Originally posted by Tac:
Between having a little less than RL situation in "most cases" and having way too much information...
I'm not saying "a little less".
YOU are saying "a little less."
I think it's SIGNIFICANTLY less. But what do I know right Tac?
I've been a very fortunate person. Since I was very young I wanted to fly. I realized my dream and for the last 28 years when I was "at work" (and at play) I've been viewing the world from the inside of a cockpit. I've looked at a lot of other aircraft from within those cockpits. In all kinds of weather and at all different ranges.
I've flown lots of things from Piper Cubs to B-747's. Jet trainers and transports, prop sport aerobatics and old WW2 Trainers. I own a PT and I'm part owner of a Vultee BT-13.
I'm in a CAF squadron and I fly formation and do airshows with other guys in other WW2 aircraft. We "dogfight" when we get the chance.
One fine day at Offutt AFB I was part of a CAF "Tora, Tora, Tora" show and was right in the middle of all the explosions, passes from "Zeros" and a dozen other fighters. That day my old Wing Commander boom and zoomed me for 5 minutes in his P-51 "Gunfighter II" as I turned my little PT to "spoil his shot". He clearly won, BTW. But I got a great view of a -51 in the attack mode.

Three years ago, I flew in a B-25 for almost two hours. My dad flew it from the right seat for the last hour or so. He hadn't flown one for over 40 years; what a great day. We had a P-47, a Yak-9, two T-28's and a T-6 on our wing as we circled San Francisco Bay twice and went back out to sea for some fun. I watched from the sextant dome as all these guys make hi-side passes on us for about 30 minutes. I also sat at the nose gun and tracked them as they extended out front.
But... none of that means didly. I'll defer to your expertise on how WW2 ACM should look on a PC.

Since, after all, you know exactly how much visual information is "too much". No need to try to improve Icons in the hopes of providing accurate RL visual cues. Nope, just totally get rid of them. As you implied with a previous post, what does RL experience have to do with this anyway, right? A simulated RL experience is not a goal here.
Say Tac, after you get "no icons" how about you starting a campaign to artifically limit all guns to a range of 250 yards? That way, ACM becomes even MORE important. So the "good modeling/good ACM-ing" factor increases even more. Gets rid of those dang "spray and pray" dweebs at the same time...forever! In fact, it essentially nullifies the difference between MG and Cannon armament as well. No more Hispano problem!
Then, we can improve the "armor" on the target aircraft so that you have to pour most of an ammo load into a guy to nail him. One sim tried that already, IIRC.

That'll punish the guys that try to spray from that max 250 yard range and make 'em REALLY get in close.
Man, we'll be maximizing that ACM-ing positive experience then, won't we?
Then we can dictate a "pure HA" arena so there'll be no more of this "blue on blue" fratricide.
Yeah BABY! I bet HTC will have to add another server once you get those changes implemented.
[/sarcasm]
You know, listening to you tell me how this all should look and Ram telling me how pulling G's should feel has been quite an experience.
It's sort of like listening to a 5 year old kid tell me exactly how it would feel to make mad passionate love to the Playboy Playmate of the Year for a never-ending week in the surf at Cabo.
It's not a learning experience by any means but it sure provides a lot of comic relief.

Do what ya like.....I'm outta this thread. I do hope you get a separate "no icon" arena. Be interesting to see how long it survives.

[This message has been edited by Toad (edited 03-08-2001).]