Pilot skill numbers

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Pilot skill numbers - 4/15/2012 7:21:35 PM

Knavey

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Which matters most in A2A combat - EXP or AIR?

I have many squadrons where the pilots have a low overall EXP skill number of 50ish, but they may have the specialized AIR skill of over 70. How much does the EXP number come into play in air to air? Should I avoid using these guys until I can raise the EXP number or are the actually wolves in sheeps clothing?

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RE: Pilot skill numbers - 4/15/2012 8:01:05 PM

Puhis

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I think experience is everything. It's better to have pilots with 70 exp and 50 air than pilots with 50 exp and 70 air. Just my observation.

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RE: Pilot skill numbers - 4/15/2012 8:49:52 PM

crsutton

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Agree fully with Puhis. Overall experience is the most important factor.

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RE: Pilot skill numbers - 4/15/2012 9:39:23 PM

Cannonfodder

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Air skill is a factor when engaging a target but experience and defense make sure the pilot survives and makes it back home... There is no substitute for experience...

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RE: Pilot skill numbers - 4/16/2012 4:39:02 AM

PaxMondo

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50/70 (exp/skill) is where I tip my pilots out of training and put them into the war. Some like to go to 60/70, but for me that just takes too long. So, I think you've got your pilots where you want them.

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RE: Pilot skill numbers - 4/16/2012 4:53:50 AM

bradfordkay

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Let me preface my comment with the information that I am not a game developer, nor have I run any specific tests of my theory.

I believe that during A2A combat the air experience factor that is the important one, but if the plane is damaged it is the overall experience factor that will get the pilot and aircraft home.

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RE: Pilot skill numbers - 4/16/2012 6:47:22 AM

koniu

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My training program look like this.

Pilots are training Air skill until 70, after that they are transfered to squadrons training defense. they are there as long as XP will be 50.

Usually when they reach XP 50 they have Air 70 and Def between 65-70

After XP reach 50 they go to reserve. And from there they are transfered to front units but i try to not send them to heavy combat (mostly CAP over own base). They gaining XP really fast in those missions and even if they will be shot down most of them will survive as they fly above friendly ground. Also good thing is to send them to sweep or escort mission when you are sure that there will be no enemy CAP. After few weeks they will have XP close to 60

More experienced pilots have better survivability after being hit or have damaged plane. They will also less often crash on AF but Major skill in battle is Air and Def. Firs will allow them to kill second to escape from enemy fire

Also training XP above 50 will take to long time in training squadron. Only combat mission will build XP fast

< Message edited by koniu -- 4/16/2012 7:01:49 AM >

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RE: Pilot skill numbers - 4/16/2012 1:00:17 PM

Sardaukar

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Exp > Air > Def

Nothing beats experience, but Air skill makes them kill enemies and Def skill keeps them alive.

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RE: Pilot skill numbers - 4/16/2012 5:51:58 PM

castor troy

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quote:

ORIGINAL: crsutton

Agree fully with Puhis. Overall experience is the most important factor.

no, a high experienced pilot with crappy air skill will die vs a completely green pilot exp wise with high air skill. Just put a bomber pilot with 80 exp into a fighter and have him face a fighter pilot with high air skill.

For battle, skill is everything, not experience. Exp is needed to bring the damaged ac home, find the target etc. But not for fighting.

to give an ingame example, I once made the mistake of pulling new pilots into one of my fighter squadrons and usually I do this by sorting by air skill. I wasn't careful enough and ended up drawing pilots clicking on the exp column. So instead of drawing fighter pilots with high air skill I was drawing all sorts of pilots with high experience (bomber, recon, transport pilots...). Guess when I noticed it. When the squadron was shot out of the sky and lost halve the pilots. I looked at the squadron and thought oh sh*t. Most of the pilots completely lacked air skill but had high experience. For fighters, wrong choice. Skills trump!

< Message edited by castor troy -- 4/16/2012 5:57:12 PM >

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RE: Pilot skill numbers - 4/16/2012 6:15:58 PM

ALF1

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I agree with Castor . Skill is important to do something in battle - shot the enemy (fighter) , hit the ground(bomber), see something (recon, search etc.). This is what you want - not only survive.

Skill could be quit easilly train to 70 and after "finito" training will be very slow. On the other side exp will quickly grow in fight

Question: what you will look for ? For pilot with 80Air skill and 50 exp or 80exp and 50 air
Response: 80AIR and 50exp.

Of course the best is to have both

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RE: Pilot skill numbers - 4/16/2012 6:21:23 PM

Justus2

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quote:

ORIGINAL: koniu

My training program look like this.

Pilots are training Air skill until 70, after that they are transfered to squadrons training defense. they are there as long as XP will be 50.

Usually when they reach XP 50 they have Air 70 and Def between 65-70

What mission do you use to train defense? I train my fighters on Escort (which I thought built Air skill)?

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RE: Pilot skill numbers - 4/16/2012 6:42:35 PM

Theages

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Training ground attack at 100ft seems to be building up the defense value

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RE: Pilot skill numbers - 4/16/2012 7:10:09 PM

rockmedic109

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quote:

ORIGINAL: Justus2

quote:

ORIGINAL: koniu

My training program look like this.

Pilots are training Air skill until 70, after that they are transfered to squadrons training defense. they are there as long as XP will be 50.

Usually when they reach XP 50 they have Air 70 and Def between 65-70

What mission do you use to train defense? I train my fighters on Escort (which I thought built Air skill)?

General training trains Defense. And all others so it is slow. Or at this is how I think it happens from what I've read here.

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RE: Pilot skill numbers - 4/16/2012 7:44:44 PM

Knavey

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Haven't found much use for general training.

I did notice that my pilots who are training ESCORT and have a AIR skill level of 71+ are only rarely getting a bump in the AIR skill. However my EXP skill does seem to be rising on those guys pretty fast.

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RE: Pilot skill numbers - 4/16/2012 7:49:50 PM

Commander Stormwolf

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the training system is a lot better than WITP vanilla..

.. remember those 90 exp fighter aces from strafing empty bases

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RE: Pilot skill numbers - 4/16/2012 7:53:41 PM

Knavey

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quote:

ORIGINAL: Commander Stormwolf

the training system is a lot better than WITP vanilla..

.. remember those 90 exp fighter aces from strafing empty bases

Not disagreeing at all.

Just trying to learn a bit more about the new system. I had been just letting it take care of itself, but found that I may be fielding better squadrons with a bit more XP when I do the stuff myself.

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RE: Pilot skill numbers - 4/16/2012 7:56:54 PM

Commander Stormwolf

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high exp also will suffer less ops losses,
and many will have high def skill

would have been a bit funny to see a highly trained B-17 pilot assigned to a P-51 by accident

he can navigate, take off and land perfectly.. and he can avoid being hit since can predict enemy passes

but his marksmanship is bad (very bad)

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RE: Pilot skill numbers - 4/16/2012 8:01:05 PM

Knavey

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I just found a set of Hurri pilots in CBI that I had not yet put in combat. Thank goodness because they had 20s for AIR ratings and 70s for GROUND ratings. I would probably have used them as escorts and they would have not done very well. Back to the reserve pool with them and now that squadron is training newbies in the correct skill.

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RE: Pilot skill numbers - 4/16/2012 8:18:19 PM

Commander Stormwolf

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This has me wondering,

since everyone exaggerates (under-reports) their losses in wartime

what were the TRUE loss rates for P-47s in europe

I would expect that during 1943 they would have been pretty high, especially
then they were used at low altitude. Were these pilots trained more in ground attack
or dogfighting? Was it even possible to dogfight in a 263 kg/m2 wing loading fighter
at sea level, when its top speed was about 300mph at sea level?

they really were designed for high altitude
so whose idea was it to use them for ground attack?

Attachment (1)

< Message edited by Commander Stormwolf -- 4/16/2012 8:21:23 PM >

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RE: Pilot skill numbers - 4/16/2012 8:23:35 PM

Gridley380

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quote:

ORIGINAL: Commander Stormwolf

they really were designed for high altitude
so whose idea was it to use them for ground attack?

They were also heavily armored and anecdotal accounts have them dive bombing with a 1,000lb bomb under each wing.

They appear to have done quite well as ground attack birds.

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RE: Pilot skill numbers - 4/16/2012 8:29:12 PM

Commander Stormwolf

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they did, but mainly after air supremacy was achieved over the luftwaffe

i would expect a great deal of anxiety if you are stuck at 300mph
against the FW-190 whose top speed is at low altitude

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RE: Pilot skill numbers - 4/16/2012 8:50:21 PM

witpqs

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quote:

ORIGINAL: Knavey

I just found a set of Hurri pilots in CBI that I had not yet put in combat. Thank goodness because they had 20s for AIR ratings and 70s for GROUND ratings. I would probably have used them as escorts and they would have not done very well. Back to the reserve pool with them and now that squadron is training newbies in the correct skill.

There are probably more than one bomber groups in CBI that upgrade to fighters. Probably was one of them???

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Post #: 22

RE: Pilot skill numbers - 4/16/2012 8:59:13 PM

Knavey

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Problem was they were in fighters, with bomber skill sets. They would have gotten slaughtered had they run into my opponents Tojos.

You are correct though. I have found this across the nations with the next upgrade being completely different than what the pilots are trained for. It does pay to micro manage.

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RE: Pilot skill numbers - 4/17/2012 6:30:13 AM

koniu

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quote:

ORIGINAL: rockmedic109

quote:

ORIGINAL: Justus2

quote:

ORIGINAL: koniu

My training program look like this.

Pilots are training Air skill until 70, after that they are transfered to squadrons training defense. they are there as long as XP will be 50.

Usually when they reach XP 50 they have Air 70 and Def between 65-70

What mission do you use to train defense? I train my fighters on Escort (which I thought built Air skill)?

General training trains Defense. And all others so it is slow. Or at this is how I think it happens from what I've read here.

To train AIR skill i set my squadron on Escort training on 10k ft, To train DEF skill i set them is sweep training on 100ft to train strafing skill (logical secondary mission for fighter). After training they have XP:50, AIR:70 STRAFE:65-70 DEF:65-70.

Of course some pilots train better and some not but average is what i write.

Probably all training of combat skill will build def also. So second skill to train is player decision. I can tel that in my army bombers squadrons most of pilots after ending training of second skill have also def close to 70(as that can help)

< Message edited by koniu -- 4/17/2012 6:43:58 AM >

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RE: Pilot skill numbers - 4/17/2012 9:30:31 AM

Banzan

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I gave up training defense with strafing, i just use lowGround instead of strafing now. Bullets just don't deal enough damage compared to even small bombs.

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