"Dive bombing" with VTOLs?

[HellstormOP]

Hello,
while using VTOLs which are armed with phosphoric bombs I sometimes notice that especially in maps with lots of mountains and high plateaus, the VTOLs fail at dropping their bombs and just say "commencing attack run" without actually attacking. I've discovered that when I let the VTOLs land right next to the target, and just when they stop and are going to land, I let them attack the target. Then they never fail at dropping the bombs, and also hit the target with very high precision. So I just want to know if this is a bug, or is it a common trick for achieving higher effectivity at bombing targets? Sorry if you think that this is a stupid question, I'm a beginner xD

[Saberuneko]

Think about the dropping trajectory of the bomb. It describes a parabolic fall, also known as horizontal shoot. If the target is in a hole. The projectile cannot be dropped (it's a sure fail), because there's no way to trace that line.

All projectiles in this game follow different trajectories, and they affect on where they hit (not like in other rts games, where the weapon trajectory is just apparent, and you can fire your enemy through walls, etc...

So, using a vtol for engaging a target in a hole, using a horizontal dropped weapon, (like bombs), isn't the best idea.

[HellstormOP]

Of course it's difficult to attack a target in a hole with bombs, but my main question is: Is that what I discovered (ordering the VTOLs to land next to the target and then having them attack it as soon as they stop) a common trick, or something new for most of the players?

[Jorzi]

Well I haven't used it before, but that's what it would do in reality so I see nothing wrong with it.
The reason it's not used that much is propably because it makes the vtols exposed to aa for a longer time...

[HellstormOP]

Yep, that's why I called it "dive bombing", although the VTOLs actually just stop and get down to land like VTOLs, and don't dive. Both dive bombing and the trick I discovered, makes the aircraft only move down and up and not horizontally (like with horizontal bombing), both allows to hit ground targets with much higher precision, especially targets which are in a hole or something like this, and both makes your aircraft EXTREMELY vulnerable to AA fire. (background: that's one of the reasons why the USAF stopped the development of the AH-56, an attack helicopter which should have the ability for high-speed dive-bombing attacks)

[Saberuneko]

Don't forget about the Terrestrial fire too... As the VTOL touches the ground, any anti-terrestrial weapon will be able to hit it, and automatically target and shoot the vtols.

I don't use that tactic, instead, for example, I send the vtols from a trajectory with LOS.
I mean, if it's a hole, maybe not, but if its a lower terrain pasage, i send them parallely over the passage. (That ensures LOS, and maintaining speed for avoiding the AA fire.

[HellstormOP]

The terrestrial fire is the reason why you shouldn't let the VTOLs land, but just order them to land and then have them atttack the target when they stopped and get down, but BEFORE they touch the ground.

[Saberuneko]

Anyway, as this game requires so much micromanaging, some players really don't have time to worry about making vtols taking this behavior. It's still easier to state 2 or 3 waypoints for a easy LOS to target.

[effigy]

Vtols seem to have become more sensitive to this in the master builds. Previously, the only trouble I've had with Vtols targeting is if the target is behind a cliff. In the master builds, however, they have trouble targeting in bases such as we have in maps like Little Egypt. In that map I've noticed they need to circle the target several times before dropping their payload.

[Saberuneko]

Better not dropping than dropping for automatic fail...