4.13 development update discussion and feedback

[Artist]

Concerning the Norden Bomb Sight, I'd like to mention this great lecture (again, as it has been mentioned here in this forum before...).

[satanofsaturn]

I'm really liking what I see in the last video updates!

Just a couple of questions:

- Is there any way that we can view the bombing objectives from much far away? It feels strange when you have to wait for the building or wathever to pop up before you can set the crosshair. Perhaps we can have new objects with lower level of detail but higher pop up range that we can put under or inside the bombing objectives.

- Is it possible to have a new quick mission template for high level bombing? with the airport missions your plane or formation spawns very near the objective and you have little time to give orders to the formation and set up your bombsight.

Thank you TD!

[sniperton]

Originally Posted by Fenrir

Viola: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scheher...msky-Korsakov)

The 1st movement, 'The Sea and Sinbad's Ship', is the backing for the video and is one of my favourite romantic pieces; the 2nd movement known as 'The Kalendar Prince' I also recommend.

Thanks! And now I recommend something: Vladimir Bortko's TV-Series based on Bulgakov's 'Master and Margherita'. 1st movement is performed and conducted there by a certain 'Johann Strauss' on the ball organized by Woland. When I fly offline, Radio Roma is broadcasting Wagner's Walküre, Act 1st, conducted by Barenboim in the Scala... I'm perverted, I know...

[Pursuivant]

Originally Posted by sniperton

Thanks! And now I recommend something: Vladimir Bortko's TV-Series based on Bulgakov's 'Master and Margherita'. 1st movement is performed and conducted there by a certain 'Johann Strauss' on the ball organized by Woland. When I fly offline, Radio Roma is broadcasting Wagner's Walküre, Act 1st, conducted by Barenboim in the Scala... I'm perverted, I know...

For the Soviets, certain Shostakovich and Prokofiev pieces are both contemporary and appropriate. The music is also within in the public domain.

I'm particularly fond of the Lieutenant Kije suite (and sometime fly using that as my pilot name, since it's highly appropriate for a heroic but fictitious Russian junior officer.)

[P-38L]

The bombardier will have part of the controls to fly the airplane. Well perhaps this new command will develop the following feature.

1. Pilot:

a. Full control of the aircraft.

b. Will be assigned a key combination to cede control of the aircraft to a bombardier or the copilot. This feature also applies if you are using the aircraft as a trainer of another pilot. When assigned to copilot control, the pilot is disabled in controls surfaces and engines, can only manipulate other aircraft functions such as lights, radio, flaps, landing gear and others. The pilot may get at any time full control of the aircraft.

c. The player who is playing the pilot roll is the only one who has the key combination to cede control.

d. At the time of bombing, the pilot must cede control of the plane to the player who is in the position bomber. This is done so that the player in the role of bomber aircraft to control speed, altitude and route.

2. Co-pilot or student:

a. While the pilot is flying the aircraft, the copilot can not use commands engines or control surfaces. He or she can only use the other functions, such as lights, radio, flaps, landing gear and others.

b. If the pilot dies, the copilot happens to have complete control, including key combination to give to the bomber.

[Pursuivant]

Originally Posted by P-38L

The bombardier will have part of the controls to fly the airplane. Well perhaps this new command will develop the following feature.

That's a cool idea. For players, it might be simpler for pilots to have a single command and submenu.

Cede Command of airplane
|
|----> 1) Copilot
2) Bombardier (for planes with Norden bombsight or equivalent).

Pressing the same key again = "take over command of plane."

And, as P-38L says, this key opens up the door to two-seater training aircraft where the back seat pilot can give or take control of the plane from a student pilot. Pretty keen for a plane such as the U-2/Po-2!

[Bolelas]

Or in a long mission you can split the flight time... Very usefull also if one needs to go to the bath room, or dinner, the other crew member can carry-on.

[mark_009_vn]

On AI related notes: While personally I thought 4.12 AI is quite decent, Corsairs and Hellcats are still quite insistent on turn fighting with Zeros and the likes... The only AI controlled plane I know that accurately use energy/BnZ tactics is the Fw-190/ possibly P-47...

The old 4.07 AI also have a slightly better BnZ routine I believed, BnZ planes with E advantage used to be one of the toughest opponents I've faced. Whenever they have the chance, they immediately build up E and bounce you, and they always bounce with such discipline that they looses little E. Now... I recount them not fighting with as much efficiency, once the AI looses a certain amount of E, they'll not attempt to to recover that E advantage and began to very fool-hardy turn fighting against their opponent. One very big example is the Bf-109 AI which more or less insistent on turn fighting rather than captivating it's E advangate, while the 109 is a decent turn fighter, it is an even better energy fighter.

Also the biggest flaw with the AI ever since 4.07 remained: AI have a habit of remaining steady and maintained a level flight path even when being shot at by someone 50 meters away... You would think that every pilot once being shot at by something so close would flip out almost immediately? There should be a check routine to determined whether or not the AI is being shot at, unless the AI have enough E to extend away from the attacker (highlighted because this is of extreme importance to BnZ only planes), it would immediately engage in defensive maneuvers in an erratic fashion.

Well... That's all the complaints I have for now, it always profound me how you guys managed to think of everything...!