Sid Meier’s Ace Patrol: Pacific Skies (Nov 2013)

jomni · November 08, 2013, 12:31:47 AM

Quote from: DicedT on November 07, 2013, 10:32:43 PM
Can you repair damaged airplanes?

One of my four pilot is dead. How do I get a replacement?

Try switching plane types. Then see if switching back repairs the plane. This is an exploit. :/

Barthheart · November 08, 2013, 06:20:33 AM

Quote from: DicedT on November 07, 2013, 10:32:43 PM
Can you repair damaged airplanes?

One of my four pilot is dead. How do I get a replacement?

Damaged planes repair over time. If you have the Grease Monkey ace trait his plane repairs faster. Still don't know what the 5 per turn fix is though...
A new pilot automatically shows up in your roster for the next mission.

BanzaiCat · November 08, 2013, 09:31:58 AM

The game's pretty good for something that's only five bucks, but I can't help but think this system works much better with WWI dogfighting. I dunno. The Zeros are pretty fun, especially with a sharp pilot and a plethora of maneuver cards. I'm only about 1/2 of the way through the IJN campaign though.

Edit: Yep, you can control bombers at a point. I just fired it up for a couple of minutes and I'm able to control some Bettys doing a run on an American carrier during the Tarawa battles:

Barthheart · November 08, 2013, 09:53:05 AM

Yeah, but bombing is just like the last game, basically just fly over the target. No having to line up a torpedo bombing run, avoid flak, etc.

I'm liking the new setting and the new features. The planes are now very different from each other in flying, maneuvers available, damage resistance.
To me it's just as fun as the last version.

BanzaiCat · November 08, 2013, 10:47:13 AM

Yup, bombing's pretty much like the Ace Patrol game - fly over the hex and boom it goes away.

I'm glad they made this - hopefully we'll see an ETO version of it as well.

Nefaro · November 08, 2013, 02:40:10 PM

AFAICT the aircraft damage only gets repaired before the next campaign. However, I think you can just choose a different aircraft model for that pilot (if he's not captured or wounded?), judging by Jarhead's post about switching between them. So if you have more than one type available.. try a different one than the damaged model?

Barthheart · November 08, 2013, 02:42:06 PM

Quote from: Nefaro on November 08, 2013, 02:40:10 PM
AFAICT the aircraft damage only gets repaired before the next campaign. However, I think you can just choose a different aircraft model for that pilot (if he's not captured or wounded?), judging by Jarhead's post about switching between them. So if you have more than one type available.. try a different one than the damaged model?

Yep you can now go back and use older aircraft if you have any.

You may be right about the damage... I haven't really paid enough attention yet...

BanzaiCat · November 08, 2013, 02:51:37 PM

I just tried switching from a 47% damaged George to a 'clean' Zero. It will indeed let you switch to a different plane, but in my game, the damage stays even when I switch to one then back again.

FarAway Sooner · November 09, 2013, 12:33:00 PM

It kind of makes sense... a little bit. If you have some spare planes lying around (the only dubious part of the assumption), but one plane gets shot up in a mission, there's no reason that a healthy pilot can't hop into a spare undamaged plane and take off immediately.

That, of course, assumes that there is a spare undamaged older plane without a pilot just lying around, ready to fly, and fully gassed up. That is, admittedly, a bit of a stretch. But, if much of the campaign is set in the South Pacific, it's not like they didn't have some ramshackle logistical situations all over the place. On air bases at least, if not on carriers.

And it does make sense that, if different missions are only set a few hours apart, or span a day or two at most, mechanics probably couldn't do much to get a plane repaired. Especially in the battles like the Battle of the Coral Sea, where it's improbable that planes could fly more than 2 missions a day, even operating at a breakneck pace.

eyebiter · November 09, 2013, 02:32:45 PM

.

jomni · November 09, 2013, 06:51:57 PM

I was complaining about the graphics earlier and have to admit that it is quite pretty when played on the iPad instead of the PC. :)

FarAway Sooner · November 10, 2013, 12:58:53 PM

Quote from: jomni on November 06, 2013, 07:44:19 PM
Haven't tried. My captured pilots don't give up their slot. If dead pilots allow you to recruit a new one, that would be nice. I prefer a green pilot than a wasted slot any day.

It takes a little while, but you'll eventually be given a ground-attack mission which allows you to free them if successful.