Post by Dutch Owen on Mar 1, 2020 10:50:54 GMT -5
We've spent the last two weeks making the close combat dogfighting better which has been a great success.
The next release, 0.10.3, will contain some improvements and additions to the AI's defensive abilities; specifically fixed implementations of the spiral dive, high & low yoyo, and a new 'evasive' mode where the AI will jink and manuever when an enemy is on his six to make it difficult to shoot him. We may have a split-s and immelmann available too if plans work out for those.
Following that, we'll have a close look at jet combat including guns-only and missiles and make the adjustments needed to tighten that up. That will be 0.10.4.
That should be the last dogfighting upgrade for a while except for bug fixes.
We're really looking forward to 0.11.0 which will contain some much-needed new ASL missions features:
1. The ability for mission-defined aircraft to correctly obey conditional instructions in flight.
2. The addition of a "GROUP" statement to define a group name, formation, route, optional target, and code name color.
3. The ability to substitute a GROUP parameter for the ROUTE parameter on OBJECT statements thus attaching the object to a group with its route, formation, and optional target.
4. A statement to formally define a collection of objects as a "library".
5. A global option to allow libraries defined above to be automatically loaded if the user aircraft gets within a user-defined proximity to the library location.
These last two options have the potential to make a properly defined combat environment come alive without having to select a mission.
Lots of interesting stuff to look forward to in the next month!
After That:
Work is proceeding on the Radar environment and its getting closer. What will that mean?
It will be possible to attach a defined "radar" device to a ground SimObject. This will give the object the ability to see enemy objects within the range, elevation, and azimuth of its definition. It will attempt to classify the threats it detects (by detecting groups of aircraft as opposed to singles) and will attempt to predict the direction of the threat. Once a prediction is determined the radar station will have the ability to vector AI aircraft on its own team to intercept the threats. It will also have the ability to send the user instructions to intercept unless the user is on a mission other than CAP, even if the user is parked at an airport.
Most interestingly, it will have the ability to scramble parked AI aircraft to get airborne and intercept a threat - and also the ability to issue "air-raid" alerts to threatened airfields. This will result in audible air-raid and scramble alerts at the airports affected. This will also alert any ground-based AA objects nearby so they are ready to shoot and can't be surprised.
Of course since the radars are attached to SimObjects they can be destroyed. Campaign mode already works now - if an object is destroyed in a mission it stays destroyed in subsequent missions. Thus, this enables SEAD in any era. Yes, we will have radar-homing missiles and yes, radar operators will be aware of them and operate their equipment cautiously.
Can we do all this? Yes we can.
Dutch
PS. I have a friend who, I recently discovered to my amazement, in his Navy career actually operated a captured Soviet "Spoon Rest" mobile radar installation and he's advising me on how it all really worked from the radar operators point of view. (They fired simulated missiles at the Top Gun trainees, and got a case of beer for the whole OPFOR radar crew if they got one) ... My friend said that was the most fun he had in his career hands down. So, expect authenticity.
The next release, 0.10.3, will contain some improvements and additions to the AI's defensive abilities; specifically fixed implementations of the spiral dive, high & low yoyo, and a new 'evasive' mode where the AI will jink and manuever when an enemy is on his six to make it difficult to shoot him. We may have a split-s and immelmann available too if plans work out for those.
Following that, we'll have a close look at jet combat including guns-only and missiles and make the adjustments needed to tighten that up. That will be 0.10.4.
That should be the last dogfighting upgrade for a while except for bug fixes.
We're really looking forward to 0.11.0 which will contain some much-needed new ASL missions features:
1. The ability for mission-defined aircraft to correctly obey conditional instructions in flight.
2. The addition of a "GROUP" statement to define a group name, formation, route, optional target, and code name color.
3. The ability to substitute a GROUP parameter for the ROUTE parameter on OBJECT statements thus attaching the object to a group with its route, formation, and optional target.
4. A statement to formally define a collection of objects as a "library".
5. A global option to allow libraries defined above to be automatically loaded if the user aircraft gets within a user-defined proximity to the library location.
These last two options have the potential to make a properly defined combat environment come alive without having to select a mission.
Lots of interesting stuff to look forward to in the next month!
After That:
Work is proceeding on the Radar environment and its getting closer. What will that mean?
It will be possible to attach a defined "radar" device to a ground SimObject. This will give the object the ability to see enemy objects within the range, elevation, and azimuth of its definition. It will attempt to classify the threats it detects (by detecting groups of aircraft as opposed to singles) and will attempt to predict the direction of the threat. Once a prediction is determined the radar station will have the ability to vector AI aircraft on its own team to intercept the threats. It will also have the ability to send the user instructions to intercept unless the user is on a mission other than CAP, even if the user is parked at an airport.
Most interestingly, it will have the ability to scramble parked AI aircraft to get airborne and intercept a threat - and also the ability to issue "air-raid" alerts to threatened airfields. This will result in audible air-raid and scramble alerts at the airports affected. This will also alert any ground-based AA objects nearby so they are ready to shoot and can't be surprised.
Of course since the radars are attached to SimObjects they can be destroyed. Campaign mode already works now - if an object is destroyed in a mission it stays destroyed in subsequent missions. Thus, this enables SEAD in any era. Yes, we will have radar-homing missiles and yes, radar operators will be aware of them and operate their equipment cautiously.
Can we do all this? Yes we can.
Dutch
PS. I have a friend who, I recently discovered to my amazement, in his Navy career actually operated a captured Soviet "Spoon Rest" mobile radar installation and he's advising me on how it all really worked from the radar operators point of view. (They fired simulated missiles at the Top Gun trainees, and got a case of beer for the whole OPFOR radar crew if they got one) ... My friend said that was the most fun he had in his career hands down. So, expect authenticity.
