All the talk about when and what ToD has really got me wondering: What will navigation be like in the new game?
When I was a starving student back in 2000, I used to play AH off line all the time. I wasn't shooting down the HTC staff in their circle-jerk of ponies, instead I would Make some kind of sketchy flight plan, then try to guess my way from one base to another. At the time, I was reading a book about plane dissaperances, and there was a lot of talk about navigation error, so it was a fun diversion. It was always interesting when you would wind up someplace other than where you intended to go.
Now, obviously I could have simply brought up the clipboard map to establish my current location, but where's the fun in that? I completely understand and appreciate the use of the clipboard map in the MA, which gives you an excellent tool for finding the action and getting into it quickly. In the SEA we often limit the clipboard map by turning off radar, or at least restricting the use of it. But what we never restrict is the ability to look at the map and know precisely where our plane is at any give moment.
What do you think/hope that the Tour of Duty will use to aid/inhibit navigation?
I should first say that I recognise the term "Nuisance realism" and believe that adding no navigational assistance may really kill the fun for a lot of people. But what are the options here?
There are two extemes here
1. Everything remains as it is, full clipboard with the locations of all fields and your current position indicated.
2. Nothing but a map with limited information such as allied fields, enemy population centers, and whatever tactical data is necessary for the mission (e.g. the target location).
What is there in between these extremes?
Waypoints? we be given waypoint data, so that on command the direction and distance to the next mission waypoint would be given? How would this be better or worse than simply being given your exact location? It would certainly make things hairy for you if you had to deviate from your flight plan due to mechanical failure.
What else could be used? I'm really not sure, but I have some high hopes for the possibility of getting lost
-Sik
