craters on the runway

[StracCop]

In fighter ace you can go over even the most damaging craters
safely if you crawl over them very slowly.

David

[Ike 2K#]

now THATS pure realism.

[Rutilant]

Originally posted by SKurj
bad idea unfortunately  too easy to close a field.  

Taking off on the grass would be fine if the fields offered more variety.
Some fields in ww2 were huge with a very large grass runway allowing fighters to practically takeoff in any direction they chose.

Others were really narrow and really short

Some had lots of buildings etc, some had virtually none...


This is another one thats been discussed ad nauseum in the past.  a few jabo pilots could shut down alot of fields very quickly, especially the small fields.


SKurj

*cough* AH2 is re-working fields - did you see the screenie? there's plenty of grass there.

[MrCoffee]

Originally posted by StracCop
The answer to the crater issue could be addressed with an appropriate persistence value.  Have them repair in say, 10 minutes, for example.  That would be too quick to completely dominate a field and not long enough for a return flight with more ordnance.

I also played Fighter Ace and found the cratering aspect manageable and, most improtantly, it proved a viable and worthwhile interdiction tactic.



Adding the cratering element also adds something to the realism of the game, in my opinion.  Fields won't go without cap as they do now, hence, you will have a greater reason and incentive to protect them.

David

More about interdiction tactics here.

Funny thing is that in my reading on the subject about airfields during wwII, often times aircraft were scattered about auxiliary fields (meaning some grass field) under heavy camo because the main airstrip was often bombed useless. Depends on the scenerio etc... but usually the wining side of that theater hid their aircraft and the loosing side often didnt bother. In Burma, the FTs went to the trouble of making wood aircraft cutouts and left them at the main airstrip (which was bombed). Winning side often had to use forward bases as they advanced anyhow.

[StracCop]

Hi MrCoffee,

Everything you said is absolutely true.  

In AH2/TOD I fervently hope that some form of foliage like
forested areas are available so that air and vehicle assets can be
prepositioned in preparation for a coordinated offensive.
Detecting the enemy would become a more difficult and important element in the game.

Just to clarify my earlier post.

When I speak of interdiction what I am talking about is isolating a
target from outside reinforcement in preparation for an attack
and capture and, to a lesser extend, preventing that base from capturing a friendly objective.

Targeting surrounding field strats (fuel, ammo, FH, VH) is the preferred method of neutering nearby enemt bases that might render assistance.  The ability to crater a runway would only add another dimension to this proven tactic.

David

[Replicant]

Yep, this used to be modelled in AH.  I think HTC removed it because if there was a crater on the spawn point you'd blow up immediately on spawn.  This caused a lotta people to complain!

[warlox]

Yep, this used to be modelled in AH. I think HTC removed it because if there was a crater on the spawn point you'd blow up immediately on spawn. This caused a lotta people to complain!

The above statment is EXACTLY right.  As a former AOL Fighter Ops, later, WB Fighter Ops sim player.  The trash talk this Spawn point bombing causes is derived from being the recipient of the spawn bomb    Those darn holes lasted 5 min.  You couldn't reverse or turn either way you just blew up.  Meanwhile the spawn bomber or runway bomber, in the proposed idea, just flies around close collecting kill after kill after kill    The second someone finds out what this crater or craters can do you ain't getting off any forward base. Vulching will take on a new dimension reprisal bombing will escalte and like WB people will log off... for good .  Sure, us regular players had a gentlemans agreement about spawn bombing and wouldn't do it but not everyone's a gentleman.  As for the newbies they loved it.  " wow I got a 8 kill sortie only needed a 1,000 lb bomb".  The newbies wondering why the white text has gone blue.

So, friend who started this thread.  I appreciate and understand your concept but beleive me it is way more trouble than HTC would want to afford.

[bigjava]

i think add this kind of realism is not possible because it will be too easy close an airfield in this way ......
even if the runway will be to runeable in 10 min...
.... and even if HT give us a buldozer to repair it quickly !
 people find boring bring suply immaginate what could be happen with a buldozer hehehehehe

[BenDover]

Thats not a bull dozer...

[GRUNHERZ]

Originally posted by Ike 2K#
Navy fighters/bombers should withstand the damage.  

Tell me exactly what sort of magic ability Navy aircraft have to traverse large bomb craters safely?

[Ike 2K#]

As i said before  go through them ssslowly at 30 to 45 mph but its gonna be a bumpy ride for 3 secs

[Reschke]

30-45mph should wreck any aircraft landing gear if they are traversing a hole in the ground up to 10 feet wide and half as deep. Just think if the gear did not get wrecked then there would be a hell of a prop strike and damage the prop to the point of the plane being unusable till a new engine was installed due to the damage to the bearings on the prop shaft.

3-10 mph and no deeper than 1-2 feet.