New rule: Airfields under attack

YES for HoHuns idea!

EDIT: And if you try to kill one ack all 50 secs (like 302nd wants to do) you´ll have problems with reup or with fighters that started from other fields, near by.

 

Hi Devill,

>In wartime every field has a ready 5, or CAP, or whatever...

At best, fighter bases had an element (2 planes) in readiness - and they were scrambled before bombs started hitting the field, not after. CAP was restricted to carriers - land bases were part of the general air defence system.

>What I'm trying to say is that there is no possibility of organized and standing (preemptive) defence of fields in FH.

Yet If tactics requirements change, player behavior might adapt.

>But how about this: why don't we have a restriction, that begins 60 seconds AFTER first bombs strike?

It's impossible to identify the "first" bomb, so it would have to apply to all bombs, which wouldn't be smart.

Besides, if you've already taken part in Jabo raids, you might have experienced that defenders were already scrambling at the target before you arrived. It's not like they need to be bombed to wake up even today.

Regards,

Henning (HoHun)

 

road to disbalance

After more 1 year experience on FH i can say:

only few changes on original iEN appear as improvement in relation of general experience (especially new planes, but from them only some have usable fm). Major parts of partial changes (similar as Ho-hun propose) are most contraproductive in relation of majority. Majority are not interesting of jsome very special features, but is interesting in the user friendly game, simple in use and for good feeling of balance.

FH will go to hell when admins will not hold general balance and most of similar fragment "purposes" will be realized...

Remember: start lobbing for your idea not until you will be satisfied that your ideas will be improve for general conception of the game.

If something could be more available for FH - start Special Events Arena/Historical scenarios. There could be space for similar features as Ho-hun emissions

 

Re: road to disbalance

Hi Redbull,

>only few changes on original iEN appear as improvement in relation of general experience

How about a point-by-point list to prove your claim?

>Majority are not interesting of jsome very special features, but is interesting in the user friendly game, simple in use and for good feeling of balance.

The voice of the silent majority? I actually think it's just Redbull's personal opinion. (Note that Exec's poll to the related question of restrictions gave overwhelming support PRO restrictions.)

The rule I proposed actually is user friendly as it protects new players against being vulched because they don't have a clue what's going on. I've more than once witnessed newbies trying to get into the game from a field under attack, getting shot down again and again before quitting in frustration - some maybe forever. A few of them could be guided to a safe field by radio, but many new players don't handle the radio well and are too shy to ask why they get shot down all the time anyway.

In short, the new rule would help a bit to keep new players out of the line of fire so they don't have to start they Freehost career as vulcher targets.

It also would improve the effectiveness of coordinated raids, and encouraging coordination among players has often been called for on this board.

Additionally, it helps a little against suicidal field defenders (which Exec's poll proved to be a concern of the majority of players), most importantly the Il-2 ackstars which everyone but the ackstar pilots seem to hate).

These are three excellent reasons why the new rule will improve the game, and I haven't even mentioned realism yet.

Regards,

Henning (HoHun)

 

Unfortunately it is not a problem with habits, it is a problem of expensive internet etc...

I have no problem with long missions, but I don't have so much money to fly long missions everyday. Even these 2 scenarios made a huge impact on my time to fly in main arena

 

Hi Devill,

>Unfortunately it is not a problem with habits, it is a problem of expensive internet etc...

The next field usually is just a few minutes away, and you'll probably get as much combat time as you should survive for longer when you jump the attackers with some speed instead of getting vulched on take-off

Always look at the bright side! ;-)

Regards,

Henning (HoHun)

 

boom, at other side of field

<59s>

boom, at other side of field

<59s>

boom, at other side of field

<59s>

and still hiding under the table?

 

No no Hohun, you misunderstood, I thought of CAP duties.

 

Hi Nicae,

>boom, at other side of field

Did you ever read pilot reports? It was hell when you airfield was under attack, and overyone would hide in holes as deep as possible. The trick was that there was no guarantee that the impact would be on "the other side of the field".

When Galland on his last combat flight had to land while his airfield was under attack, he was picked up by a groundcrewman who drove over the field baring the enemy attack. Galland praised that as an example for the outstanding courage of their groundcrewmen and their loyalty to the pilots. Does that sound like it was a piece of cake to come out "under the table"? Certainly not!

><59s>

You seem to take a clockwork precision in the execution of attacks for granted that I have very seldom, if ever, seen displayed on Freehost.

Just go online, look for the action, and try to imagine how the field under attack would be affected by the individual and uncoordinated attacks typical for arena play.

Regards,

Henning (HoHun)

 

I can tell you from hearing story's from the few WWI pilots I knew growing up, each one said when a attack starts, IF they got close enough to attack without being spotted they were so low that they could barely manuver without making a wide pass to get alt, so pilots could haul arse to any available plane and get airborn. and sitting in a foxhole during a attack, or even a bunker would be suicidal, hell just being there was suicidal! any pilot with half a brain cell wouldnt just sit and wait to be killed when he could get in a plane and have half a chance at atleast taking a few of them with him. And while only 1 to 2 wings( the elemnts you called them) would be on the strip waiting to lift off, usualy a full squadron of planes(including ready flight) would be in a flyable condition, most wouldnt be fully fueld and armed but they would be combat capable to different degrees

 

Hi Falcon_SE,

>I can tell you from hearing story's from the few WWI pilots I knew growing up [...]

Sea stories ;-)

Here's a more realistic quote from Pokryschkin's book:

"The engine sound and the sight of our own [returning] aircraft distracted us. That way the Focke-Wulfs could attack unnoticed and drop lots of small fragmentation bombs at us. Some of us managed to find cover, everyone who was surprised on airfield in the open pressed himself against the ground. Zwetkow ran, the slit trench was very close ... a fragment hit him in the back and killed him."

There were aircraft on readiness, and though the attackers were engaged, it were only the returning aircraft already in flight that fought them.

Another very dangerous hanzard hasn't even been mentioned yet - with enemy aicraft overhead and the flak firing at them, the air is filled with shell fragments that rain down everywhere around and on the airfield.

Regards,

Henning (HoHun)

 

hiya!

>Did you ever read pilot reports? It was hell when you airfield was under attack, and overyone would hide in holes as deep as possible. The trick was that there was no guarantee that the impact would be on "the other side of the field".

the server cant detect (without tons of coding) if the bomb was on the other side of the field, nor if it was at the field.
and the restriction only happening when a structure is killed would result in something funny. and also it would leave yet another fix for aike/ivan, which would make any bomb to stop actions.

>You seem to take a clockwork precision in the execution of attacks for granted that I have very seldom, if ever, seen displayed on Freehost.

it was a figure of speech, sry.
but if bombs fell only every 50s, there would be time to rush your plane for takeoff at least twice.
maybe it would be too risky against a jabo raid. but not against buffs. and the server cant see the difference among jabo/buff bombs.

>Just go online, look for the action, and try to imagine how the field under attack would be affected by the individual and uncoordinated attacks typical for arena play.

arena play is terrible for this. planes keep coming in a constant stream, throwing rox/bombs.
while in RL raids were actually *raids*. so people would hide, then take off once the raid is over. online, there practically isnt an "over".

but 10-20s would be acceptable maybe.
(those are long and boring seconds in twr for those who dont even need to stand up after taking cover )

cya!
nic

 

Hi Nicae,

>and the restriction only happening when a structure is killed would result in something funny.

That means nothing - there are a lot more funny things in this game

>and also it would leave yet another fix for aike/ivan, which would make any bomb to stop actions.

This seems to be the real bottleneck it seems.

>but if bombs fell only every 50s, there would be time to rush your plane for takeoff at least twice.

Think of the flak guns - everything they shoot up will come down. Air raid shelters were meant as much as protection against the own flak as against enemy bombs

>arena play is terrible for this. planes keep coming in a constant stream, throwing rox/bombs.

And defenders keep scrambling all the time, mostly dieing quickly (or, in the case of the Il-2 pilots, slowly).

>online, there practically isnt an "over".

But online, the attack density is low enough that you'll get an opportunity to scramble anyway if you persist.

But think of the newbie pilots: They'll get the friendly advice"This airfield is under attack currently, take-off is much too dangerous now". That's much better than having to find out the hard way, I'd say!

Regards,

Henning (HoHun)

 

Weren't flack shells timed to explode at a certain alt?

 

Hi Platy,

>Weren't flack shells timed to explode at a certain alt?

With regard to heavy flak, they were timed to explode at the altitude of the target planes. (The Allies later actually developed proximity fuses.)

Light flak shells were timed to explode for safety reasons only so they they wouldn't be as dangerous for the environment of the flak position. (The fragments still were.)

Machine guns usually didn't have explosive shells, so their bullets would come down intact.

The more flak was protecting an airfield, the more metal would rain down on it during an attack.

Regards,

Henning (HoHun)

 

hoi!

>>and the restriction only happening when a structure is killed would result in something funny.

>That means nothing - there are a lot more funny things in this game


but the less funny things the better ;-)

>>arena play is terrible for this. planes keep coming in a constant stream, throwing rox/bombs.

>And defenders keep scrambling all the time, mostly dieing quickly (or, in the case of the Il-2 pilots, slowly).

LOL! true! especially with IL2

>>online, there practically isnt an "over".

>But online, the attack density is low enough that you'll get an opportunity to scramble anyway if you persist.

hmmm.... i still think 60s is too much
30s tops! ;-)

>But think of the newbie pilots: They'll get the friendly advice"This airfield is under attack currently, take-off is much too dangerous now". That's much better than having to find out the hard way, I'd say!

LOL!
it surely would be fun to hit .fly and read randomized messages on the radio buffer, like:
"TAKE COVER! TAKE COVER!"
"NOOOOO!!! DONT GO! ITS TOO DANGEROUS!"
etc.

 

flaks didnt turn into air after they exploded
although the black smoke suggests it ;-)

 

Dammit mommy lied to me all this time .

 

I had an idea that reminds me a bit of Aces High. What about a HOST message warning of field being attacked? Let's say, as soon as a enemy aircraft reachs 10 miles (half the radar area) range of an airfield, host shows a message to the country being attacked likes this:

-HOST-: WARNING! Field XX is under attack! Enemy within 10 miles range!

That will give the pilots enough time to jump in and if they want and roll safely. And we can have that 60 seconds rule proposed by HoHun which implies in quite a change in the general field defense.

I think it will add to the game, it's worthy at least a try.

Well, just my 2 cents.

 

Hi Fuhrer,

>That will give the pilots enough time to jump in and if they want and roll safely. And we can have that 60 seconds rule proposed by HoHun which implies in quite a change in the general field defense.

Excellent idea No warning though for aircraft underneath the radar.

Regards,

Henning (HoHun)