Hi all
Allthough I donīt fly bombers often, I have some ideas about how to make the current system even better:
1)
Currently a bomber box is very tight, which is usefull for taking out hard targets, but limits the damage done when bombing strat targets. What about an option to toggle between two different formations in midflight?
Once this key is pressed, both drones will increase their separation to the lead plane about 2-3 times.
This way you can carpet-bomb a wider area and the AA will have a more difficult target (well, they will have 3 small targets now, not just one large). Torpedo bombers will spread their torpedoes more.
On the other hand defensive firepower is less effective (fire is less concentrated), hard targets like Hangars and HQs canīt be taken out that way and the lead plane has to turn more carefull not to loose the drones. Apart from the final run the formation will usually travel in close formation.
2)
When selecting a bomber box in the hangar, the perk cost wonīt be 3x of the single bomber. Instead there is a fixed cost for taking a formation which can be adjusted in the arena settings for every type (or if a formation of a certain plane is avaiable at all). Example: a Pilot takes a bomber worth 30 perk points. In addition to these 30 points, he pays additional 10 points for selecting the formation button.
Once the lead plane is lost, the pilot also looses his 30 perkpoints spend for the plane. Once two planes of the formation are lost (either both drones, or one drone and lead plane), the 10 points for the formation are lost too. Loosing one drone is acceptable.
This will have two effects: Currently nobody takes the Ar234 with a formation since perk costs are too high, and once one bomber can be caught, the others will most likely die too.
With these change perked bombers like the Ar234 and others yet to come will see more use.
Secound, now itīs also possible to perk formations of planes that donīt cost perks when flown alone.
I.e. while a single Lanc is free, a formation costs a certain (small) sum of perks. Hopefully this will put an end to suicide-lancs on fleets.
3)
Please make formations possible for all planes listed in the bomber section, also carrier-planes and bombers without bombsight.
Itīs a pity all these beautifull planes like the Val or Il2 are not used in the MA at all because most late-year-jabos carry more ATG-ordnance. When these planes can be flown with two drones, effectively carrying 3x as much explosives into battle, maybe they will see more action.
This would also be a nice addition to scenarios. Your would have things like large groups of TBFs going in for a torpedo-run, massive para drops on D-day or black clouds of Stukas diving down on Stalingrad.
Since taking up a formation allways costs a small amount of perks, itīs unlikely they will be used for suicide attacks.
And even when this disrupts gameplay too much in the MA in certain cases (like every C47 dropping 3x as much supplies as before thanks to the drones) it can be disabled in the arena settings like described in 2)
However the drones have to learn a few new tricks. At least dive-bomber drones have to be able to stay with the leader during more violent maneuvers like the buffs do, and especially during the dive to drop the bombs roughly where the leader does. (Once again the spread-toggle described in 1) will come handy when bombing spread out targets).
Drones taking off from the carrier might be a problem too, but they allready cheat a bit now, so they can also cheat a bit more to get off the carrier deck or return back. I.e. once a TBF touches down on the carrier, the drones will disappear and be counted as landed.
I donīt see any problems with these changes, and the fighter pilots wonīt complain either. They will get much more free targets to shoot
In case any of these changes had been suggested before I appologize, I donīt check all forums.
Please also excuse if you had trouble reading the text, I donīt have much opportunities to spear or write in english
cu in the air,
Heimdall
