Which is funny because the older longer laser acquisition ranges were likely more correct than current values. I bug reported it, because the values I have found in a document seem to almost perfectly line up with in-game values (for Paveways), so I assume it was the document (a NATO paper) that was used as internal source. This source got pretty used out of context, and as result in-game values suffer from worse stats.
I think the nerf was like for Paveway like bombs specifically from ~7km maximum laser seeker range down to 3657m (12k ft). Now you might think this isn’t too bad, but this range drops off the further you are designating from. So if you want to lase at say 15km away (even in perfectly clear weather), the bomb will basically only acquire the laser at <1km, often missing as result. This is very much not in line with real life performance and documentation. Devs won’t care though, same with Stingers etc.
At this point I kinda just accepted it, and am hoping that more modern variants of the Paveway at least get better seekers. So I was very happy to hear the new Tornado was getting Paveway IV and EGBU-24. So tomorrow I will get to see if their seekers are any different (hint: IRL nothing about the seeker changed, I wonder why?).
Then there is also the big funny that Paveway III share the same seeker range as Paveway IIs despite being significantly larger, but oh well, I don’t know what the real value for that thing is either, so fair enough. AFAIK the laser seeker values of most other weapons are a bit made up as well.
The USAAF fought nobody with a somehow equal airforce (regarding numbers) since spring 1944…after they suffered heavy losses without noticeable success in A2A combat above Europe and North Africa 1942 - 1943.
In the Pacific the majority of experienced fighter pilots of IJN were gone after the Battle of Midway in 1942 - together with the majority of their combat ready fleet carriers. So just a numbers game for the USN/USMC pilots after that.
Any further combats & conflicts were just asymmetric wars regarding air power, either they totally outnumbered opponents or those had no airforce. Even in Korea total US/UN losses exceeded CHN/USSR/NK aircraft losses.
Depending on the bombs and the score multiplier? Quite sufficient.
The p-51H can instakill bases with 2 firebombs and almost max out on reward (max reward is 13.2K sl/15 min for 1050 score, I got 11.4k with 400 sth score).
