Help With A-10 and AGM-65

[bolter303me.com]

Hello,

 

I am back playing Lock-On again and loving it. I forgot a lot and have been reading and watching tutorials. The question I have is that I set up a mission with jut tanks (nothing that can hit me) to practice air-to-ground weapons.

 

The problem I am having is I am not locking up the target for a AGM-65 to hit the tank. I fired 4 missiles at it and put four nice holes around the tank.

 

Here is my process: I hit the 7 key for air-ground. Slew the TDS to the general area ( I can see the tanks). I than hit the tab key to stabilize the seeker. Then Image in the TV monitor snaps to the tank, and the little cross is flashing. I than fire the missile. WHat I have found from trial and error is that if the little cross is too far from the tank it won't get close. Correct me if I am wrong but do I have to fly the plane to get the little cross in the middle of the tank? That seems to be the only way to move it.

 

I saw a key that Locks nearest enemy ground target Shift-NumLock. How do I lock on the tank. I don't have a Diamond of on the ground target as I approach. Am I forgetting to turn something on?

 

Thanks for all the help.

 

Don

Las Vegas

[deviletk]

I slew the TDS close to the vehicle and then hit LOCK, and it will jump onto the tank. After that - FIRE. And i always hit. Have to be sure though that you havent locked up a building that is very close to the target due to that you do the locking very far away, and thus cant make out if it is the target or very nearby other object. I always make sure i see them clearly on the screen. Not close, but clear that it is the target.

 

So i just choose an AGM then slew the TDS onto or very close to the target - LOCK and FIRE. Works for me. Hopefully someone with better knowledge can tell you more though.

[Ironhand]

...The problem I am having is I am not locking up the target for a AGM-65 to hit the tank[/b]...

Yes, you are locked on the tank because...

 

...Then Image in the TV monitor snaps to the tank, and the little cross is flashing...

that wouldn't be happening, if you weren't. The flashing cross means that what you have locked is in range.

 

Check the Missile Slider bar in Options/Difficulties. It needs to be set to either 50% or 100%. Any other setting introduces a bug that causes your missiles to miss.

 

Rich

[Brit_Radar_Dude]

I don't have a Diamond of on the ground target as I approach. Am I forgetting to turn something on?

You only get the diamond if you have marked that unit as a target using the TARGET button in the Mission Editor.

 

Here is my standard cut and paste blurb about the diamond etc.

 

Mission Editor Info related to Air to Ground

 

What is the Diamond?

The diamond is your Target Designator. It simulates that some forward observer has pointed a laser at the object to designate it as a target. Imagine we have some forward troops or recon that is on the ground and has spotted our target. They put a laser on it, and then we see the diamond in the HUD because our A-10 carries the Pave Penny laser tracker. That's the idea anyhow.

 

Why is it there in some missions and not others?

If the mission designer has set up an ATTACK waypoint and used the TARGET button to mark a particular target(s), then you will see the diamond as soon as you change to air to ground mode (7). If the target is out of the field of view of the HUD it will have an X through it. If you kill the target and there are multiple targets are set up, the diamond moves to the next target, and finally dissapears when you have killed all the marked targets.

Some mission designers might only mark some or none of the targets you need to kill to get mission success, other targets may only be mentioned in the mission briefing.

If there are multiple targets in a mission, you can swap the diamond between them by pressing ' key (depends on your keyboard - anyway it is the same key that swaps airfields when you are in NAV - RETURN mode).

 

Be aware that if you set up some vehicles or ships in a group then the Mission Editor treats that group as a single item when you use TARGET button. Once you target it and then try to target another item in the group the mission editor will latch to nearest thing (usually a building) leaving you wondering what is going on. I still get caught out by this with ships as a group of them by default are quite spread out and they dont look like a group. I then try to target a second time and it targets a building a 100kms away!

 

When you have a group targeted then if you kill the 1st in the group, the diamond will move to the next in the group etc until all destroyed then moves to next TARGET'ed unit/group. If there are multiple targets in a mission, you can swap the diamond between them by pressing ' key. But remembering what I said earlier about a group of vehicles being regarded as one target, then if you had two groups designated as targets, it will swap between the 1st in each group. you can't move the diamond along the column of vehicles. Doesn't stop you bombing them, but the diamond will always point to 1st in the group.

This can be kinda confusing until you get used to it.

 

Is it necessary to lock on by pressing TAB?

All the diamond is doing is showing you where the target is located. You still have to attack it yourself with whatever weapon you choose. If you choose a Maverick then you have to lock it on, but if you use gun / rockets / dumb bombs, then obviously you dont.

 

What is the ATTACK point?

It is a type of waypoint, shown on the map as a triangle instead of the usual circle, in the Mission Editor(ME). As you fly your route it does not appear any different to other waypoints to you as a pilot. But used in conjunction with the TARGET button in the ME, it will cause targets to be diamond'ed. If the aircraft is an AI(computer flown) one, then it tells the AI when to begin an attack and what to attack.

 

Do you have to reach a particular waypoint before you can lock on?

No, but generally the mission designer will have chosen a particular waypoint (near to the target) as an attack waypoint. Some missions might have several attack waypoints if there are several targets. Before you fly a mission, look at the map, remember which waypoint is the attack waypoint (triangle) so you know where to start looking for the targets you are tasked to destroy.

You might find there are enemy SAM/AAA defenses or enemy aircraft you have to kill simply to be able to get through to your actual mission target, keep your eyes and ears open for threats - the RWR (Radar warning receiver) can help.

In one of the A-10 training missions there is the diamond to show you where to drop your weapon load but in the other using cannon and rockets there is no diamond. As I said above, sometimes the mission has been designed so there is a diamond, sometimes not.

 

Is there a difference between targets and mission goals?

The SUCCESS / FAIL at the end of a mission is caused by having used the Mission editor to set MISSION GOALS with the icon on the left of the screen that looks like a sniper sight. Also not all goals are that some target be DESTROYED, some goals are that a unit, group or target SURVIVES, this enables misson designers to make missions where you have to protect friendly units or defend a base.

Having these as seperate actions means that a mission can have SUCCESS/FAIL goals set without necessarily having targets diamond'ed. Two examples - mbot's excellent UrbanThunder mission which has an attack waypoint, but no TARGETs assigned

 

http://forum.lockon.ru/showthread.php?t=9039

 

or my Smerch Hunt mission, which has no attack waypoint at all...

 

http://www.lockonfiles.com/modules.php?name=Downloads&d_op=viewdownloaddetails&cid=61&lid=36&ttitle=A-10_Smerch_Hunt#dldetails

[bolter303me.com]

Ironhand was right, again. Thanks, I had the slider at about 65% I moved it to 100 and it hit every time. What should it be set to so that it is realistic? Thanks again

 

Don

[Ironhand]

Ironhand was right, again. Thanks, I had the slider at about 65% I moved it to 100 and it hit every time. What should it be set to so that it is realistic? Thanks again

 

Don

50% is the default and, against the AI, probably the most realistic. Online you should probably be at 100%. That's my opinion based on "not much" other than others' opinions. Mine is set at 50%.

 

Rich