[Chinook abilities & defense]

Since I started a thread on Chinook pilots/cockpit area and didn't want to highjack it on another Chinook/transport idea that I started to brew on during the tread, I decided to start this one and hopefully its worth the mention at least.

Apart from dropping your troops off on their combat missions (and for the return run, hopefully), What other possible uses can the Chinook or any upgraded transports have during missions?

Maybe a module for deployable flares? Great for night time missions if you've equiped the Chinook for it that is. Say it shoots out half a dozen flares 360 (or 180 at the ramp) at varying distances (but not too far) from the transport. What about on landing, if its equiped with a heavy weapon module, the Chinook can fire upon one (or if lucky two) alien at least 2 full auto fire (NPC event, can't manually pick target?). A 50 Cal would be nice.

Maybe the transport could motion detect (if it has the module) for the first round in a large area? I'm sure there are a heap of ideas for usable (or NPC event) modules for the transport.

[Chinook pilots]

I appreciate the empty cockpit over how it was back in version 8. Back then the cockpit was just a solid block of wall that you couldn't see into.

Be careful if you complain enough the devs might revert it back to that simply because it's easier

I thought I was in the suggestions & Feature request forum

Seeing a black mass for the cockpit would definitely be a step backwards. Just have to remember its the first thing, along with the assault force, that your going to see time and again every mission (until you can upgrade from the chinook...) more bells and whistles the better me thinks.

[Chinook pilots]

In part for me - if I can have two more Xenonauts on the groud then that is a plus.

For the sake of appearance/realism - I would also be happy to see two NPC pilots sitting in the chairs waiting to take off.

Either way, NPCS in chinook or 2 more playable pilot class troops starting in cockpit, sounds good. Would definitely beat an empty cockpit. This feature would just add an additional bit of life to the game that we will see many times over and appreciate over a currently empty/disconnected cockpit.

[Chinook pilots]

call me old fashion but I think that they just should seal off the pilots section with external graphics. It does seem somewhat off, that you can see that space's interior empty. Thinking that the Xenonaut troops are the pilots seems just as strange to me as seeing the pilots eating/drinking/watching porn/whatever

Which would be a shame because its great to see the inside cockpit. If the pilots remain in the cockpit, maybe one looks out the keeps going pack n forth looking out the portholes looking for approaching aliens (which should affect fog of war) and the other sits at the pilot seat doing something important (radio chatter).

Would be interesting if information (available via base upgrades) could be relayed from base, to chinook, to assault team of tactical importance to the mission like some sort of FLIR satellite mapping images updated to the last min of combat if you can't find that one last alien ... though you couldn't use this system initially since it would spoil the game obviously

Suspending the disbelief that all the combat troops are trained as chinook pilots as well - a nice animation of two combat troops leaving the cockpit to get into the passenger area and closing the door behind them might work.. but seeing that over and over a few times might get annoying, especially if it stops you from commencing combat as soon as the load screen is ready.

I'm going to think on it, maybe someone has an idea? otherwise it would probably stay as is.

[Chinook pilots]

Actually a smart alien would probably mind control one or both of those pilots from a nice safe distance, I know I would.

Standing inside that transport would be the last place you would want to be Thotkins.

Maybe I like the idea that the chinook doubles as a mobile operations HQ -prehaps the pilots stay inside (animation loop) and can't be attacked in their reinforced cockpit. Its obviously less work if there are no pilots and we just assume that the combat troops are qualified chinook pilots as well, but realistically its obviously rubbish. The cost of training all those combat troops to come to fly a transport only to get melted by some alien blaster as they get off the ramp sounds rediculous.

I think that annoyed me about Star Trek NEXT GEN (and all the others) - the senior command crew would continually go down on dangerous planets and put their lives at risk in situations that might mean their deaths could well threatened their entire crews lives (back on the ship safe n snug). There is a ton of crew for heavens sakes, anyway off topic.

[Chinook pilots]

Are we not getting the good ole short sectoids? That was half the shock in the original - they looked reasonably harmless.

[Chinook pilots]

not taking a pot shot here, but what if the aliens kill your pilots while they are standing there? It would seem realistic that the aliens would target them if they were in the vicinity.

Would your squad then be stranded? Perhaps another craft would have to be sent out with a spare pilot or a local one is rounded up and drafted. Or they could take the bus home and haggle with the conductor over whether they have to pay a full fare for the dead Caesian.

Probably a good idea one pilot stay, out of harms way, in the cockpit seated down in some animation loop (talking on radio, looking through clip board check list, drinking coffee, having a smoke, eating a ham sandwich etc) - but one should stay out as civilians (if they are close by) run to the chopper. Hell seat em both inside if its easier.

[Chinook pilots]

Your wish is my command. There's one!

Thank you very much I'll just quote this comment by jars_u:

I would like to see the Chinook piloted by two "local military" NPC equivalents. As I understand it none of the vehicles/aircraft will gain any expereince so NPC pilots would conform to that. The local military NPC I have encounted so far seem random/out of place (more so I think then a local law enforcement NPC would, but have not seen those). Having two NPC pilots - armed only with handguns - and coded to stay in close proximity to protect the Chinook would be welcome on a hot LZ.

I would love to see that yes. Though both should stay in the loading area/ramp and not venture out.

[Where my pilots at?!]

I would like to see the Chinook piloted by two "local military" NPC equivalents. As I understand it none of the vehicles/aircraft will gain any expereince so NPC pilots would conform to that. The local military NPC I have encounted so far seem random/out of place (more so I think then a local law enforcement NPC would, but have not seen those). Having two NPC pilots - armed only with handguns - and coded to stay in close proximity to protect the Chinook would be welcome on a hot LZ.

I second that! Plus when the combat troops leave the area the NPC pilots can still be seen. No fog of war around the chinook.

[Chinook pilots]

When trying the combat missions, seeing the crew compartment empty made me feel like the transport flew itself. The pilots step out for a smoke? I didn't have that problem with the original x-com since the pilot spaces were just external graphics and so was just assumed the pilot was in there (I never presumed one of the combat troops flew the thing).

It Might be great to see a couple pilots sitting at their seats pre-occupying themselves with shut down routines or reading a book/drinking a coffee while the combat team do there thing Maybe if your hovering over them you can hear pilot chatter or them listening to combat chatter of the other units? Communicating with home base?

Maybe if an alien gets on board the Chinook both pilots can shoot (auto/npc) from the cockpit? Can't help thinking of James Cameron's Aliens scene when the drop ship takes off but has an uninvited visitor Anyway, great Chinook graphics just felt like it needed a little extra life in it.

Thoughts? I checked a bit to see if this has come up before but didn't see, please post a link if there has already been talk about this