Patreon Update - 2/4/24
Added 2024-04-02 05:53:32 +0000 UTCG’day all,
It’s a little overdue but it’s progress report time so let's quickly recap where we’re at with things.
NIArms Major Release
Last post in December was the Patron pre-release build of Phase 1 of the mil-spec AR15 project( you know, CAR15s, Vietnam-era M16s, that thing). The public release of those was bundled in with the next NIArms update which, due to reasons, took another couple months. The release did eventually come out and now the public’s got a grip on what’s going on here.
You can catch the full release files here if you’re not just subscribing through Steam Workshop - Pastebin - NIArms Update 7-3-24
NI… Trains??
(Neh, name needs more workshopping). So I think I can take this over the rubicon and confirm this as a thing that’s getting put in the “official” release pipeline at some sort rather than just a flight of idle fancy. I’m working on some railway rolling stock to supplement or directly replace the long-in-tooth Arma 2 stock. Reasons being that 1) they’re long in the tooth even for when A3 launched 2) they’re extremely chaotic chronologically - you’ve got relatively modern diesel-electric engines alongside, for the worst example, covered goods vans from the 1930s. So, we’re fixing that in both aspects - bringing the rolling stock up to current arma best standards and bringing it more in line with an actual former-soviet/currently-soviet railway era. 2K texture resolutions, tight hitboxes, SA-3 knuckle couplers and openable doors is the goal. That said, despite being now official, it’s still a secondary project, so it’s not going to be up for release any time soon.
Starting piece is a 11-280 Boxcar. Late former-soviet pattern that’s still in use today, so it’s got a fairly flexible depiction window. Where it stands at the moment is with a majority of the big structural components complete (Frame, Body, Roof), and the Draft Gear (Couplers, Cut levers, brake stanchions) nearing similar points. What’s not done yet are a lot of the smaller and optional details - Brake reservoirs/blocks/piping and hoses/anglecocks/retention valve,manual brake, Steps and ladders, eyelets for lifting, roof walkway, side doors. That is to say- much of the silhouette is there, its mostly small details that are what’s not done.
Above: GOST 9238-83 Russian Standard freight bogie and SA-3 Auto-coupler(knuckle coupler)- two of the distinct things that are standard within ex-/Soviet satellite state railways. Wheels are re-gauged from Russian Broad-gauge (5ft 3in) to Standard Gauge(4ft 8.5in) because Arma uses the latter not the former.Otherwise proportions and heights match Russian standards.
MilSpec AR15s - Phase 2
Back to the main interest though, we’re officially in phase 2. A lot of the hard work was done in phase 1 in regards to core components and dimensions, so everything going forwards is more or less just variations on the theme- it’s down to parts and minor alterations. Even the A2 upper receiver, which externally looks quite distinct from the A1, really only varies at the rear sight- which has been greatly beefed up. To recap what’s going into Phase 2 here:
Full Rifles
(645) M16A1E1 (A2 prototype)
(705**) M16A2 (Colt AND FN)
(646) M16A3
(723) M16A2 Carbine
(727) Government Carbine
(723/727) Delta Carbines
(733) Commando
(720) M4 (plus upgraded)
(715*) C7
(725*) C8
*- Original Colt model numbers from initial batch, Diemaco's model schema differs.
**- Entire M16A2 production run covers multiple model numbers with Colt, and multiple IDs with FN. For the sake of this list this has been simplified.
Additional Parts and Accessories
A2 Muzzle Device (Redo)
Custom Suppressor (Delta Carbines)
Diemaco M203A1 (C7)
Inner-tube-covered Dive Light
Aimpoint 3000 (+ Magnifier)
Aimpoint 5000 (+ Magnifier- is it the same magnifier? Concerning. Looking into.)
OG Redi-Mag
30-round Aluminium STANAG (+ variants)
30-round Thermold STANAG
It looks like a lot of variations on paper, but really there’s actually only a handful of actual distinct parts between them- the difference between the 723/727 Delta Carbines and the C8 is basically nothing except the markings. Likewise, the M4 only needs new hand-guards and stock to not be a 723, so there’s significant economies of redundancy in this phase working in my favour.
To start, back in early March I got to work on what’s interchangeably called the C7/C8 Upper or the A1E1 Upper - An A1 upper receiver with a transitional “Brunton Bump” Case Deflector. An easy add to an existing part with very little needed to fix.
Next came the reinforcing rib added to the buffer tower. Once again Colt were not content to just let be here, so there’s two patterns of reinforcement that has to go on - the earlier smooth one (seen on the carbines,early A2s, and all C7 and C8s going forward), and a more angular one (seen on later A2s and basically all the other mil-spec ARs not made by Diemaco).
Above: Early pattern reinforcing added to the lower receiver
Next, M16A2 hand-guards. Couldn’t get away with the trick I did with the A1 hand-guards and just model the heat-shields flat to the inside, due to reasons, those are now a separate piece (like on the M203 hand-guard). Other than that, it’s more or less just a long CAR15 grip so I started with that- stretched it,re-cut the vent holes, re-did the ribs on the side, added the greebles at the front for the retention cap, done.
The stock came next, but it’s really just a slightly longer version of the same from Phase 1 - Literally just stretched it to match the dimensions and called it done.
Above: A now very close to visibly complete C7.
Most recent part worked on is the BIG visual and functional change from the A1-era guns- the upper receiver. Conveniently, a lot of the model work for this has already been done, so I just needed to institute the change: the rear sight tower. In essence, I did what they did, omitted the cuts inside the carry handle, added material at the back of the sight tower, and then re-cut for the new sight. It was a lot easier than I expected.
Above: a sequence displaying the progress of the of the A2 upper receiver into a visually, almost complete M16A2
I’ve left off a couple of small tasks in the process, like making the barrel heavier and the FSB adjusted to suit, but we are basically looking now a mostly-done M16A2, all the big parts™ are complete. There’s a couple of things still left to do to finish it up- A redone half-birdcage flash hider and the finger-grooved pistol grip being most notable. However as I alluded to earlier a lot of phase 2 is just extra small parts and slight changes. With the long rifle parts done, it’s time to do carbines and fill out the pool there.
Additionally, as always, you can find the higher-res images from this post here - https://imgur.com/a/Wdir37W
Until next time, take it easy folks -
Toadie Out.
