Wishes for the next Wing Commander

1. Cluster the mission types and ships.  "Real" pilots tend to fly one type of craft at a time, not jumping between them from time to time, seemingly randomizing mission role on a mission by mission basis.
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2. I'd like "smart target" that switched to the nearest enemy (somewhat like [U]) -- but when the current target has been killed.  It can be a mess trying to make sure you've killed a target.  If they didn't limp off sometimes after being complete red ... actually,  that is an improvement toward realism, and one that I like more and more as I play the game.
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3. [alt !] or something similar ought to let you "call" a target so that your wingmen don't kill it.  And wingmen ought to really cover your "six."
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4. I would have liked to have brought back torp barrages ... though I understood why they were taken out.  It is probably best not to have barrages back in the game.  It would be nice to have Privateer style gun selection (the [1] [2] [3], etc. keying on and off various types of guns).  Yes, I want to be able to fire lasers and stormfires at the same time. Makes for a great variant on "full guns" (which shifts the stormfire off).
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5. Bring back a very limited exposure/use of stealth technology.
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6. I liked the limits on choice for craft flown and weapon loadout and the occasional very limited choices.  I also liked the special loadouts (e.g. wild weasel) from time to time.
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7. I would have preferred fewer enemy ships, but tougher ones, and a slower, more airplane -- less arcade -- style of flying and playing.  I liked the movement towards that goal (and away from X-Wing/WCIV), and would like to see more of it.  The basic reduction in mobility I'm describing is probably on the order of 5% less than the novice level of WCP -- though with the player's craft reduced in mobility as well -- and more radical increases in mobility for both the player and the bad guys at the Nightmare level.
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8. The bar ought to be empty if there is no conversation, have people if there is.  I thought WC1 had about the right level of talk in it.  Background more than plot, in many ways, but  the texture a great game needs.  WCP was a little sparse.
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9. I'd like to be able to "fly into" alien ships. I suspect that is not possible with the current technology and I have not seen much in the way of general demand or comment on that. However, if you built an alien ship that was basically a structure, then you could "fly inside" of it without actually flying into what the game identifies as interior space.
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10. Bring back "mission 13" missions -- where mission thirteen on the winning path is a super tough mission as per WC1 (saving the Ralari) or WC2 (that space station protected by a flak gun source <g>).
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11. I would like more of a WCIII and WCIV type of power management.  For "on the fly" changes, I would like to see the keys 8, 9, 0, reserved for "pre-set" configurations set up by the player.  The same for guns (1, 2, 3, 4, 5 -- sort of the Privateer gun control system).  Now, this seems like something not easily compatable with the game engine, but along with invulnerability, etc. it might be reachable through the options menu approach without excessive code effort (I'm looking for setting up the pre-sets "pre-flight" rather than after launch and keeping them the same unless changed).  I'm not familiar enough with the engine and the code, so this is a "wish list" item rather than a strong suggestion.
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12. I would also like to see more development of the relationship between the Kilrathi and the bugs, together with the player flying a Kilrathi ship or mission or two -- that would make an excellent "secret missions" style add-on pack. Put the player in a modified Jalthi Bomber for a few missions (that old lumbering rust bucket -- but with autoselect for guns depending on target range), etc.  For "secret mission" style expansions you could skip the FMV -- just have a location set, text screens for cut scenes, and ISIS briefings. [ kilrathi missions ]