Thoughts on Pilot Training

[CapAndGown]

I like the new pilot training system. I do not think it is very hard to use. I would not be adverse to getting rid of individual pilots altogether and abstracting that part away, but that is not what we have. The system we do have for training those individual pilots, however, is pretty good.

Nevertheless, there is room from an interface point of view for improvement that would make the system less labor intensive.

My biggest problem with the system right now is that a pilot with a one day delay needs to be actively added to the active pilots list. What this means is I need to constantly be checking groups to see if a new pilot(s) have arrived in order to make them active.

I think the concept of being able to put a pilot into the group reserve should be eliminated. Instead, when you click on an active pilot, he would automatically go into the general reserve. No need for two clicks. And then when you pulled a pilot out of the general reserve, he would be added to the group's reserve, but instead of manually having to activate him, when his delay reached 1 day, he would automatically become active. With this simple change I could simplify things by only needing to check on the training squadrons once and a while. I would not need to check on my front line squadrons to see whether new pilots have arrived that need to be activated.

One other change that should be added for clarity's sake is which pilots show up on the group's pilot list. Right now, any pilot with a delay of more than 7 days does not show up on this list, leading players to either wonder if they have lost some pilots, or causing them to add more pilots than they otherwise might because they forgot they had added some before that are not showing up yet. I say if a pilot is in a group's reserve, whatever it's delay, it should show up in the pilot list.

On the whole, as I say, I like the new pilot training system. But these few, relatively simple changes to the interface would, I believe, make the system even easier to use.

[n01487477]

ORIGINAL: cap_and_gown

I like the new pilot training system. I do not think it is very hard to use. I would not be adverse to getting rid of individual pilots altogether and abstracting that part away, but that is not what we have. The system we do have for training those individual pilots, however, is pretty good.

Nevertheless, there is room from an interface point of view for improvement that would make the system less labor intensive.

My biggest problem with the system right now is that a pilot with a one day delay needs to be actively added to the active pilots list. What this means is I need to constantly be checking groups to see if a new pilot(s) have arrived in order to make them active.

I think the concept of being able to put a pilot into the group reserve should be eliminated. Instead, when you click on an active pilot, he would automatically go into the general reserve. No need for two clicks. And then when you pulled a pilot out of the general reserve, he would be added to the group's reserve, but instead of manually having to activate him, when his delay reached 1 day, he would automatically become active. With this simple change I could simply things by only needing to check on the training squadrons once and a while. I would not need to check on my front line squadrons to see whether new pilots have arrived that need to be activated.

One other change that should be added for clarity's sake is which pilots show up on the group's pilot list. Right now, any pilot with a delay of more than 7 days does not show up on this list, leading players to either wonder if they have lost some pilots, or causing them to add more pilots than they otherwise might because they forgot they had added some before that are not showing up yet. I say if a pilot is in a group's reserve, whatever it's delay, it should show up in the pilot list.

On the whole, as I say, I like the new pilot training system. But these few, relatively simple changes to the interface would, I believe, make the system even easier to use.

I agree with most of the sentiments here - anything to reduce the load of clicking and having to keep tabs on individual pilots ... as I wrote in another thread, I'd like to see the pilot numbers and those in parethesis expanded to include those that are not showing up (which I'm still unsure why there is a need for anyway) ...

I hope 1.5 Tracker will help in this somewhat -(and at present you can see better numbers of pilots in airgrps through this than in game IMHO)...

If I had my way and we didn't adhere to only showing data in-game policy, I'd be revealing the lot about this...

--Damian--

[TulliusDetritus]

I like it too.

Though I have been thinking (and maybe I shouldn't do that [:D])... with the current system, if you do your homework (and I am pretty efficent at it!) you can have literally hundreds of ready pilots very very soon...

So, I really don't know anymore if the system is historically correct.

Not trying to piss on your pocket, as I have said I LOVE it [8D]

[WLockard]

I totally agree with you cap_gown. I like the pilot training, but fewer clicks and less checking would be great. I should only have to make a single decision to move a pilot from reserve to a group, then the program should do the rest for me. Maybe in a future patch?

[witpqs]

I agree with the suggestions made above, and I have another one that would help players to manage their pilots.

On the Request Veteran screen, when you filter to see "Show Pool: Reserve" you are shown all of the reserve pools for that nation (Fighter, Patrol, Bomber, etc. - what ever that nation has). The problem that presents is that you almost always want to sort on one of the skills (Air, NavB, etc.) and when you do, the Reserve Pools are all mixed in together.

You should be able to filter on which Reserve Pool (Fighter, Bomber, etc.) you wish to look at. That way you can manage each of those pools more quickly.

[Chickenboy]

Cap_and_gown,

I agree with your proposed steps. They would save some clicking without changing the rationale or execution of pilot pool maintenance. I particularly like showing *any* delay (up to 15) onscreen. Seems as though that would save some confusion.

[rader]

Agree 100%. There is really no need that I can tell for either group reserve or the option to rotate home for 180 days. Just keep it to pilots in TRACOM, general reserve (could then just be called "reserve"), replacements, and groups.

This would speed things up a lot and make it easier to understand.

[LoBaron]

Very simple proposed solution to a seemingly complex issue. [8D]

[topeverest]

I also agree. This is a value add.

[freeboy]

ok, I hate micro crap... so
here is my allied training program.. train in the us at train 100, disband the planes.. returning all pilots to the pool when they reach over 55, hit YES when it asks to reform group.. keep cycling like this
Early war my pools of US and US navy pilots quickly shot up to past where my seldom used active untis where.. in the 40s.. so I was actually adding BETTER! pilots, still bad but better in the early war.. then as 42 became 43 I have a sea of pilots moderately trained.... I have probably 20 groups of active heavies in my pbem and another 12 twins flying 25's, this for the US, in the PAC.. other assorted in India theatre but it is slow there... for now...
So as we near 44, I just keep shoveling in pilots to my units... usually they show up in the 50s, but the basic training guys are about there anyway.. then fly your worst groups in the easiest missions.. ie if the hex is three away, no chance of the enemy intercepting and you are doing a ground attack don't use your ace fighter bomber, use the new guys and let them season! My biggest issue is keeping my pilots alive.. seems when I get damage planes.. I fly LOTS of missions, they seem to kill a good number of my better pilots!