Bomber Rankings

[Lusche]

I guess I am just having a hard time understanding the reasoning behind 5 different functions which grades a person as a bomber pilot! But, I don't own the plantation, I just pick cotton, so really nothing I can do about it.

I think the main 'problem' is that you really wish for a more 'realistic' reward that somewhat mimics awards and medals given out in real life to the most successful bomber pilots. Which I fully understand.
However, the combat environment is totally different between AH and real life. In real life being a successful bomber pilot hero required to the most part immense amounts of bravery and luck (to survive long enough). All the great feats being done historically would mean nothing much in AH.

Not that i find the bomber ranking system very meaningful. But having 5 different categories is in fact making it more realistic in such a way as it can be gamed less easily. Think about what it means to have only one category:
If it's damage points, it only rewards players with no life, spending 200 hours flying bombers without any consideration for their actual skill or accuracy. It would even greatly promote bomb and bailing. If the single category would be damage hit %, all you'd need would be one single Mossie 16 sortie with a single perfect hit on a town. Likewise with damage/death or damage/sorties.

[tunnelrat]

Not that i find the bomber ranking system very meaningful. But having 5 different categories is in fact making it more realistic in such a way as it can be gamed less easily. Think about what it means to have only one category:
If it's damage points, it only rewards players with no life, spending 200 hours flying bombers without any consideration for their actual skill or accuracy. It would even greatly promote bomb and bailing. If the single category would be damage hit %, all you'd need would be one single Mossie 16 sortie with a single perfect hit on a town. Likewise with damage/death or damage/sorties.

While I agree with your points, they do not preclude the further tweaking of the currently system to make it even less gamey.

The addition of air-to-air kills would fall right in line with your statement on multiple categories making it more realistic.

[Lusche]

The addition of air-to-air kills would fall right in line with your statement on multiple categories making it more realistic.

I would have no real problem with that, though I'm not entirely fond of the prospect of having more air-quakeing buffs around, if ya know what I mean.

[tunnelrat]

I would have no real problem with that, though I'm not entirely fond of the prospect of having more air-quakeing buffs around, if ya know what I mean.

I dunno, I fly buffs most of the time... and as a below-average fighter pilot and an above average bomber gunner... most people that die to my guns are:

1.  Unlucky... sometimes you just eat a few in the face early on.

2.  Not flying a ride that is conducive to tackling a later war heavy bomber

3.  Just not a very good pilot

4.  Impatient or rushed for one reason or another

You really can't FORCE a fighter into a fight with you as a buffer (although I have seen 999000 air-quake his way across airfields several times). 

Withholding a reward/recognition on a very valid parameter in the hopes that it will discourage the minority from using the machine in a manner not intended... well, that would wildly change the landscape of the game were that philosophy to be applied evenly.

But, I am by no means vehemently supporting this addition, I just think it would be "cool"... I am sure I have about 3% of the big picture of everything that HTC goes over when making gameplay decisions.

[The Fugitive]

Like Lusche said, it's needed to keep the "score tweaking" in line. There are still ways around it as I said, but there really isn't anyway to stop it. If they added kills to the score then you would have B17 vulching all the time. Where would your player place then? They are doing their bomber mission getting a kill or two each run and after a month you have maybe 100 kills in a bomber. You can get that in a good  half dozen vulch runs if you put your mind to it. Again, your bomber pilot won't be recognized.

Personally I'd like to see hvys used as hvys. No bombs dropped under 15k count at all, medium buffs 10k. I'd be ok with the old style bomb site too. The problem while this is a game to us, its a business to HTC. Making bombing harder/more challenging could drive players away. Adapting the score set up so it reflects "skill" instead of "tricks" could drive people away.

You want to honor your squadmates, go ahead. Post them here (that is kinda hit or miss with this crowd) or add a squad web site and list your own "Top Dogs" for the month.

[Ten60]

Adapting the score set up so it reflects "skill" instead of "tricks" could drive people away.

This statement makes no sense.  These "tricks" aren't known by new players, and are only practiced by the veteran ones.  So logically they would have consistently worse rankings than those employing the "trickery."  If anything it would make them see the fruits of their labor less and make them not want to continue.

I think we should all be able to agree that a pilot who flow 12 sorties and landed only 7 of them for only 12 hours of gameplay shouldn't be the #1 overall.  He used the allowed loophole to get his score legitimately so you can't fault him.  But I for one don't even want to try to devote the time to get that award knowing that all it takes is one clevar person to take advantage of this to make my time worth less.  Not worthless, but worth less than it would with a proper scoring.

[The Fugitive]

This statement makes no sense.  These "tricks" aren't known by new players, and are only practiced by the veteran ones.  So logically they would have consistently worse rankings than those employing the "trickery."  If anything it would make them see the fruits of their labor less and make them not want to continue.

I think we should all be able to agree that a pilot who flow 12 sorties and landed only 7 of them for only 12 hours of gameplay shouldn't be the #1 overall.  He used the allowed loophole to get his score legitimately so you can't fault him.  But I for one don't even want to try to devote the time to get that award knowing that all it takes is one clevar person to take advantage of this to make my time worth less.  Not worthless, but worth less than it would with a proper scoring.

How many times have you seen someone type in if there are any "xxxxx codes"? Most of the new players are gamers and the first thing most do is look for the easy way to do things. Quickest way to the top of the leader board in bombers is NOT the way your doing it. It is the way the guy who got #1 did it. That is the type of player we get for the most part. The same players that see nothing wrong with dive bombing in a Lancaster to take out a couple of tanks.

I don't like it any more than you do, but I have been looking for "change" here for a long time and have been pretty much told "it is what it is, get use to it"

[Ten60]

I don't like it any more than you do, but I have been looking for "change" here for a long time and have been pretty much told "it is what it is, get use to it"

Uh 100% clear about that...

[Tilt]

I would generally agree with earl....... These were my observations after dweebing #1 bomber spot.......

.     It seems to me that its far to easy to "game" the bombing score system. Whilst many (I am sure ) are not at all interested in score and even less interested in bombing score I do think it worthy of some analysis.

 Effectively to become rated #1 bomb**** all you have to do is launch a B29  (Formations @ 20 x 500lbs or singles at 8 x 2000lbs) 3 or 4 times, carefully avoid the Zoney's and Denniss's (large maps required) and make a couple of Goon captures.

Job done. No real participation in the "conflict" (except maybe for the captures) just take the time to climb to ridiculous altitudes, think way ahead re enemy sector counters and utilise the mega accurate bombing model still in place at 35K and hit the main town building cluster on a milk run that ensures you virgin towns.

Whilst many may loath the inclusion of bombers in the game I would welcome a score system and gamplay model that encouraged a greater interface between bombers and the core conflict.

My preferences would be.

1) Greater bomb drift with altitude. Taking B29s to 30-35k should IMO incurr an accuracy penalty. It would be easy in Arena Setup to add some "jet streams" (wind) above 30K but I am not sure even this would bring about the desired effect. It does seem to me that level bombing accuracy is very much the same (or at least very little affected) regardless of altitude. I should not be able to repeatedly get accuracies of 20-30 metres from 35K (it should be more like 200 -300metres if not 400 -600metres).  IMO as altitudes increase so carpet bombing should be more the only method of hitting even large targets. This would affect hit % and damage ratings.

2) Reduce the score level for town buildings and radically increase the score rating for strat. I think town buildings score should still be higher than all other "targets" but the real prize target for big heavy bombers should be strat buildings. Interceptors would then have a much better idea of the ultimate target and given this knowledge would be more likley to invest time on the intercept. Further it may bring strat attrition back into the game a bit more.

3) Increase the reward for fighters attacking bombers, either thru more perks or more score for bomber interception. Equally increase and bring into the bomber score system the categories related to kills on enemy  (airborne) aircraft via gunnery.

4) Move capture points somewhere else. I know with the present score system goon capture becomes some sort of "leveller" forcing the milk runner into more dangerous pursuits. However the real "gamey" milk runner, ably assisted by his squad, need only bide his time and secure a couple of captures to bring his score to an unassailable figure. Never really risking his score ratios as would those who suffer goon loss time after time supporting their fellows in the day to day land grab of the arena. I think we now have enough ride types re goons, m3's , jeeps, storches, etc to add a new classification relating to transport (troop and material) , observation and logistic support.

Leave bombing for bombers.............. if only we can pull them a little more integrally into the game play.   

[tunnelrat]

Personally I'd like to see hvys used as hvys. No bombs dropped under 15k count at all, medium buffs 10k.

I like this idea a lot.  The same could be done with air to air kills... just have them only count above "vulch range".

[Ten60]

I like this idea a lot.  The same could be done with air to air kills... just have them only count above "vulch range".

So what happens if I'm in a deck fight over a base that started at 10k?  Gonna get cancelled because of a gulch violation?

[tunnelrat]

So what happens if I'm in a deck fight over a base that started at 10k?  Gonna get cancelled because of a gulch violation?

A deck fight?  In a bomber?  This is all strictly related to air-to-air in gun positions... sorry, should have re-iterated from previous posts...  nose-guns/solid nosed craft... yeah, not sure anything can be done there...  and they aren't really indicative of ones ability to "bomb"... i.e. manage plane/calibration/defenses.

[Rich52]

I am REALLY digging the Ki-67...  although I usually try to hit a string of bases and by the time I have had my fill of fun, there are enough cons co-alt that are faster than the Dragon... fast as she may be... and there's only so much 20mm loving to go around.

The KI-67 is a Killer against enemy fighters and is a heck of a perk machine. Kill 3 or 4 5 eny fighters and then do the math. A great airplane! Still my favorite raider.