Sorry to Bomber Dudes if I started a Witchhunt against Bmbs

[Buzzbait]

S!

I actually think that Bombers should have a big part in the Game.

In fact I'd like to see some changes made which would improve them.

I think the large bombers, most notably the B17 go down way too easily.  Couple pops with a 20mm and the wings fly off.  The Lancaster was quite a bit more fragile though.

I have looked at quite a lot of combat footage of B17's, including German gun cams, and they don't seem to show the major structuaral disintegration which seems to happen here.

Most of the time they show the hits and debris coming off, and engines smoking, but not wings amputated.

The exception would seem to be the 30mm shells, which do have a large effect.

I'd also like to see inflight spawning over friendly bases for groups of Heavy Bombers.  Say 15,000 ft. with deductions in the bomber's fuel for the climb to that altitude.

Players who want to do inflight spawning would go to a ready room.  After 3 or more Heavy bomber players are in the ready room, they all spawn simultaneously at the same location.  Presto!  Heavy bomber formation.

The inflight spawning should only be allowed at bases a certain distance from enemy territory.  So when a country loses a certain amount of territory, they can't do inflight spawning anymore.

There would be some special kind of indicator on the DAR and dot radar to indicate a Heavy bomber formation.

Inflight spawning would encourage players to fly bombers and eliminate a lot of the tedium involved in spending 1/2 an hour climbing to altitude.

It also would be nice to see more strategic type targets for the Heavies.  Clusters of factories and refineries.  When these are gone, the combat ability of the side which lost these would be seriously compromised.

At the same time though, I think the use of Heavies to take out airfields is wrong.  

Reducing the accuracy of the Heavies, by reducing zoom in the bombsight, and at the same time increasing the blast radius of the bombs to historical power would allow them to plaster the factories, refineries etc.

But they shouldn't be accurate enough to pinpoint gun emplacements, or take out maneuvering ships.

As it stands now, I wouldn't be surprised to see them hitting moving trains from 20,000.  

 

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I fully agree about the b17 being too easy to shoot down in this game (from first hand experience)

I also have a few documentaries taped (just recorded two today) from history channel showing what you wrote about only debri flying off from the b17 and not a whole wing

The bombers also need auto gunners like in WB (thats the only thing i miss switching over from that sim)

Not sure about that in flight spawning though..

[Karnak]

Buzzbait,

Actually, from what I've read, the Lancaster was probably a bit more durable than the B-17. It just didn't have the defensive firepower to operate in daylight (of course, neither did the B-17).

Both bombers were loved by their crews for their ability to sustain tremendous damage and return home.

[Airscrew]

I like buffs and fly buffs whenever necessary and as appealing as spawning at 15,000 sounds IMO its doesnt seem likely. Its a fact of life that buffs are slow and climb slow and take at least 35 mins to reach 15-17k.
1.  You cover a lot of ground while getting to 15,000 ft, which can and does at times take you over enemy territory.  By spawning you are removing the risk of being shot down.
2. Now you are at 15,000 ft, where? Over your field? 125 miles North, south?
3.  What about time.  Do you instantly spawn at 15,000 ft and 120 miles SW of field?  Or do you sit in a "waiting room" while your buff "climbs" to altitude.
4.  What about all the quite moments of solitude and reflection while flying among the clouds as your mighty buffs struggles to gain altitude. (a stretch)
5.  Image an MA were 20 B17's can spawn at 15,000 at A1 and only have 20 miles to hit A2.  Fighters would not be able to respond fast enough.  
6.  If bombers can spawn then fighters should be able to spawn to intercept.

Maybe in the training room would be ok, and in offline mode for practice, but not in the MA.  I believe it would upset the balance and soon it would be a bombing sim, and I don't see that happening.
Spawning should be left for salmon and mullets.