Do very high altitudes affect torpedo bomber and dive bomber accuracy?

[Mike Solli]

ORIGINAL: LoBaron

Never heard of this Raverdave, or witnessed it. I don´t think theres a correlation between attack formation size and altitude.

Where did you get this information?

That definitely happened in WitP. Don't know if it changed in AE.

[Sardaukar]

ORIGINAL: Mike Solli

ORIGINAL: che200

10k is dive bombing
20k is level bombing
15k-20k is glide bombing

Most accurate is 10k for divebombers

[X(] OMG I never knew that!

I think it's be more like 10-20k is dive bombing, 20k+ is level bombing and under 10k it's glide bombing. Glide bombing was used on lower altitudes, because it'd be impossible to pull out from steep dive when too low. What I did read, USN dive bombers started their dives usually from 12 000-16 500ft and pulled out from dive 1500 ft to 2500 ft, mostly closer to 2500 than lower.

This seems to be reason why players who set their DBs to 20k naval attack cannot hit anything. It seems that they are in fact instructing their planes to level bomb at that altitude. Very useful of course if attacking land targets. There seem to be definitive change in accuracy between 19k and 20k, but I haven't really tested it.

[USSAmerica]

ORIGINAL: Sardaukar

ORIGINAL: Mike Solli

ORIGINAL: che200

10k is dive bombing
20k is level bombing
15k-20k is glide bombing

Most accurate is 10k for divebombers

[X(] OMG I never knew that!

I think it's be more like 10-20k is dive bombing, 20k+ is level bombing and under 10k it's glide bombing. Glide bombing was used on lower altitudes, because it'd be impossible to pull out from steep dive when too low. What I did read, USN dive bombers started their dives usually from 12 000-16 500ft and pulled out from dive 1500 ft to 2500 ft, mostly closer to 2500 than lower.

This seems to be reason why players who set their DBs to 20k naval attack cannot hit anything. It seems that they are in fact instructing their planes to level bomb at that altitude. Very useful of course if attacking land targets. There seem to be definitive change in accuracy between 19k and 20k, but I haven't really tested it.

We need a definite answer on this from a developer. [:)]

[Sardaukar]

Indeed. [8D]

[chesmart]

In the Air OOB this is what Catharthes answered regarding Divebombers:

If no one seems to know, then why seem to ask?

Info passed on to me is as follows:
Glide bombing is 16-18K feet.


So:

100-1000      Skipbombing
1000-8000    ??????????
9000-15000   Divebombing
16000-20000 Glidebombing
20000-         Levelbombing

We had a thread a while back by Nemo and these were the conclusions we got to. Till now the only dev who answered was Cathartes.

[sfbaytf]

One thing I have noticed is the 1000 SAP bombs from my SBD and Helldivers do very little damage to BB's. In stock WitP they seemed to be more effective.

[Mynok]

Are you sure they are SAP bombs? Because there is a GP version too.

[Nikademus]

They are one in the same.

[michaelm75au]

Mission: Bombing
A/c type: DB
(1) Group altitude: 10-15K
A/c are treated as if performing a diving attack
(2) Group altitude: 16-19K
A/c are treated as if performing a glide attack
(3) Group altitude: <1K
A/c are treated as if performing a low level attack
(4) Group altitude: 20+ or 1-9K
A/c are treated as if performing a normal horizontal attack
The attacks are based on altitude flown.
If I had to do it again, I would probably let the player pick an 'attack tactic' which would allow planes to approach target at the group alt but determine the attack alt and bombing type based on the 'attack tactic'.

Diving attacks have a better chance than gliding attacks to make a hit; pilots with good NAVAL_BOMB skills have a better chance. Exit altitude is 1000-4000'.
Glide attacks have a better chance than level bombing but not as good as diving attacks to make a hit, but; again better skilled pilots have a better chance. Exit altitude is 2000-5000'.

[Typo after all that - items 3 & 4]

[Sardaukar]

Thanks! Very helpful!

[chesmart]

Thanks

[Admiral Scott]

What about torpedo bombers using bombs.
What altitudes will an Avenger glide bomb instead of level bomb?

[EUBanana]

A curious subject - I usually have my level bombers go in between 6000' and 12000' depending on how heavy the AA is. 6000' would be my default.

I don't think I've ever used level bombers higher than 12k feet though. I know a few aircraft can fly /very/ high, like 40k, and fly right over the fighters, a capability which I have used very occasionally when up against the uberzeroes (eat my dust, suckas!), but thats a bit of a special case and I don't expect anything other than the odd stray hit, kinda like with night bombing.

Looks like other people seem to set their bombers to fly much higher than I do.

[1EyedJacks]

ORIGINAL: michaelm

Mission: Bombing
A/c type: DB
(1) Group altitude: 10-15K
A/c are treated as if performing a diving attack
(2) Group altitude: 16-19K
A/c are treated as if performing a glide attack
(3) Group altitude: <10
A/c are treated as if performing a low level attack
(4) Group altitude: 20+
A/c are treated as if performing a normal horizontal attack
The attacks are based on altitude flown.
If I had to do it again, I would probably let the player pick an 'attack tactic' which would allow planes to approach target at the group alt but determine the attack alt and bombing type based on the 'attack tactic'.

Diving attacks have a better chance than gliding attacks to make a hit; pilots with good NAVAL_BOMB skills have a better chance. Exit altitude is 1000-4000'.
Glide attacks have a better chance than level bombing but not as good as diving attacks to make a hit, but; again better skilled pilots have a better chance. Exit altitude is 2000-5000'.

Hi michaelm - thanks very much for this.

I've noticed in my AE game that enemy DD seem to be elusive little buggers. Along with training the NAVAL_BOMB skills, which would be the best tactic to improve my attacks on DD - low level attacks at an altitide of <10k?

[freeboy]

dd are har dto hit, very hard with torps, has to do with target size and speed... Speed mostly
elusive.. thats works both ways fyi

[Sardaukar]

Skip bombing is way to go to get DDs and smaller surface combatants. Of course you get mauled if your planes happen to attack BBs at 100 ft...

[1EyedJacks]

ORIGINAL: Sardaukar

Skip bombing is way to go to get DDs and smaller surface combatants. Of course you get mauled if your planes happen to attack BBs at 100 ft...

Does skip-bombing only work @ 100ft like in WITP or is it considered part of the low level attack when flying below 10k?

[Sardaukar]

ORIGINAL: 1EyedJacks

ORIGINAL: Sardaukar

Skip bombing is way to go to get DDs and smaller surface combatants. Of course you get mauled if your planes happen to attack BBs at 100 ft...

Does skip-bombing only work @ 100ft like in WITP or is it considered part of the low level attack when flying below 10k?

It seems to be 100ft, but we'd need answer from devs to be sure.

[michaelm75au]

There was a typo in that list -
tm.asp?m=2347631&mpage=1&key=#

[USSAmerica]

Michael, does any altitude affect the number of planes in each Dive Bombing attack packet?&nbsp; 4 vs 9, as in WitP?