Aircraft

[Otis38]

Has anyone noticed that aircraft tend to be particularly benign in SH5? Admittedly I'm not far at all into the campaign but I've had 5 or 10 instances already with aircraft spotted in daylight and they just keep moseying on by.

I seem to recall in past SHs that if you were above the surface in daylight and an aircraft came within visual, you more often than not were attacked.

[SteamWake]

A well known and documented behaviour.

Some claim they will radio in your position but I dont believe it.

Some have claimed they have been attacked.

But for me all they do is interrupt time compression.

[Kapitanleutnant]

No you're the first person to notice this.

[Mud]

atm I ignore aircraft completely, they fly by at close range but do nothing.
Im in October 1939.

Mud

[Otis38]

Thanks for the two confirmations and the one smartass answer.

[Kapitanleutnant]

You're welcome.

[mookiemookie]

Also related - airplanes at night in 1939. wtf?

[SteamWake]

Also related - airplanes at night in 1939. wtf?

I was going to bring that up as well but figured it really dident answer his question. Day or night the aircraft are impotent.

But yea.. air cover 24/7 :doh:

[Safe-Keeper]

Also related - airplanes at night in 1939. wtf?
That was my first thought, too - after "why aren't they engaging?". "What are so many planes doing in 1939!"

[thseeker]

I noticed this also. In Total Germany and The Happy Times the planes did nothing but fly recon missions. Once I had advanced to (I forget the name. The one where you choose between staying in the atlantic or going to the Med) and had to patrol around Gibraltar and the Azores then the planes changed into 2 engine dive bombers and although they arent the best shots they had me diving to avoid them. They bombed me and in one instance strafed an empty spot of sea where I used to be.

My only problem with the planes at this point is that they seem to be able to follow you while submerged or they are the best estimaters of course and speed ever.

My thoughts are that the planes at the beginning are intentionally passive to represent the lack of aircraft sub kills at the beginning of the war. They get much more aggresive and numerous as the campaign progresses.

[Herodotus]

I noticed this also. In Total Germany and The Happy Times the planes did nothing but fly recon missions. Once I had advanced to (I forget the name. The one where you choose between staying in the atlantic or going to the Med) and had to patrol around Gibraltar and the Azores then the planes changed into 2 engine dive bombers and although they arent the best shots they had me diving to avoid them. They bombed me and in one instance strafed an empty spot of sea where I used to be.

My only problem with the planes at this point is that they seem to be able to follow you while submerged or they are the best estimaters of course and speed ever.

My thoughts are that the planes at the beginning are intentionally passive to represent the lack of aircraft sub kills at the beginning of the war. They get much more aggressive and numerous as the campaign progresses.
Nice to know, thanks. At the moment (1939/40) they are a pest only in that they drop me out of Warp (time compression) when I'm trying to get home for a refit, post haste:damn:.

[remowilliams]

Ran into a bunch of German planes messing up a convoy while transiting the channel. Was fun to watch. :)

http://img34.imageshack.us/img34/4228/sh5img20100311193733740.jpg (http://img34.imageshack.us/i/sh5img20100311193733740.jpg/)

[gmccabe01]

Anyone manage to shoot one down yet?
My gunner is a bit slow in that he shoots at the plane and that means that all the shells end up behind the plane (useless bugger)

[Otis38]

I noticed this also. In Total Germany and The Happy Times the planes did nothing but fly recon missions. Once I had advanced to (I forget the name. The one where you choose between staying in the atlantic or going to the Med) and had to patrol around Gibraltar and the Azores then the planes changed into 2 engine dive bombers and although they arent the best shots they had me diving to avoid them. They bombed me and in one instance strafed an empty spot of sea where I used to be.

My only problem with the planes at this point is that they seem to be able to follow you while submerged or they are the best estimaters of course and speed ever.

My thoughts are that the planes at the beginning are intentionally passive to represent the lack of aircraft sub kills at the beginning of the war. They get much more aggresive and numerous as the campaign progresses.

Thanks Thseeker...that's really what I was wondering.

[SteamWake]

Anyone manage to shoot one down yet?
My gunner is a bit slow in that he shoots at the plane and that means that all the shells end up behind the plane (useless bugger)

How in the heck did you get them to man the flak gun... let alone shoot at something :o

[Mooncatt]

same here, when i saw my first aircraft i was thinking "oh my god" as in SH3 GWX if u saw aircraft it was a no questions asked crash dive, but i thought in this case id give the flak gun a whirl, so i cranked up the gun and was awaiting them to alter course and dive at me.........waited a little longer and they just carried on their way..... they were really close too, i could see the pilot had brown eyes!

[Conrad von Kaiser]

I don't know if it's related but the first time I loaded up the U-boat portion of SH4 I would crash dive at every aircraft. I was a little slow one day and ordering a crash dive would have meant defenseless sub half in and out of the water and easy pickings, so I manned the flak gun. x2 fighters. They just kept right on going.

I tested it and the only time I was attacked was when the contact read as "Torpedo plane" or Bomber. Fighters never altered course and attacked me.

Perhaps same thing is happening here? Most of the airbases I click on show an aircraft listing, kind of like if you click on Scappa Flow it will show you what ships are docked. And nearly all the planes listed are fighters, only once or twice had I run across planes that could be designated as bombers but I never saw them in the air.

[Safe-Keeper]

Yup, it's a question of settings for individual aircraft, not a bug. In the historical mission where you intercept that Malta convoy there are aircraft that are more than happy to both strafe and bomb you:up:.

Having said that, though, I'd be in favour of a mod that reduced the number of early-war planes and made at least some of them attack you. Surely they can't all be flying "find the sub" missions, and either way, they really don't seem to call for help, either. I'd be more happy if I had destroyers steam towards me shortly after being spotted by planes, but it hasn't happened so far.

[SteamWake]

I'd be in favour of a mod that reduced the number of early-war planes .

I would settle for this. Their interrupting the Time compression is annoying ;)