Posted April 29, 2016
About the crew members:
We're doing far more to give the crew members individualism than simply promotions and medals. Each of the crew members has an AI, which uses the individual skills and characteristics of the crew member to determine it's behaviour. This AI is modified by experience, ability, injuries and panic, so that the crew members behave in the most lifelike way possible.
Back at base each crew member has his own entry in the personnel files, kept up to date with efficiency reports, missions histories and information on medals, injuries etc. Medals and promotions are awarded through a points system and reflect the achievements of the individual awarded it.
Looking after your crew, including administering first aid, is an important part of the game. If you let your best waist gunner die, you're gonna get a rookie for the next mission. Fix him up though, and he'll be back in action in no time.
If a crew member is wounded you'll need to stabilise him on board the aircraft or he'll likely bleed to death. If you do get the crew member back to base alive then his wound severity will be taken into account when you look at your crew next mission.
In the Single Bomber campaign you'll get a replacement from the pool until your boy is back on his feet. In the Squadron Commander campaign you can choose who the replacement is and whether he's temporary or permanent. You can even get crew members back in later missions who went Missing In Action after bailing out over enemy territory and were then helped back by the resistance.
There are two types of wound in B-17 2. The first just outright incapacitates the crew member through Death (rare), unconsciousness or shock. The second is one that affects the crew members abilities and makes him more prone to panic, but causes a more slow deterioration, leading to a collapse as in the first type of wound. At any point (before death!) First Aid can halt this process, and even cause the crew member to recover some. In the case of extreme wounds further deterioration might take place even after First Aid, in which case further First Aid would be needed in the future to keep the crew member alive until missions end. Why invest so much time in one guy? Because your more experienced guys have been learning whilst on the job, especially from any time YOU might have spent with them, and are therefore more valuable than their rookie replacement would be.
Can I name the members of my bomber crew?
In any of the campaign games you'll be able to name all the individual crew members in your aircraft. If you command a squadron you'll be able to name any of the 120 starting crewmembers (if you can think up 120 individual names!)
Of course you don't HAVE to name them, we have a random name generator that'll do the work for you.
Can I switch to another crew position whenever I want to?
You can transfer to any other available position at any time during the game. Indeed, you need not be in control of any character, you could just wander about and watch other players and AI's doing their stuff. If the person you are currently 'possessing' is injured, you will be initially transferred to this 3rd person view, then it's up to you. Might I suggest though that you get someone to administer first aid to your boy first. Unless you are a solo fighter jock of course, which will ultimately involve eating dirt...
If both pilots are killed or severely injured, and let's say I am occupying the tail gunner position at the time, what happens?
Any of the crew members can move to any of the positions, but they might not be particularly good at it of course. If both the pilot and co pilot are killed, you *might* have a chance of moving one of them out of the seat and putting somebody else in their place. But not if the plane goes out of control. (imagine how difficult it would be whilst spiralling to the ground)
Of course you can see all of this happening in glorious motion captured 3D.
Will medals be awarded?
Yes, here's a list of the medals that can be awarded:
Medal of Honor
Distinguished Flying Cross
Silver Star
Bronze Star
Distinguished Service Cross
Air Medal
Legion of Merit
Good Conduct Medal
Soldiers Medal
Purple Heart
European Campaign Medal
Presidential Unit Citation
In addition crewmembers can win promotions, for good performance over extended periods of time.
Some medals your crews get for acts of insane courage, and some your crews get for sustained good performance over a number of missions.
About damage:
Fires on the skin will spread with the airflow and gradually blacken and peel away the skin revealing structure beneath. Big engine fires can also burn away the tail plane if you do not deal with them.
Damaged fuel tanks can leak. Leaks persist until that tank is empty, either naturally or by the fuel having been pumped out of it. A fuel leak, especially if it's a large one is a bit of disaster waiting to happen, and should it ignite, then things are looking pretty bad for the aircraft.
The bombs in the game have a physical weight and will inflict damage if they hit other B-17's on the way down. They won't explode, because they had to arm on the way down, which took a while, but they will quite happily wreck wings and control surfaces if they hit them.
You see bullet hits/flak holes where you get hit. (Porta: Hehe, I just wanted to point this out. Great eh?). Where you get hit by mg or canon fire, you can see the holes ripped in the skin, exactly where you got hit. It can blow holes right through the wing areas. Similarly with Flak hits. The control surfaces can be damaged/blown off, as can parts of the wings. Oil leaks run back over the wings from the engines (real time animation) and fires burn the skin away. A big fire can also strip the horizontal stabiliser/elevator. All of these things directly affect the flight model.
Also, punctures, fuel leaks, damaged/jammed gear are all modelled. Hits to the engine control linkage forces the engines into failsafe mode.
All the internal systems can also be damaged, and of course the crew.
All of this also applies to the fighters.
Ditching and belly landings, landings with punctures, gear damage, single wheel etc are all possible (and great fun!) In fact the ground physics is amazing. If you are good enough, skim low over the airfield and dip a wing onto the ground; feel the pull and see the dust. Not too much though, or you'll lose the wing, or cartwheel (nasty).
We're ensuring that all of our game objects have multiple levels of damage. That's every 3D Model in the game. Our fighters use the same dynamic damage modelling that we're using for the B-17. Your shots will strip away the aircraft's skin in the places where you hit them. Damaged planes will smoke and flame as they go down. Little particles will come off the strike zones and larger pieces of the model can be blown off. Not only that but damage to flight surfaces will directly affect the flight model of all flying aircraft by the correct percentage.
If I don't follow the engine start procedures correctly will the engine not start and possibly be damaged?
Yes. And remember to excercise those turbos before takeoff else all sorts of nasty things might happen.
Is it possible to extinguish an engine fire by diving?
You certainly can! I couldn't find anything which verifies this as being possible in reality, but it was in the Memphis Belle film (and B17-I) so we've put it in.
There is considerable difference in damage effects with different bombs. Will B-17 2 allow for incendiaries, General Purpose, High Explosive, Armor/reinforced structure penetrators, and fragmentation weapons?
One of the things we really wanted to change from the old version was the fixed payload of 12 500lb General Purpose bombs.
In B-17 2 we'll be using all the major bomb types employed by the 8th Airforce. A full list includes:
Fragmentation
Incendiaries
Armour Piercing
Semi-Armour Piercing
Demolition (General Purpose)
In addition to the various types available there will also be various weights as well. Obviously different weights and types of ordnance will inflict different types of damage on a target. Note that they will also do a fair amount of physical damage to the other planes in the formation if you aren't disciplined about your bombing formation..... :-)
What bombing method is used?
Bombing on the leader is the method used in B17-II.
About briefings/debriefings:
The briefings are provided at your own pace through the use of our file technology. The guys used to get little folders providing them with what they needed to know... And so do you! In that file will be (subject to final design!) Intelligence on Primary, Secondary and Tertiary targets. Basic mission information such as distance, bombload etc and pictures of each of the targets. In addition you will be able to check a map in the Briefing room to verify your route to target(s) and watch recon film of the Primary, Secondary and Tertiary targets gallantly shot by Spitfire or Mosquito recon planes.
The debriefing is along the same sort of lines and lists injuries suffered, medals and promotions awarded, kills achieved, target bombed and the bomb damage assessment and post mission recon pictures of the target (Those Spits and Mossies again!). We track the final fates of each of the crew members. In a crash you RISK killing the crew, especially those wounded, same as you risk never being heard from again if you ditch in the North Sea, but given all possible preparation work (ditching bombs if present, first aid where possible, radio messages to base whilst going down and nice soft crash!) your crew should survive, unless they come down in Enemy territory.
Will we fly missions without escorts in the early part of the war?
Yes.
We're doing far more to give the crew members individualism than simply promotions and medals. Each of the crew members has an AI, which uses the individual skills and characteristics of the crew member to determine it's behaviour. This AI is modified by experience, ability, injuries and panic, so that the crew members behave in the most lifelike way possible.
Back at base each crew member has his own entry in the personnel files, kept up to date with efficiency reports, missions histories and information on medals, injuries etc. Medals and promotions are awarded through a points system and reflect the achievements of the individual awarded it.
Looking after your crew, including administering first aid, is an important part of the game. If you let your best waist gunner die, you're gonna get a rookie for the next mission. Fix him up though, and he'll be back in action in no time.
If a crew member is wounded you'll need to stabilise him on board the aircraft or he'll likely bleed to death. If you do get the crew member back to base alive then his wound severity will be taken into account when you look at your crew next mission.
In the Single Bomber campaign you'll get a replacement from the pool until your boy is back on his feet. In the Squadron Commander campaign you can choose who the replacement is and whether he's temporary or permanent. You can even get crew members back in later missions who went Missing In Action after bailing out over enemy territory and were then helped back by the resistance.
There are two types of wound in B-17 2. The first just outright incapacitates the crew member through Death (rare), unconsciousness or shock. The second is one that affects the crew members abilities and makes him more prone to panic, but causes a more slow deterioration, leading to a collapse as in the first type of wound. At any point (before death!) First Aid can halt this process, and even cause the crew member to recover some. In the case of extreme wounds further deterioration might take place even after First Aid, in which case further First Aid would be needed in the future to keep the crew member alive until missions end. Why invest so much time in one guy? Because your more experienced guys have been learning whilst on the job, especially from any time YOU might have spent with them, and are therefore more valuable than their rookie replacement would be.
Can I name the members of my bomber crew?
In any of the campaign games you'll be able to name all the individual crew members in your aircraft. If you command a squadron you'll be able to name any of the 120 starting crewmembers (if you can think up 120 individual names!)
Of course you don't HAVE to name them, we have a random name generator that'll do the work for you.
Can I switch to another crew position whenever I want to?
You can transfer to any other available position at any time during the game. Indeed, you need not be in control of any character, you could just wander about and watch other players and AI's doing their stuff. If the person you are currently 'possessing' is injured, you will be initially transferred to this 3rd person view, then it's up to you. Might I suggest though that you get someone to administer first aid to your boy first. Unless you are a solo fighter jock of course, which will ultimately involve eating dirt...
If both pilots are killed or severely injured, and let's say I am occupying the tail gunner position at the time, what happens?
Any of the crew members can move to any of the positions, but they might not be particularly good at it of course. If both the pilot and co pilot are killed, you *might* have a chance of moving one of them out of the seat and putting somebody else in their place. But not if the plane goes out of control. (imagine how difficult it would be whilst spiralling to the ground)
Of course you can see all of this happening in glorious motion captured 3D.
Will medals be awarded?
Yes, here's a list of the medals that can be awarded:
Medal of Honor
Distinguished Flying Cross
Silver Star
Bronze Star
Distinguished Service Cross
Air Medal
Legion of Merit
Good Conduct Medal
Soldiers Medal
Purple Heart
European Campaign Medal
Presidential Unit Citation
In addition crewmembers can win promotions, for good performance over extended periods of time.
Some medals your crews get for acts of insane courage, and some your crews get for sustained good performance over a number of missions.
About damage:
Fires on the skin will spread with the airflow and gradually blacken and peel away the skin revealing structure beneath. Big engine fires can also burn away the tail plane if you do not deal with them.
Damaged fuel tanks can leak. Leaks persist until that tank is empty, either naturally or by the fuel having been pumped out of it. A fuel leak, especially if it's a large one is a bit of disaster waiting to happen, and should it ignite, then things are looking pretty bad for the aircraft.
The bombs in the game have a physical weight and will inflict damage if they hit other B-17's on the way down. They won't explode, because they had to arm on the way down, which took a while, but they will quite happily wreck wings and control surfaces if they hit them.
You see bullet hits/flak holes where you get hit. (Porta: Hehe, I just wanted to point this out. Great eh?). Where you get hit by mg or canon fire, you can see the holes ripped in the skin, exactly where you got hit. It can blow holes right through the wing areas. Similarly with Flak hits. The control surfaces can be damaged/blown off, as can parts of the wings. Oil leaks run back over the wings from the engines (real time animation) and fires burn the skin away. A big fire can also strip the horizontal stabiliser/elevator. All of these things directly affect the flight model.
Also, punctures, fuel leaks, damaged/jammed gear are all modelled. Hits to the engine control linkage forces the engines into failsafe mode.
All the internal systems can also be damaged, and of course the crew.
All of this also applies to the fighters.
Ditching and belly landings, landings with punctures, gear damage, single wheel etc are all possible (and great fun!) In fact the ground physics is amazing. If you are good enough, skim low over the airfield and dip a wing onto the ground; feel the pull and see the dust. Not too much though, or you'll lose the wing, or cartwheel (nasty).
We're ensuring that all of our game objects have multiple levels of damage. That's every 3D Model in the game. Our fighters use the same dynamic damage modelling that we're using for the B-17. Your shots will strip away the aircraft's skin in the places where you hit them. Damaged planes will smoke and flame as they go down. Little particles will come off the strike zones and larger pieces of the model can be blown off. Not only that but damage to flight surfaces will directly affect the flight model of all flying aircraft by the correct percentage.
If I don't follow the engine start procedures correctly will the engine not start and possibly be damaged?
Yes. And remember to excercise those turbos before takeoff else all sorts of nasty things might happen.
Is it possible to extinguish an engine fire by diving?
You certainly can! I couldn't find anything which verifies this as being possible in reality, but it was in the Memphis Belle film (and B17-I) so we've put it in.
There is considerable difference in damage effects with different bombs. Will B-17 2 allow for incendiaries, General Purpose, High Explosive, Armor/reinforced structure penetrators, and fragmentation weapons?
One of the things we really wanted to change from the old version was the fixed payload of 12 500lb General Purpose bombs.
In B-17 2 we'll be using all the major bomb types employed by the 8th Airforce. A full list includes:
Fragmentation
Incendiaries
Armour Piercing
Semi-Armour Piercing
Demolition (General Purpose)
In addition to the various types available there will also be various weights as well. Obviously different weights and types of ordnance will inflict different types of damage on a target. Note that they will also do a fair amount of physical damage to the other planes in the formation if you aren't disciplined about your bombing formation..... :-)
What bombing method is used?
Bombing on the leader is the method used in B17-II.
About briefings/debriefings:
The briefings are provided at your own pace through the use of our file technology. The guys used to get little folders providing them with what they needed to know... And so do you! In that file will be (subject to final design!) Intelligence on Primary, Secondary and Tertiary targets. Basic mission information such as distance, bombload etc and pictures of each of the targets. In addition you will be able to check a map in the Briefing room to verify your route to target(s) and watch recon film of the Primary, Secondary and Tertiary targets gallantly shot by Spitfire or Mosquito recon planes.
The debriefing is along the same sort of lines and lists injuries suffered, medals and promotions awarded, kills achieved, target bombed and the bomb damage assessment and post mission recon pictures of the target (Those Spits and Mossies again!). We track the final fates of each of the crew members. In a crash you RISK killing the crew, especially those wounded, same as you risk never being heard from again if you ditch in the North Sea, but given all possible preparation work (ditching bombs if present, first aid where possible, radio messages to base whilst going down and nice soft crash!) your crew should survive, unless they come down in Enemy territory.
Will we fly missions without escorts in the early part of the war?
Yes.
Post edited April 29, 2016 by ikrananka