ZoomBoy27
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Posts posted by ZoomBoy27
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one advantage of key-combos is easier reprogrammability. More than F4, Lock On takes pains to be friendly to home cockpit builders
Glad you reminded me about the need for reprogrammability.
But there is the option for you to have both the menu and the reprogrammability. We can have that for the new user and the reprogramming pro. People will be able to program in the menu options - they are keystrokes after all. Why exclude the possibility?
The "Home" key evolved from a "Return to base immediately" command, to be used in the "emergency situation" when a wingman reports being low on fuel .... I just didn't want to have the user have to fiddle with menus if he gets an "I'm low on fuel!" call in the middle of combat.There's a case to be be made that the AI should be able to decide for itself when it needs to get refueled.
But simpler than that, set the Fuel Warning to a sooner figure so that it's not a dire emergency.
Each decision you'd use up a key-combo has to be examined especially if there are all these special needs keys.
Another idea: how about if instead of separate menu keys, the first press of the "radio comms" key brings up a wingman menu, the second brings up an element menu, the third brings up the flight menu, the fourth FAC, the fifth AWACS, the sixth tower? That way only one keypress is needed to get into the wingman menu, as you wished, as if it had its own dedicated shortcut. The element, flight, AWACS etc. are less accessible, but at least as you pointed out pressing the same key again isn't too hard, and if you miss the desired menu it's easy to cycle back. Do you think that would work?
-SK
The Key-cycling through wing, element, and flight is workable.
On the AWACS/TOWER/FAC I might compress it onto one menu. Currently there are only 3 options in Tower and 4 in AWACS. You might want to put them into 2 different colours. You might lose the feeling of talking to separate parties. But AWACS/Tower/FAC can use different voices to respond to you.
Or you can have 2 keys
- 1 for Wingman Element and Flight (and maybe Emergency Help Key-Combos as I suggested before)
- another for AWACS/Tower/FAC
These are some options. If we have a limited sim - 1 key might be doable. But for any sim with expanding AI - 2 keys would be necessary. You still can use the CTRL, SHIFT, and ALT combinations on those keys.
Another pattern to look at would be to choose the action and then apply it to the flight type
1st Menu
--- Rejoin
--- RTB
--- Radar Off
--- Weapons Free
2nd Submenu after you've chosen "Rejoin" for example
--- Wingman
--- Element 2
--- Wingman 2
--- Wingman 3
--- Wingman 4
I've never seen this before (KEY_X, KEY_ACTION, KEY_FORMATION )
and I don't think it's smooth as the Key-cycling (KEY_X, KEY_X, KEY_ACTION)
We might be back to where we were before with hunting around for different keys. I wouldn't accept it but it's something to mull.
how the AI handles things in a 4-plane flight
So far we've discussed Elements as if they are part of working AI. In F4, Element AI works like this: Pilot4 will be the wingman to Pilot3 and they will work together with Pilot4 guarding Pilot3 and using tactics together. Tactically, you cannot peel off a single pilot of the flight to do a job. It would be a suicide task without a wingman to cover.
In LOMAC I don't think that is true:
Currently I can choose Pilot4 to do a task all by himself. In fact I've got a choice of 3 pilots - that may be too much.
Without real Element AI implemented in the sim,
I can choose a simplified tactical menu -
Wingman, Flight, AWACS et al
Or if I want the full control menu -
Wingman, Flight, Pilot3, Pilot4, AWACS et al
Where are we at with AI and what it can handle?
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Wow, I'm really glad this topic is at least being talked about. For a long time I've felt that learning a bunch of 'new' keyboard commands for a new game was such a waste of time when you are basically just playing/flying the same type of thing, ie. airplanes, etc. ..
Overall a smooth interface will help an interested user - not a casual user - look forward to flying more. And Arcade sims should adopt the basics that the Study sims would expand on.
I've also proposed a responsive method to aid in the Learning curve for Study Sims. See my manifesto at My Flight Sims Page
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Hmm... And there are no shortcuts at all in F4?
I don't know if future sims can afford that many separate keys for radio comms... Being more of a "focus" sim modelling a single jet, F4 doesn't need controls for IRST, wing fold, landing hook... Plus I think F4's wingman AI might just be more capable to accept "micromanagement"
-SK
Oh, yes. There are shortcuts in F4 but the advantage of a Lesser AI is that you can discard most of the menus. But I wasn't trying to take all 5 keys - but demonstrating that we have a method that handles lots of commands in different ways.
Special Needs Menu
One method is to have 1 menu key to handle all the different "Special Need" codes that are unique to each model
Let's say KEY_X(not actual X) is the menu key
In a SU-33 you'd hit it, and the menu would come up with
1 Wing folds
2 Landing Hooks
3 IFF
And when the new user moves to another model in LOMAC, he knows where to look for the special function keys. But not everything goes onto a menu.
But What Goes onto a Menu?
But there is an Primary decision to be made about what goes onto the menu.
I've been recently creating some missions and one of them require me to drop a MK84 per 4 targets. I had to change the Ripple Quantity and the Ripple Style.
You increase the Ripple Quantity by CTRL-SPACEing from 2 to 12 and then it cycles back to 1.(there's a quicker method but that's all I learned to do by looking at the Quantity counter)
You change the Ripple Style by cycling through the options by SHIFT-SPACEing.
Using a menu would be hilariously stupid. Multiple repeatable uses would require your standard key-combo like ALT-KEY_X.
An event happens and you need to respond.
That's where you draw the line - In your testing, if you do an action closer than X(10, 20, etc.) seconds apart, it's a candidate for key-combo
If a Response is required in under X seconds, it's a candidate for key-combo. Otherwise Menu is a certain possibility.
If sorted correctly, a good Menu system opens up more keys for emergency key-combos.
BTW: According to the Criteria on "But What Goes onto a Menu", Emergency Key "HOME - Goto tanker" is likely a menu item. Again each Key is a Response - how is the Fuel decision made? Usually after you take the time to look at your own fuel and do some calculations. Rarely urgent but important.
But you do have the option to leave it as a key-combo for convenience. and convenience is a good thing too. Some things need to be key-combos and others you would merely want to be convenient.
Quickie Help
But there is an advantage that menus do offer with learning those necessary key-combos
e.g. You could have a help menu for Wingman Commands
hit KEY_X and you have the menu of options(rejoin, stores. etc.)
hit KEY_X again and you have Help list of key-combo commands(in a different darker colour and and can be turned off in an options screen. The user does not even need to read the menu - he'd just ignore it.)
Help Menu
Insert - Wingman rejoin
Delete - Attack (locked bogey means Attack my Target)
Home - 1st time - Go to tanker, 2nd- Return to Waypoint, 3rd - RT Other Base
Alt-PageUp - Use AB etc.
Help can be used on the "Special Needs" menu as well for the key-combos
that are necessary.
Good for newbies and for opening the sim up to a higher usage with little time spent outside of the sim.
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It's what they call a paradigm shift. A tiny one but...
Just to let you know that F4 uses 4 keys
Q, W, E, R, T
Q- AWACS
W- Wingman
E- Element
R- Flight
T- Tower
One row of buttons - coolness in itself
One thing I noticed is the cross chatter between the other flights.
If you were escorted on a SEAD mission by another flight, you would hear them and AWACS talking to them. Simple check-in messages would be cool in campaigns or missions.
And you had a kneeboard that showed the flights you are working with.
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Feodosija Blocker
This is an A-10 single player strike mission that attempts to block a ship group in a harbour of Feodosija by sinking some oil tankers.
You can also fly as the F15C air cover tackling the enemy Buba Boys as suggested by Migkiller here. Just hit F2 until you get to a F-15 and then hit Alt-J.
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Aleksandrovka Gap
This is an A-10 single player mission that tries to smash a major advance between two rivers at the small town of Aleksandrovka.
You can also fly as the F15C air cover tackling the enemy Buba Boys as suggested by Migkiller here. Just hit F2 until you get to a F-15 and then hit Alt-J.
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I looked into the Elements structure in F4 by loading up and flying a 4-plane formation in a Campaign. When I play in a 4-plane formation the 2nd Element I send off to Clear bandits off my tail, or to Cover Me as I go in, or to attack with in Air-to-Air formations
1)
Accessing the Elements was done by hitting E and then you had a series of menues.
But the difference was that the Menues were flipped through with the E key and not by digging through Layer after Layer. If you wanted the most obscure command, it was
E-E-E-E-3
If you missed your menu, you just kept hitting E - No need to hunt for a key that said GO BACK. No need to hunt at all
And another very Subtle thing I found:
Each Menu had a MENU description or Menu HEADING
It was on the same Spot on the screen for Each Menu.
and if you're flipping rapidly through, your eyes rarely leave the same spot.
You never search for the Menu HEADING - the text is put before your eyes.
Brilliant. Smooth as butter.
I realize now that this is the reason I was uncomfortable with IL2's and LOMAC's menu systems and more comfortable with menues rather than key-combos.
2)
In Falcon 4.0 there were a lot of commands(about 30) that you could give to an Element.
Combat Menu 1 (Hit E once)
-1 Attack My Target
-2 Buddy Spike
-3 Weapons Free
-4 Weapons Hold
-5 Check Your Six
-6 Clear My Six (useful to send an Element off to protect you while you're completing the Mission)
-7 Attack Targets
Combat Menu 2 (Hit E a 2nd time)
-1 Rejoin
-2 Run Single-Side Offset (greyed because nothing locked)
-3 Run Post (greyed because nothing locked)
-4 Run ChainSaw (greyed because nothing locked)
-5 Drop Stores
Combat Menu 3 (Hit E again)
-1 Offensive
-2 Conservative
-3 Defensive
Combat Menu 4 (Hit E again)
-1 Beam Deploy
-2 Beam Beam
-- Wall
-- Grinder
-- Wide Azimuth
-- Short Azimuth
-- Wide LT
-- Short LT
Mission Menu (Hit E again)
-1 Resume Mission
-- RTB
-- Radar Off
-- Activate Radar
-- Say Position
-- Say Status
-- Say Fuel
-- Say Weapons
Identification (Hit E again)
-- Turn Smoke On
-- Turn Smoke Off
-- Turn ECM On
-- Turn ECM Off
Formations (Hit E again)
-- Close Up
-- Switch Sides
-- Break Right
-- Break Left
-- Break High
-- Break Low
-- Flex
-- Kickout
And this is just for an Element - Approximately the same for the WingMan1(W) and for the Flight®
We'd have to boil it down for LOMAC to maybe 2 Combat Menus and a Formation Menu
For emergency situations, it would be E-# at worst as we'd put the emergency ones on the 1st E Menu
But the E-E-E combination is faster than any menu in IL2 or LOMAC. No Searching or hunting for the next level it just shows up when we hit the same key again.
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Having a "flight" key is understandable, but a single "wingman" key raises a lot of ambiguity about how the simulator will decide, "which wingman?" The player may have up to three.
My bad. I'm afraid I made a false Falcon 4.0 assumption. In F4 you have Wingman(Pilot2 only), Elements(Element 1 is Pilot1+Pilot2 and Element 2 is Pilot3+Pilot4), and Flight(Pilots 1->4). Pilot4 is not your wingman but wingman to Pilot3 and you can't order him directly. But you can order the Element2 to do a task. An assumption like that would have to go through a major logic reconfiguration as you said rather than a mere remapping of Keys.
The exception is probably the "AWACS" queries, but the proposal already maps separate shortcuts for these according to the mode of the user's avionics. For example, if the user is in NAV mode ("1"), press Ctrl-1 for a vector to home base. In BVR mode ("2"), Ctrl-2 vectors to bandits, etc. It's a lot to remember, but I think once someone has learned it, they will be frustrated if they ever have to use a menu again. An advantage of using multiple one-step keyboard shortcuts instead of "flatter" menus is that shortcuts can be more easily programmed to HOTAS or reassigned to different keys by the user - menu options are less flexible.
What do you think of the proposed AWACS shortcuts?
-SK
Mapping AWACS command to CTRL-# is a workable idea. But not by linking them directly to the current Mode i.e. if the user is in NAV Mode but wants his Vectors-to-Bandits, CTRL-2 should still function.
Or did you mean the user would link it mentally to the mode?
I also see that with New users. you're going to have a chicken and the egg situation. They don't know the mode, so how are they going to make the mental connection. I'd suggest in the Comms menu, that the Key-combo be given in a smaller greyer font appended after the Red font I suggested before.
Where is AWACS DECLARE? Having a lock-on on a bogey(unknown) coming directly towards is more tension-filled than the search for bandits. Through my experience with F4, there was nothing more devastating than shooting down an ally. Your stomach just drops and all other mission objectives are pointless. Your flight career has just ended.
Glad we're batting these ideas back and forth.
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Moving the existing wingman command shortcut keys back to where they were in Flanker 2.0 was one of the motivations for this proposal, and the whole point of the existing "shortcut" keys is to avoid any menus or multiple-key combos.
Sorry I hadn't read deeply enough in the docs to see the wider questions you had been dealing with.
That can be extremely awkward in a combat emergency when you have to turn on ECM, go to missile padlock view, dump chaff and/or flares, arm weapons, etc.We need to be hard-nosed about the 7th important emergency combat button. How does the current system handle that?? Like turning off Radars or having an AWACs declare? My DELETE (wingman) very flat menu + INSERT (Flight) very flat menu handles that 7th to 10th emergency better.
Further, what natural function could we then assign to Shift-/Ctrl-/Alt-Ins, etc.?Maybe we should assign UNnatural commands to that KeyRegion that are going to only pop up with new add-ons. The unique moves or modes that are only going to occur for just 1 model. Like the Korbomite? maneouvre with the Flanker
Things to consider
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2 points I'd like to cover
1) Comms Menu - We also need to look at the colour of the Comms Menu. Frankly in a light blue sky(which is the most common), white text does not stand out and I think we waste time trying to decipher it.
Red is a necessity to capture the eye. And it would be useful to grey out comm partners that are not available at the beginning of the mission(AWACS or Tanker or wingmen3+4 on a 2-ship flight)
2) If you've got 3 keys for wingman quick commands, rather than assign single emergency commands to them, I think it should a 2-key combination for the action to be done.
What that does is centralize for the new user control of his wingman and his flight. And avoids him having to learn 6 different keys all by himself with no response back.
The further down, the less importance it is.
DELETE (wingman)
_______ F1 Cover Me
_______ F2 Authorization
_______ F3 Complete Mission and return
_______ F4 Rejoin
_______ F5 Toggle Radar (with verbal response of current state "Radar On" or "Radar Off")
....
_______ F9 Stores
_______ F10 Formation (less urget ones here with submenues
INSERT (Flight)
_______ F1 Cover Me
_______ F2 Authorization
_______ F3 Complete Mission and return
_______ F4 Rejoin
_______ F5 Toggle Radar (with verbal response of current state "Radar On" or "Radar Off")
....
_______ F9 Stores
_______ F10 Formation
HOME(Other comms)
So I want:
the new user to learn only 3 important comms keys,
he'll get a verbose reponse,
at the same time learn all the available options,
He gets the direct thrill of making a tactical choice (wingman or whole Flight)
we get a flatter menu system
Ideas to ponder
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From NewKeys3.doc
(5) Move the "Designate Target" key from Tab to Enter.(6) Make the Backspace key "Undesignate Target".
You should look at the idea of making the UNdesignate key also the Enter key.
On my current simple sidewinder I've 1 button that Designates and UNdesignates. The TDC skewing with cursor arrows would designate the target on the Radar screen by proximity of the next target to the TDC cursor.
I would prefer Backspace as the target switching button as it's very close to the TDC arrows and the Designate/Undesignate.
The TAB key is for me the preferred method to access the Comms menu - that may be the IL2 experience talking though but I like the close proximity of TAB and F1, F2, F3...
What ever happened to Capslock? Rapidly toggling between sim speeds A16, A8, A4, A2 and A0 would be cool.
or CAPSLOCK sets it at A0 and CTRL-CAPSLOCK toggles the sim speeds A16, A8, A4, A2 and A0.
I don't know if LOMAC is mapped with CAPSLOCK taken into effect.
=== separate but related ===
On a wider level, how would we introduce the new user to the idea of buying a joystick. In reading the provided LOMAC documentation, there was no introduction to joysticks. And especially recommended key mappings.
Another pathway that you see with graphics cards is the bundling of software with the vidcard. A revenue stream that might be of value is LOMAC with a joystick. Some OEM revenue wouldn't be amiss.
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Thanks
I'll test
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I'm making a series of missions with basically the same ground forces - I just move them around and then set up targets and conditions, adding and dropping etc.
I wondered if there was a way to change the Title.
Atfer I enter it the 1st time, I can't seem to access it. It's the 1st thing on the briefing.
As ED has decide to protect their .mis files, I can't edit it in Notepad.
Thanks.
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As the Original poster I was glad to put forward the idea about Verbose Response for a wider audience of interested users.
After I complete my current programming project(in about a month) I'll be creating a simple Command-Finder or KeyFinder for LOMAC. You can quickly familiarize yourself with the categories of modes and commands.
A further project would be a verbose interactive 3D training unit. It's just above my current 3D programming skills but it's fun to think about.
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Someone mentioned Webshops - Do they download licenced copies and make them available or what?
Sounds like an interesting idea for non-Paypal people.
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This is all the official information we have so far.
They might make other non-Paypal arrangements but I've heard nothing
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A quote from Jiri at HyperLobby
Posted: Thu Oct 28, 2004 6:15 pm
subject: Re: Maximum Players Allowed
Ouch. For that i must rewrite the HL server software to run on multiple servers, in a cluster ... And this is alot of work ...Maybe when more ppls de$erve it
JG27*Hyper
Site Admin
He's a good fella but I guess there's some limits for LOMAC(60+ max users) especially when Pacific Fighters is the main user(850+ max users)
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And a patch for it should be found at Check out the Official Web-Site
The Logo on the top of the page should match your box and your game.
Go through the training(TRNG) missions with a pencil and paper beside you to record the important keys. Hit 'S' so you can Stop and record notes in the training session.
If you're an A-10 flyer, I found the "A-10 Oil Terminal" to be fun and worth the time to do over and over. Just sneak in, send a air-to-ground missile, and then turn back. Rinse and repeat.
You are not alone.
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This is my 1st mission.
It's an A-10 single player CAS mission that supports a ground force. The player can't fulfill the mission objectives, only the ground troops can. Let me know if there are problems with it.
I'm currently testing a Su-25 version of this by swapping in Frogfoots for Hawgs. I'm not too good with Su-25s so I've got some learning to do before I test it to my satisfaction.
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Re: Devs: Verbose Response manifesto
Buried in my proposal
emphasis addedAnd if someone wants to play off-line ALWAYS (Verbose), it's their 50 bucks. Just put a great big toggle button that says "Verbose Response"... or a (toggle) where the on-line host decides the VerbosityI find the real-life interface limitations to be important to the different flavours between A-10 and Su-25 for example. But we should have BOTH those who'd enjoy 70% of the sim and study-simmers who'd enjoy 100% of the detail.
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I like this idea. I'm surprised not to have read the suggestion before. Where do the words "Verbose Response" come from? Is it a trademark?
-SK - Lock On v1.1 "Flaming Cliffs" beta tester
It looks like I originated it. Never heard of it being used before. As a hobbyist programmer(I've done gameSpace plug-ins & am working on my 1st 3D program - an arcade simmer), I've occasionally compiled a program 'Verbosely' - that's with a lot of detailed feedback.
I had being booking up on LOMAC and didn't get the same response to my actions that I got in IL2/PF. I asked a question on SimHQ-LOMAC about figuring out the current NAV mode in the Su-25 and then realized that the SIM itself should tell me. Why not? With a program - if you want it, you should have it.
I've gotten a few responses from SimHQ readers about it.
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From the Sim HQ interview with Dale Snodgrass (F14 veteran) who had received some sims to test and said:
For a real plane, people are willing to put in the time it takes. I'm sure he didn't balk at the more than 3 days it took to learn how to fly an F14..... I'd also aim for ease of use, so it's not too complicated. I have a couple of sims that I've received from companies and it's just impossible for me to deal with them. I have to read the manual for three days just to figure it out.
But for a modern sim, users want a a quick jump-in and that can be done with a Verbose and Responsive sim.
In playing IL2/PF you need only 3 keys and the simplest joystick manoevres to get in the air.
Outside of that simplicity, the valuable thing we get back from IL2/PF is all those messages on the Right Side.
Throttle 90%
Flaps: Combat
Flaps: Takeoff
Gear up
For practically every keystroke/throttle adjustment there's a response from IL2/PF
(I'd reject the IL2/PF speedbar - a modern HUD gives the exact same info)
When I fly a modern jet, I want to get a response to every key I hit so that I know exactly what I've done.
Why not? It's modern. In Real Life you do get responses. Maybe not in Big Bold Letters, but in a sim - Why not?
Hitting a '6', I should get a message= Air to Ground Mode: Mk82
Hitting a 'D', I should get a message= A2G: Cycle to Mk84
Even better, Verbose Response handles most especially well the different Radar or Combat modes that are available. It introduces new modes easily and names for the new user those modes. It would maximize learning which is what we're here doing for the new user.
For a study sim, of course this has draw-backs for true pure learning. But if someone is away from a modern flight-sim for some time or especially never tried one before - Verbose Response is a strategy and a Marketable Feature. Interested users could get a lot of value out of a sim without having to 'book up' deeply. And if someone wants to play off-line ALWAYS like that, it's their 50 bucks. Just put a great big toggle button that says "Verbose Response". For on-line stuff, I'm hard-core and would prefer to see Verbose Response hard-coded out. Others might want a variable where the host decides.
Everyone says that IL2/PF has taken things to the next level. You can jump into a 75 different(albeit simple) planes including those complex bombers. Verbose Response is part of the reason why. The basic 'get into the air' training can take care of itself including a lot of the basics for the popular dogfighting. The new user can learn the Advanced stuff after the hands have been trained.
We'll attract not the casual but the interested users who, armed with a key card, will be part of the community. And that's a good thing.
Keyboard Command Layout
in Lock On: Flaming Cliffs 1 & 2
Posted
What does the current home cockpit builder interact now with menues?
Does he by-pass them altogether?
If the home cockpit builder can bypass menues, we can concentrate on the new user?
As we can't seem to change the smallest bit of the AI to suit our Comm Menu needs, we need to count & prioritize the shape of the Comms Menu.
What action or response is a suitable menu option?
What action or response would be suitable as an emergency or convenient key-combo?
You seem reluctant to do any non-COMMS menu items
Inferior AI only means less options needed and menues can be flattened.
You also wanted to control each plane separately and quickly.
The only choice for the full control menu for Flight, Wingman, Pilot3, Pilot4, AWACS with one key is:
When you hit KEY_X, the suggested Flight Menu(urgent) would be
(1st & Urgent Menu)
F1 - Engage My Target
F2 - Rejoin
F3 - Cover Me
F4 - Jettison Weapons
F5 - Radar TOGGLE*
F6 - ECM TOGGLE*
F7 - Smoke TOGGLE*
F8 - Engage...
F9 - Formation...
F10 - Go Pincer...
F11 - Vector to...
Those Items with "..." after them have just 1 Sub-Menu
TOGGLE* - I mean that if the Radar is on, the Menu item will say "RADAR ON" If the RADAR is off, the Menu item will say "RADAR OFF" The same type of Toggle is used for ECM and Smoke. The cool aspect is that new user can see if the Radar, ECM, and Smoke is on
An alternative - very tightly squeezed - is:
(1st & Urgent Menu)
F1 - Engage My Target
F2 - Rejoin
F3 - Cover Me
F4 - Jettison Weapons
F5 - Engage...
F6 - Go Pincer/Formation... (9 Pincer + Formation options in Different colours)
F7 - Radar/ECM/Smoke.. (showing the necessary TOGGLE*)
F8 - Vector to...
Each of Flight, Wingman, Pilot3, Pilot4 will have their top menu as above as you flip through it with KEY_X
For a Wingman to go Pincer High is => KEY_X, KEY_X, KEY_F6, KEY_F1
All the above is based on having only 1 Key to do the cycling.
Not so quickly getting to what we want; we searched for 2 Keys - KEY_F6, KEY_F1
With 4 Keys - A key each for Flight, Wingman, Pilot3, Pilot4 - you have:
With Submenus as above:
For a Wingman to go Pincer High is => KEY_W, KEY_F6, KEY_F1
WithOUT Submenus as above - each menu is different:
Menu Urgent
Menu Engage Various
Menu Formation
Menu Go Pincer
Menu Vector
Menu Radar/ECM
For a Wingman to go Pincer High is => KEY_W, KEY_W, KEY_W, KEY_W, KEY_F1 - Quickly getting to what we want by only Searching for 1 Key - KEY_F1
Summary:
With only one key to activate, we can rapidly flip through the type of wingman orders - Flight, Wingman, Pilot3, Pilot4 and possibly AWACS+Tower. The user will become more familiar with the menu options. But we lose flow by having to search for a submenu before we do an action.
It is better than the current situation when each keystroke is a search for a submenu. Very klunky and it draws you out of the sim much more.
With 4 keys(Flight, Wingman, Pilot3, Pilot4 and possibly AWACS+Tower) we need to search for no keys except the final action. But we sacrifice 2-3 keys. We do however get to keep the ALT, CTRL, & SHIFT options on the keys used.
There is no F11 or F12 to go back. Just ESCape to get out of the Menuing system altogether.
You will decide on the Urgent Menu items and shift them around.
But it clears the Comms units of a difficult extra level of key-searching.
=================================================
The following is the Full list available now in the Comms menu in LOMAC
Engage - My Target, My Enemy, Bandits, Air Defences, Ground targets, Naval targets, Do Mission & Return, Do Mission and RTB
Go Pincer - High, Low, Left, Right
Vector to - Airfield, Tanker, Waypoint
Radar - On/Off
ECM - On/Off
Smoke - On/Off
Cover Me
Jettison Weapons
Formation - Rejoin, Line-Abreast, Trail, Echelon, Close, Open