Sunday Night Ops... so what did you think?

[Keeler101]

Had a great time


I think Bombing and escort will be fine if targets were more distant apart and flights broke up , The map also i think is one of the hardest FPS hitting in the game which brought down frames more.

[ROC]

From a design point of view, here is what we were hoping for.

Going into this, we knew it was an experiment.  The other events you can pretty much count on attendance, and interest, and skill level, so it's getting easier to build events.

We had no clue as to how this would be recieved.  We had a Positive And Negative end to the time slot.  It is in the Peak of a most popular MA time period.  This gives us the Advantage of a large audience looking at the SEA and saying..HMM what's going on here?  It also can be a great place for the organized missions that so many don't see in the MA.  It also can Remove a good amount of people From the MA on the most popular squad night time slot.  So we have some good and bad effects here to contend with.

We chose a mission that wasn't too complicated, and afforded the ability to run the mission should 40 people show or a couple hundred.  We were Thrilled with the turnout, and can taylor events to anything you guys want to run.  I saw a great many familiar faces and was pleased as could be with the level of professionalism throughout the event, even as "basic" as it was.

Knowing this would be off the cuff and we needed to be fluid and flexible, we did the unusual this time.  We had given the CO slots to 4 CMs.  We normally don't do that, as it's for the players.  But we wanted Banshe and 4XTCH to run the Axis, MGD and Roscoroo to run the Allies.  That way we could get a good feel from Nef and I at the door, and those guys at the helm, for a clear read on the reaction to the good and bad aspects.  They did a good job.  

We "Clearly" want something on Sunday that is a bit Less Formal than a full blown FSO, but more orgainized at the helm with COs in advance.  Then again, if you guys want a more rigid and structured event like an FSO, we'll do that as well, but it doesn't open up the event for walkons as much.  If we have Strong leadership from you guys that love this stuff and want to drive it, then we can build a great event that can take advantage of the walkons that will get used to seeing something active happening in this time slot.

I've offered the Team Speak server for the CM team as one tool for the core leadership group to have access to, so that we can discuss events and leadership roles With the more active leaders not only in this event, but for the snapshots and FSOs if desired.  Those that continually take the lead in our events would be invited to use the server, and attend regular meetings to help promote these types of events.

There is wiggle room around the start time.  Might want to go at it an hour earlier, it's on the table, this only works if you guys want to attend.

In a nutshell, this was a grand experiment to test Interest, and it seems the interest is there.  We have a strong desire to bring a regular event to you in this time slot.  We are more than eager to hear all of your ideas, desires, feedback that will get us to this goal.

Thanks so much for coming out last night.

[daddog]

Don't have time to post in any detail about it, but had a few Mongrels show up (4 with 4 guests as gunners) and we had to launch about 5 min after the main group. Was disappointed we could not take the B-24, but it was listed in the write up.

We were wiped out by some 110's. Our own fault for being late and not having any escort. Really it was fun. Great turn out.

Will post more later on the "Monthly Mission" idea.  As I told Nef a couple weeks ago in a PM I think you guys are on to something here.

[Speed55]

Overall I thought it was really immersive and had a great time..


The only thing i'd like to see change though, and alot of people might not agree, is to remove formations from the buff pilots.
In my opinion it gives them  3 lives as opposed to everyone else's single life, and kinda takes a little away from the realism factor. 30 single bombers grouped up should have been able to defend themselves pretty well, especially with the amount of escorts they had.


Thanks to everyone who took the time to make it happen, and i really look foward to the next one.

[Fianna]

I had a blast.

I'd suggest a second attack wave for the axis, and any allies that die can come back as gunners if they want to.

[Stampf]

This was my first SE so I have no real opinions on how to improve it.  It was defnatly the most immersive experience I have had in Aces High.  I particularly liked not having the red and green radar dots on the map.  It was much more realistic than the MA.

As far as the bombers go, all I can say is that when I rolled down on them it was like midnight over Bagdahd with all those rounds seeking me.  After the mission the guys and me discussed things and we thought we came up empty handed.  Then today I found the mission logs on the SE website (way cool) and found I was credited with a B-17 kill shortly before BlueKitty relieved me of my left wing.  I knew I had gotten hits but couldn't even look back at the time because of all the tracers and diving fighters around me.  I thought it was great and look forward to more of the same.

[Treize69]

Can definitely see how so often there was rampant overclaiming, what with 69 kills and 93 assists, and 50 kills to 17 assists. I'm sure most of those assists would have been faithfully claimed as kills, as was one of mine. Blew up a low 190A8 and got credited with an asist.

[Frodo]

This is the first event I have tried in a long time. It was great fun, and look forward to more.
An event every other night in this time slot would be well attended I think.

Frodo

[HB555]

The bombers were set at manifold 40 (which is not a position my throttle likes, but with a little adjustment now and then I was able to stay right in the pack.) FiLtH and MGD did a great job of trying to keep us bunched up, but when the bad guys show up and you go to the guns, it is easy to drift away from the bomber stream and get behind a bit, hence the reason for holding 40 on the manifold throughout the run, to allow those who have gotten behind or way off to one side a chance to get caught up in a reasonably short time.
All turns were called from the nose gun position using rudders, and the turns were called well in advance, so everyone should have had ample time to prepare and follow. Again, to FiLtH for doing all he could to keep it together, and to the escort pilots who were everywhere they needed to be when they needed to be there.
When I said earlier, drop and run, I did not mean every bomber pilot should dart off by his or her self. What I was trying to say was that after the last drop, the group should take a few minutes to reform and then skeedaddle for the cold drinks as a group, as opposed to lingering in the area while someone makes one more pass.
In this event, each bomber had a "specific" location to drop, ie. I was center right, others center left, far left and far right, and we only dropped three of our twelve at each of the four locations. What we did not think of was to further specify center right near, center right far, which might have helped the guys who dropped on buildings that had already been targeted. Perhaps a salvo 3 instead of the 1,1,1 might be a better way to go for this type of run, or salvo 12 (or whatever the load out is) on each target by 1/4 of the group.
In any event, I truely had a blast, and offer a big to the axis side for doing the best they could with the planes they had near us at any given time. I think a mass attack might have lead to more bombers going down, but the ability to locate us and then form into a mass attack might have not been possible for whatever reasons. The 190's sure made a valiant effort to do maximum damage, from what I saw.

[4XTCH]

Originally posted by Speed55
The only thing i'd like to see change though, and alot of people might not agree, is to remove formations from the buff pilots.
In my opinion it gives them  3 lives as opposed to everyone else's single life, and kinda takes a little away from the realism factor. 30 single bombers grouped up should have been able to defend themselves pretty well, especially with the amount of escorts they had.

Thanks Speed55
Well that very reply was part of the Post Snapshot discussion amongst the CM team.
Some compelling arguments to be made on both sides.
650 cannons in the A8.... formidable yes... 200 to take one plane...but he gets a gun on yours ...He gets a fresh one and still has 2.. new elevation so you chase and get the 2nd but now he's got your elevator and another fresh plane...and your down to your last 200 cannons.. you get the 3rd but now he's pinged your oil and radiator and effectively your nights over. Is that fair? I don't know, but he only did have 1 gunner, 2 if you include the pilot.  Not all the Buff pilots on Sunday had the priviledge of having the extra gunner I'm sure. What about all of the other Buffs that were close enough to have all 3 of their planes shooting at you as well?  That and the wall of escorts made getting to the Buffs a challenge.  I'm also quite confident that a few of the 190 pilots that flew against the 17's in WWII got wacked pretty good and many never made it home with all those gunner positions filled.
Do you feel that you would want to fly a single Buff with only one gunner on board?
How about limiting the total #'s of Buffs with the formations enabled?

There are many different options available to the players in the SEA that we can offer, and this is the Forum to begin these discussions about what you would like to see in a Sunday night event.
Keep them coming please:aok
4XTCH

[4XTCH]

This is for ROC or Nef.

What about enabling friendly collisions after launch? Obviously it would have to be across the board, and I'm not sure that it will work but it would spread out the formations a bit.
Does that particular setting affect or include the drones as well?
Just a random thought is all.

4XTCH

[GooseAW]

I had alot of fun!

I was a 110 among others who ended up stuck on the fringe unable to find main bomber group and or get to it when it was reported. but we managed to kill everything we did find and lost very few from our group.

1 thought.
In previous snapshots I've participated in, hosted by WMlute I believe, there were anonymous reports given by the CM I think, presumed to have come from high command as reported by sympathetic civilians on the ground or fishing boats on the ocean such as:

Fishing boat reports Large group of bomber heading west from sector 9,12.etc...

The helps make sure that the battle that we're recreating does occur. Which I think is the point of snapshots. To replay and thereby give us the feel of the historic battle we attempt to recreate. As opposed to FSO where the stage is set and the sides have the opportunity to rewrite the battles with a new outcome.

My perception is that these "open to walkons" events known as Snapshots, are about experiencing the battles of history. Where the FSO type events, with preplanning and communication between organized groups of squads are more about the outcome and the victory hopefully.

So my feedback, assuming the intention is to give us a snapshot of a historic battle, would be to make sure we all have enough info to make reasonably sure that contact is made and the battle actually occurs.

After that it is the COs responsibilty to assure that the intel is acted upon correctly.

Thank you for putting it on, and asking for our feedback!

[Imoutfishing]

It was a hoot flying that mission.

Like ROC pointed out you have to watch how formal you make so we can allow walkons.  That in it's self is a problem.  People that fly the FSO's will be used to orders and the knowledge of what the other guy's on your side are up to.  The walkons might not be ready for the formality a FSO .  So we looked for a blend.  

The best way we I saw do deal with this was a overall mission.  It's to bad we can't set up more then one set of way points.  We could have sent out flights here & there as we saw fit while using the same mission.  

So it's a work in progress.  What you guy's tell us I'm banking will have a lot to do with the finished product.

Betty no offence to anyone but you did suffer following kermit.  I know you had a connection issue but Kermit had no chance to stay with the pack he wasn't making the turns & running reduced speed.  The buffs flew at 40 manifold the entire way until we hit the last target.  I know both of you would have had no problem forming up if you wanted to.  Thats all I have to say about the mission.

There were also some people the elected to climb higher then 18k so they also fell behind.  

Then there were some guy's that were just plain new at this... it's a amazing we did our air launch so well.  I was expecting loads of problems with that.

One last thing.  That map seems to be hard on everyones hardware.  Frame rate are going to suffer a bit no matter what.

 
Great job last night Allies... Axis there is always next time  J/K

MGD

[betty]

reguardless......i had fun, and kermit is my favorite wingman and i will follow him anyday...no offense to anyone else. no it didnt help that i lost udp right off the get go, it was frustrating for me to try to keep up with kermit. but i managed somehow to keep formation with him with the warping issue i was having.

i will b in the SEA for any events that i can attend, that is what makes the game fun for me lately. <> to all the CM's, u guys did do a great job on this event and i do look forward to many more.

[Roscoroo]

Originally posted by 4XTCH
This is for ROC or Nef.

What about enabling friendly collisions after launch? Obviously it would have to be across the board, and I'm not sure that it will work but it would spread out the formations a bit.
Does that particular setting affect or include the drones as well?
Just a random thought is all.

4XTCH

i'll anser this one ... With friendly collisions enabled In a HUGE buff type mission or air start .. We end up loosing alot of players to "Warp collisions" ,, now if this was more spread out with smaller sorties it wouldnt have been so bad ... also we're catoring to getting walk-on players  into this .. nothing is more irritating to a new player then to die for no reason other then a warp collision or miss judgement of speed .

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Next time We'll get more percise with the orders .and/or split the missions up so we dont suffer the huge fps hit /stutter as much.

How are you guys Set for Night flying ???