As the Take On Helicopters development moves through beta, we're ready to start letting players take a sneaky peek under the hood.
To begin with, we're set to offer a limited amount of work-in-progress content to the community, including one of our helicopters, its associated flight-model and the new interactive functionality.
In this thread, we'll try to keep you up to date with any notable updates to the plans or the preview data. Below follows some early info about the Preview.
What? Take On Helicopters - Community Preview (Downloadable)
When? Preview Launched on 24.06.11; periodic automatic updates thereafter
Important! these releases are very much work-in-progress (wip) and do not feature final content. We’ll try to list major known issues, but if you are not willing to deal with wip features, bugs or instability, please do not try these releases and wait for the game to be finished!
Note: Use shortcut created by the installer and do NOT run directly the binary of TOH Community Preview.
Feedback! We look forward to receiving your feedback in this section of the forums, where you can discuss many different aspects of the game.
The Community Issue Tracker is also kindly providing a project category to post issues to directly, which is useful for identifying/keeping a track of known issues.
Installation! Ripped directly from the file labelled "read me" in the download package, A spoiler it is not: Spoiler:
HOW TO INSTALL, RUN & UPDATE THE COMMUNITY PREVIEW:
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To install for the first time, run the preview EXE to apply the setup automatically (you may be prompted to choose your exact version in some occasions). To update, you must un-install and install once more.
* This will install all preview content to a mod folder "tkoh_preview"
* To launch TKOH Community Preview, you must use the shortcut "Launch TKOH Community Preview". This is located in the main game directory.
* Note, you can always run your Arma2 OA final version in the main Arma2 OA folder if you use default application shortcuts, start menu or run the regular arma2OA.exe without the preview mod folder.
Extra information: you can configure your TKOH Community Preview to include other mods, etc.
* To launch custom mods, just make make sure that in your ArmA shortcut start-up target line:
- You are running the takeonhpreview.exe.exe from your "tkoh_preview" folder.
- You have "tkoh_preview" in your modfolder as in -mod=tkoh_preview
example: "C:\Program Files\Bohemia Interactive\ARMA 2 Operation Arrowhead\tkoh_preview\takeonhpreview.exe.exe" -mod=tkoh_preview
- Make sure the shortcut's "Start In" section refers to main "ARMA 2 Operation Arrowhead" main working folder and NOT "ARMA 2 Operation Arrowhead/tkoh_preview"
example: "C:\Program Files\Bohemia Interactive\ARMA 2 Operation Arrowhead"
Best,
RiE
Last edited by RoyaltyinExile; Jul 1 2011 at 13:03.
Reason: Scheaky release
Arma 3 is a combined arms military game with an infantry focus. Built upon appropriate, useful and engaging elements of simulation, it's an accessible platform for a variety of official and community playable/sandbox content, based on the principles of authenticity, diversity and opportunity.
Dans son oeil, ciel livide où germe l'ouragan,
La douceur qui fascine et le plaisir qui tue.
We usually make our updates around 16/17h, but there's really no point in making you guys hang around needlessly...
We've had to shift our Community Preview back until tomorrow, 24.06.11, primarily due to the incredibly hectic release of information and assets associated with the 10 year anniversary!
On the plus side, this has given us a little more time to fix some initial things up, such as better crash detection (this has proven useful for myself at least ) and adding support for Cyrillic.
First off, a big thanks for all the feedback and the enthusiasm we've seen from most of the community so far! Hopefully it's been - to some extent - repayed by getting to play around with the new tech, and the chance to make some missions of your own!
There are several issues raised that we can add to our 'known' list, which I'll see about updating for the next commprev patch in the coming days. Also, it's (I suppose) encouraging to see a lot of similar feedback that we've gather from the recent focus testing, which hopefully helps us to focus our limited time and efforts on the most important areas that could do with improving.
From my own brief analysis, much feedback centres upon the following:
Throttle - naming and mapping it, people not seeing how to properly control the collective.
Joystick Deadzone - unresponsive for many in the centre, less controllable aircraft, difficult to land.
Torque - Underpowered tail, torque induced yaw is too strong, as is rolling in a bank.
Turbulence - Uncertain about visual feedback/ missing effects at other times.
Obviously, there are other important and advanced areas upon which people have provided some really great feedback - some of which may indeed be a product of the other issues identified. No feedback gets left behind! However, this is certainly enough be get our teeth into, not to mention all the tasks we're busy with on top of that!
I'll repeat again that everything that we've got is WiP and very much subject to change; in fact, it's partly our own fault for not emphasising some of the known issues, such as the unusual 'weight' of the flight model, which makes the light chopper feel a little more bulky than it should, or not pointing out the legacy naming conventions of 'thrust' and 'brake'.
We've finished our first update, which introduced some basic exe fixes, and some specific things too. Other feedback (partly noted in the above post; particularly in regard to the flight model and handling), is in WiP, but requires a longer turn around or are not yet internally tested for distribution.
You should consult the new changelog for recent fixes, updates and known issues, but here's some highlights about the light chopper:
Spoiler:
Pilot's feet respond to pedal adjustments
Ground contact points improved - let us know if it affects your landings and collisions!
Temperature gauges linked to game engine
Passenger proxies corrected - No more ridin' dirty on the exterior of the chopper.
Small note, to update, you should uninstall and reinstall the Community Preview. I've updated the OP with all that jazz.
We've launching our second update, introducing some further modifications to the flight dynamics, a prototype extended HUD (programmer-art included!), and a bunch of other fixes and tweaks.
You should consult the new changelog for recent fixes, updates and known issues, but here's some highlights:
Spoiler:
Compatible with Arma 2: Reinforcements- because who needs Arrowhead when you've got BAF & PMC? :P
Big Flight Dynamics modifications - The light chopper should now feel more agile
Prototype HUD - Let us know if you think its useful; particularly, if flying in exterior view
Small note: to update, you should uninstall and reinstall the Community Preview.
So, it's our forth update to the Com Prev today, and this time we're proving that we listen to what you say. Ok, most of what you say. Fine - some of it. Alright, alright, so, ONE THING. But... I know you've been waiting for it... deadzones!
Ok, bravado aside, this is the first step in our process of addressing the issue of deadzones, so, of course, we'd appreciate any further feedback that you might have on the topic, and also in regard to the other tweaks and features added this week, and across our three previous updates.
As always, consult the changelog for recent fixes, updates and known issues, but here's some highlights:
Spoiler:
Controller axes deadzones are now configurable - Find it in the Options menu with the sensitivity sliders!
Controller axes are now identified as active while configuring - Visualises your axes
Helicopter controls category added and selected by default - Change your settings in the dedicated category
Better transition when setting collective by controller and then changing to keyboard -Values are better aligned
Better handling of throttle after getting out and getting back in separately
Remember: to update, you should uninstall and reinstall the Community Preview! People that fail to read this text will be liable to an indiscriminate slap in the tail rotor.
Thanks as always for your continued feedback and support,
RiE
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) and adding support for Cyrillic. 
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