These are the things I wish to see implemented into Aces High:
Let's start off with lion's share of the meat:
The Damage Model/System for ships.
I would like to see a more detailed damage model and system implemented. As is, when ships take damage, you see minor damage sustained (ship's mast/radar) with guns being knocked out (turrets being visibly damaged and soft guns gone). That is it. I would like to see holes in the deck and hull added, with listing, possibly oil trails, fire and smoke, all dependent on damage inflicted. When damage is sustained to a ship, if appropriate, a ship should be slowed as a result. Example: If a DD is struck on the Port Bow with a torpedo, it would become bow heavy and possibly list to Port and would likely become slowed. If a bomb strikes Aft, if heavy enough, you will see a hole and possibly become aft heavy, also possibly becoming slowed. Fire can indicate that a hole on deck as a result of a severe enough attack could be implemented to show for it. A hole on the hull would show by listing/slowing with oil slick. If, for example, a hit is severe enough to cause a ship to break in two and sink, it would happen. You would see a fire and smoke with the ship sinking as a result of the attack. Enough torpedoes hit at a point, example Port, it would list to port then capsize and sink if required torpedoes to sink it, hit. Possibly adding rudder damage, it stuck upon damage for X time (2.5 minutes?), after said time has passed, rudder control is regained. Something of this nature, for game play reasons, would only happen once unless the ship survives to repair itself to a certain point. At which point it can happen again. Slowing would be result of overall damage to the ship, and it will not regain it's full speed until it has repaired itself to a certain point, unless damage inflicted that would result in slowing, repairs itself but the ship itself has yet to take the overall damage required to slow it. There may be need to implement a time limit on this as well, but slowing will (if the necessary damage is inflicted) will always happen. Slowing will be "mandatory" when a ship has had enough damage inflicted overall. On something like the Carrier in regards to fire, you will no longer have fire if just the radar is knocked out. Fire only happens when enough damage to warrant it is inflicted (IE: Hole in deck and/or superstructure). So just a knocked off the radar won't cause a fire (I've seen a 262 strafe a cv and light her up when I will doubt that a fire would break out as a result). Oil trails would only be 15-20 miles from a ship; roughly dar ring.
Now for further ideas:
More Meat: The Carrier.
If a CV has received enough damage, flight ops and rearming are disabled for 5-10 minutes. Bumping up the required amount to sink a CV to 12k, if a CV takes 8k of damage, flight ops and rearming are no longer possible for 5-10 minutes, CV is slowed. The loss of flight/rearm is something that will only happen once until CV repairs itself above the 8k limit. Example: A CV takes 8k of ords, flight and rearm is disabled for 5(?) minutes, you will still be able to land of course. After this set time has passed, CV will regain these things. However, overall damage will still be 8k but flight ops/rearm will no longer be disabled if further damage is inflicted until it repairs itself above 8k. Like the rudder idea, it's a one time thing within x damage inflicted. During this time, a hole in the deck and possible listing will be visible. After the required time to reinstate flight/rearm, the cv will "right itself". Think of it as counter flooding for the listing. And while a hole with the fire and smoke will still be visible, just like bomb craters, this won't affect people's ability to take off or rearm. Slowing will apply to the CV as with all ships, and will be dependent of amount of overall damage/damage inflicted that results in slowing. Listing will only happen if damage applied would cause it, and only during the "down time" of flight/rearm. This is all based off of the CV's required ords limit to sink her is bumped up to 12k. I think a bump up would counter the loss of flight/rearm for a short time as a result of enough damage received. If we are to keep the 8k requirement, drop the down time from 5ish minutes to 2.5, just like the rudder's time limit. Respawn time of the CV will still be your box standard 10 minutes (least I think it's 10 minutes). Another thing to note is that CVTG's will no longer be able to get with 25miles of a shoreline, reason will be listed later. On some maps there will be exceptions as some port's spawn are well within this 25mile range. Having the CV spawn with a fixed course away from this maybe be an option, with the only maneuvers executed until outside this 25mile range, are those from being in command, explained next. CVTG's will no longer be able to spawn LVT's, but if there were implementation of Landing Ships, then these player controlled ships(?) could be launched from the CVTG's to shore.
Fleet Maneuvers.
When someone takes command of a Task Group, their should be options to do maneuvers with the click of a button (for game play reasons). When you take command of a TG, a small clipboard will pop up and available commands to do maneuvers will show up. Basic Example: 360 Circle L/R, 180 L/R, 45 L/R, etc. These options will ONLY be available when someone takes command, and when someone does take command, they will "locked" into the tower of the CV. If they are already in the air/ground/gun, they will not be able to take command and can only use the current waypoint system that is in place. What this means is, you do not have to take command of the TG in order to move it around. You will, however, have to take command to execute fleet maneuvers listed above, which are more defined and detailed in execution vs use of the waypoint system.
Most notable will be how ships visually execute these maneuvers. Ordering a 360 L/R, all ships will do so as seen in many WW2 pictures and video's. As is, they end up doing this strange "dance" (for lack of better word) to execute maneuver and return to position. Right now, if you order a TG to do certain maneuvers, the escorts will end up all over the place and more often than not, go right through each other and/or the CV. I would like to see more realistic speed and turn radius implemented. When ordering a TG to do a 180, I will see the escorts all of a sudden move a WHOLE lot faster to return to position. While it's obvious I know little about how fast DD's and CA's can move in relation to the CV, I am doubting that they can move that fast. I know the CV slows a bit when executing a turn, but the speed at which the escorts move to regain positions just doesn't look right. I am hoping someone will clarify.
Bombardment Task Group.
The inclusion of a Bombardment Task Group that can close to within a few miles of a shore, allowing the launch of Landing Craft and LVT's. These ships will contain 2-4 CA's for heavy bombardment, with 6-10+ DD's for escort. Adding a few troop carriers to the Bombardment TG would allow people to take away the ability to spawn Landing Craft and LVT's. Giving these ships a 4k requirement to be sunk would balance it a bit, and there will be a few of them (3-6?). They are, however, affected by strats (keeping it simple, Troop Training Facility). So if it's sunk, it's out for half the time a barrack on land would be. Unless there is the implementation of resupply at sea, having it only half would help but still give the ability to affect the Bombardment TG's ability for "troops". Even going as far as these troop carriers only suffering a quarter of the penalty that barracks on land suffer may work better. Just like the CVTG's, the ability to execute detailed maneuvers will only be allowable when being commanded by someone, who will be "locked" into the tower. More options possible to readjust the fleet formation for bombardment purpose is something I think would work well. So other than the "box standard" evasive maneuvers, there will be addition options to adjust the fleet formation for bombardment. People will still be able to give rough directions to the Bombardment TG's via the waypoint system. Later on down the line, when Battleships are implemented, the number of CA's would drop (for those that are given a BB) to 1-2 with the DD's remaining roughly the same, if not increased.
