Vehicle Icons

[ssDruid]

Why doesn't HTC remove the enemy vehicle icons so that it will make it as hard as it was in World War II to see ground vehicles on the move. Leave the friendly icons but remove the enemy.
This would eliminate all the chances of actually being dive bombed because it would make it that much more difficult to see the enemy vehicles. Would require better tactics while in the air and on the ground.

ssDRUID

[Larry]

The same reason they wont take icons off planes.

[Blooz]

The icon is already "under" the vehicle which makes it very tough to see and the icon doesn't become visable at all until you are very close range (1200yds I think?).

[TUXC]

A moving vehicle would leave a nice cloud of dust which could be spotted from the air at low altitude if the ground was dry....

[Arlo]

"Why doesn't HTC help me hide my tank from those mean old planes better?"

[E25280]

Originally posted by ssDruid
Why doesn't HTC remove the enemy vehicle icons so that it will make it as hard as it was in World War II to see ground vehicles on the move. Leave the friendly icons but remove the enemy.
This would eliminate all the chances of actually being dive bombed because it would make it that much more difficult to see the enemy vehicles. Would require better tactics while in the air and on the ground.

ssDRUID

You've got it backwards.  The icons are there to make it as easy to spot the enemy as it would be in WWII.  A tank sitting in the open in AH at 1500 yards looks like so much ground clutter, when in RL that tank would stand out plain as day.

[lyric1]

I can pick gv's out from over 15k before I drop on them no icons are showing from that height.

[NoBaddy]

Originally posted by ssDruid
This would eliminate all the chances of actually being dive bombed because it would make it that much more difficult to see the enemy vehicles.

Not to be too rude...but DUH!!!

Read what you wrote above and you have the answer to your question.

It's a combat game...not a hide 'n' seek game.

[ssDruid]

Obviously it is a combat game. But as in real life if you have ever stood in the hatch of a tank as a tank commander and conducted major maneuvers on a combined arms level either in peacetime or combat, with both fixed winged and rotary wing aircraft, it is very easy to move through both the open ground and cluttered terrain such as woods and urban areas and not be detected.
Sure vehicles leave dust trails but only if the maneuver area is dry and the specific conditions are right. A vehicle that is moving at a track pad creep will not "kick up" any dust. While others that are moving at faster speeds will leave a very large visible dust trail, all based on current weather conditions. High winds create less dust. Rain reduces the chances of any dust clouds.
Let's see if I can make it any clearer--paint the target so it can be identified and destroyed. Obviously there were no laser designators in the World War Two theater of operations, Pacific or European.
I am by all means not complaining. I think this is one of the best combat simulation games out today. Just trying to make it more realistic that is all.

ssDRUID

[FiLtH]

I see the dots long before the icons.

[The Fugitive]

Originally posted by ssDruid
.................Let's see if I can make it any clearer--paint the target so it can be identified and destroyed. Obviously there were no laser designators in the World War Two theater of operations, Pacific or European............

ssDRUID

No but there were ground support with spotters and such. The reason you were bombed, is someone yelled out "there are GVs all over the place at such and such a base". Hvys moved in "looking" for the GVs, spotted and destroyed same.

Sounds about right to me. Don't think anything needs to be fixed.

[TUXC]

Originally posted by ssDruid

Sure vehicles leave dust trails but only if the maneuver area is dry and the specific conditions are right. A vehicle that is moving at a track pad creep will not "kick up" any dust. While others that are moving at faster speeds will leave a very large visible dust trail, all based on current weather conditions. High winds create less dust. Rain reduces the chances of any dust clouds.

How many tanks do you see creeping along in first gear in the MA as opposed to full speed? How often does it rain or is it windy in the MA? If you're stopped in a forest you'd be tough to spot from the air, but if you're rumbling along full tilt in your 60ton tiger in open terrain near an enemy base, chances are you might get noticed.

Icons are already disabled for gv to gv combat and only work at fairly short range (1500yds) for aircraft. Usually if a plane is low enough to see a gv icon it has to climb for an accurate dive bombing attack.

[TwentyFo]

I've killed gv's cruising in bombers at 13K before. Rarely, do I see the icon before the vehicle. Only instances where icon helps, is when a gv is hiding in town (inside a building). I don't think removing icon would help gv'ers that much.

[MajIssue]

Originally posted by ssDruid
Why doesn't HTC remove the enemy vehicle icons so that it will make it as hard as it was in World War II to see ground vehicles on the move. Leave the friendly icons but remove the enemy.
This would eliminate all the chances of actually being dive bombed because it would make it that much more difficult to see the enemy vehicles. Would require better tactics while in the air and on the ground.

ssDRUID

Interesting Druid... The system as it is now does favor aircraft over GVs. The thing that bothers me is that when a GV is "perfectly" concealed in a bombed bldg or in trees/vegetation the icon is clearly visible from the air even when the GV is stationary with engine off. When I'm trying to kill GVs this is good... When I'm driving a GV this in NOT so good! I recently started to up gvs more often and have had alot of fun in an area that I pretty much ignored before... (thanks in part to my exDAT CO ssDRUID)

In recent tours it seems that there is a trend toward more GV play and there are obviously some tweeks that will improve that aspect of the game. I would suggest that when a GV is stationary with engine off it's icon is off as well.


[edited for spelling]

[Carwash]

If you want to see what AH would look like without the icons, turn them off.  Shift I or something like that.  I don't know about GVs, but with aircraft you can't tell shat from shinola at D600.  The icons are there to identify friend from foe and bring about combat.  

If you want a game where you have to visually identify your target, try WWII online.  Be prepared to be bored and frustrated however.