I find it interesting that an individual who decides he is going to make his Lanc easy prey for fighters is called a "class act" and those that use about the only real form of defence the lanc has, altitude, as "gaming the game".
I won't fly at 40k in one but I will take it to 35k so that I do have a chance to get to the target and back. The last time I did I had two fighters come up and shoot me. One was a 109 the other a p-47.
Now to those of you that contend that the Lanc could never acheive those heights and therefore it is not historical to do so consider this also if you will: how historical was it for a P-47 to climb, pursue and shoot at a Lanc? For that matter, how historical is it to have opposing forces flying the same plane?
This is a simulation of ACM. I like to see some historical precedence in it too, but if the Lanc is not given the opportunity to defend itself in about the only way it can why bother even flying it?
Most bomber sorties in the main arena are solo events. There are the few times one gets to fly in a formation with others and that would preclude to a certain extent the necessity to fly so high. They can afford each other some protection. Also if the bombers in question can get an escort then flying low at realistic flight levels becomes something that can actually add more fun to the sortie. The lanc, even in formation is still very vulnerable to low attacks. It would require dedicated and experienced players to really make a go of it.
As long as a fighter can still get to me I feel he has an equal chance. Does it make it difficult to climb that high? Sure it does. When I fly a fighter I make it as difficult as I can for the other guy to shoot me down, so why does it become "gaming the game" when I do the same in a Lanc?
If I suspect someone is heading towards my HQ I don't wait till the last minute to try to climb up to him. If people will heed the warnings given by others or keep one eye on the radar we have, they can generaly get to alt in time to do something about it.
Of course this is my opinion. Everyone is entitled to one and as posted in this thread most don't seem to agree with mine. This will always be a debate and I can't see it ever satisfying both the fighter jocks or the buffers anywhere in the near future.
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MarkAT
"It is not the critic who counts,
it is the man in the arena..."
Teddy Roosevelt
