Carrier Balance

[UberPaladin]

To be clear: this is not about the balance of carriers relative to other ship types.

 

I have encountered some cases, particularly where I'm in an Independence and facing a Saigon, where the disparity in aircraft quality between the tiers is especially evident. I've sent both flights of fighters against a single Saigon fighter flight and lost all 12 planes and only killed 1 in return. This kind of thing really throws the game balance out of whack.

 

This is not like other ships, where player skill can make up for tier inbalance, or where you know you'll be able to do some damage before going down. For air combat, there is no way for the player to influence the outcome. While commander skills helps your chances, it doesn't really provide influence.

 

Now, I'm not saying this is an issue for every tier gap between carriers, but suspect it will be exacerbated when other nations are added. i.e., the nation with the weakest tier 4 fighters against a carrier with the best tier 5 fighters. I'm not sure how to address is, but would ask that an eye be kept on it. Air superiority is significant in this game and if a 5/4 carrier combo will always win it against a 4/4 combo, that should be weighted more heavily in match-making, if nothing else.

 

[Kookaburras]

I blame it on MM, really. Fighter difference in the mid tiers is really bad (Like from biplanes to Buffalos), the only way to balance that is 2 Indies vs 1 Saipan, which works pretty well. 

[Dysfunctional_Vet]

Just a hint if your the low man on this kind of battle make them attack you while your plane are above some of your own fleet so the AA can help you

[Jakebob]

there should be a way you can upgrade the planes on a lower tier carrier... although I can't picture the old Langley launching F4U's.

 

[bluebomb104]

It does seem like some squadrons will get decimated while others do the decimating (although I can't say from experience as I've never played only watched, a lot though) would be nice if wargaming could keep an eye on this

[anna_tankgirl]

If its imbalanced stay nearer the main attacking force, attach fighter to screen the best battleships with strong AA, and use other craft for closer in strikes where you can recover faster.  But you will lose planes but you have spare squadrons. Adding mods and key skills do help a great deal.

[iHUB]

Since we are on the carrier topic, let me add something.

I've gotten 2 groups of fighters case a single scout on my Independence and they ended up running out of ammo, the scout lived. This just makes no sense.

[donaldEpott]

No but in real life the Indy class Escort carrier never carried the F3F they were however with F6F Hellcats and Avengers. they came into service in 1943 they carried 24 Hellcats and 9 avengers.

[_Guderian]

I think the main issue comes when you have the biplane fighter's going up against the monoplane fighters. If they were to set up MM so that carriers with biplanes always go against biplanes that would fix a lot of the fighter imbalance problems.

[donaldEpott]

there should be a way you can upgrade the planes on a lower tier carrier... although I can't picture the old Langley launching F4U's.

 

 

Well by the time the Langley was in WW2 it was being used as a Sea Plane tender.

I think the main issue comes when you have the biplane fighter's going up against the monoplane fighters. If they were to set up MM so that carriers with biplanes always go against biplanes that would fix a lot of the fighter imbalance problems.

 

I agree with that they should seperate out players by number of battles fought with those ships so they could be upgraded to later aircraft that they carried. I am looking at future reasons to keep players playing lower tier carriers. as it stands why keep lower tier carriers?

[OtisDriftwood]

I was in my Ranger (VII) with another (VII) v. 1 Essex (IX); I achieved a clear skies award (35 planes) and was still obliterated by the Essex torp and dive bombing.   My planes were just worn out, couldn't keep them up for so many incoming wave after wave.  
 

It was like bringing a knife to a gunfight.

[Numbah18]

I was in my Ranger (VII) with another (VII) v. 1 Essex (IX); I achieved a clear skies award (35 planes) and was still obliterated by the Essex torp and dive bombing.   My planes were just worn out, couldn't keep them up for so many incoming wave after wave.  

 

It was like bringing a knife to a gunfight.

 

His reserves are better then yours. Getting all the fighter upgrades will help with the tier disparity thing.

[laser0806]

I blame it on MM, really. Fighter difference in the mid tiers is really bad (Like from biplanes to Buffalos), the only way to balance that is 2 Indies vs 1 Saipan, which works pretty well. 

Yeah one time I was in my Essex and I got placed against a Bogue (fun for me but I felt bad for the Bogue)

[laser0806]

 

His reserves are better then yours. Getting all the fighter upgrades will help with the tier disparity thing.

True but to an extent 

[OtisDriftwood]

 

His reserves are better then yours. Getting all the fighter upgrades will help with the tier disparity thing.

 

I had the top-level fighters (for the Ranger), along with the module upgrades.   I'm only lacking on the fighter skills for the commander.(level 5?)

[EnclaveZ182]

Problem is the types of planes on the carriers. USN CV fighters should go F2A F4F F4U F6F. That way you have less off a disadvantage if the guy one tier up is using same aircraft as you he just has more in the hangar.

[Scotty_SE]

Getting so annoyed at seeing this drama play out at the beginning of it seems half the matches. Having to listen to carrier pilots whine like babies about the tier mismatches...or have to apologize to other players because they brought a fighter loadout and there's no opposing CV....gawd....ignore button please.

 

 

This is yet another reason I stopped playing CV's, and that's 'StarCraft' over the ocean' in regards to fighter duels. Fully upgraded fighters help, but if the upper tier carrier has fully upgraded fighters and commander skills you're still screwed.

You also have what appears fewer people playing CV's, and I don't blame them. This means more CV mismatches. Only way to fix this in my opinion is to significantly nerf fighters across the board and limit CV's to the amount they can carry. Cv's then can focus on Tb's and Db's, and wargaming has fewer meta's they have to focus on balancing.

[Numbah18]

 

I had the top-level fighters (for the Ranger), along with the module upgrades.   I'm only lacking on the fighter skills for the commander.(level 5?)

 

Commander LV 4 and yes having that to will make it about even.

[EnclaveZ182]

Not only do you have opposing CV fighters that are better but when you're a tier 6 CV in a tier 8 battle the AA on a lot of those ships will maul your flights and your only dropping half your payload cause half your planes got shot down. I hope the MM issues will balance out once open beta starts and the population grows but for right now you get maybe 1 good match out of 10