Wishlist

[EJ]

Mobhack,
As quoted from you on the last page of tactical help: Anything else would require a totally new game design with basic database changes. I've thought of that over the years - e.g. the ability to have the shillelagh tube ATGM as a round and not a separate weapon line firing a double shot at a target. Table driven accuracy charts, like normal (Challenger, WRG) 1/300 wargames rules etc. Any chance this will happen within the next couple of years? I think HIGHLY of you and Andy who keep this game GREAT----!

[dmnt]

I have a single and simple wish with a proposition on how to implement it:
Firing ports for APCs and bunkers.

Here's how it would work:
1) Create a new weapon class, Firing port.
2) Firing ports don't require ammunition and shouldn't be supplied any. Alternatively, the firing port ammunition info can be used to notify the number of eligible firing ports at a single time (for example, 4 to stand for 4 firing ports / side)
3) Firing ports proxy the fire of the biggest group riding the vehicle (or within bunker) that is eligible for firing by rules 4) and 5)
4) Only weapons in class 1 (rifles, assault rifles, pistols) can fire and only if in slot 1. Ammo consumption is normal from the unit quota.
5) Weapons suffer from moving / buttoning penalties as if they were part of the vehicle armament.
6) Range is unaffected, accuracy may be toned down.
7) Firing ports can be disabled from the unit the way they currently work for any weapon (by clicking)

By these rules they should be both straightforward in implementation (without a huge change in code, I believe, only for the proxy part and some additional code for firing port checks etc.), balanced for efficiency and realistic.

[Mobhack]

For firing ports, just say out aloud to yourself "Brrrr!" whenever you think they are being used.

Your vocalisations will have all the effect of the things in reality (i.e. some noise to no effect), and will save our adding a lot of code for nil effect that would also use a valuable weapon slot (one on the vehicle as well as one in the weapons database).

Andy

[Pfor]

My apologies in advance if this is considered hijacking someone else's thread.

Some thoughts re above ideas:

1. Main Gun ATGM (eg Shillelagh) - what if we had a unique Weapon Class or Classes for these missiles, and the characteristics included:

a) must always be in Wpn Slot 2;

b) weapon can only be activated and thus fired if slot 1 is de-activated (must think ahead as to which weapon to have ready-loaded?)

User would need to turn off weapon 1 if he wanted ATGM to be the default main round for 'F' key and OpFire?

I guess, the first question might be 'How many of these weapons exist in the 90+ OOBs, and are there any other phenomena that can piggy-back off the code for such a routine?'


2. Firing Ports - this sounds very similar to an item on my wishlist, which is the ability for a dismount weapon to see and fire when mounted on/in its carrier.

Examples - TOW, 106-mm RR, FOO, SP-mortars, Slot 1 weapons when carrier is open-topped.

a) Automatically ready to fire if dismounts are aboard?

b) would need decision as to whether APC main machine gun is 'dismountable' or not (eg M113 50-cal)?

[troopie]

Firing ports would have to be disabled automatically when the troopies leave the vehicle, after all, there's no one to fire out of them.

Andy is right about the effect of firing through ports. Koevoet used to fire over the sides of their Wolf Turbos and Casspirs. It scared the godelpus out of the Swaps, but I doubt it would have any effect on anybody better trained. I never heard that they hit anything. We could fire over the sides of our Hippos, but were told not to do so, it was just a waste of ammunition.

troopie

[Suhiir]

I know when the BMP first came out the US Army was obsessed with the firing port idea to the point they made a special barrel with a screw adapter for the M16 to be able to use the firing ports in the Bradley.
I also know that eventually common sense actually prevailed and the whole idea was scrapped, as even the US Army realized it was a waste of ammunition.

And if the US Army is actually willing to admit ANYTHING is a waste of ammunition I'd say that pretty much says it all.

[Imp]

And if the US Army is actually willing to admit ANYTHING is a waste of ammunition I'd say that pretty much says it all.