Making Phot Recon Work in AH?

[Taiaha]

I've been wondering if there was a way of including Recon activities in AH.  How about this?

You fly to the target, and take a "photo" of the target (Fields and towns have to be photographed separately).  That photo is actually a data snapshot, that includes such information as what targets are down, whether ack is down, number of enemy cons in vicinity, number of friendly cons, etc.  This "photo" then gets made available on the clipboard of all people in your country, and remains available for, say, an hour.

Someone's halfway to their target, they can bring up the intel on their clipboard, and see if there are Recon photos available of the target.

Recon pilots get minimal points if they photograph and land--but perhaps a bonus factor for each person that uses their intel before it expires.

There would be an optimal atltitude range for recon flights, to stop people tootling around at 50,000 feet.  If you are outside the altitude range, the data degrades randomly (it might not show ack status, for example).  And of course you are always going to be subject to fighter intercept, etc.

Why would you want to do this?  Well, selfishly, there are some dedicated recon planes in WWII that I think it would be quite fun to fly: the FW 189, for example, or the Lysander.  But there's no place for them in any of the arenas, as they stand.  Secondly, it's to get over the perennial problem faced by buff drivers and goon drivers when they make requests for sitreps--often everyone is too busy furballing (or fighting for their lives) to answer (can't tell how many times I've heard goon drivers coming in only to discover the ack was still up and no one bothered to tell them).  Plus, Recon was a major function of the air war, and the guys who flew these missions were among the bravest of the brave; seems a shame there isn't a place for it in this sim.

I could see this becoming a real art form.  Obviously intel is only as good as it is current, so it would be important to coordinate big raids with an intel flight.  Equally, you need intel about valuable targets at the time (so there would be no points for people photographing targets no one wanted to attack!).

Anyway, just an idea.  Would it work?  Would you fly Recon?

[moot]

It'd be fun to have an unarmed and lightened plane to fly in to enemy territory, get chased around (or not) while you take the pictures and rtb knowing you did something useful.

[Gooss]

Psst...

Isn't that what the Strat button does?

Gooss

[muckmaw]

Yes, that's what the strat button is for, but this could be used to replace the stat, thereby simulating the nature of recon work.

Imagine flying to a target thinking all the FH's are down, only to leanrn your intel photo is 2 hours old, and the place is crawling with bogs?

It's just another interesting element to consider.

[john9001]

good idea, but things change so fast in MA that the 'photo" would be out of date in minutes

[ramzey]

Nice idea for hardcore flyers:)
Do we not have strat button?

I do not see cause use recon plane now, we dont have undiscovered targets. All fields look the same.
Here no roads to ground troops movment.
No big land units.
NO hidden factories, train stations with supplies
So strategic recon  is needless .

Tactical situation on MA change so fast, until somone back from recon his data are trasch.

I dream about theatre like that.
Big ground army, secret targets to destroy, hidden fuel stations, ground moving targets ehhhh dreams. Mby som day........

ramzey

[popeye]

Photo recon?  Isn't that what those P-51s are doing way up there?

[Innominate]

it'd be something for the ar234 to do, besides embarrass 262 pilots

[Taiaha]

LOL.  Yes, I should have specified this as a replacement for the strat option, which is pretty gamey, I think.  I was also thinking the recon info would give more accurate info than the strat, to make it worth while (2 our of 3 FH down, field 90% de-acked, 12 bogeys in vicinity, and so on).

Of course, this will never fly in the MA, but it might be something to consider for the Mission Arena, when that arrives!

I'm sure my check from HTC is in the mail. . .

[ramzey]

Replacment to stats , oh yes:)))
updated when recon plane safe land. But down time of targets should be 2 or 3 time longer.
Mby more convoys with less supply, longer distance for convoys.
Rail train road marked on map, roads patroled by fighters to destroy convoys

dreams....
dreams....

or mby new arena?

Im curious it s possible to make mape like that?
All, planes, troops ,tanks, ammno, fuel moving by train to the HQ. And from HQ delivered to special supply points /stores or train stations/ From there delivered to airfields by trains and truck convoy's.
Imagine, ships swimming to the islands.
All trucks, train, ships with manable ack.
Paradice for Mosquito
More GV spawn points like on Furball Island, and tanks battle there.
Towns, looking like real town.s with lots of targets.
Prisons, factories, oil rafiner, local HQ, bunkers, check points on road, barracs looking like in RL /uh, mby little simply/
And bridges!!!!!!!!!!.
Large ports with supply ships, great target for bombers
Damm, guys imagine arena looking like in real, with rain areas, ice on  alt, amd lots of small target.
Looking like west europe

dreams....

ramzey

[Czpetr]

It would be interesting. Perhaps the strat info on current strat screen would depends on real recon. At each target info would be shown how old the info is (in minutes) and it gets updated every time when recon plane flew over it and push "trigger" of recon camera. The detail of recon info would depend on altitude of recon plane - i.g.  from 5k you can see everything but from 30k you can see only status of hangars or other large structures. That would prevent flying recon planes in abnormal high altitude and the detailed recon info would be more difficult to obtain. Also, instead of specific recon planes (FW189, Lysander would be very easy targets) I interpellate for optional "recon" load out for some of current planes. Many of them had recon variants in RL.
If the recon is not suitable for MA then it certainly would be eligible for new mission arena

czpetr

[Czpetr]

Originally posted by ramzey

Im curious it s possible to make mape like that?
All, planes, troops ,tanks, ammno, fuel moving by train to the HQ. And from HQ delivered to special supply points /stores or train stations/ From there delivered to airfields by trains and truck convoy's.
Imagine, ships swimming to the islands.
All trucks, train, ships with manable ack.
Paradice for Mosquito
More GV spawn points like on Furball Island, and tanks battle there.
Towns, looking like real town.s with lots of targets.
Prisons, factories, oil rafiner, local HQ, bunkers, check points on road, barracs looking like in RL /uh, mby little simply/
And bridges!!!!!!!!!!.
Large ports with supply ships, great target for bombers
Damm, guys imagine arena looking like in real, with rain areas, ice on  alt, amd lots of small target.
Looking like west europe

dreams....

ramzey

Have you checked WWIIOL? It`s not yet exactly like your dream but it is closest to it from all online sims. Sorry for Off topic

czpetr

[Mushkin1uk]

I think thats an excellent idea, if it was made properly, I would definatly do it. I dont think it would work or be used in M.A but for the C.T im sure it would be used there.

[Sundog]

I agree completely with Taiaha.
AH Gameplay: Recon thread

I also think it would work in the MA regardless of how fast moving it is. People will report info on the radio if it is a large "frontline" attack (Furball) and would need recon for a long range attack.

[faminz]

actually I intend implementing a recon mission in the planning for a massed 52nd raid on the weekend.
The planning would have to include a recon flight to the rooks oil refinery and retieval and posting of the target with compas points noted so the lead buff bombadiers can set up their IP properly.

I know its not strictly necessary but it builds up the immersion if we plan and practice during the week for that BIG push on the weekend.

Now... which weekend?