Does active radar make for better fights?

[popeye]

It seems (to me) that active radar makes for better fights -- both for the attacker and the defender.  (Especially during off-peak times.)

Should radar be hardened (maybe 2K of ord to destroy)?  It could still be destroyed as part of a deliberate attack, but couldn't be destroyed as "Last Act of Defiance" by a smoking Spitfire.

Yes?  No?  Maybe?

[Randy1]

I have noticed when a good furball is in the middle of the radar for both sides, most, let the radar live.  If one knocks down the red dar, a  a negating, kind of a quid pro quo is sure to follow.

[bustr]

Christmas eve Hitech gave us total radar, we could see everyone everywhere.

The world didn't end, just alot of air combat took place because everyone could find everyone. Over time that would get boring and the concept of any type of group initiative would pack up and leave the game. I doubt the pure furballers have enough numbers to keep Hitech's doors open with only their subscriptions, because the GVers who we could see enemy GV icons with total radar, would leave with the generalist players who need some radar dead areas to pull off their strategies.

Managing the game from the back end behind the scenes is understanding you have about 4 different competing player communities that make up the "AH3 Community". By far the largest is the generalist and Gver communities because they over lap in their initiatives everywhere on a terrain. Furballers and depending on how many pure strategic bomber players still play the game, are a very small part of the community during this era of the game. They tend to scream the loudest here in the forums because it goes along with that type of gamer personality.

So how will a change in radar effect Hitech's bottom line?

[popeye]

Christmas eve Hitech gave us total radar, we could see everyone everywhere.

Interesting idea, but not what I am suggesting.

[cav58d]

Current radar hardness is 313lbs.  That's approx  90-100 20mm rounds.

I wouldn't mind if we uppers the hardiness for dar and ords on a trial period and see if it works.

[ccvi]

Why not add radar like Elite or WingCommander had? Two circles, one forward, one rear, with colored dots for each aircraft in the area, two axis in space represented by the flat circles, fading for the 3rd dimension.

It would for sure help fights. That is, it would help players who have optimized their strategy to fly with such radar. That may very well be valid in certain games.

Its WW2, there was no in-flight radar (bring the night-fighters...). Radar serves the purpose of roughly finding the enemy, and getting a pre-warning when fields are being attacked (maybe not early enough though). It's not a computer to generate an optimized intercept course. Map icons showing heading (especially also for enemies) is already too much for my taste. When radar is down, it has already done it's job: You can be sure that there's an enemy in the vicinity.

[DmonSlyr]

I've always thought the radar should be harder to take down. Dot dars do wonders for new players just trying to find some action on the map. If you see a tiny red dar bar and nothing in it, it makes it seem not worth it to even roll. If you can see like 4 for dots on the map and there's a tiny red dar. That would make it easier to decide if I want to roll. So I think making dar a bit harder to kill (since it's the first thing everyone goes for) would increase the participation of the fights for sure.

[DmonSlyr]

Christmas eve Hitech gave us total radar, we could see everyone everywhere.

The world didn't end, just alot of air combat took place because everyone could find everyone. Over time that would get boring and the concept of any type of group initiative would pack up and leave the game. I doubt the pure furballers have enough numbers to keep Hitech's doors open with only their subscriptions, because the GVers who we could see enemy GV icons with total radar, would leave with the generalist players who need some radar dead areas to pull off their strategies.

Managing the game from the back end behind the scenes is understanding you have about 4 different competing player communities that make up the "AH3 Community". By far the largest is the generalist and Gver communities because they over lap in their initiatives everywhere on a terrain. Furballers and depending on how many pure strategic bomber players still play the game, are a very small part of the community during this era of the game. They tend to scream the loudest here in the forums because it goes along with that type of gamer personality.

So how will a change in radar effect Hitech's bottom line?

I have to disagree. Most players play this game for air combat. That is what attracts most players to the game. If you take away the playability of the map, make bases too far apart, and don't have maps that generate fighter action, the #s will drop. The map literally makes all the difference in the game. So many players have left the game because of slow boring action and lack of air combat fights. That's just the truth. The "new era" as you call it is not true because many of the players have quit because they don't like sitting around doing strategic hidden base grabs in tanks. Or sitting in the tower looking at tiny dar bars.  So you merely design the maps for strategic GV players who like boredom, and have hours to play at a time, you will only have those players left in the game. The #s will continue to drop. The Buzzsaw map is a clear example how fighter pilots not logging on and decreasing the #s, while for some reason that's perfectly okay if the GVers and strat players enjoy it because you have an unrealistic idea of the type of players who actually bring action and fights to make the game exciting, and don't give them any credit. We really need to start promoting fighter action again and quick furball action or the #s will continue to stager. I do agree that Dar dots should not be on 100% of the time, but the dot dar radar does need to he harder to take down, for the sake of new players being able to find fun actionable competition and not just fly around for 30 minutes trying to find a con in a big 25 mile box with a tiny red dar.

And another thing. If there is no fighter action, and everyone is in a tank, it literally looks like there is no action on the map besides a couple of flashing bases. What would you think as a new player if you logged in a saw that? Welp, no action on the entire map. Meanwhile everyone is in tanks trying to strategically take bases while not being involved in any combat what so ever. This is just a big flaw if you ask me.

[Scca]

This is just a big flaw if you ask me.

Or a player based decision.

The only "flaw" appears to be the old "my way is the only way to play" theory. Embrace it all man.  YMMV

[DmonSlyr]

Or a player based decision.

The only "flaw" appears to be the old "my way is the only way to play" theory. Embrace it all man.  YMMV

How is not being able to see any action on the map a "may way or the highway attitude".

If you are a new player, how are you suppose to know where the action is if everyone is hiding in tanks? A bunch of flashing bases doesn't lead anyone to assume there is action there, especially if there is no dar bar. 

It's one thing to be strategic. It's another thing to make it so fights can be recognized easier during low combat time periods.

[Scca]

How is not being able to see any action on the map a "may way or the highway attitude".

A flashing base with no dar bar is in itself an indicator of "action".  You're looking for air action, so therefore it's also an indicator of a possible NOE air raid, OR GV's in the area.  The MWOTH attitude is based on my presumption that you're not interested in ground action. 

If you are a new player, how are you suppose to know where the action is if everyone is hiding in tanks? A bunch of flashing bases doesn't lead anyone to assume there is action there, especially if there is no dar bar.

There are lots of things that need to be learned in the game, one of them is mentioned above.  Imagine a new person, after being told a flashing base with no darbar indicates that a GV attack might be underway.  You may be shocked that some might say "OMG, we have tanks in this game  "

Don't be so myopic. 

[DmonSlyr]

A flashing base with no dar bar is in itself an indicator of "action".  You're looking for air action, so therefore it's also an indicator of a possible NOE air raid, OR GV's in the area.  The MWOTH attitude is based on my presumption that you're not interested in ground action. 

There are lots of things that need to be learned in the game, one of them is mentioned above.  Imagine a new person, after being told a flashing base with no darbar indicates that a GV attack might be underway.  You may be shocked that some might say "OMG, we have tanks in this game  "

Don't be so myopic.

I think in times like these, we should be promoting air combat and action rather than strategic small fight tank occurrences on a huge map designed for air combat. making the dar harder to take down would only increase the action and make players have to work harder to eliminate your teams positions on the map.

[Devil 505]

I think in times like these, we should be promoting air combat and action rather than strategic small fight tank occurrences on a huge map designed for air combat. making the dar harder to take down would only increase the action and make players have to work harder to eliminate your teams positions on the map.

This. 

[cav58d]

Either increase radar hardness, or increase number of radar objects required to be destroyed to disable dar.  No different then ammo.

Small airfield tower and small structure. Medium airfield radar tower and three structures, and so on...

[Dobs]

Radar should be hardened (1000lb bomb to take down) ...too easy to strafe down the tower. 

Just my two cents...