Zero Bonus nerfed?

[RUPD3658]

I am playing Scn 1 vs the AI on very hard and my Zeros are getting shredded by Buffaloes and P-40s. Often I attack at a 2:1 ratio and at best exchange losses 1:1. Even pure fighter sweeps of 50 zeros vs 25 P-40s suffer the same. This is 12/41 so it will only get worse from here.

Is this due to the AI getting an advantage in die rolls or has the Zero been nerfed? This would be good to know before I try a PBEM.

[Nomad]

There is no "Zero Bonus" in AE.

[Alfred]

There is no Zero "bonus". Instead pilot experience and relevant skills replace that classical WITP concept.

Alfred

[hunchback77]

They don't call it WITP Allied Edition for nothing. Train, Train, Train, thats all the bonus that's left for the Japanese. Make sure your pilots are better than his or you'll get shot down in droves.

[Alfred]

ORIGINAL: hunchback77

They don't call it WITP Allied Edition for nothing. Train, Train, Train, thats all the bonus that's left for the Japanese. Make sure your pilots are better than his or you'll get shot down in droves.

I presume that was said very much with tongue in cheek. If meant as a serious observation, it is extremely misleading.

Alfred

[bradfordkay]

Yep... there is no arbitrary "Zero bonus" in AE. Instead the Japanese pilots start out with substantially better experience. 

[Rainer]

They don't call it WITP Allied Edition for nothing

Misleading newbies and driving away potential customers. Well done ...

BTW, who is "They"?

[witpqs]

ORIGINAL: Rainer

They don't call it WITP Allied Edition for nothing

Misleading newbies and driving away potential customers. Well done ...

BTW, who is "They"?

Certainly nobody who knows what they are talking about. There is no systematic bias in AE.

[Chickenboy]

ORIGINAL: bradfordkay

Yep... there is no arbitrary "Zero bonus" in AE. Instead the Japanese pilots start out with substantially better experience. 

The new way to handle this is much improved, IMO. The hard coding of the zero bonus was an annoying anachronism. Having experienced pilots with an advantage is much more elegant.

[DeriKuk]

The hard coding of the zero bonus was an annoying anachronism.

I wish the "magic elves" will remove similar hard-code biases in the submarine and ASW routines. The aerial ASW is so broken that my PBEM opponent and I have resorted to house rules to make the game resemble WW2 in some form.

[Goofs who play only short scenarios need not comment. ] [:-]

[Nikademus]

ORIGINAL: RUPD3658

I am playing Scn 1 vs the AI on very hard and my Zeros are getting shredded by Buffaloes and P-40s. Often I attack at a 2:1 ratio and at best exchange losses 1:1. Even pure fighter sweeps of 50 zeros vs 25 P-40s suffer the same. This is 12/41 so it will only get worse from here.

Is this due to the AI getting an advantage in die rolls or has the Zero been nerfed? This would be good to know before I try a PBEM.

Very hard setting gives the AI combat bonuses.

[Terminus]

ORIGINAL: witpqs

ORIGINAL: Rainer

They don't call it WITP Allied Edition for nothing

Misleading newbies and driving away potential customers. Well done ...

BTW, who is "They"?

Certainly nobody who knows what they are talking about. There is no systematic bias in AE.

Well, fanbois will be fanbois.

[rockmedic109]

Was the Zero a better plane in December 1941 than it was in July 1942?

[witpqs]

ORIGINAL: rockmedic109

Was the Zero a better plane in December 1941 than it was in July 1942?

I think he was referring to folks claiming that AE is "Allied Edition".

[Misconduct]

ORIGINAL: rockmedic109

Was the Zero a better plane in December 1941 than it was in July 1942?

Zero is still a zero when your experience is below 65. Mustang or P-80 or not, a Zero will shoot you down if he has 90 exp and you have 50.

[RUPD3658]

Example:

Morning Air attack on Manila , at 79,77

Weather in hex: Severe storms

Raid detected at 36 NM, estimated altitude 8,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 12 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 82
G4M1 Betty x 20



Allied aircraft
P-26A x 7
P-35A x 8
P-40B Warhawk x 9
P-40E Warhawk x 25


Japanese aircraft losses
A6M2 Zero: 9 destroyed
G4M1 Betty: 1 damaged

Allied aircraft losses
P-35A: 1 destroyed
P-40B Warhawk: 1 destroyed
P-40E Warhawk: 1 destroyed
O-47A: 1 destroyed on ground


Allied ground losses:
5 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 1 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled


Airbase hits 6
Airbase supply hits 4
Runway hits 22

[treespider]

ORIGINAL: RUPD3658

Example:

Morning Air attack on Manila , at 79,77

Weather in hex: Severe storms

Raid detected at 36 NM, estimated altitude 8,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 12 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 82
G4M1 Betty x 20



Allied aircraft
P-26A x 7
P-35A x 8
P-40B Warhawk x 9
P-40E Warhawk x 25


Japanese aircraft losses
A6M2 Zero: 9 destroyed
G4M1 Betty: 1 damaged

Allied aircraft losses
P-35A: 1 destroyed
P-40B Warhawk: 1 destroyed
P-40E Warhawk: 1 destroyed
O-47A: 1 destroyed on ground


Allied ground losses:
5 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 1 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled


Airbase hits 6
Airbase supply hits 4
Runway hits 22

Try sweeping with the Zero's for a day or three...then escorting the bombers.

[Sredni]

Fighters on escort typically preform poorly in air to air combat, I dunno why. I've often had escorting fighters that very much outnumber the defending cap get their asses handed to them.

But you're right, those results do look odd. My fighters in manilla certainly never managed to preform anywhere near as well as that. They pretty much got slaughtered while whimpering home to mama.

Could just be luck, or altitude, or even just fog of war you're seeing (in regards to his losses).

[DeriKuk]

Exploit the single most decisive factor in air combat in AE:Altitude.

Do it repeatedly and shamelessly. [:D]

[EUBanana]

The Japanese clean house in the first few months with Zeroes anyway.

Sweep often, sweep at high altitude so you are always above the P40s. Escort in AE basically means you are sacrificing fighters to let bombers get through, its usually better to soften up with some massive sweeps a day or two first.

Also the Allied service ratings are much worse than Japanese so a few days of sweeps, even if you dont shoot much down (though you will) will leave a lot of damaged Allied airframes on the deck to be bombed.

And finally, numbers really matter. I imagine even 100 Nates sweeping 20 P40Es would do some damage... just make sure you mass and send over Zeroes in huge waves.