Author Topic: Idea to alternative to replace AWACS radar  (Read 7459 times)

Offline LilMak

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Re: Idea to alternative to replace AWACS radar
« Reply #90 on: October 20, 2026, 02:41:37 PM »
We are not going back. And you would do well to not point the finger at other people not wanting to play your way.

HiTech
I’m not asking for people to play my way. If anything YOU have forced me from my way of playing. And for the umpteenth time, I’m not asking to go back to “dot dar”. I’m asking for a compromise that doesn’t stop anyone from doing anything they don’t already do and perhaps mitigates some of the other problems the game is currently encountering. I’ve literally offered to drive a seven hour round trip, buy you lunch, and explain (in depth) what I think would help (not just me but) the game. As a customer who’s been subscribed continuously for what…20+ years now?

So, just for absolute clarification on the only part I truly care about…

Every tank and plane is a 6k radar tower until the game folds?

If true. I’ll let it go.

If not. I look forward to lunch where we can have civil discussion and maybe talk about real planes and flying a bit too. Or, if you’re inclined, you can fire up the RV-8 (if you still have it) and I’ll pick you up at KDWH for some local BBQ.
"When caught by the enemy in large force the best policy is to fight like hell until you can decide what to do next."
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Offline CptTrips

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Re: Idea to alternative to replace AWACS radar
« Reply #91 on: October 20, 2026, 02:45:24 PM »
We are not going back. And you would do well to not point the finger at other people not wanting to play your way.

I'm not intending this as an argument, but could you clarify why the previous system was insufficient and why the new system is at least better than the original?
It might help suggestions to know the underlying motivation more clearly so any suggestion makes sure it covers the proper constraints.

 I can see the need to help channel the action to contacts.

I've also seen lots of videos of players leaving the clipboard up permanently and positioning and sizing it like it was a dashboard radar screen.  As Lusche said, they don't even have to visually scan around them to prevent being bounced.  That removes a lot of tension\surprise\fear out of the gameplay, no?  Not really possible to sneak up and dive on a bomber out of the sun in a surprise attack.  And bounces were like over 80% of the kills in WWI\WWII.

Just brainstorming...

* Games I've played like Battlefield, required players to manually mark enemies to show their position on friendlies map.  Maybe it could work like the CHeck-6 mechanism.  Force players to put in the effort to convey an enemy position to team-mates.  That would still allow the possibility of a bounce if you sneakup on a bomber and no one else is around the to mark you.  In those games, spotting becomes a powerful gameplay tool.  It can really tilt odds.  But you never know if someone is sneaking up on you without having been spotted so you still have to scan around you.  But you still have a chance to sneak up behind someone for a knife kill.

* What about a very long update delay like 3 minutes  (How long did it take a spotter to find you, radio in, and that info re-transmitted to you in the air?  Probably at least 5 min in real life.) but the icon is stationary at the position of mark and fades opacity over the update time.  So you can see it but tell it is an old mark because it is only 20% opacity?  They would give some idea of position without false precision because the opacity conveys how stale the report is.

* What if there was a key to show a heat-map overlay of 5x5 mile cells with opacity showing number of enemy in that cell?  Maybe that is all you get unless a team-mate manually marks an enemy.

Just ideas to discuss.  I'm not advocating.






« Last Edit: October 20, 2026, 02:48:33 PM by CptTrips »
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Offline Shane

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Re: Idea to alternative to replace AWACS radar
« Reply #92 on: October 20, 2026, 02:50:28 PM »
I'd be okay with dots being implemented the same way they are now, just removing that plane type/bearing info.   

Radar is too fragile to go to dar-circle only when the numbers no longer present mass actions on all fronts.  I'd also put the radar update back to where it was, 45 secs is a bit too long.

I'm even more than ok with re-adding actual gv dar with a 30+ sec delay - that'd reduce a lot of gv camping and potentially some of the whines about being impossibly seen.  Tank Night Thursdays are fun because of it.

In FSO and scenarios, changing the radar parameters makes sense, but not for MA.
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Offline Randy1

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Re: Idea to alternative to replace AWACS radar
« Reply #93 on: October 20, 2026, 03:35:20 PM »
Th

Offline Randy1

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Re: Idea to alternative to replace AWACS radar
« Reply #94 on: October 20, 2026, 03:36:29 PM »
Thank you lilmak it is really screwed up now. :furious

Offline Shane

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Re: Idea to alternative to replace AWACS radar
« Reply #95 on: October 20, 2026, 05:49:23 PM »
Here's a compromise, doable, I dunno.

Tower radar while it's up gives plane/type and heading (like now), and if dar gets destroyed it only shows dots, or nothing.

For planes and GVs, proxmity dar will always be dots, unless in an active radar ring, where dar status takes precedence.

And not 45 second delayed.... maybe 15-20 seconds?

Proxmity ranges can also be reviewed.
« Last Edit: October 20, 2026, 05:51:55 PM by Shane »
Surrounded by suck and underwhelmed with mediocrity.
I'm always right, it just takes some poepl longer to come to that realization than others.
I'm not perfect, but I am closer to it than you are.
"...vox populi, vox dei..."  ~Alcuin ca. 798
Truth doesn't need exaggeration.

Offline Dadtallica

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Re: Idea to alternative to replace AWACS radar
« Reply #96 on: October 20, 2026, 06:04:56 PM »
Here's a compromise, doable, I dunno.

Tower radar while it's up gives plane/type and heading (like now), and if dar gets destroyed it only shows dots, or nothing.

For planes and GVs, proxmity dar will always be dots, unless in an active radar ring, where dar status takes precedence.

And not 45 second delayed.... maybe 15-20 seconds?

Proxmity ranges can also be reviewed.

 :aok

I’d still prefer the dar to go back to the regular timer.
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Offline Shane

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Re: Idea to alternative to replace AWACS radar
« Reply #97 on: October 20, 2026, 06:06:08 PM »
:aok

I’d still prefer the dar to go back to the regular timer.

which was?  5 sec?  15?
Surrounded by suck and underwhelmed with mediocrity.
I'm always right, it just takes some poepl longer to come to that realization than others.
I'm not perfect, but I am closer to it than you are.
"...vox populi, vox dei..."  ~Alcuin ca. 798
Truth doesn't need exaggeration.

Offline Rubicon

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Re: Idea to alternative to replace AWACS radar
« Reply #98 on: October 20, 2026, 06:08:05 PM »
Thank you lilmak it is really screwed up now. :furious

What made you think lilmak had anyting to do with this implementation?

It was suggested by me.  lilmak does not agree with it.

Please read and understand before posting, expecially if you are unable to actually engage in civil discussion.

The fact that Hitech has implemented a change is good.  It shows he does listen and is willing to try stuff.  Not everything can be right first time but if there is no experimentation then there will be no forward movement.
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Offline Lazerr

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Re: Idea to alternative to replace AWACS radar
« Reply #99 on: October 20, 2026, 06:10:42 PM »
What made you think lilmak had anyting to do with this implementation?

It was suggested by me.  lilmak does not agree with it.

Please read and understand before posting, expecially if you are unable to actually engage in civil discussion.

The fact that Hitech has implemented a change is good.  It shows he does listen and is willing to try stuff.  Not everything can be right first time but if there is no experimentation then there will be no forward movement.

What was the previous setting, and what is it now?

Thank you for using some logic.

Offline Rubicon

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Re: Idea to alternative to replace AWACS radar
« Reply #100 on: October 20, 2026, 06:14:22 PM »
What was the previous setting, and what is it now?

Thank you for using some logic.

I believe the previous delay was 5 seconds and the current one is 45 seconds but only Hitech can answer that with certainty.
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Offline Dadtallica

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Re: Idea to alternative to replace AWACS radar
« Reply #101 on: October 20, 2026, 06:27:11 PM »
I believe the previous delay was 5 seconds and the current one is 45 seconds but only Hitech can answer that with certainty.

Pretty sure you’re right on the five, but I can tell you the 45 is a bit overkill. I really don’t see any reason why it shouldn’t stay at 5. There’s just not enough people to matter otherwise yet.
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Offline LilMak

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Re: Idea to alternative to replace AWACS radar
« Reply #102 on: October 20, 2026, 07:03:39 PM »
Pretty sure you’re right on the five, but I can tell you the 45 is a bit overkill. I really don’t see any reason why it shouldn’t stay at 5. There’s just not enough people to matter otherwise yet.
Zero trouble finding a fight tonight at 45. ZERO. Darbar and eyeballs are your friends.
"When caught by the enemy in large force the best policy is to fight like hell until you can decide what to do next."
~Hub Zemke
P-47 pilot 56th Fighter Group.

Offline Dadtallica

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Re: Idea to alternative to replace AWACS radar
« Reply #103 on: October 20, 2026, 07:28:16 PM »
Zero trouble finding a fight tonight at 45. ZERO. Darbar and eyeballs are your friends.

I’m not having any trouble finding them either. I still very much don’t like it.

The current map is condensed enough and everyone is the middle bit that won’t be always.
« Last Edit: October 20, 2026, 07:30:22 PM by Dadtallica »
October Player Poll Results

Back in 2022 after a loooooong break from 2010. Old name Ratpack, same for the BBS. Old squads, Excaliburs, 172nd Rabid Dawgs.

Offline Wiley

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Re: Idea to alternative to replace AWACS radar
« Reply #104 on: October 20, 2026, 08:10:42 PM »
Tonight was interesting, people are definitely adjusting.  My opinion, not a fan of friendly dar and bar dar being on a delay.  If it were me I'd make bardar, friend and foe icons on the clipboard independent of one another with their own settings.  Friendly closer to realtime, foe at some kind of delay.  Bardar should be near realtime IMO.

Curious to see where it goes from here.

Wiley.
If you think you are having a 1v1 in the Main Arena, your SA has failed you.

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