Just a general observation I’ve made. Certain aircraft in the game are clearly intended to be used to bomb bases. (Bombers, heavy strike aircraft like the F111, F105, the skyraiders etc.) However the vast majority of the time these aircraft (and others) aren’t even viable to be used as a base bomber. Bases are destoyed by faster aircraft before you even have a chance to get near them, you’re swarmed by enemies before making it halfway across the map. Not to mention things like the a-10 and su-25. It just seems to me that the base bombing system needs a rework in general. Perhaps more bases would help, or a large area with as much or more health than 4 bases. I just don’t see why it’s even in the game at this point except for those who buy premiums fast enough to get to a base consistently so they can grind a tech tree. It seems we are on the trend of everything needing to be a fighter for some reason.
The Skyraider was an attack aircraft. Aka Close Air Support.
The F-105 and F-111.
Both were Fighter-Bombers and Interceptors.
The A-10 and Su-25 were dedicated attack aircraft designed for Close Air Support. That doesn’t mean they aren’t supposed to be armed with Missiles. It was given for self-defense reasons.
Think you might want to research the aircraft examples you mentioned. Right now it’s not a very strong argument since they do their intended roles all of the time
Bases for strike aircraft seperate from bombers is probably needed
Imho the definition of “intended” is decisive in this context.
Technically seen bases are the in-game equivalent of high value targets and represent critical infrastructure like power plants, air defense installations, troop or supply depots etc.
Their destruction has an impact on the capabilities of enemy reinforcements reaching or being available at the front line and are more or less strategic targets with tactical impacts when destroyed.
So bases in wt should be way behind the front line and should be the target of actual interdictor aircraft like Tornados or F-111s.
There are a lot of declassified Nato documents in the web stating that the roles of BAI (Battlefield Air Interdiction - like enemy reinforcement columns) and AI (Air Interdiction - mentioned as more strategic targets) were assigned to multi-role fighters too, mainly to destruct them with tactical nukes.
You described basically a design flaw of gaijin as the location of bases are way too close to the front line. The classic multi-role fighter has a very high fuel consumption at high speeds at low alt and has due to the rather low speed differences vs specifically designed interdictors at longer ranges no real advantages.
In other words: In order to make the game “playable” gaijin created maps which do not reflect any kind of realism as nobody wants to fly 30-40 minutes to a target at tree top level and full speed.
The only solution would be to create additional airfields for specialized interdictor aircraft closer to those bases which would allow them to reach bases first.
Whilst i do agree that the base bombing system needs a rework, i reject the idea of more bases just because their destruction has no game impact at higher tiers; so having more of them won’t make it better.
If you look at this poll (Return the 30 second base respawn time to Air RB) you see an overwhelming request for shorter base respawn times. This is technically seen just another way to ask for more bases.
Zero official responses by gaijin.
I fully support the idea to open the enemy airfield as high value targets with a significant base health.
Imho you nailed it.
Gaijin had always severe issues with balancing bombing activities (that’s why we a have a 4 bomber limit) and the corresponding game impact.
The introduction of the F-4E in March 2020 broke the game as they were unable to balance base health with these insane bomb loads.
So they gave up and rolled out respawning bases in May 2020. This rendered classic prop bombers useless and allowed a hell of players to participate in Air RB performing low skill tasks like base bombing without the necessity to learn.
And as main effect this increased the demand for jet fighters with high bomb loads significantly, as base bombing allows (thx to 3 times the RP for a base vs a player kill) progress (=grind) without the necessity to learn.
Have a good one!
Both were interdictors not interceptors.
(the F-111B was a planned interceptor variant of the F-111, but neither the A, C or F are interceptors)
Thanks everyone for the input. I wasn’t so much trying to complain. Just wanted to see how the community gelt on this topic and hear some proposed solutions
You do realize howitzers, pillboxes, tanks, and anti-air exist right?
There is more to War Thunder than bases.
I never used F-111F as a base bomber, it’s vastly superior to use it as a soft target fragger.
What CAS aircraft need is a new gamemode that allows them to actually fulfill their intended role of striking ground targets. The current TDM style ARB mode gives them no space to actually do what they’re intended, so they’re force to either be bad bombers or bad fighters. Or moved down so low they become OP at both (Looking at you, Wyvern).
A longer, slower gamemode like EC is what’s needed. The combination of dispersed objectives and respawns means that player density is lower, which would allow CAS aircraft the ability to find an opening to farm ground targets.
Either way, I’d add competent SPAAs to ground unit clusters, something that requires guided ordinance to take out. This gives a good reason to use them, since there currently isn’t one in ARB (unless you’re hunting airfield campers or using them are really goofy A2A missiles).
In the air game yes but in the GRB they are dedicated CAS.
It has been said a few times on here that the test grounds like Stalingrad and Pearl harbour are so much better as maps than the actual game.You have trains ,bridges and gun boats as targets and towns and factories.
You have a great harbour full of ships to attack on the one training map.
Base the air game on that and it would be twice the game the current Air game is ,just bombing a white disc that normally get taken out before you even arrive meaning there are no pints to be scored that game.
Here’s an idea. Upgrade all light pillboxes on maps to Pillboxes(tougher variant) and replace one of the AA or artillery placements with a light pillbox too. Then, a minor or major nerf to fighter rewards against ground targets with buff to strike-aircraft rewards against the same
Another idea that would work decently in the late game is the respawned mini-bases only appearing on the hud and map for bombers/strike/attacker first, with fighters having them visible 2 to 5 minutes later- or even not at all.
This game needs a mode akin to what Ace Combat: Infinity had - two teams were fighting to get more PvE targets over the set time. Whoever scored more, won.