RUNNING POLL - gameplay features [Feature Requests Go Here]

[ExMachina]

I don't see this in the list and it's such a simple request/concept that I'm sure there's a very good reason for it not being implemented but...

Add a "Back" button in the Database viewer so that once we click from the Unit to the Weapon we can easily get back to the Unit

[thewood1]

Funny, I was just thinking that yesterday when I clicked on the wrong link. Make it more like a browser.

[charlee22009]

Would like to see the specific illumination vectors - for example which opposing aircraft are 'illuminating' which *specific* aircraft. The same information an RVR provides to a pilot.

[ColonelMolerat]

To lay chaff corridors, one must right-click on the unit and use the 'attack options' there - it is missing from the other 'attack options' under the menu bar.

Perhaps it could be added to the menu bar? It took me a while to find, since I usually go the menu-bar way (I rarely use the right-click for giving orders). Buuut it's a minor issue - only worth doing as a general UI improvement if it's fairly simple.

[AlphaSierra]

Please update the SIM to accept the US Mk6 PB (ID#2909) "The boats are small enough to fit inside the well deck of LHD, LPD and LSD class amphibious warfare ships. Thus, they can be transported to any location in a short period of time."

Think of 6 of these bad boys slipping out of a well deck full of seals anywhere in the world

Thank you in advance.

[charlee22009]

I would love to see the 'specific range' listed in the database. That's... the amount of fuel consumed for a given distance. It could *easily* be calculated based on the KTAS and fuel consumption already provided in the database.

I think this would be incredibly interesting and illuminating for both the player and scenario designer.

I also would like a way to see... the 'visual horizon'... in other words... how far the mark one eyeball can see based off the curvature of the earth. Similar to the 'radar horizon'... it would be awesome to have the visual depicted based on the platform's altitude and/or mast height. For example, sea-skimming missiles are often not visible until (something like) 25NM out? It would be great to have a UI depiction of just how 'far' the ships and platforms can see in perfect visibility (clear bright day) based on the curvature of the Earth.

[AlphaSierra]

Charlee;

I did lookout training in the Navy our "rule of thumb" for lookouts was in clear weather the horizon was about 12nm (confirmed ad nauseam) by radar.

Obviously the height of the bridge wings factors slightly but not enough to care about. Ie..our bridge wings were 80ft to the water line and honestly the view from a Cruiser wasn't much different.

The 50mi Mk1 Eyeball is specific to Col. Steve Austin (which is still classified)

[charlee22009]

50 NM Mk1 eyeball.... wait where did that come from? what are you referring to?

[thewood1]

Suggest googling Col. Steve Austin

[Primarchx]

ORIGINAL: charlee22009

I would love to see the 'specific range' listed in the database. That's... the amount of fuel consumed for a given distance. It could *easily* be calculated based on the KTAS and fuel consumption already provided in the database.

I think this would be incredibly interesting and illuminating for both the player and scenario designer.

I also would like a way to see... the 'visual horizon'... in other words... how far the mark one eyeball can see based off the curvature of the earth. Similar to the 'radar horizon'... it would be awesome to have the visual depicted based on the platform's altitude and/or mast height. For example, sea-skimming missiles are often not visible until (something like) 25NM out? It would be great to have a UI depiction of just how 'far' the ships and platforms can see in perfect visibility (clear bright day) based on the curvature of the Earth.

I've had a request in for a LOS Tool since the game was released.

[BrianinMinnie]

How about oogling the Mk1 Listening Device, Jaime Sommers.

[AlphaSierra]

It's in the sensor range of almost every unit in the sim that has a human element.

[AlphaSierra]

haha Yup!

[charlee22009]

Sure it's there. But the question is how far can you actually see with it?
For example the LOS/Radar horizon at sea level is quite limited. (Someone said 12NM?)

Since the eyeball is always 'on', as opposed to on or off like a radar... it made sense to have a LOS indication depending on the altitude (say with a helicopter or mast of a ship) or even just a generic range indication for the eyeball when looking from sea level.

[guanotwozero]

Edit: Oops - post in wrong place!

Ignore.

[guanotwozero]

Feature Request - Advanced Cruise Missile Planner

This is an idea for extending the ability of ships launching cruise missiles, so as to allow timed strikes (e.g. simultaneous). Additionally, this approach could also be a useful baby step for the Advanced Strike Planner, so maybe it should be moved to that thread.



At present (v1.14) I can launch cruise missiles at a static target, via the Attack Menu/Dialog, and set the course by defining a bunch of waypoints. The missiles launch more or less immediately.

As the total course length and missile speed are known, then the time of flight should be known. If this could be displayed to the player, then they could time the launch so as to achieve a desired Weapon Time Over Target (WTOT). To facilitate this, the desired path could be treated like a mission (i.e. a persistent entity), with a "Launch" button to enact.

If the ship is stationary, the player just times the launch so that the flight time matches the desired WTOT. The complication here is that the launching ship is probably moving, so the distance from the ship to first waypoint is constantly changing. Hence a "Recalculate" button could also feature, to allow for this variable first leg. The total flight time is this first leg plus the (now constant) sum of other legs.



Now - all this is based on the player clicking launch at the right time - but as CMANO is on a computer, why not let it do the work? If a WTOT can be set and the ship's course/speed are known, then the launch point can be calculated.

The tricky bit is the variable first leg, but this is very similar to an intercept calculation. Imagine (at a given time) that a missile at A is trying to intercept a moving ship at B - the intercept point will be C. All straight lines. If the missile speed is 30x the ship speed, then the path length A-C is 30x the path length B-C.

Now reverse the missile direction; the ship travels from B to C, then launches the missile towards A - the first leg. The path lengths and travel times are the same in both cases. Hence it becomes relatively simple geometry to determine the position of launch point C. Well, I say simple - if spherical geometry is used and the paths are great circle segments, then a little more calculation is required Anyway, if you can solve the "first leg" problem, the rest is much easier.






If this can be implemented, then the player would create the missile course & WTOT "mission" in advance, and the ship automatically launches the missiles when at the calculated launch point.

Now it's easy to see where this can lead; multiple missile missions could be created and different targets hit simultaneously, including being launched from different ships. Or targets could be hit sequentially, e.g. destroying radars & SAMs to make life easier for following missiles.

There are caveats, of course; if the player alters the ship course/speed, then the launch point must be recalculated. If the ship is following a course with waypoints, then these must be taken into account; if a missile mission is defined while the ship is on a "zig", the launch may be during a later "zag". There'd need to be a check that the launch point isn't outside the missile range, for edge cases. Etc...



If you can do it for ships, then potentially it could be done for aircraft as well, though there'd doubtless be many more issues and caveats. In essence, you'd treat cruise missiles like aircraft, because of their long waypoint-based courses.

Waypoints could be edited and times synchronised, e.g. an aircraft flies a predetermined course to launch point, and then missiles fly another predetermined course to target. Threats and no-overfly zones could be avoided. Variable "first leg" calculations could be re-used for "last leg", in the case of moving targets. Hence it might be a useful step towards the eventual ASP.

[nukkxx5058]

It seems that there's a psychological biais toward "first in the list" items ...

[ExMachina]

ORIGINAL: nukkxx

It seems that there's a psychological biais toward "first in the list" items ...

Basically the list gets added to incrimentally with most users' votes getting "absorbed" by the feature requests that have been around longest. The strike planner has been on the list forever. It would be nice if there was a way to retract/reassign our votes but there isn't...

[nukkxx5058]

They would have to redo the poll (2 or 3 times?) with random permutation of items ...

[thewood1]

"Message Log option to hide messages that break fog of war"

Just noticed this one. Can't you do this already through game and message log options? Is there some aspect that those options don't cover?