Start of PTO?

[Amarok]

More consistently and logically, the start would have to begin with the attack on Pearl Harbor.

Is that the plan?

[BlitzPig_EL]

Actually it would have to start with the Japanese invasion of China.  Their operations in China were the reason they opened the wider Pacific war, as they needed the natural resources in the Netherlands East Indies to be able to prosecute their campaign in China.  The only reason they attacked the US Fleet at Pearl Harbor is because we were the only ones with a capability to intercede in their plan to take the Southwest Pacific.

It was a giant miscalculation on their part, but that's what happens when you believe your own propaganda.  Just like the Germans, they thought we were a nation of shop keepers that would fold in the face of a massive defeat.  Sure American industry can pump out lots of Fords and Chevys, but airplanes and ships?  Nah...

They fooled around and found out.

Edited May 20, 2023 by BlitzPig_EL

[Docjonel]

Pearl Harbor would require extensive modelling of Oahu, a densely populated area with many airfields and structures. That's a pretty big job. 

I think the plan to offer us the epic Battle of Midway out of the box is a good starting point that could be achieved in a more prompt timeline and offer us a better play balance in terms of choosing what side and what plane you want to fly. Midway Island could be modelled much faster than Oahu. Also, you basically would have only the P-40 to fly at Pearl on the American side and that's not even a naval carrier plane. I think Midway, Wake, eventually Guadalcanal are the logical starting points to both get the sim out in a reasonable timeline and attract the largest audience. 

But that's just like my opinion, man. 

[Mitchell]

Iirc the Midway battle /time frame is what they were looking at intially.

[wheelsup_cavu]

37 minutes ago, Mitchell said:

Iirc the Midway battle /time frame is what they were looking at intially.

From the Stormbirds interview.

https://stormbirds.blog/2023/05/18/combat-pilot-a-new-pacific-wwii-sim-coming-from-jason-williams-and-barbedwire-studios/

Quote

We hope to bring all the important features virtual aces want, such as great visuals, realistic physics, complex systems, and detailed damage modeling. The initial Combat Pilot title will be set in the Pacific Theater during 1942 in and around the Battle of Midway and probably other early Pacific battles such as Coral Sea and Wake Island. Maybe even Pearl Harbor at some point if we’re lucky! We plan to cover as much of the Pacific air war as possible in time. If all goes to plan this will be a comprehensive series built and improved over many, many years. Oh and of course, single-player and multiplayer support is planned.    

 

Wheels

[Jason_Williams]

5 hours ago, Amarok said:

More consistently and logically, the start would have to begin with the attack on Pearl Harbor.

Is that the plan?

We are going to start in early to mid-1942 because it best lines up with our technical schedule and current budget. Doing Pearl is a big project. Would love to do Pearl as I said in my interview, but how detailed we can make it or how well it would perform remains to be seen. 

Jason

[Jaydog]

Pearl Harbor would be fun, but do you try to re-enact it accurately? Meaning for Japanese it's fun bombing ships is port with very limited opposition in the air. You could make a special DLC as an optional /alternate ending campaign..Meaning the US is able to get carriers closer to intercept Japanese to prevent the surprise attack. 

 

But I think 1942 is more logical. Guadacanal and Midway make sense

[Blue 5]

If I were Jason I would start with Guadalcanal in terms of playability and asset limitation. Midway has the name draw, but modeling 5 different carrier types alone is a big one (of course, could for now restrict it to Enterprise and Soryu as the only operating ones ).

 

But unlike Bodenplatten, it really is something of a one-trick pony. I’ll buy it, but I wonder whether the Solomons might offer better scope.

[HerrMurf]

Don't quite agree. Modeling the expanse of ocean with an island or two and just two to eight aircraft types seems easier than thousands of kilometers of unique island landscape along with thousands of unique objects to place on them and dozens of AC. Ships will be hard but EA can get along with just a couple initial types and boat engineers/modelers aren't going to be working on AC models for the most part.

[Lusekofte]

On 5/20/2023 at 6:08 PM, BlitzPig_EL said:

Actually it would have to start with the Japanese invasion of China

Nothing would please me more. I love some 38 avistion. This will also not require carriers and huge fleets of naval vessels. 
But I think they set up for naval warfare. My guess would be coral sea but might be Pearl Harbor. 
Midway Coral Sea and Pearl Harbor was together just days of intense battle with long flights. 

[Blue 5]

1 hour ago, HerrMurf said:

Don't quite agree. Modeling the expanse of ocean with an island or two and just two to eight aircraft types seems easier than thousands of kilometers of unique island landscape along with thousands of unique objects to place on them and dozens of AC. Ships will be hard but EA can get along with just a couple initial types and boat engineers/modelers aren't going to be working on AC models for the most part.

Sure, though I would argue that the Solomons are nothing compared to an ETO equivalent.

Was the replay ability I meant.