A+ Campaign (spoilers)

[algherghezghez]

Just finished playing it (took exactly 10 days of addiction) and loved every mission of it. I found it almost bug free (only once in the 4vunk number 1 and 2 crashed in two each other at the initial for rwy 8, but that's not the campaign's fault).

I played it right after reading Top Gun from Yank, and the immersion was superb, love how every campaign you bring out is a new masterpiece that raises the bar to new unimaginable heights. AI management in this one must have been a nightmare. Congrats!

Can't wait for the hinted new Air Force F-4 Campaign. Surely a red flag, hoping for a deployment in the Mariannas or Kola afterwards.

A few shots from the campaign

On the way to INS (brutally lost to the Air Force's F-4)

The egg! (or the start of it)

Didn't think the 86 could be a fearsome opponent if not fought in the right way

Shack!

Live missile firing today 

I promise not to show this to anyone 

Edited August 25, 2024 by algherghezghez

[Reflected]

Hey, congratulations on graduating! Well done. And thanks so much for sharing your experience and the wonderful screenshots. Which one was your favorite hop?

I also recommend reading "Scream of Eagles" - it has much more details about the course than Yank's book.

[algherghezghez]

3 hours ago, Reflected said:

Hey, congratulations on graduating! Well done. And thanks so much for sharing your experience and the wonderful screenshots. Which one was your favorite hop?

I also recommend reading "Scream of Eagles" - it has much more details about the course than Yank's book.

Thanks! Favourite hop was definitely the 2vunk, the most demanding engagements imo. The a2g ground one was also real fun. Bombing from 8k with such a short run in is a nightmare. The constant peg were nice but easier, the 21 especially I found way easier than the f-5.

thanks for the recommendation, just ordered the book for my upcoming holiday reading! 
 

can’t wait to put your campaign’s teaching in you next f-4 experience, hopefully  

[Phantom12]

Not quite finished it yet myself but can only agree that the campaign is well worth it and lots of fun. Definitely a good look at some of the tactics of the time and good scenarios to practice those in. Certainly the best way to do it in SP I think.

The more complex multi-aircraft scenarios are the highlight for me. I think the 2v2 is definitely the sweetspot as far as being able to really nail it in a satisfying way. Its an impressive feat to get the AI in DCS to behave in a way thats even remotely realistic/helpful/cooperative/communicative with the player, but you can tell even with the scripted help the 2vUnk and 4vUnk are a bit beyond their limits. Even then the different approaches you can take to each intercept and the randomisation of the bogeys make the 2&4vUnk hops very interesting to fly, if chaotic.

[Indianajon]

Finished last night and wow!!!! It was awesome and lived up to the hype of being the best of  zone 5 and speed and angels. Agree that the 2vUNK was the most fun and intense. The 4vUNK I felt like a bad ass! My skills and techniques have definitely been turned up a notch. My the final hop I even managed to get every switch of the landing checklist completed before being asked. Can see myself flying this one again and again. 

[algherghezghez]

3 hours ago, Indianajon said:

Finished last night and wow!!!! It was awesome and lived up to the hype of being the best of  zone 5 and speed and angels. Agree that the 2vUNK was the most fun and intense. The 4vUNK I felt like a bad ass! My skills and techniques have definitely been turned up a notch. My the final hop I even managed to get every switch of the landing checklist completed before being asked. Can see myself flying this one again and again. 

Agree 100% on the skill improve after the campaign, I’m replaying zone 5 now and I’m way way better than before 

[Indianajon]

On 8/30/2024 at 10:38 AM, algherghezghez said:

Agree 100% on the skill improve after the campaign, I’m replaying zone 5 now and I’m way way better than before 

Flew the F14 last night and this definitely changed how I fought, for a start I stayed 100knts too fast the entire time but definitely saw how the techniques learnt are going to stand in good sted. 

[algherghezghez]

18 minutes ago, Indianajon said:

Flew the F14 last night and this definitely changed how I fought, for a start I stayed 100knts too fast the entire time but definitely saw how the techniques learnt are going to stand in good sted. 

I tried the egg in the 14 against the 86 in the graduation hop, needless to say it did not end well, left engine stall and inverted spin, in the end managed to recover and shoot down the sabre though.