Ground of Aces

I think the game has great potential but it is in a weird state right now due to the lack of features. The base building (which is the main part of the game but feels like its a mile wide yet an inch deep.) at times feels like I am only constructing warehouses, canteens, and barracks for my ground crews.

I feel like I am building a Rimworld colony and not a RAF airbase. There should be more cause for buildings besides the aforementioned reasons. I found myself constructing a large wooden building at the start of my play-through which I had imagined would house things like a common room, briefing and ready room, offices and administrative quarters, and maybe even an armory. But it just ended up as a large glorified storehouse.

To loop back to my statement earlier, this just doesn't feel like you're managing an airbase. RAF airbases had all sorts of facilities on hand to quarter their crews and maintain their aircraft. I want to build offices and housing for my officers who manage all of the rank and file ground crew. I want to have an on-site hospital to tend to the sick and wounded. I should be able to do more than just plop down a runway and parking spots. I want to be able to construct dirt taxiways and have hangars on my airfield dedicated to aircraft maintenance. There should be guards who patrol the perimeter fences at night who's patrol paths are entirely decided by my input. it would be neat to be able to specialize my airfield as a bomber or fighter airbase and plan bombing missions for an entire squadron. I can go on but now I am just on a rant.

Overall, I think this game has really good DNA and a dev team that seems motivated and active. They have a clear roadmap and have been meeting goals in a frequent manner. But right now in my opinion, there just isn't that much depth to the game right now.

Review: liked the game and concept from start but soon encountered principal flaws. I suggest to buy it at discount in a hope that developers will bring more content but what is more important IMO - re-design (if it is possible) part of the core mehcanics/gameplay process.

What I didn't like in the game is unrealistic concept of Air base crew having to gather resources for its base, like they are settlers on uninhabited island/continent. Weekly truck supplies from HQ don't help to remove this feeling of mismatch of the game's premis with its gameplay.

Suggestions

During WWII air bases, their crew were on a frontline - tip of a spear especially during Battle for Britain, I don't think any of ground or air crew members had to grind resources to survive another day. Pilots were exhausted from routine or by alarm flights and air battles, greaving for lost comrades. And were not able to wake up next morning and start huffing metal, sand or making bricks. The numbe of flights for each pilot per day, number of KIAs put enourmos pressure on Air Force. And you suggest that they should wake up and take care of sand and bricks? It puts the game into very arcade and casual representation of WWII.

If it is not too late just shift gameplay from grinding resources to more strageic or tactical building/upgrading of airbase from plentiful of resources broughts by command of Royal Air Force from various suppliers.

So, base building part wont be erased, build everything from scratch with much bigger team of ground crew or maybe temporary construction team/batallions that can also be called upon upgrade of victory points accumulated.

Part A: Maintenance and Services

The role of ground crew will thus shift to Maintenance and Service:
- meeting of airplains on cars with medics, firebrigades and/or refuling/repair teams
- repair of damaged airplanes (spair part only general "spair parts" but engines, fuel tanks, etc)
- maintenance of damaged building, construction of new ones, etc.

There should be military garrizon on the field taking care of AA defense and intruders, cammo etc.

Part B: Missions and History

Developers missed very huge potential to link missions to real historical events like Battle for Britain, hunt for Bismark and Tirpitz, patrols over Atlantic in search for submarines, Mocsito bombing of Gestapo HQs in France/Holland, hight altitude interception of german scout planes (btw done by son of Russian immigrant of aristocratic origin) etc.

All this also opens HUGE potential for very interesting gameplay (i hope in a framework of existing engine and game concept).

Examples:
- new naval airplanes
- new buildings and supply from headquarter like: ammo depot, new services like putting special kind of bombs on airplanes, Tollboy bombs, damb buster bombs and very unique special missions related, table of achivements for the crews, list of KIA, MIA, personal stories for each pilot
- arrival and impact of foreign pilots from Poland / Czheck republic and their huge impact on Battle for Britain.
- new equipment/missions for airplanes like radars, magnitometer (late war in Atlantic)
- finally arrival of 8th Air Army from USA with b-17 and more drama and work for ground crew

What the heck, there is a mission for ground support in Sept 1940 when ground battles over Europe were over? Norway? for airplanes with very limited range?

So, I have more to say/suggest about the game but the core things are presented above.

Sorry for possible mistakes and broken english.

This game is promising but nowhere near functional. No way to set direction of air strips so planes take ages to scramble, assigning crew members to anti air doesn't work assigned crew don't go operate the guns when assigned and there is no "SOMEONE MAN THE DAMN GUNS!" button when you're under attack. A shame, once (if) the game is further along in development I'll try again.