Mission 6 - A-A engagement

[SHazmak]

Hi @Sandman Simulations, in the A-A engagement in mission 6, I just can't get past it after trying maybe 8 or 9 times. The lone AIM120 misses most of the time and the AIM9X's refuse to hit entirely, meanwhile the first missile one of them get off on me hits 100% of the time to instant death regardless of evasive manoeuvres and CMS.

Now I'm not a noob, I do know how to employ these weapons, I fire with SHOOT cue, well within RMAX if not RME but they just don't seem to work on this mission and I can't stomach trying it any more. So, 2 questions: 1) is there something funky with these enemies in this mission or any DCS bugs you're aware of that's causing my issues? 2) If not, is there any way I can just skip this mission? Thanks

[Sandman Simulations]

6 minutes ago, SHazmak said:

Hi @Sandman Simulations, in the A-A engagement in mission 6, I just can't get past it after trying maybe 8 or 9 times. The lone AIM120 misses most of the time and the AIM9X's refuse to hit entirely, meanwhile the first missile one of them get off on me hits 100% of the time to instant death regardless of evasive manoeuvres and CMS.

Now I'm not a noob, I do know how to employ these weapons, I fire with SHOOT cue, well within RMAX if not RME but they just don't seem to work on this mission and I can't stomach trying it any more. So, 2 questions: 1) is there something funky with these enemies in this mission or any DCS bugs you're aware of that's causing my issues? 2) If not, is there any way I can just skip this mission? Thanks

Hi,

Thank you for your message. It's a hard one but at least when tested last time it wasn't impossible. 

Spoiler

Nothing special with the enemies, just 2vs1. 

I'm also not aware with new DCS bugs but I'll take a look into the mission.

You can always skip a mission in the campaign menu at mission start.

 

 

[SHazmak]

Ok, thanks. Might give it one more try before giving up and skipping. I don't mind it being difficult but the missiles missing all the time just doesn't make sense, especially the 9X. Never had such issues before, only on this mission.

[SHazmak]

Yep, tried one more time with similar result, even trying different approach. Fundamental problem is that missiles miss 100% of the time. I feel something is broken.

[SHazmak]

Ok, tried one more time. This time I climbed to 30k feet to Mach 1.1 and got well within RNE before shooting the 120, which hit. Then immediately went to the 9X's for the second guy, within 3 miles, shot both, 1 missed. Somehow I managed to narrowly evade a missile shot. So something like 10 attempts in, I completed it. This one doesn't sit right with me, A-A engagements have never been so sketchy and I've done pretty much every FA18 campaign available.

[Sandman Simulations]

1 hour ago, SHazmak said:

Ok, tried one more time. This time I climbed to 30k feet to Mach 1.1 and got well within RNE before shooting the 120, which hit. Then immediately went to the 9X's for the second guy, within 3 miles, shot both, 1 missed. Somehow I managed to narrowly evade a missile shot. So something like 10 attempts in, I completed it. This one doesn't sit right with me, A-A engagements have never been so sketchy and I've done pretty much every FA18 campaign available.

Great to hear you made it. I'll get back after cheking if I could find a reason for the difficulty level.

[Sandman Simulations]

10 hours ago, SHazmak said:

Ok, tried one more time. This time I climbed to 30k feet to Mach 1.1 and got well within RNE before shooting the 120, which hit. Then immediately went to the 9X's for the second guy, within 3 miles, shot both, 1 missed. Somehow I managed to narrowly evade a missile shot. So something like 10 attempts in, I completed it. This one doesn't sit right with me, A-A engagements have never been so sketchy and I've done pretty much every FA18 campaign available.

Hi,

I tested it three times. It's hard as you said. Maybe bit harder than when the mission was made. Maybe some AI changes after that. Also I noticed my dogfighting skills were bit rusty.

Spoiler

Enemy skill level was set to trained and other one to veteran. 

In my first try my AMRAAM hit but I lost sight of the second and he killed me instantly.

For second run I lowered both to rookie level. No big difference. My AMRAAM hit but again I lost the second and turned to wrong direction letting him behind me. You know the rest.

On third run AMRAAM missed. First Sidewinder missed too but second one hit. I had the other MiG in sight and got into dogfight. I had one or two good gun shot opportunities but I missed. Finally I outran him with fuel efficiency. With better fighting skills I would have shot him down this time.

I think I'll leave enemy skill level lower even if it has quite little effect. Maybe bit easier for the player.

One side note during testing: One of the Syrian ships seems to hit himself sometimes firing the hit trigger too soon. I'll try to do something about that too.

Mountain Breeze Mission 6 2.zip.acmi Mountain Breeze Mission 6 1.zip.acmi Mountain Breeze Mission 6 3.zip.acmi

Edited June 17, 2024 by Sandman Simulations

[BoFrost]

As always, outstanding support from the developer. 

 

[SHazmak]

Thanks for taking a look @Sandman Simulations. What confused me most is the ineffectiveness of my missile shots. Always within parameters but almost always missing, yet their shots always hitting.

One other thing I noticed is that the Harpoons can be inaccurate, going after a random ship, not the one you lock. I found it best release within 5nm or so to make sure they go for the right one. But watching the lead's Harpoons, usually one of them goes for one of the refugee ships. But I think they are set to invulnerable so it doesn't mess with anything.

[Sandman Simulations]

1 hour ago, SHazmak said:

Thanks for taking a look @Sandman Simulations. What confused me most is the ineffectiveness of my missile shots. Always within parameters but almost always missing, yet their shots always hitting.

One other thing I noticed is that the Harpoons can be inaccurate, going after a random ship, not the one you lock. I found it best release within 5nm or so to make sure they go for the right one. But watching the lead's Harpoons, usually one of them goes for one of the refugee ships. But I think they are set to invulnerable so it doesn't mess with anything.

I can't give any reason why air-to-air missiles would miss more often than usually. Enemy is normal AI and there is no option how campaign maker could change the missile accuracy. I got 2 of 3 AMRAAMS hit and 1 of 2 Sidewinders which is quite normal I think. But I changed AI skill level after first try so it might have some effect on result.

Harpoons are not guided by aircraft radar but their own. So they will lock on first target within search area. You need to set search limit so that it won't lock targets too close and destruction range so that if it misses the target you want it to hit it will explode at set range.

As you said I wanted to make sure your AI lead won't kill the refugees by making them immortal until certain point.

[Maverick2030]

I cant beat migs 3 times then I added to my loadout more 4 AMRAAMS 120C to make it more easier and win A-A combat and completed the mission 4th try.

Edited March 14 by Maverick2030

[Sandman Simulations]

8 hours ago, Maverick2030 said:

I cant beat migs 3 times then I added to my loadout more 4 AMRAAMS 120C to make it more easier and win A-A combat and completed the mission 4th try.

Thanks for your message.

It's not easy mission but shouldn't be impossible either. I'll take a look if there has been some AI changes making it even harder than before.

[Sandman Simulations]

20 hours ago, Maverick2030 said:

I cant beat migs 3 times then I added to my loadout more 4 AMRAAMS 120C to make it more easier and win A-A combat and completed the mission 4th try.

I checked it out and this time I was able to kill the Migs with first try. Usually they have beaten me couple of times first. So I think it's not harder than before.

But I found that Syrian ships are shooting each other again. It doesn't break the mission but one vo trigger fires wrong time.

Tacview-20250315-190436-DCS-Mission 6.zip.acmi