Question:
1. Fw 190D, Fw 190A, and Fw 190F all have same icons to enemy. Spitfire Vb and Spitfire IXe and Seafire all have same icons to enemy. Why does F4U-4 have difference icon that F4U-1? I don't know that much overall about F4Us. Was the F4U very different looking?
Any reason is good enough with me, but is there a reason that Ta-152 doesn't use Fw 190 icon and a reason why the F4U-4 shouldn't use the F4U icon?
Ideas:
1. Rumor has it that perked ground vehicles are coming soon. How difficult would it be to 'generalize' ground vehicle icons when said vehicles are spotted by aircraft? For instance, a PzKpfw VG would have a 'Pz V' icon when seen thru the MA optics of a Sherman. But a PzKpfw V, a T-34/76C, a Pz IVH...would all have an icon that reads 'MBT' when said icon is shown to a player flying an aircraft. M3 and M16 MGMC would both have an icon that reads 'HT' to a player flying an aircraft, as would a SPW 251 if and when it appears. The main reason for the idea - if you model a M26, or IS-2, or PzKpfw VIE, they are going to attract bombs like never before. But historically a pilot flying a ground attack sortie would never have taken the time to pick the PzKpfw VG out of a group of PzKpfw IVHs for his bombs or rockets...
2. When near an enemy town or other facility that has any building standing, if a player is flying under a certain altitude and/or a certain speed (say 300' and 150 MPH), resolve some 'random small arms fire' against said aircraft. For ever 2 or 3 seconds that the player's aircraft is within said parameters, there is a chance of taking a random # of 7.92mm or .303cal hits to a random location. You'd be abstractly simulating the fact that if a P-51D was flying 'figure 8s' over an enemy airfield at low speed and low altitude (because the AA weapons of the field were disabled), a pair of MPs near a revetment with nothing to do would certainly try and light up said P-51D. Call it a minor 'motivator' for AH pilots to avoid situations that real pilots would take care to avoid.
I know the MA isn't supposed to be 'real'...but a few rifle caliber MG 'pings' could sometimes puncture cooland lines or a radiator. Who knows...maybe a 15 kill vulching sortie might be prematurely ended every once in awhile.
3. Recovery vehicles/aircrew recovery: Chop the turret off a PzKpfw IVH and give it an extra AAMG. Let it carry 'vehicle supplies'. If it rolls up to a friendly vehicle missing a track or a wheel or an engine and drops said supplies, the previously damaged vehicle regains mobility in 3 minutes (yeah I know it's fast...like 30 second refuel rearm 'Indy 500 ordinance teams' at airfields - playability for the MA). Pilot on the ground, ditched plane on the ground. M3 or M8 or PT comes to within 100 meters of either, and types a command. Pilot and/or ditched aircraft disappear. If M3 or M8 or PT finishes mission without being captured or killed then bailed out player or ditched player isn't captured. Vehicle player gets 1% or 2% or whatever % works of downed players sortie and perk points as a reward (i.e. a player is on an attack mission, and has 3000 points under attack sorties and 150 fighter perk points - his rescuer gets 300 vehicle sortie points and 1.5 vehicle perk points). The reverse would apply for enemy vehicles - drive up on an enemy pilot on ground with an M8 and get some reward if he ends mission with you nearby or if you close in on him and type the command.
If you capture a pilot you get a 'picture' of his sides radar as of 10 minutes ago. Maybe you spot a sneaky low level mission headed around the back door to the HQ. You get to see where the enemy CVGs are, etc.
This would take some mechanics and I have no idea how it would work. Probably a better solution. Have you guys ever thought of doing this or is it way down the list in terms of importance?
Just ideas...
Mike/wulfie from WB
