Label-less Combat...

[Zakatak]

Okay, I don't feel good saying this out loud, and I imagine this feels just like what 'coming-out-of-the-closet' does. But there is so much guilt on my soul...

 

Ahem.

 

How do you play this game without labels? I turned them off for the first time, and besides pausing the game and studying my map, I have no way to tell where my enemies are, and who the enemies are at all.

 

Flying Su-33 mission. Clicked F10, saw 2 UAV's coming at me. Switch to my R27's, put my reticle on the... "square things" and locked on. Launched. Hit F6, watched my missile fly right into the Predat- ...wait, was that my wingman?

 

Playing the A-10A campaign. I have to keep switching to my Mavericks and getting within handshake distance on what COULD be an enemy column, at the sacrifice of nav tools. After getting destroyed by ZSU's, just decided I would guess. 4 tanks down. You have commited fratricide, return to base.

 

Dur? How do I pleh?!

Edited July 8, 2011 by Zakatak

[Frostie]

Read the Brief, take note of enemy waypoints or frontlines, re-read the brief, use your radar to scan as much of the sky as you can - always, memorise bearings of first contacts, gather a rough picture and keep practicing.

 

In Russian fighters, bandits are a single "square thing" while friends are a double "square thing". Get this right and your half way there, the rest comes with practice.

 

With regards to A2G, if you don't read and understand the brief correctly then your flying blind.

 

Go here.

http://flankertraining.com/ironhand/news.html

Edited July 8, 2011 by Frostie

[Zakatak]

I've always wondered, is there a way to read the brief ingame? You can read the brief at the beginning of course, but I might have amnesia and usually forget what my goal was to start with. Thus far, the only way to know (for me) what to blow up is indicated by the yellow smoke, and whoever throws those things have terrible aim.

 

Although I didn't know that about Russian 'square things', thanks. I'll take a look at my website, even though my training usually comes from self-taught experience and "hey, what does THIS do?"

 

Off-topic note: does this game have any missions that utilize NVG's, perhaps the Su-25T campaign? Thanks.

[Cali]

Press "Esc button" and at the bottom right there should be a button that says brief, press that and when your all done reading it...press fly. While your reading the brief you can still see what's going on in-game. <---that's how it works in multiplayer, I don't play single player.

[Zakatak]

Funny, I still haven't played MP :p

 

Not that anybody would want to play with the guy going "where do I find the enemies?!"

[S77th-konkussion]

Well- this makes you rely on the instruments and forces you to fly as properly as FC allows.. So congrats.. stick with it. Labels teach you absolutely nothing. I would encourage you to turn off the rest of the easy modes too, but to each his own..

[PFunk]

To the OP, don't feel bad. I fly it with labels on as well, otherwise, I'd never know where anything is.

[104th_Crunch]

Funny, I still haven't played MP :p

 

Not that anybody would want to play with the guy going "where do I find the enemies?!"

 

 

That has an easy answer. Fly to where they takeoff from. Once you know the enemy airport name, fly there and you will see action. Oh and RTFB. Read The F'n Brief :)

 

If you have read the manual, know the basics and can tell friend from foe, you will get all the help you need when you jump online. Just ask.

[Zakatak]

It isn't so bad with the Su-25T, since the Shkval is fairly high resolution and large (even without the 23x zoom). I should get into that plane more.

 

@Crunch: is that where I will find find ground targets? I don't get much excitement out of A2A as I do doing Strike/CAS/Mud-moving. I never play on MP, and even 34 hours in, haven't really gotten into campaign. Sims need training I 'spose.

[104th_Crunch]

Most servers do a good job detailing locations of enemy ground units in their brief with a map and waypoints. I really recommend you give A2G a try online. There are many people that are hooked :) Jump on Teamspeak and you can coordinate attacks and fly formation. Good fun.

[Zakatak]

Tried the Su-25T campaign, no labels. First time. Swatted out of the air by a SAM before I even fly over the friendlies and I couldn't even see the missile. At all. The only thing I saw on the ground were some explosions here and there, but couldn't make out actually units. I had no ELINT Pod + HARMskii's or ECM pods either.

 

1. should I just keep my Shkval/TV thing on at all times and scan?

2. how do I avoid SAMs with no SEAD equipment?

3. any trick to spotting enemies on a 1024x728 res screen?

4. how do I view the briefing while the mission is taking place?

[mikoyan]

Tried the Su-25T campaign, no labels. First time. Swatted out of the air by a SAM before I even fly over the friendlies and I couldn't even see the missile. At all. The only thing I saw on the ground were some explosions here and there, but couldn't make out actually units. I had no ELINT Pod + HARMskii's or ECM pods either.

 

1. should I just keep my Shkval/TV thing on at all times and scan?

2. how do I avoid SAMs with no SEAD equipment?

3. any trick to spotting enemies on a 1024x728 res screen?

4. how do I view the briefing while the mission is taking place?

 

Multiplayer is a bit more challenging because the unpredictability factor of the mission planners and the bad guys flying CAP. But it is very rewarding; I'm not an expert but when I fly the frog on-line I try to avoid using a straight path to the targets specially when there is fighters around. When I get close to the target; maybe around 27km from targets (if cap fighters are not close) I go up to 3000m that way I'm harder to get to iglas and other infrared missiles; then I start scanning around looking for targets; it is not easy though; but that is the cool part! Also you need to prioritize targets; sometimes it is better to kill the SAMs with anti-radiation missiles and then go after shorter range SAMs.

Also play close attention to urban areas and roads; most of the times that is where nasty SAMs hide; avoid overflying this areas if you are close to the target; READ the briefing; most of us don't read it; that is why we get killed more often; Do you think that real pilots just jump in the cockpit ala Iron eagle and start banging and blowing stuff? Also try to cooperate with more experienced players.

[Zakatak]

I would play online, but every time I join anything I get "Invalid File Check" or something :|

 

Is it because of my add-ons? Sim-Mod A-10A, 3GO Flanker, HD F-15C, Deep Blue Sky, Labels Mod, something like that?

[bommelnazi]

Yes Zakatak i want to play this game .

[Cali]

I would play online, but every time I join anything I get "Invalid File Check" or something :|

 

Is it because of my add-ons? Sim-Mod A-10A, 3GO Flanker, HD F-15C, Deep Blue Sky, Labels Mod, something like that?

 

I bet it's the labels mod, the other mods should be ok. I have those mods expect the sky and label mod, plus a bunch more