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The operational losses being quite high even when not facing enemy interceptors, the recon missions seem quite underwhelming. Germans are producing only a few dozen recon aircraft a week, running only a low number of missions will result into operational losses that easily outrun their production numbers.

What actually does "Air Recon. Axis: X" on a hex give you? Is that X the Detection Level?

I'm not actually seeing Detection Level represented anywhere, shouldn't any hex with unit/factory/airbase show a detection level number, even when there weren't any recon missions flown there? Even empty hexes should give DL:0, but I don't find that info anywhere. Combat Recon view gives only representation of Air Recon levels.

Detection as a number is no longer shown to the players. You can get 'detection bands' through the colors when you place Recon filter on the map.

I'm also seeing my Axis recon numbers drop each week. I've tried different altitudes, escort on/off, different ranges but nothing seems to prevent these recurring losses - has anyone been successful in limiting the losses?

Also - the recon information I'm getting seems to be pretty "thin", certainly not as much info as WITE1 (and that is probably a very good thing). Just wondering if I'm doing something wrong or this is the new normal.

sounds 'normal for #2' to be honest.

your recon is a scarce resource and a couple of days a week to get some idea of what is there (use the interdiction mission) is probably as good as it gets. If you are planning a big offensive in relatively poor terrain, then commit more assets - but that should be the unusual allocation not the weekly norm

really it seems the only way to limit the losses is not really to fly [;)]

ORIGINAL: carlkay58

Detection as a number is no longer shown to the players. You can get 'detection bands' through the colors when you place Recon filter on the map.

I'm a bit disappointed with this feature. The recon filter doesn't include ground recon that the units do on adjacent enemies.

The air recon filter view is really not that informative. The brown color is not distinctive enough, color difference between a "no recon" and ">0 recon" hexes is quite small.

If detection level is hidden, how does air recon correlate to it? Air recon number = detection level? Since recon is a sparse resource, any advantage it provides should be somehow quantifiable.

ORIGINAL: Nix77

If detection level is hidden, how does air recon correlate to it? Air recon number = detection level? Since recon is a sparse resource, any advantage it provides should be somehow quantifiable.

Not much different in real life. All you know is that you drove through, flew over, and took picturs of an area.

What you infer from that is to a large extent informed guess work and depends heavily on expectations.

The game is very generous as it is with the amount of information you get from being adjacent.

ORIGINAL: loki100

sounds 'normal for #2' to be honest.

your recon is a scarce resource and a couple of days a week to get some idea of what is there (use the interdiction mission) is probably as good as it gets. If you are planning a big offensive in relatively poor terrain, then commit more assets - but that should be the unusual allocation not the weekly norm

really it seems the only way to limit the losses is not really to fly [;)]

Thank you Loki - appreciate the quick response

ORIGINAL: MechFO

ORIGINAL: Nix77

If detection level is hidden, how does air recon correlate to it? Air recon number = detection level? Since recon is a sparse resource, any advantage it provides should be somehow quantifiable.

Not much different in real life. All you know is that you drove through, flew over, and took picturs of an area.

What you infer from that is to a large extent informed guess work and depends heavily on expectations.

The game is very generous as it is with the amount of information you get from being adjacent.

I totally get your point, the way recon works is not problematic for me at all, it's just the way it's presented to the player that I feel is not good enough. I like the fact that the player needs to do more guesswork and recon planes aren't an eternal all-seeing eye in the sky.

I remember reading something about L1 air fields cause higher operational losses, especially in bad weather or when there's muddy ground. On turns when there's mud or bad weather I only commit air groups from L2 or higher air fields. It feels like I get less op losses but hard to say for sure.

ORIGINAL: SwedenJens

I remember reading something about L1 air fields cause higher operational losses, especially in bad weather or when there's muddy ground. On turns when there's mud or bad weather I only commit air groups from L2 or higher air fields. It feels like I get less op losses but hard to say for sure.

yes - that is right, its rule 16.6.7 where a level 2 or 3 airbase will protect you from higher operational losses if there is mud in the hex

ORIGINAL: Nix77

ORIGINAL: MechFO

ORIGINAL: Nix77

If detection level is hidden, how does air recon correlate to it? Air recon number = detection level? Since recon is a sparse resource, any advantage it provides should be somehow quantifiable.

Not much different in real life. All you know is that you drove through, flew over, and took picturs of an area.

What you infer from that is to a large extent informed guess work and depends heavily on expectations.

The game is very generous as it is with the amount of information you get from being adjacent.

I totally get your point, the way recon works is not problematic for me at all, it's just the way it's presented to the player that I feel is not good enough. I like the fact that the player needs to do more guesswork and recon planes aren't an eternal all-seeing eye in the sky.

I agree. The recon levels feel right, but the way its presented visually is very poor. I do like the green blue and red bars for airbase recon, however, but recommend they make the brown hex shading to have more differentiation.