Panther AAMG on latest patch

[TDeacon]

Hi guys,

I just tried the Panther in today's AH release, and the AAMG elevation is much improved.  However, the AAMG now only rotates over the frontal arc (90 degrees?).  I was under the impression that we were going to allow 360, as on the Panzer IV and Tiger I.  On those 2 tanks, the AAMG-plus-bracket is modeled so as to rotate as a unit over a range of 360 degrees "around the rim" of the commanders cupola, centered on the vertical axis of the cupola. 

So to fix this, don't we want to implement the MG-plus-bracket rotation of the Panzer IV and Tiger, in order to get the 360?  Alternatively, if we want to stay with your latest iteration where the AAMG mount bracket is fixed, shouldn't the gun rotate 360 around that point? 

My point is that you could extend this existing game mechanism to the new Panther. You retain the current Panther cupola modeling, but rotate the AAMG and its bracket 360 degrees around the cupola (as a separate object) as in the current Tiger and Panzer IV.  You could use essentially the same code, couldn't you? Visually almost identical to the current Panther implementation, and much better from a game-play perspective.

An important secondary benefit of doing it this way is that it would allow the Panther commander to scan the terrain around him under magnification, as on all other tanks. Currently, a Panther commander is only able to do this over the arc of the C-rail. Scanning under magnification is an important vehicular SA mechanism.

[Superfly]

Go to position 5 to move the mount around the cupola, and then back to 3 to fire the gun and move it another -30/30 degrees of yaw.

[TDeacon]

Hmm; I see...

Ingenious technical solution from a modeling perspective.  However, it makes it kind of hard to track an air target or scan the terrain from the cupola under magnification (as can be done with all the other tanks).  You might want to try this yourself in-game.  

[TDeacon]

Been experimenting with Panther AAMG.  

1)  When all the way over to the "right" on the rail using 5 control (maximum right), if you shift to 3 control to shoot, when you go back to 5 control the MG has jumped to the other end of the 5 control range (maximum left).  (Sounds incoherent, but try it).  

2)  We may have too may different controls here.  You track the sky with your GV view keys and ID a plane (which may be one of many as in a horde over your head).  You switch to the controls for the rail and attempt to traverse (which causes you to lose sight of the AC).  You then switch to the controls for the 60-degree-arc MG to shoot, until the AC moves out of the arc.  In addition to al this, I seem to notice offline that when I switch from the rail control (5) to the MG control (3) my system doesn't initially show the AC; after about half a second it pops back into view.  So, SA-wise, this whole procedure is kind of challenging.  Too bad we can't just go back to the original method (3 key only) and allow 360 traverse as in the other tanks.  I will keep experimenting...