As a video game designer and historical consultant to the gaming industry (Tesseraction Games, UbiSoft, MicroSoft) , I've played AH and really don't have too many complaints, so Bravo Zulu to HTC.
If I could have a wish list of ideas... in no order of preference...
1. Have an indicator that shows a GV turret position relative to the hull position. If your turret is turned 90 degrees, it sometimes takes a few seconds to figure out which way the vehicle is actually pointing. When you have to switch from one position to another to do that, it leaves you vulnerable.
2. Optical ranging system. Determining target range on most GVs involved using optical sights whose focus would provide the ranging. If a target is visually out of focus at 500 meters, focusing the optical sight on the target, bringing it into focus, sets the rough range. The entire process takes about 2-3 seconds to accomplish, and eliminates the guess work of ranging a target. This could be used as an adjunct to the existing targeting system, giving players the choice of which system to use.
3. Radar directed gunnery. Naval gunnery in WW2, initially, was optical, controlled by a fire control director on top of the ship who would range the target (same system as the GVs), and transmit that information to the turrets. Turrets also had individual, albeit less accurate, optics. Later on, naval radar was used to range a target. Perhaps selecting a target from the clipboard (which means ground targets), would automatically range the target which can then be zeroed in optically.
4. Naval targeting...the optics don't follow the muzzle elevation, they remain on the target, to allow for watching the fall of shot. For high elevation ranging (say, cruiser to shore batteries), you have to zoom back from the target to keep it in sight, and if the elevation is too high (more than 7-8K) it becomes lost on the bottom of the screen.
5. Aircraft: How about a Ki-100, A-26, B6N Jill, D4Y Judy (as late-war replacements for Val and Kate), Ju-52, He-111, Halifax, Beaufighter, Pe-2, J2M ?
6. GVs, Panther, T-34/85, King Tiger, Su-85, Su-100, JSU 152, Hummel, M8GMC, to bring some parity to the Tiger as a perk vehicle. The Tiger was an awesome vehicle, but the addition of a King Tiger, Panther, and T-34/85 would give some options. Each has its share of problems, King Tiger was slow and heavy, T-34/85 had good firepower but lacked armor against German 75mm and 88mm guns, etc...We could also use a DUKW, much faster than an LVT, able to carry more (say, 10 troops AND vehicle supplies), but poorly armored and armed. Therein lies the tradeoff.
7. Field artillery - 105mm, 155mm, towed with a GV. As mentioned in another thread, they're vulnerable and easily seen when in-intransit, but once set up, harder to spot (reduce the visual ground range to compensate for camo cover). Allow for a battery, similar to the formation option in bombers. Targeting can be done with grid ranging, called in by a forward spotter or FAC.
8. Independent naval vessels - a cruiser, destroyer, or even a freighter to bring supplies from one base to another. The ability to shell a base from offshore prior to an air attack has certain appeal, not to mention historical accuracy, without the potential of losing a carrier, which never operated that close to land. Players would need to cover the vessels to protect them, obviously. A freighter could act as a temporary spawn point, providing troops, supplies, and amphibious GVs until destroyed. Bring that frieghter into a port, and you can offload non-amphibious GVs like tanks, Jeeps, halftracks, etc.
9. The blackout/redout thing... I've got more than 3000 hours of flight time in everything from Cessna 140s to Fouga Magisters. I've pulled some serious Gs in my time, and I've never blacked out that quickly. It takes a few seconds for that to occur in a sustained hard turn or dive (unless you're pulling 7-8 instantly in an F-18/F-16 type aircraft), and I feel the blackout/redout rate is too fast. Just my humble opinion... It would certainly allow players to be more competitive. The good pilots will always work within the envelope, but the less experienced pilots should have a buffer. Not asking for alot, perhaps slow the closure by a second or two.
10. This last one might cause some angst...but there has to be a way to prevent spies and cheaters. We had an example a few days ago, where several zero-ranked players jumped into the gun positions of a CV group, and didn't fire on the players that were attacking. I think the CV commander, the person steering the group, should have the ability to remove a player from a position. I also think that players should not be allowed to move from one country to another at will...I think once you choose a country, you're in that country for a specified period of time...an hour, 12 hours, 24 hours?
11. Increase the traverse rate of pintle mounted weapons...waist guns, GV turret MGs, anything not in a powered turret. A 150lb. man could move an MG34/42 on a pintle mount pretty fast. Most pintle mounts can't follow a low-level, in-range air target. In real life, you can...
On the historical side of things... numbers 1-7, I'm more than willing to provide whatever technical/historical data required. As a military historian by trade, I'm always prepared to support my ideas with usable data. So...if anyone from HTC likes these ideas, let me know. My 3000-volume library is at your disposal. I have access to flight data, ground data, ballistics and armor penetration data, reference drawings, historical photos, blah blah blah. In other words, I'm not just saying 'gimme gimme'. I can help make it happen. I can also provide references...lol.
Regards,
Jeff
PS: One more thing I completely forgot...and this could be real fun...
Picking up ditched or bailed-out pilots!! How about a Storch, Piper Cub, PBY Catalina, Dornier Do-24, so that fellow squadmates could land and pick up a bailed out or ditched player, thereby allowing him to 'land' his kills? Sending a Dodo into enemy airspace to retrieve a downed pilot, thereby avoiding "You've been captured" is a definite must-have in my book. I mean, we fly unarmed Goon missions in support of taking bases, why not fly unarmed missions (or high-risk missions with poorly armed aircraft) to save a fellow squadmate?
