Author Topic: Non-Battle (Supply / Transport missions)  (Read 1454 times)

ghost42

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Non-Battle (Supply / Transport missions)
« on: January 18, 2001, 04:56:00 PM »

Hi Folks...   Maybe this is a little bit of a rant but hear me out.

I love AcesHigh,  I think it's a fun game and I actually enjoy the gratification of participating in a semi-persistent world and doing what I love to do, flight sim.

The only problem is, I ---suck--- at dogfighting.  I know that is like admitting that you never learnt how to spit, but I really suck..  quite bad. ;-)


Now, that's fine (I finally came to grip with this issue)..  but is there a place in the game for someone like me?  Maybe someone who enjoys the flying part .. but might want to see some safer .. or more strategic angle to the game .. ?  I am suggesting maybe dropping payloads of supplies on friendly bases.  Maybe engineers, weapons, fuel, etc.  

I can't imagine that this topic has not been brought up before.  But sometimes I don't want to get up in the air and tangle with anyone.  I would love to stay in my nice safe airspace (I know, doesn't exist) and maybe take a quick hop from a well equipped base to a not-so-equipped base to drop off some supplies that might help the (re)construction of hangers, supplies, fuel, etc.

Will AH ever have room for this?  Am I the only person out there that would enjoy taking a heavy-hog to drop something other than bombs into extremely hostile territory?


Anyway, this is just a suggestion from someone who is patient enough for a 30-50minute transport flight knowing that I might help the field rebuild itself quicker to let fighters fly from it..


Anyway, just a thought.
 


.mark

Offline metronom

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« Reply #1 on: January 18, 2001, 05:20:00 PM »
Your Idea isn't new at all. Many of us have give this strategic part a thought. It would of course put the realism of this sim on a higher level. To use the C47 as a cargo plane and now with the Navy in the game maybe a supply Ship for fields near the Sea.
But the problem is, as far as I see it,how many Players would be ready to take unarmed Cargo planes to a damaged Base to refuel, rearm and build the Hangars up? Maybe 20 or maybe 0?
U need an organisation for that,in this case a Squad. But about the half of the Players here are "Lone Wolfs", flying as they like,sometimes joinin a group for a strike and sometimes doin an One Man Attack Mission.
The Idea is good,no doubt. But I personaly think it's not realizable at this stage of an online sim.

Sailor

ghost42

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Non-Battle (Supply / Transport missions)
« Reply #2 on: January 18, 2001, 05:29:00 PM »


Rebuilding a base will always happen, with or without supplies.  If you 'choose' to fly supply drops, etc.  It will add another element of strategy to the game.  If nobody chooses to do it (which I HIGHLY doubt, as I can't be the only one that enjoys non-strike/dogfight flying), anyway, without it it won't hurt the game.

Obviously the idea won't appeal to the 90% of people that is on the game (the game as is will only attract sim/fighter nuts.. ) .. I believe that it will reach a broader audience of pilots who will feel that going up and senselessly being shot down are wasting time.  (I am one of these people).  Again, it's a game and if I get a small sense of gratification in knowing that I can do my bit to help our side in a small way, I found it fun.


Offline Vulcan

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« Reply #3 on: January 18, 2001, 05:53:00 PM »
Ghost most people here suck at dogfighting. There will always be someone "better".

The trick I found is to find a plane that suits your style. As the FM has evolved I've had to change mine a bit, at first it was 51s, then 190s, now the tiffie. I fly mainly lone-wolf, and ain't the best knife fighter around, I also suffer from lag-kills (300ms to HTC at best) which in knife-fites can make a big difference.

So I fly the Tiffie, hits hard with 4 hispanos, takes a beating, and is fast so that I can haul my lone-arse home when a bunch of chog-dweebs come pounding after me. I also keep my ceiling at about 15k because the tiffies a dog above that.

My suggestion, screw the ***mainstream*** rules and guidelines and ACM. Shop around the various aircraft til you find something that you feel comfortable in. Don't worry if you get called a runstang dweeb or whatever, fight the way that suits you not some Zeke or Spit dweeb  


Offline Jimdandy

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« Reply #4 on: January 18, 2001, 06:01:00 PM »
It's a very good idea. Yes it has been brought up in other posts (including from me) but it's good to keep it fresh. Dropping supplies was a feature on Air Warrior. There was a time on the game (AW) you could find guys that only flew the C-47. I think it would be a great addition to the game myself. For example, if you dropped fuel to a base (as on AW) it would repair the fuel supply faster. I always liked grabbing a goon now and then to break up the dog fighting stress. I also like the idea of running a low level mission below dar hunting supply goons. There was a Japanese version of the C-47 that had guns. There are also many other cargo planes that had guns that could be added.

[This message has been edited by Jimdandy (edited 01-18-2001).]

Offline RASTER

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« Reply #5 on: January 18, 2001, 06:48:00 PM »
My PC is too slow to run Aces High and I won't use my 3D card in many onlines because I would just suck. Aces High has become some complicated and when I PC upgrade, the fear of months in incompetence is deterring. With machines going up to 1.5 ghz how many will continue to use their 900mhz machines? In a world of billions, there must be hundreds of players not signing up because their PC speed makes them suck. Yer talking about using the C47 for cargo drops and no doubt we can expect that is some online sim at some time. However, the number of do it once and never again performances are on the increase in online combat sims and fewer users to fill the slots. Eventually everyone wants to spend all their time as the fighter pilot and not the flightliner pilot. However, the game may suffer without them. So, why not offer service reduction enlistments for guys to learn the game on older PC's rather than clubing them to death and making them totally disillusioned.    

Offline Mark Luper

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« Reply #6 on: January 18, 2001, 06:56:00 PM »
I have asked for this since the early beta days, even some in the alpha testing days. I've been told it isn't going to happen. I suck at fighters too, but I do get enjoyment from flying in a squad dedicated to flying the P-47. I'll never be that good at it because I enjoy "flying" more than "fighting".

Hang in there and try to fly wing with some one or a group. It makes a real difference on how often you can land your sorties.


MarkAT

Keep the shiny side up!

Offline Jimdandy

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« Reply #7 on: January 18, 2001, 06:59:00 PM »
RASTER  

[This message has been edited by Jimdandy (edited 01-18-2001).]

Beeking

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« Reply #8 on: January 19, 2001, 05:52:00 AM »
Ghost42!! You can be the rescue pilot!!
Everyone needs!
Give us the Storch!!!!


BeeBeeKeeeeeeeeeng!

Offline RASTER

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« Reply #9 on: January 20, 2001, 12:09:00 PM »
 You know Jimdandy I get tired. What is it you do well having failed at logic. Ghost42 stated he is not playing up to his anticipations. He also suggests alternatives to fighter engagement. Ackstars get started this way. They can fly but they can't get the parameters together to 'find and shoot'. What holds many of them back is the sum of their PC's parts and their view system skills. Regardless of your PC there is always some delay and this screws and the rule of "loose sight and die" is exactly that. Loose sight of the target in one wrong view and you do die! My point is that it takes a long time to get those skills where you know what view the con will be in and that regardless, a slower PC is certain death anyway. Under those conditions you will never win, not ever. Ghost42 suggests he enjoys the sim but is defeated and would like to enjoy the experience of combat in other ways such as C47 cargo for base rebuilds and the like. Regardless of what "the boys" have said earlier, they will probably incorporate more parameters similar to what Ghost42 has suggested or not remain competitive. Jimdandy, I tried to express this and suggested that with millions of potential players looking at "playstations" that the PC online sims are failing to attract the market. As you all know "free" is good advertising and more advertising is all that successful business is. To this point Jimdandy, the impairments of lower technology, skills and income, it is only realistic to assume if you want to compete for dollars you have to offer some better service and as some can't enjoy these benefits of realism, that by offering entrance into the game with reduced options at compatible prices would make the game more saleable. However, if the game host servers tap out at 100 players, what is the point, it's moot.

RASTER...grunt, children should not be seen or heard.

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Offline Lephturn

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Non-Battle (Supply / Transport missions)
« Reply #10 on: January 20, 2001, 01:16:00 PM »
 
Quote
My point is that it takes a long time to get those skills where you know what view the con will be in and that regardless, a slower PC is certain death anyway.

Yes, it takes time to gain those skills.  That's what makes online flight sims like this fun for years instead of 1/2 an hour.  A never ending learning experience is what keeps us coming back to these sims.  Easy to learn enough to fly, but very very difficult to master.

As for a slower PC = certain death, it's not that simple.  Give Drex a machine that will only do 15 Fps, and give me a freakin' Cray that will run 150 fps and Drex will STILL hand me my ass.  Every time.

If your machine is too slow to keep the game playing smoothly, it can be a dis-advantage, but it certainly isn't as cut and dried as your statement above.  If your machine can maintain 20 fps or more in combat, you are dying because you are making mistakes, not because your computer sucks.

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Offline Gritz

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« Reply #11 on: January 20, 2001, 01:29:00 PM »
They did this in Air Warrior.  It was definitely a great part of the game.  You were basically no longer at the mercy of some time limit on how long before your base came back up.

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PakRat

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Non-Battle (Supply / Transport missions)
« Reply #12 on: January 20, 2001, 01:51:00 PM »
I think it's a great idea! Nobody flys in a cargo plane, the base rebuilds in normal time. Fly in supplies and the base rebuilds faster. Not a damn thing wrong with that implementation. Nothing hinges on it happening, but there are advantages if it does - not unlike taking out an enemy's infrastructure - city/aaa/fuel/training/radar factories.

I think it would be a nice touch and just another fetaure in the (+) column for AH.

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Offline Jimdandy

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« Reply #13 on: January 20, 2001, 02:02:00 PM »
   
Quote
Originally posted by RASTER:
You know Jimdandy I get tired. What is it you do well having failed at logic.

RASTER...grunt, children should not be seen or heard.


[This message has been edited by RASTER (edited 01-20-2001).]

Well I just grunt a lot.     That always makes me tired too. So then I go to bed.     Thanks for asking. I see someone cares.     I just misunderstood what you were saying that's all big guy. Wars and religions have been started over misunderstandings and I don't think this one ranks that high so you can relax now partner.    

[This message has been edited by Jimdandy (edited 01-20-2001).]

Mezil

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Non-Battle (Supply / Transport missions)
« Reply #14 on: January 20, 2001, 03:04:00 PM »
Good Idea. My suggestion is to implement truly realistic avionics in transport planes, add the possibility to play as ATC controller in the field tower and start a massive campaign to drag to AH the average FS2000 player...
Better, let those planes be available even by non-payers players (with limited access to radio channels, of course). It can be a good way to increase the players willing to pay for fight...can you imagine another situation where all you got in your hand is a stick watching others have fun rolling and mixing together?

Errr...

Nevermind