Gilly
10-26-2010, 10:12 AM
Bombers Guide
As most of the guides, hints and tips relate to fighters in this forum I thought I would write a little section on bombing as it’s often forgotten about.
Targets
Targets vary enormously on Strike depending upon the theatre of conflict. Depending upon which Map and targets (explained more below on each map) will depend upon my strategy for attacking them. Land targets take fewer hits to destroy that ship targets but there are usually more of them. Plus the smaller the bombs the more important it is to be accurate with your bombs to ensure maximum damage. For the Maps section below I have based calculations on a B17 carrying 8x1000lbs with a max load of 48 of them.
Targeting
In Arcade and Realistic targeting is made slightly easier by being able to lock on and track the target in all views.
With Sim you only get a third person view with the bombing reticule below. This makes identifying as well as accurately bombing more difficult. The reticule itself will change to a bright red when you are ‘on target’. The advantage Sim has over the other modes is that the reticule will work up to approx 22,000ft (arcade&realistic reticule working to approx 14,000ft)meaning on ‘long travel’ maps such as Britain you can use altitude to your advantage and bomb from the heavens.
Strike Maps
The first point to make here is the imbalance of targets and distances between them on certain strike maps. To highlight and demonstrate this I’ve taken each map and written a small bit about each.
Britain
Team A will always have an advantage with this map e.g. in a 12+ player game Team A will have 6 ships (2x lines of 3) to hit all of which are in one area off the coast. Team B will have 12 targets but these will be spread inland across the whole of the UK map. Therefore immediately Team A has the advantage over distance too as well as between targets.
Similarly with regard to the ship targets it takes approx 14,000lbs to sink each one therefore any half decent B17 pilot can destroy a whole row (3 ships) with one aircrafts full complement of 48 bombs. Whereas each land target takes 9,000lbs to destroy them (unfortunately sim mode has a distinct disadvantage here in that it will only drop in pairs, therefore by default its automatically 10,000lbs) the maximum that can be destroyed in one B17 compliment of bombs is 4 targets plus one heavily damaged- plus only 3 of these would be in one area requiring further travel to the next set of targets.
Additionally, Team A’s targets are at sea meaning they can’t be missed by even the blindest pilot; Team B sadly has to search out its targets overland. So all in all it is a very distinct advantage to be Team A on this map.
Sicily- The Coast
This is more or less exactly the same as what is written above. Team A has two cruisers to hit off the coast whereas Team B has multiple targets spaced out across the whole map to hit. Plus Team B also has the added disadvantage in that all the inland targets are in amongst hundreds of small white building making visual recognition very, very difficult.
Sicily
An equal map with equal numbers of target spaced equally on both sides making this one of the fairest maps in terms of targets per team as well as distance between them. Again however, the Sicily issue of ground recognition rears its head as targets are often in and around towns.
Korsun
Probably the worst map to play on as team A has a massive advantage in that targets are grouped into two distinct tight groups whereas team B has a fair spread across a larger area. I can finish this map as team A flying a B17 in less than 3 minutes including travel to targets. A nice spread of bombs in and around the two target areas will result in almost complete destruction. Normally used by ‘boosting’ idiots desperate to improve their scoreboard position.
Ardennes
More or less the same as the Korsun above. 2nd choice for ‘boosters’
Winter in Stalingrad
More or less the same as Korsun above. Team A has two distinct groups of targets, team B sadly has a long string along the both river banks. Flying as Team A, a nice spread around the group results in almost complete destruction. Another scoreboard whores favourite.
Stalingrad
An equal number of targets over an equal area thereby making this map, as Sicily, a fair and equal map to play on.
Berlin
An equal number of targets over an equal area thereby making this map, as Sicily and Stalingrad, a fair and equal map to play on. This map is glitched however and can end up with you having destroyed all your targets yet having a few hundred points remaining still. This requires you to actually bomb 4 (a specific 4) of your own (green) targets to resolve this.
All of the above is based on my experience of playing across all three modes over the past year. If anyone wants a bombing session drop me a line and I’ll happily pass on my experience as well as a few tricks learned.
As most of the guides, hints and tips relate to fighters in this forum I thought I would write a little section on bombing as it’s often forgotten about.
Targets
Targets vary enormously on Strike depending upon the theatre of conflict. Depending upon which Map and targets (explained more below on each map) will depend upon my strategy for attacking them. Land targets take fewer hits to destroy that ship targets but there are usually more of them. Plus the smaller the bombs the more important it is to be accurate with your bombs to ensure maximum damage. For the Maps section below I have based calculations on a B17 carrying 8x1000lbs with a max load of 48 of them.
Targeting
In Arcade and Realistic targeting is made slightly easier by being able to lock on and track the target in all views.
With Sim you only get a third person view with the bombing reticule below. This makes identifying as well as accurately bombing more difficult. The reticule itself will change to a bright red when you are ‘on target’. The advantage Sim has over the other modes is that the reticule will work up to approx 22,000ft (arcade&realistic reticule working to approx 14,000ft)meaning on ‘long travel’ maps such as Britain you can use altitude to your advantage and bomb from the heavens.
Strike Maps
The first point to make here is the imbalance of targets and distances between them on certain strike maps. To highlight and demonstrate this I’ve taken each map and written a small bit about each.
Britain
Team A will always have an advantage with this map e.g. in a 12+ player game Team A will have 6 ships (2x lines of 3) to hit all of which are in one area off the coast. Team B will have 12 targets but these will be spread inland across the whole of the UK map. Therefore immediately Team A has the advantage over distance too as well as between targets.
Similarly with regard to the ship targets it takes approx 14,000lbs to sink each one therefore any half decent B17 pilot can destroy a whole row (3 ships) with one aircrafts full complement of 48 bombs. Whereas each land target takes 9,000lbs to destroy them (unfortunately sim mode has a distinct disadvantage here in that it will only drop in pairs, therefore by default its automatically 10,000lbs) the maximum that can be destroyed in one B17 compliment of bombs is 4 targets plus one heavily damaged- plus only 3 of these would be in one area requiring further travel to the next set of targets.
Additionally, Team A’s targets are at sea meaning they can’t be missed by even the blindest pilot; Team B sadly has to search out its targets overland. So all in all it is a very distinct advantage to be Team A on this map.
Sicily- The Coast
This is more or less exactly the same as what is written above. Team A has two cruisers to hit off the coast whereas Team B has multiple targets spaced out across the whole map to hit. Plus Team B also has the added disadvantage in that all the inland targets are in amongst hundreds of small white building making visual recognition very, very difficult.
Sicily
An equal map with equal numbers of target spaced equally on both sides making this one of the fairest maps in terms of targets per team as well as distance between them. Again however, the Sicily issue of ground recognition rears its head as targets are often in and around towns.
Korsun
Probably the worst map to play on as team A has a massive advantage in that targets are grouped into two distinct tight groups whereas team B has a fair spread across a larger area. I can finish this map as team A flying a B17 in less than 3 minutes including travel to targets. A nice spread of bombs in and around the two target areas will result in almost complete destruction. Normally used by ‘boosting’ idiots desperate to improve their scoreboard position.
Ardennes
More or less the same as the Korsun above. 2nd choice for ‘boosters’
Winter in Stalingrad
More or less the same as Korsun above. Team A has two distinct groups of targets, team B sadly has a long string along the both river banks. Flying as Team A, a nice spread around the group results in almost complete destruction. Another scoreboard whores favourite.
Stalingrad
An equal number of targets over an equal area thereby making this map, as Sicily, a fair and equal map to play on.
Berlin
An equal number of targets over an equal area thereby making this map, as Sicily and Stalingrad, a fair and equal map to play on. This map is glitched however and can end up with you having destroyed all your targets yet having a few hundred points remaining still. This requires you to actually bomb 4 (a specific 4) of your own (green) targets to resolve this.
All of the above is based on my experience of playing across all three modes over the past year. If anyone wants a bombing session drop me a line and I’ll happily pass on my experience as well as a few tricks learned.