What about BoB at night?

[Viking]

I recall a conversation with Oleg in the good old days when he frequented ORR, the topic was nightfighters. Oleg claimed, correctly in my opinion, that very few users would be interested in a game where you had to fly blind, on instruments only, for hours, led by a voice until the very last moment when you homed in using radar or a faint visual image, fire a burst and then, depending on if you hit or not, repeat it over again. How many hours will even the aficionados spend in that game?

A correct moon phase and star map for the BoB almanac, 10 July to 15 September, is expected. But the time of year indicates that the nights will not be pitch black.
Later on, further north, different story.

[Avimimus]

I think Oleg underestimates the appeal of night combat. With the exception of U-2s, Li-2s and German bombers late in the war it was not very significant on the Russian front. But for members of the Commonwealth, it is about 60% of the air war we read about and know.

The fact is Oleg knows relatively little about night combat (as evidence, he modeled night vision from searchlights but had eyesight recover within five seconds - it should be five minutes!)

Night combat isn't just about instrument flying and vectoring, it is also about visual navigation, correct timing, night landings, low level ground attack, target marking, freeform evasive maneuvers etc.

Who would want a B-17 sim after all? Navigation is fairly easy in daytime, the flight is straight forward once you get to altitude. Use of a single turret has little effect on your probability of survival. The box formation prevents most evasive maneuvers (including attempting to throw off flak. Most likely you will be killed by flak. The Norden is only used by the lead bomber (so you don't even get to bomb). Talk about boring!

[skypilot]

Night combat would be excellent.

[1.JaVA_Sharp]

Originally Posted by Viking

I recall a conversation with Oleg in the good old days when he frequented ORR, the topic was nightfighters. Oleg claimed, correctly in my opinion, that very few users would be interested in a game where you had to fly blind, on instruments only, for hours, led by a voice until the very last moment when you homed in using radar or a faint visual image, fire a burst and then, depending on if you hit or not, repeat it over again. How many hours will even the aficionados spend in that game?

A correct moon phase and star map for the BoB almanac, 10 July to 15 September, is expected. But the time of year indicates that the nights will not be pitch black.
Later on, further north, different story.

to add to that, the RAF had a virtually none existent nightfighting capabillity in '40. Experienced pilots were allowed to try nightflying though and had to work with searchlights from the ground to even find their targets.

[jasonbirder]

Navigation is fairly easy in daytime

??? It might be in IL2 but it certainly wasn't in real life! Especially with the weather that is typical over North West Europe

[JG52Uther]

Originally Posted by jasonbirder

??? It might be in IL2 but it certainly wasn't in real life! Especially with the weather that is typical over North West Europe

Remember the great 'Kenley' raid in the Battle of Britain,a group of specially trained airmen in Do17's flying all the way from France to Kenley in the UK at very low altitude to bomb the airfield!Amazing stuff!
Nightfighting was a big percentage of the war in the air,and it would be great to have it in SoW one day.
Bit O/T but a shame Oleg has said the Do17 will be ai only. From what I have read it made up 25% of the LW bomber force in the BoB.

[Zorin]

I don't think the Do family will remain AI only. It lasted on in so many versions that it would be a real shame. Just think of Do217s with Hs293 or Fritz X launching on naval targets in the Mediterranean

[JG52Uther]

Last time I spoke to him,admittedly some months ago,he stated that the Do17 would be ai only.Hopefully that position has changed since then.It would be a real shame to not have this important plane.

[F19_Klunk]

when I find the time to play around with FS2004, night flying with ILS is one of my favourites... difficult as hell when not used to it, I can only imagine how difficult it was back then...

[JG52Uther]

A 'nightfighter/bomber add on' for SoW might have more sales than they think!.