SAM Effectivness

[Mobhack]

And to reply to myself - I think it has to do with troop carring helos, to give them a chance to offload the pax?.

Cheers
Andy

[Mustang]

I think that helos should stick around, because I'm sure certain attack helicopters, like the Apache, are tough enough to stick around. There wouldn't be too many planes, though, that would stay around after being hit. There still would be some times, though, when a plane could ignore a light hit, espeically for a plane like an A-10 Warthog.

[PlasmaKrab]

Mustang said:I think that helos should stick around, because I'm sure certain attack helicopters, like the Apache, are tough enough to stick around. There wouldn't be too many planes, though, that would stay around after being hit. There still would be some times, though, when a plane could ignore a light hit, espeically for a plane like an A-10 Warthog.

What do you consider "ignoring a light hit"? I'm no fighter pilot meself but I'd tend to consider flying back home in one piece a relaxed enough, posture, as opposed to outright ejecting. A plane like the Warthog already is much more resistant than other planes, i.e. I guess it means it can take more damage before being critically damaged and crashing.

Also keep in mind that a damage pericieved as non-critical when it occurs, can turn really nasty minutes afterwards, like a tiny fuel or oil leak for instance. So IMHO a pilot will return to base after any kind of hit, because he will prefer being (himself and his plane) fit and available in the near future than running a last dash that can turn deadly (he got an enemy hit, remember, so probably he has chances taking another one if he comes back). Not mentionning loitering around waiting to be called again while his plane disintegrates slowly...

[narwan]

The ability to withstand some damage (like A-10's and attack choppers) is already in the code. They are harder to damage. Whent hey do get damage, even 1 point, that doesn't mean a 'light' hit, but a hit serious enough to make the pilot go home. All those 'light' damage hits aren't registered.

As to being attacked by planes already hit, I think Mustang means that planes which are hit while doing their attack run will continue with the run unless actually destroyed before they reach the target. Damaged planes don't return for later turns, but they do continue with their mission in the turn they are being damaged.

Narwan

[Mustang]

I guess Plasmakrab's right about how the "plane disintegrates slowly". Still, the Apache and A-10 are very rugged and could probably take a MANPAD hit to one of the engines and continue flying missions. I'm not sure how the code treats this, but if it dosen't do it already I think that it should allow Warthogs and the better attack helos to stick around after one MANPAD hit.

[PlasmaKrab]

I agree with what Narwan says, all things considered, if the plane takes a hit that doesn't damage it further than some holes in unimportant sheet-metal parts (i.e. no functional damage) the game will return a "hit but no damage" or something. That is also what the armour rating is here for.

As already stated, any damaging hit should mean a direct trip back home, as a better option than "procrastinated crash", so to speak, however rugged the plane.

[PlasmaKrab]

Forgot to mention something about helos, too. Remember that the more sophisticated (and with any luck survivable) your helo, the more infrastructure you will need to keep it up and working.
As opposed to a Huey-type helo (even armed) you better not let an advanced combat chopper like an Apache or a Tiger 'sleep on the field' or scratch-repair it in a hurry with the repair van's toolbox.
So if damaged, you wouldn't land such an advanced-tech helo 500m behind FLOT but rather take it back to a decent base for extensive maintenance.