bomber drones need a clue

[Anaxogoras]

I've seen B-17 drones follow their leader through an immelman, but then warp all over the place and pop when the leader executes a flat turn.  The best is when the drones warp and cause a collision because of their new location.  There has to be a better way.  My fixes would be:

1.  Drones no longer warp to stay in position with the leader.  If they have to take an extra long time to regain formation then that's the way it is.
2.  Drones no longer pop when the leader maneuvers too hard.  Popping drones destroy the representation of realism in the game.

Warping/popping drones are probably my least favorite feature of gameplay in AH, whether I am attacking them or flying a bomber myself.

[Denholm]

I believe the bomber(s) detonating when they get too far from the formation is a feature to help prevent massive processor usage to get the bomber(s) back into formation.

[Anaxogoras]

I believe the bomber(s) detonating when they get too far from the formation is a feature to help prevent massive processor usage to get the bomber(s) back into formation.

Really?   Forgive me if I'm a little skeptical.  Why don't fps drop when drones are far away after maneuvering?

[Hornet33]

The popping drones is a punishment for flying a bomber in a way it wasn't designed to be flown. If your flying in formation you don't pull hard manuvers. It's that simple. If you do you loose your drones. Makes perfect sense.

[Denholm]

Really?   Forgive me if I'm a little skeptical.  Why don't fps drop when drones are far away after maneuvering?

Let me explain it a little differently...

If the game drew every inch of the terrain no matter where you're at it would require massive processing power to do so, along with a very powerful video card. So, HTC made an option that prevents it by allowing the user to decide when and at what distance the terrain detail will be drawn. Same with airplanes. If all airplanes in the arena were drawn regardless of your location, it would take massive processing power along with a powerful video card to do so. Again, HTC prevents this by capping the range at which you see an aircraft and when the game starts to draw it.

This I believe is the same with the drones. If they get too far away from the formation more system resources will be required to keep those bombers in formation. Either that or this particular game engine just isn't able to keep the bombers in formation when they drop x distance behind and therefore initiates the destruction of the drones.

[Anaxogoras]

Let me explain it a little differently...

If the game drew every inch of the terrain no matter where you're at it would require massive processing power to do so, along with a very powerful video card. So, HTC made an option that prevents it by allowing the user to decide when and at what distance the terrain detail will be drawn. Same with airplanes. If all airplanes in the arena were drawn regardless of your location, it would take massive processing power along with a powerful video card to do so. Again, HTC prevents this by capping the range at which you see an aircraft and when the game starts to draw it.

This I believe is the same with the drones. If they get too far away from the formation more system resources will be required to keep those bombers in formation. Either that or this particular game engine just isn't able to keep the bombers in formation when they drop x distance behind and therefore initiates the destruction of the drones.

Hmmmm, ok, that's a good explanation for now.  I'd love it if someone from HTC would actually give us the low down on bomber drones.

The popping drones is a punishment for flying a bomber in a way it wasn't designed to be flown. If your flying in formation you don't pull hard manuvers. It's that simple. If you do you loose your drones. Makes perfect sense.

Yes, but it punishes the attacker, too, so it's not a good system.  It drives me nuts when the bombers I'm attacking go poof into thin air just because the guy tried to maneuver.  Wouldn't it be punishment enough for the drones to take many minutes to regain formation, and therefore the bomber pilot is stripped of his defensive help?  I think so.  Moreover, you're not addressing the point that bomber drones will follow their leader through an immelman but not a hard banking turn; that's backwards and wrong.

Fwiw, the JU-88 drones suffer the same restrictions as B-17s, even though the JU-88 was employed as a dive bomber and a night fighter, so it was clearly designed for more rigorous maneuvers than slow banking turns.

[SectorNine50]

If a bomber can't do a maneuver, structural damage should occur.  I've seen moderately sharp turns that cause the drones to pop, that seems a little odd to me.

[Anaxogoras]

Seriously?  At the very least I'd expect to hear a chorus of calls for bomber drones not to warp.

[Murdr]

I agree warping drones suck.  HT said at one time something along the lines that the drone model will be redone in conjunction with things that are needed for CT.  I beleive that puts it on the "things to do" list.

[P1Tiger]

The popping drones is a punishment for flying a bomber in a way it wasn't designed to be flown. If your flying in formation you don't pull hard manuvers. It's that simple. If you do you loose your drones. Makes perfect sense.

im sure if your trying to get away your not going to do it the "Proper" way

[thndregg]

im sure if your trying to get away your not going to do it the "Proper" way

Fly smart, plan ahead, be patient, keep your drones. You'll need the guns.

[Anaxogoras]

I agree warping drones suck.  HT said at one time something along the lines that the drone model will be redone in conjunction with things that are needed for CT.  I beleive that puts it on the "things to do" list.

Now that's some good news.  If only the warping were fixed I would still be very happy.

Some bomber pilots seem to have warping drones down to an art: they turn just enough to cause the warping, but not enough to make them pop.

[P1Tiger]

Fly smart, plan ahead, be patient, keep your drones. You'll need the guns.

what i said didn't go for me, but for others, and im sure that it would be a lot better if that were fixed, its just annoying for some people when trying to make another pass and turn on a dime and you look back and their gone

[LilMak]

Warping drones are the worst.  Hard enough to attack a bomber from a poor position with 1000000 laser guided gunners shooting at the same spot only to down one and have the other warp right into you banged up plane. Another thing that bugs me is the ability of the drones to keep pace with the formation leader when the throttle is firewalled. He should always have to keep the throttle retarded in order to allow the drones to keep pace. Especially in turns.