Author Topic: Just the sector bars, please (Read 412 times)

Wanker · « **on:** January 03, 2001, 01:08:00 PM »

I can think of a good, solid compromise in the latest "Radar" wars on this BBS: Go to sector counters only in the MA.

As the radar currently stands, with the "dots" enabled, it's too easy to determine whether that dot ahead at 2:00 is friendly or enemy. And that actually reduces the thrill factor for me. In fact, the dots take away any motivation to check your SA on a regular basis. And I think we all know that SA(situational awareness) was probably the key ingredient between life & death in real WW2 air combat.

By removing the dots and leaving the radar with sector counters, both sides should be happy. The sector counters make it easy for the instant gratification crowd to find a fight, and the lack of dots will make everyone pay more attention to their SA.

In my mind, this small change would be an enhancement to the already fabulous "gamulation" that is Aces High.

Mayhem · « **Reply #1 on:** January 03, 2001, 01:09:00 PM »

I got a better solution they can all go back to warbirds!

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Mayhem 33rd S.G.
"Destination anywhere, so far gone, I'm already there!"

[This message has been edited by Mayhem (edited 01-03-2001).]

NHFoxtro · « **Reply #2 on:** January 03, 2001, 01:14:00 PM »

I can live with just the bars.We would definatly see more fighter patrols and escorts for the Bomber Groups. It would make it a bit more realistic.

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NHFoxtro
-XO-NightHawks

NightHawks "WE BAD"

[This message has been edited by NHFoxtro (edited 01-03-2001).]

Ripsnort · « **Reply #3 on:** January 03, 2001, 01:15:00 PM »

While I agree with doing away with the DOT DAR, I'm not sure if this makes good business sense since a newbie coming online may end up getting jumped alot, being shy of SA, and thus quite disgusted after a bit.

NHFoxtro · « **Reply #4 on:** January 03, 2001, 01:19:00 PM »

What about making it like an easy mode for the Newbees Rip? After Three weeks it gets lifted. Naw that wouldn't work either. They could give the information to the experience pilots to easy.

[This message has been edited by NHFoxtro (edited 01-03-2001).]

AKDejaVu · « **Reply #5 on:** January 03, 2001, 01:24:00 PM »

I'd rather see dar stay the same over friendly bases... but change these things:

No dar whatsoever over enemy bases
No dar whatsoever for aircraft flying NOE (think that should be lower than 500 ft.
CV groups have dar similar to fields.. but show sector bars in adjacent sectors also
If a friendly plane is in an enemy sector, sector bars are visible in that sector. Plane needs to be x miles into the sector for that to work to keep people from flying circles at the corner of 4 sectors

This topic has been getting alot of discussion on the gameplay feedback/issues forum:
http://bbs.hitechcreations.com/smf/Smileys/default/Forum8/HTML/000959.html

AKDejaVu

[This message has been edited by AKDejaVu (edited 01-03-2001).]

Midnight · « **Reply #6 on:** January 03, 2001, 01:29:00 PM »

I think you need the radar markers to help you know the status of things. For example:

You see a dot, so you radio asking the DOT at position x.x.x to identify himself. You get no response so you fly miles off course to check it out and finally find it is a freindly who either didn't care to respond, or was AFK for whatever reason. Now you are upset for no good reason other than a feindly was not responding.

In RL, that could happen becuase of damaged radios, etc. but this is a game, and the radar is a playability enhancer.

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"Wing up, Get kills, Be happy"

Midnight
13th TAS

Mayhem · « **Reply #7 on:** January 03, 2001, 01:39:00 PM »

I think Dar should be tied to each base and tuned into like a radio channel. I think it should have a defenant range to the type of base. I think ships should be able to see other ships on dar. i think the map should have more detail. I've heard the idea of awacs. awacs was an experiment from WWII using a tbf avenger and some wildcats (this was the when Butch o'hare was killed). Radar plays a crucial role (look at the battle of britian.) and should be left in the game as well as the map. real modern radar can tell you Altitude bearing range and air craft type. It can tell you if a plane is climbing or diving or even if out of control (spining). Ive used ground radar and even as a silly little grunt I can tell troups from vehicles and can tell troup movements ususally within 5 people. and it's primitive.
even WWII radar could usually tell contact size number bearing altitude and range (and if the operator was good enough with it was friend or foe). they only way we can truly do that in came as have the game constantly tell you where the contacts are what they are and where there going. and iam sorry even a 1ghz computer can't handle that on a t1.

I personally hate the way you can turn off a countries entire radar with a single bombing mission.

Wanker · « **Reply #8 on:** January 03, 2001, 01:39:00 PM »

Yes Rip, but how easy do we need to make things for a newbie? I remember in the early days of WB, they had a newbie arena, where new folks could go in and safely learn how to fly online, without fear of getting shot down(killshooter was enabled for everyone). You know how long I stayed in there? About 10 minutes, just long enough to learn how to take off!

My point is, even newbies want to get into the fray ASAP, and dying is part of learning how to live. Sure, dots may help the newbie in the short term, but they detract from the game for everyone in the long run. Newbies have to learn SA sometime, might as well be right from the beginning.

ygsmilo · « **Reply #9 on:** January 03, 2001, 01:41:00 PM »

My thoughts:

No sector bars.

Dot radar for each field of 25 mile radius, dot radar for cv groups of 20 miles.

or,

Do away with HQ based radar and have 2 or 4 early warning type radars on country boundries that could be knocked out if enemy achieves local air superiorty, thus enabling low level attacks.

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Milo
3./JG2
"Swager's Angels"

Wanker · « **Reply #10 on:** January 03, 2001, 01:47:00 PM »

Quote

I think you need the radar markers to help you know the status of things. For example...

Midnight, this is not a slam on you, but that's precisely my point. I don't want to know every bit of information! I realize that certain adjustments in realism are neccessary to make this gamulation fun for everyone, but IMHO, the dots give out too much info. I hope the adjustments to come in the future don't get us to the point of having air spawning because "it takes too long to take off and grab alt".

This move toward instant gratification can be taken too far. This is one case where I think it has been.

[This message has been edited by banana (edited 01-03-2001).]

Eagler · « **Reply #11 on:** January 03, 2001, 01:49:00 PM »

Coming from FA, I can't speak for AW or WB but FA had a "Rookie" room. Once you earned a certain rank or experience you couldn't fly in it anymore. I see AH having to go towards that direction. An arena where someone just starting out in AH can get some air time and kills with being blasted to bits by the likes of Torque, Cit, Rip, (place name of pilot here). As the membership has grown and will continue to grow, I think they need a room for the more experienced ppl. One with just bars and no dar dots or with dots but no icons or decreased range icons, etc, etc.. options that would appeal to a pilot with better skills than the newbie. What's to it, another server? Couldn't they share the con as the ppl would be split between them. Personally I think the training room is a waste. Don't think I have spent 5 min in it total. (Maybe I should

)Turn that into a newbie arena, give us advance settings in an arena the newbie could graduate to. Rotate the dar, icon, dot, whatever settings to keep it interesting and challenging.

Eagler

Westy · « **Reply #12 on:** January 03, 2001, 01:49:00 PM »

I'd be happy for regular radar in the tower and sector bars in flight.

I rather like the thought of a com channel, a regular radio channel, tunable to some HQ frequency that via a dot (.grnctrl ) command we can query for vectors towards reported enemy contacts. A simple answer along the lines of "enemy reported bearing 325 (compass hdg from your current position) at angels 15" would suffice. Use of the country or local channel to ask folks on the scene or in the tower could garner more specifics beyond that.

-Westy

Wanker · « **Reply #13 on:** January 03, 2001, 01:54:00 PM »

Good ideas Eagler, but the AH player base isn't large enough for that yet. I think these decisions(for right now, anyway) have to be made with the single MA in mind.

Mayhem · « **Reply #14 on:** January 03, 2001, 01:58:00 PM »

I think inflight DAR is Fine. Ide like a few more options with it such as radar chanels. I wish people would stop crying about it and asking for it to be romoved. If they don't like it they can always go back to warbirds. I for one don't want this to be warbirds!

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Mayhem 33rd S.G.
"Destination anywhere, so far gone, I'm already there!"