Flag Etiquette
OK, this is a picky point, but while underway a US Navy ship flies the national ensign from the mast head, not from the flagstaff at the stern. Some USN ship models in DC fly the flag from the flagstaff at the stern. The Brooklyn class CL flies it from the jack staff at the bow (arghhhh!). Don’t forget that during WW II there were only 48 states, so a 48 star flag is required. Take a Fletcher class DD and look at the flag from one of the AA gun mounts – it’s a 50 star flag. Alaska and Hawaii did not become states until 1959. And please make them flap! The flags look like they’re made out of steel plate.
F4 – Helm
This screen allows the player to take the watch as helmsman and lee helmsman. It is what flight simmers call a 2D panel, and it’s pretty crude. One can only look dead ahead and there are few controls available. This station really needs to provide the ability to look in other directions (e.g., to port and starboard through the bridge wing doors).
The view through the port holes can become misaligned with the view from the helm console. For example, if I am in F3 Observation Deck and I use the X Padlock command on a ship to starboard, shifting to F4 Helm keeps the padlocked ship in view dead ahead through the port holes. This is very confusing and it needs to be fixed.
All virtual ships use the same bridge background and it can get to be pretty boring. This is an excellent opportunity for third party content developers to create bridges unique to a specific ship.
Where’s the whistle control?
Where’s my navigation light control panel?
DC does not provide these functions, but it needs to. The ship’s navigation lights and the whistle were not disabled during wartime — they were used in accordance with existing doctrine. AI controlled ships need to use these functions as well.
Just as with the F3 Observation Deck, this station needs to have multiple places the player can position himself. A warship’s bridge and signal bridge are packed with equipment. Here are some suggestions, with the controls available:
- Helm – Steering wheel, rudder angle order indicator, gyrocompass repeater, magnetic compass, EOT (each shaft), POT, whistle
- Aft bulkhead – Navigation and task light control panel, Ship’s alarm panel, Ship’s announcing system, Ship’s clock
- Forward centerline – Centerline telescopic alidade, Q, Z, H
- Port Bridge Wing – Port telescopic alidade, Q, Z, H
- Starboard Bridge Wing – Starboard telescopic alidade, Q, Z, H
- Port Signal Bridge – Port blinker light, port pedestal mounted binoculars, Q, Z, H
- Port Flag Bag – Port flaghoist, Q, Z, H
- Starboard Signal Bridge – Starboard blinker light, starboard pedestal mounted binoculars, Q, Z, H
- Starboard Flag Bag – Starboard flaghoist, Q, Z, H
The game has no provisions for a joystick input, but one would be welcome here. If the player really wants to man the watch as helmsman, why not allow a wheel input?
F5 – Radio Room
I haven’t tested this too much yet. At night the F5 Radio Room is rigged for red lighting, which it never is on the real ship. The radio mens’ jobs do not require dark adapted vision and radio central is always brightly lit. This effect can be deleted.
F6 – Radar
A Scope
For some reason all air search radars have an A Scope. The SC-2 and later radars had a PPI display. This needs to be fixed.
