Bomber Crew

[Stuart Galbraith]

Ive been debating whether to get this for a few months, and today (rather stupidly after the Steam sale ended) I bit the bullet. Im rather sorry I left it so long, because Its one of the most engaging games ive played in some time.

 

Dont be deceived by its cutesy look. What you have is a game distills some of the best things about the old B17 game, removes the simulation bits and leaves you with a crew management sim. Which is actually considerably more fun than it sounds. You also end up so engaged with a crew whom you have been upgrading, its actually heartbreaking to see them all FTR. Well there is always one survivor to keep the game narrative moving, but its invariably the rookie, and it costs you and arm and a leg to kit out your crew with steel pots and winter jumpers, not to mention buying upgrades like the ventral turret (yes ME110's with 'Jazz Music' are in this game). Even the menu is a work of art, emulating the Bomber Command memorial in London in cartoon style. It is by turns deeply silly, deeply stressful and deeply moving.

 

 

Look just try it. Just be warned its addictive as crack cocaine.

 

https://store.steampowered.com/app/537800/Bomber_Crew/

[Stuart Galbraith]

Rumours of an American version of it. A B17 or B24 version would be great fun.

https://imgur.com/a/P5gU0vv

[Marek Tucan]

Is there any way to change planes that I missed? Would love to have all the RAF classics, from Blenheim to the Lancaster (and some Lend Leases maybe? )

I mean expansion pack "Coastal Command" would also be fun. Liberators with rockets and all that...

 

That being said, got it as well (still during the sales) and if US version comes out, I'm in as well

[Stuart Galbraith]

There already have been some users asking for a Short Stirling. Which is a good idea, in that it would give an opportunity for Glider Missions. Ditto Halifax, with the ability to drop secret agents. Currently there are no new planes, but I just bought the secret weapons pack which has a bouncing bomb, earthquake bombs, German jet nightfighter aces with among other things, a Go229, and Im sure I read somewhere a Nazi Flying Saucer.

 

A blenheim would be a good idea actually. Yes, it had only a crew of three. OTOH, they used it for damn near everything, even nightfighter missions.

 

I think in one respect, the games cartoon aspect will put people off. It really shouldnt. I mean yes, its gamey, but its close enough to reality to probably satisfy most tanknetters demands for realism.

 

I still think that is one hell of an expensive carrier pigeon though.....

[Harold Jones]

Wish there was mobile version, this would be a perfect game for my tablet.

[Marek Tucan]

Oh yeah, wonder if they'd be able to convert it...

 

In any case, even just sticking with bombing you can have a lot of planes, potentially, with different sized crews forcing you to strategize mission by mission... I mean, for a Mosquito Pathfinder mission, do you take your Bombardier, your Navigator or your Radar guy as the second crew member? Heck, you can include even PR planes Though TBH the solo plane missions feel lik,e theyh'd be just right for Coastal Command as well. A lot of lonely patrols...

[Stuart Galbraith]

They seem to be converting to PS4, and with the way mobiles seem to be getting ever more powerful, I certainly wouldnt bet against it.

 

 

Its a savage game. You spend ages upgrading all your crew, upgrading your aircraft. You get really pleased with how they are doing. Then they all get killed. Just like reality really.

 

 

.50 tails guns are murderous, but you can get some beneficial effects mounting them in the nose too. You can sometimes take down enemy aircraft before they even pass you to make a rear attack.

 

 

And they have Jazz music! Thank God my Lanc I always ship a ventral turret. Though you can corkscrew with a halfway decent pilot. You can then see your crew gripping on for dear life inside the aircraft, whilst he throws it about. Really well though out.

 

 

Funnily enough, I wouldnt mind seeing a Luftwaffe version of this. A JU88 would be hilarious.

[Marek Tucan]

Oh yeah, Do-17, He-111, Ju-88, Do-177... Condor... The options are there. And for Pacific have the Catalina

 

 

Also did not know what Emergency Dive really does until I lost the mechanic (who was just fixing engine). So went gull haem and had my bombardier and radio operator fixing outboard engines while landing Seems that landing was not harmful.

 

And mission after that the tail got shot off and I lost almost the entire crew...

[Stuart Galbraith]

Ive also found out that if you have expended emergency dive, and have an engine on fire, corkscrew also has a chance of putting the fire out.

 

Lessons learned. Twin 50's all round, with ammo feed. Yes, the 303 has a higher rate of fire, and the 20mm has a higher damage. But its related that .50 gives the best sustained damage rate for belt, and thus far I have to agree. Ive not even tried the 20mm's because they look like they weigh a ton and dont have much of a belt.

 

Air to air missiles. Buy them all. Yes, they are deeply silly, but I still buy them. With the loss rate Bomber Command has (yes even in this game) I can afford to be silly, as long as I dont keep losing good crews all the time.

 

racks for 3 components, and put enough parachutes out there for all the crew (though just like reality, the aircraft usually comes apart before they can get out anyway). Im told if you give the guy going out on the wing a parachute, he has a chance of survival and making it back, should he (or she) fall off.

 

A radio operator with autotag is worth his weight in gold. Ditto gunners with focus or defensive. I usually give all my gunners steel pots and flak jackets, and keep the Radio operator and flight engineer lightly loaded, so I actually have a chance of saving downed members of the crew before they bleed out.

 

Ive lost 7 aircraft and it must be over 40 crew now, and im still only a third of the way through.

[Stuart Galbraith]

I didnt notice it at the time, but the B17 DLC for Bomber crew has been out since October. For another 3.99 its very good value, including as it does a B17F, a mediterranean theatre, and aviator sunglasses!

 

https://store.steampowered.com/app/756071

 

 

Team 'Merica!

[TOW-2]

Reminds me of a modern day "Fifty Mission Crush", a turn/rts hybrid wargame released for 8-bit machines (Atari, Commodore, Apple, etc.) back in the day.

[Stuart Galbraith]

Thats interesting, not heard of that before. Id heard of another one called B24 IIRC, which was a simulation of the raids on Ploesti.

 

lt reminds me a lot of the old B17 game. Yes, its simplified, but as far as showing how hectic (and costly) daylight raids were, it does a good job. Ive lost about 12 bombers so far, and Ive only just got past the intial level! Time to invest in more .50's I think.

[TOW-2]

Thats interesting, not heard of that before. Id heard of another one called B24 IIRC, which was a simulation of the raids on Ploesti.

 

lt reminds me a lot of the old B17 game. Yes, its simplified, but as far as showing how hectic (and costly) daylight raids were, it does a good job. Ive lost about 12 bombers so far, and Ive only just got past the intial level! Time to invest in more .50's I think.

 

Fifty Mission Crush or B24?

[Stuart Galbraith]

B24 was the Ploesti game.

https://www.old-games.com/download/4168/b-24

 

I was refering to bomber crew reminding me of the old microprose B17 game. Which also has crew management, although perhaps not as manic as the way Bomber Crew models it. Its FAR more difficult than the original Lancaster based version.