Bored of multiplayer mission set-ups?

[Leaf]

Hi everyone, 

 

Like a fair few multiplayer-only pilots, the recent update has been something of a mixed bag for me. Don't get me wrong, it's got plenty of amazing features and additions that the community has been clamouring for, but there has been a downside:the missions available on servers are mostly the same, despite the increased player count.

 

What we have now is 16 more players per server, but airfields are still quite close to each other, with a general lack of incentive for pilots to complete ground objectives. This leads to most people taking a fighter and heading straight for the enemy airfield, knowing that they'll see aircraft that way, without a.) caring for the ground objectives or b.) choosing to climb. The result is that you spawn in and see your airfield being swarmed by 10 enemy aircraft and 15 of your own, 10ft off the deck, in a giant lemming train. Not fun, at least for me. The occasional enemy strafing an airfield we can all deal with, but when airfield attacks take precedence over all other objectives, you've got a problem. It's a downward spiral, because once this trend takes root the majority of players will conform to it. If I'm flying at 6km with some friends, the chance of us spotting something is virtually zero, because everyone else is at 1km racing towards the enemy airfield where their friends are calling for help. This in turn isn't fun for my friends and me and we might leave the server, leaving the meatgrinder to do its thing. You lose objective-focused pilots, create a bland multiplayer atmosphere, keep player numbers low, and worst of all, don't get to see the amazing things this game is capable of.
Instead of fighters doing what they were designed for, gaining air superiority over an area, escorting bombers etc. and working in unison with the ground offensive, current servers lack the ground attack framework to facilitate the fighter's role. This leads to an endless meatgrinder, essentially a Normal server without icons. 
 

Reason I write this is because the last few days weren't as much fun for me online. That is, until yesterday.

Yesterday I logged on, less excited than usual, and saw one Expert server with a decent population. Having hopped on I saw a mass of airfields, more than even a duel server has.

 

 

There were only two airfields available, both of which only had Stukas. Not what I wanted, but "fine", I thought. A Stuka with 37's will do for now. I'm a Gustav-only pilot, but I had practised attacking tanks with Stukas in singleplayer before and had some fun with it, and was open to the idea in multiplayer. Having taken off, I was flying in line astern with two other hapless Stuka pilots as we headed for the tanks and the frontline. There was a decent amount of cloud cover but an eerie feeling being alone, without escort. Just as the tanks came into view, we were spotted and bounced by enemy fighters. Tracers flashed past and I was set of fire before I could go evasive. My gunner didn't fire a shot, so presumably he was hit first. The fighters zoomed in and out of the clouds and within two minutes, La5's and Lagg's had shot us all down. Not all too happy, I asked what the procedure on this server was; Zettman then said that our airfields would be pushed back soon, bringing a new supply of aircraft. And sure enough, once my pilot had both feet on the ground, our airfields had moved back with a fresh supply of aircraft. 

 

I took off again, this time in my Gustav, to patrol the frontline with JG5's MetalG. We saw a steady stream of IL2's and Laggs attacking ground targets around Karpovka, the cloud cover protecting them. Seeing the spectacle unfold below was very cool. It looked like one of Veteranen's missions but without the lag. Artillery fire, flak, bombs falling, it looked very intense down there (says the 109 pilot at 5km :D). Despite the soviet onslaught we did manage to distract a few fighters and prevent them from doing too much damage.

The kills that I got were some of the most satisfying ones I've had in months not because they were fancy shots or required any great skill, but simply because I knew that that Lagg whose wings I ripped off 

was carrying bombs. Bombs that may turned the tide on the ground. 

 

What you have is a completely dynamic frontline, driven by ground forces that you need to support. The reason we only had Stukas to begin with was that we had run out of fighters without completing ground objectives.

There's a limited supply of aircraft available, 2 per player, that need to support the ground war; the moment ground forces lose an objective, the frontline -- and your airfield -- gets pushed back. This kind of a dynamic, fast-paced mission is what I had hoped for for months and shows what this game is capable of. It's an excellent balance between the conservative approach to fighting that is required in coops and the intensity of fighting that "traditional" BoS servers bring.

This creates the mental conflict necessary for a good server. Do I risk a plane (and my life) to support the ground forces, or do I play it safe knowing that we might lose objectives? 

 

The server in question is Air Domination BoS by 72AG and I ask anyone tired of endless airquake to join!

It's a great alternative to Eagle's Nest for Europeans for whom the latter has too high ping. It's not perfect, but as a proof-of-concept it's outstanding.

 

 

- Shameless endorsement over -

 

 

See you online, 
Leaf

 

 

Edited July 13, 2015 by 19te.Leaf

[6./ZG26_Emil]

We'll have to give this server a go

[Zettman]

Was a really nice match yesterday. After destroying 7 tanks at the 'tank counterattack' tawrget in my Stuka, about half of the attacking tank forces and seeing the frontline move east, you really get a completly new feeling of success. It is better than just ending the round by destroying something, especially because russians can push the frontline back in in the same round.

 

Hope I will be able to play on this server tonight again.

 

Zettman

[Remontti]

I was there too and I really like missions on this server.

 

I had goog time flying a HE111 with a 109 escorting me to the enemy airfield.

I climbed to 3500 meters to avoid fighters. I was bit worried if the target airfield would visible because of clouds. All went good, no enemy fighters spotted me and there was a oppening in the clouds above the target. Airfield flak guns opened fire but they didn't hit me. I dropped two 250 kg bombs and took out parked planes. I still had two more bombs so I got ready for another pass to take out the surviving planes. Airfield flak opened fire again and there are explosions around me. I'm just about to drop bombs when BAM! A flak hits, and another hit just after that. My He111 starts to roll to the right but I'm able to keep it flying straight but my bombing run fails. I get rid of remaining bombs and turn towards home. Both engines are smoking, only the pilot and side gunner is still alive. After crossing the frontline my right engine dies out. I struggle with one damaged engine but I keep losing altitude. I realise that front lines have moved favouring the Russians and I can't make it to friendly airfield. I try to land on the snow, but I stall low and crash to the ground. R.I.P.

 

The flak can be pretty impressive on this server.

[StG77_Kondor]

Interesting. Something finally worth my time in the Stuka . I'll have to give it a go next time I'm free.

[Skoop]

Sounds cool, is there AI aircraft conducting some of these objectives or is it strictly client driven.

[Roo5ter]

Also as an alternative the new TWB instant action campaign is going to offer a more realistic format based on historical positions of units on a specific day.  Currently it's a work in progress but you should pop in there and take a look.  German units are being attacked by Russian air and are hidden in towns and forests, actively defending bridges and other points of interest.   The airstart is positioned maybe 25-30km (historically it was around 400 which just isnt going to work) from the objective so you don't have everyone bunched up in a cluster@#%.

 

I was really impressed and there should have been an update last night.  It's going to be an absolutely fantastic way to experience a historical battle in an instant action scenario without the whole 'let's bash each others faces over an airfield for 40 minutes' issue.  The battles we had felt like they came out of the TWB Eagles Nest server but it was much quicker to find both the air and ground targets.

 

Probably quiet at the moment but jump in there and take a look.  Also I'm glad you referred to the Air Domination server!  I haven't been there yet to play and it sounds fun.  I'll be poking my head in there soon!

[=FI=Rambo]

The Air Domination BoS by 72AG  server was great fun! I took my lagg 3 with bombs and did some ground pounding, something that I really had no interest in because I saw nothing gained for doing it. Now there was a reason for me to get down in dirty and escort the il2s making the difference. 

[Ace_Pilto]

Unfortunately Leaf, the lemming train is the way it is, the way it always has been and the way it always will be for most people. Nothing has changed since the 1990s in that respect. 

 

Fortunately there's nothing to say that you can't climb up to 5,000m do a bit of lemming clubbing (provided you can find a safe airfield). I find that when you kill enough people in this way that some eventually start to try climbing up for revenge. 

 

Anyway, thanks for the heads up on Air Domination, it looks pretty good. I'll give it a try although I'm not likely to be much use in a Stuka! 

 

To everyone else who likes better maps, remember that sometimes you'll have to be the first pebble in the landslide. Consider the time you spend alone to be an investment because consistently joining and playing for an hour in an empty server will eventually pay off in terms of population.

[Y-29.Silky]

I realise that front lines have moved favouring the Russians and I can't make it to friendly airfield. I try to land on the snow, but I stall low and crash to the ground. R.I.P.

 

(If you survived) I wish servers implemented how it was in 1946 where if you bailed out or crash landed behind enemy lines, "Remontti has been taken prisoner!", "Remontti escaped from enemy forces!"

Edited July 14, 2015 by Y-29.Silky

[KoN_]

Net code still needs tweaking , pulling in behind laggs and La-5 and seeing them laggg ~ stutter  away is quite frustrating ,  only tobe hit with no sound effects ,it could be my end could be my internet is poor after all i live in a 3rd world country now , England .

[Y-29.Silky]

Net code still needs tweaking , pulling in behind laggs and La-5 and seeing them laggg ~ stutter  away is quite frustrating ,  only tobe hit with no sound effects ,it could be my end could be my internet is poor after all i live in a 3rd world country now , England .

Bots do that online, otherwise it's the other person or you if it happens consistently. I remember I was a warper when I was playing on a laptop. Now that I have a decent computer, that lag is gone.

[Willy__]

 

 

Net code still needs tweaking , pulling in behind laggs and La-5 and seeing them laggg ~ stutter  away is quite frustrating ,  only tobe hit with no sound effects ,it could be my end could be my internet is poor after all i live in a 3rd world country now , England .

 

Netcode is fine, its either a connection problem with your target or you, most probable your target, as you said you live in UK. Also I dont see people warping and I live in Brazil hue hue 

[6./ZG26_Gielow]

War is hell. It is not supposed to be fun. If it is boring right now the simulation is close to reality.

 

Just kill the enemy.

Edited July 14, 2015 by =[Coffin]=Gielow

[KoN_]

Also as an alternative the new TWB instant action campaign is going to offer a more realistic format based on historical positions of units on a specific day.  Currently it's a work in progress but you should pop in there and take a look.  German units are being attacked by Russian air and are hidden in towns and forests, actively defending bridges and other points of interest.   The airstart is positioned maybe 25-30km (historically it was around 400 which just isnt going to work) from the objective so you don't have everyone bunched up in a cluster@#%.

 

I was really impressed and there should have been an update last night.  It's going to be an absolutely fantastic way to experience a historical battle in an instant action scenario without the whole 'let's bash each others faces over an airfield for 40 minutes' issue.  The battles we had felt like they came out of the TWB Eagles Nest server but it was much quicker to find both the air and ground targets.

 

Probably quiet at the moment but jump in there and take a look.  Also I'm glad you referred to the Air Domination server!  I haven't been there yet to play and it sounds fun.  I'll be poking my head in there soon!

Cool we shall look into that . some people still cant join empty servers , is that because these servers are not upto date patch wise .

[TheElf]

Cool we shall look into that . some people still cant join empty servers , is that because these servers are not upto date patch wise .

 

 

just a heads up though, while we do have ground positions of the correct type/name/place for 23 Nov 42, the mission as a whole is VERY much a work in progress.  In fact the server itself is a developmental server.  The Official TWB Eagle's Nest Server is running the Aborted Man Med Evac mission.  

 

Hopefully soon we will port over a dynamic ground picture and add some other MP optimizations and detailed briefs so we can build a mission Objective oriented player base.

[-TBC-AeroAce]

Why can't the sp campaign mission generator be used in a way to create mp missions on official servers..... A natural evolution I think

[Emil_Junus]

I was there too and I really like missions on this server.

 

I had goog time flying a HE111 with a 109 escorting me to the enemy airfield.

I climbed to 3500 meters to avoid fighters. I was bit worried if the target airfield would visible because of clouds. All went good, no enemy fighters spotted me and there was a oppening in the clouds above the target. Airfield flak guns opened fire but they didn't hit me. I dropped two 250 kg bombs and took out parked planes. I still had two more bombs so I got ready for another pass to take out the surviving planes. Airfield flak opened fire again and there are explosions around me. I'm just about to drop bombs when BAM! A flak hits, and another hit just after that. My He111 starts to roll to the right but I'm able to keep it flying straight but my bombing run fails. I get rid of remaining bombs and turn towards home. Both engines are smoking, only the pilot and side gunner is still alive. After crossing the frontline my right engine dies out. I struggle with one damaged engine but I keep losing altitude. I realise that front lines have moved favouring the Russians and I can't make it to friendly airfield. I try to land on the snow, but I stall low and crash to the ground. R.I.P.

 

The flak can be pretty impressive on this server.

 

Oh, that was me (109)

 

I also loved this server. I will be two weeks away from home now and I really, really hope that, when I come back - this Server will be full all the time (at least at evening). Of course it needs to be tweaked, but wow. This is what IL2 BOS/BOM/... is made for.