Combat Box by Red Flight

[354thFG_Leifr]

Level-bombing is completely achievable with the cloud cover present in Combat Box. My group (used to) routinely bomb in 88s with 6/8-7/8 cloud cover; you just have to be at an excellent altitude and have the patience to properly navigate the land, and a small pinch of luck that you can get sight on the target area through a break on the run - the automated drop function provides every thing else.

[Alonzo]

4 hours ago, Black-Witch said:

You might want to reduce cloud levels more often to allow level bombing by bombers.  Just saying ?

 

Weather is randomized. Heavy cloud is less than 10% chance of occurring. Otherwise it's clear, light or medium.

[Black-Witch]

3 hours ago, Diggun said:

8 hours in Finnish this year, all in Fighters.

I just feel like most people would like more, not less, varied weather. And I say this as someone who actually does regularly fly bomber and attack aircraft.

Hmm....regularly? just 4 sorties, and less than hour total time in the A-20 in ComBox this month.

 

Not really time to climb to 15,000' to level bomb.

 

Partly I would prefer less cloud because of frame rates, but also because we have the situation in ComBox which is fairly ahistorical for 1944/45. The Blues use loads of Bf110's to ground attack at low level, when in reality the 110's were gone from the western front, apart from night fighters, then we have hardly any Red twin engined medium bombers attacking targets when the 2nd TAF and 9th USAAF had loads of twin engined mediums.

 

I do think the "difficulties" of level bombing with a lot of cloud puts some people off, I think to make it more historical, in that we see more Mediums in ComBox, is that mediums should get an "air start" as the time taken to get to altitude to level bomb is another "put-off" and the server time is only 2 ½ hours.

 

Perhaps the next stat's you should check is how many A-20 flights were done on ComBox?

Edited February 24, 2021 by Black-Witch

[RedKestrel]

17 minutes ago, Black-Witch said:

Hmm....regularly? just 4 sorties, and less than hour total time in the A-20 in ComBox this month.

 

Not really time to climb to 15,000' to level bomb.

 

Partly I would prefer less cloud because of frame rates, but also because we have the situation in ComBox which is fairly ahistorical for 1944/45. The Blues use loads of Bf110's to ground attack at low level, when in reality the 110's were gone from the western front, apart from night fighters, then we have hardly any Red twin engined medium bombers attacking targets when the 2nd TAF and 9th USAAF had loads of twin engined mediums.

 

I do think the "difficulties" of level bombing with a lot of cloud puts some people off, I think to make it more historical, in that we see more Mediums in ComBox, is that mediums should get an "air start" as the time taken to get to altitude to level is another "put-off" and the server time is only 2 ½ hours.

 

Perhaps the next stat's you should check is how many A-20 flights were done on ComBox?

Lets not get into a fuselage-measuring contest here.

I pretty regularly see A-20s in action on Combat Box. Maybe not a huge proportion of sorties but its not nothing. 

I have no idea how many of them are used for level bombing. They are a capable low-level attacker as well. 

[Black-Witch]

8 minutes ago, RedKestrel said:

Lets not get into a fuselage-measuring contest here.

I pretty regularly see A-20s in action on Combat Box. Maybe not a huge proportion of sorties but its not nothing. 

I have no idea how many of them are used for level bombing. They are a capable low-level attacker as well. 

1, Well officer, he started "stat checkin" first!

 

2, so you don't see a LOT of A-20 sorties, that was one of my points.

 

3, low level A-20's > mostly ahistorical then

 

Planes with bombardiers in mostly used the bombardier for dropping bombs.

 

 

Edited February 24, 2021 by Black-Witch

[RedKestrel]

10 minutes ago, Black-Witch said:

1, Well officer, he started "stat checkin" first!

 

2, so you don't see a LOT of A-20 sorties, that was one of my points.

 

3, low level A-20's > mostly ahistorical then

 

Planes with bombardiers in mostly used the bombardier for dropping bombs.

 

 

1. I don't care who started it, I'll finish it! *slaps a P-47 down on the table like an aluminum salmon*

2. I guess it depends on what you mean by 'a lot'. I see a heck of a lot more A-20s than I do Ju-88s and He-111s. Part of it is the limited role - the A20s are only used for ground attack, and ground attack already represents a minority of sorties on the server. With the Spitfire, P-47 Razorback, P-47 Bubbletop, P-51, P-38, and Tempest, you have about 7 aircraft. If all planes were used equally each one would represent 14.3 % of sorties. A-20 probably doesn't reach that threshold but it may very well account for 10% or more dedicated ground attack sorties. Any reasonably populated mission has at least a few people flying them.  

3. A-20s were used for low-level attacks, but in the ETO the flak was too bad and they switched to higher levels. In the pacific they made low level bombing runs throughout the war. So using A-20s for low level attacks in our theatre is not completely ahistorical - and while the flak is less hazardous, the loss rates are probably like a million times worse in-game than IRL. 

[LR.CrimsonLion]

2 hours ago, RedKestrel said:

... while the flak is less hazardous, the loss rates are probably like a million times worse in-game than IRL. 

My loss rate is like 65% cause I'm too lazy to take out the AA before the bomb run... RESPAWN!

[RedKestrel]

8 minutes ago, CrimsonLion said:

My loss rate is like 65% cause I'm too lazy to take out the AA before the bomb run... RESPAWN!

The key to immersion is to roleplay as a cursed, deathless pilot, endlessly reincarnated until the Goddamn 21st Panzer Division target finally rolls. 

Like a gritty groundhog day with high explosives.

[Black-Witch]

18 hours ago, Alonzo said:

 

Weather is randomized. Heavy cloud is less than 10% chance of occurring. Otherwise it's clear, light or medium.

well it must be the time I fly then, because I rarely see clear skies, yesterday for example, double layer of heavy cloud. frame rate so low it started giving me a VR headache, had to log.

 

It doesn't appear to me that the 10% randomiser means only 1 in 10 maps have heavy cloud, but I stand ready to be proved wrong, I fly about an hour and a half every day and in a week, I would say, it's more like clear skies are 1 in 7 and heavy cloud 3 in 7

Edited February 25, 2021 by Black-Witch

[VBF-12_Snake9]

Don't know if it's possible, but I would like to be able to communicate with command on personal channels such as channel 5 or channel 6.  

 

I like leaving channel one active due to call outs, but also have channel 5 or 6 as inter squad.  If we could use those channels to update position also that would be great.   

[RedKestrel]

4 hours ago, Black-Witch said:

well it must be the time I fly then, because I rarely see clear skies, yesterday for example, double layer of heavy cloud. frame rate so low it started giving me a VR headache, had to log.

 

It doesn't appear to me that the 10% randomiser means only 1 in 10 maps have heavy cloud, but I stand ready to be proved wrong, I fly about an hour and a half every day and in a week, I would say, it's more like clear skies are 1 in 7 and heavy cloud 3 in 7

You can flip a coin and get heads 3 times in a row. Doesn't mean it's not a 50/50 chance.

 

[354thFG_Leifr]

5 hours ago, Black-Witch said:

It doesn't appear to me that the 10% randomiser means only 1 in 10 maps have heavy cloud, but I stand ready to be proved wrong, I fly about an hour and a half every day and in a week, I would say, it's more like clear skies are 1 in 7 and heavy cloud 3 in 7

 

You're not flying for the other twenty-two hours of the day.

You're flying for around eleven hours per week out of a possible 168 hours - a fifteenth of the time available, your time spent is neglible in the grand scheme.

Edited February 25, 2021 by Leifr

[Alonzo]

Maps updated: All of our maps have been updated to a 3 hour run time, up from 2.5 hours. All late war maps now feature the 190-A6.

 

In addition, specific maps have received the following changes:

• A Bridge Too Far - Increase number of objectives needed to win by 1 each side (now 7 instead of 6).
• Skirmish at Velikie Luki - Reduce numbers of higher performing planes to better balance the plane set.
• Mitchell's Men - Increase difficulty to destroy B-25 strategic targets unless the bombers get through. Decreased difficulty to destroy Allied artillery.
• Crimean Offensive - Slightly increase difficulty to destroy Artillery and Defences objectives.
• The Rhineland Campaign - Performance tweaks: Remove some AA and flak, and delete Allied tank convoys 5 minutes after they arrive or are destroyed.
• Standoff in the Lowlands - Optimized Allied objectives to improve performance.

[rogueblade]

Does this server feature a good EU population/EU timezone game times?

[Alonzo]

11 hours ago, rogueblade said:

Does this server feature a good EU population/EU timezone game times?

 

Depends on the day, as with all servers. I suggest you take a look at player numbers at the time you want to play. All servers are more popular Friday through Sunday, generally.

[rogueblade]

Ok, and do players in this server use the Discord channel for voice comms, or SRS? What's the primary method of communication?

Edited March 3, 2021 by rogueblade

[kestrel79]

Just wanted to say a few nights ago I flew on this server for the first time. Old school IL2 46 player here, long time support of IL2 GB series I just can't get online as much as I used to and game with a young family now. But a couple nights ago I had a blast on here in VR, Buttkicker goin, SRS radio it was amazing! 

 

What's the best way to get random people to fly with you on SRS just ask?

[RedKestrel]

2 hours ago, kestrel79 said:

Just wanted to say a few nights ago I flew on this server for the first time. Old school IL2 46 player here, long time support of IL2 GB series I just can't get online as much as I used to and game with a young family now. But a couple nights ago I had a blast on here in VR, Buttkicker goin, SRS radio it was amazing! 

 

What's the best way to get random people to fly with you on SRS just ask?

Yeah just go on Channel 1 when you spawn in and tell everyone what you're up to. People on other channels usually have soemone monitoring channel 1, so they can offer to cover you, or try and spawn in at your airfield, or recommend you de-spawn and join up somewhere else. Usually once you are sorted, everyone switches to another channel to keep the main one clear, and off you go. With smaller numbers of people you'll just have everyone on channel 1.

I do that on the weekends and we form ad-hoc strike packages of 4 or 5 people pretty frequently. I fly attack sorties for the most part so its usually pretty easy to find a fighter guy who will fly cover for you when you get close to the target. Then when you all go down in flames you can spawn together as one big happy family!

[kestrel79]

30 minutes ago, RedKestrel said:

Yeah just go on Channel 1 when you spawn in and tell everyone what you're up to. People on other channels usually have soemone monitoring channel 1, so they can offer to cover you, or try and spawn in at your airfield, or recommend you de-spawn and join up somewhere else. Usually once you are sorted, everyone switches to another channel to keep the main one clear, and off you go. With smaller numbers of people you'll just have everyone on channel 1.

I do that on the weekends and we form ad-hoc strike packages of 4 or 5 people pretty frequently. I fly attack sorties for the most part so its usually pretty easy to find a fighter guy who will fly cover for you when you get close to the target. Then when you all go down in flames you can spawn together as one big happy family!

 

I like to do the same. I'm not that good of a fighter pilot. I like to blow stuff up. Cool I'll try to ask next time over comms.

[kestrel79]

Was able to get on for a little bit last night late. Only 5 people on the server but this is great for me being someone who hasn't flown online in a long time to get used to the map, and the missions available. I fly both sides, whichever side needs more planes I'm not picky and like to even the odds.

 

I have to tell you it was a pretty cool feeling taking off in a D-9 and getting vectored to the bombers on Mitchell's Men by radar and ground spotters. I still have to balance out having my in game sound cranked, and hearing the SRS messages clearly. What do you guys recommend for settings?

 

Despite playing in VR in low-med settings, scanning the skies at 9k I saw white contrails in the distance. They were the bombers. I was so excited. As I got closer I saw one contrail flying above them...an escort! I must of been in the sun he didn't see me, it was a P-47 and I did get the jump on him but I missed him. He stalled out to evade me, and I zoomed back up and managed to get one of the B-25s and put a few holes in a couple others. I didn't realize during all this excitement I had my throttle to full and I blew the engine. So I quickly dove and headed east to friendly territory. I was getting low on gas, and couldn't find any airbases to ditch. I'm still pretty new to reading the maps and figuring out where I am, but that's half the fun flying full real  I remembered I had the radio beacon thing (lorenz?) and used that to get home to my airbase, but I ran out of fuel just before the air strip and ditched in the grass. Still a ton of fun! VR, SRS, so cool!

 

This is sure a step up from Spits vs 109s in IL-2 46. I wish I would of played online years ago in IL2-GB when I had more time in the single pre-Dad days. Still if you see me on later in evening US Central time give me a shout let's blow something up!

[rogueblade]

2 minutes ago, kestrel79 said:

Was able to get on for a little bit last night late. Only 5 people on the server but this is great for me being someone who hasn't flown online in a long time to get used to the map, and the missions available. I fly both sides, whichever side needs more planes I'm not picky and like to even the odds.

 

I have to tell you it was a pretty cool feeling taking off in a D-9 and getting vectored to the bombers on Mitchell's Men by radar and ground spotters. I still have to balance out having my in game sound cranked, and hearing the SRS messages clearly. What do you guys recommend for settings?

 

Despite playing in VR in low-med settings, scanning the skies at 9k I saw white contrails in the distance. They were the bombers. I was so excited. As I got closer I saw one contrail flying above them...an escort! I must of been in the sun he didn't see me, it was a P-47 and I did get the jump on him but I missed him. He stalled out to evade me, and I zoomed back up and managed to get one of the B-25s and put a few holes in a couple others. I didn't realize during all this excitement I had my throttle to full and I blew the engine. So I quickly dove and headed east to friendly territory. I was getting low on gas, and couldn't find any airbases to ditch. I'm still pretty new to reading the maps and figuring out where I am, but that's half the fun flying full real  I remembered I had the radio beacon thing (lorenz?) and used that to get home to my airbase, but I ran out of fuel just before the air strip and ditched in the grass. Still a ton of fun! VR, SRS, so cool!

 

This is sure a step up from Spits vs 109s in IL-2 46. I wish I would of played online years ago in IL2-GB when I had more time in the single pre-Dad days. Still if you see me on later in evening US Central time give me a shout let's blow something up!

 

Great story and I'm totally in the same boat as you in terms of newness/newness to MP.
I found the SRS overlay has a volume bar on it, drag that to the right!
What is this radio beacon lorenz thing you talk of?

Edited March 5, 2021 by rogueblade

[Alonzo]

4 minutes ago, kestrel79 said:

I have to tell you it was a pretty cool feeling taking off in a D-9 and getting vectored to the bombers on Mitchell's Men by radar and ground spotters. I still have to balance out having my in game sound cranked, and hearing the SRS messages clearly. What do you guys recommend for settings?

 

Fantastic story, thanks for sharing. When a sortie goes right the VR experience can't be beaten, I think.

 

For audio balance I usually have game master volume at about 40% or so, and I use the "boost" on SRS set to about 4 or 5.

[69TD_Hajo_Garlic]

I’m sorry tbas pilots I genuinely thought it was kelz (unprotected) I was strafing. 

[SCG_Tzigy]

anyone has the list of SRS German call signs?

 

they are little hard for me to understand...

 

 

[ROCKET_KNUT]

Not exactly sure what you´re on about... Since I´m fluent in German, maybe I can halp... ? Sort of...

If you want to know, what "Wurzeltroll" or "Plattfuß" would sound like in a cockney accent, spoken out by an Indian, using a Gockeltranslate-program would sound like... I think I´ll have to pass. Would like to help you anyway, so what is the actual problem, maybe we can fix it? ?

[Alonzo]

6 hours ago, SCG_Tzigy said:

anyone has the list of SRS German call signs?

 

they are little hard for me to understand...

 

They're the same as the English ones (because it has to recognize them when pilots speak them). But the German AI says things funny -- which ones are hard to understand? I can make it say them phonetically and make it easier to understand.

 

English callsigns:

            "anvil",
            "banshee",
            "cowboy",
            "dropkick",
            "eagle",
            "falcon",
            "grizzly",
            "hellcat",
            "iceman",
            "jackal",
            "nighthawk",
            "lonestar",
            "maniac",
            "neptune",
            "outlaw",
            "panther",
            "quicksand",
            "raven",
            "scorpion",
            "tomahawk",
            "uncle",
            "voodoo",
            "wizard",
            "yamaha",
            "zombie",

 

Edited March 7, 2021 by Alonzo

[StaB/Tomio_VR***]

Scharfi shooting at my parachute 5m high at Woensdrecht airfield

Well done, very classy, very sportsmen, very needed (i wasn't killed however)

 

Edited March 7, 2021 by StaB/Tomio_VR***

[Alonzo]

1 minute ago, StaB/Tomio_VR*** said:

Scharfi shooting at my parachute 5m high at Woensdrecht airfield

Well done, very classy, very sportsmen, very needed

 

LOL. This coming from the quintessential kill stealer. No sympathy from me.

[StaB/Tomio_VR***]

This has nothing to do with kill stealing alonzo but mentality...

 

Btw, there is no kill stealing since the system was done to avoid last one who hit to get the kill...

The one who gets the victory is the one who has damaged the most the enemy plane (before it is considered destroyed of course) therefore there is no kill stealing, just bad aim from the one claiming being robbed lol

Edited March 7, 2021 by StaB/Tomio_VR***

[ITAF_Airone1989]

2 hours ago, Alonzo said:

 

            "anvil",
            "banshee",
            "cowboy",
            "dropkick",
            "eagle",
            "falcon",
            "grizzly",
            "hellcat",
            "iceman",
            "jackal",
            "nighthawk",
            "lonestar",
            "maniac",
            "neptune",
            "outlaw",
            "panther",
            "quicksand",
            "raven",
            "scorpion",
            "tomahawk",
            "uncle",
            "voodoo",
            "wizard",
            "yamaha",
            "zombie",

 

 

I don't know if it's possible, but what about use this?

 

https://www.feldgrau.com/ww2-german-phonetic-alphabet/

 

(But maybe the pronunciation could be a problem)

[CSW_606_Temp]

I like RRR function on this server. But why only few maps and some Airfields? Server load, mapmakers have not time or intention?

S!

 

 

[SCG_Tzigy]

8 hours ago, Alonzo said:

 

They're the same as the English ones (because it has to recognize them when pilots speak them). But the German AI says things funny -- which ones are hard to understand? I can make it say them phonetically and make it easier to understand.

 

English callsigns:

            "anvil",
            "banshee",
            "cowboy",
            "dropkick",
            "eagle",
            "falcon",
            "grizzly",
            "hellcat",
            "iceman",
            "jackal",
            "nighthawk",
            "lonestar",
            "maniac",
            "neptune",
            "outlaw",
            "panther",
            "quicksand",
            "raven",
            "scorpion",
            "tomahawk",
            "uncle",
            "voodoo",
            "wizard",
            "yamaha",
            "zombie",

 

Thx so much. I like the German accent, keep it!!

[Talisman]

13 hours ago, StaB/Tomio_VR*** said:

Scharfi shooting at my parachute 5m high at Woensdrecht airfield

Well done, very classy, very sportsmen, very needed (i wasn't killed however)

 

 

I think it is all part of the game.  Shooting parachutes is part of the design function of the game (simulating real life too).  My suggestion would be to get over it and move on.  Laugh it off and keep your spirits high.

 

Happy landings,

 

Talisman

[Psyrion]

This dead horse has been beaten into subatomic particles already guys. Please don't dig this shit up again.

[MeoW.Scharfi]

15 hours ago, StaB/Tomio_VR*** said:

Scharfi shooting at my parachute 5m high at Woensdrecht airfield

 

Says the guy who vulchers people seconds after take off. Yeah play your victim card and call me out as much as you want, i don't regret a thing, especially after your whine. ?‍♀️

[StaB/Tomio_VR***]

It wasn't a whine (not my kind) but more something to show your bad mentality

Just like when u deliberately rammed Petio over his airfield to end his streak or use his Youtube stream to know where he is lol

 

It wasn't illegal to attack people seconds after take off if i recall well.

You may not like it but it's call a tactic

 

 

[MeoW.Scharfi]

Just now, StaB/Tomio_VR*** said:

but more something to show your bad mentality

 

Just now, StaB/Tomio_VR*** said:

It wasn't illegal to attack people seconds after take off if i recall well.

You may not like it but it's call a tactic

 

?

Edited March 7, 2021 by MeoW.Scharfi

[Blackhawk_FR]

17 hours ago, StaB/Tomio_VR*** said:

Btw, there is no kill stealing since the system was done to avoid last one who hit to get the kill...

 

True. Although the system is not perfect, most of the time the kill is clearly given to the one who did most damages. 

 

 

Chute killing is for morons (even more on CB as there are no pilot limits or things like that). End of the story 

 

Edited March 7, 2021 by JG300_Faucon

[GOA_Karaya_VR]

25 minutes ago, JG300_Faucon said:

 

True. Although the system is not perfect, most of the time the kill is clearly given to the one who did most damages. 

 

 

Chute killing is for morons (even more on CB as there are no pilot limits or things like that). End of the story 

 

 

I miss the 1946 days, when chute killers were banned for doing that. ( My personal thought is that straffers/vulchers enter in the same category.

 

People should go for the plane, not for the man.

[357th_KW]

45 minutes ago, GOA_Companere-VR- said:

People should go for the plane, not for the man.

 

Unless you're flying a .50 plane - in which case you need to Git Gud.