Newbie question: How to find enemy?

I''m still new to DSC A-10C and am loving it. It's the realism I love in flight sims.

I've gotten ok as startup, taking off, navigating. I can deploy mavericks ok and bombs.

But what I'm struggling now is how to find targets. I fly the waypoints it tells me to. While flying and getting close I use my targeting pod to try to find enemies, but sometimes I find vehicles that aren't the enemy. Sometimes I end up getting to close to the enemy and find them when they start shooting at me.

So during a normal mission when your told the enemy is between waypoint 2-3..how do you find the enemy?

And if this is a stupid question: feel free to reply with go read <insert topic name here> at <insert website here>

Thanks.

There's not really any "good" answer to that question - you find them through looking for them. The trick is to know where to look and to have a good search pattern, which depends a lot on the mission and the type of target you are looking for.

The "where to look" question is governed mainly by the mission; study the briefing and any associate maps and try to get yourself a picture of the terrain, buildings, towns and so on in the target area, and the expected enemy positions relative to those features. You then start the search of the area while still pretty far out from the area - never ever approach a suspected target area if you don't already have eyeball on the threats. If you get close and haven't found them - turn around and try again. I usually put myself in a lazy turn and circle while searching - the raised wing makes it such that my targeting pod can be looking where I want it to look almost constantly.

Then apply a proper search pattern. What helps here is to flick between modes a bit; don't sit still in CCD mode on the pod, flick it between CCD, WHOT, BHOT a lot. Some targets will be easier to see in one mode or the other, and lighting conditions, the background terrain and so on can also influence this. Also, if you expect your target to be moving, it's good to walk the TGP in steps - move it a bit, and then hold it still for a couple seconds. This will cause anything that is moving to "stand out", while if everything is moving due to you constantly slewing the TGP, you might be looking straight at them for a couple seconds and still not notice them.

Also, don't rush it. This takes time and is very difficult. (And is why most airforces rely heavily on JTACs.)

Another thing you can do is, if you know a fairly precise location on the map but have issues finding that location through the TGP, you can set your TAD as SOI, move the cursor to that point, and create a markpoint on the expected position. Then make sure that markpoint is SPI and then slave your TGP to SPI and it should land right there. Very helpful when you get attack taskings by JTAC or wingmen. You can also "hook" such markers to make them appear on HUD.

when I'm competely lost or in a hurry: labels on :)

after having a look around: labels off

enemy hidden in between trees: LSS :smartass: (fly into suspect area with AP Path and slow down (no speedbrakes)!)

Thanks.

I know I still need to brush up on my TAD skills a bit since I only really know how to use it to make sure I"m flying from one place to to other correctly.

Will keep practicing. I find that everyday I learn something new and it just adds to my knowledge.

The labels are helpful. But I am trying to re-create real life scenario and learn from it. So hence no labels. I did get frustrated the other day with one mission and used it to get an indication of how far off I was. I turned them on quick...looked around...turned them off. I was a couple miles off target and it was good to be able to correct. But I want to keep it real!

when I'm competely lost or in a hurry: labels on :)

after having a look around: labels off

enemy hidden in between trees: LSS :smartass:

I''m still new to DSC A-10C and am loving it. It's the realism I love in flight sims.

 

I've gotten ok as startup, taking off, navigating. I can deploy mavericks ok and bombs.

 

But what I'm struggling now is how to find targets. I fly the waypoints it tells me to. While flying and getting close I use my targeting pod to try to find enemies, but sometimes I find vehicles that aren't the enemy. Sometimes I end up getting to close to the enemy and find them when they start shooting at me.

 

So during a normal mission when your told the enemy is between waypoint 2-3..how do you find the enemy?

 

And if this is a stupid question: feel free to reply with go read <insert topic name here> at <insert website here>

 

Thanks.

http://forums.eagle.ru/showpost.php?p=1281373&postcount=3

Excellent resource! Thanks!

http://forums.eagle.ru/showpost.php?p=1281373&postcount=3

No problem. :thumbup:

Finding targets is a perennial and usually tedious process, but having a plan and some patience can make it easier and less random.

Just out curiosity, how many of the missions in the campaigns/solo missions employ JTAC? I've been mostly flying on training missions I downloaded so haven't run accross one yet, but wanted to know if I should expect more official missions to have them.

I don't know a ratio (never thought much about which ones have and doesn't have them), so I'm not sure I dare give you a percentage, but you will indeed find JTACs in a lot of missions. Whether you want to actually use the JTAC is a separate issue - sometimes I disagree with his choice of weapons and go it alone - but they're very helpful for that initial "fix" on targets.

Labels really amount to cheating, as does padlocking. If you want a reasonably realistic way to find targets, you can give yourself binoculars in a way by increasing the max zoom level by decreasing the min FOV allowed for the A-10A (which also applies for the A-10C). I believe the appropriate file is Config/view.lua or something like that. Look around line 120 ish. Change the min FOV from 20 to 5, and now you effectively have binoculars, which real A-10C pilots use.

But... the thing is, I've found that some people just have more skill at finding targets than others. I happen to be lucky in that regard it seems. Maybe it was the long nights spent glued to a telescope eyepiece gazing at distant galaxies has honed my ability to quickly find very subtle targets. Or maybe it was the hunting I used to do and scouting for wild animals with my father as a kid. Who knows. But the point is, if you have a big monitor, use track IR, and use zoom, EVEN UNMODIFIED zoom, you have a good scan and swivel your head constantly looking at new areas, and you are still having trouble finding targets, then you may just have a deficiency at picking up targets out of clutter. Some people just can't do it. As I just mentioned, having a good SA scan helps too, as if you have good situational awareness, you will know where to search for targets.

In the end, you need to just set the game to the settings that make it fun for you. If you have already done all of the above, or if you cannot get a Track IR, then maybe you need to turn on labels or use padlock. Just be prepared to NOT have them if you start flying multiplayer.

-"White Hot" on your Pod Baby.

-Get adept at slewing/zooming

-Use markpoints for when you do find targets it sucks when your pod gets "wound up" and has to be reset.

-Keep some distance (3 - 5 miles) so your field of view is wider.

Don't fixate on any one thing or spot. I am terrible at it but I do find that if you get used to sweeping your eyes slowly over an area without looking at any one thing, the odd shapes almost jump out at you sometimes.

Hi there..

Most of the time, and in between attacks, tanks specially, tend to just freeze there, and IR search sometimes becomes useless because tanks need to be moving in order to VID them... meaning their heat signature is not prominent as when theyre moving..

Just remember frindlies got a green X on the TGP.. the other day, I mistakenly ordered 2 platoons of mixed tanks and APCs to move to Montana under the false pretence that armor has moved out and united at my last impact point, and they got so mixed up, that I had to drop to 3500 to ViD that I killed a M1A1 tank and an APC, as well as a humvee, which was my JTAC... :D

EtherealN pretty much summed it up. You will get more adept as you get more experience. A lot of times it depends on the area of operations. It's easy to spot a massive tank formation out in the middle of an open field when your hunting for bear but if you are trying to find a proverbial needle in a haystack, ala urban environments, it's a combination of scanning, the targeting pod and the eternally useful MK-1 Eye ball. I don't know if DCS simulates the binoculars but I could have swore there were commands for that in the options. Studying the intel during the briefing is extremely useful and it doesn't hurt to either memorize where the targets are located or just write a small note somewhere.

I all.

I have a question regarding finding targets. BUT Im looking for a tip for air targets like helicopters. A few days ago I was in practice mode in a air combat with some 2 K50. I started in the mountains andto find them it was a pain. I have to use outside view from the helis and zoomin realy far to see in what part of the mountains they where even I stard to drop chaff to see if I can see my A-10 to see where I was from the helis. In one point I found them to finaly pass realy close to them losing them in the last second and getting my self kill by one of them.

So whats the best tactic to find those helis that are so small and camuflage in the terrain. Its there a radar setting that can pin point there location or its just a visualy stuff and getting lucky in the end.

Any tips. I know the A10 is not and Air to air fighter but sometimes there are some boogies we have to take care off. Bare with my english cause is not my first.

<S> to all