Question for the programmers: would it be possible to arrange things so that the detection range circles are displayed relative to the 'active' unit? eg A B-52 is the active (currently 'clicked on') unit, so the range circle of the Red Mainstay shows ~300 nm detection radius. I then click on a nearby F-22 escorting the B-52, and the range circle for the Mainstay drops to, I dunno, maybe 40 nm? It was a lot easier to guestimate the safe zones when aircraft were either 'large' or 'small' ...

Question for the programmers: would it be possible to arrange things so that the detection range circles are displayed relative to the 'active' unit? eg A B-52 is the active (currently 'clicked on') unit, so the range circle of the Red Mainstay shows ~300 nm detection radius. I then click on a nearby F-22 escorting the B-52, and the range circle for the Mainstay drops to, I dunno, maybe 40 nm? It was a lot easier to guestimate the safe zones when aircraft were either 'large' or 'small' ...

 

That's a good question. Personally I play with the radar range circles off so this wouldn't help me any, but it might be usefull to others.

Would it be feasible?

 

What if a plane (target or emitter) flies in and out of storm fronts? Targets withing the storm cells should probably have severely reduced detection when faced while targets outside of the cells would not. You might get some pretty deformed circles, perhaps.

Question for the programmers: would it be possible to arrange things so that the detection range circles are displayed relative to the 'active' unit?

 

I doubt such a feature will come to fruition in the form you suggest. From a useability perspective most people don't understand active unit vs active group and you are suggesting modify the look of the group window based on a unit clicked in the Unit window. That makes it very confusing usage for all but those frequent players. The need behind your request I see potentially being handled in a number of different ways, probably from the platform display (i.e. B-52 is up in the Platform Display and you choose from a list of emitters known to be in use by the opposing side and it shows you max range to detection).

 

Why active unit vs active group, well, a group may contain more than just an airplane, it might contain a carrier, then a picket ship way out. The range circles are indeed just meant as a very rough indication, not as something to base your decisions upon. We used to have a the pulsing radars that showed range against the VSmall, Small, and Large targets but that obviously holds less value now that there are many more values of RCS.

 

So yes, I'm with you that some kind of tool would be handy; I just don't see it being accomplished in exactly the way you lay out.