New GV dar

[bustr]

The GVDAR probably was never needed if Waffle had just put a 1\2 mile band of grass around every town and base when the AH2 maps were converted to AH3. Using grass to open up the 6sq mile micro combat terrain from the GV spawn to the target base would have helped both the GVers and air combat folks. After two terrains using this philosophy, I didn't need the GVDAR at least on my terrains to quickly find GVs with an IL2. And those same GV's, the players who are good at tanking, still wing shot me with their main gun from hiding like they do if they are in the open grass 1\2 mile boarder strips. GVers who have mastered using the AH3 trees to hide in will be hard to find even with the GVDAR. Three of us spent 30 minutes flying a search grid over a 2mile GVDAR block at low alt and never found the GV creating the DAR block. And it was on my terrain Oceania with the opened grass vistas. There are individual tree clump types GV's can shut down inside of that 99% mask them until you drive up to them on the ground unless Hitech introduces enemy GVDOTDAR.

AH2 clutter tiles had thinner tree groups and more open vistas which resulted in the AH2 spawn camping phenomenon. Using the tiniest AH3 clutter tile brush and grass, I put those open vistas back into my terrains for the GVers. Today's GVers are not the old school hardcore players we used to all know from AH2. Today's GVers tend to be more timid about going for it other than a small number of GV aces unless they are in a hoard of GVs and planes. I have a vested interest in watching GV's on my terrains to see how the micro terrain is utilized by the GVers so I can evolve the micro terrain design. Open grass vistas and grass boarders around fields has been the common fix across the board. 

As for being unhappy about terrains in the game, PLEASE, if you know the secret to making a perfect AH3 utopia, build terrains instead of attacking Hitech. All those customers who make use of the center islands on NDisles and Oceania are paying $14.95 and having fun. I started building terrains because I was not having fun with the AH2 to AH3 transitioned terrains, they worked better in AH2. Once converted to AH3 no one had any idea of the pitfalls the trees would create or all of the acrimony posted over this last year here in the forums because of them. I've had to build two terrains at almost 12 months combined effort to start understanding how to use the terrain clutter tiles and other features to help game play in this new AH era of players. So if you think you can do better, build terrains and help Hitech and the community to have fun and thrive.

[hitech]

I guess everyone gets rule #4 if they express an opinion. Sorry Dale still becoming arcade game and that is fine if that is what is needed to get new players to the game.

You get ruled 4 when you post insults instead of opinions.

HiTech

[puller]

Its not a whine, The old furball squads I couldn't sit here and say I can beat any pilot in their squad in their favorite plane without any doubt in my mind....today most of the dedicated furball squads I can.

Sorry to tell you, you guys aren't nearly as good as The Few, AoM, BKs, ect ect ect used to be. Not even close....so again.... B list.

Who said we are as good as those furball only squads...did I say it...do I sit here and gloat about how good we are...do I sit here and complain about all types of stuff like you do...do my guys come here and complain and gloat like you do???

Get over yourself dude...nobody cares about your 1v1 BS...keep making yourself look stupid dude...I'm lovin it

And the only B list player here is you...B list cause your attitude and your BS...no one cares about you or what you do....Keep runnin that head maybe you'll get more than 5 guys to show up to one of your KOTH events....

[Lusche]

The ability for aircraft to effectively engage GV's was lost when the Storch was introduced along with the new GV icon rules.

That is simply not true.
I constantly engage GV effectively. I frequently see GV attacks on bases stopped by air power alone. Tanks roll in, they get bombed, or busted by tank killers. Though the latter has become significantly more difficult in AH3, not because of the icons (same as in AH2), but because of the much increased tree coverage (bombs don't care about that) and the prevalence of the T-34/85.
Few things easier in this game than getting kills by lobbing a 2k bomb on a tank.

Sometimes tanks manage to hide away (again, not because of icon rnage settings), but they lost all initiative. The move, I can see and hear them. They fire, I can spot them - of course all just with a bit effort.  (and when tanks manage to camp a field, it's because nobody did care about it. And if that's "griefing", so is bombing tanks. Or shooting down bombers)

Planes have all the initiative. They can chose to attack at will, the tank can just sit there and endure the bombs. The plane can decide to stay out of the Gv's weapon envelope most of the time, the the tank hardly can.

And now I'm off to kill some stuff. I think all has been said by now. 

[bustr]

It took 6 months for me and Waystin to understand how to find GV's with the new clutter in AH3. We do fine now killing tanks with our HurriD and IL2. At the same time the GVers have learned the tree types and which ones are best to shut down in for a 99% invisibility from the air. If anything most of the GV problems are the trees painted all the way up to the edge of the airfield and town 1x1mile object tiles which allows GV's to sneak straight onto fields or right up to towns almost invisibly. Just paint 1\2 mile boarders of grass around them and open up vistas with grass and many of the GV problems will go away. The GV's will still sneak onto the fields and into the towns but, if anyone cares to defend, it won't be so lopsided with trees making tanks invisible until it's too late to save your field.

[wil3ur]

I haven't had any problems finding vehicles to kill in either an IL2 or with my KI61 using 250KG bombs which aren't that big.  My biggest problem has been keeping my eyes on a landmark when looping back over for an attack run.  Often I'll go a bit crosseyed and end up flying next to where I was supposed to be... but normally correct that after the next pass.

[Devil 505]

That is simply not true.
I constantly engage GV effectively. I frequently see GV attacks on bases stopped by air power alone. Tanks roll in, they get bombed, or busted by tank killers. Though the latter has become significantly more difficult in AH3, not because of the icons (same as in AH2), but because of the much increased tree coverage (bombs don't care about that) and the prevalence of the T-34/85.
Few things easier in this game than getting kills by lobbing a 2k bomb on a tank.

Sometimes tanks manage to hide away (again, not because of icon rnage settings), but they lost all initiative. The move, I can see and hear them. They fire, I can spot them - of course all just with a bit effort.  (and when tanks manage to camp a field, it's because nobody did care about it. And if that's "griefing", so is bombing tanks. Or shooting down bombers)

Planes have all the initiative. They can chose to attack at will, the tank can just sit there and endure the bombs. The plane can decide to stay out of the Gv's weapon envelope most of the time, the the tank hardly can.

And now I'm off to kill some stuff. I think all has been said by now. 

I disagree. Unless a GV is driving to a field form an acute angle off a runway heading it won't be seen. Hell, it probably won't be seen if it's directly under the runway approach either.

don't forget that most aircraft do not have 2000 lb bombs they can drop on a tank. Most can carry only a couple of 1000 Lb bombs or equivalent at the most. A pilot only has a couple of opportunities to make an attack. If they miss, it take a while to turn around and re acquire their target - if they manage to not lose it while turning. If a GV misses a shot it take only a couple of seconds to make a follow-up shot.  Not to mention that the dedicated GV hunting planes require long gun runs and very precise aim to be effective. The average player used to have the ability to engage a GV with relative competency. Now, not at all.

[TDeacon]

Just like you can tell a plane is 200 miles away in a sector.

HiTech

From this comment, and previous actions WRT GV visibility, I have to conclude one of two things; either
(1)  HiTech does not feel that a GV sortie should yield the same opportunities for player satisfaction as a plane sortie, or
(2)  HiTech doesn't play his own GV game, and therefore doesn't understand the feeling of helplessness one feels when interacting with AC in a GV. 

I can accept the first case, as it isn't my game; it's HiTech's game.  If I get sufficiently fed up, I can cancel my sub and go elsewhere.  And there are still airplanes, whose sorties are enjoyable to me.  But, I wish he'd say this, if (1) if what he thinks, as it would save me from making a lot of useless posts in these Forums. 

MH

[Devil 505]

From this comment, and previous actions WRT GV visibility, I have to conclude one of two things; either
(1)  HiTech does not feel that a GV sortie should yield the same opportunities for player satisfaction as a plane sortie,

Or, maybe he believe that the "opportunities for player satisfaction" have overly favored the GV and he is now leveling the playing field.

(2)  HiTech doesn't play his own GV game, and therefore doesn't understand the feeling of helplessness one feels when interacting with AC in a GV. 

If you want helpless, try to fly a plane and getting zapped by a Wirb you can't see until you are in range of his guns. That it is even possible it total BS.

[wil3ur]

If you want helpless, try to fly a plane and getting zapped by a Wirb you can't see until you are in range of his guns. That it is even possible it total BS.

Or being instatowered on a an airfield from the runway without ever hearing a shot fired or an explosion, so having no idea what even happened, let alone where it came from. 

[Devil 505]

Or being instatowered on a an airfield from the runway without ever hearing a shot fired or an explosion, so having no idea what even happened, let alone where it came from.

Well I wanted to avoid talking about KilllJoy...


 

[8thJinx]

Just thinking out loud here.  Aircraft in the game can completely avoid radar bar detection under a certain altitude, but it still flashes the base.  What if GV dar bar detection would trigger only if the GV is travelling above a certain speed?

Here's my thinking: GV dar signals when a GV is on the ground. It kind of mimics what some folks have mentioned, like dust clouds, tracks on the ground, etc.  We can't do large dust clouds and tracks in the game, but GV dar kind of acts as the same signal ("hey, there's something down there in that 1 mile square" or whatever size it is).  What if we took that further, and killed those signals when the GV was shut down or travelling under a certain speed.

Just a thought.  Maybe that's a happy medium. 

Final thought: imho, I can't honestly say which iteration of GV dar is/was/could be better.  The ultimate goal of it should be to increase interaction, yet not cross the line into crushing how the game is played based on what you choose to fly or drive.  I don't know if I'm exactly 'sad', but the current evolution will likely end the era of the long range GV mission, which some squads were well known for.  On the flip side, it gives folks like me the exact spot to be if I want to lock horns in a GV with a GV.  But it does seem tilted right now against the GV.

Also, the notion of "good, it should make the GV guys get up in the air and fly" is ridiculous.   

[8thJinx]

Just paint 1\2 mile boarders of grass around them and open up vistas with grass and many of the GV problems will go away. The GV's will still sneak onto the fields and into the towns but, if anyone cares to defend, it won't be so lopsided with trees making tanks invisible until it's too late to save your field.

+1

[rvflyer]

OK keep GV dar but it goes out when the radar is down.

[redcatcherb412]

OK keep GV dar but it goes out when the radar is down.

Good Suggestion.