Ideas to make bombers matter again

[Angus]

After the change of the bombsight, bombers are far less popular in AH, and their importance even less. To capture a field, jabos are far more effective. Here are a few ideas how to make the bombers re-enter AH as an important force.

1. OTTO. Otto the AI gunner. Its been brought up, and is not favoured by everybody. But with the Current setup, one often needs a gunner, and with a 3-ship formation even more.
How about being able to "buy" otto for Bomber perks? Maybe even define which gun position he is taking care of, at what range he starts firing, and how long bursts he fires, with pre-set intervals between them? Let Otto be somewhat accurate, and cost maybe a couple of perks per gun? say 30-60 perks to gun up a formation of B-17's completely? Wonder what HTC thinks about this kind of idea.

2. Bigger blast range of the bigger bombs. Well, IMHO, the Bombs are too "weak" in relation to strafing. and the really big ones especially. They should have a bigger blast radius, and the biggest one should even have an "earthquake" effect.

3. Speaking of blasts and earthquake, we need a better variety of bombs and loadouts for the "heavies". Tallboys and grand slams,incendiaries, para bombs, anti-personnel (ack?) bombs, AP-bombs, Time-delay bombs, bounce-bombs, glidebombs, remote-controlled bombs,- the works. At the moment, the bombers can hardly deliver anything that the jabos can not, which is not so much fun at all! PLZ bring some proper ordnance, even perk it if it is needed!

Well, hope to hear some comments on this!

[MRPLUTO]

After much experience with WarBirds AI, I'm against it.  Not strongly against, but here's the problem:

How accurate is "somewhat accurate"?

That alone is a can of worms so big, it's scary.

But here's the biggest problem:  Fighters will never, ever again make a surprise attack on a buff formation.  AI will always see them coming and fire.  It will be possible to just put the formation on auto-pilot even with enemy fighters about and go afk.  (I put my formations on auto-climb and go afk, but only well away from the enemy.)

I admit, some people will say this is good.  But it means I'm flying against AI, and not against a person.  And that's really important to me.  People make amazing shots, or somehow miss easy shots.  AI isn't the same.

People will just squeak, squeak, squeak about how AI cheated them.  You'll never hear the end of it, and I don't even want to hear the start of it!

******

Greater blast effects probably would be more realistic, I think.  But I'm no expert.

******

When we get the B-25, we'll probably get skip-bombs for ship targets.



MRPLUTO  VMF-323  ~Death Rattlers~  MAG-33

[Yeager]

Some good idears there.  Otto aint one of em.

One of the biggest problems with buffs from my perspective is how rediculously easy they are to destroy (the guns lethality in AH is complicated and has some glaring deficiencies).  Lots of other problems but the bombsight isnt one of em.  The new bombsight routine is by far the most redeeming quality of the AH bomber.

[Ripsnort]

Ditto Yeager and MrPlutos voice. In a nut shell, some good ideas, but not otto.

[popeye]

Just say, "no" to Otto.

Also, HTC has plans to provide targets more appropriate to the current bomber accuracy.

[Angus]

I'll put up a little defense for little otto here. Note, that the WB style of unlimited otto, I am against, although it was not all that bad.
Firstly, one would have to pay for Otto with Perks pro GUN, pro SHIP, so a crowd of Ottos would be quite expensive. Lose your ship, All Ottos die. Lose even the Otto-manned turret, Otto dies. Bye-Bye perkies.
Secondly, we currently have the Bomber guns a lot stronger to compensate for the lack of gunners, and make it possible to fly bombers without getting killed every time.
How many whines have we had about that? "Bloody Lazer B-17 sawed my wing off from 1.5K!!!" With Otto, that could all be revised, at least I would never vote for Otto AND the Lazer-strength.
Thirdly, judging from my old WB experience, Otto was not that good. Silly Otto often wasted all my ammo an fighters that were really playing with it.
And, BTW, Otto mannes our AA, in case nobody noticed........
Well, hope to hear more thoughts about this.
Actually, I also think the Bomb-aiming model is good as it is, Its just too hard to get peace to aim, that's all. But that is what the bombers so often did. Intercepted or not, they would stay on course and drop their bombs, no matter what.
P.S. Did the B-25 have specially designed bombs to skip? I thought they were justnormal ones....

[Ripsnort]

Originally posted by Angus
Secondly, we currently have the Bomber guns a lot stronger to compensate for the lack of gunners, and make it possible to fly bombers without getting killed every time.

 I think you need to read this thread:
http://www.hitechcreations.com/forums/showthread.php?threadid=54421&referrerid=3203

Buff guns are NOT more powerful than the standard .50 cal guns on fighters...I'll say it again...Buff guns are NOT more powerful than the standard .50 cal guns on fighters.

[Tilt]

Originally posted by Angus
After the change of the bombsight, bombers are far less popular in AH, .

Something that could be done without re making the terrains......


increase the hardness of town objects to a point where they cannot be straffed to death by 50 cals

change code so that only 80/90% of town objects need be destroyed prior capture

reduce the hardness of fighter hangers and bomber hangers.....


increase a "zones" dependance on its strat targets.....


oh and whilst there increase hardness of map room to require 20 troops

[Yeager]

More good idears fer sure.

Might I add allowing more than one gunner on board same plane.
Hell...them 3 ship deals should have all guns mannable

[T0J0]

Anyone seen the trick where you dive the B-17's at the carrier and drop as low as possible for the carrier Kill...  Have seen it several times in the last week....  That is rediculous!!!
  Again the Question arises....Why should one guy with three bombers be able to effect 100 people's game  By dive bombing a carrier and then augering into it in the process... As it stands now
bombers are effective if you practice with them!! If you expect to just jump in without doing your homework there not going to be effective.. That's the price you pay for not practicing...  Also it only takes one pod of Lancs do kill a countries Radar... IS that very realistic?
You be the judge!!

T0J0