Stardouser
2012-07-08, 11:33 AM
I don't actually know if there will be laser designation for aircraft or other heavy weapons but I will speak hypothetically: IF there is laser designation for, say, aircraft missiles, it should work like real life laser designation does. This is NOT because I want a realism sim, but a simple coincidence that I like the mechanical function of realistic laser designation better.
This means that a laser designator would allow you to shine a laser on a specific point, any point you want, and the missile from the jet will go to exactly there. If you move the laser while the missile is in flight, the missile will attempt to go to your new target.
This means you'll be able to guide a missile down onto the heads of campers who have good cover, and it also means that in order to hit moving tanks or other vehicles, you will have to hold the laser on the target as it moves. If you die before you finish the missile may go wild. This would make it a skill weapon.
Compare this to Battlefailed 3's SOFLAM. It can ONLY lock onto vehicles, which removes sandbox play, and since it does lock on, it removes skill - you simply lock, and your teammate just fires and forgets. It even allows weapons that are supposed to be ground to ground or air to ground to kill aircraft.
Up to this point I've been talking about infantry laser designation but this could also be used in aircraft too, in order to avoid giving aircraft no skill lock on weapons for air to ground. For example, an aircraft's gunner could fire a laser guided missile, and instead of it being a simple no skill lock on, the gunner in the aircraft would have to hold the laser on target until it hits. The gunner could of course receive a 4X or 8X optical zoom to allow him to do this.
I gave above an example of a bad laser designation, BF3's SOFLAM. But for example of how it should work, look at BC2's UAV. You click to request a missile and then you have to hold the laser on target, exactly like I said above. The problem with BC2's UAV is that the missiles come from off the map instead of from an actual teammate, but as far as the guidance method, it's spot-on.
This means that a laser designator would allow you to shine a laser on a specific point, any point you want, and the missile from the jet will go to exactly there. If you move the laser while the missile is in flight, the missile will attempt to go to your new target.
This means you'll be able to guide a missile down onto the heads of campers who have good cover, and it also means that in order to hit moving tanks or other vehicles, you will have to hold the laser on the target as it moves. If you die before you finish the missile may go wild. This would make it a skill weapon.
Compare this to Battlefailed 3's SOFLAM. It can ONLY lock onto vehicles, which removes sandbox play, and since it does lock on, it removes skill - you simply lock, and your teammate just fires and forgets. It even allows weapons that are supposed to be ground to ground or air to ground to kill aircraft.
Up to this point I've been talking about infantry laser designation but this could also be used in aircraft too, in order to avoid giving aircraft no skill lock on weapons for air to ground. For example, an aircraft's gunner could fire a laser guided missile, and instead of it being a simple no skill lock on, the gunner in the aircraft would have to hold the laser on target until it hits. The gunner could of course receive a 4X or 8X optical zoom to allow him to do this.
I gave above an example of a bad laser designation, BF3's SOFLAM. But for example of how it should work, look at BC2's UAV. You click to request a missile and then you have to hold the laser on target, exactly like I said above. The problem with BC2's UAV is that the missiles come from off the map instead of from an actual teammate, but as far as the guidance method, it's spot-on.