Radar in tower

[Enker]

I've got to say, manning radar and vectoring pilots toward the cons was great fun. It gave us reason to stick around, and the thrill of it! Once they are engaged, there's nothing you can do but hop they stick around for the next intercept.

<S> whoever came up with this fantastic idea

[oakranger]

Well, it compensate for the short Icon range.

[daddog]

Glad you enjoyed it.
Not my idea. Warbirds had (don't know if they still do) tower only radar in their historical arena. CM's asked for that tool a year or so ago and they gave it to us. I decided to use it.

If your shot down early it can give you something to do by helping out your own squadies and others. It can be very satisfying to vector someone to some bad guys and they take them out.

[ImADot]

Not only a good feature to vector friendlies to a fight, but also to let them know there are no baddies within 50 miles so they are clear to land and refuel without worrying about getting vulched.

[Jaxxon]

It was a great thing to have in the S3. It makes it necessary to go in to a target NOE or push the fight up to altitude. Tactics will have to change a bit and it will give defence units the ability to have a set of eyeballs to direct traffic.

[Bino]

...
If you're shot down early it can give you something to do by helping out your own squadies and others. It can be very satisfying to vector someone to some bad guys and they take them out.

It sure gave me something to do after being blown out of the sky by the (nearly) invisible bandits. 

My two Quatloos: as much as I disliked the icon settings, I liked the radar settings.

[Ghosth]

Agree radar in tower is great.

Also agree, if I know in advance that an FSO is going to have 1k icon settings again I'd probably not show up.

There is a place for no or limited icons, however I do not think that place is FSO. Also  1k is just too short with the hardware we have to work with.

I understand the CM team trying to find ways to "balance" things.
But having icons that short adds more stress to what is already a stressful event.

[Viper61]

CONCUR!!!  Radar feature for the downed guys was great.  I hope that this feature is a keeper for any future scenario's.  As a squad level planner I have some ideas on how to better utilize it next time.

Lose the short ICON's......  Opps that slipped out 

Great scenario DD.  Plane setups were very close and made for some great engagements.

[daddog]

lol 

Well at least the tower radar was a hit.

[mtn-paradoc]

love the tower radar!  Let me have a measure of revenge after having my 110 beaten and mauled!
 Short icon range? KEEP IT!   There is nothing like getting ready for a fight then see the dots go green! lol.

I know its only a "game" but the short icon range adds a whole new level of realism! Adds to the oscar sierra factor! ( Oh S##t! factor)

  daddog! well done!

[oneway]

????

The Icon ranges were different for enemy than they were for friendly right?

I thought that is what I saw last night...

If friendly range was further than enemy range...say friendly 1500 and enemy no icon (range zero) at all that would be pretty interesting...

I think it would be nice to shoot at planes without the eye clutter of an icon...and it would add more fog to the fog of war as to exactly what kind of spit that was...meanwhile your buddies would be lit up like Christmas trees

Just a thought

And by the way....when the enemy icon range is zero and friendly is something reasonable...it in essence is the same as unlimited enemy icon range in a way..."if its in range and does not have an icon...kill it"

Oneway

[fuzeman]

I did radar duty after I was dispatched fairly early. I was wondering if having too many radar guys was confusing or overload? The one thing I tried to do was be accurate although I certainly made a few mistakes. IMO better to be a second late with accurate information than real fast and have it inaccurate. Maybe CiC for each side should designate a few of the first few volunteers and let then disseminate the information. Of course a squad could have their own radar-man on their channel and not overload the country or command channel.

[ImADot]

Of course a squad could have their own radar-man on their channel and not overload the country or command channel.

I can see maybe two dedicated radar operators who report directly to the CiC for the overall strategic picture, then downed pilots could run radar for their squad in a tactical capacity. 

But what about this:
Let's say a squad hits their maximum number for the frame, but one or two more are in the arena.  The full squad ups their planes and the other two stay on the ground to run the radar.  The extras aren't in the logs as piloting a plane, so there's no breaking of the min/max rules, right?  Same thing goes if the extras join as gunner/observer for their squaddies?

[daddog]

Let's say a squad hits their maximum number for the frame, but one or two more are in the arena.  The full squad ups their planes and the other two stay on the ground to run the radar.  The extras aren't in the logs as piloting a plane, so there's no breaking of the min/max rules, right?  Same thing goes if the extras join as gunner/observer for their squaddies?

Correct. :)Nothing wrong with extra squadie/s watching radar and helping out. Yup, same as extra squadies acting as gunners.