Defending the strats - a case study

[Lusche]

Theres a 7k base behind the HQ on festema, its maybe two sectors back but thats 7k you don't have to climb and bring a drop tank. In a 152 you should be able to them if you up when they are a sector from the city

A loaded 24k Lancaster covers one sector in 5.5 minutes (without wind).You will never get a Ta 152H from that 7k base 4 sectors away from the city to catch the Lancaster if you up when it's only one sector away.

High alt bases save fighters less time and distance than often assumed.

[Zoney]

A loaded 24k Lancaster covers one sector in 5.5 minutes (without wind).You will never get a Ta 152H from that 7k base 4 sectors away from the city to catch the Lancaster if you up when it's only one sector away.

High alt bases save fighters less time and distance than often assumed.

Exactly.  You also need an advantage so you aren't attacking from the rear and the time to make at least 3 passes to kill them all even if you are very good.  I want a 5k advantage, a position advantage and I want to be at speed so it is I that controls the fight.

[Lusche]

Quick test: Upping from that 7k base, A 100% Ta 152H was at 24K after 7 minutes and reached the HQ after almost 12 minutes, with he City still being two full sectors away. A 24K Lancaster would have covered two sectors in the meantime

[whiteman]

Beer was a factor at that time so i must of time traveled. I'll need to look at the map again to see about where they were, when i took off.

[Lusche]

And all of that doesn't matter anyway when the enemy is going NOE
As I write this, our City is getting totally whacked by a NOE raid. On a map like Fester, it's absolutely impossible to defend at such an attack, because the airbases are too far away. It takes only 3 minutes for the raiders to get to the City when the alarm goes off. There is no prior indication of such a raid.

[bozon]

One problem I see with HQ/strat defense is no one ups when the early warning is put out.

That's because players do not sit in the tower and wait for the "scramble!" order to be given. Most players will not disengage their current fight & bail out just to scramble a fighter to HQ/strat - and rightly so. My playing time is too short and precious to waste on 30k impossible interceptions, or endless CAP with no action.

[SysError]

like idea of large coverage area within a high alt radar system.

[Scca]

My experience on the instances I do up to respond to an HQ alert I see the darbar go to a dar arrow, and off the map they go. 

The entire reason most HQ grief mongers hit strats and hq is to avoid combat...  They will do almost anything to keep from engaging.   

[bangsbox]

+1 to the mega cluster strats affecting whole country and localized zone strats Idea

[Vraciu]

When the first Ploesti Raid lead navigator turned short and attacked Bucharest, he was unknowingly attacking the HEADQUARTERS of the German Air Defense Command.  They repulsed the main thrust shortly thereafter.

[Chilli]

Okay, let's clear up the nonsense.  HQ going down for extended periods of time 30 minutes or more (have seen it downtime 190 minutes), causing the loss of visual aid in finding fights is counter productive for gaming experience.  The only "winner" is the goof who thinks it is funny that an entire country has been affected by his actions and enjoys the negative attention.

Lusche has pointed to many facts about the myth that such action can be driven out by players alone.  Forgive those like myself that would like to enjoy a game that they subscribe to during our leisure time, that happens to coincide with prime time in Australia (  my Aussie mates who have subscribed for as long as I can remember). 

We, off hours players, would like to do as you say and drive these HQ raiders away and out.  The problem that anyone trying to make sense here has to concede, the reward for taking out HQ is too grave and is not a 1 v 1 venture.  There are far more other things, that do promote good fights and online player interaction, that I shouldn't have to abandon every time  a contact is alerted within 150 miles of  a strat.

Searching for an enemy strat raider who is purposefully avoiding detection, guessing his intentions (target), guessing his altitude, and guessing his air speed, even with all the radar functions working is simply not a good use of my limited time to play.

[Vraciu]

Okay, let's clear up the nonsense.  HQ going down for extended periods of time 30 minutes or more (have seen it downtime 190 minutes), causing the loss of visual aid in finding fights is counter productive for gaming experience.  The only "winner" is the goof who thinks it is funny that an entire country has been affected by his actions and enjoys the negative attention.

Lusche has pointed to many facts about the myth that such action can be driven out by players alone.  Forgive those like myself that would like to enjoy a game that they subscribe to during our leisure time, that happens to coincide with prime time in Australia (  my Aussie mates who have subscribed for as long as I can remember). 

We, off hours players, would like to do as you say and drive these HQ raiders away and out.  The problem that anyone trying to make sense here has to concede, the reward for taking out HQ is too grave and is not a 1 v 1 venture.  There are far more other things, that do promote good fights and online player interaction, that I shouldn't have to abandon every time  a contact is alerted within 150 miles of  a strat.

Searching for an enemy strat raider who is purposefully avoiding detection, guessing his intentions (target), guessing his altitude, and guessing his air speed, even with all the radar functions working is simply not a good use of my limited time to play.

Off-peak players are simply not valued.