FSO: Aleutian Weather

[ghostdancer]

That is very kewl having a person who actually flew up there besides you while flying. Hopefully the weather will be a gray and dingy as he remembers.

[Scotch]

15mph is a light breeze. Increase the wind!

[ghostdancer]

Well wind is only being used above 15K to encourage people to fly at lower alts (if the clouds and fog wasn't enough).

So okay .. 215 mph above 15K! muhahahahaha

[Krusty]

I'd like to restate my comments about weather and eye candy at the expense of gameplay.

The reason the axis were able to get in and smash a54 (or was it 52??) with 30-50 planes almost unhindered is because we could barely see each other, let alone be spotted by the enemy. We flew a long course, climbed to staggered heights, and only as we were dropping bombs did we really see any enemy. And THEY were too scatered and few to put up a fight.

Seems most of the P40s were searching for us, spread so thin any that found us were killed instantly.



Not conducive to a good gameplay, IMO. Maybe cool, maybe neat, maybe worthy of an "ooh" and an "ahh" but it still prevents both sides from finding and fighting each other, and in the past the FSO has taken steps to ensure this doesn't happen.

[forHIM]

I would say a stronger wind layer above 14k is needed.  I know our squad stuck within the designers frame of 0 to 15k for alt, but reading that the axis purposely flew at 20k to not be seen makes me think the wind needs to be more severe up there.  I love the weather and its ability to keep the fight low.  I personally had no problems seeing enemy dots at 7,8k away when we were in the 10 to 15k range.  The clouds provide excellent cover, but I think if the axis want to play hide-n-seek in the clouds we should definitely up the wind levels.

The clouds are there to frame the fights and keep the action lower.  The fog is there to provide some lower alt cover / obscurity.  Hard to hit a CV if you can't see it.  Both of these are great additions and will stay.  It is up to the players and squads to decide how to use the tools they have at their disposal.  The mission of FSO is to destroy the enemy and RTB.  Not destroy the enemy and die in the process.  Or at least that's how I've looked at it. 

[ghostdancer]

Your opinion has been noted and I respectfully disagree.

Having unlimited visibility and no weather was not the case in quite bit of actual warfare on all fronts. The FSO is not about endless combat. As stated it is about dealing with a whole range of situations and factors to accomplish your sides mission.

These include having to make choices of where and how to deploy your limited resources (pilots), your over all strategy (on the Allied side the CiC chose not to deploy any pickets or scouts at all in his battle plan but relied on other tactics for his defense .. which is his prerogative), tactics, group cohesion, etc.

The objectives for both sides are known and as Daddog stated it has been setup that there will be fighting. The strategy and tactics dictate on whether you find and hit the incoming attack force before, during, or after they  drop their bombs.

Also note the weather cuts but ways and the Japanese CV and CA at C77 were both hit and sunk by the allied strike uncontested. Basically the strike group flanked the Japanese defenders and ran across the CV before the enemy Zeroes could get vector in and attack (although the allied force was found by a lone B5N2 but I think it was to late).

The Zeroes hit the B25Cs and P40Bs after they dropped and there was running fight over the CV and egress.


Personally I believe two other factors played a greater part in the way the battles turned out.

- Distance
- Fuel rate

The distances involved and the fuel rate reduced the amount of time squads had over targets and also basically prevented second strikes on targets do to the low speed of the planes and distances involved.

The fuel rate for Frame 2 has been reduced to 1.0 (which should give people more time over target and more time to fight instead of having to break off do to fuel concerns), and the targets have been moved closer by about 25 miles from each sides launch bases / carriers. That should also help things and give both sides more time to accomplish missions and fight instead of traveling to and from targets and have very short time frames for engaging enemy do to fuel and time concerns.

[ghostdancer]

Point taken on the wind. It will be increase significantly at higher alts since the event was designed to be low to mid alt. This of course will also effect the allies in frame 2 since they also have a land target to hit.

[Saxman]

On the other hand, considering the overwhelming vulnerability of the Vals and Kates the weather was a godsend, and gave them an actual fighting chance. It would have taken VERY effective escort to prevent a well-handled Allied CAP from tearing the bombers to shreds otherwise.

I, for one, am NOT complaining. After having the poor visibility working AGAINST my squad effectively the entirety of the last campaign, it was a refreshing change of pace to be able to use the weather to our advantage and slip past the Allied defenses.

[ghostdancer]

And the allies did at least in the case C77 slipped past the Axis defenses. Not only did the zekes not engage in time to stop the B25C drop but the fleet also didn't start maneuvering in time.

So the weather cuts both ways.

[Krusty]

It seems to me that past rules (the 60 minute rule) are designed to get forces to engage each other, rather than avoid the fight. The 60 minute rule (target must be attacked by T+60) prevents evasive stuff like NOE sneaks that take 1.5 hours or delaying until all the defenders have left the area.


What is the difference with excessive weather?

I get that it's a cool visual. IF you have an ATI card. Those with nvida are screwed, it seems. I get that it's nice to have something other than high noon like most of AH.

But I see it as detrimental. I didn't have much fun. Was mostly a milk run. I hadn't landed a single 20mm on enemies so I wasted 'em just for the sake of not RTBing with full guns.

I guess I just see enough attempts of that in the MAs to not want to see it in the SEA.


Clearly a differing of opinions, though.

[ghostdancer]

Yes clearly a difference of opinion on the affects of weather and whether it promotes MA style game play or not.

Obviously we are not going to see to eye on this so I will just end by saying I am sorry that in your case you did not find frame 1 or this event enjoyable.