Battlefield 4 Adds Pilot Training

[Gromril]

Yeah, this can only be seen as a good thing. The main issue with Battefields since before it was on consles was that it was impossible to learn to fly a jet well unless you happened to be in a clan with a server, and they would let you screw around in one. Guess what? They genrally didnt.

This issue is made worse now that we have vehicle specific perks. Now, you end up with a small number of people who are great in jets, with all the perks, and everyone else who can count the number of times they have flown one on one hand.

 

[SonicWaffle]

It was really no fun at all how the only way to learn to fly choppers in BF3 was in a live multiplayer game with a bunch of other people who would lose no time in yelling at you when you crash into a tree three seconds after take off because the controls sucked six flavours of arse.

Or, when you finally did get the hang of not crashing, that some dickbag who'd spent hours practicing would immediately show up in his jet and shoot you down. It's not so much that the learning curve was steep as it was that there just was no consistent learning curve; every attempt to master a little more of the controls would end in fiery death one way or another, and a respawn to start again.

A training school can only be a good idea. Well, unless it's anything like the flight school from San Andres, I guess...

 

[fix-the-spade]

And a frigging joystick because planes and choppers in BF3 control like ass on PC because you use THE MOUSE AS FLIGHT STICK EQUIVALENT! Meaning you need to move the mouse up if you want to fight forward with a chopper.
And no, some bs "flightschool" doesn't fix that. PROPER CONTROLS TO BEGIN WITH DO!

It works a lot better if you just use the keyboard and ignore the mouse entirely. I agree that flying a BF3 chopper with a mouse is terrible, using the arrow keys makes it a lot more stable.

 

[bificommander]

It's nice to have. I can usually keep the planes and choppers in the air, but it's still good for newbies.

I absolutely disagree with people who say BF needs Saint's Row style helicopter controls. I haven't played SR, but Just Cause 2 used the same controls, and I really didn't like it. It doesn't feel like a helicopter at all. I don't need the realism of Take On Helicopters, where just taking off will take 10 minutes. But I do like to feel like a bit of a badass when I pilot these things, as opposed to the SR/JC model where I needn't even look at the screen to fly.

By the way, I never use the mouse for flying, I bind the arrow keys as alternative movement keys for choppers and planes. Works fine.

The one criticism I have is the use of unlocks for basic functionality of the planes and choppers. Planetside 2 did this too, the fighters near-useless without the very expensive rocket pods. And in BF3, you started of with just your onboard cannon on planes, and you needed to somehow score points with just that to unlock the weapons you need (at least the AA missiles unlocked early in BF3). It's one thing that new players lose because they don't know how to fly yet, but you shouldn't compound the problem by witholding the equipment they need to have a fighting chance.

 

[Abomination]

Wow, only took them 4 installments to consider something that people have been asking for since the fucking start of the franchise.

I'm torn between wanting "realistic" physics for the choppers and having "fake" physics. Perhaps allow for both and make it server specific?

One for "flying saucer" helicopters and one for "real" helicopters?

 

[bimon_1234567]

They should just add a mandatory training course for aircraft. And if you don't pass that, you are simply not allowed to pilot them in multiplayer.

 

[Matthi205]

They should just add a mandatory training course for aircraft. And if you don't pass that, you are simply not allowed to pilot them in multiplayer.

That would be the only thing that's even worse than the system already in place.

 

[Mr.Mattress]

I've been waiting to say this ever since I originally saw it... *Clears his throat*

"Learn to fly, noob!"

Oh... I guess that's what they're going to do... I see...

 

[Erttheking]

It really is sad that it took them this long to take a hint. I think I only managed to get a get a jet up in the air once. I flew around for awhile, but I just couldn't kill anyone.

 

[MiskWisk]

Well it's about time.

Also, can we get taught how to do this:


I just can't pull off the timing and no one seems willing to let me practice.

 

[CpT_x_Killsteal]

It does require a degree of knowledge and commitment on the player's part though,

And a frigging joystick because planes and choppers in BF3 control like ass on PC because you use THE MOUSE AS FLIGHT STICK EQUIVALENT! Meaning you need to move the mouse up if you want to fight forward with a chopper.
And no, some bs "flightschool" doesn't fix that. PROPER CONTROLS TO BEGIN WITH DO!

Controls does not equal flight mechanics.

The scheme you proposed earlier would not work because that is simply not how the helicopter flies in BF. Your control scheme would only really work with a flying saucer.

If you're finding it difficult, pick up a cheap console controller, have it plugged into the computer, and if/when you get in a helicopter or plane, use the controller.

 

[fix-the-spade]

Wow, only took them 4 installments to consider something that people have been asking for since the fucking start of the franchise.

It never used to be a problem in 1942-2142 because you could play against bots by yourself, or set up private servers on your own hardware without paying ungodly fees to EA. Then 3 came along with Battlelog and removed both of those possibilities, hooray for customer empowerment!

 

[bimon_1234567]

They should just add a mandatory training course for aircraft. And if you don't pass that, you are simply not allowed to pilot them in multiplayer.

That would be the only thing that's even worse than the system already in place.

Why do you think that?

 

[theaudioprophet]

Thank god, I cant tell you how many times I've jumped in a helicopter only to slide right off the aircraft carrier, its the exact same crash every single time nothing i try changes it

 

[Matthi205]

They should just add a mandatory training course for aircraft. And if you don't pass that, you are simply not allowed to pilot them in multiplayer.

That would be the only thing that's even worse than the system already in place.

Why do you think that?

GTA:SA flight school, as well as some other things of the sort.
It isn't a good idea to restrict flying to people who have completed arbitrary shitty challenges that are drastically skewed against the player. Not to mention the fact that they mostly expect you to fly with the crappy default BF mouse flight controls, wich are the worst kind of pain in the ass to have.

 

[bimon_1234567]

They should just add a mandatory training course for aircraft. And if you don't pass that, you are simply not allowed to pilot them in multiplayer.

That would be the only thing that's even worse than the system already in place.

Why do you think that?

GTA:SA flight school, as well as some other things of the sort.
It isn't a good idea to restrict flying to people who have completed arbitrary shitty challenges that are drastically skewed against the player. Not to mention the fact that they mostly expect you to fly with the crappy default BF mouse flight controls, wich are the worst kind of pain in the ass to have.

Well, just because there is bad flight training in some games doesn't mean that the concept itself is bad.

IMO Having a good training course with controls familiarization and some standard tasks that are common during the game would result in a better multiplayer experience.