Combined Operations

[UncleBuck]

  Being new here I do not know if this has been tried or with what frequency it is attempted but here goes.  How often do combined operations take place in AH?  I mean how often do a group of fighters, bombers, and Paras get together with tankers and such to make a campaign?  I think that if you were able to get a group of Fighter pilots, Bomber pilots and the guys who like to play in the dirt together it would be a good time had by all. Make plans, and objectives and all work to make it happen.  Fly bomber missions and use the fighters to escort them to and from target.  Use the fighters to provide air superiority for the tanks so they can take the targets. Well enough rambling, just wondering how often this happens and if anyone is interested in putting this together.

                UncleBuck  

[Ice]

Hiyas UB

Check out the mission planner on the clipboard...it is used by players to put missions together.

In answer to your question, cooperation is not a common practice, but it does take place by some motivated players in the MA on a fairly regular basis, ie. 4-5 times a week from my experience.

If you enjoy this type of play, I would suggest joining a squad, as squads typically have one or two nights a week in which they meet and conduct organized missions together. Some squads participate in joint ops with other squads as well.

Hope this helps!

Ice

PS...Welcome to Aces High

[funked]

There are missions up every night, at least if you fly Knights.  I have not seen many missions including ground vehicles on the current map.  But during the last Tour with the beta map it was quite common to include a ground component.

[Thog]

I tried to generate interest in the squad forum for a Armored Company (a combined arms squad, with emphasis on vehicals and CAS), but didn't get any interest.  Seems there are people out there who like mud moving and people who like heavy metal, but not enough of them want to form into a squad to specialize in that.  There's a loose coalition of people who get together and do tank runs (talk to Ripsnort), but it's not a squad and not consistant.

As far as making detailed plans etc, despite the good mission planning tool I haven't seen much of this at all.  In Warbirds, it's common, and can involve entire nations and a hundred plus people on a side.  My old squad was divided between designated fighter escorts and bombers, developed fairly simple but well documented plans and SOP's, and we averaged about a 90% success rate against targeted fields.  I've seen nothing close here.  It does seem to be getting better (I've seen a few coordinated attacks lately).  Maybe the population density and community maturity is getting high enough to support it.

Thog

[funked]

Thog I couldn't disagree more.  Flying for Knights, I see coordination and planning every day in AH MA that I saw maybe once a month in WB MA/WW2A.

If your team is not putting up any missions, create one!  The planner has all the tools needed to create complex combined arms operations.  Draw it up, submit it, and holler for guys to join!

PS If you really want strategy and teamwork, come to the Afrika Korps scenario at 3pm EST on Sunday.  There will certainly be walk-on tank slots open for the biggest tank battles in AH history.    

[This message has been edited by funked (edited 11-09-2000).]

[This message has been edited by funked (edited 11-09-2000).]

[Jammer]

If I could toss in just a few cents, I'd say that the ground aspect in AH lacks in a few areas, which is natural since it's mainly a flight sim.

I'm a terrible pilot myself so I did a tour in AH as a ground pounder, but I felt quite alone and terrebly outnumbered. Further the lanscape looks great from 1000+ feet, but at ground level...well, let's just say it's lacking.

If there is an even remote possablitity to flesh out the detail and variety on ground level (like persistant vegetation and other objects) it would be great.

I can only speak for myself, but I've got a feeling that the customer base could be greatly expanded this way.

Of course Í understand that there is limitations to what can be done, and I don't mean to come here squeaking and moaning; I realize that AH is mostly aimed at the fly boys.

Cheers,

[Dingy]

Although it doesnt happen on as frequent a basis in Rookland as it seems in Nitland, rooks have had some nice missions planned by Camo and by Zigrat.

Yesterday, Camo put together a Jabo-Tiffy run into a problematic A3 which was attacked on and off all day with no luck.  5 heavy Tiffys, killed all hangers and deacked it in about 4 minutes.

Zig's mission while not quite as successful, was still quite enjoyable.

Even seems Bish are getting a tad more organized.

-Ding

[sling322]

Yeah Zig used to plan those missions for the Knights....     Why did you desert us Zig?  You traitor!!!  

[Thog]

Funked, I don't really fly AH all that often now, so maybe I'm just missing it.  But I've seen a grand total of maybe 4 planned missions executed by either side in the past couple of months, 2 by Zigrat of rooks.  Mostly it's solo efforts and furballs.

Then again, your point about WB is taken.  I don't know when you were playing, but it was an up and down thing in WB.  My squad was very consistant, and every Saturday night it was typical for you to see one of the Bad Guys (anyone but a purp) main fields suddenly fall to a combined B-17/P51 strike, then a romp through several more nearby fields.  We were hardly the only ones to do it, and I saw something like it maybe 4-5 times a week (unfortunately, more often done to us).

So I'll stick by my assessment of AH so far, but with the caviat that I'm not playing more than about 3 times a week and may be missing the squad nights or whatever.

I'll start trying to generate interest in with the mission editor.  I tend to be semi-reclusive (communicating in monosylabic grunts), so I haven't done this yet, but I'll give it a whirl.

In anycase I've never yet seen someone use the mission editor to plan a ground assault supported by CAS.  Again, maybe it's happened and I've missed it.

Thog

[UncleBuck]

I hope I did not give the wrong impression.  I am not really advocating the use of Ground vehicles as a squad thing.  I am coming over from Fighter Ace, I know don't want to hear it.  The Current FA game is great for allowing combined arms to work togehter but only as grous of planes.  The Tanks , which are the only way to take a scene, are AI controlled.  I was just wondering how often these things took place here.  I have been reading many posts here with people complaining that the Tanks or other vehicles were doing a great deal of damage, or that they were worthless and no one could take a base.  I was just curious as to why the two groups do not get together and do some Base Rapeing. Also do you not have Paratrops in AH?  If you have a particularly troublesome base why not drop off a fighter in your group, change to a Skytrain, follow in the grand attack on the base, that you were doing anyway, and drop Paras on the field?  Cannot Paratroops take over a field?  anyway, I am looking forward to trying this game out.  I should be in this weekend since my RAM is finally here.  Oh btw if you wanted to set this up, could you not put an advertisement in this forum?

                  UncleBuck  

[sling322]

but i thought RAM quit?  

[Zigrat]

The problem is with the players mostly i think.

When i plan missions, i have problems with people wanting to take along their own plane. Most people have a preference aircraft in aces high: I like the 109. Udie likes the 190, TS likes the p-38, RA likes the jug. You get the picture. But these people are willing to fly another aircraft for a mission. Then there are the hangtimes, the StSantas, etcera of the world who pretty much only fly 1 aircraft no matter what. Its hard to get these guys into a mission unless you specifically tailor it to them.

Last week rooks did a combined ops mission to capture a field. 4 190a5s capped the field while a ju-88 came in and bombed the VH and the acks, while 2 panzers and a m3 rolled up and finished off the field. was cool  

[UncleBuck]

Right on !  Now I have noticed no one mentioning the use of Para troops.  Why are theynot utilized?  DO they have a hard time taking a target or is it the vulnerability of the transport AC?

                   UncleBuck

[bowser]

When someone says they "capture" a field it is done with paratroopers..either dropping on the field or landing the transport. However, before you do that you have to kill the ack, etc. otherwise the transport/paratroopers would be killed easily.

bowser