Offboard flak units needed !

[Gavris Narcis]

I highly suggest introduction of a new unit type, offboard flak artillery, to engage level bombers, something like SPWW2 have; the AI calculate the engagement between this offboard flak units and the enemy level bombers and make results. Because this level bombers unless engaged by this flaks behaving like superunits, without any fear on battlefield. And that's higly innacurate and not good for gameplay. Seems SPWW2 resolved this problem. It's time for SPWAW.


Leo.

[Toontje]

Well, level bombing was more or less designed to do that, hit without being hit. I doubt the use of adding this, as very, very few players use level bombing when it's availlable. If you suspect level bombing, just don't park your units in locations likely to be targeted.

IF AAA should fire on level bombers, make it so heavy AAA is capable of this feat. But likely, adding this feature would be more work then it's worth.

[Irinami]

Agreed with the reply.

You get roughly the same destructive potential from 300 points of level bombers as from 300 points of artillery.

Level bombers have the advantage of delivering this mayhem in one blow. Their disadvantage is that it is spread out in a line, and is pre-plotted for a pre-determined hex line for a pre-determined turn. Nothing about it can be changed. If you plot it wrong and hit nothing, oh well. If you've already extricated the enemy from that row, too bad. If you've got men trapped in that row... too bad. If the enemy has overrun your positions... strategic bombers will still bomb that row which you probably no longer need bombed.

Artillery has the advantage of being able to plot it in different places, being able to use a few shells here, a huge barrage there, depending on what the delay is and how many barrels you activate. Onboard artillery can be reloaded; offboard can't be overrun. On the other hand, apart from rockets, artillery does not allow you to drop 300 points of destructive force in one fell swoop.

I can understand having offboard flak operate using offboard counterbattery fire routines against level bombers. However, I do not see it being sufficiently worthwhile to Matrix to modify the executables on a game they have already declared to be finished and obsolete, for the benefit of a handful of players. (8.0, unless I'm completely mistaken, is an OOB update, not an executable update. It's in the same vein as H2H: You could do it if you wanted to.) Were they to modify SPWAW's executables, I believe there are other, more broadly anticipated features they would implement or bugs they would fix (eg, vehicles having a Reverse gear) before implementing Off-Board AAA. But the closest I think you'll get to that is waiting for you in their new commercial game. You know... the one that sells for money, to pay for the programmers who implement these great ideas. And, Gavris, you DO have some really great ideas, don't make the mistake of thinking your ideas are not appreciated.

I know I have been verbose. Just trying to explain why it's not likely. In short: It's a change that would affect very few players' gameplay, there are other features that would affect more players' gameplay, and none of those are going to get implemented if it means farking with the executables, AFAIK.

[Gavris Narcis]

>I can understand having offboard flak operate using offboard counterbattery fire routines against level bombers. However, I do not see it being sufficiently worthwhile to Matrix to modify the executables on a game they have already declared to be finished and obsolete, for the benefit of a handful of players.

I don't have this opinions. First, level bombers are very usefull, and second, SPWAW are far from being ''finished and obsolete''.


Leo.

[Irinami]

I don't have this opinions. First, level bombers are very usefull, and second, SPWAW are far from being ''finished and obsolete''.

The "finished and obsolete" is not my opinion. Re-read it, I said that Matrix themselves--from what I've read and heard--have declared the game to be 1.) finished, and 2.) obsolete. (Their new product the old guys are drooling about is, in a way, being developed to replace SPWAW. What's it called? Combat Command, or something?) Not an opinion but as far as I know, a fact.

I stand by that and by the prediction that no changes to the executables or libraries (id est, .dll, .exe, etc) will be found coming from Matrix--only OOB modifications using existing categories, classifications, etc. (EG, you will not have a new category of vehicle called 'Beer,' though you may find at some point a 'Beer' unit which is a keg-shaped command tent. They have about the same effect--increased morale. )

Not trying to be a jerk, just saying that, unless you're VERY handy with a hex-editor, don't count on any changes of such a magnitude.

[Gavris Narcis]

Do you know what ww2 shells had HESH/HEP instead of normal HE content ?
One I know: 270 mm british AVRE, and for that the HE penetration capabilities are others than normal HE. Or above some caliber limit all have HESH/HEP ? What limit ? If is the case ofcourse.


cheers,

Leo.