Top Tier Gunfighters Event: reject missile, return to G U N

Suggestions Maps/Missions/Events
1
Would you like to see this in-game?
  • Yes
  • No
0 voters
What mode(s) would you like to see this event in?
  • Arcade
  • Realistic
  • Sim
  • None of the above
0 voters
What team size(s) would you like to see?
  • 1v1
  • 2v2
  • 4v4
  • 8v8
  • 12v12
  • 16v16 or larger
  • None of the above
0 voters
Cannon ammunition
  • Limited
  • Unlimited
  • I don’t like the event idea
0 voters

Introduction
When you think of aerial combat, what comes to mind? Aircraft slinging missiles at distant blips on their radars before turning away? Probably not, though that is often the reality. Most people’s first thought is likely the close-range, gun-heavy dogfighting romanticized and popularized by media like Top Gun.
War Thunder top tier is dominated by missiles, particularly with the recent addition of various ARH systems. While this is pretty authentic to real aerial combat, it also isn’t the most engaging. Combat is slower-paced than the dogfights of lower tiers and the use of missiles separates the pilot from the the action, resulting in less satisfying victories, less deserved defeats, and overall less intense combat.
The solution- an event without missiles!

The Event
Pretty much as explained in the introduction. Just top tier aircraft with guided weapons being banned. Two teams fight, with each player having a single spawn, and the match ends when one team is destroyed, the other team winning. As a very fighter-oriented event, guided bombs and rockets would be pretty useless so I don’t see a need to ban them. However some aircraft can carry gun pods which I believe should NOT be banned, so I don’t think the event should simply ban secondary weapons. However if that’s the easiest way to implement the event from a code perspective then I understand.
Now the question is how many aircraft are there per team? I believe a 2v2 or even 1v1 would be very enjoyable, allowing for the best dogfights without a messy kill-stealing frenzy. This would also allow for shorter queue times. However, an additional 12v12 or 16v16 reminiscent of low tier battles would also be interesting.
For balancing reasons it’d probably be best to have teams fully mixed.
As for the difficulty level of the event, I believe Realistic Battles would be the most popular.

Vehicles
So far I’ve simply been describing the vehicles in this event as “top tier”, which is rather nebulous. More precisely, I mean all Rank VIII aircraft. Now, many Rank VIIIs are 3rd gen aircraft at such a high rank because of their missiles and are largely helpless in a gunfight against their 4th gen peers. So… don’t use those aircraft. Every nation has at least a MiG-29 for use in the event. Or, take the extra challenge of using an F-4, Tornado, Harrier, etc against F-15s and Su-27s. Either way this is simply supposed to be a fun event for top tier dogfighting and not a balanced mode with all Rank VIIIs being on equal footing.
One balancing concern is the amount of ammunition each aircraft can carry. Some have just over 100 rounds, others nearly a thousand. With the cannon being the only armament available, I would propose an unlimited ammo count, solving this issue.

Maps
Ordinary air maps. Especially for a smaller team size, smaller maps would probably be better so less time is spent simply flying towards the enemy. Low tier ARB and/or AAB maps would probably pretty perfectly sized, as well as having a nostalgic appeal. However, higher tier maps like City or SE City would also be really fun to fight in with all the cover the buildings provide. At least for smaller team sizes, an air spawn would be advantageous to help level the playing field between faster aircraft such as the F-15 and Su-27 and slower aircraft like the JAS-39, JF-17, or any 3rd gens players decide to take.

Rewards
Rewards like usual for an event would come from loot boxes post-match and/or from tasks tied to the event. There wouldn’t be a normal SL/RP gain from the event, because, well, it’s an event and not a normal mode. I’d definitely have a victory give a higher reward than a loss especially for a small team size. Maybe even no rewards for a loss- let’s make this competitive!

Titles
Title rewards would be pretty simple. I can think of 3- Gunfighter, Gunslinger, and Gun Ace that could be rewarded after a certain number of victories, maybe something like 5, 10, and 20. These three are quite nice and I’m sure people will have other ideas in the replies.

Profile Pictures
Now because this event isn’t based on any historical battle or anything (quite the opposite, it’s a decrease in realism for an increase in fun) there’s not really a great profile picture of a historical figure for this event. That being said, a for “gunfighter” event a yeehaw wild west cowboy would probably fit thematically.

Loading Screens
Probably some cool art of a pair of 4th gen fighters locked in close combat. Pairings like an F-15 and Su-27, F-16 and MiG-29, J-10 and JAS-39.

Other
Boosters, backups, wagers, etc. The usual. I think backups for the specific vehicle used would make sense especially. I don’t think the event in general would have the ordinary RP and SL economy, but a crate reward with possible SL would be nice and make the event more rewarding.

And please let me know your ideas for other rewards!

5 Likes
2

YES

YES

YES!!!

This would be amazing in any mode, but arcade would be so fun especially if they added those silly green circles back

F-16A Block 10 meta is back in business lmao

1 Like
3

If we’re going to do this, I propose one more thing, the removal of afterburners, so it’s harder for some to just run away to avoid fights :P

But anyway, he’s major +1, always wanted to try this.

4

No, if it’s going to be a WVR fight (like on the DCS PVP servers) you need the afterburner present otherwise you’re not letting the jets perform to their fullest

Could just add a “forfeit” system, although opening the range is also a legitimate strategy (that sometimes works)

3 Likes
5

Yeah if neither player has WEP I don’t see how that would make it more difficult to extend. More importantly, WEP is absolutely necessary for jets to have the excellent dogfighting performance that makes this mode so exciting.
For smaller sizes at least the map could have a cap zone like on the 1v1 gladiator maps, so running away too far results in a loss.

6

Its not that it’s more difficult to extend, its moreso that no A/Bs mean that it is much easier to manage closing speed and thus is much more forgiving; which seems like the opposite of what this mode should be.
As well as that, in rate fights for example, you want the A/B to squeeze every ounce of performance out of your jet as possible. So let them keep the afterburners, just have a loss circle or something

7

Well… Germany is screwed with the F4 vs Gripens and F-16s and I doubt the soviets would stand much chance in their Mig-29s and Su-27s either.

Gripen Vs F-16s (mabe J-10s, no idea how they are doing) gun fighting… Typhoon and Rafale in the future… Quite a niche gamemode for a handful of nations and a tiny handful of aircraft

1 Like
8

Hey, the MiG-29s are pretty good dogfighters. It’s their radar and missiles that let them down.
But yeah Germany probably has the worst best dogfighter of all nations. But not by too big of a margin to be unmanageable, and it’s just an event anyways so there’s no obligation to play it compared to a normal mode.

9

I still think, even for an event, the balance of power is just too hard to get right, at least at top tier.

Especially when we start to throw in the TWR of aircraft likely coming Soon™ like the Typhoon.

I would be more interested in a gun-only gamemode for rank 6 ish. Allow those Korean war/post-korean war aircraft, that were designed for gun fighting, to have a gamemode with no AAMs in the mix. It would eliminate some aircraft, but not all and aircraft that really struggle like the Hunter F1, would do quite well.

10

Honestly I would totally play a gamemode of these early Cold War aircraft in fights if they were just limited to the first gen missiles. Cause they are practically useless compared to a modern one and can barely be used in a dogfight except in extenuating circumstances (which would be cool)

1 Like
11

Custom battles

12

If it is stuck at old 9.0BR jets +1.

13

Good old F-2 Sabre, MiG-17, CL-13A, Hunter F.1 meta back :p

1 Like
14

Yak-141 silly VTOL things

15

actually fighting someone else randomly in a quick match and getting rewards

16

Suspect it would be difficult without significant changes to the Custom Battle system that tournaments also run on. At the moment I don’t think you can block specific ordnance layouts. I agree it’d be nice to have, and would help custom battles too. But it’s likely not simple to do.

17

No that’s a dumb idea. Afterburners are important to alot of vehicles.

18

Just wanted to make it easier to play vehicles without afterburners at around 10.0 in this event. Things like the A-7 or Super Entendard would be so much more fun that way… but yeah I get why most of you oppose my idea.