Aces High Bulletin Board
General Forums => Aircraft and Vehicles => Topic started by: Freelancer on November 08, 2000, 12:14:00 PM
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I have two serious suggestions for the next update. These would enhance gameplay in some way.
1) Fuel Dump (I'm serious! - Bombers need to lose extra fuel to climb better, if/when fire is implemented, dumping fuel in a wing tank can stop the fire when you run out, or something.)
2) When in a bomber gun position, your rudder controls the alerons, even while you are in autopilot mode. Make an option to turn this OFF in the setup; a small checkbox or something. It screws up gunner aims BIG TIME, thus getting me shot down 3-4 times more than I should have in the last two sessions alone (http://bbs.hitechcreations.com/smf/Smileys/default/wink.gif) (just got rudder "twist" axis, and can barely gun now). Or, give us this control on the keyboard, but leave it off the joystick. Do something. We need rudder while in pilot's seat, but not while in gunners. I can see that you'd want to turn the plane for a better shot, but ya wind up turning when you have a good shot too.
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-Freelancer
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1st suggestion I like.
2nd suggestion, with all due respect, do you think HTC should change that so that it will accomodate your twisty stick? Get a real set of HOTAS. (http://bbs.hitechcreations.com/smf/Smileys/default/smile.gif)
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most "rudders" out there are incorporated onto the joysticks nowadays. Not everybody has/can afford to get a decent HOTAS set, not to mention I like one hand near the keyboard at all times to hit the keys.
But, to accomodate those who have the most common type of rudder, the twist handle, I suggest that #2.
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-Freelancer
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Did WW2 Bombers have fuel dumpers?
As for the disable rudder control -- that's interesting. My big problem as a twisty-stick owner is not so much gunning in bombers (those are fast movements -- btw TURN OFF THE STICK STIRRING LIMITER FOR GUNNER MOVEMENTS -- it's annoying to jump from gunner to pilot and discover your controls were locked because a bunch of bandits flew past you. It's even more annoying when there's a 14k peak ahead) as it is moving the tank turret (which require sustained cranks). If I slip, the tank changes direction and slows down. OTOH, I want the ability to control steering from up there. Frankly, I'd like to be able to set a tank control that was: Throt = throt, up/down = elevation, left-right = turn tank, rudder: turn turret.
But I digress. Disabling would be nice -- be able to do so on the fly would be great. I'd also like to be able to turn off the autopilot from the bombardier position.
But I can't have everything, can I?
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Ya know, to be totally honest, I think the lack of an aircraft engine fire extinguisher is totally wrong. B17s in particular had extinguisher systems, and if that didn't work, ya dove the plane till the slipstream put it out. BRING ON THE EXTINGUISHERS!!!!
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Meine Schwester hat keine kartoffel salat? Du bist eine lustige Buba!!!
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Originally posted by Dinger:
But I digress. Disabling would be nice -- be able to do so on the fly would be great. I'd also like to be able to turn off the autopilot from the bombardier position.
But I can't have everything, can I?
Well, you can at least have that...you can turn off the autopilot from the bombardier position (http://bbs.hitechcreations.com/smf/Smileys/default/smile.gif)
SOB
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Originally posted by Dinger:
Did WW2 Bombers have fuel dumpers?
Depends, but a majority did, especially navy aircraft.
- Jig
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2nd suggestion, with all due respect, do you think HTC should change that so that it will accomodate your twisty stick? Get a real set of HOTAS.
I can't drink a beer while I fly with HOTAS, vote NO on the referendum to design for HOTAS and against twisties this version, as its decidely prejudiced.
Err, sorry, don't know what came over me.
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Originally posted by Fatty:
I can't drink a beer while I fly with HOTAS, vote NO on the referendum to design for HOTAS and against twisties this version, as its decidely prejudiced.
Err, sorry, don't know what came over me.
I think you're really missing the obvious solution here Fatty....The beer hat!
(http://formenmedia.ign.com/media/news/image/gear/beeridiot.jpg)
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Ya i feal your pain that dam twisty stick ruder and my gunner position in the bomber thing has got me all kinds of rubbed raw let me tell ya!
So what am i going to do fork out the $$$ for a CH stick and ruder pedals package,heck i already have the throttle control by them,and my Sidewinder prescision pro ain't so preeeecise the ruder bleeds bad and is messing up my bombing.
Brady
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By a cheap set of pedals, if yer stick is USB u can plug it in that way and the pedals in the gameport and away u go.
Another alternative, buy a racing wheel for some of the other sims u "might" play, (or for the "kids") and use the pedals from it. I use the racing pedals (TM Supersport $39.95 retail) and they work just fine.
SKurj
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...and ammo trucks for the tanks
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SOB -- I get my time out back.
You can not turn off the autopilot from the bombardier position. If you can, tell me how to do it. I'm stuck in autolevel, no matter what button I push.
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Dude, you are stuck in autolevel when bombing, because you level when you go to F6 bombadier view. But, if you just hop to a turret, you'll stay on that angle/flightpath. You don't auto-level on it, I don't think. And I knwo you can turn auto on and off because I've turned level off and autoclimb on (and vice versa) while sitting in a turret checking my six. Maybe it autolevels, and you turn it off, but you're already level so you just keep flying that way when it's off?
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-Freelancer
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Whenever I hop to the bombadeer position, I put in auto-level. If I need to re-align my bomb drop, I just hit the auto-level key again, adjust with the stick, and turn auto-level back on.
SOB
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When u go to bombardieer(?) position auto-level is engaged automatically. You can adjust your heading all u want as well, auto level stays on the whole time, maintaining your altitude while u adjust your heading. Let go of the stick and u'll see what i mean
No need to hit the auto level key even once
In the gunner position it will stay on autolevel or autospeed. If you weren't in an auto mode when u jumped to gunner position i believe it selects auto level automatically.
SKurj
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ahh...thanks skurj!
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...and true Norden artistry requires you to be able to turn autolevel off in bomb runs.
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You talking about that "single pass takedown of small fields" crap you can pull with WarBirds bombers...? (http://bbs.hitechcreations.com/smf/Smileys/default/wink.gif)
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Artistry, juzz, artistry. HOw many bomber pilots do you know that can pull off that crap?
We have a laser bombsight here. Bombing starts off easy, and ends easy. There really isn't much depth to the art of dropping bombs here. Historically, that depth would probly have been provided by navigation, the ability to command a crew in adverse conditions, the skill of using properly the bombsight, being able to maintain tight formations, and finally being able to nurse a seriously damaged ship back to base. Here we don't have navigation or crews, the bombsight's a cakewalk, formations are nowhere as big as IRL, and the damage model makes limping home less challenging.
So, you turn off the autopilot on the bomb run. Most people will keep it on. But true artistry is being able to intuitively fly the plane while looking down a zoomed-in bombsight, and make the bombs fall backwards.
Call me a nut, but think of it this way: currently bombing is easy. Bombing effectively isn't much more difficult. If we allow the bombardier to disengage the autopilot, we will permit a single, highly skilled bomber pilot to be very effective. This would raise the "plateau" of Buffing above the reach of most current pilots. It'd give them something to learn. We'd retain more bomber pilots, and perhaps have a bomber squad or two if we gave bombers a reason to practice.
In short, it ain't realistic, but nothing about level bombing in AH is. This is true largely for gameplay concerns. Bombers need something analogous to all the missing elements mentioned above to make experience count.
[This message has been edited by Dinger (edited 11-10-2000).]
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My comment is that level bombing in AH is almost obsolete concerning tactical strikes.
For several reasons:
- A low to mid altitude bomber is very easy to shoot down, but the bomber might reach the target in time to be effective. It requires excessive air escort often to be able to reach the target. Loiter time over a target leaves them a sitting duck. The sortie survivability is low.
- A high altitude bomber requires too much time to climb to altitude. Attacks can't be co-coordinated very well with other planes or vehicles. The sortie survivability is much higher.
The reason that I state this is because of the great success JABO now enjoys for tactical strikes. The JABO attack is very fast and very deadly, not giving the opposition much time to respond. Once A2G ordnance is used the JABO then becomes a field capper. Additionally A/C with 20mm or 30mm cannon can kill a structure faster than a bomber can line up and drop on one.
I can very well see the use for bombers in AH concerning strategic targets, but they are not able to maintain the rate of pace that is required for effective base destruction and capture.
IMO there is only two strategic targets that really effect game play to any point past noticeability for the opposition. Those are the City and the HQ.
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Mino
The Wrecking Crew
"Dog out..."
Wardog
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Make buffing harder than it is now, buffs will be rare.
Make buffing easier than it is now, ...... don't even want to think about that one...
I think the bomber is at a good balance in the MA in Aces. Well the bombers with proper defensive armament anyways. Ju... well its a scenario plane
SKurj
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Skurj, taking off autopilot will not make buffing easier or harder; it will only make it more rewarding for those willing to put the time into learning how to fly bombers.
Mino: Buffin' isn't obsolete; it'd work very well; we just don't have any good buff squads to show you how it's done.