Campaign feedback (possible spoilers)

[lmp]

I looked for a similar thread and to my surprise I couldn't find one so... I've just finished the last mission of the campaign and I wanted to share what I liked and what I liked less - since this is after all a beta. Here's my little review.

 

I like the general mission design. They are the right length, solid and offer plenty of variety. From regular transport flights with landings often in difficult terrain, through a bunch of combat scenarios, CSAR, CAS, insertions, extractions, convoy intercepts, to some quite unlikely roles, like artillery spotting or coordinated nighttime attacks with Su-25s. You really feel you're flying a multi-role helicopter that may have less punch than the Ka-50, but can do a lot of stuff that the latter can't.

 

I also like the approach to navigation - of which there's plenty and it can be quite challenging at times. But hey, just because you're in an older machine without a GPS or INS doesn't mean you can only fly along roads and rivers. With some practice (and help from the navigator, who calls out turns at least in the earlier missions) finding your bearings becomes natural. But you can never quite stop paying attention to where you're going.

 

Overall I liked the campaign, it kept me interested from the beginning to the end. I also feel it made me a better and more confident virtual Mi-8 pilot. Now for the bad...

 

Voice acting is just as bad as in the Huey. I realize this is probably not a priority to BelSimTek, and I agree there are more important things. Still I think the module would greatly benefit if better voice actors were hired to do the campaign. When I heard my avatar recite "the BTR just blew up" in his "what a nice weather we're having today, don't you think" voice, my immersion bubble burst despite all the great work that's been put into making the helicopter sound realistic.

 

It may be my flying, but routinely I was returning to base with barely any fuel left. I never actually ran out, but I heard the bingo fuel warning during most missions unless I loaded an extra 10 - 20% of fuel. I don't tend to screw up my landing approaches or get lost, so it's either that my flight profiles were very inefficient, or maybe the missions could use some extra fuel...

 

The mission maps aren't detailed enough and I had to use the mission planner to figure out what to expect when I reach my destination. Detailed maps of LZs and target areas would help greatly.

 

Perhaps the missions are a little bit too easy. They got more challenging towards the end, but I never had to repeat a mission more than once and I only had to repeat three missions at all because of my stupid mistakes. But maybe I'm just that good ;).

[wolle]

Hi Imp,

 

Great job finishing the campaign:thumbup:

Btw how did you get past the "Outpost 'Docker'" mission, for me it crashes a couple of mins into the mission (reported here http://forums.eagle.ru/showthread.php?t=118354)

[lmp]

Hi wolle,

 

It crashed on me once as I was taking off from Shpora. On the previous run it went fine (but I VRSed into the ground... so embarrassing), and on my third try it also went smoothly. So I don't know... keep trying I guess. Or maybe you can edit that mission out of the campaign? Oh, and that was my one and only crash during the whole campaign. Either I'm lucky or that mission is the only problematic one.

[zal]

Although I'm still in the middle of the campaign, I have also noticed the fuel shortage and lack of documentation.

 

Regarding documentation, I also open mission editor for extra planning. I do not find it bothering, as it is like a mission preparation stage, but it is true that more detailed maps wouldn't harm. I "dream" with missions providing separate PDF documentation pages to be read in a tablet or within ingame kneeboard...

 

But what I really do miss are cold and dark starts. After the first two missions, all the rest have been "hot" starts for me. Having the possibility of LWin+Home, I don't understandt why engines are running at the begining of the missions.