Bring back the aerial spawn for aircraft in Squadron Realistic Battles

[Montpelier 5]

For the last six months, I have been avoiding Squadron Battles, partially because of personal squadron politics(those that know, know), but mostly because of the consistently diminished value of aircraft in the game mode. Recently I decided to make a return and give it another chance, and to my delight the Valkyries update finally brought about the first 'buff' to aircraft in years - Fighters could now spawn in the air at 3000 feet! Bomb damage was reduced, bomb radii for blowing up aircraft had been increased, planes were reduced to four per team, rockets were weakened, AA guns were given radar, and most notably non-bomber aircraft were forced to take off on the runway.

 

The Valkyrie update, however, brought 4 planes and 4 tanks back into the 'meta' in force. It allowed players that only play aircraft to be useful, but not so useful that the effects of the tank team were made irrelevant. Prior to this update, for upwards of 6 months, Wirbelwinds, Coelians, and finally Gepards have absolutely destroyed the value of aircraft and punished players that are fantastic in planes, but less talented in tanks. But with 4 planes in the air, a balanced number of players could fight and coordinate, choosing aircraft that trade off maneuverability for ordnance, speed for maneuverability, ordnance for speed, in a way that made aerial combat, for the first time since March, honestly compelling.

 

The past week and a half has been some of the most fun I've ever had in squadron battles as a career Close-Air-Support player, and I cannot believe that the return of airspawn aircraft to Realistic Squadron Events was a bug, given how long it lasted. I had been training players and working out 4-man strategies on the assumption that the air and ground teams had finally been balanced, only to find that we are back where we started, and at BR 6.7, two talented Coelians and six tanks will make any team that focuses on aircraft worthless.

 

I hope Gaijin will reinstate airspawn for fighter aircraft in Squadron Realistic, so as not to punish players, like me, that are far better in planes than they can ever be in tanks and AA guns. This bug was the best thing to happen to this game in years, and I'm so disappointed to see it's gone.

Edited September 29, 2018 by Montpelier

[IIIiiiIIIIIIIi 13]

I'm all for this, it reminded me of old school squadron battles. Shame it was a "bug", would love it see it reimplemende.

[NoZoul 358]

I think if implemented correctly, let's say, we didn't have to spawn on the airfield, but above it. 
Not closer to the AO in any way, but just above the airfield. 

 

In another sense, that would also defeat the meta of bringing in bombers to SRE that saw light when airfield-spawn was introduced.

[Montpelier 5]

5 hours ago, Nightshriker said:

In another sense, that would also defeat the meta of bringing in bombers to SRE that saw light when airfield-spawn was introduced.

But the fact that they're bombers doesn't make them especially good. I can't think of anyone that would rather play a bomber than a fighter with CAS ordnance. And besides, Tu-2s were still quite useful into 6.0 with the airspawn enabled.

 

The bomber spawn, as it's implemented, enables the best teams to just harden with AA, because the best fighters in the world can't stop a bomber, and bombers trying to shoot down bombers could be set to the tune of circus music. There's a lot of value and a lot of fun in having fighters face fighters. Picking out the corsair that needs to be shot down. Playing in formation that isn't based on how fast the engine can spool up. Not being late to the party and a team that brings 4 bombers has already killed our entire ground team. THAT meta kills airfield aircraft in their entirety, and that cuts out hundreds of planes from ever being used. I don't think that's fair.

 

The fact that planes like the R2Y2 get a bomber spawn despite their obvious abilities to dogfight only compounds the problem. Planes that are arbitrarily given 'bomber' designations are blatantly stronger for it, whereas strike aircraft that aren't good at dogfighting are worthless for two reasons. Furthermore, planes that physically cannot take off in War Thunder(The F-84) are also given an airspawn at 500km over the airfield, another case where random quirks of the game give planes massive advantages over others at their BR.

 

The airspawn is equal, egalitarian, and ripe for strategy, gameplay, and fun. Plane ordnance has been nerfed to where one plane can't carry unless they're designed to ground pound, and air teams had a reason to show up. Not anymore. 

Edited September 29, 2018 by Montpelier
clarification - R2Y2

[DeKrieg 1,290]

I've said in a prior post that I am a bit torn about this.

 

On one hand I agree, air spawns encourage more planes in line ups and leads to more dogfights and fun air battles. I like that. I like being able to play knowing confidently that I will have opponents in the sky. The big issue I find with current squibs is if you lean heavily into one tactic and the opposing team lean into a completely different tactic you can essentially lose the game in the opening minute (aggressive all ground team can wipe all ground forces in a half tank half plane team on some maps before air force even reach the battlefield)

 

On the other hand, I remember what it was like prior to the airfield spawn and I fear going back to that. And I did feel that squibs prior to this basically boiled down to spitfire mk24 or bust. I didnt like that.

 

perhaps the numerous nerfs and buffs over the last 6 months and the few new planes and the rotating br will bring a more varied airforce meta if we went back to air spawns it would see a variety of air planes from numerous nations.

 

 

But then there is one more issue

 

squibs got more popular when we lowered the demand to have aircraft.

 

its a horrible truth but is still a truth, there are a lot more tankers then pilots if planes become a necessary requirement for every squib team it might discourage tank heavy squadrons that make up a large chunk of the mid tiers of the leader board.

 

So to conclude

 

not against air spawns coming back, but I'd like a more nuanced discussion on what it will mean for squibs before such a change is made.

 

perhaps its time for another meet up between zerbah and squadron leads (last one was july last year and directly led to the current br rotation that greatly improved squibs)

[OldDeadMan 1,299]

I'd also welcome that nuanced discussion. By and large, as long as airfields aren't too far back, the air spawn is unnecessary. We played quite a few SqBs yesterday, with good results even, flying 3 and tanking 5. Two Mk24s with me in a Bearcat carrying bombs was tremendously effective. I even pulled off a few air kills! 

 

Yesterday evening, though, the top dogs were in the house and nearly all of them had two Arados. The response time was too long on most maps, and we were wiped by admittedly very skilled bomb droppers. If we could get our air there, we often could keep them away from the battlefield with only one tank lost, but at any distance... it was not pretty.

 

The discussion will probably need to include airfield placement as well as air spawn, in my opinion. Side note, being able to put a Bearcat on a helicopter pad was a tremendous asset. Definitely support retaining that feature for the late game.