Have you experienced problems with level bombers?
 

After a couple of years without playing SPMBT I just installed newest version. I used to play earlier quite much (maybe too much). Anyway, I'm wondering what has happened to level bombers which should have huge load of ammo but they seem only to drop first items and then fly away.

Earlier if bomber had 4 slots and 4 bombs per slot it stopped 4 times and dropped 4 bombs. More bombs -> more damage.

Now bombers with 4 slots and even 10 or more bombs only drop 4 bombs to first hex and disappear - or some planes drop also 2 bombs to second hex and that's it.

I tested with US and Russian level bombers. Only that level bomber with FAE and normal bombs do the whole trick (and cause massive damage).

Is this a known bug?

At least this is very easy to repeat: just setup battle for today's date, buy a couple of level bombers for player 1 (human) and a couple of "targets" for player 2 (human) and let bombers attack.

At the moment level bombers are waste of money as they use only a small part of their potential.

Re: Have you experienced problems with level bombers?
 

I have no idea why you are having this problem but it works just fine for me. I set up the test just as you described. Each one of those cratered hexes have had four bombs dropped on them

http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/attac...1&d=1394743537

Re: Have you experienced problems with level bombers?
 

I just had another test run. US vs Red March 2014. Spotter plane to light up enemy and then one by one level bombers (lots of armor and soft targets). Target don't have any AA (they didn't shoot back).

B-2

(before)
FAE x 8
FAE x 8
FAE x 8
FAE x 8

-> 4 x bombs to first hex, 2 x bombs to second hex, then it stopped.

(after)
FAE x 6
FAE x 6
FAE x 7
FAE x 7

After bomb run it seemed to have damage = 1 meaning it won't ever come back for another run.

B-1

500lb Bomb x 21
500lb Bomb x 21
500lb Bomb x 21
500lb Bomb x 21

-> 4 x bombs to first hex and then quit.

500lb Bomb x 20
500lb Bomb x 20
500lb Bomb x 20
500lb Bomb x 20

Damage 1 and 20 bombs were not used :confused:

B-52

2000lb Bomb x 6
2000lb Bomb x 6
2000lb Bomb x 6

-> 3 x bombs to first hex, 1 x bomb to second hex and quit.

2000lb Bomb x 4
2000lb Bomb x 5
2000lb Bomb x 5

Again, not very complete run (and of course damage = 1).

Tu-22M3 (Russian allies)

1000kg x 6
1000kg x 6
1000kg x 6
1000kg x 6

-> 4 x bombs to first hex, then quit.

1000kg x 5
1000kg x 5
1000kg x 5
1000kg x 5

Needless to say, damage = 1 and waste of money.

Su-24

500kg x 8

-> 1 bomb to first hex, 1 bomb to second hex, 1 bomb to third hex, 1 bomb to fourth hex and quit.

500kg x 4

This almost did it, reached 50% but it should have dropped four more bombs (to hexes 5th - 8th).

Su-24M

ZAB-500 FAE x4
RBK-500 CBU x4
ZAB-500 FAE x4
RBK-500 CBU x4

-> 2 bombs per hex (FAE + CBU) to 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th hexes, then 1 bomb (CBU) to 5th hex and 6th hex. Close! But no cigar.

ZAB-500 FAE x0
RBK-500 CBU x0
ZAB-500 FAE x4
RBK-500 CBU x2

Seems that slots 1 and 2 were emptied, slot 3 were not used at all and slot 4 activated late (5th and 6th hex). And of course damage = 1.

I suspect that this damage = 1 after bomb run is normal making only one strike per bomber. No problem. But then, why those bombers doesn't empty their bomb load at full? This is not random because in every game same happens. No AA fire present.

In earlier version if there was x8 bombs it bombed 8 hexes in row. The more slots with bombs, the more bombs per hex.

Re: Have you experienced problems with level bombers?
 

I tried the same: B-52 with 12 bombs

-> 4 bombs to first hex, 1 bomb to second hex and then it was done. March 2014. US vs. Red.

Re: Have you experienced problems with level bombers?
 

And here's a B2 after a FAE bombrun. Each of the hexes showing smoke had 4 FAEs dropped in it. After the bomb run that aircraft is no longer available as it has no weapons left to drop. Test was done Jan 2012

8 hexes hit x 4 FAE = 32 which is what unit 949 carries

Don

http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/attac...1&d=1394744999

Re: Have you experienced problems with level bombers?
 

Tested with B-52 in 1967, same effect: only first hex is bombed 4 times and then planes are done.

Used configuration:

Win 7

WinSPMBT v7-DL (13th March 2013)

Animation MAX

All settings ON except Fast Arty, ID Tags, Hex and Training. All values default except training 80-120 (tested both, no effect).

Full screen 800x600.

Re: Have you experienced problems with level bombers?
 

Re: Have you experienced problems with level bombers?
 

Also I tested in Windowed mode, same results. Also hex grid doesn't affect.

Re: Have you experienced problems with level bombers?
 

Alright. I uninstalled whole game and re-installed it:

First WinSPMBT.exe (basic game install) and then v6.0 Consolidation Patch.

Tested with v6.0 and there everything works! :) Bombers release all bombs and fly away.

Next installed also v7.0 (2013) upgrade, tested and it fails exactly same way as described earlier :doh:

I didn't touch anything. Just installed recently downloaded v7.0. Settings were same in both v6.0 and v7.0 (hex grid off, training off).

Otherwise game works without problems. Just this level bomber bug.

Re: Have you experienced problems with level bombers?
 

I have experienced the same thing. In the Russia v. China scenarios I have been making the Flounder level bombers that I assign to come in at the beginning of the scenario only drop a fraction of their ordnance on the first hex and then continue on and are unavailable for the rest of the scenario.

Playing the full game version updated to 7.0 on a Windows 8 machine.

Scenario is set in October of 2020.

2 x Chinese JH7 Flounder level bombers with 4 x 5 250kg HE bombs, enter at the beginning of the first turn, fly to around their designated target hex and drop 3 x 1 bombs on the first hex, then egress. When I inspect them they each have 1 damage and are unavailable with the remaining 17 bombs.

I get the same results in two different scenarios, one where I control the bombers and one where they are under the computer's control.

Re: Have you experienced problems with level bombers?
 

Huh, good to know that was not only my issue.

Symptoms are the same.

Lets get this solved :-)

Re: Have you experienced problems with level bombers?
 

Yep :sorry:

Don't tend to use level bombers so set up a quick test battle:

UK
JSF (2x3CBU) - dropped all 6 one hex at a time = :) works ( :confused: or should it have dropped 2 in each of 3 hexes?)
Tornado (1x8 1000lb) - dropped 1 bomb / hex for 1st 4 hexes = :( 50%

USA
B1 (4x21 500lb) - dropped 4 in first hex then left! = :mad: <5% of bombload!!!
B2 (4x10 2x500lb) - dropped 4 in first hex and left = :mad: 10%

Latest version - win 7 machine

Re: Have you experienced problems with level bombers?
 

Not tested but this is probably tied to the glitch since the last patch that causes units to lose shots if it is not the first weapon slot.

Re: Have you experienced problems with level bombers?
 

Well then, since I'm testing it with the EXE that will be released with the next patch and the bombs are dropping normally I guess it's fixed now

Don


EDIT: Confirmed the "problem" is now corrected and likely related to the problem Imp mentioned. I ran the same test with a V7 version of the game using the B2 with the FAE and it dropped 4+2 then left but as my post #5 shows it's working perfectly now so this does look like it was indeed "solved" about 10 months ago

Re: Have you experienced problems with level bombers?
 

Alright, great if that has already been fixed (and was actually known bug). Thanks!

Waiting for next patch :-)

Re: Have you experienced problems with level bombers?
 

Tested with new patch and I can also confirm this bug is now gone. Great work with whole game, thanks guys! :-)