S3 Series

Operation Lost, which will run for 12 hours daily now, is New Guinea map with my special No GPS map layer installed. It has Compass Roses conveniently laid out to aid with .vor navigation. Having flown quite a bit of No GPS in this terrain now I don't find the .vor command all that critical to master. You really can tell where you are by looking out the window.

Jabo, Are you going to use an alternate map texture path? If so, I can provide any base version you would like. My alternate texture has the compass roses and a 10 mile grid overlay and mileage scales. I can remove any of those items or add other stuff as you like if you want to use an alternate texture path.

Here is what it looks like in game with game grids selected OFF

Sorry in a rush and forgot the links.

The idea is not to penalize a pilot too much for a KIA result. So only if you are in a 1st Line aircraft and die do you have to take a 2nd Line aircraft. Pilots can always choose to drop down to a 2nd line aircraft if you want to fly as one type as a squad. Good thing is next frame all the pilots that flew 2nd line aircraft would then be back in 1st aircraft. Will make the rules a bit more clear.

Thats a nice map dawger. I will update the ingame dds with Muzz's tropical texture map and maybe you can add the rings to that. I hope to get an update for the NG terrain to correct a few bugs and add some more AAA next week.

Links updated Japanese a\c indicated as 2nd line.

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Jabo if I may say, this schema of KIA to second line for one frame only is a very good (even handed, temporal, wise) movement for more "Life" centric combat.
Unknown if it is better than many previous attempts at same, but on the surface very admirable.

Kudos to the thinker……..

Juice

Personal Opinion Dept.

Most will not like "No GPS" as a S3 feature. Personally, I find all of the "no GPS" overlays to be "excessive clutter" on the map. I would like the ability to have a dot command to turn all that stuff OFF when I don't want to see it. IF 50% of S3 pilots can actually have any clue to where they happen to be by "looking out the window" at a terrain that they have rarely seen, I'd be greatly surprised.
The above is a personal opinion and is not, necessarily, the position of the 352nd Fighter Group (virtual)

Is it possible to have ".privatearena S3" updated to display the GPS that will or will not be available? It would be nice to know if one has a "locator" with no direction arrow or if one has NOTHING in regard to GPS. S3 pilots should not have unrealistic expectations based on what is alleged to be the S3 Arena which will be used in the Event. The "fuel modifier" in use for Operation Lost varies from S3 conditions, so fuel burn testing in that arena is not fruitful.

You have plenty of time to "see" this terrain in Operation Lost! arena between now and then. You may even get to fight with some of the AI roaming around in there.

We have had a bunch of folks come through Operation Lost and none have had any complaints about the lack of the GPS. It certainly results in a lot more time looking out the window.

I don't doubt many of our curmudgeonly types will actively resist No GPS and declare it an abysmal failure without actually trying it out but it will add another level of realism and uncertainty to S3.

It will very actively promote flying in formation within icons distance and discourage folks from lone wolfing across the map.

It will lessen the ability for instantaneous reaction to threats and reassembly after action.

It will reduce the ability of fighter groups to line up bombers for easy kills.

It will reward good planning and execution and punish sloppy planning and flying.

All of that should be good for the series and good for the game.

I have flown in the OL arena four or five times now over the last 10 days.

In no particular order:

• The AI routines are well done.
• The AI fly nicely and are difficult to shake once they saddle up.
• The AI may, only occasionally, benefit some from the lingering anomalies (no e loss, unrealistic e gain)
• The Terrain is magnificent
• No GPS increases your SA
• Easy to find a fight with the donut dar sweep

Immediately upon learning this would be a NO GPS event, I forwarded the information to our squad and asked them to get some time in the arena to learn the world. We will be prepared.

I appreciate the work everyone has done over the break.

Arigato!

I think the hardest part is going to be people having to correlate window view with map view. In the past, all S3 events were no GPS..I was suprised when I came back to see they had gone to GPS, but that is neither here nor there.

For those who are not familiar with .vor: If you type .vor <field#> to a FRIENDLY field it returns you a heading and a distance (so in reality a VORTAC or TACAN:)). To plot yourself in relation to that you need to figure out the reciprocal of that heading, so adding or subtracting 180 degrees from it.

A quick and easy rule of thumb is the +2 -2 method. If heading to the field is below 180 add 2 to the first number subtract 2 from the second. So a 180 becomes 360. 130=310. Some people find it easier to just o the straight up math rather then remember the rule:) 090=270 (three digit format). 350=130 etc.. Don't worry so much about the "ones" place digit... the old adage of measure it with a micrometer, mark it with a crayon, cut it with an axe applies here.

Where does this become tricky....when engaged and you can't just look at the map and read off coordinates. Its now going to become "10 south of F23".

The nice thing is that this map lends itself to visual navigation pretty well. If you have an overwater route..time to get stopwatch back out or have preplanned VOR cuts:)

Just an FYI guys.
There's a lot of S3 participants who don't read these boards and the first experience they will have with the new flight models and no GPS will be frame one of this S3.
You should probably put a warning in the crawl in the main arena, a large stcky post in the IEN forums and possibly an email?
Just a thought.
Success for no GPS in the S3 can only come with prepering those who will be participating for it.
I'd be willing to bet money most are unaware of the changes and these are very big changes.
Just my 2 cents.

If I had Main Arena privileges, I would write a quick script to announce all this every 60 minutes or so on each country channel with the recommendation that they fly in Operation Lost or in the S3 arena to prepare.

But I don't.

There are a LOT of people who participate in the S3 that DO have Main Arena privileges that could do the same thing (with the permission of iEN of course)

Here is your script contents

.radio 1 101
.echo The first S3 will feature New FM's and No GPS
.echo Practice now in Operation Lost or S3 Arena
.echo Contact your CO for details or visit the S3 Forum
.radio 1 102
.echo The first S3 will feature New FM's and No GPS
.echo Practice now in Operation Lost or S3 Arena
.echo Contact your CO for details or visit the S3 Forum
.radio 1 103
.echo The first S3 will feature New FM's and No GPS
.echo Practice now in Operation Lost or S3 Arena
.echo Contact your CO for details or visit the S3 Forum
.radio 1 104
.echo The first S3 will feature New FM's and No GPS
.echo Practice now in Operation Lost or S3 Arena
.echo Contact your CO for details or visit the S3 Forum

Save it as S3ANN.dtf

Upload it the general in the Main and send him the following execution command

<space>.dtf_timed S3ANN.dtf 3600 -1

Simple really.

Have at it.