I have in the past always hated when my team had two pilots at once - it was such a waste of potential players.
Right now planes feel good, but there is still alot of potential for improvement.
The new change with dropping bombs individually makes planes be able to bomb at least two targets before rearming - this is a great change.
In general I think a very good pilot will be able to lock down objectives while also deleting tanks.
Now I think there could still be things done to make air combat more impactful.
Call in Bombers are still kinda useless, they are mostly only annoying to ground troops - IF bombers would be made much stronger, then Pilots fighting those bombers and having real dogfights over an important target would improve the plane gameplay immensely.
Maybe auto guns could deal more damage in a bigger radius against infantry, making strafing runs actually viable.
Bombs still need time to explode, and I think this doesn’t need to exist, why not make every bomb explode on impact? Sure this would make taking out tanks much easier, but as a trade:
more light armored auto gun scout cars and AA tanks being added to the game would create a better dynamic between tank vs plane combat. As we have been talking about here recently, the update to the motorcycle class could be enhanced so that at higher BRs we get Jeeps with MGs and later full combat APCs - all being able to aim high into the sky and working like light AA.
My two favorite planes in the game are the Stuka and the Ju-188. I get my best kill numbers with these out of every other plane. The biggest drawback for me with the Ju is that it is structurally weak. 75% of the time a fighter gets me in its sites it cuts my plane in half, however with a five man crew, I have another paratrooper assault squad. The Stuka can take loads of punishment, and I have even made multiple bombing runs after my Stuka has been pounded and is a complete bitch to fly straight, but she’s a tough bitch . Third on my list is the Russian Su-2 as I get good kills with it as well.
I am not great at dog fighting, so I choose bombers. I really haven’t found an Allied plane that I love, that is why I keep suggesting that DF add the B-25 bomber since it is relatively the same size and weight as the Ju-188 and could be made with comparable bomb load outs.
The thing is that the AI when they select to use these vehicles don’t use then as AA guns, they use them as mobile MGs against infantry. Same is said for players. I hardly see a player that actively uses one of these look up in the sky when they hear planes overhead. I’m constantly glancing at the skies when planes are overhead so I know when to build an AA gun or not.
I do agree it would be fun to actually have dogfights over the battlefield unlike how it is now, which is if I spot you before you spot me your downed. Or if I go in for a pass and you spawn in then I’m shot out of the sky instantly. When it comes to bombing runs there’s a lot of improvement that needs to be done, but I doubt that the Devs will put it in the game. They would rather update graphics more. Especially after these Bruma maps get added. They have to make the grass “look” a certain way when the soldiers trample it under foot or some crap, or improve the ponds water reflections so when the sun hits it at the right angle you can see the trees sway in it.
The delayed fuse of the bomb is somewhat of a counterbalance
Players need higher bomb delivery capabilities to better kill enemies
Instead of being a super large impact grenade
I think most tanks can refer to the anti-aircraft gun aiming mechanism
Give their outboard machine guns more uses
Machine gun trucks and anti-aircraft vehicles are indeed better than motorcycles
But it shouldn’t become more of an inefficient vehicle
They need at least some explosive weapons and smoke to do a better job on the battlefield
. Third on my list is the Russian Su-2 as I get good kills with it as well.