Slip Indicator on Gunsights

[Ivedog]

I would like to petition for the removal of the slip indicator from the gunsights.    

I know that we'll never get an exact replica of each cockpit.  But to some degree, you guys are obviously trying to keep them similar in appearance.  I think the removal of this indicator would help make the cockpits more realistic - and in the end just a little more immersive.

Ivedog

A couple custom gunsights for AH:
 http://volunteers2.home.att.net/ah/gunsight.html

[fats]

And the ammo counters. Please, how many generations of dweebness do we have to suffer? End the madness now.


//fats

[chisel]

 agree on both points. Keep banging my head on it. Put the padding back on.

Also lighten up the glass or give us the option of flipping the sun shield outta the way. Way too dark.

[Werewolf]

Yes!!! Place ammo counters in the planes that really had them but not into the others.

Werewo
JG 301 "Heimatverteidigung"

[Ozymandias_KoK]

Ozreckons the ammo counters is more of a playability issue than anything else.  Don't see it hurting anything.  There should be some way of having a clue what yer ammo status is.  Even if it's an abstracted to where a pilot would know roughly how many seconds of fire he has, and counts them down.  Oz really don't see how something like this is a problem.

Slip indicator?  Oz would not mind having it removed, it is duplicated on the panel itself.

Ozfinds the glass on the gunsite a tad dark as well.  Been flying and keeping nme just outside it until time to shoot, can see em better that way.

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TKoKFKA-OZDS-

[Ivedog]

A feature that I really liked in Jane's WWII Fighters was that instead of including an unrealistic ammo counter in the cockpit, they simply had SMALL, inconspicuous text in the upper right of the screen.  It would say someting like:  "50 Cal: 795".  This allowed them to give us that information without marring their very realistic cockpits.

Ivedog

[funked]

One reason to keep the slip indicator:  A real pilot has some "seat of the pants" feel if he is uncoordinated.  We don't have that, so we have to stare at the "ball" if we want to be coordinated.

One reason to keep ammo counters:  German planes had them.  

[Ivedog]

[soapbox]

I agree with that, funked.  But I'd still rather see this implemented more along the lines of what WB is doing with their HUD Ladder... for me, it's subtle enough that it doesn't blow the immersion factor.  Plus, people can always just turn it off.  With AH's gunsight slip indicator, I just can't help but think "now that doesn't belong there!"

Initially in this beta, I'm really pleased with the potential in the flight model and ground handling... impressed with the exterior graphics and other really good features such as drop tanks and that awesome start-up sequence.  But I'm honestly a little wary about the one area where we'll be spending most of our time - the cockpit.  
The good folks at HTC appear to be committed to making the aircraft exteriors as accurate as possible, the flight models as good as they can be and damage and gunnery as realistic as they can get them...  but if what we've got going on in the cockpit is only "sort of" accurate - with things pasted in and fudged for massively mulit-playability's sake - then I think this potentially excellent simulation might end up being only "pretty good" in the long run.

I'm not necessarily talking about *exact* replicas of each cockpit interior - that's an obvious limitation - but I do think some things could be improved.  I think the canopy frame on the P-51 is one area in particular.  In my opinion, it just doesn't look like the inside of a a P-51 (too angular).  But even if making the canopy frame more realistic is something they just can't make happen, we still have issues such as this gunsight slip indicator.  To me anyway... it matters.

[/soapbox]

Ivedog

[funked]

Ivedog:  The cockpits are done as 3-d objects which are rendered in real time.  This allows us to move our viewpoint to any place the pilot could move his viewpoint.  

As you know in Brand W the lack of this feature has caused much squeaking and moaning.  Anyways the drawback of this is that there is a limit (framerate) on how many polygons you can use, which keeps them from making things nice and curvy.

I'll take the functionality over eye candy.

[chisel]

If they all look as good as the spit cockpit Ill be happy. The gauges my not be exactly the correct size or in the correct spot but they are beautiful!

[Pyro]

Basically, the slip indicator is put into the gunsight for the same reason that accelerometers are put into planes that didn't really have them.  The reason is to offset some of the natural feel that you're missing by sitting in your chair with your eyes glued to the monitor.  If we didn't think missing those cues was that big of a deal, we wouldn't bother with it.  But not being able to tell whether you're unloaded or in a sideslip is pretty handy.  I'm not uncomfortable with the trade-off for what we're trying to do.



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Doug "Pyro" Balmos
HiTech Creations