Question: A plane consistently missing the drop zone by c. 2.5 km/1.5 miles

[Jorma]

I gave the plane orders to start to drop the paratroopers immediately upon entering the map. This means the coordinates 1,75. However, the plane consistently aims to drop the soldiers around hexes 52,x to 55,x. Needless to say, this makes the whole drop fairly useless with the men missing the drop zone by 2 to 3 kilometers.

The attached files shows this possible 'issue'.

Is this how paradropping works in this game, that the planes miss the drop zones by one, two or maybe three kilometers? If so, I will just stop using this feature altogether.

[zovs66]

Just off the cuff if your dropping your paras on 1,75 and coming in on the left you can't do that, as that makes no sense.

Generally your coming from the left of the map, so you want to plot the drop zone in the center or to the right of the map.

I know the following is from SPWW2 but the principles remain the same.

Hunters from the Sky 3/45

[Mobhack]

I havent loaded the savegame to look at, but that makes sense.

A plane needs a certain distance to enter the map in its initial move onto the map surface. If the target hex is insufficiently far inside the map so it overflies it then the plane will make up its own mind as to where to actually drop its load.

In addition, if the plane dices and fails the drop zone aquisition it will scatter up to a KM or so from the intended point. If the scatter hex is then plotted off the map, odd things can happen - the code will try to place it on the map somewhere, which may not be where you may have planned.

So if you planeed do drop on the left edge - make the drop zone sufficiently far inside, say 5 hexes, probably more like 10-15 hexes into the right from the left edge. Same goes for air strikes at the edge, generally. Air targts right on the boundary of the map may well require you to approach from the opposite map side, or perhaps parallell to the map edge.

[Jorma]

Originally Posted by Mobhack

I havent loaded the savegame to look at, but that makes sense.

A plane needs a certain distance to enter the map in its initial move onto the map surface. If the target hex is insufficiently far inside the map so it overflies it then the plane will make up its own mind as to where to actually drop its load.

In addition, if the plane dices and fails the drop zone aquisition it will scatter up to a KM or so from the intended point. If the scatter hex is then plotted off the map, odd things can happen - the code will try to place it on the map somewhere, which may not be where you may have planned.

So if you planeed do drop on the left edge - make the drop zone sufficiently far inside, say 5 hexes, probably more like 10-15 hexes into the right from the left edge. Same goes for air strikes at the edge, generally. Air targts right on the boundary of the map may well require you to approach from the opposite map side, or perhaps parallell to the map edge.

Thank you, Mobhack. Just to make sure that I understood you correctly: The drop zone should be at least 5 hexes, ideally 10-15 hexes, of the left/right edge of the map, is that correct?

P.S. I feel sorry for the paras. They ended up in the worst possible place in a triple crossfire.

[Mobhack]

Yes, basically don't plot a target for aircraft withinh 10 or 15 hexes of the map edge, unless you plan to approach that from far away (an opposite map edge, not the same map edge the target spot is crammed up against).

Planes need a few hexes to allow them to enter onto the map itself and if the target is too close for the entry process then they may overfly the indended spot, leading to weird target selections.

[Karagin]

Bad drops happen, it's part of the reason airborne operations have a high risk of NOT being pinpoint even today with GPS and all that fun stuff.

[Jorma]

Originally Posted by Karagin

Bad drops happen, it's part of the reason airborne operations have a high risk of NOT being pinpoint even today with GPS and all that fun stuff.

I agree, but if the pilots would frequently miss the drop zones by a mile and half in this game, I would treat drops as 'paras will just land somewhere within a two-mile radius, whatever' type of stuff. However, Mobhack has explained the issue, and I will continue trying to have fairly accurate drops in the future.

I just feel sorry the paras. They were slaughtered like cattle.

[DRG]

Originally Posted by Jorma

I agree, but if the pilots would frequently miss the drop zones by a mile and half in this game,

They have not and do not do that for me but I don't set my drop zones up like that. If you want to get them close to an E or W map edge you need to give them some room as the code is deliberately NOT set up to give pinpoint drops because airborne drops are NEVER pinpoint except in rare circumstances.

RUN TESTS and experiment to learn how the game actually works before diving into a long game. Try some drops from all the directions offered and see what works and doesn't work before what doesn't becomes a "bug" report. Remember also that ground fire can influence how well , or not a drop goes

[Jorma]

Originally Posted by DRG

They have not and do not do that for me but I don't set my drop zones up like that. If you want to get them close to an E or W map edge you need to give them some room as the code is deliberately NOT set up to give pinpoint drops because airborne drops are NEVER pinpoint except in rare circumstances.

RUN TESTS and experiment to learn how the game actually works before diving into a long game. Try some drops from all the directions offered and see what works and doesn't work before what doesn't becomes a "bug" report. Remember also that ground fire can influence how well , or not a drop goes

Thank you for the tip, but I have not reported a bug here.