Shkval unable to lock targets

[fargo007]

ISSUE:

 

The Shkval is no longer able to select/lock a target.

 

EXPECTED BEHAVIOR:

 

After moving the shkval cursor to a target within range and pressing (Enter), it should lock the shkval onto that target.

 

 

OBSERVED BEHAVIOR:

 

Timeline: Upon this morning's update.

 

With AT mode on, the laser on, and a vikhr missile selected, the cursor is slewed to a potential target.

 

Efforts to lock the target by pressing (Enter) on the keyboard or on the bound hotas button do nothing.

 

ATTEMPTED:

 

Tried a different KA-50, different area (Caucasus) and same result.

 

Cold Start, Takeoff from Parking both manifest the issue.

[flanker0ne]

Light situation?? Time and sun position?

[Devrim]

Missing track.

[fargo007]

Light situation?? Time and sun position?

 

Sorry, this was the issue. It doesn't reproduce at noon at the same airfield.

[DTS_Maton]

i have this same problem but tried several different things

 

sizing adjust

 

different distance and the laser won,t give distance

https://forums.eagle.ru/showthread.php?t=223468

[Ranma13]

The lock range is dependent only on the time of day and (possibly) the weather conditions. It does not do real contrast detection like on the real aircraft. At noon in clear weather, it's possible to lock out to 7-8km, but around dawn and dusk, it drops to around 3-4 km. At night you'd be lucky to lock anything up beyond 1-2km, if even that. The Shkval's been this way since the aircraft was released back in 2002, but I suspect that the move to 2.5 reduced the ranges a bit, hence why people are noticing it more nowadays.

[Johnny Dioxin]

Unfortunately, this is even an issue in some training missions in FC3.

[metzger]

The lock range is dependent only on the time of day and (possibly) the weather conditions. It does not do real contrast detection like on the real aircraft. At noon in clear weather, it's possible to lock out to 7-8km, but around dawn and dusk, it drops to around 3-4 km. At night you'd be lucky to lock anything up beyond 1-2km, if even that. The Shkval's been this way since the aircraft was released back in 2002, but I suspect that the move to 2.5 reduced the ranges a bit, hence why people are noticing it more nowadays.

 

Yes. This artificial limitation is very annoying, cheap coding. It's like the same visibility the same conditions, clock passes the 9:30 mark and boom magically you can lock :)

[Fri13]

Yes. This artificial limitation is very annoying, cheap coding. It's like the same visibility the same conditions, clock passes the 9:30 mark and boom magically you can lock :)

 

One day I hope we have an actual contrast based tracking. Even if it is a simple one, but that it still would exist.

 

It would allow us to lock on aircrafts, on building windows, on trees, on roads, on telephone poles, on anything really. Now it is just a unit ID based lock.

 

And we would be adjusting the Shkval monitor to get a better contrast to lock on (IIRC it is controlling as well the output for computer tracking).

[metzger]

One day I hope we have an actual contrast based tracking. Even if it is a simple one, but that it still would exist.

 

It would allow us to lock on aircrafts, on building windows, on trees, on roads, on telephone poles, on anything really. Now it is just a unit ID based lock.

 

And we would be adjusting the Shkval monitor to get a better contrast to lock on (IIRC it is controlling as well the output for computer tracking).

 

I hope so, but considering the ED focus on new modules, I am not optimistic about it.

[3WA]

Yeah, I'm not exactly holding my breath on ED doing anything these days. Hence why I'm holding off on buying anything new from them, until I see them fix some of the worst bugs on modules I've already bought.

 

 

And that would be the A-10c and the Shark. If they're not going to fix these by NOW, why would I have confidence in them to fix anything else?

[Johnny Dioxin]

I agree - that's my current way of thinking, too, which is a shame, but there ya go.

[thrustvector]

hmm, unfortunate but true foe me, I think repairing the existing modules instead of the constant push ahead for more content, just means more unfinished products, nearly all E.A stuff isn't good,

the original models may have lost there wow factor to them now, but are also core modules which are loved by old and new members alike, the iconic a10c and the shark for example.

I would prefer a hold on new stuff for a while and fix what we have, the shark is probably the first helo a lot of people get, as easily flown without pedals, and if that's your first impression of the game its not good.

I really hope the Christmas(hopefully) bug fix, does a very lot too it, especially the shkval

[rinao0o]

I hope so, but considering the ED focus on new modules, I am not optimistic about it.

 

For what I know A10C's targeting pod already has contrast'image based locking, that's why you can lock onto all kinds of weird hotspots on the map. They should make it available to all other modules

[3WA]

+1. I hadn't thought of that. I'll have to look at it. If so, they should just use the same system for the shkval.

[Ranma13]

For what I know A10C's targeting pod already has contrast'image based locking, that's why you can lock onto all kinds of weird hotspots on the map.

 

The A-10C's TGP works similar to the Shkval. It can either ground stabilize on a certain point on the ground, or it can lock onto a lockable entity and track its movement. The difference is that it doesn't have a range limit like the Shkval does.

 

It just so happens that in-game, things that move are always lockable entities, and things that don't can be handled by the ground stabilize lock. But as far as I know, there aren't any aircraft that can do a true contrast lock in the game, so for example you won't be able to lock an aircraft's shadow on the ground and track its movement because it's not a lockable entity.

[Weta43]

That's my understanding too

[Frag]

That kind of bug really grinds my gear. I am all ok for ED to develop new stuff, but if they do not intend to support their current module, they should move those out of sale.

 

I recently bought the Black Shark ... this is a module that is more expensive that MANY full blown steam game. To finally realize that the textures does not work well in 2.5 and that the VIKHR missile lock system is completely screwed up.

Edited November 22, 2018 by Frag

[ZeroReady]

That kind of bug really grinds my gear. I am all ok for ED to develop new stuff, but if they do not intend to support their current module, they should move those out of sale.

 

I recently bought the Black Shark ... this is a module that is more expensive that MANY full blown steam game. To finally realize that the textures does not work well in 2.5 and that the VIKHR missile lock system is completely screwed up.

 

Well thanks for saving me 25$ during the sale, I was just about to grab it.

[3WA]

Your welcome. Shark and A-10 are both bugged bad. Waiting for MASSIVE updates on them.

[Varis]

This is a high priority bug. Worse than the Hornet situation.

 

After all the Old Kamov is one of the flagship modules from way back (when I also had the one and true module...). Will the Hornet be the same in 10 years as well? :music_whistling:

 

This was an issue in the Helicopter Tournament 2. Cloudy weather and shkval is unable to lock absolutely anything. Blufor gazelles wiped the floor with Redfor. Come around HT3 with blazing skies and noontimes - Blufor imperialists gloriously sniped to death by mighty vikhr.

 

I think I've now run into this several times in a couple of evenings of flying. Skhval might work at first, then suddenly stops working at some point. I'm turning targeting and laser off and back on again and often it seems to work and sometimes doesn't.

 

Would be nice if ED could drop a short comment. I can imagine it's not just fix that one line of code and go home type of thing. Of course we will understand if there is no word and ED just drops a MASSIVE bugfix one day very soon. But it's been broken for ... months at least.

 

The lock range is dependent only on the time of day and (possibly) the weather conditions. It does not do real contrast detection like on the real aircraft. At noon in clear weather, it's possible to lock out to 7-8km, but around dawn and dusk, it drops to around 3-4 km. At night you'd be lucky to lock anything up beyond 1-2km, if even that. The Shkval's been this way since the aircraft was released back in 2002, but I suspect that the move to 2.5 reduced the ranges a bit, hence why people are noticing it more nowadays.

 

Thanks for the summary! Is this documented somewhere... info like this could save "a few" headaches.

Edited December 13, 2018 by Varis

[3WA]

I still can't lock Apaches at noon during summer. Lock, Lock, Lock, Lock, Lock, Lock, Lock, Lock, Lock, Lock, Lock, Lock, Lock, Lock, Lock, Lock, Lock, Lock, Lock, Lock, Lock, Lock, Lock, Lock, Lock, Lock, and finally it locks. At about 3km and I'm in it's range now. Cannot lock A-10's or fighter jets AT ALL. This leaves the Shark completely vulnerable to air threats. And it's hell trying to fly and work the shkval at the same time.

 

 

I'd kill for a Shark that could carry R-73's on a 5th and 6th pylon. Ka-52 can carry igla's on it's 5th and 6th pylons, and I bet it can carry more than that. That would be GLORIOUS! Fly target into your boresight, wait for tone, uncage, revel in loud lock tone, fire!

Edited December 13, 2018 by 3WA

[Rogue Trooper]

I have not used the shark in a combat environment for quite some time.

I spool her from cold and then take her for a fly real regular, but this is simply to maintain feel of weapon.

 

 

From the very beginning, the KA-50 Module always impressed me how the time of day affected my kamov's visual targeting system.... I believe this to be correct modelling for a Russian visual targeting system in the 1980s'.

If there was a problem, I always manually held the target box on the target if the environment dictated.

 

Some attack positions at a certain time can and should cause problems with the lock.

 

Comparison between the A-10C and Kamov is worthless, the west was and is, well advanced with computer targeting.

 

 

How the new engine behaves with the Kamov, I cannot comment.

But optical weakness is modelled. whether it is correct with the new engine I cannot say.

Edited December 13, 2018 by Rogue Trooper

[3WA]

Well, whatever it is, I want it to be as realistic as they can make it. But if it's this bad, then we can't count much on it, especially for Air to Air. You can't lock any kind of plane, and by the time you can get a lock on a heli, it's probably already too late, and your dead.

 

 

That's why, seeing that this is essentially an experimental helicopter that eventually was turned into the much more advanced Ka-52, I wouldn't mind seeing at least two pylons added to it that can carry R-73's for AA defense.

 

 

I mean, really, some Russian watched too much James Bond, and decided to make a more robust version of "Little Nellie". AND THAT THING HAD FIGHTER GRADE AIR TO AIR MISSILES!

[Dehuman]

...Ka-52 can carry igla's on it's 5th and 6th pylons, and I bet it can carry more than that. That would be GLORIOUS! Fly target into your boresight, wait for tone, uncage, revel in loud lock tone, fire!

 

Ka-50 can, possibly, in theory, mount Igla. However no evidence that this capability ever really came to be irl.

I think it's one of the purported abilities that would have came to be, like the MWS and IR jammer, in a world where [banned political commentary] and the Ka-50 saw mass production.