air staff assistant

[wolflars]

I never use this option but am curious to know if it works well, also if my forces are advancing across russia, for example, will the "assistant" move my aircraft to bases which are closer to the front?

[larryfulkerson]

I have found that I've had to turn this pig off.  He keeps assigning my planes to missions that I don't want or to loss settings I don't want.  I don't remember EVER using the Air Assistant.

[wolflars]

misallocation of air power resources in direct conflict of wishes of the ground commanders!!  Seems almost too realistic[:D]...but no, I have never used it either, but am curious as to whether it will re-base aircraft on its own and how it determines where they go...ie if the game engine can more accurately detect gaps in my air power "net" that I might miss, especially in the larger scenarios like FiTE (which is an incredible scenario...if I can only convince myself that the one year it would probably take to complete it is worth it[;)])

[larryfulkerson]

ORIGINAL: wolflars
misallocation of air power resources in direct conflict of wishes of the ground commanders!!  Seems almost too realistic[:D]...but no, I have never used it either, but am curious as to whether it will re-base aircraft on its own and how it determines where they go...ie if the game engine can more accurately detect gaps in my air power "net" that I might miss, especially in the larger scenarios like FiTE (which is an incredible scenario...if I can only convince myself that the one year it would probably take to complete it is worth it[;)])

As it happens I'm playing FitE right now, you may have seen my AAR...and I've been at it about four days now and I'm already up to Axis turn 3! What a blistering pace!

[wolflars]

yeah, I have been somewhat following your FiTE AARs, I played the first turn myself--axis turn took several hours with 4 rounds---this scen is one big commitment--I really want to play it but just don't know if my short attention span would survive 400 turns...it really is the perfect scale for TOAW, Regt's/divs at 10-15 km per hex and I really like the eastern front but...well, maybe I'll just see how your game progresses and then decide [:)]...good luck larry!

[ralphtricky]

ORIGINAL: wolflars

misallocation of air power resources in direct conflict of wishes of the ground commanders!! Seems almost too realistic[:D]...but no, I have never used it either, but am curious as to whether it will re-base aircraft on its own and how it determines where they go...ie if the game engine can more accurately detect gaps in my air power "net" that I might miss, especially in the larger scenarios like FiTE (which is an incredible scenario...if I can only convince myself that the one year it would probably take to complete it is worth it[;)])

To answer your question, it doesn't rebase your aircraft.

[LLv34_Snefens]

I haven't got my hands on TOAW-3 yet, but in TOAW-CoW the Air Staff Assistant is a real nono in pbem games, simply because it also starts to set orders for your opponents airforce.
Real frustrating having set all your bombers to rest and then see them try to fly CAS without escort because your opponent clicked the button.

[Catch21]

I tried it when it first appeared, but I found it was a total disaster. I used to (fondly?) call it the ASS- for Air Staff (Assisted) Suicide.

If we think Luftwaffe in the Battle of Britain, it was sometimes a little surreal- like having all your fighters on Rest and then launching all your bombers at London September 15th 1940- say- during daylight hours (several sorties each unit, well that is if they made it back) on Interdiction missions with no cloud cover.

Not sure if it got worked over on TOAWIII, but it sure needed it. If not I'd avoid like the plague if you want to keep an Air Force.

[wolflars]

hmmm...seems to be a consensus on this feature, if it is so poor why keep it.  Any comments from the program/design team? 

[golden delicious]

ORIGINAL: wolflars

hmmm...seems to be a consensus on this feature, if it is so poor why keep it.  Any comments from the program/design team?

Well it seems a bit pointless to actually remove the feature entirely. A new player might use it so as to be able to focus on land warfare, or- as was mentioned in an earlier post- it could be used to simulate a really, really unco-operative air force commander.

[Catch21]

ORIGINAL: golden delicious
a really, really unco-operative air force commander.

Maybe let's just call him Meier.

[wolflars]

But wouldn't it be cool if it was a useful tool?  Also, if it doesnt work all that well doesnt that mean the PO air choices are just as bad?  I guess my real gripe is the air model in general (and to lesser extent the naval).  I noticed some of the other threads are touching on this topic too...
 
 
"When I complained about air cover. . .you said our troops were not battleworthy.  You spoke of the discredited practice of using air force as an alibi for lack of success on the ground" ---from the movie Patton[:'(]