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TheElf -> RE: Informal POLL Re: Oscar (11/17/2005 10:47:28 AM)
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While I feel debate is healthy, the purpose of this "Poll" was to see what everyone's experiences were with the Oscar, not to try and convince everyone else that "you" (the Royal you)are right. That being said, and Air combat being as near and dear to my heart as it is I cannot sit idly by with pointing out some things...
mdiehl:
1. If a 50ish EXP P-38 pilot can fly his aircraft to its strengths, what is an 80ish EXP Oscar pilot doing??
sfbaytf:
1. The game does not model aircraft performance at different altitudes. The only nod to performance, or lack thereof, is the P-39/400s lack of performance above 10K'
2. "Allied pilot's also emphasized teamwork whereas the Japanese tended to go looking for 1v1 duels." ---This is less true than everyone thinks. It is true that the Samurai ethos enjoyed a revival, but the Vic formation, and later the 4-ship fingertip or Schwarm (yes the Japanese used them too)implied a realization that mutual support was necessary.
I think everyone agrees on some basic things here:
1. WitP Air Combat, in general, tends to be an all or nothing game. Either your side dominates, or it doesn't. The result is typically very good for you or very bad depending on which side you are on. I have seen some "draws" if you will, but they are few.
2. The Oscar, in particular does not get the benefit of ever having a "good day" vs. anything from the P-38F on. Look back in this thread to see my comments on the Lighting as an Allied player.
3. Air Combat tends to favor luck first. Whether its "getting sight to win the fight" first or happening upon a numerically inferior force at an altitude or SA disadvantage, the intial tactical picture is big part of the outcome of any air battle. Skill/EXP comes into play, and is defined as what an airborne leader does when luck or the intitial tactical advantage isn't on his side. Likewise it is also what that same leader does to maximize the effect of good fortune/tactical advantage when he has it.
4. Air Combat in WWII was a story of matches and mis-matches, and lots of variables. For example....
Weather is bad, clouds abound, Fortune would have it that this day Capt Ito had his Oscars at 14,000' above an undercast.
Misfortune would have it that Sldr Jones, had his bomb/rocket laden Corsairs and Hellcats below an overcast.
Again fortune and puts Ito in an advatageous position and his experience allows him to translate that into an unobserved entry for all of his fighters on a group of Strikers.
Aircraft performance, in this case weak armament, results in 2 Corsairs and 1 hellcat being lost for 4-6 Oscars. But perhaps Ito's EXP mitigated his weak armament such that 3 kills can be called a better than average result. Had he been better armed this might have been a more one-sided engagement.
Pilot EXP and a performance edge over the Oscars gives Sldr Jones and his men the ability to overcome a tactical disadvantage using knowledge of their aircraft and knowledge of mutually supportive tactics. Perhaps the guys that were lost were green and had not seen combat, they hesitated a second too long when the first call the "Break!!!" came over their headset. The pilots who survived were highly experienced and muscle memory took over. After the first pass they had a moment to regain their composure and fight their aircraft to it's strengths
Unfortunately if you ran this scenario a hundred times with the WitP A2A combat model and the WitP Oscar, you would NEVER get a "good day" result for the poor Oscar.
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