Bomb Fuzes
Bomb fuze feature is made in such a way that if the new “Bomb Fuzes” difficulty option is turned off, bombs behave like in 4.09 (zero arming time). When diff. option is on, the arming UI has extra fuze type selection box and available detonation delay values are limited to the values available for the selected fuze.
Several historic fuzes are modelled and bombs now store a list of different fuzes that they can use. Complexity is hidden from the user by grouping the fuzes to few different groups so user doesn’t need to learn several dozen of fuze names. Availability of fuzes even change by mission date. User only needs to select type of the fuze needed for the bombing task he is going to perform.
Instant
Instant required longer arming time/distance, but allows instant detonation (no long delays) or very very short delay of 0.1-0.5 seconds. Typical fuze for med/high-alt level bombing.
Low level
These fuzes are armed very quickly but the safety comes from delay. Usually doesn’t allow delays below 4 seconds or so. Like the name says, these fuzes are suitable for low level attacks, but don’t allow instant detonation for pilot’s safety.
Delay
Generic fuzes that allow longer delays and have medium arming times. Something between types 1 & 2.
Long delay
Fuzes that allow very long delays like 90 seconds etc.
When player selects a loadout which has bomb, the fuze type selection box is populated with the fuze types that are available for the selected bombs. Not all bombs have all different types available. When the fuze selection is made, the fuze detonation delay selection box is populated with the available values that the fuze supports. The actual fuze selection is made
automatically when the mission starts or user spawns in dogfight mission.
German electric fuzes are exception to this. These fuzes do not provide delay selection at all.
Fuze has three different modes that can be changed during flight. This requires a new mapping at the controls menu. Available modes are “instant”, “short delay” and “long delay”.
Detonation delay & arming time depend of the actual fuze type that is selected automatically. Electric fuze circuits work so that if the fuze fails to arm on instant or short delay mode, it automatically reverts to long delay mode which needs lower arming time.
Generic fuze changes
In all previous IL-2 version, the selected detonation delay time was not propagated over the network. So other players that were not the “owners” of the bomb would always see visual effect of bomb exploding instantly when it hit ground. Actual invisible explosion (with killing effect) could happen even ten seconds after. In 4.11 the delay and everything else related to the bomb is propagated over network, so clients should see the effects in sync with the actual explosion.
4.11 introduces some changes to the bomb’s penetrating effect which is related to the detonation delay. Bomb with instant detonation (zero delay) doesn’t penetrate into ground or into target that it might hit and therefore its explosion is little different than if it would dig into ground/house/ship. Bomb digging into ground before exploding has slightly reduced “daisy
cutter” effect, so its power against ground units is slightly reduced. In general you want to attack ground troops with zero delay or drop the bomb in so shallow angle that it doesn’t dig into ground. Against houses and ships the penetration is desired effect. Bomb explosion makes more damage to confined space when it explodes inside it. Small bomb dropped on roof of a
house might do only superficial damage to the roof if it explodes immediately and house it not destroyed. If the same bomb would penetrate the roof and explode inside the house, destruction is much more probable.”