We know that HTC is working on bomber enhancements, most notably the implementation of bomb dispersion coupled with players controlling multiple bombers at one. My main question is, will there be a reason to bomb anything of strategic value? Right now, there is little incentive to bomb cities, factories, or HQ's because of the automatic rebuild by trains or rebuild by goon/M3 resupply. Yes, you can bomb the city, then a factory or HQ, but you then have to guard both the city and the factory/refinery/HQ that was the main target to keep goons away, AND kill any trains that come near it. Too compicated for the MA, requiring to much support and cooperation for too little gain.
The fact is, resupply by air during WWII met only limited success. Of the two large scale attempts made by Germany for instance, one was marginally effective (meaning the trapped garrsion, which was of modest size, didn't starve but could take no offensive action), and the other (Stalingrad) was a dismal failure. There are those who argue against anything that allows one or even a few players to have a large-scale impact on the MA as a whole. Yet the current resupply of strat targets does just that. One player can undue the work of many, to the detriment of the many's side.
I was very excited when we found out that convoys and trains would be represented in 1.08. Now they are largely ignored, as are strat targets in general. One of the things HiTech told be during the Con '01 interview was that they often stick new things in to AH with only a vague idea how they'll be used or affect arena gameplay. "We just sort of stick it in there and see where it leads," to paraphrase. I think that's fine. I just would like to know if they've had time to digest all the many suggestions made thus far on how supply and strat might be woven more tightly into the fabric of the MA. Right now, it's more like the fringe on that tapestry; it looks nice, but doesn't really have a function.
