Wargame: AirLand Battle

[GDS_Starfury]

Elite Mig-21 pilots

thats almost an oxymoron.

[republic]

One thing I've discovered playing a few 10v10 matches is how effective a US deck with the Pre-1975 bonus is.  You have everything you need still available and with the bonus...tons of units to draw from.  It might make a great deck for that new mode that is over command points only.

[undercovergeek]

One thing I've discovered playing a few 10v10 matches is how effective a US deck with the Pre-1975 bonus is.  You have everything you need still available and with the bonus...tons of units to draw from.  It might make a great deck for that new mode that is over command points only.

how do you know the range of the missiles to operate your BVR tactic

[GDS_Starfury]

with the size of the maps Ive seen, a typical Sparrow should cover all of it from the moment of unit entry.

[jomni]

Elite Mig-21 pilots

thats almost an oxymoron.

North Vietnam had those.

[GDS_Starfury]

I did say almost and we didnt have F-16s  8)

[Nefaro]

It also can depend on what you've told the aircraft to do.  I've found with aircraft in an anti-air role it is best to just summon them to an area within their longest missile range rather than telling them to actually attack a target.

If you click to attack a target they'll go all the way to gun range, but if you select to tell them to stay in an area that puts targets within their range, they'll stay away and take them out 'BVR'.

This.  I've also noticed that giving direct attack orders to interceptors will make them close to dogfight range and sometimes they don't even fire any of their long-range radar-guided missiles on the way (or just one) before getting there. 

But there's a problem with telling them to loiter at distance, too.  I've had them just flying in circles, not auto-attacking enemy aircraft that are obviously in range.  It seems to take awhile before they 'wake up' out of their loiter and by that time enemy bombers are often on their way out.  I've only had limited success with telling them to loiter but at least it keeps them alive I suppose.

These are both just issues of how interceptor behaviors have been programmed and I hope they've been improving them.

Also remember the training of the pilots matter, if you've chosen trained F-15 pilots but the other guy has Elite Mig-21 pilots the Migs can win easily.  Also remember that if there is any sort of enemy anti-air your pilots will panic (even elite units) and will be killed.

As a commie pinko driver, I see F-4 Phantoms chew through my Su-27's and Mig-35's..much to my chagrin.  :(  But...that was before I learned the practice of calling them to an area, rather than a target.

I'm sure the odd amount of shootdowns between different generation fighters is just for balance purposes.  At the same time, it also makes me wonder if the newer aircraft's ECM factor(s) are being fully taken into account in Air-To-Air situations.

[GDS_Starfury]

ah ECM.  another of my nits to pick.  whos idea was it to give a F-117 an ECM rating of none?  the plane should either be super 600 point expensive and untouchable or not in the game at all.  IMHO it shouldnt even be in the game.  its not a tactical bomber loitering with intent over the FEBA.

[republic]

They did give it a high stealth rating though.  ECM/Stealth is sort of ambiguous.  I imagine maybe ECM might include flares to foil heat seekers?

Because of F-111's with HARMs I rarely use any radar guided SAMS at all anymore, and with heat seekers I have shot down F-117's.

There is so much to the game that is completely undocumented still.  :\

[GDS_Starfury]

flares and chaff should be independant of ECM.  wait... are there flares?  I dont recall seeing those.  unless you count the burning wreckage of my other F-15 as thermal chaff.  >:(

for those reading these small rants about the game dont read into them to much.  its a lot of fun and Im sure to be up till 3 or 4 am playing.  again.  Im just a grognard and its my job to bitch about the minutia of a F-15s ECM suite being better then a friking Mig-17s.

[republic]

In Soviet Russia Mig-19 Farm you!

[RANT]I had a bad social encounter in a conquest game.  I don't know whether it is my ingame name or whether I actually try to be friendly in the pre-game time...but I seem to be a griefer magnet.  I took my best 10v10 deck into a conquest game (bad idea) and thought I'd give it a try.  My first mistake, I'm sure, was to say it was my first conquest game.  One player took it as his mission to tell me what to do throughout the entire game.  "Republic you take Papa...Take Papa!  Republic why aren't you taking Papa!?"  Rather than say what I wanted "Because I spent my points buying the artillery that is currently saving your bacon!" I spent a good 5 minutes trying to find a way to mute him (which you apparently can't).  Of course, he wasn't actually using proper caps or spelling it was more like "REP tak pap.  OMFG y is wong wit u?  OMG dude just run your t75k in there!!!!!!111oneone"

You ever notice how with the current generation they never have a first time?  They always know everything right off, and never admit being a newbie.  In actuality...they play the game until things go bad for them and then they quit midgame...again and again until they figure it out.[/RANT]

Anyhow...that is just what happens when your thrown in with the unwashed juvenile internet masses.

[Nefaro]

They did give it a high stealth rating though.  ECM/Stealth is sort of ambiguous.  I imagine maybe ECM might include flares to foil heat seekers?

Because of F-111's with HARMs I rarely use any radar guided SAMS at all anymore, and with heat seekers I have shot down F-117's.

There is so much to the game that is completely undocumented still.  :\

From what I've seen, the super high Stealth rating on it is better than any ECM performance. 

[undercovergeek]

In Soviet Russia Mig-19 Farm you!

[RANT]I had a bad social encounter in a conquest game.  I don't know whether it is my ingame name or whether I actually try to be friendly in the pre-game time...but I seem to be a griefer magnet.  I took my best 10v10 deck into a conquest game (bad idea) and thought I'd give it a try.  My first mistake, I'm sure, was to say it was my first conquest game.  One player took it as his mission to tell me what to do throughout the entire game.  "Republic you take Papa...Take Papa!  Republic why aren't you taking Papa!?"  Rather than say what I wanted "Because I spent my points buying the artillery that is currently saving your bacon!" I spent a good 5 minutes trying to find a way to mute him (which you apparently can't).  Of course, he wasn't actually using proper caps or spelling it was more like "REP tak pap.  OMFG y is wong wit u?  OMG dude just run your t75k in there!!!!!!111oneone"

You ever notice how with the current generation they never have a first time?  They always know everything right off, and never admit being a newbie.  In actuality...they play the game until things go bad for them and then they quit midgame...again and again until they figure it out.[/RANT]

Anyhow...that is just what happens when your thrown in with the unwashed juvenile internet masses.

Lol republic +1 all the way

This was my last MP experience with the game which is why I came out and into skirmish so I could practice more - like star is doing - become a jedi master first and then go in

I found the only way to overcome said situation is to destroy said opponent without mercy - however if they're your ally I don't know what to do - is there a friendly fire weapon to unleash on him?

[Silent Disapproval Robot]

OK, just how twitchy is it?  I see it's on sale at GG today and dueto the popularity here at GH, I'm interested.  My question is, how crazy is the speed?  If it's a Warcraft/Starcraft/World in Conflict clone, I'll give it a miss. If it's a slower paced thoughtful RTS like Graviteam or Harpoon, I'll pull the plug.  So should I buy or not?

[Tinkershuffle]

If it's a Warcraft/Starcraft/World in Conflict clone, I'll give it a miss. If it's a slower paced thoughtful RTS like Graviteam or Harpoon, I'll pull the plug.

It's there somewhere between, I say pull the trigger. :)