Anti-Aircraft Artillery in game...

[Venator 0]

I've had a chance to go back and read some the old memoirs of the great pilots all over again since my youth, and one thing struck me that I wasn't seeing in game.

 

All pilots' memoirs mention using the AAA bursts (white for British/French, black puffs for German) to help them spot opponents at a distance, however, when I was flying on the weekend and was chasing some German bombers on the British side, the bursts were all over the d_mn place, some literally a mile or so away from the formation! And the frequency of shots just wasn't what it should have been.

 

Now, I understand why this was done, because people wanted to tone down death/damage from AAA and I perfectly agree -- there is no more frustration than a senseless virtual death by flak -- it just isn't proper game balance.

 

However, reducing AAA accuracy and rate of fire may not be the best solution given that it WAS such an important aid to historic pilots to spot the enemy. And besides, the bursts can be seen at a greater distance than aircraft and would thus REALLY ameliorate the resolution limitations of LCD screens and spotting planes at a true historic/realistic distance when you just can't due to game/resolution limitations (unless you use the "radar" aid --pasha!).

 

My question for debate: Wouldn't reducing the bite of the bursts--reduce the damage effectiveness of flak shells-- be a better compromise for the game rather than decreased AAA accuracy or ROF?

 

As it stands now, I can fly over the lines and barely be targeted by AAA at all, or when so, it does not supply the Archie burst ambiance that is expected. Ground MG fire DOES supplies the laxative effect it should though!

 

Just a thought, hope it generates a fruitful discussion.

[Test Pilot 0]

As far as damage from AAA goes, it was very light. Rickenbacker spoke of how eventually pilots would just learn to ignore the archie since it was so ineffective. Some pilots would even perform aerobatics through the flak just to taunt the enemy gunners. The one lost pilot due to archie Rickenbacker saw came as a complete surprise to all and his death was regarded as a freak accident more than anything. Ground fire from enemy units protecting observation balloons and other ground targets on the otherhand was quite deadly and made these attacks quite dangerous and casualties were far higher than the high altitude shots.

 

Personally I like the current set up. But a good debate is always welcome :)

[Venator 0]

Thank you for comment Test Pilot.

 

Perhaps I should have stated the question this way:

As it stands in the game currently, can we (virtual pilots) use the AAA bursts to help us spot the enemy at a distance, and thus overcome the resolution limitations of our screens and the game?

 

I say the answer is no, the current AAA does not help us spot enemy at a distance.

 

Can it be fixed by returning AAA accuracy and ROF to where it was before but reduce the damage effectiveness? That is also up to debate, but second to the first question...

[Venator 0]

Ahhh make the game more "friendly" by reducing the destructive force of a cannon shell, so that we might Survive a Direct Hit

 

Hardly Realistic, that's reducing OFF into an ARCADE shooter

 

HARDLY REALISTIC???!!! As it stands right now, AAA bursts are going off a mile or more away from my aircraft and the AI enemy aircraft. So tell me uncleal where is the "realism" there??? That seems more arcade than anything...

 

Have you even read the OP? I find your comment to be a rash jump to pass judgement when "ARCADE shooter" has nothing to do with what I'm talking about.

 

This thread isn't about "making it friendly", I could care less about that. I was simply suggesting an alternative to how AAA was toned down in the FIRST place (to satisfy the majority), and by this suggestion IMPROVE upon "realism" (or whatever you want to call it) so that we virtual pilots can spot enemy AC at a historically realistic distance, as opposed to when I can just see aircraft appearing on my screen as a pixel.

 

When a distant aircraft pixel appears on screen and can be resolved by the human eye is not historical accurate, and this has been argued and proven in other WWI sim forums, so don't bother.

 

Under certain conditions real life WWI pilots could see AC from miles away, granted some were better than others, but that is not the issue. In OFF we can only see AC at what distance, maybe a mile or two? That is unrealistic.

 

By having AAA bursts going off around AC at a distance we could spot them further out at the distance that a real WWI pilot would have seen them without the bursts. The bursts just let them see them even further out than that...

[Test Pilot 0]

I agree though Venator, it would be nice to be able to see archie raging from other battles miles away. Unless I just havent noticed that aspect yet...