Akula

I'm not going to be available much for the next few weeks due to RL events. I'll stop by whenever I can. Hopefully things will return to a somewhat normal state in a week or two.

Personally my biggest problem with refueling in its current state is that I basically have to launch the tanker with the group to get it to work. I should be able to order a group to go meet the tanker and take fuel (granted I have not yet had a chance to check the latest changes, so I could be discussing something already fixed).

The whole gererational idea is probably a good thing to implement, even if not dealing with terminal guidance. Basically a manually aimed 40mm Bofors (Generation 1, WWII era) flak battery is pretty well useless against a fast moving jet. The next generation is the Vietnam era SA-2 Guideline (aka the Flying Telephone Pole) which while it does have a guidance system, is pretty well useless against a TLAM skimming along the surface. Finally you move up to generation 3, the patriot battery. It has the best guidance system, and best chance of hitting. Older aircraft and missiles would pretty much be a 99% intercept chance, but...against a TLAM, I imagine it would still have issues, as the TLAM is designed to fool air defenses. By making each generation have a 'to hit bonus' against lesser generations, you can get a relatively complex model, without having to change the fact that a SS-N-2C Styx still has a 60% chance to hit its target if it locks on. If it does manage to get past the defenses, you still have the same hit/miss ratio. The air defense check done by generation simply ensures that a 40mm Bofors will have a hard time stopping it, and the Patriot will probably get it most of the time. We could simply define generation by guidance capabilities Generation 1 is the Mk 1 Eyeball guidance package, 100% reliable, 90% likely to miss. Generation 2 is a rudimentry guidance system without LD/SD capabilities (IE hard to track very low level targets) Generation 3 Modern tracking systems, able to lock on and engage at all altitude bands. You can even do the same with the offensive weapons and aircraft, defining the generation by the tracking and evasion capabilities.

So we're talking a whole rework of the database tier in order to have parent > Child > Grandchild in order to be able to move Landing unit A from the gator navy and make it a playable unit on the ground?

Sounds like it was needed stuff, but since I know zero about coding, it doesn't really tell me much. Assuming that everything worked before, would I notice any difference as the end user?

I see no reason why you couldn't have a 'lifeboat/swimmer' unit that could be plucked out of the sea. I wouldn't think it would be hard to make 2 distinct rescuee units.

The 'downed pilot/rescue-ee' should probably a nuetral unit so that it can be 'attacked' by rescue equipment from either team. I'm pretty sure that giving the player the ability to 'attack' a neutral is already there or could be added easily, just need to make it possible for the AI to do it...while not attacking things you don't want the AI to attack.

Pipe Dream #2: I know I'm not the only person who has run out of <insert ammo type here> and wished I could stop off at my nearest floating, friendly 7-11 (the AOR) and pick up some more of them. Particularly SAMs, as the AI seems to think 12:1 ratio is nessessary to shoot down incoming threats. What I propose is a simple, yet workable solution to this problem in several points. Each ship/land unit has 4-6 different types of supplies that it can consume. Fuel Food/Water Ammo Spare Parts AV-Gas AV-Ordinance Each ship unit and base has a finite amount of each. Each is consumed at a set rate. For example: CV Roosevelt has 999999 Fuel (Nuclear), 10000 food/water, 500 ammo, 100 spare parts, 5000 AV-Gas and 5000 AV-Ordanance. It uses 0 points of fuel per day, 100 food/water per day, ammo as fired (1 shot = 1 point), spares are used only if damage is present to the ships subcomponants, and AV-Gas and AV-Ordanace are used at a rate of 1 point per sortie (each plane that takes off is 1 sortie). As these points are used, it needs to replinish them either via an AO group or by docking at a friendly port...running out obviously makes the ship quite useless. Now, each AOR along with having its own needs in the food/fuel/ammo departments also carries a set number of 'stores' that can be consumed by friendly ships that need to replinish. Quick Example: AOR Wichita carries 10000 fuel, 100000 food/water, 5000 ammo, 1000 spares, 2500 AV-Gas and 2500 AV-ordanance. Other ships can take on supplies from the Wichita until it runs dry, at which point it can return to a port and replinish itself. Land units work the same, but they take supplies from convoys, that can take supplies from fleets or bases. OK, now the replinishment type ships...any cargo ship can carry stores, though some can only be unloaded at a dock/beachhead. Also, not every ship carries every type of store. Merchant ships might only carry food/water and ammo. AEs only carry ammo, and maybe a few spares, etc. Another thing, ships can share from their own stores of food/water, fuel and spares to help another ship. What would we need? Ability to replinish at sea Ability to dock/draw supplies from ports/bases Ability to track consumables Any discussion on this issue would be good, as I'm sure I'm not the only person with ideas on how this could work.

Good idea on the FAQ. However, I'm still going to find a safe place any time this issue is brought up....just as a precaution.

Expanding: 5. Would be nice to have an 'Engineer' type unit that could make the repairs only if present (or even just speed repairs if present) instead of it all being automatic. Basically an airfield might be fairly easy to patch up, but repairing port facilities could take weeks or months. 6. Capture of nuetral vessels would be a nice addition also. Imagine pirates actually capturing a frieghter instead of having to sink it.

As perhaps an addendum to that, scripted Weather Effects - could the effects be tweaked to represent an electro-magnetic pulse attack or "zone" on/over a particular area rendering equipment, primarily radar in HC from functioning? So Akula's scripted major storm over Taiwan could in fact be an EMP detonation preceding the inevitable PRC attack. Personally I was just thinking thunder and lightning, but no reason it could't include something else.

Thought of a new one... Weather that is scripted/edited in the SE. So if I want there to be a major storm over Taiwan, I can make sure its there (for example).

Tropedo boats with SUB Only torpedos: PT Turya and PT Shersen have SET-53, should be 53-65k. http://www.hazegray.org/worldnav/ (Scroll down to Turya) PT Huchuan has SET-53, should be YU-1. http://www.sinodefence.com/navy/weapon/yu1.asp

I stumbled upon part of the AI not firing torps thing, its currently listed in the Database Issues thread.

OK, seems like a single thread for these as they pop up will be best. Current Issues I've found: PT Shersen and PT Turya are currently armed with SET-53 torpedos, these are SUB only, my research shows they should be 53-65K torpedos. PT Huchuan currently also carries SET-53. This type should carry the YU-1.

Aircraft issued a manual 'land aircraft' order should default to their home/launching base. Player can manually select a closer base if desired. Ability in the course editor to toggle the AI Task Force 'chase' ability on or off, so that the player can determine if the AI has the autonomy to engage targets of opportunity or remain on its assigned course. Search option for SE that allows you to search for units/bases by country when creating/editing groups or bases. Upon completing and intercept/runnin out of ammo (missiles), a pup-up that asks if you wish an air group to RTB or loiter/continue attack. Ability to toggle control of AAW engagements to either automatic or manual, per group. IE I can choose to control the SAM launches so that my SAG Longshooters don't waste all their SAMs firing at a single helo, yet I might leave all my base defenses on automatic. PE options to build new DB by using only parts of existing ones, IE use the weapons annex but nothing else from the current DB. (see below for more detail). Waypoint system for launching patrols that allows me to set the course I want a patrolling aircraft to take, rather than it just simply flying to 1 point on the map. The ability to set orders that can be taken out at a specific gametime by the AI staff. EI I set a strike package to ready for anti-runway and launch to attack a base at 0800 Day 2 game time, then the AI would take care of that for me. Editable/scriptable weather. Being able to control damage and ammo levels in the SE. (See below) Ability to strafe soft targets with modern aircraft guns, and AI checks to support it. LOW PRIORITY.

IMO, wouldn't the preferrable order be Missiles Guns: Impact Torpedoes Guns: Airburst After all, the airburst is nothing more than short range AAA, not only are you gonna have to get close to use them, you're also firing off your last line off defense against airborne attack.

Tested with single units, PT Huachan and PT Shershen against unarmed tankers. Failed miserably. The 2 PTs moved in, fired off ALL of their gun ammo, then ran away without once loosing a torpedo at the tankers.

Not Urgent, but would make things a bit simpler for Scenario Builders: A search funciton in the create base/group window that allows us to search by nationality and only pull up bases/units for the preferred nationality. IE Create new base > Search List for 'China' > end up with a list of only chinese bases.

Sounds like your typical military operation then....no plan survives contact with the enemy.

And hopefully I will be able to continue writing 'nasty good scenarios' for everyone to enjoy.

Looking at this from a regular guys position, it sure does seem to be the results of our current 'gotta have it now' society. Far too often we rush things out before they are ready because for whatever reason we are in too big of a hurry to get it to actually get it right. Schedules are good. Rigid, unchangeable schedules can be a detriment to what we are trying to accomplish.

I agree. This is an excellent scenario. I tried it and managed to smash everything while losing 18 aircraft. I dealt with the Long-Ranged SAMs by first hitting them with Standard or Shrike and immediately sending in the bombers while they were recovering. It seemed to work well enough for me. It didn't leave much for the bases, but I figured that I could leave the bases to the B-52s! Great scen, Tony. One thing was a little bit curious, though: After having destroyed the bridge, I got for a long time no victory message. How is that in HCE - does the game last until time is over in any case? Ralf It took me well over a game hour for the victory message to finally pop up. Is it possible that with only one set of victory conditions (IE minimum or total only) that the game takes longer to cycle to the victory message?

Personally I just haven't had time to do much, having to paint the house and other 'fun' spring chores. Look for me to be around more in a couple of weeks.

Noticed this when creating a scenario the other day... Any unit that has the same name as another unit in the game won't have all its units available if you used one already. This is particularly true of the sam systems with names such as 'sam site 01', etc This is particularly troublesome when trying to use a sam system that has only 12 named units listed, and you've already used all 12 names with other sam types. Suggestion: Can we have a larger list of SAM generic names, or possibly rename them so that each sam system has its own unique naming forumula such as SA-2 01, etc?