In Star Citizen Alpha 4.8, the Aegis Eclipse bomber’s new bomb payload capabilities allow for versatile combat tactics, including stealthy carpet bombing with smaller bombs and powerful precision strikes with a large MOAB bomb. Despite some current limitations like reload times and simultaneous drop issues, these features significantly enhance gameplay and hold great potential when used in coordinated multi-ship attacks.
In this video, the creator tests the new carpet bombing capabilities of the Aegis Eclipse bomber in Star Citizen Alpha 4.8, specifically focusing on its ability to carry and deploy various sizes of bombs instead of torpedoes. The Eclipse can carry size three, five, and ten bombs, with size three being the smallest and quickest to reload. Due to current bugs in the live module, all testing is conducted in Arena Commander. The initial bombing runs involve dropping size three bombs at slower speeds, demonstrating the potential for carpet bombing by rapidly arming and releasing bombs.
The creator discovers that dropping multiple bombs simultaneously results in only one explosion, likely because the first bomb’s detonation destroys the others. Therefore, dropping bombs one at a time proves more effective, allowing for multiple distinct explosions and better coverage. The Eclipse’s stealthy nature makes it ideal for slow, precise bombing runs on fixed targets such as bridges and facilities. Flying low and spamming the trigger to drop bombs one after another creates a satisfying and impactful bombing effect, though some bombs occasionally fail to detonate, possibly due to draw distance issues.
Next, the size five bombs are tested. The Eclipse can carry only four of these larger bombs at once, compared to the A1 bomber’s capacity of ten. These bombs produce significantly more powerful explosions than size three bombs, but dropping all four simultaneously results in clustered explosions that reduce overall effectiveness. Like with the smaller bombs, dropping size five bombs one at a time provides better spacing and impact, though the reload time between drops is longer. The creator suggests that coordinated attacks by multiple ships dropping bombs in succession would maximize area coverage.
The final test involves the size ten MOAB bomb, of which only one can be carried at a time. This bomb is designed for targeted strikes rather than carpet bombing due to its size and power. The creator demonstrates several dive-bombing runs to hit a designated target, noting the large explosion radius but also the difficulty in precise delivery. Despite some misses, the size ten bomb showcases the Eclipse’s new versatility and potential to carry out devastating single-target strikes in addition to carpet bombing with smaller bombs.
Overall, the introduction of bomb payloads for the Eclipse bomber represents a significant gameplay enhancement in Star Citizen 4.8. The ability to switch between torpedoes and various bomb sizes adds tactical flexibility, enabling both stealthy carpet bombing runs and powerful precision strikes. While there are some limitations such as bomb reload times and simultaneous drop mechanics, the new bombing system promises to be a game changer, especially when coordinated among multiple ships. The creator looks forward to further testing and development as the feature evolves.