Pipe-dreams on the Seven Seas, or...

[Rojo]

My Naval Battle Wish List for AH:

Direct helm control: Allow the TG commander to actually con the ship(s), including setting speed (all-stop, dead-slow, cruise, and flank).  Also have a button for “auto-zig-zag” that has the fleet start zig-zagging along the plotted base course.

Formation control: Allow the TG commander to select from various formations (line ahead, line astern, line abreast; all these apply to main-body ships, while destroyers would automatically assume a screening position.  Also, I’d like an arena setting that will allow CM’s to change the re-spawn time for fleets.  In other words, the amount of time after the flagship gets hit before the remaining ships disappear and the fleet re-spawns in its original location.

Weaponry: We want our battleship!  Besides that, how about torpedoes (on swivel mounts) and smoke generators for the tincans (PT boats need smoke too)?  Finally, I want gun aiming to be moved up into the gun-director towers, with a proper range-finder.

Radar on/off: With radar on, enemy would see the location of the radiating TG on their clipboard maps (perhaps make this dependent on being within a certain range of an enemy base).  Turn it off, and your TG’s icon disappears from enemy maps.

Special Effects: Smoke from funnels, and smoke from damaged vessels.  Selective damage is also a must, i.e. the guns can be individually destroyed, as can ship-borne radar.  Also, how about something more impressive when ships are damaged or sunk.  The ship-sinking sequence is not bad, but should have other variations (immersion factor here).  Make ‘em roll over, break in half, and even explode in huge explosion.

That’s my list.  Anyone else think of anything?

[SKurj]

Good list, tho i like being able to man each gun individually

SKurj

[LtHans]

This is what I would do:

1.  Gunnery control from gun director stations on top of the superstructure, not from the side of the turrets.  Have all main gun turrets slave to the #2 turret control if unmanned.

2.  Change the fleets into two types, the assault fleet (BB, CA, DE x4, cargo ships for LVT and PT boat spawning), and the CV group (CV, DE x5 and no PT boat or LVT spawning).

This way the warships can close in and fight near shore, while the carriers can sit further away and use airpower.

3.  Some sort of "Perk" boat, perhaps a small submarine like a Type VIIC U-boat and your own DE to cruise around in (complete with depth charges).

Hans.

[Rojo]

Hmm...Either few people have any opinion or interest in this issue, or I've so brilliantly laid out my list that no one can think of anything much to add   .  That's the problem with hitting the nail squarely on the head, I suppose; it drives it fully home.