Gameplay interaction with the AI RIO

I have some concerns about how the AI RIO will be implemented in terms of gameplay.

Do we have some info about how it will be done?

Because if we have menus like current DCS, please NO! This system is too frustrating already.

 

What we need is a modern way to interact with the RIO, something fluid!

 

If I may suggest something, that would be:

 

1 - AI vocal callouts: "Bogey on our 6!!!" Yeah we all want this :D

 

2 - ability to change seats to do the dirty work yourself (this reminds me of Dangerous Waters).

 

3 - A synthetic GUI that shows what the RIO has detected, allowing to click on contacts you want to shoot, scan, send AWACS info about, whatever.

Plus some buttons that allow you to request radar modes maybe.

Of course this GUI would be something virtual, not integrated in the pit since the goal is to provide a visual, easy to use interface with the RIO.

 

Hope this will go in the right direction :thumbup: :pilotfly:

Any ideas welcome :smartass:

I have some concerns about how the AI RIO will be implemented in terms of gameplay.

Do we have some info about how it will be done?

Because if we have menus like current DCS, please NO! This system is too frustrating already.

 

What we need is a modern way to interact with the RIO, something fluid!

 

If I may suggest something, that would be:

 

1 - AI vocal callouts: "Bogey on our 6!!!" Yeah we all want this :D

 

2 - ability to change seats to do the dirty work yourself (this reminds me of Dangerous Waters).

 

3 - A synthetic GUI that shows what the RIO has detected, allowing to click on contacts you want to shoot, scan, send AWACS info about, whatever.

Plus some buttons that allow you to request radar modes maybe.

Of course this GUI would be something virtual, not integrated in the pit since the goal is to provide a visual, easy to use interface with the RIO.

 

Hope this will go in the right direction :thumbup: :pilotfly:

Any ideas welcome :smartass:

 

There will be more information on the JESTER system once it is in a more advanced development state.

The system will also be subject to significant change based on gameplay testing.

This is, without a doubt, a very iterative process.

 

For now; I can note the following.

 

1) The AI will be fully voiced and will call out relevant data, contacts, grunt during hard meanouvers, and perhaps even yell expletives in extreme circumstances.

We achieve this by mixing prerecorded statements and numbers. Think ArmA 3.

 

2) The ability to change seats quickly will always be available.

 

3) Player - RIO GUI interaction will likely be based on a radial menu, divided into distinct categories and actions (e.g. Search -> Visual Close). The radial menu should, hopefully, make it easy to access with e.g. hat switches or the numpad. This point is heavily subject to change as we may find this UI solution does not work as well as it should.

Edited March 3, 2015 by Cobra847

Thanks you sir, that's exactly what I have I mind :)

3) Player - RIO GUI interaction will likely be based on a radial menu, divided into distinct categories and actions (e.g. Search -> Visual Close). The radial menu should, hopefully, make it easy to access with e.g. hat switches or the numpad. This point is heavily subject to change as we may find this UI solution does not work as well as it should.

 

Sounds like the commo rose in Battlefield 2/3/4. Looking forward to this feature and how it finally works.

 

 

Kind regards,

Fire

3) Player - RIO GUI interaction will likely be based on a radial menu, divided into distinct categories and actions (e.g. Search -> Visual Close). The radial menu should, hopefully, make it easy to access with e.g. hat switches or the numpad. This point is heavily subject to change as we may find this UI solution does not work as well as it should.

 

I can see an awful lot of Voice Attack profiles waiting to be created here!

I love the prospect of the occasional expletive.

 

Can we model him to throw up during violent manoeuvres too? The thought of selectable personality traits would be cool too.

 

Press 1 for RIO suffering from a hangover.

Press 2 for RIO who's team got hammered.

Press 3 for RIO who got laid last night.

Press 4 for a male RIO. (obviously redundant, cuz who wants to kiss a bloke when you celebrate taking out 5 MiGs!)

Press 5 for a RIO that specialises in back seat driving.

 

I think the ideas here could be endless, and yeah, OK maybe some of my examples might be a little tongue in cheek, but you get my drift i am sure.

That sounds extremely promising! Thanks for the foresight.

...

 

1) The AI will be fully voiced and will call out relevant data, contacts, grunt during hard meanouvers, and perhaps even yell expletives in extreme circumstances.

We achieve this by mixing prerecorded statements and numbers. Think ArmA 3.

 

...

 

This is pretty neat! It reminds me of the old US Navy fighters, Advanced Tactical Fighters sims from Jane's, where the RIO-WSO would constantly call out contacts, missile launches, bingo states and similar :thumbup:

I.e "he's at 9'o clock high, turning right" or "APEX inbound, drop chaff!!!" :joystick:

He would even puke if you pulled too many negative G's :megalol:

It would be very immersive with optional voice recognition/commands for the most common tasks, using our headset to interact with the RIO. I guess a lot of us will be using oculus rift cv1 in the near future and having the option to play without the menu will enhance the immersion even more :)

Sounds like the commo rose in Battlefield 2/3/4.

The original F-key comm system from versions prior to Battlefield 2 was actually much faster to use once you had all the important keys memorized. It was just less intuitive and harder to use while learning. The current comms in DCS basically work the same way. The only frustrating part in the current implementation is when the radio menu gets interrupted by something right before I press a key.
Edited March 4, 2015 by VincentLaw

Sounds interesting, Cobra.

And please make all commands available in the input file, so we can assign keystrokes. That way we can use VoiceAttack or a custom controller keypad to talk to the RIO. Don't make it work like ED's ATC menu, which sucks in that regard.

The Piloto and RIO change in fly is very nice, something likes in FSX. Cool

I think there might be a better alternative to the commo rose :

The Tribes series had a very good comms system, based on easy to remember macros. You press V to open the menu and quickly cycle through the different pages with their initials. Here's an example :

You see a golden opportunity to grab the enemy flag, and press VSAF : Voice->Self->Attack->Flag

Then request some cover fire with VNC : Voice->Need->Cover

And after proudly capturing the flag, you taunt your enemy with Voice->Global->Taunt->Great ("I am the greatest!").

 

As you can see it's pretty intuitive, and I think it'd work quite for Jester. For example, you could ask for a contact report with Voice->Radar->Contacts, or turn off the jammer with Voice->Jammer->Stop.

...Think ArmA 3.

 

"ALL, go to that tree!"

@EngineerFalcon: Very good system! I like how intuitive it sounds.

I'm just not sure if it would integrate with how DCS handles keyboard input, because a single key could have a different function depending on the context.

I suppose it should be doable, as it is already done with hotas keys for the a-10c. For example the F key would be mapped to flaps but when in comms context, the module would interpret it differently, but this would be transparent to the user.

What's new is that this system would need to support remapping (if F is mapped to something else it should retain it's comms meaning).

Does this also mean that there will have to be a pilot AI? Because if I will want to play as a RIO for a moment then someone will have to fly that thing for me... and probably good enough to continue in the dogfight I have entered.

 

Will the pilot bitch on me for not targeting fast enough? :D

Just make it so, that each command for the rio can be mapped to any key. I have plenty of buttons available on my HOTAS, which i can reuse in combination with a modifier to issue commands. What I *don't* want, is having to move my hands of the stick and throttle all the time.

I think a good solution could be a spherical menu that could be touched by the same mouse cursor over switches but this time over grayed options, even moving the cursor with Track Ir pointer over every option.

 

Like ARMA 3 AGM Mod.

 

This sounds pretty awesome! Can't wait to see more! Going to be great to play both as a pilot and Rio with friends as well as single player with the Jester!

1) The AI will be fully voiced and will call out relevant data, contacts, grunt during hard meanouvers, and perhaps even yell expletives in extreme circumstances.

 

Jester: JÄVLAR ANAMMA!!!

Jester: JÄVLAR ANAMMA!!!

 

 

Edited March 4, 2015 by emg

"ALL, go to that tree!"

 

It's more like, "ALL, go to that TREE(!!!), 2 o'clock"

 

Single Track mode?

It's more like, "ALL, go to that TREE(!!!), 2 o'clock"

 

True, and then the RIO knows exactly which tree among 30 you were pointing at.

True, and then the RIO knows exactly which tree among 30 you were pointing at.

 

Such good memories from Operation Flashpoint...:rolleyes: