Ideas for modifying strafing (Full Version)

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mgoldstein -> Ideas for modifying strafing (10/27/2010 2:18:06 AM)

I confess I'm a strafing fanboy, and the effectiveness of strafing in AE leaves something to be desired. I've never looked under the hood, but it seems like strafing follows the same air to ground logic as bombs and suffers as a result since the effect numbers of machine guns are considerably lower than even the most piffle bombs. This model doesn't seem to account for the fact that strafing is far more accurate than even dive bombing. In the overall equation, with strafing attacks it should be easier to score hits, but harder to inflict permanent damage (that is, more grounded aircraft damaged and LCUs disabled than destroyed) balanced against much greater vulnerability to AAA.

Some ideas for improving strafing:

1) Hits on ships should have a higher chance of knocking out exposed AAA mounts and suppressing AAA
2) Hits on ships carrying fuel or oil should have a higher chance of causing fires.
3) Hits on ships carrying cargo -- especially ammo cargo -- should have a small chance of causing an explosion.
4) Attacks on airfields should produce far more damaged aircraft and should have a chance to inflict a small amount of airbase damage
5) Attacks on ports should result in far more hits on docked ships (they are stationary targets!) and a chance to inflict a small amount of damage to the port facilities.
6) Attack against ground units should result in more casualties and disabled squads, guns, and vehicles.
7) Better sound effects.
8) Greater vulnerability to short-range rapid-fire AAA.

Does anybody have some suggestions on how to accomplish these changes? Is it just a matter of tweaking the effectiveness or accuracy of aircraft guns? I don't want to throw off the balance of A2A combat, so I'm fishing for some wisdom from experienced modders.

Thanks!



GaryChildress -> RE: Ideas for modifying strafing (10/27/2010 3:02:27 AM)

I brought it up a while back that airpower in general doesn't seem to do much to turn the tide of land battles. Airpower rules the seas and can devastate base facilities but you can bomb to your heart's content and it doesn't hurt LCUs a whole lot. In fact it's sort of a bad idea to use airpower on LCUs because you end up losing a lot of precious planes for very little in return. I had always the impression that close air support came of age in WW2 and that airpower could turn the tide of battles. Maybe that was mostly the ETO more so than the PTO? I mean I thought some F4Us with napalm was a pretty sure way to win a land battle.

[&:]



bbbf -> RE: Ideas for modifying strafing (10/27/2010 4:14:33 AM)

Gary,

Terrain has a huge effect.

Get the enemy into clear terrain and you can destroy his troops very fast from the air - I cause hundreds of casualties per day on division sized targets.

Any unit that is vehicle rich and in open terrain and not covered is going to have to walk it's way out of danger in a week.

Units that are fortified and in jungle terrain are almost a negative game, as they should be.



n01487477 -> RE: Ideas for modifying strafing (10/27/2010 4:39:59 AM)


quote:

ORIGINAL: bbbf

Gary,

Terrain has a huge effect.

Get the enemy into clear terrain and you can destroy his troops very fast from the air - I cause hundreds of casualties per day on division sized targets.

Any unit that is vehicle rich and in open terrain and not covered is going to have to walk it's way out of danger in a week.

Units that are fortified and in jungle terrain are almost a negative game, as they should be.

I agree with bbbf here; I've seen my troops turn to mulch in all out ground attacks in clear terrain. Was the same way in WITP too.



Pascal_slith -> RE: Ideas for modifying strafing (10/27/2010 6:56:10 AM)

I've seen the same differences according to terrain. Choose your attack Air-to-Ground attack hex carefully....



castor troy -> RE: Ideas for modifying strafing (10/27/2010 7:23:47 AM)

quote:

ORIGINAL: bbbf

Gary,

Terrain has a huge effect.

Get the enemy into clear terrain and you can destroy his troops very fast from the air - I cause hundreds of casualties per day on division sized targets.

Any unit that is vehicle rich and in open terrain and not covered is going to have to walk it's way out of danger in a week.

Units that are fortified and in jungle terrain are almost a negative game, as they should be.



definetely. Now how do you get the enemy out of his bases all over the map to place his troops in clear terrain? [&:][:)]



Pascal_slith -> RE: Ideas for modifying strafing (10/27/2010 7:41:40 AM)

send Geishas to clear terrain hexes? [:D]



Sardaukar -> RE: Ideas for modifying strafing (10/27/2010 7:50:48 AM)


quote:

ORIGINAL: Gary Childress

I brought it up a while back that airpower in general doesn't seem to do much to turn the tide of land battles. Airpower rules the seas and can devastate base facilities but you can bomb to your heart's content and it doesn't hurt LCUs a whole lot. In fact it's sort of a bad idea to use airpower on LCUs because you end up losing a lot of precious planes for very little in return. I had always the impression that close air support came of age in WW2 and that airpower could turn the tide of battles. Maybe that was mostly the ETO more so than the PTO? I mean I thought some F4Us with napalm was a pretty sure way to win a land battle.

[&:]


Lot of WWII direct air support to ground troops was not Close Air Support but what we call nowadays Battlefield Air Interdiction. CAS was inherently difficult and dangerous, and double so when troops were in jungle, with both visibility and distance between own and enemy troops very short. Interestingly, one of the first planes used for this with good effect (and artillery observation too) was Australian Wirraway. It's ability to fly low & slow made it good for CAS and observation, about only roles it was actually well-suited for.

USMC had edge on CAS operations, partly because "every man is rifleman" doctrine, which caused also USMC pilots to have better understanding of ground operations and conditions.

Some info about his here: http://www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/USMC/IV/USMC-IV-IV-1.html



mgoldstein -> RE: Ideas for modifying strafing (10/28/2010 1:52:37 AM)

Thanks for the replies. It's straying a bit off-topic, as I'm fishing for methods to modify the effectiveness of strafing. Any suggestions? Is there a way to improve the firepower of strafing without queering the air-to-air performance of aircraft guns?



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