Otto...err... AI gunners? Any update as to when they'll appear?

[Brick]

AH Gang - any plans (rough guess will do) as to when Mr. AI gunner will appear?  The Fortress is just a wee bit vulnerable right now.  

-Andy
(crosses fingers, takes a strong pull on the Jack Daniel's in preparation for the forthcoming "two weeks" answer...)

[rzch]

I am also a Buff driver.

That said, I'd like to go w/o otto for a while and try going w/human only gunners first. I would rather have to man the guns myself and or take on human gunners than haveing people complaining about how otto is to accurate or operates under to many G's or whatever. I don't fly a buff to get kills, I fly a buff to reduce the enemies ability to wage war. Any kills I get in a buff are going to be soley in self defence.

I guess I'm just tired of the certian few loud fighter pilots that assume anyone who flies a buff is just trying to get cheap kills.

Anyway if I had a vote it would be for human manable guns before otto (and preferably no otto ever)

[Azrael]

There was a discussion somewhere else, one idea was to enable players who want to gun to jump on the gun stations when the bombers are already inflight.

Az

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Azrael
XO 487th BG (Heavy)
'The Gentlemen from Hell'

[hitech]

Im going to try going with out auto on buffs. But you will be able to jump to gunner position as a pilot. Simply depending on other people to gun dosn't work very well.

HiTech

[Brazos]

Hoooraaay!

Thanks HT. It may not be popular with a few buff pilots, but I'm thrilled to get rid of "Otto" the robot gunner. To be fair to the ground pounders, I hope you leave the external views on the buffs. That will give them better SA to gun for themselves and a
photo op platform for the rest of us. There are many good reasons to go with human gunners, better player interaction, no chance for ack-stars, no debate about Otto's aim, all pointing toward better gameplay imo. WTG!

[Brick]

Right on, HT.  

Now... if I could just sneak some .50cals onto my C-47, I'd be set!

-Andy

[glars]

How long you reckon before fighters learn to hold off attacking until the buff is past its IP and the pilot/gunner/bombardier is otherwise occupied?

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Glars
RNZAF
 http://glarsmaps.warbirds.org  

[Brick]

In that case, I hope to have at least one other human flying with me.  

Good point though, Glars.  Hey - on another note - have you had a chance to map out the bases in AH yet?  

Andy

[Granger]

Hmm...

During my last couple years playing brand x flight sim. Our squad never had trouble getting gunners for our buffs. Once a squad gets established with 30 members or so, it was easy to get 4 or 5 17s airborn with at least 1 gunner on each one.
Gunning is usually 20-30 minutes of boredom with a couple minutes of sheer terror thrown in. I didnt mind gunning at all. Nice break from upping..flying..dying.
The thing is, you need people that want to achieve a common goal, and do what is necessary to achieve it.
Some players just wont fit in this sort of thing, others care enough to get the job done no matter what it takes.
These players will find themselves in a squad that is organized, and gets things done. My kinda squad    

Granger

[Brick]

Hmm... I've got an itchin' in me to start the 6th Air Commando Group back up now.    C-47s, some B-26/25s, 'stangs, and Jugs, oh my!  

Andy

[Duck]

Hmm, I guess I don't have a problem with
ole Otto, as long your average fighter
jock (not a specially trained buff gunner)
can replace Otto and perform more effectivly.

Hehe, easy to say... hard to code.

Regards,
Michael Carney aka duck

[val]

With a Flat-Rate price plan, there is more incentive than ever to gun a buff. I think people will feel less pressure from the clock, and be more inclined to try new things.

val

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Scott (val) Valline
Dweebs of Death

[Alabam]

HT if you going to have Auto gunners only, make it where buffs can attach gunners in flight! The long boring ride to target, while grabing alt away from the action, will result in the buffs loosing gunners along the way!

Human gunners are great,better than otto in every test we ran in WB, but you have to keep aboard the whole flight!  

No matter if its free, or $2/hr you still will have to sit in the hanger and beg for gunners and escorts before you dare take off!

If you somehow fill your plane with gunners after a 1 hr flight, it will be the last time! The only gunners aboard buffs you see will be the low flying acks!

It would be a better game if buffs had the option of auto, or human gunners!

I would give thought of how you could enable auto-gunners above 10k if no human gunners on board!

[Six-pk]

   
I'm a buffer. To go w/o otto is something I have allways wondered about. HTC just let us keep the F3 view and man our own guns for now. Lets give it a go!

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SixPack in AH
Six-pk  in WB
450th Bombardment Group (Heavy)
The 'Cottontails'[/b]
                   

[Downtown]

I agree that the flat rate makes gunning in a buff a more palatable prospect.

The best thing would be for Gunners to be able to join in flight, so long as the position hasn't been disabled in an attack.

The problem becomes how to get to the bomber, or how the bomber gets people while in flight.

Perhaps a special sheet on the Hangar Clipboard showing a list of all Crewable Bombers in Flight.  Any bomber listed in Green is Safe, any bomber in RED is in Danger.

People in the Tower Could click on the Red Bombers, and then join them in Flight.

HTC would have to work out if a bomber was in trouble or not.  I think that just having enemy planes in your sector would not necessarly qualify, but by the time you show up on each others FE (Icons Visible) its too late for a Buff.

I would be too late, and too difficult for Buffers to Rely on 911 Calls for Gunners, but also Buffers will be forced to "Depend on the Kindness of Strangers" for Gunners.

Once Gunners are enabled, I want all ROOKS to know that if you need gunners, and I am not otherwise occupied, give me a call, and I will crew (Top Turret, or Belly.)

I would rather have Crewed Bombers than AI, but I think it is a strech to think that it Will Work.

Perhaps HTC needs to think of Special Incentives for BUFF Gunners.

Everyone wants the Glamor Jobs of flying the Sports Jobs, very few Trash Haulers, and even few guys willing to defend BUFFs.

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"I could feel the 20MM Cannon impacting behind me so I made myself small behind the pilot armor" Charlie Bond AVG