a litte too hot...

[Guest Barnstorm]

Shot07_29_09_12_38_07.bmpShot07_29_09_12_38_26.bmp

 

This moth got a little too close to the flame! (any Aimee Mann fans will know what I mean). I downed an Ailed obs balloon, and it seemed to take allot of direct hits to make it go BOOM. I am trying out the various DM mods, and have the DM_Hard active now. I guess the DM applies to balloons, as well. This heat damage to my Alb.II, made her very unstable...like fighting a 30 mph cross-wind...very "squirrelly". I was lucky to make it to the nearest friendly aerodrome and land in one piece. It actually took me a few minuets to figure out what was wrong with my A/C. The ailerons and rudder were in good shape, no visible ground fire hit, then I noticed the discoloration on the left wing tip.

 

Thanks for great damage model/flight characteristic synergy, Guys.

[Olham 164]

Did you fly through the explosion? No good idea (Lol!)

The Hard DM is what I am using too. I find it best. When I hit enemy craft hard with two Spandaus,

they still break easily enough.

[Guest Barnstorm]

Well, Olham-

I had to make two passes at the balloon, firing several long bursts of direct hits before it would explode. Not recalling basic physics, I pulled up, instead of banking away, catching the debris field of hot gasses, which, of course rise.

[Olham 164]

In an Albatros, you can "learn by doing" that way. A Nupe might have fallen like a burnt butterfly.

 

But the German balloons are even harder to destroy. I flew a Tripe with TWO guns, and it took

4 or even 5 attacks (and I hit that damn Bratwurst each time!), to get the balloon down!

All that even with a swarm of Albatros DV around us! I find it very hard to be an Allied fighter -

crossing the lines all the time.

[Guest Barnstorm]

That's interesting. I have always thought that airships were inherently fragile craft...espically against mg fire. I was ? 'ing if the DM has any effect on balloons and other 'ground targets', or does it just control A/C? Have you noticed any difference?

Edited July 30, 2009 by Barnstorm

[Olham 164]

Couldn't judge that, as I made my first attack on a German balloon only after patching.

 

Winder, Pol - does Hardcore damage model make even balloons stronger?

[Wels 2]

Hello,

 

if the new damage model makes the balloons harder to destroy this is a good idea !

 

Apart from general thinking those gas bags were very hard to destroy, as well as Zeppelins. A direct hit into a gasbag even with incendiary ammunition would not ignite the hydrogen gas !

 

If you wanted to down a balloon you had to go in several times, and wait at least a minute before engaging again after the initial strafe. The hydrogen had to mix with air to become explosive, so it took some time to vent the gas from the punctured cotton, and then ignite the mix that would usually build up above the observation balloon. This is why balloon missions were so hard, and only a few pilots did accomplish more than one lucky balloon kill without being shot down by ground mgs or air cover.

 

What is shown in films like the new Red Baron is plain wrong, even a signalling pistol would have been only fired after the balloon had been punctured before.

 

Until now this "go-in-and-kill" followed by instant "get-the-hell-out-of-here" was not realistic, and much too easy ..

 

Greetings,

Catfish

[Herr Prop-Wasche 7]

The observation balloons are not consistent in OFF. Allied balloons are generally easy to destroy with only a short burst. German balloons, OTOH, are very difficult to destroy, often requiring two or three passes.

 

I have been able to toughen up the Allied balloons somewhat by increasing their hit point values, but I have been largely unsuccessful in making the German balloons any easier.

[+Polovski 456]

They should be pretty much the same. Optional DM is for aircraft only.

You may well be shooting with 1 gun mostly for allied v german balloon though...

 

Balloons were not easy to explode so it will be random but usually takes a few rounds.

[Herr Prop-Wasche 7]

Pol, please check the vehicle folder. There appears to be 2 folders for German observation balloons (g_obs_balloon and h_obs_balloon) but only one Allied balloon (a_obs_balloon). I am particularly suspicious about the h_obs_balloon, as it is the only h_ entry--no h_balloon_base, h_boxcar etc.

[Herr Prop-Wasche 7]

Oh, and I was using a Camel when flying against the German balloons, so I had the use of two guns, not one.

[+Polovski 456]

It does vary though, so hard to say either way. When we get time we'll look into it, but many other things going on at the moment so may be a while..

[Herr Prop-Wasche 7]

Roger. If there is anything amiss, I'm sure you will sort it out.