@SSG - questions about the weather?

[MarkShot]

I was looking at the scenario editor in CAW and CCAW. In particular I was trying to understand the behavior of the weather system. {I was looking for clues to understanding how weather behaves while playing a scenario, since utilizing weather fronts is such a critical aspect of success or failure in the game.}

The map is divided into 12 weather sectors which operate as separate cells where weather may build, move, and/or be destroyed.

(1) However, there is also a scenario details option which sets the weather behavior. How does this relate to what happens with the 12 different sectors?

(2) There is also a scenario setup warcard which alters the weather behavior. How does this relate to what happens with the 12 different sectors?

(3) CCAW has an editor for painting the initial weather conditions: high clouds, low clouds, clear, and stormy. Where is this function in CAW?

(4) The CCAW editor has a WEATHER MOVE command which seems to simulate a one hour tick of weather updates. Does the CAW editor also have this ability to simulate weather patterns and prototype how a particular weather configuration will perform?

(5) As I have seen in the game (CCAW) and appears in the CCAW editor, there are no adjustments for the speed which weather fronts move. So, am I right in my conjecture that weather always moves across the map in CAW at a fixed speed? This looks to me to be approximately 10kts or so?

(6) Despite any weather setup values which are used in a sceanrio, weather seems to build around land masses. Is this true?

Thank you for taking the time to entertain my questions!

[decaro]

In CaW, were you able to determine the difference between clouds (overcast) and thunderheads (storms), as posed in an earlier post?

I know that after clicking on a specific ship in a TG, I sometimes see overcast, but occaisionally a lightening strike, which I assume indicates a storm. But I can't recall having problems launching planes from under the animated clouds.

Maybe I need more time w/this game, despite my waning attention span.

[MarkShot]

CCAW - Well, weather has never posed a problem launching. Although, it is posssible that the prang rate might be higher ... I don't know.

In the animated attack sequences on the right side panel, you can see whether the strike is taking place in mixed clouds or storm activity. I was trying to get a picture of that for you folks the other day, but I was not quick enough hitting the screen capture keys for DOSBOX.

[MarkShot]

By the way, is anyone from SSG intending to answer my questions? Thanks.

[decaro]

ORIGINAL: MarkShot
CCAW - Well, weather has never posed a problem launching. Although, it is posssible that the prang rate might be higher ... I don't know.

I think it would be difficult to launch from a WW II CV during a storm on account of the adverse effects of water on the wings in regards to lift, i.e., when the planes dip off the end of the CV after take-off, the pilots will probably go for a swim.

In the animated attack sequences on the right side panel, you can see whether the strike is taking place in mixed clouds or storm activity. I was trying to get a picture of that for you folks the other day, but I was not quick enough hitting the screen capture keys for DOSBOX.

On account of the immediate hits and misses misfeature, I don't look at this box as long and as carefully as I should.

[alexs]

Hi Mark,

1) This is the overall scenario forecast. It will (semi randomly) impact all 12 of the weather cells.

2) The scenario setup warcard changes the overall scenario forecast (above) and replaces it with the value set in the action.

3) It was redundant due to the fact that before each scenario starts, the game will generate a random weather pattern to start. In the old game, i believe you started with the same weather pattern every time.

4) In the forecast editor screen, if you turn off the 'show grid' option a 'move weather' button becomes visible. If you hit it, the weather cycles - as in the previous game, though it only shows clouds as solid white (not split up into the 3 weather types seen on-map). I've addressed this for the patch.

5) The weather doesnt necessarily move at a fixed speed (there is some randomness to it), but there is no ability to alter this from the editor. Im not sure about the 10kts figure, but that sounds roughly right.

6) Ian wrote the weather modelling routines long ago, and looking through the code, yes this seems correct.


Alex

[decaro]

Sorry to interupt, but I have a simple, practical question re wx in CaW:

I often hide my CV TGs under cloud cover, and I apparently can also launch a/c under those same clouds, which sometimes show lightning strikes, indicating storms.

Is this realistic? And if I can launch in a storm, shouldn't there be some type of penalty, like lost a/c during take-off, or a slower launch rate?

Thanks in advance.

[alexs]

Hi Joe,

Yes, there should be a reduction in the number of planes that can be launched in storm conditions. I've found a bug that causes the reduction to be averted, and i've fixed it for the patch.

Alex

[decaro]

Excellent! It was just too easy to launch planes in a storm w/o any type of penalties. Looking forward to the fix, and hopefully a few more scenarios.