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Thread: Gun Jams

  1. #1

    Default Gun Jams

    Does anyone else think that the chance of guns jamming is skewed a little on the high side ?


    Based on the Excel file from this site it's 11% for A deck and 14% for B.

    Even using just the Red jams it's 6% and 7% respectively.

    In Gunning for the Red Baron by Leon Bennett it indicates that aces experienced roughly one jam a month, which is more like 3%

  2. #2

    'Warspite''s Avatar
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    It does depend on other as well as chance factors. Height=cold=freezing plus the standard of German ammunition fell off in the last year leading to more 'fat' rounds and dud percussion caps getting through the factory. In game terms I have no problem with it.

    Old hands tended to check their own ammunition so novice pilots would have a higher jam chance.

  3. #3

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    I don't have a problem with it.

    It goes some way towards mitigating the huge number of firing opportunities presented in a typical game.

    Combat reports from the pilots frequently have huge dogfights, of dozens of planes, resulting in only two or three planes lost in total - the game's kill rate is FAR higher than that.
    Still, a game which results in hardly any losses in a 2-3 hour session would quickly be shelved, wouldn't it?

  4. #4

    matt56's Avatar May you forever fly in blue skies.
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    And, as frustrating as jams are when they happen, they always 'unjam' in the game (unless you're shot down before that happens)...which is nice, too!

    All the best,
    Matt

  5. #5

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    All adds to the tension- fly a two seater then at least you have another option

    Never Knowingly Undergunned !!

  6. #6

    Default

    Pete - if you wanted to adjust the frequency play with double decks and remove a set of gun jams.

    "He is wise who watches"

  7. #7

    Default

    Good idea Dave, and could have supplied a simple answer to several other things like the big bang. For those who don't like it. play two decks with only one bang card in them.
    Rob.
    "Courage is the art of being the only one who knows you're scared to death."

  8. #8

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    Quote Originally Posted by Flying Officer Kyte View Post
    Good idea Dave, and could have supplied a simple answer to several other things like the big bang. For those who don't like it. play two decks with only one bang card in them.
    Rob.
    Only one Big Bang Rob you lightweight But Dave is right , just double the decks. Thought everyone did it for that very reason


    I'm learning to fly, but I ain't got wings
    Coming down is the hardest thing

  9. #9

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    Quote Originally Posted by flash View Post
    Pete - if you wanted to adjust the frequency play with double decks and remove a set of gun jams.
    Thanks, Dave. That's a simple solution.
    I was just wondering what the rest of the field felt about it.

  10. #10

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    Quote Originally Posted by tikkifriend View Post
    Only one Big Bang Rob you lightweight But Dave is right , just double the decks. Thought everyone did it for that very reason
    Not me personally Commandant, just those who have been carping about the bang card. I have personally four in my decks, and thirty fire cards.
    Kyte.
    "Courage is the art of being the only one who knows you're scared to death."

  11. #11

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    I don't mind the jams at all. (yeah right!) When they happen to me I see it as another challenge to overcome. Good practice at flying under a difficult situation.

  12. #12


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    They are great for narrative too. All the '..if only...' stories and dramatic moments. They add to the game.

  13. #13

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    I agre that jams apear very often in this game but I see it as a part of the game.
    It is fun to see the enemy jam and frustraiting get one shown to you.
    It can make the hunter the hunted and can give a chance to a weeker AC.
    I like them

  14. #14

    Default

    No problem with jam cards at all here. They add to fun. Green/Red colours also can make a nice difference when you play with abilities.
    <img src=http://www.wingsofwar.org/forums/image.php?type=sigpic&userid=2554&dateline=1409073309 border=0 alt= />
    "We do not stop playing when we get old, but we get old when we stop playing."

  15. #15

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    I don't personally have a problem with the gun jams either Andy.
    I was just suggesting that those who do might follow Dave's idea.
    I agree with your opinion entirely.
    In fact despite all the interesting debates on different moves and rules, I generally tend to try out and then move back towards just leaving the rules how they are unless our Campaign games suggest different. I think the only things I do sometimes, is use the collision decks, and the crash cards just for fun.
    Rob.
    "Courage is the art of being the only one who knows you're scared to death."

  16. #16

    Default

    I like them! I really like.them everytime when I see the symbol on my card

  17. #17

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    Quote Originally Posted by Dan-Sam View Post
    I like them! I really like.them everytime when I see the symbol on my card
    Oh yeah! Everybody loves to see it on the damage card just drawn When it's accompanied by 0 the symbol is even merrier.
    <img src=http://www.wingsofwar.org/forums/image.php?type=sigpic&userid=2554&dateline=1409073309 border=0 alt= />
    "We do not stop playing when we get old, but we get old when we stop playing."

  18. #18

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    I recently read that top-wing Lewis guns on Foster mounts could not be pushed back into firing position above 14,000 or 15,000 feet as the effort of pushing them back up was too much in the rarified air. So Nieuports or SE5s with this type of mount are going to have problems if they jammed.

  19. #19

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    Pete, I agree with you, also like Dave's solution.

  20. #20

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    Quote Originally Posted by Teaticket View Post
    I don't mind the jams at all. (yeah right!) When they happen to me I see it as another challenge to overcome. Good practice at flying under a difficult situation.
    I were flying a Halberstadt DIII at a game a few mounths ago. The oponent was, amongst others a Nieuport 17. I met her front to front and had planed an Immelmann as the 2:nd card.
    On the the first straight my guns jamed. After my Immelmann I landed right on her tail - short range. No guns!! The 3:d card would have resulted in a short range shoot as well. This happend 2 more times
    during the same game, with THE SAME OPONENT. That's gunjams for ya' Lucky git

  21. #21

    Default

    Yep, we've all been there. You set up the prefect sequence to get you some great shots and jam on the first card!

    And we've all been on the other side where we think we are doomed and as the enemy plane closes in and all you hear is "click".

    I love it all!

  22. #22

    Default

    Out of interest, do the decks deal with planes where if the guns jammed they couldn't be reached to unjam in the air or will this need a house rule?

  23. #23

    Default

    You will need a house rule for this one Mik.
    We also play one for changing drums.
    Rob.
    "Courage is the art of being the only one who knows you're scared to death."

  24. #24

    Exclamation

    Having just finished reading Alex Revell's bio on Arthur Rhys Davids, "Brief Glory" one thing that stood out was the frequency of Jams the pilots of 56 Sqd had with both Vickers & Lewis. You also read of frequent Jams on the German Aircraft as well.

  25. #25

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    Quote Originally Posted by gully_raker View Post
    Having just finished reading Alex Revell's bio on Arthur Rhys Davids, "Brief Glory" one thing that stood out was the frequency of Jams the pilots of 56 Sqd had with both Vickers & Lewis. You also read of frequent Jams on the German Aircraft as well.
    Reading "Raymond Collishaw and the Black Flight", Collishaw had unrecoverable jams all the time. He would head back to base, and hope not to run into an enemy fighter. Even as lead, he'd signal his wingers, and they would sometimes continue without him.

    So, as much as it costs shot opportunities, and some serious frustrations at times (Check out this AAR of a solo game for gun jams gone wrong: Over to Trenches Campaign - Mission-5, The Final Months - Double Barrage, Lots More Booms!), I would think that the jams are fairly accurate.

    It gives a reason to take the "Bullet Checker" skill, to eliminate the green jam cards. But, that being said, in a Skype game with Paul [tikkifriend], both of us using Bullet Checker aces, they both got red jams, and then got shot down (Link: International Skype Game - Paul vs Mike). So much for the ace skill.
    Mike
    "Flying is learning to throw yourself at the ground and miss" Douglas Adams
    "Wings of Glory won't skin your elbows and knees while practicing." OldGuy59

  26. #26

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    Planes like the Pfalz DIII, with its guns buried in the engine decking, couldn't be cleared if they jammed - complaints from the pilots led to the DIIIa having the guns sited on top of the engine deck, not within it.



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