I can see both sides have good points to make. It’s refreshing to see a post like this where people are using rational, game-play based arguments, rather than ranting a raving about “off-map cheaters” and the perceived moral rightness/wrongness of others’ actions. Salute to a good thread, Jarbo et al!
Now, my own caffeine-sharpened take on all this: I don’t have a problem with the sector bar, per se, just that it is unaffected by environmental factors. I use the term “environmental factors” to mean not just whether and terrain, but also other factors in the arena environment. I think that the optimum solution is a conglomeration of those presented here. It would allow some element of surprise without making it impossible… only difficult. The surprise would be of limited duration, but would provide a decisive advantage for that narrow window.
First let’s address the function of the HQ – Loss of the HQ, which represents the central node of an air defense network, should not take all radar down, only in-flight radar. Sitting in the tower, you should still be able to see dots (and only dots, not sector bars) for anything in range of that field’s radar. This is consistent with what the loss of the central command/control/communications/intelligence (C3I, in military parlance) would do to your ability to see “the big picture.” It would force your country to wait for the threat to come to you, as you sit in the tower of the most likely targets, or rely on a human GCIO. Loss of radar dish at a base should obviously result in the loss of all radar indicators at that base when your HQ is down. If the HQ is up, and assuming no overlapping radar coverage from an adjacent base, loss of a field radar should do away with dots but not sector bars. One other point, I like the automated intel messages, such as AW used…so long as when the HQ goes down those stop!
Environmental factors – Flying very low or very high was one way to avoid detection. By flying below radar or by using terrain masking, you should be able to avoid showing a dot on the enemy’s radar display. Terrain masking is a feature sorely lacking in AH, the inclusion of which would greatly enhance the range of tactics now available. What about the sector bar? This is supposed to simulate the non-radar sensors, such as spotters and radio intercept (known as SIGINT, or signals intelligence, in the real world). How do you traditionally defeat these? Fly very high or very low, preferably in small groups, and go at night. You can also take advantage of natural phenomenon such as flying above an overcast. My suggestion then is to make a sector bar reporting dependent on the following: 1) having the HQ up; 2) whether or not you’re over “populated” areas (out over the ocean or unpopulated dessert/jungle, there’s no one to spot you?); 3) altitude (fly above 20k ft and you won’t trigger a sector bar, so long as you fly within to the remaining restrictions that follow); 4) the number of fellow countrymen in the sector (two or three aircraft flying very high, very low, or above a cloud layer should not show give a sector bar); and 5) You don’t use the country or sector channel on the radio. This last may be unworkable, since you could defeat rule 5 using Roger Wilco. If any aircraft in a sector violates the above restrictions, they trigger a sector bar display.
Does all this sound complicated? Yes, and it should. Innovations in tactics and strategy have become more complex as the tools of war have grown in sophistication. Driving off the map is a simple tactic because the simple C3I model allows it. With a more complex equation, such as described above, you are forced to plan and execute missions much more carefully to achieve tactical surprise, but are rewarded when you do. Automated messages of airfields under light/medium/heavy attack keeps the window of opportunity such a surprise creates reasonably short.
Just my take on the issue...sorry for the length
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Sabre (a.k.a. Rojo)
