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[iculus]

Need I say more

[Westy]

 Really!!!  What a nice Friday night surprise!

 8" naval shell bombardments!!   It all sounds wonderful. My eyes bugged out when I saw the features for the 80' Elco though! I wonder if it will be multi-mannable as in gun/torpedo/helm positions. Might be TOO many guns for one person, or one person plus one gunner as in a bomber.  I could see a captain to navigate the boat, and at least two gunners possibly including the Captain who could move to a gun station too? Or to even the torpedoes. Honestly. I am drooling over the chance to operate a PT boat.

  -Westy

[This message has been edited by Westy (edited 11-03-2000).]

[Wardog]

We are getting PT boats.. love it.

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Unlike the fleet ships which are pilotless and persistent, the PT boats work like any other plane or vehicle. We're making a late-model 80' Elco. This will be one of the heaviest armed vehicles in the game with 4 .50 cal machine-guns, a 20mm cannon, a 37mm cannon, a 40mm cannon, 16 five-inch rockets, and 4 torpedos. Speed is around 45 mph.

Dog out............

[hblair]

I'll save the rest of you the trip  ...

The Afrika Corps scenario is beginning this weekend. See http://events.hitechcreations.com/scenarios/afrika/  and visit the Afrika Corps forum on this message board for more details. If you aren't registered and want to try and secure a spot as a walk-on, please make sure to familiarize yourself with the event and the procedure for walk-ons.
For 1.05, the score system will be undergoing some changes. Fighter and bomber scores will be broken out to separate rankings and those rankings will be averaged to determine your overall rank. There's a number of other changes being made to the score system as well.

We've begun work on the ships. Right now we're working on a PT boat and a carrier. The fleet we're working on for 1.05 consists entirely of American ships. Ships from other countries will be something we can work on in the future for use in historical terrains. We have to see how much work is involved in this first set of ships before we can plan that far ahead. The fleet ships we're keeping as simple as we can. While they will be player-controlled, it won't be as a helmsman. That will be done by inputting waypoints for the fleet to sail to. The player with the highest overall ranking will get precedence in positioning the fleet. Players will also be able to man the guns for both anti-aircraft and shore bombardment.

The carrier that we're working on is an Essex class carrier. After that, we'll start working on a Baltimore class cruiser. The 8" guns on the cruiser will be the heavy bombardment weapon of the fleet. If people like that aspect of the game, we'll probably follow up with a battleship. For anti-aircraft, players will be able to control a variety of batteries ranging up to the 5" guns with VT fuzes.

Unlike the fleet ships which are pilotless and persistent, the PT boats work like any other plane or vehicle. We're making a late-model 80' Elco. This will be one of the heaviest armed vehicles in the game with 4 .50 cal machine-guns, a 20mm cannon, a 37mm cannon, a 40mm cannon, 16 five-inch rockets, and 4 torpedos. Speed is around 45 mph.

Naturally, a new terrain will be required to implement the navy and we're working on that as well.


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Doug "Pyro" Balmos

[/b]

[bloom25]

I saw that just now, it all sounds exciting.  (The only thing I think may cause problems is the carrier steering idea.  Rankings are not a true measure of skill, and regardless, why allow one person alone to control the carrier?) Maybe a button on the clipboard would allow anyone in that sector to enter a vote of sorts for the fleet steering directions. I can't wait for the pt boats and cruisers!  



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bloom25
THUNDERBIRDS

[flakbait]

Minor problem with that carrier control. Unless you know your ranking at that very moment, no one could control the carrier. Displaying each pilot's ranking next to his name, or on the upper part of the clipboard, would work. It'd be even easier if it was displayed in the Roster. Add a setting which only displays your country's current roster, and next to each name you'd see their ranking. It would instantly let someone know they've got the highest ranking and can control the carrier.

This could be more easily done if the carrier was tasked to a fixed route, which someone could change using the mission planner. For planned missions, anyone could set a route for the carrier to follow. If there's no mission in which a carrier is needed, it defaults back to the fixed route.

Just some random ramblings.



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Flakbait
Delta 6's Flight School
"My art is the wings of an aircraft through the skies, my music the deep hum of a prop as it slices the air, my thrill the thunder of guns tearing asunder an enemy plane."
Flakbait
19 September 2000

[wolf37]

heres a tip, just remember where the carrie is if you plan on landing on it.

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wolf37
C.O.
THUNDER BIRDS

[flakbait]

Pyro goofed on the PT-boat speed. Top speed for an 80' Elco boat is 48 knots, or 53 mph. I've been looking around a few Navy sites for specs and found this: http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/mandm/ptspecs.htm

I also found the following info about the Baltimore class: http://www.warships1.com/USca068_Baltimore_specs.htm

Essex class carriers come in two flavors, short or long hull. I'm not sure which Pyro is putting together, but here's the specs on those too: http://www.warships1.com/UScv09_Essex.htm




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Flakbait
Delta 6's Flight School
"My art is the wings of an aircraft through the skies, my music the deep hum of a prop as it slices the air, my thrill the thunder of guns tearing asunder an enemy plane."
Flakbait
19 September 2000