Triple Buffs Should GO

[Lusche]

Originally posted by hubsonfire
Anyone know exactly when we got formations?

I think they were introduced May 2002 as 4 bomber-formations (version 1.1) , short time later patched to 3 bomber boxes.

[weirwolf]

Sounds like alot of people got up on the wrong side of the hanger....I'll be seeing you on the buisness end of my tail guns:D:aok

[Flayed1]

I see nothing wrong with the 3 bomber formation.. I can always tell when someone comes after me that knows how to kill bombers VS those that have no patience or  are noobs..  Down time on hangers is so low that it dosn't matter much if they are taken out  any way...  

 I will say I was quite dissapointed when the hard callibration meathod was taken out..   I really enjoyed actually callibrating to bomb a target vs this thing we have now, as long as your speed and alt stay the same if you hold Y down for exactly 10 seconds you get a perfect callibration within 1mph every time.

 I still see a lot of dweebs that don't use the bomb sight any way.

[Simaril]

Originally posted by Kweassa
snip....
.... Unfortunately, for some reason, HTC succumbed to the whines and exchanged the calibration method to a vastly dumbed-down version of it. No more manual calibration required - just stabilize airspeed, press a button and there, it's done.

 The end result is what we have nowadays. There are pin-point hangar-busting buffs in the game again. We've gone backwards in time and arrived at the old days of AH1.

 However, unlike AH1, where we had only one bomber aircraft doing the "smartbombing", now we have three.


 So either perk the 3 formations, or bring back the old bombsight.

Gotta disagree here.

You're not thinking like a game developer, much less a businessman. Bombers fill a very important niche in the game's survivability -- they allow newer players to have some fun, feel like they're accomplishing something, during the otherwise dead zone where the learning curve can be overwhelming. Since they have something to enjoy, they are more likely to stay with AH and keep plugging away at the frustrating but rewarding business of learning the harder skills. Easier buffs were not implemented for the whiners, or for simulation value, or for the vets' enjoyment -- they were put in place to keep the 2 month newbs hooked.

Better subscriber retention means better business for HTC, but it also means the rest of us get a better, more competitive game in the long run.






Even in the short run, I think the complaints are wrong. I'm not going to analyse the data again, but last time I checked all buffs together had a KPD of under 0.6. In that context, it would be stupid[/b] to make them weaker.


If you die to buffs a lot, you're plain attacking them wrong. I'm not an uber pilot by any means, and I only attack buffs when they're not out of the way. But I'm 25-2 right now -- and my deaths were from stupid mistakes, not from uber gun triads. If I can learn how to slaughter like that, anyone can.

[Chalenge]

Have to agree with Simaril since Im 36:0 against bombers. I cringe and even try to correct noobs when I see them go into a bomber at their dead six but even then the bombers often times die.

[Virage]

The 2 arguments against buffs are false:

1.  Defensive guns are too lethal.

2.  Bombs are too accurate.



1.  Proven in the crucible of the MA ... buffs are 'Meat on the Table.'  Players fight over themselves to get to the bombers for the 3 easy kills.  Sure you may die once in a bit, but lets be honest.  If you see a low formation of buffs.. you race to  get there.


2.  The average player can't hit a thing with the bombsite.  Sure many dump 36 eggs on a carrier and kill it, but  a relative few 'Aces' take the time to learn to do pinpoint bombing from alt.  This is a none issue.  How many times do you see bombs scattered all over the base vs. the times you see one buff at alt nail something on every drop?

This is just another "I Hate Buffs" temper tantrum.

[SkyRock]

One player should only be able to fly one plane at a time.  fighters flew in formation, would it be fair for one player to fly 3 fighters at a time?  Having the ability to up 3 planes at the same time is one of the gamiest, silly things in AH2!  

Mark

[Bronk]

My complaint with buff is the drones need a bit of tweaking.

Shoot a wing off the lead and the drones start doing the falling leaf, following it down. Then once they bail out of the lead, its back to full speed at a lower alt.

Drones should continue on  and if you don't bail in time, they go poof.

Bronk

[Rino]

Originally posted by moot
Mentionning warping drones does not help the credibility of arguing against formations.
Warping drones give you more time to set up the next pass.

     Unless, of course, the drone warped into you as you made the first
pass.

[4deck]

I am your worst enemy.

[storch]

you bomb therefore I hunt you and kill you with fairly good success trade off.  most of my bomber deaths are from hitting the warping drones or from attacking from a low E and below initial attack.  If I go hunting buffs specifically I get a 110 with full fuel drop tanks and big nose package and return with pretty good kills numbers in the bag.  I'm still against the 1,000,000 slaved guns to one shooter concept but if you attack from above with speed you will easily kill all but the most seasoned bufftards.  even the most seasoned bufftards will fall but that takes a little more work.

[hubsonfire]

I'm not making the argument that bombers are too hard to kill, or that their guns are too lethal. The K/D ratio of .6 is less than mine was as a complete noob to AH (when I spent most of my time in PT boats because I couldn't figure out how to fly a plane). That isn't because bombers are too easy or too hard to kill, or because noobs now are too stupid, but because of the vets that run NOE formation after formation into the side of a CV, or the guys that do the bomb and bail over factories in the unpopulated arenas.

New players can't hit anything, because they haven't bothered to read anything. You could make the argument that we need a lead calculating gunsight or a built in aimbot on all fighters for the same reason we need the simplified bombsight. The only criteria I see mentioned for any suggested changes, are how difficult would it be to do, and what would the effect on gameplay be. Well, what's the positive effect on gameplay of the near constant stream of suicide jabo bomber missions?

As was pretty clear in my first post, it's not the guns, and it's not the durability that I take issue with. It's the ridiculous behavior of the drones, and the simplistic bombing, It's an overwhelming set of advantages that allow a single player to have a far greater impact on the game than anyone else in anything else, and how that is put to use in the MAs.

[hubsonfire]

Originally posted by 4deck
I am your worst enemy.

With more bomber deaths than kills, I'd say you present a greater threat to yourself than others.

[quintv]

How are bomber deaths score?

If you lose a formation is it one death or three?

[hubsonfire]

3, 1 for each plane you lose.