The article states that the RDY added "further air-to-ground modes".
"Further" doesn't mean there were none before. It merely means more were added. Which is true. ;)
You're right, that's a way to circumvent the matter of not being able to directly select A-G mode with the HOTAS. That's how I usually fly in the other sim as well.
It actually depends. The F-16, surely. The F-15, maybe (I can't remember right now, to be honest). But not the F-14 or the F/A-18 or the Mirage 2000. All those jets approach with a rather high AoA but it still varies a lot.
Because they're different aircraft, and you have to take into account matters of acceptable loadouts on wingtips, FOV provided to missiles on each hardpoint, and know which hardpoints mean a rail-launched missile or an ejected one.
There's no switch on the F-16 HOTAS to instantly access A-G modes. :smilewink:
I tend to like the F-16 HOTAS system a bit more than the F/A-18 one, but it's not one of its features.
Depends, but visual ID was not necessary if other sufficient means could be used at least during Desert Storm, Southern Watch or Allied Force operations.