GinSoakedBoy

@Toshido, if you have channel command on, and you're in the air channel, the only talk from outside the channel that you hear will be requests for Air pretty much.

@Switch, I think that would just annoy the squad even more. It seems that people are using CAS a lot more than before so that seems unnecessary.

Switch

I was kidding, no worries.

I really prefer to fly over the ocean and use the my vehicle tab to eject people.
.
.
.
.
kidding again

__________________
|TG|Switch

Better known as:
That noob who crashed the chopper.
That noob who ran over the mine.
That noob who TK'd me with a sniper rifle.
That noob who hit that APC at 300m with light AT! Our APC...

GinSoakedBoy

lol, ok then

Toshido

i was referring to the amount of chatter for the infantry squad. They would get their chatter plus a bunch of noise from the CAS pilot calling things out.

But Jex's sugggestion sounds good.

Sleepdoc

Sick. But funny. Very funny.

__________________
Sleepdoc

My typos are legendary. I choose not to correct them as a form of unique signature

(and because forum spell checkers are a hassle) : )

I actually spell just fine. But my typing skills are the pits.

loyalguard

Wow! There were so many good threads while I was on vacation...and this is thread is among them!

Since I couldn't play ArmA while on vacation, I did a lot of tactical reading and pondering about ArmA here at TG. CAS was one of the issues I thought about the most. As some of you may have read, in the platoon leader tactics discussion thread my general plan the few times I have been PL is to make sure that all elements (air, armor, and ground) are properly and proportionately engaged. Realizing of course we will not always have a platoon leader to make sure all elements are "happy", we need to implement some other means to find a balace.

One suggestion I have to maintain the symbiosis of all of the elements is to more often employ a Joint Tactical Air Coordinator. For those unfamiliar, that is what the Army/Navy/Air Force are now calling Forward Air Controllers (The Marines still use the term FAC when not in joint operations I think). By having a dedicated JTAC/FAC I think we can help relieve some of the CAS/Infantry strain that sometimes exists on the server as well as reduce radio chatter. Here is what I suggest:

One member of the "Air Element" takes on the JTAC Role. The player equips himself as necessary but should be sure to have an M203 and plenty of smoke grenades and a laser designator for marking targets. The JTAC remains in the Air Element squad channel and have Channel Commander turned on. The JTAC should announce himself as such to the infantry and armor SL's and operate near active infantry units (which is fairly easy in Evo since we generally only attack one city at a time). If Infantry units or the JTAC identify a potential CAS target, they coordinate with each other to make sure thet are in concurrence, and then the JTAC takes over all comms with the air element to engage and destroy the target on the air element channel to avoid unnecessary chatter in the channel commander). Envision the below scenario:

(An assault against Somato is underway...There is one infantry squad (SQ1), one JTAC, one MH-6 (transport) (LB1), and one AH-6 (CAS) (LB2) )

On Channel Commander:
SQ1: JTAC this is One, we are unable to target the radio tower and request CAS.
JTAC: This is JTAC, roger, will request mission, out.

On Air Element Channel:
JTAC: LB2 this is JTAC, what is your location and weapons status?, Over.
LB2: This is LB2, 8 FFAN Rockets, on station in loiter area and available immediately, over.
JTAC: Your mission is to destroy the radio tower in Somato at FF36, smoke is available at your request, over.
LB2: Roger, mission is to destry radio tower in Somato, commencing run in 30 seconds and requesting smoke, will advise when ready.
(JTAC fires a red smoke grenade to mark the target while waiting)

On Channel Commander:
JTAC: One this is JTAC, mission requested and will commence in 30 seconds, target has been proximity marked with red smoke, over.
SQ1: One copies, out.

On Air Element Channel:
LB2: LB2 ready to commence run.
JTAC: LB2, I have you in sight, do you see red smoke?
LB2: Affirmative.
JTAC: Your target is 50 meters north of the smoke, the radio tower can you identifiy? Over.
LB2: Roger, I see that target.
JTAC: This is JTAC, you are cleared hot, over.
(LB2 fires rockets and brings down the tower)
JTAC: LB2 this is JTAC, end of mission, radio tower destroyed.

On Channel Commander:
JTAC: One this JTAC, radio tower destroyed, do you have additional requests? Over.
...

The comms/scenario does need to be as involved as I portrayed above (But I love the dramatic immersion) but I think it does a good job of showing how useful a JTAC might be by accomplishing the following:

1) Giving the Air Element a representative on the ground to gauge the current battle and work more closely with the infantry SLs.
2) Handle comms between infantry and CAS and eliminating extra chatter.
3) If pilots spot potential targets, there is a dedicated person to coordinate with infantry to avoid conflicts.
4) Relieve the air element leader (if present) from having to fly and coordinate CAS (The air leader should still be busy enough with transport/CAS role assignments, transport requests, and other flyboy stuff!)
5) Increase the immersion and realism of the game.

In order to see how viable using a JTAC might be, I am willing to jump in the role over the next couple or nights (or longer) and see how it works in practice. If it works, I hope that both pilots and ground pounders alike will want to take on the JTAC role frequently in the future.

In the meantime, what are your thoughts?

__________________
|TG| LoyalGuard

tHa_KhAn

Great example Loyal. While this is clearly labeled, we've used some form of organization like this and it has worked out well. I think this would be the next step of having an official protocol for games with large numbers of players.

__________________

jex

good ideas loyal.

__________________
Jex