Missing feature (new feature request)

[SpyHawk]

I must say after 1 week of AH I am thouroughly impressed. Plus I am fnially down to the 300's in my rank!

However despite the many pioneering aspects of AH I found it wanting for one feature that almost all modern sims have:

Padlock view. I have been killed several times after loosing site of the enemy. Not becuase he was out of my LOS, but becuase I couldn't flip the hat-switch on my joystick around fast/accurately enough in the heat of battle.

My favorite padlock view is Falcon 4.0, because you get the persistant artificial horizon guage in the corner of your viewing area. And the cockpit reflection in the canopy also helps to maintain your orientation.

Ok, hope this feedback helps. It could only make the best online sim even better!

[Ripsnort]

Spyhawk, if you do a topic search, you'll see this hashed over many times.  Most supported not having a padlock view.  I'm neither for or against it, just thought I'd let you know that you can read some old threads about it.

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Ripsnort(-rip1-)
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I spare no class or cult or  creed,
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I bow all heads and break all hearts,
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-------------General Patton

[SpyHawk]

Ok. I didn't really do a search. I just looked down the subject headers on the feedback board and didn't see a padlock thread. It would make sense that somebody would have already brought it up.

But hey, maybe one more long drawn our discussion could make them put it in  

[Lephturn]

Heh, don't count on it.  

The padlock thing has bee kicked around so long it's rediculous.  I know HTC is not likely to implement it, so don't waste too much time thinking about it.

BTW, you lost some fights because you lost sight.  Good!  You SHOULD be losing some fights for that reason.  With some artificial padlock manuevers that are designed to work to a pilot's blind side or to be difficult to track, become largely useless.  Once you get the hang of the view system, it is actually much superior to a padlock IMHO.  It's easier to scan the skies (better SA)and you don't get target fixated like you do with a padlock.  Although a padlock would be an advantage in simple 1v1 fights, in a multiplayer arena it is a severe disadvantage compared to a good snap-view system.

If you would like any help in setting up a good view system, please let me know (I'm a trainer).(sconrad@hfx.eastlink.ca)  After some practice and success, I think you'll come to love the snap-view system as much as I do.

I am opposed to any padlock feature, if for no other reason than it's the last thing I'd want HTC spending time and resources on!  Bring on my P47-N instead.  

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Lephturn - Chief Trainer
A member of The Flying Pigs
Visit Lephturn's Aerodrome for AH news, resources, and training data.
 http://users.andara.com/~sconrad/


"MY P-47 is a pretty good ship
And she took a round coming 'cross the Channel last trip
I was thinking 'bout my baby and lettin' her rip
Always got me through so far
Well they can ship me all over this great big world
But I'll never find nothing like my North End girl
I'm taking her home with me one day, sir
Soon as we win this war"
 - Steve Earl

[SpyHawk]

I see the point that there are a lot of things for them to be working on that have priority over padlocking.

But I do agree with what somebody said while reading through some of the padlock threads I found. He said that one reason that many people don't like padlock is becuase they haven't learned how to use it. I whole hartedly beleive that. Padlock is VERY hard to get used to. When I first started using it I eneded up pancaking more times than not. In sims were I use padlock now I only use it for short periods of time because I still get disoriented if I use it too long.

And *if* we did get padlock it would *need* to be realisticly limited to your actual LOS. Otherwise it would be considered a cheat.

Oh, and if I had to prioritize HTCs time, I'd put getting Jugs (no inuendo intended) above padlocking anyday. I would also place seaplanes (EMILY!) and PT boats above padlock in importance. Just because you *need* the jug for most ETO scenarios (I used it in AW3 a lot for ack-busting). And I think if they did make seaplanes it would ROCK. Oh....and I begged for months to get PT boats back in my AW3 days too....oh well.

[Swoop]

Actually I read a message from HiTech once saying "Although we're not opposed to a padlock system, as long as it's implemented well, but it's not on our shortlist"

So, maybe.....if enough people ask for it.....and if minimal people oppose it (although why anyone would oppose something to improve the game for some people and doesnt *have* to be used if you dont wanna.....)


Swoop

[CavemanJ]

I used to be against a padlock view
now I'm all for it, provided it relies on LOS to maintain the lock, and if broken, the lock as to be reaquired manually w/ none of that auto relock crap.

Even though I'm all for it, I'll not use it.  I'll just take advantage of those who get target fixated because they are using the padlock  

 

[troxel]

I agree with you Cavey,

It would have to be adopted in such a way as to not disgruntle so many of the pilots.  I would not favor a padlock view, but if it were adopted in such a way that did not allow for "miracle" aquisitions, I suppose I wouldn't throw a fit for too long  

I think that the view system as implemented in Aces High is the best that I have used in a sim.

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"....where'd who go!"

Troxel
VMFA-212 "Lancers"

[This message has been edited by troxel (edited 06-20-2000).]

[MANDOBLE]

The only difference between actual view system (snap views) and padlock is just the default view. Without padlock, the default view is just the frontal view, with padlock, the default view is the tracked plane. So, if you are padlocking a plane, you can still use the snap views, while view keys are not pressed, the selected plane is visually traked (default view when padlocking a target).

I'm in favour of that kind of padlock implementation.

The actual view system is good, but has two big limitations:
1 - Most of the time you are not looking directly to your target, unless it is perfectly centered on the selected view. Obviously, in RL you are looking directly to the tracked object, not to the center of the vindow.
2 - The canopy artwork generates some big dead zones that are not present in RL, due you can move quickly your head to evade those zones. In AH the pan movement is so slow that you better move the plane to check what is obscured by these dead zones. These plane movemets are absolutelly inecessary in RL.

[Duckwing6]

Gotta say that when you have your views mapped Ok on your stick and worked the system for a while youi'll be amazed on how good your 3 dimensional SA and attitude awarness is ..

Snap view in AH is the best simulation of actual head movement i've seen so far .. and as i don't like to have someone with an artifcaial "HUD" riding on his lift vector following me through a stall turn i'd rather have those poeple switch back and forth between instruments and me ..

I use a button on my stick to swap my hat between normal (horizontal views) against 45°up views (the previous 45°up get's straight up) and cover with that 16 views.. and if you let go of the hat you allways return to the forward view .. makes keeping orientation a LOT easier (at least for me) as i know where the lift voctor (UP) is relative to where i select to look.

DW6