Sortie Limits

[Mike Wethington]

OK, this is a very small point, but it does have an effect on gameplay.

It doesn't seem like the sortie limits for individuals are in effect in UV. I know that Fighter pilots in WWII rarely, if ever, flew more than 100 sorties before being rotated back to the states. I think in 1942-43 the limit was even lower due to the need for instructors with actual theatre experience.

Also bomber crews flew under 75 sorties even in the relatively calm Pacific.

My point here is that, while I appreciate my 16 kill Aces, it's a bit unrealistic for someone to have flown P-40s for over 165 combat missions. Flying this many missions out of armpits like DoboDura would certainly effect anyone's morale and mental health, if not their actual physical condition.

Also bomber crews flew under 75 sorties even in the relatively calm Pacific. I have one B-26 squadron that's had the same commander (a Major) in the field since the start of the game (Scen 19) and I'm in July of 1943 now. I'm sure he's probably flown 200 missions.

Maybe UV Delux will have some sort of enforced pilot rotation. That way individual experience doesn't get so high that it's ridiculous. If there is a US fighter ace with 16 kills in May, 1943 they are pulling him out for War Bond tours (or at least naming airports after him).

[anarchyintheuk]

I think the program counts cap as missions, something the US didn't. Rotations based upon missions were more rigorously maintained in the ETO. For example, Richard Bong, top ace for the US spent from 9/42-4/44 in SWPAC (usually at Port Moresby) with only a few months of that time on leave.

As to bombers, I don't know how they calculated missions in rl. If nav. search wasn't included, it would take a while to rack up missions. They weren't very many bombing raids in SWPAC and SOPAC during 42-43.

Personally, I hate pilot rotation. It's in effect in WITP and the drain on pilot pools (especially the Brit pool) is fierce. To an extent the effect in UV is balanced as some of the IJNAF and IJAAF squadrons that operated in theater were disbanded in rl. Both sides benefit from the lack of historical transfers out of theater.