Bombers - the more things change...

[DoKGonZo]

I agree that the bomb sight is overly complex for arena play. The bomb pattern is a great feature - but to spend that much time getting someplace and then have to deal with that aiming mechanism I'm sure is contributing to the problems.

If we had the old style sight - which took time to settle - combined with the way bombs disperse now I think that'd be perfect for the arena. You still wouldn't have laser-guided bombs - but at least you could aim for hangars and be relatively sure the pattern would center on 'em.

[CPR]

The big guns on the field is something I would like to see. Well depending on which end of the gun I was on. It would definitley make you look twice at the base. It doesnt sound like it would be to hard to implement. Of course I know nothing about code or anything. HTC  my vote is for this. Heck we tried the eny thing... right?

[Karnak]

Zanth,

You don't have to hold the cross hairs steady.  You can wander as much as you like, it is only the very start and very end that need to be over the same point.

Originally posted by DoKGonZo
If we had the old style sight - which took time to settle - combined with the way bombs disperse now I think that'd be perfect for the arena. You still wouldn't have laser-guided bombs - but at least you could aim for hangars and be relatively sure the pattern would center on 'em.

That would be the death knell to bombers for me.  I'd never hit anything again.  The current system allows small, last minute, course corrections.  A system that requires me to fly absolutely straight and level for 30 seconds would mean that I'd nearly always miss the target.


Personally I've never had trouble either hitting or calibrating the current system.  I don't really see how anybody could have that kind of trouble, barring physical disability.

[Zanth]

Might be the bestest most cool bombsight on the planet, I dunno.  Any way it's not getting used very much so it really doesn't matter much.

(Warbirds bombsight still the best compromise set-up I have ever used)

[JB73]

Originally posted by Karnak
Personally I've never had trouble either hitting or calibrating the current system.  I don't really see how anybody could have that kind of trouble, barring physical disability.

i have been playing for over 2.5 years, and know pretty much all there is about this game.

i am no great stick, but if you have a question about how something is set up, how to do it, or whatever i can answer 99% of them.


i can not get bombs to hit within a mile of the target i want, and have read / tried ALL the turtorials posted, and all the "tips"

i have given up on level bombing, only bomber i fly anymore is a JU88 with torps for CV's, those i can sink 90% of the time, unless a good gunner is in a manned 5" then there is no chance.

[MOSQ]

I'm convinced we'll never see the majority of buff raids at high alt again unless there are some changes.

1) Return to the early AHI bombsight for single bombers. If you want a formation, you use the newer calibration sight. (Not sure if this coding is really doable. If not, elimnate formations and return to the AHI early sight period.

2) Code 4 engine bombers so they can't release bombs unless +/- 100 ft/min. of level flight. Let all the 2 engine bombers dive bomb if they want.

3) Eliminate bombing from F3.

4) Consider the 5" mannable guns on bases. I'm a little worried this will have unintended and unforseen cosequences, but it's worth an experiment. One of those consequences may be that they can easily kill the high alt buffs attacking the base. Can somone who has more experianxce in them comment if they would wipe out the bombers at 20K? If so, we've defeated the goal of getting 4 engine buffs back where they were designed to be.


I lost two Tigers last night to 500' agl Lancaster Formations GV hunting over our base. It's BS.

[Mak333]

Ugh...

As I said before, all you gotta do is perk the extra bombers.  Each single bomber is free.  Add on another bomber, make it 20 bomber perks, another make it 40 bomber perks.

This way you wont be seeing much low altitude bull****.  Yes you will still see it but they gotta run out of perks some time....

If 40 perks is not enough, jack it up to 50 per plane.  Problem solved.  Flying with a formation should be a privilege in this game, not a right.

[DREDIOCK]

Just make bombing only possible from the bombadiers position and everything would be solved
 no?

[Midnight]

The old bombsight is too easy and too many say the new bombsight is too hard.

How about a bombsight that auto-calibrates but takes 2 minutes of steady level flight to do it. As it calibrated, it would give a percent readout for the bombs striking the target in the crosshairs. The percentage would start at 20% and keep increasing up to 100% (or maybe 98% max so it's not too accurate)

Also, it would be good to have in-air bomb collisions enabled. Dive bombing would be much harder for level bombers, because if diving at <1G, the bombs may actually hit inside the bomb bays before they cleared the airframe.

[Mak333]

Even the new bomb sight is easy...just takes some time to get used to it.  Take up maybe 10 flights of 17's in a day and you should have the bombing calibration mastered within a couple days.  It's really not that hard, only a matter of "do you know what you are doing".  Maintaining steady level flight with a stable speed, opening bomb doors when appropriate, calibrating properly, and then releasing is all you need to do...  With the old calibration, you could even use RATO's on your bombing run and still have accurate bombs - now that is NOT ok.

[Grimm]

The Bombsight is easy to do "IF" you are a steady hand and you have decent equipment.   And as Mak said, practice till you get the hang of it.  

The Problem is if dont have a steady hand, and cant find that sweet spot when pressing and releasing the button, your not going to have much success bombing.  Yes I do realise its the begining and ending point but if your eyes are poor and you have the shakes, it isnt going to happen.  

The other side is if you have a crappy stick, it has a big effect on it very simular to being unsteady.   I can make perfect calibrations on my good CH Gear, but I cant do it with my old cheapy crap.

A Good Comprimise would be this.  Replace the moving the cross hairs to find the sweet spot with a simple button that must be held for 2 seconds.   Here is an example of what I mean.

First you get up to Alt and your Speed.   You would open the clip board map and select your target, just as now.   open your doors and make sure your speed has stabized.    Now instead of holding the cross hairs, you just hold the calibrate button.  Make sure your delay and salvo is correct.   Your set to make your drop.

Now if you have a radical change of coase or change your speed or altitude your drop will be screwed up,  just like now.   Bomb drift and despertion is the same as now as well.  

The only thing that changed was way that did one small step.  

If possible I would have a checkable box in the flight options, so you could use the current system or the easy calibrate.  

This would not effect those with good skills at bombing,  But it would make it more fun for those that are having a difficult time with the cross hairs.    The Plus, More Fun for Everyone.

[DarkHawk]

I have one suggestion that has improved my own ability to drop and hit a target.
I check the E6B speed and try to have it stable. Then do the calibration.  now keep an eye on the E6B for speed changes.
if the speed increase try to slow down before you get to target and keep speed at the value seen when you completed the calibration. if still a little fast drop early that is less then 3 mph if slow drop a little past the target again less then 3 mph.
I try to keep my speed at 200 mph wiht altitude of 20K plus..

DarkHawk bomber Pilot
DHawk in game

[Mak333]

I agree with Grimm.  There is no need to track over a spot on the terrain....  It's pointless.  The learning experience shouldnt be can you keep a "steady hand" over a tree on the ground.  It SHOULD be: do you know how to properly calibrate in certain conditions...

For you old folks, and less fortunate without adequate equipment, I'm sorry if you are having problems with the steady hand thing lol.  My best advice is this:  Keep a stable and steady speed when you are 10mi from the bomb run.  Get your doors open, fly for another mile or two.  Now calibrate.  Everything should go great if your speed is stabalized and you calibrated properly.

One thing i have noticed that has helped me is that if my speed fluctated a little, I would compensate that in my F6 or bombardier position.  If my speed increased by a few MPH, i would release the bombs early.  If the speed decreased, release the bombs a little late.  Do not try to recalibrate right before the target or you will be further off than if you tried to estimate.

Hopefully this helps some of you.

[MOSQ]

Originally posted by Alpo
Give us the precision bomb sight and formations, and I can almost guarantee you will hear cries/whines of "no fighter hangers" a lot more.  With a pair of  B17s with the precision sight at 15-20k, it was nothing to close a small field.

More whines than a single player in a Lancaster formation at 500ft taking out all the fighter hangars? More whines than Tanks being hunted by B-17 formations at 500 AGL?

If we get the precision sight back, I would do away with formations.

In another thread it was suggested to put 5" mannable ack guns on the bases. That would also help cure the low level bombers, at least until JABOS took them out. That fits in with your general theme of making the base ack more intense.

[AKcurly]

Originally posted by DREDIOCK
Just make bombing only possible from the bombadiers position and everything would be solved
 no?

Yep, that's the ticket.  It's impossible to calibrate when you're 800 feet off the ground.  Maybe drop from bombadier position only AND you must be at least 6,000 feet?

curly