The road to v1.10: Electronic warfare improvements and weight-dependent aircraft kinematics

[Dimitris]

http://www.warfaresims.com/?p=4091

[Rory Noonan]

1.10 sounds like a big one! You're whipping me up into a frenzy here!

[giantsquid]

Thank you! Amazing achievements.
You are "burning" all my wishlist for the simulation! Of the few things I noticed only some unusual result of naval gunnery remains (very low PK/PH on some targets even with advanced fire control).
Should I do a post on this with my experience in Tehc reports?

Francesco

[Primarchx]

Very awesome! Can't wait to hear about the scen edit and Lua updates, too! Also, thanks for the peak under the hood on EW.

One question about continuously-computed weight - in 1.10 will there be a provision to allow a/c to dump their drop tanks and/or air-to-ground stores to improve kinematics if necessary?

[ziolo]

Sounds great! Is it any plan for 1.10 release already pencilled?

[Gunner98]

Excellent stuff, a corollary question to the 'weight-dependent aircraft kinematics', will there be a jettison function enabled?

Very key in time dependant or ammo restricted scenarios - So those pesky MiG-23's didn't get any kills but still protected the target by forcing that flock of F-16's to dump their bombs and fight!...

Thanks..

[SASR]

Awesome stuff![&o]

[gattomatto]

ORIGINAL: Gunner98

Excellent stuff, a corollary question to the 'weight-dependent aircraft kinematics', will there be a jettison function enabled?

I'm wondering if some sort of option could be added to strike missions, something like "jettison load when attacked", on a per aircrfat / per group base.

This would allow some aircrfat in a mission jettison and engage (when attacked), while others continue to target -- without any micro-management.

Do this make any sense and is at all feasible?

[Primarchx]

ORIGINAL: gattomatto

ORIGINAL: Gunner98

Excellent stuff, a corollary question to the 'weight-dependent aircraft kinematics', will there be a jettison function enabled?

I'm wondering if some sort of option could be added to strike missions, something like "jettison load when attacked", on a per aircrfat / per group base.

This would allow some aircrfat in a mission jettison and engage (when attacked), while others continue to target -- without any micro-management.

Do this make any sense and is at all feasible?

Same thought crossed my mind. Probably harder than it sounds, especially when you toss AI behavior in the mix. Still, if I know anything about our intrepid devs, there's no task they're not up to. Just be patient, however.

[gattomatto]

ORIGINAL: Primarchx
Same thought crossed my mind. Probably harder than it sounds, especially when you toss AI behavior in the mix. Still, if I know anything about our intrepid devs, there's no task they're not up to. Just be patient, however.

Actually, I can easily think of plenty of variables, in real life..
Provided that I'm no expert in air missions planning, I'll just take as an example the F-16 loadout cited in the article (2x 370USG tanks, 2x GBU-31(V)1 JDAM, 2x AIM-120C-7, 2x AIM-9X, 1x AAQ-33 Sniper-XR pod, 1x ALQ-184(V) DECM pod).

Attacked, but given enough notice in term of time and distance (alerted by long-range radars), I think they would (slowly) turn and fire their aim-120s.
That is, if they're allowed to fire them while maintaining other loads -- I don't take anything for granted, having seen all that store-separation footage

Otherwise, if jumped at short distance, at least some would certainly jettison.

Now, what's the logic (that someone would have to translate into an algorithm) behind such a decision?
Distance could be the the main variable.

[Gunner98]

I'm thinking that an auto-jettison function would be quite problematic, and there are a lot of variables as you say.

That's a decision made by the mission/strike commander and probably referred to the controllers either at the CAOC or in an AWACs somewhere. So it wouldn't be micromanagement, I don't think, but one of those key decisions a player would have to make. If it happened automatically, even with player set parameters, it could be frustrating. A single hotkey (J comes to mind [:D]) could do the trick I think.

But then we're getting ahead of ourselves, the Dev's haven't commented on if it will be an option yet.[:)]

[gattomatto]

ORIGINAL: Gunner98

I'm thinking that an auto-jettison function would be quite problematic, and there are a lot of variables as you say.

But then we're getting ahead of ourselves, the Dev's haven't commented on if it will be an option yet.[:)]

Hope I'm not carrying it too far [:)], just enjoying talking about game mechanics..

Yet, if an option like that is going to exist, some sort of mission setting or behaviour should emerge too, even if in a very simple form.

Missions, as I understand them, form the base of scenario AI behaviour (and of multi player games).
So, not to give human players an advantage, mission driven units should be able to jettison.

[AndrewJ]

Even if there is no dedicated Jettison function, those who choose to play in the editor mode can still manually jettison ordnance by selecting the items in the Weapons window and setting the quantity to zero.

[Primarchx]

ORIGINAL: AndrewJ

Even if there is no dedicated Jettison function, those who choose to play in the editor mode can still manually jettison ordnance by selecting the items in the Weapons window and setting the quantity to zero.

Interesting idea. I wonder if that would actually work given how/when the weight ratio is determined by the game.

[mikmykWS]

We're not at jettisoning ordinance just yet. We had to get the easy stuff like figuring out weight-dependent aircraft kinematics first.[:'(] This add does give it a higher priority though!

I'll be at the bar if anybody needs me[:D]

Thanks!

Mike

[FTBSS]

Amazing stuff don't know what I am happier with the ECM stuff or the kinmatics stuff the ability to jettison fuel pods at least would be great I would have liked this even without kinematics especially for stealth planes.

Great job guys.

[hellfish6]

ORIGINAL: Gunner98

Excellent stuff, a corollary question to the 'weight-dependent aircraft kinematics', will there be a jettison function enabled?

Very key in time dependant or ammo restricted scenarios - So those pesky MiG-23's didn't get any kills but still protected the target by forcing that flock of F-16's to dump their bombs and fight!...

Thanks..

Heh, my question exactly. Or at least be able to drop tanks. Or create a side doctrine for this (like multirole aircraft drop tanks/jettison A2G stores/do nothing when engaged).

[DrRansom]

I really like the kinematics addition. This is going to make proper air attacks much harder and should make scenarios more difficult for the attacking (usually player) side. I also like the potential for greater depth with 3rd and early 4th gen fighters able to outperform late fighters, as they operate in point defense form.

Along the lines of the jettisoning, does the game take into account external stores when calculating stealth?

As for the ECM, I thought Growlers were taking on S-400s a bit too easily...

[Dysta]

"No fat bird for you!" Update. Time to reconsider aircraft sorties before mission.

[FTBSS]

ORIGINAL: DrRansom

I really like the kinematics addition. This is going to make proper air attacks much harder and should make scenarios more difficult for the attacking (usually player) side. I also like the potential for greater depth with 3rd and early 4th gen fighters able to outperform late fighters, as they operate in point defense form.

Along the lines of the jettisoning, does the game take into account external stores when calculating stealth?

As for the ECM, I thought Growlers were taking on S-400s a bit too easily...

yes external tanks affect stealth so I assume external stores do as well I tested this using a E-2D Hawkeye and have a clean F35 and a long range F35 fly toward it and check the range at which they get detected.