Make aircraft able to capture zones (again)

Suggestions Gameplay
1
[Would you like to see this returned to the game?]
  • Yes
  • No
0 voters

Years ago, after helicopters were added to the game, it became possible to capture points in combined arms games by landing an aircraft on a capture point, as long as you were stationary and intact on the ground within the cap point.

This was a great game mechanic, even though the opportunity to capture points with aircraft was rare. On many maps it’s impossible to land on any points, and attempting landing on combat zone would often either fail or have you shot down by the enemy tanks on the ground.

However, when you managed to pull it off, it could change the outcome of the game. Which I think was fine, considering the feat of aviation required to successfully land and taxi to a cap point.

At some point during spring or summer 2023, this ability was removed. Aircraft can no longer capture points in SB Ground (and this probably also applies to RB Ground). I haven’t found any direct patch notes about this, but as per this bug report, it’s confirmed to be an intentional change. I don’t know if it affects helicopters as well, as I don’t really play helicopters.

With this suggestion, I would like to petition Gaijin to reconsider the change, or at least share some of their reasoning for this change. From my point of view, I don’t see any way that this change improves the game. The main problem I have with this is that it’s a change that simply reduces player agency for fixed-wing aviation. Landing on a cap point is one of the hardest things a pilot could do in War Thunder.

Not only is it technically challenging to find the right approach and execute the landing without colliding into things, it also requires great situational awareness about when and where it’s possible to do so without enemy interference.

Removing the ability to capture points with aircraft is not strictly speaking a game-changing decision, as most pilots would not even attempt it. I seriously doubt this was ever something that meaningfully altered game balance, considering how rare it was even for skilled pilots to successfully do. But for the few pilots with the ability and knowledge to do so, it does affect the game negatively by removing this option from their toolbox.

The ability to capture points with a plane was, in my opinion, a celebration of superior pilotage.

By contrast, I see the removal of this ability as a way to artificially lower the skill ceiling in the game, by removing options that require the highest skill level.

With that in mind, I would like to ask Gaijin to reconsider their decision to remove the ability to capture points with aircraft, and hopefully revert it.

9 Likes
2

I can only see this change is because of the snow ball effect the match can have. If your team is winning with massive advantage, then a Heli or plane with vertical landing/take off can cap any enemy capture point more easily. (this is my idea of a situation though).
On the flip side: This also means that it is even less likely that the enemy have more than enough resources to spawn and safely land on the point and it would be even riskier.
However like you said, it takes great aviation skill and situational awareness to pull this off if in most cases (except 1 sided matches).
Thinking about it, if a match is 1 sided, then it doesn’t matter if an enemy has 2 or 3 objectives capped.

2 Likes
3

It was always great fun in Ground RB to risk your entire aircraft to just touch down on an enemy capture point and maybe win the game by decapturing it.

I wish that came back too, when it worked it was always extremely satisfying for me, and entertaining for my allies watching my probably burning wreck fly across their screen.

8 Likes
4

Zone capture in aircraft is so rare and hazardous to perform that it should 100% be allowed. Bring it back!

12 Likes
5

Basically everyone knows that it’s a horrible idea to capture a zone in a plane. There usually is little to no space to land, and when there is, there can be enemies.
So getting it on a cap point can take so much skill that players should be rewarded with the cap.

5 Likes
6

Yea, this should never have been removed…

Absolutely this… People wouldn’t notice a biplane just knocking the cap randomly, and it was hilarious to see someone ballsy enough to do it.

5 Likes
7

Yes, we need more content

8

Honestly it was rare and deserved by those who did it lol

1 Like
9

I just want to confirm that I was only stating the fact that aircraft capturing zones are hard to pull off and that they work in only few situations but I could be wrong as I don’t play areas where helicopters are a common sighting.
The fact that it is hard to still pull off and only in some cases you can safely land is still there, so players should definitely get rewarded for it. You are right about that

10

I still dont know why they removed it …

2 Likes
11

I frequently cap points in a helicopter, but its extremely difficult since you’re a huge target for the enemy team (and your own stupid team mates)… I get TK’d about the same as the enemy gets me… so removing friendly fire ON the cap would also be nice.

There are a handful of maps where you can spawn and cap early, but it’s a silly change to remove this from planes… a harrier can land on the helipad, why not the cap?

2 Likes
12

The removal of this was rather dumb. Cause oddly enough if a pilot can pull this often, it ends up being a morale boost. Temporary or not. It helped encourage the tanks to better coordinate no matter how limited it is.

Now related but, I remember being the only fighter in the sky engaging every single aircraft coming into combat, which somehow managed to allow the team to have one of those ground-centric battles and made a massive difference. They focused on the ground and we won. So i feel like i was the reason why we won.

4 Likes
13

I approve of such a change, i remember maining cas almost entirely when i started playing ground battles in early last yr and one of my favorite pivotal moments a few times i was flying the ki61 and without stopping would decap a point as long as you did a touch and go on the point, and managed to turn the tide of those games by reducing the ticket drain burden and helping our team win.

1 Like
14

Wait you can’t anymore? Since when? Why would they do that :(

2 Likes
15

I have found out if you land in the zone as a tank is capping it you get the reward for it too but a tank has to be there with you

16

Helis can still land on points to cap them (and I think they should also be allowed to since they’re super easy to shoot when landing on a cap)

I’d love to see this come back. It was always fun trying to touchdown on a point, and if you could take off again, even better. Friendly or enemy, I loved watching them try and be rewarded if they managed it

It just doesn’t make sense that planes had the ability to cap removed and helis didn’t when they’re both super hard to do, and don’t usually impact anymore than a light tank zooming between caps to decap them other than moral

Let us have fun, Gaijin, you take more than enough away already

17

100% on bringing this back. It is such a rare scenario there is no point having it out.

They could make it harder to land in dead zones that tanks can’t see by adding objects that would collide with the helicopters to stop them using them.

I know on urban maps there were zones they could land in that nobody could see them and the cap could not be flipped.