The way i would prefer it is to be able to set fuel parameters for the flyables, quite similar to loadouts, and then make the whole lot possible to be enforced by the server.
Regardless of what we choose to fly, giving us the ability to run overboosted power settings in every case is as unrealistic as running a full belt of DeWilde or minen shells and it's one of the rare cases where historically accurate also means better for playability.
It would be really cool if loadouts and type of fuel for each airbase with a spawn point could be enforced server side.
Failing that, we could do with modified copies of the same flyable in a new slot. So for example, we would end up with a 100 octane Spit and an 87 octane spit in the aircraft selection menu, where the 100 oct version would be a mere copy of the 87 oct 3d model with a few numbers altered in the FM files, ie it's not that much work and it also allows the mission designer to limit the amount of high power versions. Similar for the axis side and then we'd be set.
This would also allow people who script dynamic missions to spice things up a bit. For example, if you fail to protect your convoys (RAF) or fuel supply trains (LW), a script could lower the amount of high powered versions simultaneously available based on friendly ground target losses, thus reflecting a shortage of high grade fuel.
I guess we'll see how it's handled once the FM revisions take hold, but either solution i would be ok with. The first method would be slightly preferable for me, because then we might be able to load different grades of fuel in different tanks (just like it was done on the Blenheims for long range sorties, 87 octane in the inner tanks and 100 octane in the outer tanks).
|