Alt CAP @ 25K and down draft

[Viper61]

Don't know if any other squads noticed but the "Down Draft" didn't seem to have much effect.  Or it acted more as a "layer".  The 325th VFG flew ALLIED in F4U-1D's and in one engagement I feel pretty sure we got jumped by IJN fighters operating above 25K as we were at 24K to 24.5K.  Not an entire squad just a few AC during a fight when everyone is pulling and yanking.  I also know I pulled up during some of the furballs and didn't have much problem punching above 25K either, getting up to 26K during a roll and glancing at my alt.  During the RTB the squad started talking about it and I had one of our pilots pull up to 26K and he didn't have any issues staying in formation above us.

Not complaining just pointing out what I saw and what I think I saw as far as "few" IJN fighters.

I don't know how the game works mind you but if there is to be a "down draft" it needs to be stronger and have more of an effect if the designers want the alt cap to be a wall.

Good scenario overall and we had fun <S>

Viper 61
Operations Officer
325th VFG

[Saxman]

The downdraft was changed at the last minute to 26k, there was an announcement from the CM running the event but I didn't see it repeated.

[oakranger]

The downdraft was changed at the last minute to 26k, there was an announcement from the CM running the event but I didn't see it repeated.

Thats why them A6M5s where doing so well that high.

[RSLQK186]

Wind is set in 2k layers. Downdraft had to be at 24K or 26K. Cannot be set at 25K.
Everyone repeat 3 times to commit to memory: "you cannot have ODD wind"
There, that should fix it in the future

[Anaxogoras]

I do not like the altitude caps; they are so artificial, as if the hand of God were smacking you down.  Much better to decrease the time limit for hitting the target to ensure that the attack group is not at 30k, imho.

[thorsim]

the way to manage the altitude question is pretty simple, model the  bomb accuracy/altitude accurately singling out individual targets with dumb bombs above 10k is pretty much impossible, even with todays strike A/C ...

a good reality check of say 15% within 5 miles above 20k will sort out the alt monkey bombing ...

[Anaxogoras]

I think that's already taken care of with wind direction thorsim.  Based on what I saw from the B-24 attack on A32, their % from 22k ft was poor.

[thorsim]

i think TRW has more to do with the ballistics and wind effects on the bombs,
not the winds they are traveling through which are predictable when consistent.
above 10k predicting hit points is apparently pretty hard with unguided bombs, TRW.

if in AH the %age of hits is low at higher alts well then so much the better,
i don't know i haven't bombed much.

the question remains then why the tendency for high alt raids if the bombers have trouble then?

i guess you could adjust the behavior with the scoring in the events, maybe make it prohibitive to risk the bombers without achieving a high rate of success which would in theory bring the bombers lower.



 

[ImADot]

Alt caps or not, I find it sad that there has to be some way to try to keep people honest to the rules.  I guess the MA mentality is just so ingrained that people will find whatever loophole or shortcoming of rule; twist, bend and mutilate it to give them any advantage they can get.  For the most part, we're adults (or at least fairly mature youngsters). 

The FSO is a "special" special event, and we should participate and conduct ourselves in a manner appropriate to the venue.

[thorsim]

well we were in the ki84 friday and it liked climbing, so much so that you had to keep paying attention to keep it down.  alts were not our problem though the force we ran into was both numerically superior by a large margin and in very good order as they apparently really had not been opposed much before the target ...

when my guys rolled in they were outnumbered almost 3-1 by the bombers at 23 not to mention the fighters ...

it was effectively over pretty quickly ...

+S+ allies, no complaints here ...

t

[Squire]

I was really hoping that the wind being less at 18k (which it was ) would get the bombers (all of them) down lower. I dont understand bombing with a 20mph wind at 25,000 ft you are not going to hit much.

[Anaxogoras]

I dont understand bombing with a 20mph wind at 25,000 ft you are not going to hit much.

It all depends on how much your survival rate increases at 25,000 vs 18,000 ft.  The rational strategy is the one maximizes the net gain in points for your side, not the one that maximizes target damage.

[jdbecks]

It all depends on how much your survival rate increases at 25,000 vs 18,000 ft.  The rational strategy is the one maximizes the net gain in points for your side, not the one that maximizes target damage.

with everyone flying around at 25k, I would try to sneak in a low level bombing run

[Stoney]

with everyone flying around at 25k, I would try to sneak in a low level bombing run

Well, the B-24s are using air starts that spawn the planes at 20K, so you'd be giving up all of that free altitude to do it.  Not to mention that escort fighters loathe NOE bomber missions.  Their escort responsibilities are almost impossible to achieve using those sorts of tactics.

[AKKaz]

Flying in all different types of FSO and scenerio setups under just about all types of restrictions/conditions, it basically comes down to possibility of survival than anything else.  Survivability increases drastically fvrom 18k to 25k when in buffs. At 15-18k, a attacker has less of a problem doing multiple dive attacks with a follow through for multiple tries.... versus being attacked at let's say 25k.  An attacker may get one or possibly 2 fly through shots, at that alt it takes time and greater mangement of E state to keep up the constant pressure.

Add in an escort that can make an attacker deviate just 1-2k in alt to avoid being shot down and it makes getting back to advantage in relations to the bomber flight a long process.  Not leaning one way or the other, but it isn't hard in some scenerios to calculate that getting back the buff group awards more than massive target annilation.

Again, no problem with it, just giving another insight into a question pondered.