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Knowing full well the risk of dragging this on further than it might be worth, I feel as though there is something to be said about the nature of I&A and how Zeus players interact with it and the players that worship them. I&A is a walled sandbox, a place where you can go out and do what you please so long as you adhere to the rules designed to keep the sand soft for everyone. It's a simple scenario that repeats over and over again, subjecting players to the same 'go to this place and complete this objective' narrative, day in and night out, that does some things very well, and others not so much. Those that have put the hours in will know that for a quick session after work or on a planned event with the lads, the variety provided by the side missions, rewards and defences drive a satisfaction that can, at times, prove to be really damn fun. However, as hours turn to days and days into weeks, the limited experience that I&A is able to provide begins to show. A lot of us, me included, are fine with this; with the same ol' I&A (and by extension Arma 3) experience, the same ol' AO and the same ol' Side Missions. We are fine with the mediocre pilots, the inhuman aim of the AI and the chance of getting team killed simply because someone didn't take one extra second out of their day to check the colour of our clothes. We deal with it, we click that damn 'wait for a medic' button and hope that things turn out better next time. Why? Because when they do, it all becomes worth it. Storming a mountain range with 40 other people, watching friendly tank rounds flying overhead and hearing the sound of that sweet, sweet BRRRRRRRRRRRRT in the distance is one of the straight coolest experiences I have had with any video game ever. I've never really been one for drugs, but Goddamn if it isn't addictive. I love posts like this, I really do. It's good to see people expressing what they dislike about what they want for, and I can, in fact, agree with some of the concerns raised. The use of Zeus has picked up quite a bit, from not really being used that much at all to being a daily sight to see. Sometimes, yes, a few too many enemies might get spawned in, leaving a feeling of hopelessness in their wake. However, to err is human, mistakes will, inevitably, be made. When Zeus is used correctly and missions go smoothly, the impact that it can have on the afternoons' session can be exemplary, both to those that have seen more AOs than they probably should have and to those that are seeing I&A for the first time. In my opinion, the risk of unintentional gameplay woes will always sit in the shadow of what can be done with some unusually creative variety on behalf of Zeus players. The more variety, the better. Additionally, AL is trash ;)

These look great :D I would much prefer the plain cover, however

Well, time AND activity.. They can't just be giving out Vet tags to any kid who made an account a few years back and hasn't touched it since. Both how active the individual is and how long they have been around needs to be taken into consideration..

I primarily use my second display to monitor TeamSpeak and occasionally web-brows. Other than that I haven't really found any other particularly productive uses for it with regards to Arma.

Australian camo all tha things!

I'm sure someone out there should have been able to find a way, with or without mods, but I wouldn't really know. In any case, I actually agree with this idea. Only having one aircraft forces the operator to invest more focus on it, which, pared with the time it takes to respawn, could actually do a good job at both improving the experience for the operator, but also force them to use the other tools at their disposal. Why would I care if an enemy jet is going to shoot down one of my UCAVs when the other is mere seconds away? Any limitation to the 'UAV' part of the 'UAV Operator' would likely force the role to lean further towards getting out into the field, rather than sitting outside the AO, or even at base, changing it from an aggressive, self contained, fighting element to more of a supporting one. This would actually be a pretty neato idea for the infantry on the ground, and could, possibly, push the UAVOP to be more inclined to focus on where enemy infantry positions are, for both their and the friendly infantry's survival. When I play UAVOP, I have found the second UCAV to be more of a bother than an asset anyway, usually sending it to circle side mission just in case I want to have a look over there for whatever reason. I imagine there are a lot of people that like having two, but it just gets in the way for me. The idea of the UAVOP leaning more towards recon than CAS, of which this change would encourage, is enticing as well.

You raise a valid point about UAVOP having too much to do, perhaps there will be a time in the future where the one slot is split into two, one being a longer range UAVOP and one being an infantryman with short range UAV access.. an interesting thought. There really is quite a lot to pay attention to when you have to consider other (friendly and enemy) aircraft in the airspace, what runways what UAVS are landing and taking off from and your own personal safety out in the field all the while trying to be both a useful asset to CAS and friendly infantry. Comparing this to any other slot, with only one job at any given point of time, and it seems as though it's a bit unfair for them.. As the UAVOP, I do not find myself having an overly difficult time spotting hostile infantry positions from 2000 meters up with the UCAV, and although I understand how it can be useful a asset for someone who doesn't have access to the larger UAVs, I will always choose the larger birds if I do. Both types of aircraft have their ideal time and place, however I far more often than not find that my circumstance leans more towards the ideal of that of the UCAV, rather than that of the Darter, especially in I&A. Everyone who plays the game will feel differently, and although seeing the darters around isn't (as far as I can tell) common, it does happen from time to time. Each to his own I suppose..

And? When I play UAVOP, I find the most effective use of my time by far is using the UCAV in collaboration with airborne CAS, one by one, lazing and destroying every piece of amour active within the AO. The Falcon might present it's own variety of interesting options lazing and providing CAS had I purchased the Apex DLC, and as far as I am concerned, the Darter is far inferior to any of the UAV variants available. Stompers are odd, too say the least. When it comes to providing fire support for infantry on the ground, it can be somewhat useful from a fixed position on overwatch, however it's performance in the thick of combat had been sub-par. Lord have mercy on you if you come across any enemy amour. I have found the experience to be much more enjoyable from the seat of a Hunter, of which is able to transport both the ability to repair it's self and other friendly assets as well as a gunner capable of keeping watch while I sit on the UAV Terminal. Doesn't hurt that it is also much, much faster as well. With regards to UAVOP leaning too far towards CAS and disregarding their traditional role of the invisible recon element, I have found it comes down to the individual in the slot at the time. Provided they follow the aviation rules and do not engage enemy amour without permission, I believe that they are more of an asset to the pilots in the air (having dealt with AAA positions) rather than a hindrance to infantry on the ground. Do you feel differently?

I was quite happy with the experience that mission, it was actually really cool to be apart of. The way in which each of the scenarios were creatively designed added some meaning to the game, and presented a much needed change of pace for I&A. Watching how people reacted to the different surprise events was hilarious, quickly going from 'too quiet' to utter chaos on several occasions. Thanks for sticking around until 3am @Rogmantosh, it was awesome..

It's good to see some different ideas being shared @Irfan, and although I do see where you are coming from, I do think the variation in the jets adds more to the long term gameplay experience than having just one jet to rule them all. I haven't found anything on I&A as annoying as having a fully prepared CAS jet up in the air, and being restricted by a force on the ground that seemingly doesn't care for the constant 'CAS is up' messages. There are some times where all the CAS jet can do is look pretty and this can be a pain, however, that is the price I feel is necessary for using a pilot slot that could otherwise be used to transport infantry. Keep in mind also that I&A is not a DLC owners club, and that many of the people that want to come on and add a bit to the experience do not have the jets DLC, if any of the DLC at all. I love the idea of implementing the new content more into I&A, but it's important to balance the experience of all who come and partake.

Any pilots out there using pedals in Arma 3 these days? If so, which ones and why?

Yes I am. At this point I'm rather committed to getting some, I just don't really know which ones to get. The initial unit that I have been looking at getting is the MFG Crosswind (thanks Dslyecxi), and although price isn't necessarily an issue, if there is a unit that works as realistically well for less, than I would be a fool to not take it into consideration. It would also be nice not to have to wait for it to be shipped from Poland

Alright that's fair enough, it would be good if at some point the U.S patches could be changed to Australian ones, however, if it's too much of an hassle for too little then that's all good. I do believe I have played with that mod's camos in the past, the darker textures actually worked out really great for what we need at the time as we were playing on a darker Namalsk terrain. To be honest, I could go either way with how I feel about running around with U.S tags on; it's not really that big of a deal, and in no way worth any kind of great effort to make happen, however on the other hand, I personally really loved being able to switch out to third person every now and then to grab a screenshot of the flag on the landscape. It was almost as though it signified that we (Australia) had gone and done what we (irl Australians) had done, as opposed to just playing a game that didn't really matter in the greater scheme of things. People go into real depth with how their realism missions play out and I really do see the value that taking pride in what you are doing in game adds. Despite the fact that it is just a game, it's an element that people can enjoy. Now, I'm not saying that StrayaGaming I&A is the most milsim experience out there, I understand that a lot of people really aren't going to care. I would probably find myself not really minding whatever camos were in the game day to day, it's not as if it changes the overall gameplay experience all that much. Yet every now and then, while sitting on the inside of a ghosthawk as we rtb from a successful defence, I look down to see a U.S patch on my shoulder, and it itches me a bit inside. I'm sure I don't need to explain this all to someone as experienced as yourself, no doubt you have been toying with an idea like this for a while. In reality, it's not going to be in any way a game changer, and if it would be too much of an ask, I understand, tbh just the initial consideration was good to see. No doubt I'll donate a little something here or there at some point in the future so at least I'll have that. Thanks heaps..

So this is awesome to see. If it were to be implemented down the track I would definitely use it for piloting, I think having that flag facing outward while piloting a hummingbird would look sick. However, I think it would stand out a bit too much in the paler/more beige landscape of Altis. I'm thinking something more like the standard U.S camo used heavily throughout the vanilla Arma 3. Any kind of custom mulitcam pattern with that kind of colour set with aussie flags would be awesome. Thanks heaps @Fitz

That looks sweet as all hell, love it @Fitz

As Arma 3 is a military simulator/game, patriotism is definitely a theme that ought to have some leg room. I would absolutely love to see some Australian Defence Force character camouflage BDU patterns with Australian Flag patches, both in the new AMCU pattern and the older, yet still in service, AUSCAM variant. Realistically, the current U.S NATO camouflage in the vanilla Arma 3, with modified Australian Flag patches rather than U.S patches, would be fine if conformity is sought after. It would be a great addition to the server imo seeing as how it is Australian based and operated. The potential for flags and IDs on vehicles is also a nice thought. Sure the lore is U.S led NATO, but I believe there is more that can be done to bring the 'Straya' side of StrayaGaming out to shine. Let me know what y'all think..