Developer Diary 239 - Discussion

[Yogiflight]

27 minutes ago, 352ndOscar said:

AI that don’t have Wonder Woman vision

I also prefer AI that look like Wonder Woman

[=gRiJ=Roman-]

Listening to the customers is one of the best points of this sim.

Thanks a lot for the binoculars 

[SCG_motoadve]

Finally the long awaited revision to the damage model, looking forward to it.

AI improvements are very important to this sim, the majority plays SP , good to see attention to improve AI

[FlyingNutcase]

4 hours ago, unreasonable said:

Binoculars that do not give the usual egg timer shape -  well done sir!

 

My first impression too, lol. 

 

Really cool to see continued AI work - takes me one step closer to buying the campaigns.

Really cool to see further work on the DM.

Binos have me one step closer to buying Tank Crew.

 

Great work!

Edited February 7, 2020 by FlyingNutcase

[RedKestrel]

52 minutes ago, 352ndOscar said:

 

Improvements to Damage Models

"we plan to significantly improve the airframe damage calculations and the explosive and fragmentation damage calculations for all objects in the sim in general"

[E69_geramos109]

Can we have more detaila about how the dm improvements are goong to affect? More effectiveness, less effectiveness?

Thanks.

[RedKestrel]

Just now, 352ndOscar said:

...sorry let me clarify...   “Improve Tank damage models....”

 

and let me add:   FIX the @#$W$%% Keybinding assignments for TC to get rid of the stupid “mouse controlled” turret and gun laying system.....

I was going off of  "for all objects in the sim in general"

I'm assuming this includes tanks. Maybe not, we will see when the update drops.

[Blitzen]

Probably already asked but will we get “Career” option in “Tank Crew “soon or for the matter & for some more importantly in “Flying Circus?” Better & bigger Scripted Campaigns would be welcome as well & make purchase by new buyers more attractive because of better content, I think.

[unreasonable]

12 minutes ago, E69_geramos109 said:

Can we have more detaila about how the dm improvements are goong to affect? More effectiveness, less effectiveness?

Thanks.

 

Do not worry: I expect the usual suspects will be keen to do lots of testing of how the changes work in practice.

 

Then we can start the forum arguments about who is getting shafted all over again. 

[RedKestrel]

Just now, unreasonable said:

 

Do not worry: I expect the usual suspects will be keen to do lots of testing of how the changes work in practice.

 

Then we can start the forum arguments about who is getting shafted all over again. 

The usual suspects eh? Does that make you Kaiser Soze?

/looking forward to your DM tests if you can make them!

[stiboo]

Good news, thanks,

 

 

" I went to this shop and paid £500 for some binoculars. Boy did they see me coming " - Tim Vine

[unreasonable]

Responding to @RedKestrel  Never seen that. I think my memory of that phrase comes from Casablanca. 

 

I will certainly give my airfield flak mission a few runs to see if the DM changes turn out any dramatic differences in that scenario, as long as I do not catch the lurgy.  

Edited February 7, 2020 by unreasonable

[namhee2]

I think it is important to have a tool like this .... you can build it so that it recognizes the enemy, the hide is hidden, for example the enemy is only active when I enter a check zone, but with the help of binoculars I can see the enemy ahead see.

[spamRoast]

5 hours ago, LF_Gallahad said:

...May I ask if we get to use binoculars in some planes? did the crew carry them?

 

I am curious of this from a historical standpoint too.

 

Everything I've read from other forums so far has mixed thoughts (but this is the internet so...). Some say that fighter pilots would not have had them due to their danger which makes sense. Something moving loosely around a fighter cockpit doesn't sound like a good idea lol, but others disagree and say that pilots did have them, at least in some planes. Could they have been secured somehow? Dunno, it totally makes sense that they'd be potentially dangerous, but I'm still curious of the reality, even if they were in limited use by limited planes. If they were used in reality by certain planes this could be a cool feature.

 

Quote

In the next update, we plan to significantly improve the airframe damage calculations and the explosive and fragmentation damage calculations for all objects in the sim in general. More AI improvements are in the pipeline too - for instance, further improvements for the vertical maneuvering in a dogfight.

 

Can't wait!

Edited February 7, 2020 by spamRoast

[1/JSpan_Wind75]

The aircraft AI has already improved a lot, but better behavior in AI is FANTASTIC!

 

Great job to the entire development team!

 

Now we just need to have, if possible, a CAREER PILOT MODE in FC2 and would buy it for sure.

 

Edited February 7, 2020 by 1/JSpan_Guerrero

[MikhaVT]

3 hours ago, danielprates said:

The binoculars news is only a seemingly small improvement; it is actually a big deal. The dichotomy between "have to look farther/have to get outside and risk getting killed" is half the challenge of being a tank commander.

SA is a huge factor in tankery even today now that we have significantly more visibility out of MBTs. Many TCs still prefer to turn out and have good SA with the increased risk to death from small arms fire offsetting the lower risk of death from AT fire.

[[CPT]Pike*HarryM]

USAF used binoculars from airplanes in Korean War. 

Binos from tank are also useful in the commander has the highest LOS to his surroundings and can see over terrain without exposing too much of tank.

 

[danielprates]

21 minutes ago, Kataphrakt said:

SA is a huge factor in tankery even today now that we have significantly more visibility out of MBTs. Many TCs still prefer to turn out and have good SA with the increased risk to death from small arms fire offsetting the lower risk of death from AT fire.

 

Interesting that this is still a thing even to this day!

[LukeFF]

24 minutes ago, [CPT]Pike*HarryM said:

USAF used binoculars from airplanes in Korean War. 

 

Probably limited to observation planes, I'd imagine. Trying to use binoculars while flying a jet would have wholly reduced one's situational awareness.

[[CPT]Pike*HarryM]

No, the account I was reading was specific to fighters or fighter bombers. I was curious about it so I specifically searched for it. 

[PatrickAWlson]

24 minutes ago, danielprates said:

 

Interesting that this is still a thing even to this day!

 

Saw a video of Houthis attacking unsupported Saudi M1 Abrams.  They pretty much just ran up to the tank.

[=621=Samikatz]

2 minutes ago, LukeFF said:

 

Probably limited to observation planes, I'd imagine. Trying to use binoculars while flying a jet would have wholly reduced one's situational awareness.

 

Might be cool to get it for the gunner of the U-2VS, as they were often used as artillery spotting planes

[[CPT]Pike*HarryM]

apps.dtic.mil/dtic/tr/fulltext/u2/a476873.pdf

 

In another engagement that saw my second kill, I was flying as element

leader and made my attack on a MiG by positioning myself about six hundred feet
directly behind him at forty thousand feet altitude. Before I could fire, the MiG
entered and completed a perfect loop! My F–86 floundered over the top, and the
MiG proceeded into a series of loops. With each successive loop, my advantage
increased slightly because of the “flop” at the top. This way, I was squaring a corner
of our circle, and the Sabre’s flying tail helped out at the bottom. I had the
presence of mind to fire only short bursts, so as not to dissipate airspeed at that altitude.
Over the Yalu River, the MiG straightened out for a moment, and I prepared
to fire a long burst when I observed an object going by my canopy. It was
the MiG’s canopy, and it was followed shortly by the pilot in his ejection seat!
When the gun camera film was processed, the seat could be seen going by.
Numbers three and four followed over the next thirty days. Number four had
“341” painted on its nose. When I commenced my attack on him, the rate of closure
was so rapid that I had to execute a displacement roll around him to maintain
nose-to-tail separation. As I rolled, I hit the MiG’s jet wash. The jolt was so great
that my binoculars hit the stick grip and broke. In addition to all the activity trying
to recover the aircraft and myself, the gunsight quit while I was firing, and the
guns also stopped. For a heartbeat, I thought of ramming, striking the MiG’s fragile
high-mounted horizontal tail, which was just inboard of my left wing. I missed
by about six inches. Rolling over the MiG (which was rapidly losing airspeed), I
recycled the gun switch to “guns, sight, and camera” (the sight came back on),
opened my speed brakes, squeezed the trigger, and literally blasted that MiG out
of the sky.

[spamRoast]

37 minutes ago, [CPT]Pike*HarryM said:

USAF used binoculars from airplanes in Korean War. 

 

9 minutes ago, =621=Samikatz said:

 

Might be cool to get it for the gunner of the U-2VS, as they were often used as artillery spotting planes

 

Interesting that they did in Korean War. I'm curious about WWII too. And I was thinking same as Samikatz. Even If a fighter didn't use them in WWII (if), there could still be other crew members on other planes that might've used them. I was thinking of maybe gunners or other crew on bombers or transports for example.

Edited February 7, 2020 by spamRoast

[RedKestrel]

5 minutes ago, PatrickAWlson said:

 

Saw a video of Houthis attacking unsupported Saudi M1 Abrams.  They pretty much just ran up to the tank.

Exhibit A as to why combined arms is your friend!

And now, a song to celebrate inter-service cooperation

Tankers, be nice to your Infantry
And Pilots, don't stint on that CAS
We all need to work together
or we'll find a new hole in our ass

[sevenless]

I love those continuous game-engine improvements. Great News.

[MikhaVT]

49 minutes ago, RedKestrel said:

Exhibit A as to why combined arms is your friend!

And now, a song to celebrate inter-service cooperation

Tankers, be nice to your Infantry
And Pilots, don't stint on that CAS
We all need to work together
or we'll find a new hole in our ass

In an ArmA 3 mission:

 

Tank 1: "Command, be advised, Tank 1 will provide cover for alpha and bravo as they move into town. We can support from this point (south, and 500m away from) outside of town."

Command: "Copy that Tank 1"

Tank 2: "Tank 2 will support the infantry from inside the town"

Tank 1: "Tank 2, this is tank 1, be advised supporting Bravo's push into town from inside the town is what we call a bad idea." 

~silence~

~5 minutes later~

Alpha: "Command, Alpha, Tank 2 is knocked out..."

 

Never find yourself in a city without proper infantry cover. Urban areas are where tanks go to die...

[Yogiflight]

15 minutes ago, Kataphrakt said:

Never find yourself in a city without proper infantry cover. Urban areas are where tanks go to die...

As former Armored Infantry platoon leader I can only say you are absolutely right. I never was a friend of scripted missions for TC, where you have to move with your tanks through a village or town. Tanks are only supporting the infantry in villages, the real fighting is done by by the soldiers with guns, machineguns, submachine guns, handgrenades and so on.

[Sgt_Joch]

reminds me of one of my favorite stories from WW2.

 

Normandy, a few days after D-Day. Germans troops from the 12th SS are counterattacking Canadian troops. Two Panthers approach a village alone at dusk. On the outskirt of the village hunkers a two man PIAT team commanded by corporal Lapointe. One Panther moves slowly into the village while the other Panther stays outside to provide cover. As the 1st Panther moves past corp. Lapointe, he rises and takes out the tank with a shot to its rear and then proceeds to mow down the crew with his sten gun as they try to escape. The second Panther, having seen this, just stopped in its tracks and intermittently shelled the village for a few hours before decamping back to the German lines.

 

 

That was corporal Lapointe's 15 minute of fame, only time he ever appeared in a history book before vanishing forever. 

Edited February 7, 2020 by Sgt_Joch

[6./ZG26_Gielow]

Nice !!! Love tanks !!!

 

Can we have those binoculars on the german bombers like we used to have on classic IL2 ????

[MikhaVT]

15 minutes ago, Sgt_Joch said:

reminds me of one of my favorite stories from WW2.

 

Normandy, a few days after D-Day. Germans troops from the 12th SS are counterattacking Canadian troops. Two Panthers approach a village alone at dusk. On the outskirt of the village hunkers a two man PIAT team commanded by corporal Lapointe. One Panther moves slowly into the village while the other Panther stays outside to provide cover. As the 1st Panther moves past corp. Lapointe, he rises and takes out the tank with a shot to its rear and then proceeds to mow down the crew with his sten gun as they try to escape. The second Panther, having seen this, just stopped in its tracks and intermittently shelled the village for a few hours before decamping back to the German lines.

 

 

That was corporal Lapointe's 15 minute of fame, only time he ever appeared in a history book before vanishing forever. 

That second panther's method is how I prefer to deal with infantry in towns. 

Edited February 7, 2020 by Kataphrakt

[spamRoast]

1 hour ago, 6./ZG26_Gielow said:

Can we have those binoculars on the german bombers like we used to have on classic IL2 ????

 

I guess this partially answers some questions in a way Was this historically accurate for them to have binoculars? I assumed some crew of some planes would. Just curious how accurate that is and still haven't really found a proper answer. I'll leave my annoying questions at that lol.

 

Def would be cool to have this implemented in game if it was historically accurate though.

Edited February 7, 2020 by spamRoast

[Chief_Mouser]

7 hours ago, RedKestrel said:

But the real question...are we going to be able to hold the binoculars backwards and look at close by stuff and make it look really far away???

 

 

[Lusekofte]

40 minutes ago, 6./ZG26_Gielow said:

Nice !!! Love tanks !!!

 

Can we have those binoculars on the german bombers like we used to have on classic IL2 ????

Or can we have a pit to bombaimer on A 20 so we can look down

[danielprates]

2 hours ago, PatrickAWlson said:

 

Saw a video of Houthis attacking unsupported Saudi M1 Abrams.  They pretty much just ran up to the tank.

 

Makes you think if A.I. will one day really be able to replace actual soldiers/pilots. If all sides do it, the first one to return to flesh-and-bones operators will get a huge edge.

4 minutes ago, LuseKofte said:

Or can we have a pit to bombaimer on A 20 so we can look down

 

You can say that again. The most outstanding thing lacking anywhere on the sim. I actually joined the forum just to say this. 

[Legioneod]

27 minutes ago, LuseKofte said:

Or can we have a pit to bombaimer on A 20 so we can look down

This. Even if the position itself isn't functional it'd be very helpful when lining up for a bomb run and nice for sightseeing.

[Lombra]

Huh. Is/was that type of binoculars a common one? (internationally) My grandmother used to have a pair that's nearly identical. (she wasn't a German tank commander as far as I know)

[sevenless]

2 hours ago, Sgt_Joch said:

That was corporal Lapointe's 15 minute of fame, only time he ever appeared in a history book before vanishing forever. 

 

Yes famous battle of the Reginas in Bretteville in the night of 8th June 44 defending the brigade box.

 

Maybe you will love to read this paper on how those brave men managed to kill the big cats in those 2 days at 8th and 9th June.

 

https://scholars.wlu.ca/cmh/vol25/iss2/13/

 

and for the bigger picture of course Marc Milner:

 

https://www.amazon.com/Stopping-Panzers-Untold-Modern-Studies/dp/0700625240

Edited February 7, 2020 by sevenless

[6./ZG26_Gielow]

2 hours ago, spamRoast said:

 

I guess this partially answers some questions in a way Was this historically accurate for them to have binoculars? I assumed some crew of some planes would. Just curious how accurate that is and still haven't really found a proper answer.

 

Def would be cool to have this implemented in game if it was historically accurate.

 

We had it on ship strike missions with He111s and Ju88s armed with torpedoes along with the torpedo computer.

[Freycinet]

I believe binoculars were pretty common for navy pilots in the Pacific in WWII.

 

On another note, I'm thrilled that this sim will finally feature hardware that I am the proud owner of.... ?