Naval Guns need better interface

[Rojo]

I'm preparing a more indepth treatise on this subject, but here is the long and short of it.  

1) I suggest that guns should be controlled by battery, not by individually turrets.  For example, the eight-inch turrets on the CA (naval parlance for a heavy cruiser) would be one battery, while the five inch turrets could be divided into a forward and aft battery (total of three gun positions to man for the CA.  This first suggestion segways into my next...

2) Large calibre naval guns were not directed from the guns themselves, but from the Gun Director position, normally located in the tall tower(s) in front of and behind the funnels.  They were placed at the highest possible point to allow the longest line of sight possible.  I suggest gunner positions be created in the gun director towers on the ships in AH.  The gunnery officer would then look through gun director sights (similar to binoculars, but mounted on a pintle allowing them to train out and on any bearing).  Moving your stick side to side would rotate the gun director latterally. The guns of a battery would all train out together on the bearing the gun director is looking, with the gun elevation handled by moving the stick back and forth. However, the view would not change when elevating the guns; only the barrels of the gun would move. You could zoom the view in and out, just as you do now.  Finally, when you fire primary, only one gun in one turret would fire.  When you push the button(s) on the stick that fires both prim and secondary, all guns of all turrets slaved to that gun director would fire together.

The above ideas would reduce somewhat the number of players that can man the fleets guns, but would greatly enhance their effectiveness against land and seaborne targets.  What do you all think?

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Sabre, a.k.a. Rojo
(S-2, The Buccaneers)

[Specterx]

Having a fire control system for the eight inchers is a good idea, that, a manual sighting system and shell dispersion will actually make shore bombardment workable.

The 5" guns should be left as they are though, so there can be more player controlled AA.

One thing that we do need is a manual sighting system, or else nothing else makes sense.

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[Jigster]

compromise...have someone working fire control as a seperate position, that can mark range and bearing much easier, and the information is relayed from the player working fire control to those in the turrents.

Without cooperation it stay's as it is, with cooperation, sighting in is much faster and accurate.

[Rojo]

I understand what you're getting at, jigster, but the actual problem with that is the same one that plagued actual naval artillery. Namely, calling the fall of shot when multiple gunners are firing.  

Let's say we had three gunners on the CA firing one turret each (a full broadside), plus a fourth player manning fire control for the 8-inch batteries.  Assuming you can get four players to cooperate, the gunnery officer (GO) designates a target, all three gunners mates train out their guns to the designated bearing and elevation -- to the best of their varied abilities.  The GO calls "fire" and, miraculously, they all fire simultainiously.  There WILL be differences in the individual gunners' aim, and the fall of shot will be scattered.  Neither the gunners nor the GO will be able to tell whose splashes are whoes.  The GO will be unable to correct the fall of shot and the individual gunners, assuming they can see the target (not a sure bet), won't be able to either.

As you can see, the GO needs control of the guns themselves.  As for leaving the 5-inchers as they are, that would be okay, I suppose. However, the idea of a gun director is still valid for the 5-inchers.  The secondary guns were originally installed on capital ships to defend against destroyers and torpedo boats, and would sometimes be fired individually (in a multiple threat environment).  As the splash size of 8-inch and 5-inch guns is not the same, there's no confusion with having seperate GO's for different calibre guns.

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Sabre, a.k.a. Rojo
(S-2, The Buccaneers)

[This message has been edited by Rojo (edited 01-17-2001).]

[Pepino]

I like both ideas, and I think they would work together fine. Now you have 3 big guns places to man. With Jigster+Rojo idea you would have 2: one Gun Director + one Gun Stations. Gun stations would manage the whole 8" batteries.

Perk points should be divided between both of them.  

5" should be left as they are.

Cheers,

Pepe.

[Ripsnort]

Keep in mind that AH is a flight sim first, but, I do like your ideas.  One day when they finish out the plane set, I'd like to see them revisit the interface as well!

[Jekyll]

 

One day when they finish out the plane set, I'd like to see them revisit the interface as well!

Lol Rip, I think most people would hope that the gun interface might be retuned before AH finishes modelling every aircraft in the future planeset.

Umm, how many aircraft is that likely to be?

[Midnight]

I like the idea of the director. I really don't see a reason why you should have to look along the length of the 8" barrels when you fore them. Your target is on the horizontal plane and when you elevate the guns, you can't zoom in to see where you are hitting. Really needs to be changed so you can look out to the horizon regardless of barrel elevation.

For 5" guns, the sighting system should work the way it does now for AA and then change to the above described for use of the HE.

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"Wing up, Get kills, Be happy"

Midnight
13th TAS

[TheWobble]

Midnight,
Use padlock view (F8) and you CAN zoom in and see while firing where shells are hitting.  Just slew your view down as you raise the barrels.

[Midnight]

Thanks Wobble  

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"Wing up, Get kills, Be happy"

Midnight
13th TAS