the last single mission in new update

I'm at work, so apologies for the lack of details.

In the new set of single F-18 missions in Wednesday's update, the very last one, called "O" something. It's a Caucus interdiction where you have to take out some parked helos at an airbase.

The F-14's who are supposed to supply CAP, don't do a thing. They're even carrying AIM-54's!

I keep getting blasted by a group of 4 MiG-28's -- I mean, MiG 29s.

This isn't the first mission where the AI just "do their own thing", no matter what the ME settings.

Anyone else?

udpate: there's even a SEAD flight of an 18 with HARMs! This guy doesn't do his job either. He just returns to the carrier.

Hi dmatsch, I didn't design these missions but I did help by making some adjustments to the AI before release to avoid the type of problems you describe. I just double checked and all AI flights are working exactly as intended and as described in the briefing.

Spoilers ahead for anybody who has not flown it so proceed with caution...

This is briefed as a self-escort mission with the CAP acting in a fleet defense role. They are not intended to escort you like in the first four missions but they will definitely engage any MiG that strays more than a few miles from the coast. Disengaging and running for the carrier should always be an option if you get in over your head.

The SEAD flight attacks with AGM-88s and AGM-65s 100% of the time unless they have to respond to an air threat first. This will vary depending on how quickly the MiGs are vectored onto the strike package and is intentionally random. Based on this, you have a number of very hard decisions to make during the mission.

Has the SEAD and TLAM strike been effective enough for you to make a quick dash onto and off of the target? Are the MiGs an immediate threat that requires you to prioritize them. Do you help the SEAD flight if they are engaged by MiGs and risk not destroying the target? Do you abort entirely and let the CAP engage as you run for the carrier? It is going to play out differently every time but it is intentionally set up that way and not a problem with the AI.

If they legitimately behaved as you described and you can send a .trk file or tacview replay let me know but I don't believe there is a problem. I know it is not what you want to hear but it is just a tough mission. :)

I have played this mission several times, and each time I have time to come straight in and drop all the bombs on one pass and take out a bunch of the helos. Then I deal with the Migs with the help of my wingman. I usually get one or two and bug out very low on full burner and drag them to the F14s offshore.

thanks everyone for the information.

It was my assumption that since we were all from the same carrier, the 14s would provide air cover for an inbound strike package.

Knowing now that they don't care about me at all will definitely NOT have me buying them a beer at the O-Club.

I have played this mission several times, and each time I have time to come straight in and drop all the bombs on one pass and take out a bunch of the helos. Then I deal with the Migs with the help of my wingman. I usually get one or two and bug out very low on full burner and drag them to the F14s offshore.

I will have to try this strategy next time. Flying out to waypoint 2 has me engaging with the MiG-29s every time and it's no contest. I get off my Sparrows...one at about 25 nm or so then by the time I can launch the second Sparrow, I am WVR. They both miss of course and now I am in a WVR dogfight while carrying 4 Mark 84's...it doesn't end well.

I just re-played this mission last night. Sorry, I didn't save a track. I don't have a lot of free time to re-play missions over and over.

Both of the 14s where shot down by the MiGs before I got to WP3. I had no air cover whatsoever, nor did they try to defend themselves beyond maneuvering. By the time the MiGs got to my flight (WP3), they still had a nearly-full complement of missiles to deal with me.

They came in so fast, I barely had time to switch to AAQ. Both 9Ms missed.

I really think the AI from the core game is borked and not this mission.

Just like real life Hornet pilots, you should turn back to the carrier group, then the Tomcats will clear it out for you. You could also jettison your bomb load and either fight the red cap, or flee back to the carrier.

Just sayin'...

New missions? I hear talk of this but I can't find any missions or campaigns anywhere, my folders are all empty. And I have the latest update, where do you find these?

My problem is that the first group of MiGs has the same distance to me as the distance between me and the target. So I have to fight the MiGs first, but then I get stuck in a deadly dogfight, while the second enemy group is approaching. The other few fighters of my own side die too, so I cannot rely on them.

This mission is way too hard in my opinion. Also the fact that you have to wait five minutes in the beginning after each try makes this even more annoying. The previous missions were much more fun. The last mission however causes lots of frustration. (I have made about 20 unsuccessful tries already.) :(

You need to make sure the missle strikes from the ships have completed, then some of the bandits will turn back and others can be engaged by the f14s more accurately. Orbit waypoint 1 for approx 5 minutes after launching from the aircraft carrier

I looked to and don't see any new missions?

Thanks

Skip

I have also failed about 5 times in this mission. I took out all 4 Migs by luring them towards the carrier and was able to take them out with the help of the tomcats.

However, my problems were different:

- The SEAD flight doesn't take out the SAM but some random vehicles.

- I dropped all bombs, they hit the helos but I still dont get mission success.

- My wingman is more useless than normal. He says "unable" when I ask him to engage bandits and bingo fuel when I tell him to engage primary.

This mission is not hard, it's just susceptible to the core game's bugs.

This mission was big time grief to me. It's called Hornet 1989: Offensive Counter Air.

There are 2 pairs of MiG-29's patrolling the area. One is always in the north and the other is always in the south and they go on a pattern. An A-50 is their AWACS.

Because it's 1989, you don't get AIM-120's, just crappy Sparrows and two AIM-9's

When you get to the area. You will initially encounter the first pair and the second will come racing over soon after you engage.

Alot of times I would try to use the Sparrows and they would usually miss (even within 10km), causing me to die. I had better luck with the Sidewinders, but you only have 2 of those. My wingman was a total idiot and would usually get killed without accomplishing anything. Sometimes I could manage to kill 3 out of 4 MiG's, only to have the last one do some superhuman stuff, dodge the last missile, then go behind me and blow me up.

The SEAD flight is almost useless. It's even more hilarious that the MiG's don't even see them unless you arrive in the area. If you let the SEAD flight go in there by themselves, they go blow up the SAM's and then fly away without any objection from the MiG's. I've even watched them fly right over each other on the map, with not a care in the world... The MiG's will engage the SEAD flight if you show up in the area and the SEAD's usually end up dead pretty fast.

After going through this mission numerous times and constantly being killed by the MiG's, then having to wait 5 minutes to try again. My next idea was just to ignore them and go for the bomb run on the helicopters before the MiG's could get into shooting range. Then put the pedal to the metal and head back out to sea as fast as possible...

The MiG's will foolishly follow you, usually killing your wingman (who you instructed to engage, but doesn't, which is why I ditched him) if they haven't already and trying to get into shooting range, only to end up being engaged by the F-14 CAP who slaughters them all effortlessly with AIM-54's.

Then you just fly back to the carrier like it's a day in the life.

The mission does seem to have a bug (as pointed out above), where destroying helicopters doesn't always trigger mission success. It's almost like some of the helicopters just disappear when hit by the bombs, but fail to register as destroyed.

Actually I stand corrected about the helicopters not blowing up. Turns out I didn't set the fuse settings on the bomb run... Thus the bombs were landing on target but not actually exploding. Figured this out in another mission. Lol.

I also struggled with this mission. The best tactic I found that actually worked was orbiting until the SEAD flight pushes. Then tuck in behind them about 5 miles in trail. The cruise missiles from ships do their thing (hint: use F6 and watch these land pretty cool, two per target). Then SEAD does their thing and you push hard AB on the helos. You can usually get bombs away BEFORE the MIGS engage. Now it's a shat show fight with the Migs you and wingman. Do what you can to NOT die (obvs) and try and make for feet wet. As said above once you get the Migs feet wet they get wrecked by the Cats. It is a difficult mission, but it's like the "final boss" it should be hard.