Are my squad mates really that bad....

[F-4PhantomII 0]

So last night I start in on a mission flying the F-105 Thunderchief with one wingman and a flight of four other planes. We All take 6 750's for pounding the ground, and 2 Sidewinders in case things get a little Mig happy, and things always do and it is nice to be able to fight back.

 

So we approach the target and as I start to set up my pass over the rail bridge in question I “release the hounds” on ground targets. Out of the 6 ‘105's I started with only 2 land (including me). What gives? Should I not release them so soon? Not let them go at all? Tell them to stay home cause if they go they will die?

 

Also how do you target things like a bridge or a warehouse or a landing strip? Cause all I seem to be able to target is the AAA and Sam sites.

 

Also dive bombing is getting a little old and trying to pick up altitude for the dive is both fuel consuming and makes me a sitting duck. Any advice on level bombing? I was used to Janes: F-15 were I had both a good view, and a bomb sight in my HUD.

[serverandenforcer 33]

Level bombing back in the Vietnam War was done at a low altitude and lot's of skill cause they didn't have CCIP technology back then. Dive bombing was sort of the way to do it. Usually right when you release the bombs, you don't pull up. Instead, I usually level off and break with full burners and actually go NOE (nap of the earth) cause loosing altitude will help in picking up speed. Dump the crap that you don't need (fuel tanks, extra bombs - you shouldn't have any left anyways). Once you get up to 300 knots, you can start pulling up, but not aggressively. Oh, and A/I aircraft don't have much in the way of skill either, so don't expect them to survive in a mission. Not to mention, 105s aren't the most agile aircraft to go head to head with Migs. Another strategic note.... Don't have your entire squadron armed up for a ground attack. It should only be you and your immediate wingman. Have everyone else setup for A/A. They can focus on the Mig activity while you and your wingman take out the primary target(s) (at the same time).

Edited July 12, 2006 by serverandenforcer

[F-4PhantomII 0]

Level bombing back in the Vietnam War was done at a low altitude and lot's of skill cause they didn't have CCIP technology back then. Dive bombing was sort of the way to do it. Usually right when you release the bombs, you don't pull up. Instead, I usually level off and break with full burners and actually go NOE (nap of the earth) cause loosing altitude will help in picking up speed. Dump the crap that you don't need (fuel tanks, extra bombs - you shouldn't have any left anyways). Once you get up to 300 knots, you can start pulling up, but not aggressively. Oh, and A/I aircraft don't have much in the way of skill either, so don't expect them to survive in a mission. Not to mention, 105s aren't the most agile aircraft to go head to head with Migs. Another strategic note.... Don't have your entire squadron armed up for a ground attack. It should only be you and your immediate wingman. Have everyone else setup for A/A. They can focus on the Mig activity while you and your wingman take out the primary target(s) (at the same time).

Thanks for the advice bro. How do I target the objective for my wingman to hit it? I cannot seem to place brakets on it so I can't use the "Attack my target" feature. I know 105's are not the greatest dog fighters out there, but they do have a fare amount of "go" especially when compaired to Mig's and can outrun them. if you overshoot them. But it looks like I will be practicing my dive approach as it is hardly refined. But thats what is great about this game as opposed to F/A 18 and F-15... the planes don't fight for you.

 

Also, are you an SP? Cause my dad was when he was in the Airforce. Matter of fact my whole family is Airforce.

[Sky Captain 0]

You can only order your wingman to attack a certain target (namely, the one you have selected). Select ground targets with 'E' & 'Shift+E', and air targets via 'T' and 'Shift+T'. Those are the basics (meaning the ones you'll use the most), but there are more you can find and assign in on the options page.

[F-4PhantomII 0]

You can only order your wingman to attack a certain target (namely, the one you have selected). Select ground targets with 'E' & 'Shift+E', and air targets via 'T' and 'Shift+T'. Those are the basics (meaning the ones you'll use the most), but there are more you can find and assign in on the options page.

But I already do the e & Shift+E thing. I cannot seem to get the objective (i.e. railbridge) targeted. Only the things around it.

[Sky Captain 0]

You CAN keep cycling you know.

 

OR!...

 

You can ask Red Crown nicely where your main target is, then push Ctrl-R (which targets whatever object was mentioned in the most recent radio transmission), and voila, there's your main target. Most of the time, though, all you need to do is target a ground object and it's your objective.

[F-4PhantomII 0]

You CAN keep cycling you know.

 

OR!...

 

You can ask Red Crown nicely where your main target is, then push Ctrl-R (which targets whatever object was mentioned in the most recent radio transmission), and voila, there's your main target. Most of the time, though, all you need to do is target a ground object and it's your objective.

Ahhhh I'll try the Ctrl-R thing. I know it cycles but it never seems to cycle onto the target I want. Danke ;)

[serverandenforcer 33]

Thanks for the advice bro. How do I target the objective for my wingman to hit it? I cannot seem to place brakets on it so I can't use the "Attack my target" feature. I know 105's are not the greatest dog fighters out there, but they do have a fare amount of "go" especially when compaired to Mig's and can outrun them. if you overshoot them. But it looks like I will be practicing my dive approach as it is hardly refined. But thats what is great about this game as opposed to F/A 18 and F-15... the planes don't fight for you.

 

Also, are you an SP? Cause my dad was when he was in the Airforce. Matter of fact my whole family is Airforce.

 

 

Yep (It's SF now - Securit Forces, not SP; actually, they're going to change it again to Airforce Infantry... they're thinking of doing away with the whole law-enforcement deal and have my career field focus on base defense... private secuirty contractors will be hired on to do law-enforcement on the base... I see a near future problem with that). However, I'm not really from a military family. Both my grandpa's were in the Navy (my mom's father actually got to witness the nuke detonating at Bikini Islands), and I have an Uncle who is a retired Major from the Airforce. He flew F-86s in the Korean War. I joined at the age of 25, a tad bit older than most average recruits. Don't ask me why I didn't join sooner, 'cause I don't even know why I joined now.

Edited July 12, 2006 by serverandenforcer

[Southernap 1]

Something that I do with the other sections in my flight is configure Section 2 as my SEAD suppressors and sections 3 and 4 as MiGCAP's. Since it seems that the AI pilots in your group are hard coded in the game to go after enemy air defense systems when you tell the flight to attack ground targets. They will do so until they are either shot down or have gone completely winchester (ie they will expend everything they have that can go air to ground on enemy air defense). The same is true for MiGCaps' once you relase them to chase enemy aircraft they will do so until they either run out of bullets or are shot down. So you really have to micromange them to have them succeed. What I do is after I release the rest of my flight to attack other targets while myself and my wingman attack the main target is watch them and then after I do my bombing run I tell my flight to either rejoin if they are close by or just go home on thier own if they are too far away. I also send the rest of the flight home once they are down to thier guns since I have yet to see them score with a gun in either air to air or just get blown out of the sky trying to strafe AAA. It is a pain in the butt, however it saves my other wingman. Since they seem to gain skills over the time of a campaign which is useful.