Navy Combat

[Mister Fork]

I know haters are going to hate with comments like:
- "We need old models updated before we make any significant changes like this!"
- "This is an airplane MMO, not a naval - go play Worlds of Warships!!!"
- "I hate it. I hate it Sam I am! I don't want no ships and subs! I don't like them Sam I am!"

But then, we have PT boats. Tanks. Jeeps. Troop carriers. Tanks with rocket launchers. CV's and Battleship groups.

So, here we go, haters or not...I think this would add a level of extended gameplay options to the MA to be a true WWII MMO game like no other out there. Especially because of submarines...

LST's with mannable AAA

LST's that when beached, turn into a VH. Any version will do but I'm more partial to the Canuck version. Came with free maple syrup and poutine with good beer in the junior mess.
Where can they spawn: from any BB, CV group, or port
Perked ride: possibly but depends on impact to gamplay.
Interface: same as any naval vessel, with way-points but you need to pick a spot to beach the ship. Unless of course HTC uses the PT boat type of interface and you simply pilot it and jump to the AAA guns when needed and drive it to the beach.

Fletcher Class Destroyer

A player controlled Fletcher class destroyer with mannable 5" guns, lost of mannable AAA similar to any existing destroyer in a CV. Prefer an interface similar to that of the PT boat and the options to fire torpedoes - but more like a 5' gun mount. Of course, you can have destroyers without...
Where can they spawn: from any port or base with a boat spawn or from a CV/BB group.
Perked ride: possibly. To avoid having a CV show up only to be slammed with 20-30 destroyers charging your CV group. Depends on impact on gameplay.
Interface: preferred PT boat style interface, but can live with one similar to that of a CV/BB.

Gato Class Submarine

As a start to our submarine warfare in Aces High, I propose the introduction of the Gato class submarine as a player-controlled vessel. A couple of simple interfaces like found in Silent Hunter II is all we need to start. Heck, I'd take a Silent Service I interface if it'll work to start. Spawn points could be different than those of LST's and Destroyers. Besides, what force could possibly stop field/port spawned destroyer invasion of an approaching CV than a couple of well placed subs in front of the carrier at periscope depth? And of course, Hitech's dad served on one - I'm drawing upon an idea that has a personal connection to the owners and an idea first brought forward in early 2000.
Where can they spawn: from any port or base with a boat spawn point or from a CV/BB group
Perked ride: if Destroyers are available, no.
Interface: preferred that of Silent Hunter II, but willing to take anything.

[Wiley]

You know what the best part about the haters is?  You don't need to convince them.  You just need to convince Hitech to completely retool everything to build you a submarine game, or an FPS, or whatever other type of gameplay you want to shoehorn into the game.

Wiley.

[CAV]

Give the ships we have now realistic damage models first.........

There was reason CV's wouldn't go near an operational land bases.....

CAV

[BuckShot]

Yes!

Depth charges

BV138 I can land near a sub and top off the tanks.

[pembquist]

As a first step maybe we could make it easier (or possible for that matter, I don't know how you even do it,) to land a PT boat.

[bustr]

"IF"....

If you could get Hitech to separate the MA terrains into specific themes so that some terrains were NAVY combat dominant. The terrain could be loaded up with things like this with toys biased towards NAVY combat and nothing else. Then our 90-140 numbers every night would be concentrated into fighting NAVY or those would be slow nights until a different map rotated. You are sort of asking Hitech to invest in boutique toys on the outside chance they would get use commiserate with the development investments. With our lower numbers, toys like this will add to the thinning of available players for air combat and ground combat.

Another direction could be to convince terrain builders to build the smallest NAVY combat pond possible to keep all of these toys close and quickly in combat. After my first two terrains, my current one I'm testing that concept like I tested moving airfields closer and layouts for GV spawns to help players find activity quicker and not hide in corners of the map. World of Warships combat arenas will fit in one of our sectors and the action is hot and fast. They also allow their ships to get very close to shore to hide behind rocks and small islands since no land locations are captured.

The closer you can present things when they start, the less thinning of the activity density at any active location. With low numbers on average, this matters. Or so two terrains experimenting with the concept tells me. My next terrain you gents will be euphemistically furballing with CV task-groups while terrorizing airfields. Those three toys in this post would really heat things up in such a small task group furballing pond and not be wandering around forever wasting our human resources necessary to promote and sustain activity.

[Mister Fork]

"IF"....

The closer you can present things when they start, the less thinning of the activity density at any active location. With low numbers on average, this matters. Or so two terrains experimenting with the concept tells me. My next terrain you gents will be euphemistically furballing with CV task-groups while terrorizing airfields. Those three toys in this post would really heat things up in such a small task group furballing pond and not be wandering around forever wasting our human resources necessary to promote and sustain activity.

Interesting thoughts Bustr. Thanks for sharing.  I'm making the assumption that Naval warfare will draw in a large crowd from the subsim.com group - in the hundreds (maybe even bigger).  No one has tied in a good flight combat model into Naval combat.  Aces High does a good job on the CV to CV or CV to BB or CV to field engagement. I'm just thinking about adding that extra layer of excitement... We don't want to compete with World of Warships ... we just want to offer a different experience.

Throw subs into the mix, and boy, you got a whole new world opening up - maybe adding ship supply convoy's... etc.

More targets for the Flyboys.

[Arlo]

I'm making the assumption that Naval warfare will draw in a large crowd from the subsim.com group - in the hundreds (maybe even bigger). 

Kinda doubt it. Sorry.

[Arlo]

I still would like torps to fire on the DD, though. And the Yamato modeled. 

[Mister Fork]

Kinda doubt it. Sorry.

Keep quiet you!   


















 

[Arlo]

^
This, in itself, could transform water play in AH (without taxing resources to develop or modify).

Simple steps are usually better. 

[FESS67]

Wwiionline models air, ground and sea combat and it is not great at any of them.

Better to be really good at one thing than mediocre at many things.  I would rather see effort put into making the air combat experience more consistent rather than the gang or be ganged conditions that often exist now.

[bustr]

I've played since 2002, and some longer than me who confirm what I've seen for 16 years, and the MA has been always an imbalanced group slug fest. The structured game play aficionados or, more polite aerial jousting society was given the CT\AvA and the DA. The MA is and has always been a back shooting, crotch kneeing, cage match between bare knuckle gang fest brawlers. That was what has sustained the numbers, and the aerial jousting society has always complained and harangued Hitech about the lack of quality in the MA. Their dream MA ends up being described suspiciously like a giant function and CM controlled DA. That imbalanced, disorganized, impolite, back-shooting and ganging is what has kept the doors open all of these years. Not the DA.

[Mister Fork]

I've played since 2002, and some longer than me who confirm what I've seen for 16 years, and the MA has been always an imbalanced group slug fest. The structured game play aficionados or, more polite aerial jousting society was given the CT\AvA and the DA. The MA is and has always been a back shooting, crotch kneeing, cage match between bare knuckle gang fest brawlers. That was what has sustained the numbers, and the aerial jousting society has always complained and harangued Hitech about the lack of quality in the MA. Their dream MA ends up being described suspiciously like a giant function and CM controlled DA. That imbalanced, disorganized, impolite, back-shooting and ganging is what has kept the doors open all of these years. Not the DA.

Yeah, totally agree with that assessment Bustr.   I leave the wounded rabbit chasing by the dog pack to those who enjoy it.

The gameplay engine hasn't changed much since 2002- has it gone stale?

[Oldman731]

I leave the wounded rabbit chasing by the dog pack to those who enjoy it.

Agreed.

- oldman