posted 04-05- 11:59 AM               

It would be impossible for a Supreme Ruler to regulate missions. Missions are like songs; you really don't know how good they are until you've played them in front of an audience.

But I think there are some basic guidelines that should probably be followed, if the builder would like get the maximum amount of joy out of folks going gaa-gaa over flying their mission online:

1. ANTI-AIRCRAFT: Probably one per airfield/target. I know there was more flak in the real war, I know it was much harder for folks who really flew, we're all after a sense of immersion and re-creation, but you get too much, and the folks who are really nice that we all like to fly with who have 266's or something don't have a really good time. We all know that when FR's get below 20, The fifteen minutes you spent organizing the game (Fifteen? Optimistic, eh?), and then launching and flying to target are not really "Quality Time" well-spent.

Another side note to be aware of is that there is a rilly, rilly, good chance that someone will kill the flak, but it will only be dead in that person's world. This can really dampen a good time.

2. BOMBERS: I love heavy bombers. I like seeing my guys bomb targets, and I like shooting them and seeing them go down. I even like the jolt I get when I can't get the bombers, and they flatten my base. It's a learning experience, and incredible to watch. Gets ya torqued up for the next round to make sure it doesn't happen again. But here's the rub: The Bomb Bug.

I heard Spyder mumbling something the other day about how Tail may have discovered that heavy bombers using bomb racks instead of internal bombs may not be as susceptible to the Bomb Bug. Tail, thoughts on this?

I know it wouldn't be as "realistic" as internal ordinance, but if we could somehow get around the 2nd FR Killer the BB, then it would be even MORE fun to have a heavy bomber in a mission.

Also, let's not forget Mossies and Ju's. Tail, any problem with these guys? Should folks use/not use internals on these dudes?

3. AIRCRAFT MATCH-UPS: Again, everyone should have fun designing their missions, and you can only truly judge a mission's merits by playing it a few times online. But here are some pretty neat match-ups that may even be politically correct timeline-wise for the more "hard corps" of us...

a. P-51 vs. 190: Rilly cool. Damn good fight now. 190 seems to be able to outturn '51, and '51 can outrun 190.

b. P-51 vs. 109K: I can't decide which I like better, or which has the advantage. I like flying both, and never feel "safer" in one or the other.

c. F4U vs. Zeke: Obvious. Hopefully straightened out if everyone can update planes easily and quickly. Have no opinion as I've only gotten to fly this ONCE online with everyone who had the right stuff.

d. P-38 vs. Zeke: See above.

e. Spitfires vs. 109's: Even historically, matching the 109E against the Spit I, the F against the V, and the G or K against the IX would be in the ballpark.

Side Note: Probably 500lbs or less of fuel in fighter escorts.

Kids, feel free to throw in wild cards, and do your missions the way you want to. Personally, all I ask is that I have even a slight suspicion that if my side works as a team, and I fly my aircraft as well as possible utilizing the aspects of its performance correctly, that I might have a slim chance of coming home. That's all. And that's just me personally.

I mean, we could do "Slaughter at Dover," where 8 190A4's go against 2 Spitfire Ia's, but that wouldn't necessarily be fun for me.

4. STANDARDIZATION IN NAMING: This doesn't mean that everyone has to follow a necessarily "set" pattern for mission naming, unless of course at some point in the future everyone decides that is what they want to do.

But including your handle or squad name as many have done in the past really, really helps. Also the number of players. This helps hosts sort through a lot easier and a lot faster.

Also what people have said the last few days; including info on "non-standard" 5.3a planes would be helpful.

Here's a big one: If anyone ever modifies someone's mission, please add you callsign, squad, or something that indentifies you, and distinguishes it from the original builder's mission. This keeps people from overwriting missions they really liked.

I think if everyone keeps the flak bug (disappearing in one person's world, alive and deadly in another's...), the Bomb Bug (Tail, more info on the racks you wild-and-crazy-guy you?), and tries to utilize the new aircraft FM's of 5.3a in their missions, we're going to see some really, really great things out there.

In closing, the only reason I'm babbling again is I don't see a lot of people hosting with lots and lots of new, super keen-o missions. All I've got is a bunch of fighter vs. fighter stuff, and a couple good old ones. A lot of the older ones aren't really as interesting anymore.

I don't mind hosting, because I'd rather fly than sit and look at callsigns in the lobby, and manners definitely seemed to have improved lately. Believe me, players excersing patience makes the drudgery of hosting a LOT more tolerable! :0) If anyone builds missions that follow the rough concepts I've outlined above, but for some reaons doesn't like to host, e-mail me, And we can talk about getting them to me so they can be tried online. We could throw them to the madding crowd, and see who applauds.

This Prozac really is going to wear off soon, the doctor swears it,

posted 04-05- 12:46 PM               

Yeah for sure man. We NEED more/better missions.

Me and Mad Dog sometimes make missions and they are never the regular furball stuff. But we don't host and its always a hassle to give it to someone else.

posted 04-05- 12:50 PM               

BTW, the spit 1a can't kill anything online due to the damage bug

The bomb bug is annoying but once a bomber drops their bombs you've already waited too long to shoot them down. Might as well go after the others anyways.

I still have a version of the B17 that Falck did with the bombs mounted on hardpoints in the bomb bay. In our testing it didn't have the bomb bug online.

TS

posted 04-05- 01:50 PM               

Tail: I'm sorry, maybe my bad, but I still haven't actually seen and actually gotten to fly any of these new "balanced" missions. In other words, they just don't seem to be in easily accessed circulation. I've checked with some other folks, and even referring back to Spanky above, it doesn't seem like there's a bunch of new "mission product" flooding the online market.

If it's not too much of a hassle, please e-mail me the TS Island Strike mission, and I'll put it in my multiplayer folder (If I don't have it already. Hell, I probably do. Remember, I'm a 40 year old man with 80 year old's brain...) Of course we have to be careful and not balance them too much, or the purists will don their George F. Will masks, and tongue lash us 'til we're black and blue.

That was the only reason for an additional call to arms. Sometimes my wife has to say my name three times, and then use another name to get my attention. I guess we have to remember that most of us here are of the male species. It just didn't seem like when I got back online that the world was awash with a lot of new missions showcasing the new FM's.

And as far as the bomb bug, I would love for people to have access to that B17 with hardpoints in the bay. Falck 'n TS do it again!

Sure, if bombs have been dropped, you, as a defender, have waited too long.

But let's not forget that the journey back to base for the Big Friends was no picnic, and is something that is definitely worth playing out, as your reference to AA or flak at rear bases to provide for safe landing suggests. That part isn't fun if framerates are down to 14FPS because of the Bomb Bug.

And I still feel that if AA or flak goes down to one person, but still is alive and firing in everyone else's, it kind throw a cold, wet towel on the proceedings. Maybe we can see if it only happens in some missions, and avoid those.

Anway, sorry to be repititious, but if this can start some momentum, so much the better for all of us, and thanks for a truly qualified response.

And Tail, you know how much I love to turn and zoom with ya man. Anytime I finish a game and have to take a break to calm down, it's great!

Moving forward,

posted 04-05- 01:58 PM               

Unfortunately due to a bug in the 5.3a lanc the bomber doesn't hold enough fuel now to reach the target and back in my mission hehe. I think the design of the mission is still worth checking out though I spent a whole day on the one mission. From what I heard the 5.3b lanc also has this issue so it may not be playable for awhile.

You're right the bomb bug isn't fun. With Falck's permission I'll post his B17 ?

Anyways not having sufficient defenses at the bases is not so hot either. I love to read WW2 books and it was pretty suicidal to fly over an enemy base if they knew you were coming.

The last couple missions Zoycite was able to take flak out for me while I was in my bomber. I think you just have to keep firing at the spot where the flak is until the bomber says it's down.

TS

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TS Aircombat

posted 04-05- 02:09 PM               

LOL. Thanks for continuing to work with someone who is soon to be a certified mental patient Tail.

posted 04-05- 02:22 PM               

Wish I could add a smiley but just can't bring myself to.

posted 04-05- 02:25 PM               

Don't worry about adding a face. That put a smile on my REAL face.

posted 04-05- 03:10 PM               

I you join a mission spanky and mad dog are hosting, once they "send the mission" to you, you have it in your multiplayer directory. Then you could just exit the mission back to the lobby so they don't have to host it and you could then turn right around and host that mission immediately.
You just have to agree on a time and place to meet online in sdoe.

Condor out

posted 04-05- 03:37 PM               

(No, I do not want to see a flood of missions with odds like this, but there are other things that (gack) balanced things out...)