Observation Plane Speed

[Lucy]

Both on the Ship Viewer and the book Observation Planes have a speed of 7 inches. Shouldn't that be more like 17 inches?

Rod

 

[juggler69uk]

Most countries obs planes were not fast

However reading the new tournament pack download, obs planes appear to be being removed altogether in the OOB

 

[Lucy]

I would at least think they would be faster than some of the destroyers that can move 8 inches.

Why are they being removed?


Rod

 

[DM]

Because their impact on actual naval battles was trivial, whereas their effect in the game is is quite substantial.

 

[Shadow4ce]

Because their impact on actual naval battles was trivial, whereas their effect in the game is is quite substantial.

Don't you mean "was" substantial? :twisted:

At least in a couple of months, right?

However, if they remain as "ash-can" droppers, I'd have to agree with Lucy as still being interested in a real speed score. I'd think 35 knots would be well below stall speed for any spotter aircraft of this era. :wink:

 

[DM]

Good point which I compleyely failed to make. The aircraft types ARE still there (or at least I statted them up) in a manner consistent with the new standard for aircraft stats, so they move at the correct speeds.

 

[DSV1]

why didnt they make them have a vague bonus such as +1 gunnery while flying in clear weather and at medium range ?

They are overpowered but to completely negate them now tells me people arent playtesting bugger all :?

 

[DM]

The coarse nature of the VAS system makes it effectivey impossible to apply sensible modifiers. The lack of a maximum gunnery range also makes them difficult to employ sensibly within the confines of the rules. If you impose a maximum line of sight of 30"-32" you could allow observation aircraft to enable spoted gunnery against static targets above those distances out to the maximum range of the gun. However, to say that it wasn't playtested is a bit incongruous - perhaps not originally, but for OOB this aspect was debated at length and the conclusion reached was not that dissimilar from that reached historically, that their worth as far as aides to gunnery was concerned, was rather limited.

 

[DSV1]

On the subject of gunnery, why have ranges of over 30" anyway Dave if thats what the max range would have been. No ships hit any moving targets over 25,000yrds (approx) anyway.

Wouldnt what you have just suggested be a better rule, and allowing spotters to be used for attacking stationary targets etc over that ?. That way they are used in a small way in the game without being overpowering.

From the sound of it Spotters have just been crossed out :/