Making aircraft names reflect loadouts?

[MarkSheppard]

Was recently playing that 1989 Cold War Gone Hot scenario
between the Poles and the Dutch; and I found it a bit tedious
to have to click on the information for each of my available
planes to find out what each plane was carrying as a warload.

I'm wondering if changing the name of the air units to
be more descriptive of their loadouts could be feasible,
without damaging realism or playability, because of course,
your opponent would instantly know what kind of warload
your planes were carrying as they're diving in to attack...

[Weeble]

MarkSheppard said:
... because of course,
your opponent would instantly know what kind of warload
your planes were carrying as they're diving in to attack...



But they couldn't do anything about it, unless it came back for a second pass!

Quite often the sub-mark of the plane gives an indication of possible weapons loads, though whether:

1. The finer points of aircraft recognition,

2. Returning Fire, or

3. Taking cover

should be your opponent's priority is debatable.

I personally do not like the "instant I.D." on incoming fire, but I hve been assured that it is irremovable.

[RecruitMonty]

What is instant ID?

[PlasmaKrab]

Knowing at first sight the exact type of enemy unit, the exact number of men/crewmen, strength of armor, ammo loadout etc. ?
I know that this was a regret for some, but apparently any intermediary solution between 'full instant recog' and 'no recog' would be excessively painstaking to code, if not simply undoable.

OTOH, adding short unrewarding suffixes like "CBU", "ATM", "GBU", "Rkt" etc. about the main carried weapon type, could help you player to choose your aircraft types when buying, without giving away too much info to the other side.
Anyway, as Weeble said, when you are getting an enemy airstrike across your lines, you would start getting this kind of info only too late! http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/wink.gif

[MarkSheppard]

OTOH, adding short unrewarding suffixes like "CBU", "ATM", "GBU", "Rkt" etc. about the main carried weapon type, could help you player to choose your aircraft types when buying, without giving away too much info to the other side.



I think that's the most acceptable solution; and I'll probably
implement it in my own custom mods