Limited Altitude

[Charlie3]

Although our group likes the Col.'s simplified alt. rules, our players still feel that they bog down play too much. (I would perfer to use them myself)

I have been playing around with the idea of limiting the altitude for games where it would be nice to use altitude with players who don't use it at all, or to ease players into the complexity of full altitude rules. It would add some 3D flavor while still keeping the 2D mechanics.

Here we go:
There will only be 2 Altitudes. HIGH and LOW

1 peg on the model stands, or a "1" marker on a plane card will represent LOW alt. - Just above tree top height to about 1000ft.
This will allow aircraft to fire at ground targets or fly under balloons and allow ground targets and AA machine guns to fire at the aircraft. Bomb drops will only take 1 maneuver card as per the WoW bombing rules posted elsewhere on this site.

2 or more pegs on the model stands, or NO markers on a plane card will represent HIGH alt. - Several thousand feet up.
This will allow the planes to be out of range of the ground targets and AA machine guns, but not the AA artillery, Bomb Drops will take 2 maneuver cards to hit the ground as per the WoW bombing rules posted elsewhere on this site.

Aircraft must be at the same alt. to shoot at each other.

All fighters (scouts) play 1 UP maneuver card to go to HIGH alt. and 1 DOWN maneuver card to go to LOW alt. (only one per game turn)

Two-seaters must play 2 UP maneuver cards to go to HIGH alt. and 2 DOWN maneuver cards to go to LOW alt. (only one per game turn)
(this represents their lower maneuverability)

Immelmann maneuvers do not change altitude bands (HIGH and LOW)only direction within that band.

Balloons are considered at HIGH alt. while in the air and at low alt. on the last turn before they are pulled to the ground.

I have not tested these rules yet. Any other ideas? If you test fly these rules let me know how they worked.

[Charlie3]

OK...Last night I got my flight crew to try out these alt. rules, and they were well recieved. The players seemed to like the ability to stay out of range of the ground targets until they were ready to attack them, and dive into range of another plane to attack it or climb up under them. Most said they would use them again.

I did make one small change to the number of UP cards needed to climb to HIGH alt.
Aircraft with a climb rate of 3 or less only need to play 1 UP card, while aircraft with a climb rate of 4 or more must play 2 UP cards to reach HIGH alt.
This does change the tactics of the planes that climb slowly, they tend to stay at HIGH alt. longer and only dive when they need to or when they can get a good shot at a plane.

[Albert Ross]

Interesting! I think I would like to try these, but with three bands instead of two. HIGH would take aircraft above AA gun fire, but allow shooting between high Scouts and rear gunners at medium (so long as the scout plays a 'dive' card), while scouts could engage 2 seaters flying at MEDIUM or HIGH safely from LOW or MEDIUM respectively, taking advantage of the 2 seater's blind spot.

The three bands also allow scouts to climb or dive one level using Immelman or split S maneuvers and make taking on the powerful 2 seaters a more viable proposition

[Bruce]

Good variation Charlie 3; must be the wine in up-State Michigan that makes you so creative.
But, I'm leaning towards Stuart's variation on your variation.
I will try using it in a PBeM game.
But, ya know what occurs to me looking at Stuart's variation, this is essentially the official Altitude Rules with a 3 level altitude range and simplification of AA and ground attack rules.
Isn't this a great game!
Brobin (Bill in the U.K.) and I are making some progress with our 2 test PBeM games which we hope will lead to a "standard" set of PBeM Rules and a guidance document for running a PBeM game.
I will suggest to Bill that the next test PBeM games we run should include a form of the Altitude Rules including Power Dives etc. I suspect the variation that we we will use will closely resemble what we are talking about in this thread.
Thanks for sharing.

[Charlie3]

Good variation Charlie 3; must be the wine in up-State Michigan that makes you so creative.
But, I'm leaning towards Stuart's variation on your variation.
I will try using it in a PBeM game.
But, ya know what occurs to me looking at Stuart's variation, this is essentially the official Altitude Rules with a 3 level altitude range and simplification of AA and ground attack rules.
Isn't this a great game!
Brobin (Bill in the U.K.) and I are making some progress with our 2 test PBeM games which we hope will lead to a "standard" set of PBeM Rules and a guidance document for running a PBeM game.
I will suggest to Bill that the next test PBeM games we run should include a form of the Altitude Rules including Power Dives etc. I suspect the variation that we we will use will closely resemble what we are talking about in this thread.
Thanks for sharing.

Wow...I completly forgot about this house rule. We don't currently use it, but I did have some hope there for awhile...I just can't get them to budge on the up and down thing. Ah well I still enjoy the game as is...About that wine, you spelled it wrong... it's wHine which is the sound I make every time I get the engine trouble card...Still my least favorite card mostly because I fly the Dr1's alot and that stall card means you are not going anywhere very quickly! Let me know how things work out.