Good post Buzz.
Like some of the others have said, I will also add my own twists too.
As a bomber pilot, which is virtually all i fly, I can address some of your concerns/notings about bombers.
Gun lethality: Well, the bombers guns are not auto and are manned. The accuracy of those guns can be attributed to some very fine pilots. Myself,..I pretty much am a lousy shot as I get blown out of the skies with great regularity and very seldom take a plane with me.
On the other hand, I fly with a squad mate who is incredibly deadly in a bomber. I have to surmise, it is not the lethlity, but the ability of the gunner that makes them so deadly.
As far as bringing down bombers. Well,..as a bomber pilot I know it is pretty easy, if you are patient. I have gone against many pilots who know where the seams of safe flight are to approach a bomber. They usually get me without me ever being able to land a shot on them.
On bombing accuracy: Yes,...they are way too accurate. I never miss when I drop on a target, regardless of alititude. Bombing a CV is a bit more of a challenge as you have to gauge where the CV is going to be in relation to your alitiude, flight speed, and his course and speed.
Overall: AH makes some concessions to game play, which have no bearing on historical data. For bombers it is quite simple, and I beleive appropriate.
Bombers are dreadful planes to fly. You take off, fly for 15 to 20 minutes to get alt, then hopefully reach your target and drop your load.
To make it a bit more fun and less frustrating for a bomber pilot concessions are made to bombing accuracy and gun management. If I knew, before I took off, that I would only have a 50-60% chance of destroying my target and/or a 50-60% chance of reaching my target, I would be less inclined to fly a bomber and would certainly be more frustrated.
I find the concessions to playability very well balanced.
Even with these concessions, I find it extremely satisfying to plot a course to a target, reach the target, destroy it and get back to base. Many times I have sweaty palms on these flights, which says a lot in in itself. Then I get to follow all that up with a story on the BB about it.
I think very few people, including myself, would spend the time it takes to pilot a bomber if we knew our chances of accomplishing our mission was really low.
There are probably those pilots that would want the more realistic flight/bombing model, but I think they would eventually get very frustrated.
If bomber pilots could count on escort, then maybe it would be different, but I can only remember 2 times I have had fighter escort on a bombing mission. Most of the time, I am alone, or with (if I am lucky) another bomber or bombers.
Overall, I have to say I think HTC has done an admirable job of balancing playability with reality.
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Roy "Skuzzy" Neese
President, AppLink Corp.
http://www.applink.netskuzzy@applink.net