targeting aircraft

[chrsmat71]

Hi all,

 

Is there a way to target enemy aircraft specificly other than just hitting the "next target" button and cycling through every truck, bridge, and stray dog on the map as well as the enemy aircraft? This was kind of an issue with cfs3 for me but with all the possible targets now it takes forever to get what I want....huge pain in a dogfight.

I hope I've missed a "target enemy aircaft" or "target closest enemy" button or at least method to do that.

 

Thanks!

[griphos]

You just point your weapon sight at them! :yes:

 

I'm not sure there is such a command. I think there's one for target your attacker. But I never could figure out what the advantage is in targeting anything. I mean, it lights up whatever you're targeting as yellow in the TAC, but I'm not sure what advantage that is either. Might even work against you, since you might fixate on the yellow dot, if using TAC, and not notice the other red one getting right in on your tail. In a dogfight, I think you are much better off not worrying about "targeting" and just try to keep SA as much as possible. Most enemy won't open fire on you until they are within 400 yds (or whatever is getting measured by the distance shown if you turn on labels).

[Olham]

Yes - switch the TAC ("radar") to "aircraft". Then you 'only' have to switch through them.

I think it's done by pressing "T", you can switch through all the possible kinds of target.

For ground attacks you must change again.

 

Press "esc", and then choose "controls" - there you find all the things you like.

You can "add assignments" there, and so put some important orders on buttons of your stick.

 

I recommend to you, to read UncleAl's "Tips and cheats" sticky thread. This and so much more is in there.

Edited May 3, 2009 by Olham

[Interlocutor]

If you use the TAC, you can "cycle through" TAC settings until the TAC shows only aircraft. Then the "next target" command switches from a/c to a/c, ignoring other target types.

 

The specific target selected does have a bearing on wingman commands, if you are flying as flight leader.

 

If you fly without TAC, just keep your eyes peeled and your guns ready ...

[griphos]

Ahhhh, yeah! That's why I can't ever send my wingmen after some particular enemy aircraft! I'm going to have to learn how to pick a target!

[chrsmat71]

thank you all for the info! ah yes, i think i even knew i could do that in cfs3 once upon a time....its been several years since i played...and i haven't got any younger since then. also, cntrl + shift+ t changes the map scale which is helpful..which i figured out after your input.

 

How the HELL can people use "Immersion" and "Padlocking" in the same sentence.

 

I can't follow anything without padlock...even things I should be easily able to turn and see with my head...lack of thumb/hat button coordination...and again I'm not getting any younger.

 

I suppose I'm a flight sim weenie of sorts, I like medium flight models and plenty of view options. Hardcore flight models and not seeing anything offer me as about as much immersion as microsoft access does !

 

Thanks again everyone!

Edited May 3, 2009 by chrsmat71

[Olham]

Well, Chrsmat, you may also look at the sticky thread "command key chart" above to find all you need.

 

When you find it hard to follow opponents (which it sometimes or often is!), you may also use the "target cone",

the yellow brakets and the "labels" for identification. And you can set the difficulty lower in "workshop".

 

Don't bother about the hardcore simmers - some day, when you got better, you can raise the difficulties,

and leave some of the helps out.

I don't know, how old you are and if you could get used to something like TrackIR 4Pro.

That would give you an incredible overall view, once you got used to it.

[chrsmat71]

trackir looks awesome, thank you all for the info. yikes on the price, maybe santa can leave that under my tree this year though!

[Macklroy]

Not exactly sure what the problem with 'padlock' view is? I dont have trackir. I had it before and could never get it to work properly (older version and my computer noobness combined). I use padlock as a crutch to the otherwise impossible view options. I dont use labels and i dont have any HUD on the screen at all. Pretty immersive in my opinion.

[griphos]

Before I got TrackIR I used to try to use Padlock. I would get very disoriented. Always crashing into the ground when fighting at low levels. I never seemed to switch back to normal view at the right times. TrackIR is amazing. I'm SO used to it now. When I watch videos, I find myself turning my head while keeping my eyes on the video in order to look around. I'm always catching myself doing that, and momentarily wondering why the screen won't move!

[tttiger]

Before I got TrackIR I used to try to use Padlock. I would get very disoriented. Always crashing into the ground when fighting at low levels. I never seemed to switch back to normal view at the right times. TrackIR is amazing. I'm SO used to it now. When I watch videos, I find myself turning my head while keeping my eyes on the video in order to look around. I'm always catching myself doing that, and momentarily wondering why the screen won't move!

 

 

Ditto!

 

The problem with padlock (in any flight sim) is that it has built-in target fixation and your situational awareness is hopeless.

 

Your view follows the only the target and you can't unlock to check your surroundings and, yup, pretty soon....Hey! Who put that hill there?????

 

Since I got TrackIR many, many moons ago, I've never used padlock in any sim. I may crash into the ground but it's from crappy flying, not because I couldn't see it

 

If you don't have it you really don't know what you're missing!

 

ttt

Edited May 5, 2009 by tttiger

[tone12]

so would i be right in sayin theres no "attack nearest planes" button? on my last misssion i came across a flight of 3 bombers, i pressed a for attack but my flight of 6 fighters flew off in the opposite direction. ive read above that the tac radar screen can be used to target aircraft but wont this simply order the whole flight to attack individual aircraft, or will they attack all aircraft near the targetted one?

 

 

[Bullethead]

so would i be right in sayin theres no "attack nearest planes" button? on my last misssion i came across a flight of 3 bombers, i pressed a for attack but my flight of 6 fighters flew off in the opposite direction. ive read above that the tac radar screen can be used to target aircraft but wont this simply order the whole flight to attack individual aircraft, or will they attack all aircraft near the targetted one?

 

AFAIK, you give orders to all your wingmen collectively. I'm unaware of a way to select 1 of them, give him a target, select the next one, give him a different target.

 

So, to the best of my knowledge, when you give your wingmen the order to attack, they're initially focused on the same target. However, they make their own decisions during the fight based on the tactical circumstances and usually end up after different badguys (as long as there's a choice available). They also pick new targets for themselves after their original target is dead, which is fortunate because otherwise you'd have to keep 1 eye on them and give them new targets in the middle of your own fight.

 

One thing I've noticed is that if I give the attack order only once, some of my wingmen will stay with me. Like if I have 3 wingmen, only 2 will attack. The other(s) stay(s) to watch my back unless I give the attack order repeatedly.

[tone12]

so all i gotta do is aim at the group of planes i want my flight to attack and press a? i dont use tac radar by the way.

[Rickitycrate]

AFAIK, you need to use the TAC to assign targets. It's the only way to be specific at all. Using TAC cycle though to Aircraft then press Tab to select the target. The target will be yellow rather than blue or red. When you are happy press A.

[VonGuber]

 

One thing I've noticed is that if I give the attack order only once, some of my wingmen will stay with me. Like if I have 3 wingmen, only 2 will attack. The other(s) stay(s) to watch my back unless I give the attack order repeatedly.

 

Yes, I've noticed that also. I've been experimenting with selecting a target, ordering attack, switching targets pressing 'a' again to get the others to attack a different target. It seems to work, but I can't say for sure...all the targeted planes were identical so far. Purely academic for me at this point, since we don't use the TAC for DiD dogfights, but that's where I first noticed it happening. Still, is fun to see and learn more of what the Sim does.