variable speed for boats

[captain1ma]

not all stop, just maybe 8-35mph or something like that. would be useful if and when we do shipping convoys.

[Chris79]

+1

[Mister Fork]

+1

[Sabre]

+1. Been asking for this for years! I'd like to see the following speed options: All-stop, Ahead-slow, Ahead-full, Ahead-flank. Normal cruising speed would be Ahead-full, say 22 knots. Flank would be the current fleet speed, which is about 30 knots, I believe. I'd also like the ability to "man the helm", i.e. take direct control of the flagship's wheel. I'd make it so both functions would require someone to spawn into the helmsman's position, i.e. you can't take direct control of the helm while flying or driving something else. Naturally, you'd have to have code that overrides the player-helmsman's inputs, if such maneuvering would result in any of the ships in the TG running aground. Leaving the helmsman position would return the TG back to autopilot at flank speed. Some sort of indicator would be good, such that it would warn friendly pilots on the flight deck or nearby that the ship was about to maneuver. Either a warning light, or an audible buzzer/bell, I should think.

Surface actions would be much cooler if we had direct helm control, and it would be a much quicker means to initiate evasive maneuvers. Battle stations!

[popeye]

I wonder how long it took to accelerate an aircraft carrier from ahead-slow to ahead-flank.

[The Fugitive]

I wonder how long it took to accelerate an aircraft carrier from ahead-slow to ahead-flank.

On my carrier it seemed to take for ever! If we had a man over board it took over 2 miles to get back to the spot in a tight turn.

[Wiley]

It would also significantly change the ease of level bombing boats.  As it stands now, lead is more or less constant.

+1

Wiley.

[hitech]

I'm just poooositive it would not effect people taking off.

HiTech

[Easyscor]

I think Jaeger is looking for a textbox setting for speed to apply to a fleet, either in the TE or perhaps the arena settings.

Something like a moving convoy strat? Basicly a target around which to focus sea battles.

[captain1ma]

no actually I'm looking for either a slide or a box. whatever he's willing to do, if its possible?

you have a throttles in the airplanes, well boats have them too. my 76' footer, had 2 throttle sticks as it was twin screw.

the boats should never stop, but the speed should be variable to mimic actual or relatively actual speeds. also if we wanted to create a custom fleet of freighters, having them all do 30knots is kind of un-realistic.

so a slide would be nice, but id settle for anything, including a dot command that would allow us to change it while in play. 

[Sabre]

I'm just poooositive it would not effect people taking off.

HiTech

Hi, Dale. I gather you're not keen on the idea. Well, to respond to your surely rhetorical statement, certainly it would affect them, just as it affects people taking off and landing when the carrier turns, today (lost more than one wing to the island 'cause I didn't bother to check if the ship's heading was stable before throttling up). That doesn't mean it's necessarily a bad idea. And the AH carrier under direct helm inputs wouldn't need to turn any quicker now (in terms of degrees/sec) than it does under the current system; it would just take less time to input the course change. As for variable ship speed, that would absolutely affect take-off, too, as it did in real life. Wanna take off with a fully loaded F4U? The CV better be at flank speed (recall I suggested making this the default, when no player is manning the helm). Just want to up a light fighter? Ahead full is probably fine. Of course, you could add catapult launches when at slower speeds, but heavy loads .

Honestly, variable speed is a more important option in a ship-to-ship surface engagement or when doing shore bombardment, than it is for flight ops. However, I also think it would be cool if damaging a ship in the fleet resulted in reduced speed, whether the player-controlled speed is an option or not. You could then, theoretically, up the total damage needed to sink a ship, knowing that damaging it would slow it down, restricting offensive ops while still allowing defensive ops. Like damage to the ship's dar, it could be something that is repaired over time. I just think naval ops is to constrained and one-dimensional right now.

[EagleDNY]

I'm just poooositive it would not effect people taking off.

HiTech

True - so if we are required to run a CV group around at flank speed all the time, perhaps a little consideration should be given to the top speed of PT boats and torpedoes as a game balance.   After all, its a GAME not a SIM.  Having the CV basically just be able to run away from PT boats and torpedoes is a bit hard to stomach. 

[Arlo]

I'm just poooositive it would not effect people taking off.

HiTech

So would wind over the deck (which may actually require heading into the wind for take-offs). 

[thrila]

FYI a ship's propulsion system in WWII and even in modern ships is a little more complex than being controlled by a throttle.

[captain1ma]

what the crew does to make a boat go faster or slower, is not the captains problem. when I say go faster, they make it go faster!

technical issues are not the captains problem!! hehehe