SAMs and AAA/Flak inconsistently firing

[Boomer20]

I am currently making a few single/co-op missions for me and my buddy to fly. I've noticed that when I put down air defences, some play tests see them fire and sometimes they don't; now I've noticed that line of sight is a bigger thing since trees became collidable but this seems to happen only in my missions.

 

Example: Current mission I've made has about 128 Flak 37s, 76 ZU-23 emplacements and 1 SA-6 Strela along the valley to Gori. Obviously the traverse speed of the Flaks aren't quick enough to hit a fast moving F/A-18 but they at least fire some rounds, the ZU-23s don't fire at all.

In 3 test flight attempts though the valley, the first had some flak fire and the only other AA was from the tanks (the target). The second had absolutely nothing firing, no flak, no AA, not even the tanks. Third time again a little bit of flak but no AA. At the target I actually got pummelled by a heap of flak so I think that time I had all the flak guns in range firing on me.

Lastly the Stela never fired and at best lifted the launchers up but never tracked.

 

This isn't just this mission though, I've made other missions with AA being inconsistent.

 

Any help would be appreciated.

Cheers.

[Emmy]

All the enemy guns are “Weapons Free” and Alarm State “Red” ?

[Boomer20]

Are they not by default???

[Emmy]

No...

 

Pretty sure the default is Alarm State: “Auto” and Weapons are in an indeterminate state pending Alarm. They aren’t “Weapons Hold” but unless they “wake up” due to a threat, they won’t automatically open fire which is probably why you’re able to surprise so many at low level / high speed.

[Boomer20]

Yeah I changed some to compare the ones with the default and the ones that are red and weapons free. Didn't make a difference.

[Emmy]

Well, you're attack profile just must be spot on then to avoid the bulk of enemy fire. Pat yourself on the back and have a beer at the O Club! :)

[Boomer20]

I feel honoured :D

(I'll just gloss over the bit when I reached the target, blasted them and then got hit by return fire from a T-72 and had to fly slow and straight back home with a nasty chunk out of the wing......trimmed it out and made it home though.)

[Emmy]

One thing you might try to increase the lethality is “pre aim” the AAA so it’s facing toward you already in a concentrated pattern and then set them to Alarm: Red and Weapons Free?

 

Good job getting a wounded bird home!

[lemoen]

Set them to the highest skill level too.

[Emmy]

Set them to the highest skill level too.

 

Good Point.

[Boomer20]

Doing those tips have made as far as I can tell most fire. Need to lower the light level (I put it in the middle of the day with no cloud to make visibility as good as possible to get them to work) to see more of the tracers. Works much better now.

Thanks for your help, now to make it more brutal!

 

Edit: Making it start at 0615 with a cloud density of 10 meant that not a single flak or ZU emplacement fire, but dropping the cloud density to 3 and they came alive again.....weird.

Edited January 7, 2019 by Boomer20

[shagrat]

Doing those tips have made as far as I can tell most fire. Need to lower the light level (I put it in the middle of the day with no cloud to make visibility as good as possible to get them to work) to see more of the tracers. Works much better now.

Thanks for your help, now to make it more brutal!

 

Edit: Making it start at 0615 with a cloud density of 10 meant that not a single flak or ZU emplacement fire, but dropping the cloud density to 3 and they came alive again.....weird.

Nope, visibility is dynamic and calculated against background/contrast. At least, that is one parameter. ZU-23 is eyeball mk1 and a simple sight. If you put just one 2S6 Tunguska or a couple SPAAA ZU-23-4 Shilka it should get pretty interesting! ;)