RCAF_Dudley Posted March 22, 2009 Posted March 22, 2009 I'm really enjoying the 1.28a patch with the Hard Damage Model, with Hard guns, and "Dead is Dead" (120% Realism), even though it makes for lots of dead pilots. C'est le guerre! Vraiment! On a new Campaign with RFC-11 (Bristol Scouts), the first mission was an Airfield Attack. I did a low-level pass on the target enemy airfield to strafe a line of neatly parked EIIIs and Roland CIIs, scored some minor hits, and then bugged out as the ground fire was getting hot. On the way back to our lines, I attacked and destroyed two German Observation Balloons (with my full flight in tow as witness). No enemy aircraft were sighted in the air and the flight returned to home base without further incident: Goals Completed. Ending the mission, OFF Manager did report one pilot from the flight as missing, but gave me no opportunity to claim the balloon kills. I tried to enter a claim in the Pilot Doissier: View Claims section, but it wouldn't stick. A Replay/review of the mission did register the destruction of each balloon, but it was disappointing to not to be able to claim them, having at least three surviving witnesses (including my wingman). I may not have hit all the way-points, but I didn't think that mattered to OFF Manager. Are we not yet able to claim gas-bags as kills? Quote
griphos Posted March 22, 2009 Posted March 22, 2009 (edited) Nope. Balloons don't count as air combat victories. Balloons are more like ground targets than EA. They can't really shoot back, after all. Your compensation is the satisfying explosion when you shoot them down. But I think that successful balloon missions will lead to promotion eventually. I don't know. None of my pilots have ever lived long enough to get promoted. Edited March 22, 2009 by griphos Quote
Rooster89 Posted March 22, 2009 Posted March 22, 2009 Hey Dudley, you will only be able to file a kill claim for a balloon if you get assigned a mission to attack one. Make sure you get the right one too. I had a mission not too long ago to attack one. I flew through a hailstorm of lead, making 2 passes before it finally burst. When I got back to base I didnt get to file a kill claim. It was the wrong one! -Rooster Quote
RCAF_Dudley Posted March 22, 2009 Author Posted March 22, 2009 Thanks guys! Now that I know they don't count (unless as an assigned target), I'll reserve balloon-popping as an idle sport. Great fun, if you live to tell the tale! Quote
+Winder Posted March 22, 2009 Posted March 22, 2009 Observation Balloons are counted as kills if your mission directive is specifically Balloon Busting! HTH WM Quote
griphos Posted March 22, 2009 Posted March 22, 2009 Hmmmm.....I've had Balloon Busting missions where I got the right balloon (it was right at the waypoint and no others were nearby) but I've NEVER gotten to fill out a claim form for a balloon. I'm fine with this, since, as I said, I don't really think of them as aerial combat, but that's been my experience. Quote
Hauksbee Posted March 22, 2009 Posted March 22, 2009 How odd. Back in the day, balloons were counted as kills because they were very important and VERY heavily defended with AA. If realism is the order of the day, it would seem they'd count. Quote
Rick Rawlings Posted March 22, 2009 Posted March 22, 2009 How odd. Back in the day, balloons were counted as kills because they were very important and VERY heavily defended with AA. If realism is the order of the day, it would seem they'd count. I don't believe it was a developer decision. I think it is just the way the engine handles static targets. They are in a different class than aircraft and cannot be easily worked into the kill system. At least that is what I remeber from what I read somewhere :) RR Quote
+MK2 Posted March 22, 2009 Posted March 22, 2009 Hmmmm.....I've had Balloon Busting missions where I got the right balloon (it was right at the waypoint and no others were nearby) but I've NEVER gotten to fill out a claim form for a balloon. I'm fine with this, since, as I said, I don't really think of them as aerial combat, but that's been my experience. Balloon kills were defintley counted in world war one as aerial victories and they were a big part of the air war. I modded a campaign where all I got were Balloon missions and this is what I found out: If you are leading the flight and tell wingmen to attack, there is a huge chance that one of there bullets will score the killing damage. If you are leading the attack and just tell the wingmen to cover you (form up on you) and you do all the shooting and the balloon goes down, you will get to fill out a claim every time. Quote
griphos Posted March 22, 2009 Posted March 22, 2009 Ahhh....that makes sense, MK2. I'll try that next balloon mission. Quote
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