key mapping: miscellaneous controls

[Jorge_S]

Hi again

 

I am mapping keys to my gamepad, and I would like to know if the following miscellaneous keys are useful for anything or just eye candy. And notice that I want to define "useful" game-wise either single player mission, campaign or multiplayer. In other words, I am not talking how useful are these for flying an airplane in real life 

 

Controls

Select Ammo: what is this for?

 

Reload all guns vs Reload turret guns: what is the difference between the two? is reload turret guns redundant?

 

Landing lights: probably for seeing the runway under foggy conditions?

 

Formation lights, Navigation lights: are these to mke it easier to get spotted by friendlies? any use in single player?

 

Gestures: are they used in multiplayer? probably teamspeak make them redundant

 

Flares: I can see using them in multiplayer, to find a team mate. Do they have any impact in the single player mission?

 

Formations/ Orders: obviously team leader single player only, which ones are working? which ones are not? I think I read that "return to base" is not working,  

 

Gunner orders: is AI turret gunnery good? would all available orders work?

 

Positions: there are 10 manned positions, probably some are redundant, how many are used? and which ones

 

Thanks

Edited September 5, 2017 by Jorge_S

[Sokol1]

Most of this commands has only cosmetic value, good for make moveis, e.g. you don't need landing lights, in game all nights is 'full moon" - and very few missions at night, so don't worth assign any in a few buttons controller (gamepad).

 

If you play with unlimited ammo need the Reload All Guns command. The ammo is unlimited but belt/boxes need be "replaced".

Edited September 5, 2017 by Sokol1

[Jorge_S]

There is another command for that: "Reload turret guns"

[1./KG4_OldJames]

Landing lights to let people on the ground know your intention to land.

I.e. "stay clear of the runway, here I come" (I wish)

[56RAF_Roblex]

As OldJames said,  Many people use landing lights to reduce the chances of someone taking off head on with you as you land.  

Nav lights can be used to indicate where you are eg when the squad is forming up over the airfield but remember to turn them off after as they can be seen from a long way away.  

You might still use gestures if someone decides to help you with what you are doing but is not on TS or not the same TS as you but it is rarely useful.  

Do use gunner orders. I am not sure if your gunner will shoot unless already under fire if you don't tell him to 'Fire at will' or you might prefer to tell him to *only* shoot when shot at or only shoot when the enemy is close.   Many people tell their gunner to fire at will at maximum range but there are times when the only reason the enemy knows you are there is because your gunner is spraying bullets wildly plus his ammo runs out quickly.

The number of manned positions you will use obviously depends on what you are flying.  I am not sure we will ever use more than 5.  The He111 probably has the most.

[Wester]

 

 

Formation lights

Which plane has formation lights? I saw this in the key bindings but I have not flown something that lets you enable this.

 

 

 

 

 

Many people tell their gunner to fire at will at maximum range

 

From my experience I usually set the gunner on my Bf-110 E-2 to fire at close range only. Due to the Mg15 having a 75 round magazine I've been in situations where I pull up  for my gunner to get a clear shot only to find out he cannot fire because he is still reloading.

[Barnacles]

Which plane has formation lights? I saw this in the key bindings but I have not flown something that lets you enable them

Spitfire V

[Wester]

formation lights = Spitfire V

 

Thanks

 

---

 

And to answer OP's questions:

 

 

Select Ammo: what is this for?

 

 

For when operating the tanks it allows you switch between HE & AP rounds and then the machine gun.

The increase/decrease and left and right range/sight controls also pertain to the tank sight.

 

 

 

 

Reload all guns vs Reload turret guns

 

 

Reload all guns = Reloads a new cartridge for all fixed forward firing guns by pulling the charging handles (rear gunner must manually reload the BF-110's 20mm and 37mm cannon, this action completes that), also if guns can jam that's how you fix that.

 

 

Reload turret guns = Reloads the magazine on gunner stations if it has one, otherwise if it is a belt feed (like the Mg81 on Ju-88 and Ju-87) it just cocks the charging handle.

 

 

 

Landing lights

 

All German strike/bomber/transport aircraft have this and all Russian strike/bomber have this in addition to the LagG ,Yak, Mig, La5, and P-40. But when they do it just helps you light up whatever is in front of you. Whether it be the runway/taxiway or flashing it on/off to the plane your following to signal to him that you're still there :^)

Tanks have landing lights, these just translate as headlights.

 

 

 

 

Formation lights, Navigation lights

 

Formation lights = Spitfire V

 

Navigation lights = Red port light, Green starboard light, and White tail light.

All planes have navigation lights. Tanks do not.

 

 

 

 

Gestures

 

 

Only 3 exist, they are: Look Ahead, OK!, and Destroy.

You have in-game text and VoIP programs that are far more useful, its more of a carry over from Rise of Flight. The other person has to see your pilot first of all for gestures to be of any use.

 

 

 

 

 

Flares

 

If you have an open canopy you can fire your flare pistol in any direction, when it's closed it fires in a fixed position. Both tanks and aircraft have flares. Just like the navigation lights it lets others know where you are. The flares also deal damage when they hit something (both pilot and plane), and it is possible to kill yourself with one if it bounces around your cockpit.

 

 

 

 

Positions: there are 10 manned positions, probably some are redundant, how many are used? and which ones

 

Depends which plane you are flying, most multi crew aircraft have only 2 positions (Ju-87,Ju-52,IL-2,Bf-110) , then you have 5 positions (Ju-88, Pe-2) and 7 positions (He-111).

This includes switching guns on a position, so in ventral gunners it will swap you from left and right guns. More planes will be added in the future so this can expand.

Edited November 27, 2017 by 8.8cm-Flak-36

[KG200_Volker]

Gunner orders, if you set gunners to fire at close range, they do not warn you for planes further away and they spend more ammo when they shoot in longer distance. Set them to long range upon takeoff and when they spot an ememy imidiately set them to close range so they won’t waste ammo or give away your position.

Edited December 16, 2017 by KG200_Volker

[Royal_Flight]

Gunner orders, if you set gunners to fire at close range, they do not warn you for planes further away and they spend more ammo when they shoot in longer distance. Set them to long range upon takeoff and when they spot an ememy imidiately set them to close range so they won’t waste ammo or give away your position.

That's a good plan, hadn't thought of that.