No TAC

[Red-Dog 3]

Just had one of my best flights yet, Didn't use tac once and it made the flight seem even more real.I had to follow the leader for 108 miles and belive me it took some doing, the best bit was not knowing if you were going to get bounced at any moment.What should you do look at the leader or scan the skys? I chose the first option and made it back safe.If you want to go to the next level then give it a try,you will love it......

[HomeBoy 1]

Red-Dog,

I assume you did not warp or use ap at any point right? Do you turn labels on at all?

 

Impressive. I've only been playing for a couple of days now but I want to head in this direction.

 

<S>!

[Red-Dog 3]

Red-Dog,

I assume you did not warp or use ap at any point right? Do you turn labels on at all?

 

Impressive. I've only been playing for a couple of days now but I want to head in this direction.

 

<S>!

 

Hi Homeboy, yes i didn't use warp or labels, i did look at the map now and again but thats what you would do.Also flew the whole mission from cockpit veiw.

[Red-Dog 3]

Not to pee into anybody's cheerios, because as a confimed cheater, I'll never fly without my TAC, labels, and Warp. If you were bounced, without the labels, it is a true test to leave them off. Later to rejoin the formation,( if there is a formation to rejoin ). One step at a time, I suppose . . .

Hi uncleal, i know what you mean,it's the first time i've flew without tac,never used labels. Also i've always flown lead but with no tac it's follow the leader time.

[HomeBoy 1]

Wow! This is even more impressive than I thought. No labels! Did you see combat that mission? I can't imagine doing that without labels. Most of my fights last at least 60 seconds, often much more. After that, without labels, I would have no more idea of where my wingman was than a squirrel! In fact, he would likely be out of icon range too and without TAC, I'd simply have to point my nose toward home and hope for the best.

 

That's some pretty impressive flying. I'm longing to get there though. As stated, baby steps.

[Olham 164]

Respect, Red Dog

I tried that, too, and I think Widowmaker regularly dies, trying it too.

It is damn hard then, to recognise friend or foe. You must approach each dark spec,

to find out, if he's a target. And that, without getting shot at!

But I want to get there, too.

[griphos 0]

I don't use labels in campaign (or QC for that matter, but I do in MP so I can see which friend I'm shooting at), because I hate those big red and blue lines all over the sky; and I've only recently started turning the TAC (which is always set at 2 miles range and left there) off during combat. I've never flown without it at all, because I always lead. But it is very tempting to drop back to wingman and try it that way.

 

Anyway, as to flying combat without TAC or Labels, when you give it a try, stick with it. I remember my first times without the TAC I was SO disoriented, and felt as if there was an enemy plane everywhere and I just wasn't seeing them. Head on a swivel, but I still felt naked and alone, and blind! And, the first time, I turned the TAC right back on. But after a bit, I turned it off again, and kept it off for the next few dogfights.

 

Now I really don't like to have it on. I very much like the immersion that Red-Dog speaks of when I see those white dots turn red and then turn off TAC and try to acquire them visually. It is very intense. And I haven't found that it puts me at a disadvantage (I have TrackIR). With the new AI models of the recent patches, EA don't open fire on me until they are close enough to be easy to spot, even against the landscape (and if I can spot them against the landscape, that means I have the advantage!!). If I can do it, it can't be that hard! And it is a different, and fun, way to play it.

 

It does mean I lose track of other planes sometimes, both friendly and enemy, especially when I'm involved in a furball that takes us away from the main action (a not infrequent occurrence). But I suspect that's what happened a fair bit back in the day. It means, often, as UncleAl said, that I lose track of my wingmen, but I frequently meet up with them (or at least some of them) again at the main target. Again, probably realistic.

 

Anyway, I'm just saying that I don't think it's some huge challenge that you have to work up to. I think it can be scary (I was scared!) to let go of the aids, but if you stick with it (set your pilot on never dies or create a never-die pilot and fly some QC to get used to it), I think you'll like it!

[Olham 164]

It's harder on German side, to spot planes against the landscape, as the Allied planes

all have camouflage (except some French light grey or sand planes).

While the German "Flying Circus" must be easy to spot.

[griphos 0]

Well, I'm hoping that it gets easier as the war goes along, when those, ummmm....what were they called?......oh, yeah, I believe they've been poetically referred to as "tart's handbags"... er...colorful aces show up. But right now, early in the war, those drab greenish/yellow fuselages of the DII's are no picnic to pick up against the field and forests.