Search and rescue gameplay mechanics

[SIA_Koss]

Suggestion I want to talk about is more complicated than it might seem at first. And everything here is not about offline single missions or career.  It's about online gameplay improvements.

 

Instead of making new pack of "Suggested planes list #25" of aircrafts already exist in the game with B, C, D, E versions with non-obvious difference, i suggest to improve and involve new game mechanics with content we already have (with new additions). There are some aircrafts that are... I don't know what it's done for. For example, U-2 VS. We have it at the Finnish server mostly all the time. But for what we have it there? I think it's mostly useless. At least for online. No game mechanics for that. No recon. No utility missions. No night missions. Just a slow plane, trying to be a combat one. More like an easy target. But i have an idea.

 

Search and rescue gameplay mechanics

 

So, what we have now? After bailing out of aircraft pilot's model disappears after a few seconds. Sometimes it doesn't even reach the ground. This is not used anywhere in the game. I know that it's done for better optimization. But we are losing something with that.

 

What I suggest to.

 

After bailing out pilot's model doesn't disappear. It descends to the ground surface and remains sit there until the player's next step.

 

 

Then two events are possible.

 

1. Player picks a fighter / attack aircraft / bomber and after that previous pilot's model disappears and it's recorded as "Captured" in the server statistics. Virtual life is over. Everything is like we have it now.

 

2. Player picks a recon/utility vehicle (for example U-2VS) and after that pilot's model remains in the same place, and status message "Pilot: 1234.5" is continuously shown in tech-chat (it means our pilot is located in square 1234, sector 5). Rescue mission starts automatically. Or it might be done as a special loadout option to start it. It can be discussed.

 

And now your mission is to find that location where your pilot is waiting for rescue. When you get within a certain radius (~2..3 km or more), pilot on the ground starts firing flares. Then you should land there in the area, stop moving (or turn off the engine), until you receive a message "Pilot onboard" (Analog of "Cargo unloading 0...100%"). 

 

 

 

And after that, you should go back to any friendly airfield, successfully land there and complete the mission. This causes your pilot not to be "Captured" in the server stats. So, your virtual career is not over, and victory streak is not lost. This is a good sequel of survival after bailing out behind the frontline. Don't you think so?

 

For another example, your pilot landed not so far away behind the frontline. And it's dangerous enough to fly a low-speed plane over the frontline. So, it's better to take a tank, or an anti-aircraft truck and get to the pilot's landing site on wheels along the roads or through the forests. Tanks and trucks also can be used for rescue missions. This expands the possibilities of ground vehicles usage. 

 

What about aircrafts?

We have axis and allied fighters. We have axis and allied ground attackers. We have axis and allied bombers. We have axis supply plane. And now we have allied one.
We have allied utility/multi-role/recon plane (U-2VS). But we haven't its axis analog...

So, i suggest to create Fi-156 as the most popular axis analog of U-2VS for this game mechanics can be fully implemented for both sides.

 

 

 

And... You may ask, what if my pilot bails out of the plane over the sea? Good question. We started with a flight simulator. After a while we got a good tank simulator. Logically continuing this chain, we need a naval ship simulator. Sounds weird for someone? Think about it more. For example, sea part of Great Battles can start with controllable light torpedo boats. We already have models of it in the game. Soviet torpedo boat G-5. We already have naval targets for it. We already have maps with large water surfaces. And these boats can also be used for game mechanics to rescue pilots in cases where your pilot has bailed out over the sea.

 

Btw, in full mission editor you can create an airfield and mark it as a "Hydrodrome". But we have no seaplanes in the game...

 

 

 

What are the pros of it?

 

- I think it's a good feature to play out pilot's storyline in your mind.

- Bailing out without dying doesn't interrupt your pilot's career (victories streak).
- It makes gameplay more immersive.
- It challenges player to use more types of vehicles.
- It makes ground activity more intensive. And it makes combat sorties more interesting (you can spot someone doing rescue its pilots somewhere deep in enemy territory)

- Maps are no longer just decorations. You should improve navigational skills and operate not only in the frontline area. Ride along the roads. Enjoy the created scenery.

- It may take some time, while players are learning and testing new features. This will give some additional time for developers to work on larger DLC's.

 

What do you think about it?

Edited December 19, 2022 by SIA_Koss

[1PL-Husar-1Esk]

Those are good ideas to make game  realistic . Real immersion breaker is when you parachute on sea you are killed by default. This technical limitation is big disappointed.

[DRosa]

Interesting ideas on paper, but in practice it would not work at all. I think that instead of all that, it could be used in reconnaissance missions pure and simple.

1. Go to that coordinate

2. fly for so long in circles here

3. get visual of enemy ground troops and return to base

4. Thats it, if someone wants to give you escort, call on them.

 

 

 

1 hour ago, 1PL-Husar-1Esk said:

Those are good ideas to make game  realistic . Real immersion breaker is when you parachute on sea you are killed by default. This technical limitation is big disappointed.

Yeah, like emergency water landing wasnt a thing....

 

Edited December 19, 2022 by LGeorgy
text reorder

[1PL-Husar-1Esk]

In ROF we had mp missions where you need to land in field and capture a general or rescue a spy. When you were close, the truck would flare and you land nearby, then wait for message that he is on board, next step was to land successfully on own airfield. For that mission special plane was required - named a rescue plane. 

Edited December 19, 2022 by 1PL-Husar-1Esk

[migmadmarine]

Couldn't a lot of this be done with scripting already? Only things missing are a pilot model for it, and the ability to spawn in an aircraft like the U2VS with an empty seat.

 

A while back I posted suggestions for a  set of liaison aircraft and associated mechanics (primarily artillery spotting and observation gameplay, but SAR/messanger and officer shuttling flights could be handled in a similar fashion to each other, just depending on what side of the lines the landing point(s) are.  Similarly, if/when proper life rafts are implemented, float planes and flying boats could handle a similar mission format at sea.