combined Arms Apache demo - Xfire Video

Combined Arms Flare effect - Xfire Video

http://screenshot.xfire.com/screensh...c4ac737bdd.png
http://screenshot.xfire.com/screensh...5c44b1b711.png
http://screenshot.xfire.com/screensh...b931722b4d.png
http://screenshot.xfire.com/screensh...9d948c5786.png
http://screenshot.xfire.com/screensh...8c7bc53c80.png
http://screenshot.xfire.com/screensh...2232fdfdf1.png

[[R-DEV]Sniperdog]

Originally Posted by ma21212

Combined Arms has tons of stuff that PR dont, alot of cool stuff from Javelin missles to different vision modes on tank.

not to mention BVR radar on aircraft and AA, point targeting, armored fire control, realistic ballistics and my personal favorite... the carrier catapult

[STORM-Mama]

How come these things haven't been put into "vanilla" PR yet? The changes made to the Apache HUD looks awesome, for example.

[Hunt3r]

Right, so let's get right to it. In this guide, I'll try my best to describe how to do things in Combined Arms. I'm assuming you've played Project Reality and you already know the basics.

Infantry!

Some things to talk about here. As infantry, you no longer have sprint, but you walk much faster, and you can jump forever. Your weapon is incredibly accurate, and you settle in somewhere around what feels like a second.

• ACOGs and combat optics of the sort have 4x zoom, and they also have 1x zoom. Right clicking after you scope in switches to this mode, right clicking again makes you go back to unsighted.
• The Javelin! The US gets a Javelin. To use it, set it up, zoom in, put the crosshairs on a manned enemy vehicle, wait for lock, fire. With all others, there's no difference from PR's HAT. However set up times are lowered and you settle faster.
• Anti Aircraft MANPADs are highly effective and WILL kill aircraft within range. However, they work the same as always, and you lock up and fire the same as in PR.
• Infantry is still relatively the same, but it's still a whole new experience.
• Things like the M168 will lock onto enemies. The Phalanx CIWS has radar and the gun can lock onto enemies. The ZPU does the same!
• The TOW is the same, however it has a new reticle, which is more precise.
• Bullet drop is in. All bullets in the game are tracers, so be aware of it.

Armor/Vehicles!

• Tanks and IFVs/APCs/ICVs now have FCS if it is realistic. Switch to FLIR mode if available, put crosshairs on target, wait for lock. The turrets now move using WASD!
• Oh, by the way, FLIR is in, although it is pseudo-FLIR.
• HMGs have zoom if you right click.
• TOWs, whether from a Bradley or Humvee, both will take you out in one shot. Watch out!
• The Tunguska has a passive mode that works like the current Tunguska's gun, an active mode where if something is in range, it will lock on to the target and you can fire, with the gun tracking onto it. There's a missile mode that works the same as the current Tunguska, and a radar mode where you just see a HUD that shows all aircraft in a certain area as a bright yellow light. You don't see everything, so move your mouse around to see! Active and Passive are denoted in all AAVs with an "ACTV" or "PASV" in the top left corner.
• The Linebacker should be getting FLIR, but until then squint and find your targets that way. It also has active and passive gun modes, but it only has a missile mode similar to the current PR AA missile system. However, targets are not pointed out on your screen. If aircraft enter your reticle, you will hear a noise that sounds like you are locking up a target with AIM-9s in a jet. Then you hear a lock tone and you fire. The Bushmaster just will indicate "lock", with no noise.
• The Abrams has a FLIR mode in driver if you left click.
• All tanks and IFVs have offset cannons. Remember to keep this in mind!

Aircraft!

• This has the most changes, as it seems that they felt this needed the most change.
• Multi-role and air superiority jets now have ground and air radar. Ground radar is a top down view with a heavily distorted view of the terrain it sees. It shows all friendly and enemy vehicles in an area, unmanned or not. Air to Air radar shows all enemy and friendly aircraft. Friendly aircraft and enemy aircraft are distinguished, ie in US radars friendlies are marked with a red x, enemies are yellow squares.
• If you are flying, make sure to unbind your mouse from flight controls. The mouse slews the radar, etc.
• To lock someone up in AA radar, put the center of the screen on the desired target, wait for cue to shoot, and shoot. Remember to scan with moving the radar screen around!
• Helicopters have a highly revised flight model.
• Attack helicopters now have very dangerous rockets! Don't shoot too close to the ground, and be mindful of FF and hurting yourself with them.
• Attack helicopter gunners have a new targeting system. The gun still works the same, but AGMs now have area attack, where you simply click, hold down the trigger for half a second, and it will fly into the thing you clicked. The other mode will lock onto a manned enemy vehicle after placing the reticle on the target for some time, and you can fire and it will fly into the enemy.
• Flares are revised. You have 60-120 of them, but they only hide your heat target in a 5 meter radius. Deploy flares in the direction from which you think you are being locked, descend into your flares!
• Aircraft may go out of the map. Use this to your advantage!
• A-10s now still have the same AIM-9 system. However, you have a mode where you use the targeting pod to lock up a target. Manned enemy vehicles will be locked. Once it is on target, it will lock up and you can then fire. All else is the same. The Frogfoot also has a TV missile mode.
• Some jets now have TV guided and lock on Paveways. To use them, fly reasonably high over a target, either lock onto a manned enemy vehicle or click where you want to drop a bomb. As always, remember that you must drop the bomb before you fly over the target, etc.
• Something to note is that the gun is right click on jets and missiles and other weapons are fired by left-clicking. Basically, it is reversed from PR.
• Some transport helicopters no longer have any HUD beyond displaying flares remaining.
• Remember AA will dominate you! Don't venture into areas that are not confirmed to be AA free! Stay low, if the enemy has radar based AA then it will be advantageous to stay low to avoid getting locked. Staying out of viewdistance for threats much like the Linebacker will keep you safe, however.
• Carrier ops means you should use the catapult and restraining cables!
• With attack helos, the indicated LT mode means that once you lock someone up and fire, the missile comes from the center of your screen. This is so that way that way the missiles are almost guaranteed not to fly off and hit something friendly.

General Things to Remember

• All bullets will detonate or disappear at a certain range. In some maps, within the view distance, some will do so somewhere beyond view distance.
• Friendly fire- isn't.
• If you lock up an enemy airplane but a friendly airplane is closer, you WILL kill the friendly.
• Don't treat infantry, aircraft, or armor lightly! All are highly destructive if you use it correctly.
• Try not to drive onto an armed catapult with a forklift.
• The Apache and Z-10 have broken area attack modes and are not very accurate. Don't use area attack modes with them.
• As always, the current Combined Arms forums is located at: http://combinedarms.myfreeforum.org/index.php

If you're going to play Combined Arms, I hope this helped out. If I remember more things I will make sure to add them to here.

[[R-DEV]fuzzhead]

Merged this guide with the main thread on this mini-mod, if you want the first post edited just let me know..

[Snazz]

Here's hoping that at least some of the HUDs and helicopter physics are adopted for 0.9.

I can't get over how much better the Huey is to fly in CA, I can already see it reducing the amount of deaths due to it's smooth, predictable, forgiving handling.

No more of this slightly-banked and now suddenly plummeting towards the ground stuff.

FYI the Huey is my favourite chopper in PR and I know how to avoid the usual accidents, CA just made it very awesome.

I haven't come across a Blackhawk in CA yet but I look forward to it receiving the same love and care.

CA's attention to improving the long neglected aircraft aspect of PR alone is highly commendable.

[Meki]

Originally Posted by Snazz

Here's hoping that at least some of the HUDs and helicopter physics are adopted for 0.9.

I can't get over how much better the Huey is to fly in CA, I can already see it reducing the amount of deaths due to it's smooth, predictable, forgiving handling.

No more of this slightly-banked and now suddenly plummeting towards the ground stuff.

FYI the Huey is my favourite chopper in PR and I know how to avoid the usual accidents, CA just made it very awesome.

I haven't come across a Blackhawk in CA yet but I look forward to it receiving the same love and care.

CA's attention to improving the long neglected aircraft aspect of PR alone is highly commendable.

Indeed, love the flare system and ammo counts. To bad there isn't alot of MP servers running it.

[Snazz]

Yeah theres a lot of things in CA I'd be happy to see integrated into mainstream PR, but I'm not keen on all of it.

The marginalization of technical skill is something I disapprove of fundamentally. I feel tactical skill is already well rewarded in unison, increasing it's value further should not require dumbing down the technical aspect.

I have a strong distaste towards any form of lock-on weapons in gaming, which I've developed since BFV. So naturally I'm not enthusiastic about them becoming even more prevalent.

I understand the desire to better represent the real life capabilities of the assets, but because the maps are far too small for the weapon system ranges it just seems cheap.