DCS WWII: Pacific Marine Question

My hope is that a Pacific theater will be made for DCS soon and I suppose my assumption would be that RRG is the developer. As I was kicking the dream around in my head, I wondered about the feasibility and challenges of Pacific navigation and whether this was a near term or long term dream? Perhaps separating the battle focus of the pacific between naval and the island ground battles might be a strategy?

This is what I would personally love to see:

1. Develop the title by shifting the weight of terrain focus onto the ship fidelity. That is, we already have pitch with waves, instead of worrying about high fidelity of the islands and their units/ maps / roads etc, focus on modelling the ships with deck crew, working elevators on carriers, floatplane cranes on cruisers, submarines etc. I'd go so far as to suggest islands be decorative or for visual nav only at release.

2. Develop the CA element of the ships. Give them basic defences such as smoke screens and ability to plot a course to engage enemy

3. Subs!

4. Focus on release with a solid training package surrounding instrument navigation at sea. I am really looking for the sweat to run down my back as I navigate the expanse of ocean trying to find my battle group.

At launch:

3 battleships /1 scouting force/ 2 carrier / subs per USA/JPN

USA: Grumman Avenger/ Douglas Dauntless Mk3 / Curtiss SOC3/Grumman Wildcat Mk4

JPN: A6M2 Model 21 Zero/ B5N1 Kate/ D3A1Val/ E13A Jake

Post launch:

Introduce airfields to islands with flak units

Introduce bombers and ground units to islands

anything WWII is a big :thumbup: throw in the Pacific, double :thumbup: :thumbup:

I'm a geek - I seriously want to fly a floatplane off a battleship/ cruiser rail, recon or hunt subs, land in the wake, taxi to recovery canvas and get lifted up by crane for rearm...

Pure awesome!:pilotfly:

I would like this too but I wont be holding my breath. After Pacific Fighters I am not sure how keen Ilya is to repeat that experience, what with Grumman and all that ;)

This, while desirable, will be years before it gets a look in.

Their total focus will be on the current project, and when that comes to fruition, there are many, many more essential types to actually fill the theatre out.

If DCS wishes were like fishes, we'd all be casting nets... :) Alas, we can only dream. :thumbup:

agreed, with the limited coding talent, and such a narrow target market, they'll focus energy on the current projects.

I would like this too but I wont be holding my breath. After Pacific Fighters I am not sure how keen Ilya is to repeat that experience, what with Grumman and all that ;)

i am not sure i know what that experience with Grumman was all about but I'd hope that if they navigated it once, it should be easier the second time through to establish contracts. Precedence has been set with both the IL2 franchise and perhaps some similar negotiations with BELL may facilitate this?

c'mon catapult rail take off and crane retrieval... nobody has modelled this yet i dont think.

Love to have a pacific campaign but I don't see it happening. We should be very happy if we ever get a entire map of Europe/Med/Western Russian. Personally I'd like to see us get a map of the Korean peninsula for both the 50's era and modern planes which would allow carrier borne craft.

You know I love the idea. Give me a Hellcat! As much as I love the Stang, WWII carrier ops sound pretty damn awesome.

Heck, I'd take a Wildcat! :)

Early Pacific :thumbup:

Wildcat Devastator Dauntless very fine scenario.

Midway ,Pearl Habor.

I play IL2 and this is waht i miss Today in a modern form.

Nah, with the limited resources and the time it takes to model one a/c, I'd prefer they focus on the ETO only. Whilst I'd love a PTO campaign, I don't particularly want to sit there for 2 hours flying from my carrier to the enemy. Remember, a lot of the air battles were fought out at sea over long distances.

the true mettle of any pilot... (flying those long distances, with minimal, if at all, references)....

but agreed, focus our developer resources on the immediate.. ETO, and hopefully a PTO. :thumbup:

lol don't get me wrong...I LOVE the PTO but if we use ED as a reference point (maybe correct, maybe not) as to development time....we won't see the PTO for about 20 years! esp if they make each a/c high fidelity, although mind you these were WW2 a/c with limited electronics.

lol don't get me wrong...I LOVE the PTO but if we use ED as a reference point (maybe correct, maybe not) as to development time....we won't see the PTO for about 20 years! esp if they make each a/c high fidelity, although mind you these were WW2 a/c with limited electronics.

:D :thumbup:

lol don't get me wrong...I LOVE the PTO but if we use ED as a reference point (maybe correct, maybe not) as to development time....we won't see the PTO for about 20 years! esp if they make each a/c high fidelity, although mind you these were WW2 a/c with limited electronics.

... That's kind of my point - don't you guys think they could save immense time and launch PTO early if they disregarded the terrain side of things and gave us the planes with some kick *ss ships? Or do you think the ships would take as much (or more) time to build than an EDGE theater with all the associated roads, towns, and ground units.

Launch PTO first with just planes and ships and then bring the EDGE islands in after.

that *might* reduce the development time i'd think??

maybe not - what do I know??

Nah, with the limited resources and the time it takes to model one a/c, I'd prefer they focus on the ETO only. Whilst I'd love a PTO campaign, I don't particularly want to sit there for 2 hours flying from my carrier to the enemy. Remember, a lot of the air battles were fought out at sea over long distances.

I'm pretty sure, as things are now, you'd have a variety of options on where in the process you begin your flight. If not, those B17 escort flights with the P-51D are going to be brutal. I will have to do some serious flight planning to pull off a 6 hour sim flight. :D

Also, after a particular engine is modeled you would hope a big chunk of development time would be reduced. The heart and soul of the P-47, the R-2800, is also shared with the Corsair and Hellcat. Just Sayin.

yeah I know....plus you had multiple a/c that flew in multiple theatres eg. Spitfire, P47, P40, P38, B24/25. However, its taken ED X no of years to get the Nevada map ready. Thats a loooong time, and I understand they have a lot of work to do, limited resources etc etc. Thats why I'm not holding my breath with any of this.

What we MUST not forget though is....we have DCS World!! ie. the ability to utilise multiple a/c from multiple games (A10/BS2/CA/etc) all in the same environment so thats why it must take longer. That in itself is an achievement.

I guess I want me cake and eat it too.

The problem I see with the PTO is which period you choose (I posted something like this regarding the ETO) ie. 1941 - 1942 - 1944 - etc. Each period had its mixture of a/c for the multiple battles ongoing at that point (just in the PTO) eg. 1942 you had:

- battle of guadalcanal (Zero/Wildcat/Dauntless/Betty/etc)

- battle of Coral Sea/Midway/etc (Zero/Wildcat/Dauntless/etc)

or 1943 onwards which had the F4U/F6F/P38/etc with new versions of the Zero and other Jap fighters. Reminds me of IL2 1946...when you chose which version of the Zero or Spit or Me109 to fly and when.

Don't forget the Chance Vought F4U Corsair please ! :thumbup:

I was hoping someone would bring this up. Pacific theatre has always been an underdog in WWII sims compared to other theatres, especially in an era dominated by Russian game developers. Actually, this theatre is of great interest to many players. I hope DCS can take this theatre seriously.

A6M2,Ki 43 V F4F, P40

A6M3, Ki 61 V F5

A6M5,Ki 84 V F4U, DCS P38, P47 and P51

B29,B17,B25 and Betty

Dreaming.........

im necromancing this because its such a sweet idea.... i would think map development would be uber quick with this too... model new guinea and bring something entirely new to the prop crowd

Not trying to be off topic but I am curious. Has there been any WWII sim done for Pacific on the level of DCS? I don't recall any. I know there was an attempt through the IL series but there was a lot missing in my opinion.

Great thread, great thinking! +110%!

Any thoughts about expanding the concept to (eventually) include the likes of the RNZAF and RAAF?

RAAF

P-40E, M, N

CAC Boomerang

CAC Wirriway

Spitfire VC and VIII

Bristol Beaufort w/ Twin Wasps etc etc...

Just dreaming...