Few things I would like to see

[2Late4U]

Here is a list of a few things that I think would be nice to have implemented.  Some have certainly been brought up before, but they say...its just my 2¢

Bombing/BOMB DISPERSION:

Yea, I've seen this one a few (hundred) times before, but I think it would add to the gameplay quite a bit if some bozo in a Lanc couldnt watch TV for an hour while he climbs to 30k (what else is there to do while you climb at 600 fpm???)  Then he proceeds to take out my HQ and city with relative impunity because it takes forever to get that high, and he can still bomb VERY accurately.  "Realistic" dispersion factors of 6'/1000 alt (which is BTW what unguided bombs have just by the laws of physics)...that means at 10k your aim is +/- 60 feet, 20K that +/- 120 feet and at 30k its +/- 180 feet.  Not only does this make bombing problematic above 10K, but it would eliminate those silly straight arrow crater lines.  I know much of this effects game balance, but I think properly implemented it could add greatly to game balance.


SQUAD MARKINGS:

I love the idea of squad markings!  It really could make for a much more engaging experience.  Unfortunately, as they are implemented now, you never get to see them on a plane.  I feel it would add tremendously to the fun factor if the squad logo was not only on the nose, but also on the wings and tail!  The current country markings on the planes is useless and doesnt convey the excitement of knowing the guy your trying to shoot down is a member of XXXXX squad.  Wouldnt hurt if the squad markers we in the films too!

PROGRESSIVE BASE CLOSURE:

Instead of either having fighters or not, bombers or not etc, I would like to see a more progressive base closure system, where you lose "top of the line" planes first, but early war aircraft (reserves?) are still available until base is 100% flat.  I just feel this would not only get more older variants some air time, but it also adds the "against all odd" element to gameplay.

Just a few things that will probably never happen.....but when I'm King Bwahahahaha

[bloom25]

You have some good points that are worthy of discussion.

A.  Bomb dispersion:  This IMO is a mixed bag.  

Problem: If you make bombing have "realistic" chances of hitting the target then no one will fly bombers.  The solution here is pinpoint bombing accuracy.  New Problem: Lone bombers can "ruin" the fun for a whole country by climbing to extreme altitudes and bombing with impunity from 35k.  My solution is this:  Make the bomb sight impossible to see out of at 35k.  Basically how it would work is there would be a haze (kind of like fog) that makes it harder to see out of the sight at high altitudes.  This haze would increase exponentially above 20k.  How does this sound to others?

B.  Squad markings:
  As far as I know we are the only online sim that currently has nose art at all.  That said, I like your idea here.  Maybe we could also have the art displayed on the rudder.

C.  Progressive base closure:

This would cause arguments and general displeasure among the communtity.  You will end up with arguements like, "I pay my $30 a month just like everybody else so I can fly p51s, but now I can't fly it.  I QUIT!"  Although your idea is a good one, the system we currently have with the hangars (while not perfect) works pretty well.

I'd like to see early war planes added as well, but I don't think they would see much use as they would be totally outclassed by the late war fighters.  An early war arena is an option, but this does have the downside of drawing players from the MA to fill it.  The number of players in the Early War arena during off peak hours would probably be too few to be fun.  One interesting proposal I heard a while ago was this:  Have either an island, or a seperate area walled in my high mountains, that is in the main arena.  This idea wouldn't impact the number of players in the arena, and the late war aircraft couldn't get to the early war area because of range limitations.  I prefer the island idea myself; it's a little less fantasy like.  This isn't totally unrealistic either, ETO, PTO, and North African theater planes were often very different.  In general the ETO planes and PTO planes were superior to those used in the MED and N. Africa.

 

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bloom25
THUNDERBIRDS

[Dinger]

Better than a "Walled-in" island, just limit the A/C type at the forward fields: one has IJ stuff, the other RAF, a third USAAF, etc.
You could have say four aircraft "groupings", along the lines of:
Group 1:
Spit
Typhoon

Group 2:
109
190
c.202
c.205

Group 3:
P38
P47
P51
F4U

Group 4:
N1K
A6M
Yak-9
La5

(Ok, group 4 is temporary until they add the Il-2, the La7, the Ki-61, the Ki-45, Ki-100, etc.)

Anyway, forward bases (one RW) have only one group available.  Medium bases have two, and Large bases have all.  That way, fans of a specific plane won't be left too far behind (they can always ferry aircraft if they're desperate), battles will be more spread out, and the furballing masses will be encouraged to try other rides.

[hazed-]

I think the bomb dipersal is a good idea just make the blast radius larger and hangers slightly weaker say 2000lb intead of 3000. This way it would still be possible to hit a hanger with a 3x 1000lb salvo (almost) everytime IF dropped from 15-20k but single bombs would be too inaccurate.I think because bombs are less accurate you will get more bombers up together not less bombers. as long as its possible to take a base alone (as in Vbases) solo flyers cant really complain.Jabo will be more accurate as it was in RL.
For instance i hardly ever fly to the huge airbases alone because i cant down all the hangers alone so i organise missions etc.
I think the refineries should cause more problems for enemy when hit too. I hardly ever see people bothering with fuel ,ack ,troop refineries because by the time you return from the bombing the effect has worn off.
If someone levels the troop training refineries it should reduce available troops everywhere maybe even stop them?.Ack refinery should maybe halve rates of fire at ack sites? Fuel refinery means worse grade fuel so it burns quicker or causes DT's to be unavailable?.SOMETHING!!! ANYTHING   just causing slightly longer respawn is next to useless and never noticable.
i would be happy to be killed by a 1000lber that lands 100 yards away because in real life it would throw you hundreds of feet in a twisted mess   look at damage done by a 500lb bomb in London by the IRA. 500lb is an immense explosion!

hazed

[AKSeaWulfe]

In reference to nose art, yes I agree it really isn't visible unless you want to sit on their wing and glare at the nose to locate it. Now, if we could setup a way for us to have, say squad paint schemes (not outrageous ones, pre approved by HTC) that would be something worthwhile. However, we'd obviously need to have a limit set on how many members in a squad there needs to be in order for their to be squadron paint schemes. Say 10 members? That way we can limit the number of varying paint schemes to a minimum instead of running into 10 guys with 10 different paint schemes(which is quite some memory and a pain everytime a new scheme comes into range because it has to load it from the HDD and it makes your game stutter).

-SW

[hblair]

Nice discussion fellas.

[Midnight]

 

Originally posted by hazed-:
If someone levels the troop training refineries it should reduce available troops everywhere maybe even stop them?.Ack refinery should maybe halve rates of fire at ack sites? Fuel refinery means worse grade fuel so it burns quicker or causes DT's to be unavailable?.SOMETHING!!! ANYTHING  

That is one of the worst ideas. Killing a refinery should have no instant effect on fuel or troop availability etc. The strat system doesn't seem to work on fixed numbers of available resources as of now, so as long as hangers are up there will be infinate planes, fuel cells will give infinite fuel, etc.

Maybe someday, there will be strat where there is (for aguments sake) 10,000 gallons of fuel, 50 troops, 25 planes (any type) and so on at a field. Once those resoures have been depleted, no more will be available until after a supply convoy shows up to replenish. Then, if the supply depots, etc. are destroyed, there will be nothing to replenish anything with.

Maybe player controlled vehicles could take supplies from rear fields and bring them to the front lines until the supply routes are re-established.

It all sounds good, but I don't know about how it would be programmed without huge algorithams and all kinds of computing power.

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"Wing up, Get kills, Be happy"

Midnight
13th TAS