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v496 has arrived, bringing over 500 new additions across DB3K and CWDB (not counting nearly 500 new loadouts) and solutions to about 540 tickets from the public DB requests Github. We focused especially on our internal backlog this cycle, achieving an additional 200 private tickets cleared. Another goal for 496 was to handle the growing pile of “minor milestones” accumulating in the public tracker, usually consisting of 10-20 related requests (e.g. Malaysian Navy additions); a good 100 of those 540 public tickets were cleared doing that.

We continue to carry out targeted “national reviews” in both DBs, in which we check a given country’s extant entries for accuracy and add platforms as needed to complete its current and/or historic inventory. This cycle, we formalized the “flashpoint review,” a sort of national review-lite intended for hot spots. Unlike national reviews, which tackle all platforms in a DB’s given time range, flashpoint reviews focus only on platforms currently in-service. This cycle we wrapped up our national review of Taiwan in CWDB, and completed flashpoint reviews for Greece and Turkey. We’re looking forward to seeing scenarios using their newly fleshed-out inventories!

Finally, as usual, DB 496 comes with several schema changes. Some of them are even interesting.

Submarine, Facility, and Ground Unit Combat System Generations (supported in B1275+)

At last, the saga is complete! With this, our OODA overhaul is finished (future edits notwithstanding). Just as with ships and aircraft in DBs 494 and 495 respectively, subs, facilities, and ground units now have their own combat system generations, which can be paired with ergonomics to determine OODA.

Similar to ships, we’ve split submarine combat systems into six distinct “generations,” ranging from the early Mk1/3/4 TDC used in WW2 to the modern AN/BYG-1 and future witchcraft as featured in SSN(X). Facilities and ground units required a slightly different system: rather than using multiple “generations” as with ships and subs, these annexes distinguish between fixed and mobile systems and whether said system uses manual or assisted guidance. For example, radar-assisted AAA (e.g. Skyshield) will be faster to engage than a manual gun (ZSU-57); both (towed) systems will be slower at evasion than a SPAAG. The same is true for manually laid artillery vs. those with digital fire control, towed artillery vs. SPGs, etc. While less detailed than our system for ships, subs, and aircraft, we felt this was “good enough” for the level at which these platforms are simulated in Command. (And, of course, we always have the manual override for when we have specific platform data.)

LIDAR Sensors (not yet supported in-sim)

Still mostly a curiosity in the defense world, LIDAR sensors have nevertheless seen limited use in airborne minesweeping applications, primarily with the US Navy’s AN/AES-1 ALMDS. Now, these unusual sensors are properly represented in the DB. In certain circumstances, these sensors can be potent mine detectors, especially against surface/drifting or moored mines. In shallow waters, even bottom mines can be detected… but whether you’d be comfortable floating your fleet through a channel cleared solely by this nascent technology is up to you.

JFS737 wrote: Fri Sep 16, 2022 5:00 pm I'm on 1276.1 and DB 3000 496. Is anyone else getting ROE for Crank/Drag/Follow not working? I've tried a few of my scenerios, upgraded to latest DB using 1276.1 and none of the fighters (F15, F16, F18, Eurofighter) are doing anything but follow straight in. They do "run away" when they detect the missiles but no cranking, no dragging and no crank then drag. Wondering if this is just me.

Regards,
John

JFS737 wrote: Fri Sep 16, 2022 5:00 pm I'm on 1276.1 and DB 3000 496. Is anyone else getting ROE for Crank/Drag/Follow not working? I've tried a few of my scenerios, upgraded to latest DB using 1276.1 and none of the fighters (F15, F16, F18, Eurofighter) are doing anything but follow straight in. They do "run away" when they detect the missiles but no cranking, no dragging and no crank then drag. Wondering if this is just me.

Regards,
John