How does altitude affect the air missions?

[Novaliz]

What is the difference having for example a ground support at 9000 altitude vs for example 8000 altitude? Is it just a flavor thing or how does it affect my missions? The rulebook says that some missions alter the altitude anyway like ground attack etc?

[loki100]

most times you trade off losses for accuracy, higher=lower losses (esp to flak) but your bombs miss.

too high (>25'k if I recall), you pick up extra operational losses to reflect the challenge of operating at that height

Fighter bombers and tactical bombers conduct their actual attack at 1,000' IF their mission height is 5k+

Very low level missions with experienced crews can be effective, same with less experienced crews ends up as a disaster

[Tailspintommy]

From my understanding of the book, in ground attack and ground support missions flown by dive bombers or fighter bombers, they will fly at the altitude set by the player but conduct their actual attack at much lower altitude just as would have happened in reality. This will expose them to ground fire over target but if the altitude set by the player is (e.g. 12000) they should be safe from most flack on the journey to and from the target hex. I assume they may become more vulnerable to enemy intercept missions though so having air superiority and adequate escort is important.
Recon and level bombing missions should fly at the altitude you set but flying above optimum height to avoid flack will again increase intercept chances and decrease accuracy.
It won't just be a 'flavour thing', there will be a trade off to calculate somewhere but the trick is finding the sweet spot to minimise losses and maximise mission effect.
I expect other things have been factored into the equation as well, such as weather conditions and crew fatigue which will effect operational losses but I haven't tested it all out. The devs and testers will know better but I hope as much detail as possible has been modelled into it.

[mssm45]

What is the impact of the altitude on air to air fighter combats?

Each fighter type has an optimal altitude. So what happens when fighters set to 20K Alt are engaged with fighters at 10K Alt?
Which altitude is used to resolve the combat? 20 or 10K?

[Stamb]

How do you even set fighters altitude for interception?

[loki100]

ORIGINAL: mssm45

What is the impact of the altitude on air to air fighter combats?

Each fighter type has an optimal altitude. So what happens when fighters set to 20K Alt are engaged with fighters at 10K Alt?
Which altitude is used to resolve the combat? 20 or 10K?

it depends, most of the planes in action in the game are happy at 9k (the game default) some such as the Mig-3 ideally want to be very high (it was designed to contest strategic bombing).

As far as I know, at extreme gaps no action takes place, certainly that happened in WiTW a lot. In general planes on AS tend to use any height advantage (escorts being tied to the bombers). Usually in the air war, experience gives advantages so my guess is that the higher experience air group gets some ability to set the location of combat

ORIGINAL: Stamb

How do you even set fighters altitude for interception?

using the air directives screen, interception uses the same rules as per Air Superiority

[Stamb]

ORIGINAL: loki100

ORIGINAL: Stamb

How do you even set fighters altitude for interception?

using the air directives screen, interception uses the same rules as per Air Superiority

[/quote]
Thanks

ORIGINAL: loki100


As far as I know, at extreme gaps no action takes place, certainly that happened in WiTW a lot. In general planes on AS tend to use any height advantage (escorts being tied to the bombers). Usually in the air war, experience gives advantages so my guess is that the higher experience air group gets some ability to set the location of combat

I did not know how to set altitude for auto interception and in a2a combat i saw that Soviets planes were 1 or 2k above my planes. I suppose experience is not playing a role here as German pilots are way more experienced than Soviets.

[Novaliz]

Something new learned here. Thank you

[Tailspintommy]

ORIGINAL: mssm45

What is the impact of the altitude on air to air fighter combats?

Each fighter type has an optimal altitude. So what happens when fighters set to 20K Alt are engaged with fighters at 10K Alt?
Which altitude is used to resolve the combat? 20 or 10K?

I have no proof of this but I'm guessing that fighters passing at a 10k height difference may not even see each other so no combat would occur. Maybe with high pilot experience, clear weather and a lucky dice roll but initial advantage should always go to those at a higher altitude to simulate the advantage of being able to set up their attack and bounce the enemy.
I don't know how it's calculated 'in game' but in reality, even an obsolete type should be able to dive down and make one quick strike before diving away for home without engaging in a dogfight where it's totally outclassed and would lose.. The success of that strike would be a combination of pilot experience and luck.