preserving wingmen?

[pachinkoparlorking]

Look, I know these guys aren't very smart under the best of circumstances, but I'm doing a F-4G campaign, lots of SEAD, and my guys keep dropping like flies. They can't dodge SAMs, they blunder into swarms of Soviet aircraft and barely put up resistance, I get shot to shit trying and failing to pull them out of the fire...

Basically what I'm asking, does anyone have any tips on how to use the AI wingmen more effectively, especially in SEAD sorties?

Edited 14 hours ago by pachinkoparlorking

[Nightshade/PR]

Usually if I'm flying SEAD, I load them with Stand-Off munitions (Mavericks & Harms), and a decent secondary AA loadout. On the way in, I have found that if you designate the first few targets to hit, they wax everything in the area as well. As soon as I hear "Sam Launch", I give them the command to go evasive, and it usually keeps them alive. When they're out of those and are still in 1 piece, I have them cover my 6, and they usually do a decent job of it. Unless it's just a complete sh@tst*rm we rolled into, I can usually bring them back.

Unless they do something dumb, like attack a ZSU-23-4 with guns, fly into the tail guns of a Bear, or wander too close to an S-400 envelope. You know, suicide stuff. 

[yakarov79]

I generally do as Nightshade. All my loadout presets are made the way..that gives the best usage of weapons for wingman / AI flights. I can always modify for myself. For example, I fly SEAD...usually in some asymmetrical loadouts, with at least one Shrike. And wingman with stand-off weapons. The game usually loads SEAD for two aircraft...I make it at least 4 aircraft... with loadouts for a few possibilities. . SEAD tends to be more important than STRIKE.  Fly low. And do not use time compression -  alt+N. Fly the whole mission; choose alternate routes. If you fly whole mission from the start on low level....your flight will go low.... the moment you hit alt+N you are near target..often too near and on default SEAD height...and then you are screwd...In some cases, I can make a good approach for Saddam's airfields without hearing a "SAM launch".... and Iraq map is quite flat...so not many trees and rocks to hide behind...But it also takes practice. pachinkoparlorking check when NIghtshade/PR  joined forum...he has like more than 20 years of experience...of avoiding pixels, and fighting game engine in every possible way....

[pachinkoparlorking]

I understand it'll take practice; I've been playing SF2 for only a scant three years at this point. I've mostly done WW2/Korean War era stuff, though, so I'm still getting used to dealing with SAMs and whatnot. 

I never use time skip. I'll speed things up at most when we're in friendly territory but I never trust these games to leave me in an advantageous position if I skip, haha. 

I appreciate the advice!

Edited 13 hours ago by pachinkoparlorking

[Nightshade/PR]

2 hours ago, yakarov79 said:

Fly low. And do not use time compression

The above is the key. I fly 90% of the mission "hands on" and under 500ft as the terrain permits, keeping as much of it as possible between me & where I'm headed. And where it flattens out, I speed up to throw off any gunners calculations. And it keeps the prowling Migs from swooping down on your tail. (They usually hit the ground behind you) It doesn't always work (sometimes I get obliterated by some smart gunners), but it definitely keeps the SAMS from targeting you unless they are really close and then it's an LOS shot. When it's a time period where Standoff weapons aren't available yet, I use Cluster Bombs & retarded MK-82's / M117's, so I can drop and run. 

As Yakarov said, practice is the key. It's a lot of fun to try new techniques with different a/c, and getting it wrong can be absolutely hilarious on occasion. And don't be shy about asking for help or advice.

[pachinkoparlorking]

I've been using Mavericks and AGM-78s cuz that's what's available to me, so it's good to know I've got a handle on the loadout at least. I've been pretty successful at engaging the primary targets and usually my wingman gets some Maverick kills too. 

Flying low is what's been getting me home, so I think I just need to focus on giving more effective commands to keep my guys alive...

Do you have to change a file to make SEAD flights 4 instead of 2?

Edited 10 hours ago by pachinkoparlorking
messed up the name of the 78s