Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!bu.edu!att!cbnews!wbt From: wbt@cbnews.att.com (William B. Thacker) Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga.games Subject: Re: Their Finest Hour query Message-ID: <1990Oct24.203432.721@cbnews.att.com> Date: 24 Oct 90 20:34:32 GMT References: <5533@mwk.uucp> Organization: AT&T Network Systems - Columbus, Ohio Lines: 81 In article <5533@mwk.uucp>, greer@mwk.uucp (If we took the bones out, it wouldn't be crunchy, would it?) writes: > > Is it possible to sink this ship (or any ship) with the four small > bombs? If not, does damaging a ship (which is not noted on the mission > summary, unlike a sinking) improve your mission score, or would it be > better (if you can evade/destroy the fighters) to seek a "target of > opportunity" on land? I don't think you can sink it with the 4 bombs. Your final score seems to be based on how many enemy planes you shoot down, how many bomb hits you score, how many near misses, and how well you complete the mission. From that respect: You could drop all 5 bombs on the same ship. That's five hits, one ship sunk. I'd bet that scores as well as 5 hits, one sunk - one damaged. I don't know if hits on a land target count as hits in this mission; they probably do. I think the safest score is to drop one bomb and sink one ship, and hit the other with the remaining four. > Also, does strafing have any effect other than personal satisfaction? Only against parked aircraft, in which case it's just like shooting them in the air, only easier. Never seems to affect buildings or runways. My questions on "Their Finest Hour"... 1) During a Luftwaffe campaign; is there any point to assigning computer- flown fighters for escort ? They always seem to get shot down without even hurting the enemy. 2) During an RAF campaign, the pilots aren't any better. Even assigning a pilot I'd previously worked up to over 1000 points only resulted in a downed plane and an ended career; not air victories. For both campaigns, I find that the only way to succeed is by flying the fighters yourself and shooting down everything you find. For Germany, this isn't too tough; take a 109 or (my choice) 110 and start near the English coast, while your bombers start at the airfields. This gives you time to clear the RAF from the air (expect 8 fighters initially, fewer as you cut the RAF's strength). Under this system, all campaigns will be won by cutting the RAF's strength in aircraft below the 50% level. This is because if even 1 RAF fighter gets through, he will break up your bombers. The only way I've won differently is by flying a bomber. After the RAF is on the ropes (about 60% strength) you send 3 bombers toward one target (let's say you're working on airfields) while you attack another at the other end of the island. The three will be shot down, probably without scoring any hits, but you're free to attack. The nice thing about flying a 110, BTW, is that when the C-4B version is available you can take along some bombs and hit targets with just a few percentage points operational, rather than wasting an entire mission on them. To win as the RAF, you just have to be a bloody good pilot. I assign all computer pilots to CAP Intercept Fighters, to try to keep the Messers off my back while I engage in the painful task of killing bombers. The RAF is a much tougher job than the Luftwaffe. 3) In a campaign, is there any point in attacking radars or RAF HQ's ? I really love this game, BTW, despite the gripes above. It has some realism problems (really... should I be able to score hundreds of victories against Spits and Hurri's with an Me110 ? Even Rudel downed only about 20 aircraft (Russian, at that) in a Stuka; my Stuka did better than that against Spits, and in less time). I wish they had Boulton-Paul Defiants, though... Is it true there's a sequel (bombing of Germany in '44-'45) coming up ? - - - - - - - - valuable coupon - - - - - - - clip and save - - - - - - - - Bill Thacker AT&T Network Systems - Columbus wbt@cbnews.att.com "C" combines the power of assembly language with the flexibility of assembly language.