- Yes
- Just for RB
- For both RB/SB, but nerf gunner accuracy
- Other (Comment below)
- No
- 1.22 km’s/4000 feet
- 2.5 km’s/8200 feet
- I voted No
This post has been copied and pasted from my denied bug report:
When using AI gunners in RB/SB, the gunners target engagement ranges are too low compared to historical real life training manuals.
Currently with an Ace crew and max level in gunners firing range is 0.21 km’s (See figure 1) or 691 feet (See figure 2).
Also to note, Ace target tracking range is 0.66 km’s (See figure 1) or 2165 feet (See figure 2).
Source: AIR GUNNERS - GET THAT FIGHTER, NAVAER 00-80S-32/OPNAV 33-12, ISSUED BY OFFICE OF THE CHIEF OF NAVAL OPERATIONS U.S. NAVY, FEBRUARY, 1944
Pg. 39 states that gunners should not engage at “1000 yards or more”, 1000 yards being 0.91 km’s or 3000 feet.
Pg. 40 and 41 further clarifies that gunners should start firing at 600 yards/2000 feet (USAAF/USN), and that ranges of 300 yards/1000 feet (USAAF/USN) are ranges in which the gunner should “Pour it on” and (fire)“Now or else”(they’re dead).
2000 feet and 1000 feet converted to km’s are 0.61 km’s and 0.31 km’s respectively. Even the lowest possible distance figure is lower than the Ace crew with maximum crew points into gunners in-game. Additionally the target tracking range would be too low if the firing range was increased, and wouldn’t give in-game gunners enough time to turn their guns to face the target.
Target tracking range should ideally be far to give gunners time to face the target, personally I would recommend 2.5 km’s or 8200 feet. However the manual only makes mention of 1200 yards/4000 feet (1.22 km’s) as being too far to fire at on Pg. 39/40, this range however is not the manuals recommended spotting range, merely just a range at which not to fire at.
With this instructional manual, we can see that crews are trained to fire at a target between 2000 feet, but no more than 3000 feet in distance. I therefore suggest that the basic crew level with maximum points invested should use 2000 feet as the baseline, using an expert or ace crew will allow for slightly higher ranges than 2000 feet as these are crew that are above the baseline in proficiency. In figure 2, we can see in-game that the expert crew provides 48 additional feet of firing range, this is a difference of 7.8%, and that ace on top of expert provides an additional 32 feet, a difference of 4.8%. If we use these numbers as a basis, expert firing range should be roughly 2156 feet, and ace should be 2260 feet respectively.
Recommended changes:
Increase Maxed Basic Crew Firing Range from 0.19 km’s/618 feet to 0.61 km’s/2000 feet
Increase Maxed Expert Crew Firing Range from 0.2 km’s/666 feet to 0.66 km’s/2156 feet
Increase Maxed Ace Crew Firing Range from 0.21 km’s/698 feet to 0.69 km’s/2260 feet
Increase Target Tracking Range from 0.66 km’s/2165 feet to at the minimum 1.22 km’s/4000 feet
Intentions:
My intentions with this bug report is to increase the effectiveness of AI gunner standards to realistic levels and provide spending crew points into gunner skills to be worthwhile, and to serve as a deterrence to fighter players. The goal is not to make gunners do the work of the player, but to provide ample warning to a bomber player that enemy aircraft are approaching, and provide a deterrence to enemy players. For more accurate and consistent defensive fire the player should still take manual control of the guns.
Additional thoughts for the developers;
As stated in my intentions, is not to make bomber players to not use their own defensive guns. However in the games current state, it is a waste of crew points to invest into gunner skills in RB/SB and AI gunners are effectively useless. By increasing the Firing and Target Tracking Range to the above suggested, it allows for AI gunners to play a minor role in the defense of the bomber, even at Ace Crew, most fighter players would have already fired upon the bomber at ranges beyond that which were given. If a fighter player closes the distance, they should be punished for ineffectively planning for intercepting a bomber. This will encourage more thoughtful interception tactics such as head on passes, or slashing attacks. If gunner effectiveness proves too high for what the developers envision for the game (balance), then I suggest increasing the Fire Scatter skill to make gunners less accurate, rather than having the lower range as it is in-game. Then in such scenario the gunner even if not accurate, can serve as a deterrent forcing the attacker to not simply fly in a straight line behind the bomber.
Figure 1: https://i.imgur.com/GmQ8OVM.jpeg
Figure 2: https://i.imgur.com/icmPP35.jpeg
Source:
AIR GUNNERS - GET THAT FIGHTER, NAVAER 00-80S-32/OPNAV 33-12, ISSUED BY OFFICE OF THE CHIEF OF NAVAL OPERATIONS U.S. NAVY, FEBRUARY, 1944
