This is just sad.
We have the daily routines of smash&grab, NOE sneak attempts and so on. The tactical air combat prevails, and we read complains on this BBS about this 'landgrabbin mono culture', 'win the war at all costs' mindset, about 'gamey Xbox generation with no clue about WW2 aviation' and so on.
The come Thunderegg and tries to resurrect something that has somewhat fallen into disuse, but was huge fun for literally hundreds of players for long times. A mission that promises to put the "multi" into multi player again, is not disrupting the gameplay in any way, has no ill effect on those not caring to defend against it, but offers a nice change of pace for those looking for it. Something that is closer to a facette of WW2 air battles that is rarely seen in the MA these days.
In fact, the participants in such a raid do "hurt" their country (taking several dozen players out of the landgrab play for 1-2 hours), and as a matter of fact they hurt their scores too. It's totally opposite of everything what's usually bemoaned here in the forum.
I'm almost speechless that Thndr is getting flak for this. If that's the reality of AH 2011, this game has indeed gone south.
If you find it boring to climb up to 25k to intercept the MoM ... then just don't do it. What is the problem with that? They don't sink yer CV, they don't shut down your frontline bases, they most probably don't even have a significant impact on the strats and thus the resupply system. They just don't fight the kind of battle you are interested in. So what?
What about those having fun to fly bombers in formations similar to those we all have seen in movies and on myriad of pictures? What about those having FUN in trying to intercept such bombers, having FUN in trying to set up an attack run on the bombers despite the presence of enemy escorts? Having FUN fighting in the unusual high altitude environment? Oh wait... yes, I forgot... alt monkeys are lame....
Another note on "overwhelming the defenses". Another point that I can't grasp. Is it really that terrible, if the vile bombers do make it to the target and back? Would it really soo much better / honorable / fun if they get completely wiped out?
I have fought many a time vs the MoM and numerous similar missions over the years. Almost every one of them, even when flying at 25k and above, was badly mauled. Usually only a fraction of bombers makes it back home. Sometimes the whole mission died before reaching the target area.
At one point the escorts are dispersed all over the sky, a few Me 262 start to appear and tear holes in the main formation, and sooner or later the formation starts to erode anyway. Shot down defenders can quickly up a second time to catch the raid on it's return leg, while the attackers are just getting less and less.
As a fighter pilot and buff hunter I want both sides to have fun and I want a more than an only remote chance for the bomber & escort guys to have a successful mission. I'd like to see reaching the target by a sizeable portion of such missions as the norm, not the exception.