Midway and Guadalcanal Wishlist

[ivanmoe]

One option would be to have the game provide a incremented identifier other than just Unknown + Hull notation for each enemy ship as it hoves into view - "DD Unknown 001" for example. If that's on the Main Chart Display as well as in the drop-downs you'll know which target you're dealing with.

Edit: Further enhancement - allow the player to input a designation like he/she can for Location Markers.

I'd thought about a numbering scheme, but am unsure about how "sticky" it would be. For example would the numbered entry remain when the ship is no longer under observation (the way that entries remain after observation is lost when the game is set to auto)?

Another possibility would be to have the ship's picture appear, on-screen, when it's highlighted on the list. Then players could refer to a chart to positively identify it, or click on an icon on the map, a bit clunky perhaps, but that would be more realistic in a sense.

To be honest, I'd be happy with just about anything. Again, this is just an issue playing with FOW, but it's a real issue, indeed.

[parmenio]

I'd thought about a numbering scheme, but am unsure about how "sticky" it would be. For example would the numbered entry remain when the ship is no longer under observation (the way that entries remain after observation is lost when the game is set to auto)?

That would be a design decision.... easy enough to keep the designated "label" with the ship for the entirety of the scenario so it retains it if it re-appears or have it generate a new one so the player has no idea if it's a ship already spotted once before or not.

[GMcClellan]

I'll have to think on all of this... but be warned, my mind is going down a different road entirely.

[feizhu]

make contacts larger on the map when it's zoomed out. It's hard to see for 66 year old eyes.

[feizhu]

For Midway when launching planes have some that don't launch or they launch late or don't follow the course planned. This way the search or the strike package is not a sure thing. Sort of like what happened to the Japanese scout plane during the battle of Midway.

[MikeC]

make contacts larger on the map when it's zoomed out. It's hard to see for 66 year old eyes.

A big +1 on this!

[Iron Duke]

I have two simple questions.
1) Does Guadacanal have Japanese and American aircraft and if it does, what type of aircraft does it have. Also, are the aircraft used just for reconnaissance or can they be used for fighter and bomber missions against the ships. I know most of the operations were conducted at night-time, but I was interested to know if any aircraft are used in this game.
2) My second question is, are submarine operations against capital ships included in this game.
Thank you.

[GMcClellan]

1) Yes, and it's a fairly complete list. Fighters (both Carrier and ground based), Bombers (dive, torpedo, heavy and medium) as well as things like the H8K and PBY. I can't easily show the the complete list since it's more than one screen in the database view

That said, there are few scenarios with aircraft. The carrier scenarios are in Midway, but the potential is there, and of course you can do DIY scenarios as well.

2) Yes. I THINK Palawan Passage is the only current scenario of that nature, but that is certainly in there.

[ivanmoe]

Kamikazes.

Why?

Well, the IJN had essentially lost the ability to compete with American carriers by mid-1943. That's why its leaders resorted to suicide attacks after the Philippine Sea debacle.

In a competitive game?

Points would be accumulated for damage inflicted on enemy installations (primarily USN) and enemy vessels sunk/damaged (primarily Japanese). Radar pickets and distant CAP by Corsairs to cover them. Operations conducted around Okinawa and the Philippines. That sort of thing. I should note, also, that the game can already handle MOST of what I suggest. The Japanese player just needs the ability to configure/assign some of his flights as what would amount to cruise-missiles.

Could be quite a tense and engaging experience.

[ivanmoe]

A third approach to simulating a Pearl Harbor attack, partly hypothetical, a scenario in which the USN player is alerted to the oncoming attack...but not by much. In this scenario, US air defenses could be scrambled and better able to respond. Some variability in the level of response would be a positive, insofar as it could make the scenario more of a challenge for the IJN player.