Aces High Bulletin Board

General Forums => Aces High General Discussion => Topic started by: Vermillion on December 14, 2000, 11:54:00 AM

Title: Event Mode - Icon Discussion
Post by: Vermillion on December 14, 2000, 11:54:00 AM
One of the many complaints (and most frequent, and most vociferous, and ....  (http://bbs.hitechcreations.com/smf/Smileys/default/smile.gif) ) from players is about icons.

Alot of you frequently complain about wanting "no icon" arena's and events.

So I wanted to ask everyone who flew in Afrika Corps (or any other recent event that use the new setting), what they thought about the new icon setting available for special events?

For those that don't know. You still see dots at the standard range, and you get the friendly icon readings at 10k (was suppose to be 5k, but was bugged), and you get enemy icon information at 3k.

Personally (I only actually flew in frame 5) I thought it was great. It didn't give away too much information, and allowed slower aircraft the opportunity to disengage, but allowed the necessary information that the current graphics don't intuitively provide.

I do know there were ALOT of suprise bounces with this new setting.

What do you guys think?

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Vermillion
Senior CM, Aces High Scenario Corps
Title: Event Mode - Icon Discussion
Post by: Ripsnort on December 14, 2000, 12:29:00 PM
I personally loved the icons setting in the Med SEA. I might add that I did not fly as a pilot, but flew with the default settings in other events.

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  (http://Ripsnort60.tripod.com/ripanim.gif)  
~Death Rattlers~
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"If you cannot learn to do something well,
learn to enjoy doing it poorly"




[This message has been edited by Ripsnort (edited 12-14-2000).]
Title: Event Mode - Icon Discussion
Post by: Westy on December 14, 2000, 01:01:00 PM
Great subject!!

  I can only go by my experience from several months ago when Udie used to get us together in the SEA and do the icon-less thing. I thought no icon flying was fantastic. It was really great if you were in a one-on-one or two on one. It really started to suck when it devolved into a multi-plane furball. Why? Because even at 600 yards, with no icons we found no one wanted to stop ACM'ing because we could not ID the planes flying around us. No one wanted the first to be easy meat for the unidentified planes surrounding ourselves.

 PC's and graphics have not come along far enough for a completely icon-less environment - IMO, of course. Maybe some sims can give the dots and plane shapes individual "colors" to help distuinguish between aircraft. This works in AH for planes such as the P-51, P-38 which show up silvery in the sky. The Spitfire with the white spinner in AH is also ID'able for those with good graphics and small DPI equipped monitors.

 I would love to help test icon-less or friendly only icon arrangments for future events.  If the CM team wants to arrange something please ensure folks KNOW the purpose of the test. And please divide the plane sets into Allies-Axis as that is what would be done in a historical event. This would allow anyone to jump into a running test and not wreak havoc on the testers by flying an F4U-1C for the Axis side for example.

  -Westy



[This message has been edited by Westy (edited 12-14-2000).]
Title: Event Mode - Icon Discussion
Post by: hblair on December 14, 2000, 01:04:00 PM
I'm fer reduced icon range.  (http://bbs.hitechcreations.com/smf/Smileys/default/smile.gif)
Title: Event Mode - Icon Discussion
Post by: Fury on December 14, 2000, 01:12:00 PM
imho the 10 for friendlies was too much (I realize it was bugged).

5 and 3 sounds great.

One of my bigger feelings about icons is that it gives away friendlies before it gives away enemies -- so I know to ignore the dot instead of tracking it in closer.  Why not make fiendly and enemy be the same, say D3?

I did fly in one of the weekend events with on-your-honor enemy icons turned off -- it was a blast.  I'd really like to see that tried again.

Fury
Title: Event Mode - Icon Discussion
Post by: Vermillion on December 14, 2000, 01:24:00 PM
Let me clarify one issue.

At this time, "no icon" is not a option for a couple of reasons. And my understanding is that it won't be in the near future.

I was wanting to discuss what you thought of the 5/3 icon setting, and how you felt about it.

Is it just right? Too small? Too long?

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Vermillion
Senior CM, Aces High Scenario Corps

[This message has been edited by Vermillion (edited 12-14-2000).]
Title: Event Mode - Icon Discussion
Post by: Westy on December 14, 2000, 01:58:00 PM
"I was wanting to discuss what you thought of the 5/3 icon setting, and how you felt about it."

 Better than nothing I guess.   I think 5/1.5 would be better   (http://bbs.hitechcreations.com/smf/Smileys/default/wink.gif)

-Westy

[This message has been edited by Westy (edited 12-14-2000).]
Title: Event Mode - Icon Discussion
Post by: funked on December 14, 2000, 02:00:00 PM
5/3 is too long IMHO.

I like WB Scenario Lite icon settings:
- All Ranges appear at 1.0k.
- Friendly IDs appear at 4.0k.
- Enemy Plane Types appear at 2.0k.


[This message has been edited by funked (edited 12-14-2000).]
Title: Event Mode - Icon Discussion
Post by: Citabria on December 14, 2000, 02:03:00 PM
make it d5 friendly d3 enemy

with anything more the enemy is automatically identified as bad since a friendly icon would have popped up by the range he is at.

d5 friend d3 enemy sounds quite good.


to bad dot range/long range specks cant be adjusted in intensity with an atmospheric visibility command  (http://bbs.hitechcreations.com/smf/Smileys/default/biggrin.gif)
Title: Event Mode - Icon Discussion
Post by: Sunchaser on December 14, 2000, 02:12:00 PM
I understand the monitor and video restrictions negating no icons{my personal choice} and will support the shortest possible distance.

The argument that enemy icons should be visible further to enable disengagement if he has a better airplane does not hold water.

Fight whatcha brung or disengage on ID and hope you get away.

I realize that I am speaking from the Level Bomber, no evasives point of view and fighter perspective is different.


As real as we can stand it means as many crutches as humanly possible must go.



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When did they put this thing in here and WTF is it for?
Title: Event Mode - Icon Discussion
Post by: Wlfgng on December 14, 2000, 02:41:00 PM
Shortest possible distance...
I'd go for no icons except for limitations imposed by current state of computer graphics.

4/2   or    3/1.5
Title: Event Mode - Icon Discussion
Post by: -ammo- on December 14, 2000, 03:55:00 PM
I thought the 5/3 was good buit the icons can be refined. I would love to see the range elimanated from the icons, and I would like to see more subtle colors. I think it would be a great "middle of the road" way of doing icons. It would be way too hard on folks to elimenate icons altogether, but my idea would definately make it more challenging.

Just my thoughts

 (http://home.nc.rr.com/ammo/public.html/unw_sig.jpg)  (http://www.jump.net/~cs3)
Title: Event Mode - Icon Discussion
Post by: daddog on December 14, 2000, 04:21:00 PM
I have enjoyed them as a player and a CM.
 
As an added thought would anyone like to see an option of "call signs" at d1 or d2?  Had seen those a few times in WB and really added a nice twist.  (http://bbs.hitechcreations.com/smf/Smileys/default/smile.gif) Depending on whose name you saw on your 6 your pucker factor could really jump.  (http://bbs.hitechcreations.com/smf/Smileys/default/wink.gif)
Title: Event Mode - Icon Discussion
Post by: NUTTZ on December 14, 2000, 05:10:00 PM
Hblair ,Dingy and i played a breif  F4's vs Niki.s in my map w/ icons off. I will say it was really hard , BUT it Completely stops the HO's (http://bbs.hitechcreations.com/smf/Smileys/default/smile.gif)

NUTTZ
Title: Event Mode - Icon Discussion
Post by: gospel on December 14, 2000, 05:23:00 PM
I really liked the icons in africa corps.

What I would like to see changed is the black dots.

Remember the way warbirds does it, where you can see the plane and not a black dot?  (http://bbs.hitechcreations.com/smf/Smileys/default/smile.gif)

In africa corps our squad was going to attempt a low level attack.  We practiced and found out that those black dots show up a long way against the blue backdrop of the ocean.  (http://bbs.hitechcreations.com/smf/Smileys/default/smile.gif)  Even at low level.
Title: Event Mode - Icon Discussion
Post by: Sundog on December 14, 2000, 08:50:00 PM
I liked the Icon setting in the NAS, however, I think the 5/3 setting would be the next best thing to fighting tagless (er, flying nekid).
SD
Title: Event Mode - Icon Discussion
Post by: Saintaw on December 15, 2000, 02:09:00 AM
I was surprised when I could finaly join AK... I realy like those Icon settings but why would you want to set it differently for Friendly and Enemy ?

Set it to  3/3 !

On another Note, when I flew in Sunchaser's Playpen, had the experience of Attacking him with "Newguy"... doing passes at a B17 without Icons is realy more immersive than with Icons on as they are in MA. <S!> Sun, that was a blast, even if I pulled the cord too high   (http://bbs.hitechcreations.com/smf/Smileys/default/smile.gif)


------------------
MASS/SAW
III./JG 5 Eismeer
 (http://saintaw.tripod.com/jg5saw.gif)
"It's supposed to be hard; that's what makes it great!"
Tom Hanks, A League of Their Own

"hey, Im a tard, got bent, sorry."(Creamo, out of context)

[This message has been edited by Saintaw (edited 12-15-2000).]
Title: Event Mode - Icon Discussion
Post by: SKurj on December 15, 2000, 06:45:00 PM
I think in RL you would be more aware of friendlies locations while in flight so I support longer range on friendly cons tho no more than 5.
I say if we have to have icons..
lose the chess piece, make green text fro friendlies red for badguys.  Lose the accurate ranges have them display >4k, >3k and then NOTHING under 1k.  (lose ranges all together in scenarios or HA)
Oh yeah and of course we need colour controls for the icons, for all them colourblind folks..

AKSKurj