DoubleTap

Frior, et-al, That is a technique I did not think of, nor try, but I will give it a shot. Thanks for the tip. What I found worked was 50% fuel, Max Rev and Mix, very precise rudder control (no fish-tailing!) and flaps deployed to take-off only as you leave the deck, pull up gently, gear up, deploy landing flaps and use rudder to level out. Now, this is NOT easy, which is why I advised practice. Even still, if the game allowed wind control (or moving DF carriers) this would not be an issue. It should not be this hard. In real life they would have wind and carrier velocity to make this almost easy. Again, with weather set to Stormy, taking off is a snap. Also keep in mind that the B5N2 carries bombs. I think it is easier to take off with them so that is always an option for using that plane. In any event, I stand by my original offer. I have a couple of ways to try and fudge this if necessary. Blue players let me know how you are doing with this and I make the changes if necessary. It will not include airstarts (I think I was wrong, btw, I think airstarts may start out at 1000km). As far as landing, it took me a couple of trys, but I was able to do so without banging up the plane. Make sure you put your arrestor hook down and take it slow. When you get on the deck, pull back to force your tail down to catch the cable. You might want to consider landing the B5's on the "American carrier", as it appears to have more arrestor cables. Be ready to gun your engine and take off again if you make a bad approach. Better to go around again than land in the drink. Oh, and at least with landing, the Japanese and American torp planes are in the same boat. It will be equally difficult at least and if there is any disparity, I think the TBF-1's are a little harder to land. Perhaps that will balance out with the difficult B5 launches.

My how I love trash-talking...

Actually, while you lot are off flying, getting killed, I am going to be flying from base to base hanging with the honeys from both sides... You don't think I put the seaplanes in there for actual combat, did ya? Suckers!

Focus! FOCUS POWER!!!

That's one of the possible solutions. Problem with that, aside from immersion and esthetics (indulge me), is that it creates a bit of an advantage then. It allows quicker and easier strike launching for the Blue force, and when you add the fact that air spawns start at 2000m, it makes it a little unbalanced. I made the airstarts fair for the A6M-N seaplane by pushing the spawn point nearly 10km back from the fleet (meaning the seaplane would need to exchange alt for speed), and the PBN airstart seemed fair because its a damn pig anyway (also, the sea level spawn point was a bit awkward for takeoff). Anyway, it is an option, but there are a couple of others as well.

I am going to be placing addenda material here for the upcoming Hell-Divers! event. Look back here for updates coming soon. For now, I just have one issue. Some of the blue players brought it to my attention that taking off in the B5N2 was real problematic if not impossible in a standard set-up. The only solution they found was turning around and actually moving back further to the end of the carrier to take off. This is not really a decent solution because of the time and complexity involved in doing this. Now, I know for a fact that as difficult as it is, you can take off in the B5 as long as you take 50% FUEL max and rev everything up. I have posted a track ("B5N2takeoff") on our board to show just such a takeoff from the IJN training mission. It CAN be done, but it takes practice and a little finesse. Also, I thought that by having other plane types spawn ahead of the B5's, it would push them back far enough on the carriers to give them the same space they would have after "backing up". I would ask blue to study the track and practice a bit more and try the ordered spawn idea to see if it helps. Perhaps you guys can get together and test it out. Having said all that, if by this weekend the majority of blue feel still feel that the B5 takeoff is just too difficult (and it is BY FAR the most difficult takeoff of the entire mission, I hear ya) then I have a couple of possible workarounds that, while not ideal, might help. I would prefer to not have to use them, but please understand that if blue really feels this will be a major hinderance, I understand and I will make the changes gladly. I want the B5 to be usable for the campaign for both fun and play-balance. Let me know by friday or saturday what the verdict is and we'll go forward from there. Thanks, Gents!

Here's mine from home...

BG, Since it looks like you have skills in woodworking, you ever think of making cockpit/flight chairs? (Hint, Hint?)

Enemy callsigns do not display ever, while friends do.

Very cool play-by-play. We should have this debrief more often. Thanks for taking the trouble. Nice shots, too.

Yeah, I know we all have a good and easy-going sense of humor here, which is great, and people can be too sensitive about things. At the same time, it can get out of hand, or things don't translate as intended. Good-natured teasing is one thing, but it can drift into having an edge. Anyway, I would feel terrible to give offense when none was intended.

Uhhhh, humor?!? :? Ah that's ok then. I thought you were bashing us Brit's Hold on....... I am not a Brit, I am Canadian. Continue bashing and it was very funny. Sorry, it was not intended to a bash, but a humorous retort to the Painless's suggestion that the B-17 was not, in fact, the Mos Def piece of heavy bomberage from the war. However, I see how maybe people might take it the wrong way, and I would not want anyone to think I intended insult. I will delete it.

Yep.

I did a little testing and, yes, the gunners on the B-17 (and any plane I assume) will fire.

Uhhhh, humor?!? :?

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I am not an expert, but I would ask around ALOT before you sell them. They could only be worth the gold they contain, but one never knows. Check out a few local coin dealers and try searching the net again, but not with "redeem" but just trying to get general information. If they turned out to be some sort of rare stamping or such, they could be worth more. Don't get your hope up, but do research it a bit before you sell them. Do either have a date stamp?

That's a good question, but I believe they do. Hmmm, if they don't, sucks for you... :twisted:

I meant to say NOT going near it.

Ahh, the sexy allure of the B-17!

As I read your post, I heard a thousand screaming Nipponese pilots bellowing out "Bonzai!!" in my head...

Based on Jackson's previous work, I think the thing is in good. Besides the technical skill, I think Jackson "gets it" as far as the war itself and the men who flew the missions. I just thank GOD! George Lucas is going anywhere near it...

~S~ Painful You are a man of great taste sir and I welcome you to the blue side. Klinger, Animal, Acesteel and Jaxium of course, will be expected to join us. Hope you had a good few days up in York ryhmes with Pork. BG LOVE the sig! As an aside, if any of you are pretty unsure whether you can make the 15th, maybe Frior should list you as Merc with a preference, just so we don't have very uneven starting roster.

Thanks for willing to be a switch hitter...er, I mean you're willingness to go both ways,...uhhmmm, what I mean is, uh..anyway. Just so you know, I would like to anything possible to keep the teams as they are so they can plan and scheme together and not have their nefarious plans revealed. Of course, there is always a chance we will have a big imbalance which will need to address when people are unable to make it or have to leave. The basic guidelines for play-balance will be this: 1) Teams should be even if possible. 2) If there is an odd-man left over, and we have a Merc available (I will remain a Merc until the last) he should fly Red. 3) However, if somehow we are faced with a choice of either; starting with the Blue up 1 pilot; or pulling a Blue to Red to compensate, I would prefer to keep the teams as they are. If they gap grows to 2 or more for either side, I will be forced to balance them out. I'll switch first, and then ask for further volunteers if needed. If for some reason, (unlikely as it may be) I need to switch Core members from either team, do your best not to reveal your previous team's plans/strategy to the other side.