Let me tell a true AH story…

[popeye]

I like the AWACS, in fact it was a wishlist of mine that got implemented.  The only changes I would make is no plane type icon from standard radar, only when spotted by a player in icon range.  The AWACS is simulating what you would be reporting in real life, sure its in real time, but still the same data.  In a game I don't want to be talking in a MIC to HQ to report everything i'm seeing, so a simulation of it is great.
Maybe could add a button that the player has to press to 'spot' the enemy, like marking it with the box, then its reported to everyone else's map.

Requiring someone to actually see the enemy plane would improve the simulation of reporting a contact to HQ.  Add a delay before the contact shows up on the map for the "report" to be relayed from HQ to friendlies, and make the reported contact stationary on the map at the reported location with a short persistence before requiring a new sighting and "report".

[The Fugitive]

I like the AWACS, in fact it was a wishlist of mine that got implemented.  The only changes I would make is no plane type icon from standard radar, only when spotted by a player in icon range.  The AWACS is simulating what you would be reporting in real life, sure its in real time, but still the same data.  In a game I don't want to be talking in a MIC to HQ to report everything i'm seeing, so a simulation of it is great.
Maybe could add a button that the player has to press to 'spot' the enemy, like marking it with the box, then its reported to everyone else's map.

Thats the problem tho, the radar we have now is simulated modern radar and communications, NOT WWII information.

Even "popeye's (Kong) solution would be a bit too modern, tho it would be cool to see stationary dot flashing on the map for a few minutes waiting for updated info to move. Once a squadron left on its mission and flew out of radio range...not a lot of satellites back then... communication was only plane to plane. Even if those guys chatted... which most didnt due to enemy "listening" on the radio frequencies..... none of that information made it back to base until the debrief AFTER the mission.

Thats why I think LilMaks solution works best for what the game should be simulating. Its a good compromise between WWII tech and game play. In the tower you get ALL the info as if everyone is radioing positions and sightings of everything they see (what we have now). In the plane, your more on your own, only what you can see yourself, an 8K sphere of view. The only way that info is relayed to your wingman/friendlies is if you key up the mic and send it. No dar info, just eyes on. Sure there is the opportunity for someone to sit in the tower and "direct traffic" as it were, but wheres the fun in that.

I think there is way too much information the way it is now. That may be good in really low numbers conditions... dont know as I dont play in those time... but like LilMak said whos going to up against 5-6 guys attacking a base? There is now way to to sneak up on the first guy or two...they see you coming a few miles away on dar. You lose any type of "surprise" advantage and end up with all guys vectoring strait to you before you can even get your speed up

I hope Hitech takes a look at it.

[Eagler]

Start small..

Change the directional plane icons to dots..all the same size..bombers and fighters..

Then start with a 10 second delay on all cons outside of icon range..

Eagler

[LilMak]

Start small..

Yep.
Start by removing a plane or tank’s ability to be a moving radar tower.
Then update darbar so it’s virtually instant.
Harden radar towers.
All arena settings and no code required.

Then, if that totally flops because using your eyes and keying the mic is too hard, consider coding so darbar is more precise (shows up in different quadrants of grids). Maybe make it so radar from in the tower has triple the range?

Or just go the lazy route and turn on radar for everyone all the time. Don’t forget to give airplanes ground radar too. We can’t have the GVs using trees to hide. After all, the planes can’t use clouds to hide. Since we’ve established that the clipboard is the place to look, please add gunsights to the clipboard as well. Wouldn’t want someone to have to look out the window.

[Eagler]

Clipboard auto closes after 5 seconds of opening with a 1 minute delay between openings..

Eagler

[Animl-AW]

1937: British researchers successfully tested the first rudimentary airborne radar system aboard a Handley Page Hayford bomber.

May 1940: The first operational air-intercept radar (AI Mark III) entered service on fighter planes to locate enemy aircraft in the dark.

July 1940 – 1941: The improved AI Mark IV became the world's first widely produced airborne radar, heavily used on aircraft like the Bristol Beaufighter to counter German night raids.

But not all sides had it, so to implement it on all is the game part of the sim. MA is the game side, Scenarios/Events are the sim side of AH

[Animl-AW]

Clipboard auto closes after 5 seconds of opening with a 1 minute delay between openings..

Eagler

Meh!
I think that would be an annoyance and not solve much.

[-gg-]

Clipboard auto closes after 5 seconds of opening with a 1 minute delay between openings..

Eagler

Lol. Can you imagine? That would be crazy. Lol!

[LilMak]

1937: British researchers successfully tested the first rudimentary airborne radar system aboard a Handley Page Hayford bomber.

May 1940: The first operational air-intercept radar (AI Mark III) entered service on fighter planes to locate enemy aircraft in the dark.

July 1940 – 1941: The improved AI Mark IV became the world's first widely produced airborne radar, heavily used on aircraft like the Bristol Beaufighter to counter German night raids.

But not all sides had it, so to implement it on all is the game part of the sim. MA is the game side, Scenarios/Events are the sim side of AH

I covered radar equipped aircraft in the OP. Still, they didn’t broadcast positions to other friendly aircraft like AWACS. I’m willing to concede those aircraft and those aircraft only having AWACS. Every other GV or aircraft…no.

[LilMak]

Lol. Can you imagine? That would be crazy. Lol!

Not feasible. You have to have the clipboard for navigation in game. Mostly because the terrain is too generic to navigate via compass and dead reckoning.

[Eagler]

Ok clipboard stays up but icons only display for 5 seconds every 60 seconds..

That way it actually becomes a hindrance as most eyes would be darting back and forth trying not to miss the next flash..

Eagler

[LilMak]

Ok clipboard stays up but icons only display for 5 seconds every 60 seconds..

That way it actually becomes a hindrance as most eyes would be darting back and forth trying not to miss the next flash..

Eagler

Maybe? Or icons only update every 60 seconds? But that would require code.

[Animl-AW]

Meh, again.

Comes down to does the majority like Icon Dar or not.
Doesn’t really natter how many creative ideas are born in lobbying against it by a few.

It still comes down to majority vs what HT thinks new players need as a crutch.

Anyone who says we no longer get new players;
1) Bzzzt!! Wrong
2) I personally stop listening to defeatist

I prefer dot dar, but I’m not seeing any big rally to remove icon dar.

I think it comes down to dot or icon.
Any change can have an unforeseen backlash. We have no buffer for mistakes.
And trying settings just to flip back is not wise, its frowned upon.

Personally, I think reverting to dot MAY draw players back. But there is no proof it would. What people say and what they do is not always the same.

“I left because of Icon dar”
“Would you return if it was reverted?”

No answer, or maybe, doesn’t count, so I call BS.

Dar is not a deal breaker for me. But, I’d rather have dot dar like used in most events.

[Wiley]

Maybe? Or icons only update every 60 seconds? But that would require code.

It's already a setting. It can put a delay on updates to dot locations.

Wiley.

[Shane]

Maybe? Or icons only update every 60 seconds? But that would require code.

It's an adjustable setting, actually.