Wow

[Eder]

Regarding conserving fuel, I'm disgusted at how happy the Kilrathi seem to be in draining their afterburners. It feels like they never stop afterburning - this is something I've only noticed since Episode 4.

Well, they don't need to worry about saving fuel for the next nav point.

As for flak evasion, well, the flak in WC2 felt rather random to me. The flak effect in Standoff is a nice simulation, but it is usually quite easy to dodge since they're still discrete points of gun fire (I think).

The original idea was to have flak be missiles... I'm not sure why I didn't pursue that further, I mean, if we eventually got the mace to work, we could certainly get this to work as well. My idea was to make flak turrets shoot (invisible) unguided missiles that would explode into a number of (invisible) shorter-range unguided missiles to simulate a small area effect. This would also fix the way our flak looks absolutely hideous.

 

[Dundradal]

The original idea was to have flak be missiles... I'm not sure why I didn't pursue that further, I mean, if we eventually got the mace to work, we could certainly get this to work as well. My idea was to make flak turrets shoot (invisible) unguided missiles that would explode into a number of (invisible) shorter-range unguided missiles to simulate a small area effect. This would also fix the way our flak looks absolutely hideous.

Hmm, that also sounds like something that might improve performance on some of the "busier" missions without having to draw all the flak "bursts."

It would be a nice graphical improvement as well.

 

[Eder]

On the contrary, I think it might have a considerable performance hit, even the mace does cause occasional stuttering because it creates so many invisible missiles at the same time.

 

[Mekt-Hakkikt]

(...)How many Hakagas were there to begin with, and how many actually made it to Sol?

(...)
As for the Hakagas, I can't seem to recall - either there was 5, or 6 of them (and another 6-7 still under construction... IIRC, there was 12 altogether). The Hakaga we encounter in Episode 4 is the only one that didn't make it to Sol, both in Standoff and in the book.

Quarto's right: Thrakhath attacked with 5 Hakagas, 7 were still under construction. 3 Hakagas were destroyed at the BoT, IIRC.

Sounds like everyone is having lots of fun, that's great.

 

[T.K. Sax]

Just wanted to post my thanks for such a great mod!

 

[PopsiclePete]

The original idea was to have flak be missiles... I'm not sure why I didn't pursue that further, I mean, if we eventually got the mace to work, we could certainly get this to work as well. My idea was to make flak turrets shoot (invisible) unguided missiles that would explode into a number of (invisible) shorter-range unguided missiles to simulate a small area effect. This would also fix the way our flak looks absolutely hideous.

I actually like Standoff's flak; it's good looking, it's just a tad annoying as it should, and contrary to WC1/2 it now actually does look like it's shot from the capship while it used to be a big orange flash

 

[Eder]

Flak is *supposed* to be a big bang that you don't see the source of.

Ours is not good looking... You can tell that every single one of the hundred blasts is synchronized with each other, and you can also tell that the same projectile "explodes" twice before disappearing for good.

It's the single most hideous thing to have ever made its way into the WCP engine, and I'm to blame.


But hey, I'm glad everyone seems to have liked this episode so far! It's been a few days and we haven't had any "it's too damn short!" posts yet.

 

[Toast]

I actually like Standoff's flak; it's good looking, it's just a tad annoying as it should, and contrary to WC1/2 it now actually does look like it's shot from the capship while it used to be a big orange flash

Standoff flak is dangerous. Soooo incredibly dangerous. WC1 flak was a joke; you'd have to be flying a Scim with a totally shot shield generator and power plant to be worried about it. WC2 flak was similarly pointness for doing damage, but it could take down your torpedoes. (AMG's are another story).

So the first time I loaded up Standoff, I paid no mind to the flak and flew straight through it.

Oops. Gladius + Standoff flak = rude surprise.

"You have died."

Sir, that was no Ralatha. That was the Galactica.

 

[Mekt-Hakkikt]

(...)
Ours is not good looking... You can tell that every single one of the hundred blasts is synchronized with each other, and you can also tell that the same projectile "explodes" twice before disappearing for good.

It's the single most hideous thing to have ever made its way into the WCP engine, and I'm to blame.
(...)

Oh, when I first saw it, I think I was rather impressed with the Flak effects. Armada's Flak also did get off all at the same time, didn't it?

But I didn't have the impression that it did much damage. Do I have to fly through the explosion to register any damage?

BTW, I liked WC2 flak the best, it had the right balance between not too annoying and not too harmless. Plus, it made the torpedo runs feel rather good, IMO.

 

[Sharpshooter]

I've been playing through both the losing path and the winning path, and... How can I put this... Well, since there's a "Wow" thread, I thought I'd join in and say how amazed I am. Awesome. Congratulations to the whole team once again.

I'll probably give more feedback later on, but for now, let's just say there's only one thing I didn't like - I find the first mission of Backlash in Sirius to be way too easy. So easy, in fact, that I'm having trouble losing it. At least one of my wingmen always survives before reaching the convoys and somehow, the two ships always end up being rescued.

*goes back to playing winning path*

EDIT : Fixed typo.

 

[Wedge009]

I managed to lose both of my wingmen in that mission, but in the end I had to make myself non-collidable (using the debugging/cheat mode) and hide myself inside the transports to get them to die. Of course, I could have used the 'finger-of-death' on them, but it was more fun this way.

It seems the outcome of that mission doesn't affect your winning/losing path, anyway. The following one, "Convoy Hunting", does, however.

 

[Quarto]

How strange, I've never had any trouble losing the transports .

 

[Dundradal]

How strange, I've never had any trouble losing the transports .

Same here, as aren't they the Shok'lars primary targets?

I lost them several times not on purpose when difficultly is on Hero.

 

[Sharpshooter]

Well, I played this mission on Rookie, Ace, and Nightmare, and surviving seemed to be harder than losing the transports (and it still wasn't very difficult, mind you).

I think I've seen most if not all of the missions by now, thanks to Wedge's episode tree. Now I've got to replay Episodes 2, 3, and 4 without rescuing Sparrow. I'm curious as to what happens before and after Skinning Cats if you don't help Sparrow.

And after that, I'll give some more feedback, I guess. By the way, I found saving the Leyte Gulf to be a bit too easy, but I'll admit I haven't tried this mission on Hero or Nightmare yet.

The Hakaga battle was great! I managed to win the mission with a Crossbow and a Rapier, I guess I'll have to try it again in a Sabre.

 

[Dundradal]

And after that, I'll give some more feedback, I guess. By the way, I found saving the Leyte Gulf to be a bit too easy, but I'll admit I haven't tried this mission on Hero or Nightmare yet.

Well that mission should be fairly easy to complete as the Leyte does survive to fight in Sol, so you kind of want it to survive

 

[Alexco]

I am impressed. The entire Standoff missions are really great and a lot of fun.
But one question: do you really think it is wise to name a ConFed ship after a criminal of war http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karl_Dönitz?

I have no problems with names of ships of historical persons, but this one...
If it was just to have a famous german naval officer, why not take Wilhelm Canaris or Graf von Spee?

 

[Quarto]

I am impressed. The entire Standoff missions are really great and a lot of fun.
But one question: do you really think it is wise to name a ConFed ship after a criminal of war http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karl_Dönitz?

I have no problems with names of ships of historical persons, but this one...
If it was just to have a famous german naval officer, why not take Wilhelm Canaris or Graf von Spee?

The reason I chose Dönitz wasn't just to have a famous German naval officer, though, but specifically because here was a great naval officer who was sentenced not for war crimes, but merely for being on the wrong side, and for following to the hilt the very ideals of a modern military officer - complete apoliticality, loyalty, and a willingness to uphold his oath of allegiance no matter what.

I don't actually think that a military officer should be apolitical. I think military officers are, if anything, obliged to an even greater extent than the rest of the nation to stand up and object to the wrongs perpetrated by the government. But theirs is a unique position, because they are bound by their oath, and their objections cannot cross that line - had Dönitz betrayed Hitler, he would have been betraying his country as a whole. There will always be something intrinsically immoral about submarine warfare, so Dönitz deserves condemnation... but he also deserves our respect for his total commitment to the service of his nation. I wouldn't want to see a civilian monument commemorating someone like Dönitz (...or someone like Nimitz, for that matter, even though he fought for the more-or-less-good guys), but he most definitely is the man to name a warship after.

(incidentally, note that the exact opposite applies to Canaris - I think he was a noble man for opposing Hitler and attempting, however ineffectually, to overthrow him; for that, he certainly deserves to be honoured in some way - but to name a warship after a traitor? Never!)

 

[Bandit LOAF]

It's not the first time we've seen a ship named after someone (or something) from the 'wrong' side of World War II... Action Stations has a TCS Soryu, named after one of the Japanese carriers that attacked Pearl Harbor, and the WC4 novelization has a TCS Dornier, named after a German warplane maker. (There's also a TCS Manassas on Wing Commander Academy, from the Confederate name for two Union defeats during the Civil War.)

 

[Tigerhawk]

I've played the entirety of Standoff on the Hero level. Love it love it LOVE IT. Thank you, guys, once again, for an outstanding game.

I took only two goes at taking down the Hakaga strike group. I refuse to fly a Crossbow...sorry, but it came along quite quickly that when you're in the soup, no speed means no life. Anyway, the first time, I was so worried about getting fighters off of my tail in the Sabre that making torp runs on the capships was quite a bit out of the question. By the time I got around to taking a run on one of the Hakaga's engines, as most of her escort ships had been taken out already, I found myself being torched by gun turrets, and had to break off of my run. Ran headlong into more fighters...boom. Done. Died. He's Dead, Jim. However, on the second run, I took the Rapier and just concentrated on taking out as many fighters as I could. (Toasting Drakhai was FUN, btw...haven't done that in years!) I think I ended up making about 30-odd kills, and the rest of the bombers took care of things themselves. Before I knew it, one Snakeir was gone, then the other. The fighters were swept, and all that was left to do was to pick apart the Hakaga's turrets. It was GoodnightIrene after that.

You guys are SoAndSo's, though...having heavy fighters hang around the Firekka's launch bay so we could be blasted almost outright from Bradshaw's "revenge run"...that's wrong. Tactically sound from the Kilrathi standpoint...but wrong!

Oh, and WC isn't the only franchise with ships named after the "wrong side", either. Star Trek has plenty of examples. The Enterprise's sister ship, Yamato is one example that immediately comes to mind. The now out of print TNG Officer's Manual has a class of ships that has several named after all four Japanese carriers that were sunk during the Battle of Midway as well.

 

[Thunderbolt]

You guys are SoAndSo's, though...having heavy fighters hang around the Firekka's launch bay so we could be blasted almost outright from Bradshaw's "revenge run"...that's wrong. Tactically sound from the Kilrathi standpoint...but wrong!

I got so caught out by that the first time round. My Sabre or Cougers rather was absolutely trashed by the time i was of the deck so you need to afterburn as fast as you can to get out.

Even more funny is Reismann's response if you lose the Reims after Bradshaw's suicide run. I have to say the guy who records the lines is the perfect voice actor for a senior officer.

What is especially tactically sound from the Kilrathi is the way they keep knocking out the launch decks on the carriers. That happens to both the Reims and the Leyte. Carriers with one launch deck is a death trap imo.

One question though - What happens to the Verdun if you save it on Episode 3 because there is no mention of it (as far as I'm aware) in Ep 4.