WD_Skycab

3.5.0

3.5.0

NEW
- Fast-rope insertion: add rope to a /flyto (/flyto marker rope, /flyto hill 334 rope). Instead of landing, the helicopter hovers over the trees at that spot, clear of the canopy, and everyone who gets out is put straight down on open ground it has checked: no rocks, walls or roofs. Works in thick forest. For dropping troops off only; with no safe ground it looks for an LZ as usual. The "LZ fouled" reply now suggests it.
- Gunship escort, Sabre 1-1: a door-gun helicopter that circles your LZ about 350 m out while your helicopter works there. Add escort to any helicopter call (/extract escort, /dustoff urgent escort), and by default it also comes by itself when your helicopter is shot at or a red flare marks the LZ hot.
- Sabre's gunners find and engage the enemy themselves, but hold fire whenever a friendly player or your helicopter is within 20 m of their target, and leave targets far from the LZ alone. It follows your helicopter to the next LZ, covers the crash site if it goes down, and leaves once your ride is on its way home.
- 14 new recorded lines: the fast-rope calls, and Sabre in a voice of its own.
- Server admins: new config.json list escorts (vanilla UH-1H with door guns for the US, Mi-8 for the USSR, one up per side) and settings escortMode (off, request, hot or always; default hot), escortOrbitRadius, escortOrbitHeight, escortNoFireRadius, escortEngageRadius, escortMaxTime, hoverDrop and hoverDropMaxHeight. They are added to your existing config.json on the next start.

FIXED
- Supply crates dropped inside a base no longer take the base's side: a US box at an enemy base handed out Russian gear until the point was captured. Each crate now keeps its own faction wherever it lands.

3.0.0

3.0.0

NEW
- Standby: /extract standby (also /lift, /resupply) sends a helicopter that holds 2 km out until you call it in with /comein, pop smoke or fire a flare. 10 minutes of loiter time, and no cooldown if you never call it in.
- Dustoff precedence: /dustoff urgent comes faster and straight in; /dustoff routine waits on standby; plain /dustoff is priority, as before.
- The helicopter plans its approach: 3 km out it picks the side of the LZ with the lowest trees, circles round only when it has to, and sets up a steep approach early for a tight LZ. The pilot tells you what he's doing.
- It picks the most open clearing near you, not just the nearest gap in the trees, and lifts straight up out of tight clearings before flying out over the lowest side.
- No clear ground at your pickup? It lands at the nearest clear ground within 250 m, marked on your map, instead of refusing. Same for /flyto.
- No more landing on people: with players on the touchdown spot it holds a hover and calls "Clear the LZ!", then sets down beside it.
- Smoke done right: about a minute out the pilot asks for smoke, names the colour he sees and moves the LZ to it.
- "Two minutes out" on longer flights, and more ways of saying the common calls.
- Weather: in rain or fog it flies slower and lower; in a gale or thick fog the dispatcher won't send one (vanilla weather never gets that bad).
- Landing light on final at night (never into a hot LZ).
- /flyto takes any marker on your side's map by its name: /flyto hill 334.
- /status shows who is aboard each helicopter and QRF.
- QRF: order hold even after a plain QRF call. One driving you to base turns back to the pickup and holds there.
- 48 new recorded pilot lines: standby, the weather, approach and crowded LZ calls, smoke, two minutes out, the drop-off call, and supply runs.
- Server admins: /skycab set <setting> <value> changes a config.json setting from chat; /skycab debug marks each helicopter's LZ choice and approach plan on the map. New settings: standbyTime, weatherMaxWind, weatherMaxFog, weatherSlowdown, hotApproachAngle, hotDescentMax.

CHANGED
- SkyCab's radio net is now 50 MHz instead of 48 (the US HQ frequency); 50 is free on every vanilla radio.
- Supply runs drop full arsenal boxes (weapons, ammunition, equipment, medical); US troops also get a Russian one.
- Hot landings are much steeper and faster (20 degrees, up to 12 m/s); normal ones a little steeper (13 degrees, up to 7 m/s).
- QRF vehicles stop for players: the lead halts 25 m short of the pickup, slows for the last 150 m, and waits for anyone in its path.
- A leaving QRF vehicle stays on the map, marked "(leaving)", and despawns after 2 minutes if players are near (was 5).
- On the way to your drop-off, the one-klick call tells you to get ready to dismount.
- The dispatcher explains its refusals ("the crews are still turning around", "we need eyes on the ground at the LZ").
- Servers with an existing config.json keep their old listenFrequency, supplies, approachAngle, landingDescentMax and qrfDepartMaxTime until changed (/skycab set does it from chat).

REMOVED
- On-screen pop-ups. Every call is still on the radio and in chat.

FIXED
- Countermeasure flares burn out after a few seconds instead of staying for good.
- Being put out of a helicopter or QRF vehicle no longer knocks you unconscious.
- A Game Master deleting a helicopter or its pilot could freeze every SkyCab flight and QRF.
- Staying aboard after a drop-off no longer puts the pilots out, and climbing back in can't keep it on the pad.
- /skycab clear puts players out first instead of deleting them with the vehicle.
- A QRF that can't reach base in time stops instead of driving on while you dismount.
- A destroyed QRF no longer blocks your side from calling another while people stay near the wreck.
- "qrf" and "air" commands go to the vehicle they name, and the Chariot and Dustoff menus each command their own helicopter.
- Your cooldown starts when your ride leaves; calling again while it flew off used to skip it.
- Departing helicopters and QRF spawns no longer pick a random direction a quarter of the time.
- Recorded radio calls no longer play out of order.
- /skycab reload no longer resets the running totals.
- A hit on the ground at a red-flare pickup now cuts the wait to 15 seconds, as at any other LZ.

2.4.0

2.4.0

NEW
- QRF: order hold even after a plain QRF call. The convoy on its way holds once it arrives, one already there holds for 5 minutes from your order, and one driving you to base turns back to the pickup and holds there.
- Server admins: hotApproachAngle and hotDescentMax in config.json set how steeply and fast the helicopter comes in hot.
- Supply runs have their own recorded pilot lines (7 new voice lines).

CHANGED
- QRF vehicles no longer run over players: the lead halts 25 m short of the pickup marker, the convoy slows to 20 km/h for the last 150 m, and any vehicle stops and waits while someone on foot is in its path.
- Supply runs now drop full arsenal boxes (weapons, ammunition, equipment, medical) instead of ammunition and medical crates; US troops also get a Russian one. Servers with an existing config.json keep their old supplies list until they change it.
- Hot landings are much steeper and faster: a 20-degree approach and up to 12 m/s descent (was 10 degrees and 9 m/s). Normal landings are a little steeper too: 13 degrees and up to 7 m/s (was 10 and 6). Servers with an existing config.json keep their old approachAngle and landingDescentMax until they change them.
- A QRF vehicle that's leaving stays on the map, marked "(leaving)", until it despawns, and a leaving vehicle stuck near players now despawns after 2 minutes instead of 5. Existing config.json files keep their old qrfDepartMaxTime.

2.3.0

2.3.0

NEW
- Signal flares: fire a green flare and the helicopter lands under it (the QRF picks up on the road nearest it); fire a red one and it comes into the hot LZ fast. Works at night, when smoke can't be seen.
- The helicopter pops countermeasure flares when it's shot at or coming into a hot LZ.
- SkyCab now keeps running totals (sorties, passengers, casualties healed, supply drops) in /status, and the pilot marks every 50th passenger.
- Service records: with the new SkyCab Extraction: Service Record Bridge addon and WD_ServiceRecord also loaded, every finished run is added to the service records on the Warhawk Division website. Without the bridge, SkyCab sends nothing off the server.
- Server admins: signalMarkers in config.json lets modded chemlights or IR strobes lying on the ground mark the LZ like smoke.
- Server admins: tallyReset in config.json: the running totals start again at each restart (default), each day, or never.

CHANGED
- License 1.1: covers the bridge addon, and section 3 now says what SkyCab records (server log lines, running totals) and what reaches the website when the bridge is loaded.

2.2.0

2.2.0

NEW
- Supply drops: /resupply (or Chariot > Resupply in the menus, "Resupply here" on the map) sends a helicopter that lands ammunition and medical crates beside you, waits 30 seconds for anyone who wants a ride, then leaves. US troops also get a Russian ammunition crate.
- /status: where your side's helicopters and QRF are, what they're doing, their ETA, and when you can call again. Only you see it; no radio needed. Also in the radio, command and map menus.
- Dustoff now treats casualties: bleeding stops once aboard, and everyone is fully healed when it sets them down at a friendly base.
- Pop-ups: touchdown, taking fire, mayday, last warnings and the QRF's big calls also appear on screen for the caller and the passengers.
- The pilot asks for a destination at one minute and 30 seconds before lift-off when nobody has given one.
- The pilot and the QRF commander now have a sense of humour, heard only by the people riding with them.
- Admin and Game Master commands: /skycab reload (re-read config.json without a restart), /skycab list, /skycab clear (remove a stuck helicopter or convoy), /skycab send (make a call for a player who can't).

CHANGED
- More realistic landing approach, the first step of ongoing work with Cpt.Drthdgy, a Marine Corps helicopter pilot: it now flies a proper approach angle down to the landing zone, arrives low and slow instead of high overhead, steepens its approach over trees and buildings near the LZ, and spends far less time hanging over the landing zone. More refinements to approaches and landings will follow.
- Default cruise height lowered from 60 m to 35 m. Servers with an existing config.json keep their old value until they change it.
- To hear your side's helicopter and QRF radio calls, you now need a radio switched on and tuned to 48 MHz. Switch it off or retune to stop hearing them. The caller and passengers always hear their own ride.
- 28 new recorded voice lines.

2.0.3

2.0.3

CHANGED: The helicopter now gains speed like a real one after lifting off: nose down, building up over about 13 seconds instead of shooting off. Tunable with the new "acceleration" setting.

2.0.2

2.0.2

FIXED: When the QRF vehicle is destroyed, its crew is killed, or a Game Master removes it, the radio now says so ("Bulldog 1-1 is down: combat ineffective") instead of "can't get through" or nothing at all. No cooldown is charged if it never reached you.
NEW: /waveoff (or Wave off in the menus) while the QRF drives you to base means "drop us here": it stops, you get out, and it leaves.

2.0.1

2.0.1
FIXED: QRF vehicles sat still for minutes after spawning (their drivers were being replaced over and over).
CHANGED: The QRF now sends one vehicle by default (more can be listed in config.json).
CHANGED: A QRF vehicle that gets stuck tries three new routes before giving up, and if it is stuck within 300 m of you it stops there and fights; your pickup marker moves to it.
FIXED: Radio calls when the only QRF vehicle is lost; no cooldown is charged if it never reaches you.

2.0.0

2.0.0

NEW: QRF ground convoy (/qrf). AI-crewed gun vehicles (call sign Bulldog) drive to you on the road network, fight while you mount up, and drive you to the nearest friendly base. Vehicles lock after drop-off; players can never drive or keep them.
NEW: /qrf hold. The convoy reinforces your position for 5 minutes instead of only picking you up.
NEW: Radio menu. Inspect a switched-on radio to call or direct the helicopter and the QRF.
NEW: Commanding radial and map radial. A SkyCab category with Chariot, Dustoff and QRF; "Pick up here", "Fly here" and "Hold here" on the map (pickups within 500 m of you).
NEW: Settings > Controls > SkyCab. Bindable buttons for every call (unbound by default).
NEW: Full voice for the second helicopter (Chariot / Dustoff 1-2) and the QRF commander.
NEW: config.json settings for the QRF (per-side vehicles, crew, limits, timers, lock) and mapRequestRange. Added to existing files automatically.

CHANGED: All voice lines slightly quieter, to sit with the game's own radio.
CHANGED: Everyone on your side hears the pilot's radio calls; only the caller and passengers can give orders.

1.0.5

1.0.5

CHANGED
- Faster helicopter: cruise speed raised to about 210 km/h, and the under-fire sprint to about 245 km/h.
- Pilot voice is now even quieter, in line with the game's own radio dialogue volume.

1.0.4

1.0.4

CHANGED
- Reduced pilot radio volume, in line with the game's own radio and dialogue volume.

1.0.3

1.0.3

FIXED
- Pilot voice only spoke the first radio call; every call after that was silent. All calls are now spoken, one after another.

1.0.2

1.0.2

NEW
- Pilot voice: every radio call is now spoken by the helicopter pilot as well as shown in chat. Calls that arrive together are spoken in turn, and urgent calls are shouted. Quick replies to typing mistakes keep the plain radio sound.
- /land: tells the helicopter to stop what it is doing and set down at the nearest clear ground, now. With passengers aboard that is your drop-off; called from the ground, it waits for you to board. If there is no clear ground close enough it says so and keeps flying.
- Server admins can turn the pilot voice off with "voiceLines": false in profile/SkyCab/config.json; it is added to the file automatically on the next start.

1.0.1

1.1.0

NEW
- Reacts to taking fire. When the helicopter is hit it goes evasive for about 20 seconds (faster, higher, weaving). Hit on final approach, it comes in hot instead of turning away. At a pickup the boarding time drops to 15 seconds; at a drop-off it leaves as soon as the last passenger is out. Badly damaged on the way in or at a pickup, it aborts: with people aboard it heads for the nearest friendly base, otherwise it leaves.
- Radio sound with every reply, so you hear the helicopter without watching chat. Urgent calls (taking fire, mayday, last boarding warning) use a sharper tone.
- Server admins can tune it in profile/SkyCab/config.json: cruise speed and height, landing descent, hover height, boarding time, departure delay, every taking-fire setting, and both radio sounds. Missing settings are added automatically; out-of-range values are clamped and logged.

CHANGED
- Faster trips: cruise speed raised from 145 to 180 km/h, and it brakes later before the LZ.
- Faster landings: comes straight down onto the LZ more quickly and calls touchdown sooner.

FIXED / OTHER
- License wording aligned with Bohemia Interactive's EULA and Workshop Terms.

1.0.0