Named Pilots - Options

[treespider]

Okay we have a named pilots file.

These pilots are assigned to specific groups. In a lot of cases the named pilot arrives at about the same time as his assigned group.

However there are many instances where the named pilot arrives substantially after the group arrives. The "problem" is this experienced named pilot frequently is assigned a random skill set by the code that is out of line with the skills developed by his assigned group which may have been on the map for sometime.

As a result players hunt these guys down and reassign them...which sounds like it can be a monkey drill.

witpqs and I have been kicking around some options and as a result found one interesting tidbit involving TRACOM...thoughts are welcome.

There are 4 options:

1. Do away with named pilots altogether....easy to accomplish simply 0 out the contents of the plt.csv file

2. Assign all of the named pilots to Group 0....as a result they arrive in TRACOM...from which the player can then reassign them....easy to accomplish...simply change values in GroupID colum to 0.

3. Try and identify those named pilots that arrive after their group arrives....and convert them to Option 2...leaving the named pilots that arrive with the group as is....royal pain in the patutty...but does leave some semblance of historical group assign for some pilots.

4. Do nothing.

I'm thinking Option 2.

[Shark7]

Personally I'd go for #3/

The others might leave you with pilots not being in their appropriate squadrons. For instance, Sakai, Saburo should be in the Tainan group when the war starts, with option 2, he would not be, and players not familiar with the individual aces might not put these pilots in the appropriate air groups (or even the type of aircraft they are best suited for).

I realize this is a minor thing, but in a game that strives for historical accuracy, having named pilots in non-historical places doesn't seem right.

[treespider]

ORIGINAL: Shark7

Personally I'd go for #3/

The others might leave you with pilots not being in their appropriate squadrons. For instance, Sakai, Saburo should be in the Tainan group when the war starts, with option 2, he would not be, and players not familiar with the individual aces might not put these pilots in the appropriate air groups (or even the type of aircraft they are best suited for).

But why should Sakai go to Tainan Group in a universe where Yamamto decides to use KB against the British Fortress of Singapore on Dec 7? Or where the Allies decide to use B-17's as tactical ground support aircraft?[;)]

I realize this is a minor thing, but in a game that strives for historical accuracy, having named pilots in non-historical places doesn't seem right.

Then IYO the best option would be 4...make sure the appropriately named guy shows up with his historic group...regardless of whether his skills are up to snuff with the group he shows up with.[;)]

Just playing Devils advocate...[;)]

I'm actually in the process of doing 3...not sure its worth the effort. 2000 more pilots to review and already have 1000 that are going to TRACOM when they show up since their group arrives weeks, months or in some cases years before they do.

[wdolson]

If you zero out the named pilots file, no air unit will be led by a pilot.  One thing that should be done is to go through the leader list and make sure a pilot entry exists for all the air leaders (at least those that lead air units and not HQs).  This was something that is the same as WitP and didn't bubble up to the top of the list during AE development.

Bill

[treespider]

ORIGINAL: wdolson

If you zero out the named pilots file, no air unit will be led by a pilot.  One thing that should be done is to go through the leader list and make sure a pilot entry exists for all the air leaders (at least those that lead air units and not HQs).  This was something that is the same as WitP and didn't bubble up to the top of the list during AE development.

Bill

Having finished up with Option 3 last night...here are some findings.

- There are 5331 named pilots

- Of these roughly 2660-2680 arrive after their group has already arrived...actually they arrive after the earliest named pilot of the group arrives.

- In some (many) instances - the pilot arrives years after the unit does for example - Unit 4045 starts on map 411206 - yet pilot 3212 has his delay set to 450529!!!

- 533 pilots are listed as leaders ... of those 75 arrive at some point after their assigned air unit has already arrived.

- Of the 75....in several instances 2 (maybe more) pilots are assigned to arrive with the same group on the same day.

- There are 4993 Leaders that are designated as Command Type - 6 - Air Unit

Just some food for thought.

I have no intention of insuring that every Air Unit is commanded by a "named" pilot. The work vs return on the work seems minimal to me....unless that causes other "issues" with the game.

[Shark7]

ORIGINAL: treespider

ORIGINAL: Shark7

Personally I'd go for #3/

The others might leave you with pilots not being in their appropriate squadrons. For instance, Sakai, Saburo should be in the Tainan group when the war starts, with option 2, he would not be, and players not familiar with the individual aces might not put these pilots in the appropriate air groups (or even the type of aircraft they are best suited for).

But why should Sakai go to Tainan Group in a universe where Yamamto decides to use KB against the British Fortress of Singapore on Dec 7? Or where the Allies decide to use B-17's as tactical ground support aircraft?[;)]

I realize this is a minor thing, but in a game that strives for historical accuracy, having named pilots in non-historical places doesn't seem right.

Then IYO the best option would be 4...make sure the appropriately named guy shows up with his historic group...regardless of whether his skills are up to snuff with the group he shows up with.[;)]

Just playing Devils advocate...[;)]

I'm actually in the process of doing 3...not sure its worth the effort. 2000 more pilots to review and already have 1000 that are going to TRACOM when they show up since their group arrives weeks, months or in some cases years before they do.

Actually, I'm doing #3, but for a different reason...its the only way to ensure that pilots with French names end up in the Vichy Indochina units that are there (they are permanent restricted and there are no 'Vichy' bases for them to move to. Works great, the planes can not be moved from their starting points in this way). Definitely not an unbalancing thing, since the Potez 25 is well...horridly obsolete, and the MS.406 is the equivalent of a 1930s Allied fighter. But at least if the Allies try an invasion from china into Indochina, there are the historic Vichy Foreign Legion troops there to put up a token resistance.

[topeverest]

Wow...

Let me just say, I am pretty fine with the way it is.  That's some hardcore stuff to require pilot names as such...

I never had a problem with a funny name.  only the attributes matter.