Question - Is the current dar setting working for the better?

[FESS67]

Some time ago the radar setting was changed.  We tried the 'all seeing eye' but it finally settled on the 'if in range' option.  My understanding is it was changed because we wanted combat to be easier to find.

Is this working as intended?

For the limited time I play now what I experience is 80% of the time players use the dar to actively avoid combat.  As soon as we become visible they turn away.  That does not promote combat IMO.  I seem to spend most of my time chasing players to their ack that actually fighting them.  The proximity radar appears to give then enough advanced warning to make their run for home possible in most situations.

Narrative

In WW2 the bounce was a key feature of air combat and IMO the current radar features eliminate the bounce and promote more timid gameplay.  The radar in AH3 is displayed in real time and I can fly with the map up and track the enemy well enough to know when and in which direction he is turning  In multi bogey situations it is easier to determine threats using the map than it is to look out of the cockpit.  Once I evade the incoming con I get the map up and spot for the next one in.  That is more akin to modern electronic warfare systems and not a true reflection of WW2.

Proposal
Reduce the 'in range' range to 3k AND delay the update of the map by 30 seconds.  That allows a spotter aircraft to act as an AWAC however increases the opportunity for the attackers to successfully 'bounce' the opponents and hopefully increases the adrenaline rush of the dogfight.

Rules of the thread

I recognise that this alone is not going to turn the game around however I believe the future of the game should be based in combat.  There are a number of options available but the focus of this topic is the role of radar in the game and so I would ask you to please keep your posts relevant to this topic and not include ENY, map size or the Yak3

Thanks

[hazmatt]

I agree with this completely.

In WW2 the bounce was a key feature of air combat and IMO the current radar features eliminate the bounce and promote more timid gameplay.  The radar in AH3 is displayed in real time and I can fly with the map up and track the enemy well enough to know when and in which direction he is turning  In multi bogey situations it is easier to determine threats using the map than it is to look out of the cockpit.  Once I evade the incoming con I get the map up and spot for the next one in.  That is more akin to modern electronic warfare systems and not a true reflection of WW2.

The problem those of us that think this are going to have is that all those that want it to be an arcade game with instant action due to their short attention spans

[icepac]

I concur.

[Shuffler]

I am curious what you do when you just took off and see enemy coming in to your base.

I generally go out and ID them and check their alt. If they are not in the stratosphere I may stay to see if they come down. Otherwise I may fly on to a fight or land and find a fight.

[popeye]

Overall, I'd say that the current "proximity dar" does promote combat.  It might be harder to bounce an unsuspecting enemy, but (to me) that isn't combat in a gaming sense.  I'd guess that for every bounce that is avoided, a sneak is detected.  It might be interesting to experiment with a slightly longer update interval than the current 5 seconds -- maybe 8 or 10 seconds (I think 30 is too long) -- to minimize the "realtime SA" effect.

[Oldman731]

Overall, I'd say that the current "proximity dar" does promote combat.  It might be harder to bounce an unsuspecting enemy, but (to me) that isn't combat in a gaming sense.  I'd guess that for every bounce that is avoided, a sneak is detected.  It might be interesting to experiment with a slightly longer update interval than the current 5 seconds -- maybe 8 or 10 seconds (I think 30 is too long) -- to minimize the "realtime SA" effect.

Agreed.  I think the current system works very well.

- oldman

[Shuffler]

Maybe dar update can be used in place of eny when numbers are low. Fast planes live dar update. Slower planes longer dar update.

[Vraciu]

Agreed.  I think the current system works very well.

- oldman

Yup. 

On first contact it would be nice if you could delay the target display until you look in the direction of the bad guy but I think it is way better now than before.

[Wiley]

Personally I think it helps mostly because for some reason the vast majority of people don't seem to understand bar dar.  If it's not a little airplane on their map, it doesn't exist in their world.  Because of that I believe it improves peoples' ability to see the enemy and react to it when they are outside of the radar circle before their airfield gets covered up by the incoming aircraft.

Wiley.

[AKQwik]

It has eliminated sneaking up on my six when I'm alone.  I keep my map up unless I'm engaged in a fight.  I also enjoy knowing what to expect at an enemy base if there is a GV or plane at that base.

[turt21]

I always liked the dar bar only. It taught you to keep looking around.  That system works very well in scenarios.

[pembquist]

I think with the current numbers it is very helpful in generating fights. However it is very different from the old days. Much harder to sneak a goon in now, pluses and minuses with that.

[Vraciu]

Personally I think it helps mostly because for some reason the vast majority of people don't seem to understand bar dar.  If it's not a little airplane on their map, it doesn't exist in their world.  Because of that I believe it improves peoples' ability to see the enemy and react to it when they are outside of the radar circle before their airfield gets covered up by the incoming aircraft.

Wiley.

The Dar Bar has limitations that are exacerbated with arena maps that are too big.   Understanding it/them isn't the issue.

[save]

Agreed, xx secs delay and shorter "AWAC"  range would be a good way of implementing radar.

[atlau]

I'd be curious if the kill/hr rate has changed with the different dar settings.

It's harder to sneak up on people so fights will generally.last longer when you engage but I think there are more engagements/time since you aren't having to play Marco polo looking for enemy fighters