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Battlefield Dogfighting Mod (Concept)
1.1 Purpose
Battlefield DFM will further develop aerial concet of BF2, utilizing as much BF2 engines possibilities as possible to create an arcadeish, fun flight environment. In order to create dependancy from teamwork, doubleseated attack jets have been involved to create powerful air-to-air assets which will only show their true potential through teamwork. The idea is to create a few classes of jets that exceed each other in certain fields, to balance each others weaknesses.
1.2 Vision
By the end of the project there should be at least 3 planes with different purposes, 3 gamemodes of which at least 2 should be playable in Single Player. 4 different map settings with at least 6 playable maps. Factions should be ultimately balanced using the whole picture, not on individual jet level. Missiles should be reliable, have a high kill rate but windows of opportunity of use should be limited. Air to air combat should mainly rely on homing weaponry, but the use of those weapons should demand quite a lot of skills. By the end of the project, the doubleseated jets with competent teams should dictate the outcome of the battle.
1.3 The tools
The mod should be simple in its creation, utilizing all existing BF2 (and its booster packs, exp packs) potential and tools. Quite simply, it will not be a mod built from the ground, but simply a project where existing possibilities are reconfigurated to create a little different dogfighting experience. The project should not demand more manpower than 5 people and the hardest goal to accomplish should be skinning and map design.
2. The jets
Close quarters dogfighter- MiG-29 and F-18 will be used
Close quarters fighter jets will be superior at small range, but have a limited coverage area
Medium/long range dogfighter- F-15 and Su-30 will be used
Midrange fighters will have sufficient gear to provide intelligence to the dogfighters, they will also have means to attack from long range, however they will be at a significant disadvantage both in maneuverability and firepower at close range combat.
Air to Surface or radar support fighter- F15 and Su-30 will be used
ATS or RS planes will have no air to air weaponry but in their arsenal they will have a powerful radar and significant ATS weaponry.
3. Factions
In this mod we will use Russian and American jets so the two fighting sides are these. Depending on the succeess with map design there could even be a story attached, although at this point story itsself is seconary.
4. The weaponry and tools
Pilot controlled weapons: cannon, close range heatseeking missiles, dumb bombs for ATS/ radar support plane.
Copilot controlled weapons: long range ATA missiles, long range IR tracker, Radar (in the form of mobile UAV, like in AF), long range ATS missiles for the copilot for the ATS/ radar support plane.
5. The balance
Planes will differ from each other in maneuverability, missile use opportunity, cannon, tracking abilities. The difference will be just enough to be able to use them to the players advantage/ disadvantage, but not nearly as drastic to render some jets completely useless. As such, dogfighters will not prevail at long range and at close quarters, midrange fighters will not stand a chance. Midrange fighters will become degraded dogfighters when flown using a bad team, or solo, and dogfighters will be at a severe disadvantage if they fly without radar support, or without midrange fighters escort. The idea is to work out a system of dependancy and escort. Maps will be large enough to provide the grounds of effective radar support.
Comparing short range and midrange fighters, the balance system works somewhat like this:
Dogfighting - Range
Maneuverability - Endurance
Shot opportunity - Firepower
Offense - Defense
Agility - Burner
In details, the balance:
1. Agility, loop, pilot missiles, cannon, speed boost, roll VS Radar, copilot detect range, copilot range, pilot detect range
2. Agility, loop, roll VS Average speed, burner capacity
3. Loop, pilot controlled missile lock time VS Copilots missiles, cannon damage
4. Dogfighting VS flare capacity and afterburner capacity
5. Response to controls, agility VS Burner capacity
6. Maps
Maps will be designed for the sole purpose of providing the best dogfighting experience possible. The pilot will have a chance to utilize either the structure of the map, the terrain or use the weather conditions to his or his jets advantage. One of the main purposes would be to create maps thats primary focus is functionality, and their status as being eye-candy would be secondary. Maps will not be mirror-balanced, they will be designed to benefit one side more than the other in different gamemodes. Even spawnpoints will be placed so that the defensive side can be airbourne a lot faster than the offensive side. Maps will also be stretched quite a bit.
7. Improvements over BF2
*Missile use system will be changed so the pilot has to work harder to create and keep the lock, lock angle will be reduced, lock time will be increased.
*Missile use system will be changed so pilot will choose the cannon in very close range fights. When in tight turns and multiple maneuvers, the missile will not be able to recreate the lock once its shot forcing the pilot to either time the missile shots, or choose the cannon.
*Missile maneuverability and damage code will be adjusted so that they will have as limited field of view as possible, to limit teamkills, while the field of view will also be as wide as possible to ensure that there will not be missile hit detection problems.
*Each jet will have a different cannon marking the introduction of weaponry difference, later the code can be changed so each jet will differ in every weapon and general loadout. Combinations of different weapons is a possibility, however equal hit detection and balance is the main goal.
*Each jet is different in its range capabilities, defensive countermeasures, and maneuverability, mirror balance is not used when comparing two jets of the same class, so in simple 1 on 1 confrontations one jet will statistically overpower the other. In the same time, the unbalance isnt a large problem.
*The mods main goal is to create a BF2-esque dogfighting atmosphere with no frustration and pure fun. In the same time offer a base for hardcore teamworkers in a form of doubleseated jets with wider use capabilities than the single-seated jets.
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