Nimit for arma 3 0.96 plans

With Nimitz for arma 3 0.95 out of the door, it is time to think of what is ahead for version 0.96. Currently we have a few open issues and bugs that we would like to address.

The Phalanx model has been enhanced by TheSnk4k3 and got a new set of textures, including secondary ones. It currently needs to be integrated into arma 3 properly. Also on air defenses we're re-evaluating the turning restrictions on the air defense assets, as some are still prone to hit the Nimitz itself. Some research will be done on anti missile defenses and if they are more successful than in the tests leading up to 0.95 will be included. Lastly in this area we would like to introduce a general quarters alarm that raises the alertness of the crews (set combat status to red).

Next on the list is the Tilly salvage and crash crane that is a static object right now. Making it driveable and operational in arma is quite an undertaking, we will see how far we get in the time frame for 0.96. If all goes very well it will be a fully functional carx and allow sling loading or at least attaching objects. Staying with cranes, the Nimitz crane should be made operational as well, we will be evaluating different UI approaches for it.

A new topic on the horizon are navigational aids for the Nimitz. In the form of a non-directional beacon aboard the ship it should be easier to find via a bearing indicator on aircraft. There is already a sample mission on Stratis (vanilla without Nimitz) available at http://tetet.de/arma/arma3/nimitz/experimental/missions/beaconFrequency.Stratis.7z Feedback is welcome.

In preparation for 0.95 we had two community members approaching us with a better IFLOLS experience, utilising arma 3 lights at the IFLOLS position on the carrier. Hopefully one of these will be made available at least as a mission if not Eden attribute for the Nimitz 0.96.

The holes that were pierced at the bow will be covered by some sort of gate, so the hull looks intact again. Via Eden attribute the opening can then be revealed when at harbour and closed when on sea.

On bug fixes the textures on the bridge will be inspected and reversed maps will be corrected. Further the bridge model will be split into separate models that hopefully can be reused for an airboss and prifly room. Unfortunately the donation campaign was not very successfull so far, so we cannot afford to source complete airboss and prifly rooms. Nevertheless thanks to the three donators who were very generous!

Foxone will provide an upgraded version of the test engine stand, which was previously dropped in 0.95. This is an all new model with upgraded textures. Again the sourcing of further ambient models hinges on further donations.

While we have no exact timing for the 0.96 release it will not land before December 2016, and is more likely to be in the first quarter of 2017.

Update on 0.95 and donations

The Nimitz has been upgraded in the past months to a new level. With the help from paid-for modellers from cgtrader and of course volunteers we were able to assemble a nice model of the carrier. The planned release date is end of September and we're currently looking for some more dedicated testers that help us to find issues with the Nimitz. If interested please drop me a private message.

Work done and completed so far is:
o Added nautical bridge (yeah!)
o Added fuel pump as object
o Added locker as object
o Added medical station equipment as objects
o Added briefing chair as object
o Added briefing screen as object
o Added pipes as objects
o Added air defense assets (mk29 sea sparrow launcher, Phalanx CIWS, RIM-116)
o Better Eden integration via attributes and menus

There is further work ongoing, namely the creation of a set of video tutorials for the carrier, the use of Eden attributes and menu items for creating ambiance objects on the Nimitz, the use of the IFLOLS system with Arma 3 lights and the creation of a help system within Eden. On medium term goals from a developers point of view, the module system will hopefully be completely integrated into Eden attributes and menus, making it easier to use.

From our point of view the use of payware models for enhancing the carrier has been quite a success. We would like to continue to use this method and hence look for donations for further funding. I have setup a paypal donation button for this purpose and hope we find some contributors.

Models that would likely to be acquired next are:
o bunk beds
o cage seat for hoisting guests aboard
o exercise room
o cinema
o shower room
o canteen
o fire fighting carrier car
o airboss room with flightdeck
o radar station / operations room / CIC
o interior rooms

The donation button can be found at http://tetet.de/arma/arma3/nimitz/donate.html

TeTeT

Future plans for the Nimitz for arma3

In a recent query on a Nimitz for arma3 youtube video the valid question was raised what the long term plans for the Nimitz are. In this blog post I try to answer this.

First, the development is driven by two distinct forces: one is the known issues (bug) list, the other is the interest and area of expertise of the involved developers. Ideally both would overlap and issues are resolved on the fly. In reality this is of course not always the case.

For example there is a number of texture problems and also needed model improvements on our known issues laundry list, but there is no active developer taking care of it. This of course limits the known issues we actually fix per release.

On the other hand we have areas which match the interest of a developer. For example Leshrack is on his way to improve the many scripts for aircraft and carrier operations in regards to multiple users and multiple carriers on map. I myself added some rooms to the weapons room level, as I was interested in exploring this part of modding. Then there are areas like testing which benefit from dedicated people like Moony, who basically gets to the see the changes first.

Besides the basically dedicated staff of the Nimitz, there are one-off contributors from the larger arma community who improve the carrier from time to time. For example in the beginning of the Nimitz for arma3 project, we had several submissions of texture sets for the hull and flightdeck.

In addition to the community effort, we're currently exploring the use of paid for models via a website named cgtrader. This is kind of a last resort move, as our calls for texture and modelling help could not be answered by the larger arma community. However, it's too early to tell if this approach will be successful.

Given this background it's hopefully clear that speaking of the plans for the Nimitz and the long term path for the carrier is necessarily a wishlist topic rather than a set in stone goal path.

Having said that, our goal is to provide a carrier that is operable in single and multi player arma3. It should support a simple and complex mode of operation, with the simple mode being intuitive enough for a new player to merely follow a tutorial mission and being able to utilize the carrier capabilities. The complex mode of operation tailors toward players not minding reading documentation and going the extra mile for a more realistic carrier experience. The current mode of operation is clearly a mix of the two - most functions are easy to use, but some like fueling an aircraft are not that easy to discover without reading the documentation.

Another huge topic for many player is seeing the carrier move through the water. If it ever will largely depends on the future development of the arma engine. We've seen with vehicle in vehicle transport capabilities that there's hope on the horizon. Support for the Man class (e.g. people) sticking to a moving and rocking surface is needed though.

Speaking of personal preferences, I certainly would like to see an integrated air defense system aboard the Nimitz. Currently an improved model for the sea sparrow is in the making and we might be able to source a phalanx or sea ram from cgtrader. In a first step these systems might be rigged as default arma3 anti aircraft systems. But in the future a working radar which controls these assets and is able to track missiles as well as aircraft would allow a player to play air defense coordinator aboard the Nimitz. In multiplayer this could be augmented by pilots on CAP as well as OPFOR pilots. Of course a Hawkeye to expand the radar capability of the carrier would be useful as well :)

Changing the focus from air operations to the carrier interior, we're currently working on providing a whole new deck on the level of the current weapons room. This work is driven by two motivators: one is the request for more empty space aboard the carrier for milsim units to use it as a base, the other is the relative unease of operation of the weapons elevator. So in February 2016 we started to explore the addition of new rooms roughly 2 meter above water level. This has resulted by now in a whole new deck under construction that reaches from the fore to the aft section of the carrier. Currently we're looking into the availability of floor plans to make these new rooms as carrier characteristic as possible.

Staying with the interior, there's a spot that's been under construction for a long time now: the island. While the stairwells from the arma2 LHD now give the island a refreshed look, the bridge and connecting parts are empty. Goal is here to use the sourced models from cgtrader to provide a nautical bridge and an airboss room. But as written above, we need to first see if this approach yields any success.

Coming back to future plans, above we've seen what are some immediate, mid and long term goals of the Nimitz for arma3 project. These should be sufficient for the next year. Beyond that, currently there'll be dragons. A lot depends on the future development of the engine and its capabilities in the air/sea area. But not everything: a long term goal is to make the carrier walkable from the heights of the island to the water level deck, another is the above mentioned integrated air defense capability, yet another is the creating of a simple and a complex mode of operation. But as it is with dragons, there's room for uncertainty - maybe some brave soul from the community steps up with her own ideas and those will alter the above set course!