Just one minor question about AH II

[Swoop]

In HTs description it says:

"Missions with be automaticly generated by the host, and have a substantial AI componet of either bombers or ground vehicles.
Offensive missions will be primarly to protect bombers or vehicels, defensive to kill bombers, or vehicles. "


And MrPluto brought up in another thread that not everyone plays this game to be a fighter pilot.  In fact we've got many dedicated buff pilots who dont fly anything else.......so my question is:  Is there going to be anything else to do other than bomber escort / intercept / jabo on GVs?  We can be the bombers/GVs, right?  

And someone else (Ramzey?) mentioned search and rescue.....VERY important to make it home with the points system and SAR would be an important part of this new theatre should it be implemented.  Any chance?

[MadBirdCZ]

I would say beware of the AI.... but I will prolly wait for the AH2 to see it for myself... Right now I play AH because there is no AI there (except for those darn acks)

[Shiva]

Originally posted by Swoop
And MrPluto brought up in another thread that not everyone plays this game to be a fighter pilot.  In fact we've got many dedicated buff pilots who dont fly anything else.......so my question is:  Is there going to be anything else to do other than bomber escort / intercept / jabo on GVs?  We can be the bombers/GVs, right?

Remember that bomber missions during the war involved hundreds of bombers. Even with the current formations, getting two dozen bombers up in a group requires eight pilots. I would hope that what would be set up would be a bomber raid with X number of bombers, with an escort mission assigned to it, if people wanted to join the bomber raid, they would replace AI aircraft in the raid.

The same goes for GVs -- a platoon of tanks is four or five tanks, and offensive operations would typically involve a dozen or more tanks; people wanting to participate directly in the GV attack (or defense) would replace AI vehicles.

Panzer Elite has a functional mixed AI system -- you are in your tank, in command of a platoon; you can direct your platoon's tanks to move to specific locations, engage specific targets, but they will act in detail based on their AI (i.e., picking the best route to a location, engaging enemy tanks they detect, etc.). I can see the AHII ground war being something like that.

[MadBirdCZ]

As always, I just say: Lets wait and see for ourselves...

[Swoop]

Yeah Shiva, I appreciate AI has to be in there.  As HT said in another thread he doesnt want every kill to be a human.  However, as I already said, a lotta people dont want to just fly fighters.  We want to be PART of the buff formation sometimes.

And from HTs blurb so far it's not clear that we can be.

[Wotan]

Ht has has commented on this in another thread in reply to Keez and Revvin.

There will be room for a bomber community in the new mt.

One thing the MT isnt AHII

AhII is the name HT throw out that covers a major update. It applies to the current main as well as the mt.

AHII will have 2 games, both graphically the same. The difference is soley based on gameplay. AH Classic and AH [Insert Name Here] (mt)

AI will be there, which is good. But there will be human bomber pilots and I suspect maybe gvs. But these wont be what draws in the folks. So it makes sense to have ai.

Now its unclear if ht will have human and ai bombers in the same formation. Its unclear how ai bombers will function. Will they airstart or take off? Can you join an ai bomber as a gunner to fill time between missions?.... etc.

There are just to many questions that will remain unanswered until HT and Crew decide what they are going to do.

All the work that went into the new bomber model is somewhat wasted in the main.  I doudt ht would neglect bomber pilots in the new arena. Especially when it sounds like bomber skills will get put to good use there.

[Wotan]

About SAR, the majority pilots shot down never got rescued. It sounds like a good gimmick but to have it where each bailed pilot has the the capability to be recued is over doing.

I would hope bails over friendly territory arent skilled as a death. Maybe we could have another category called lost airframes. This would cover discos, ditches and bails over friendly territory.

Ditches and bails over enemy territory should = death. Call it capture but its point value should = death points

Now to SAR. Funked suggested that any friendly can land near by and "pick you up". If you are close enough you either auto join or type .join XXX. That would work

Or you could go another way and have a small area in enemy territory marked as a emergency ditch bail area. You would have to get to this area to be rescued. Then an ai rescue plane would be sent. If that plane dies then you are fediddleed.

This area should be small over water to simulate the likelyhood of sea rescue.

But in the overall scheme of things its not much more then a gimmick.