What's my role on the battlefield?

[bogusheadbox]

Taking out SAMs with an KA50 isnt soo Hard. ;)

 

Agreed,

 

However, if the builder builds a sam site with its supporting units correctly, then it becomes much much more difficult.

 

 

Anyway, i agree with a lot of people here that after the hog, they need to work on the new engine. AI under attack just sitting there getting pounded is ludicrous. They need a new AI routine for ground units under fire and most of all ..............

 

THEY NEED COLLIDABLE TREES THAT MISSILES CAN'T FLY THROUGH

[Itkovian]

I am assuming that you are flying the Georgian Oil War campaign, from the sound of it.

 

In it you are frequently tasked with CAS missions, where you must support an advance by your forces or defend them from an enemy offensive. In pretty much all those cases, I find that the missions were designed to make your role pivotal to the success of the offense/defense.

 

In short, your forces will almost always be outnumbered/outclassed, and if you do not provide proper support quickly they will be destroyed by the enemy.

 

As such, your role is to destroy whatever threatens your forces the most. Usually that means tanks. Focus on the MBTs first (and some Strykers), and let your own tanks take out the softer targets (unless you've taken care of the tanks). The Black Shark is, after all, an anti-tank platform.

 

Follow the flight plan to accomplish your mission, at least to get to your target and engage them, adjusting a little to stay behind cover when possible. ID the ingress point and the target points in the mission plannet, and make use of them in flight using your navigation tools (the PVI and ABRIS).

 

Make your way to the ingress point, and then come to a hover and take a good long look at what lies ahead of you. Bring up each TPs on your PVI and cage/uncage the Shkval to slew it onto the TP, then study the situation. If you're not in range of targets, then move closer (cautiously) and come to a stop one you've found your targets and are within max range (6-7km is good). Engage them from that range, focusing on tanks first and air defenses if they seem threatening.

 

With only 1 crew, the Black Shark is not a run-and-gun platform. You are specifically meant to find a proper firing position as the pilot, and then switch over to the gunner role once you're found that position and turned over control of the A/C to the autopilots so you may focus on operating the weapons systems. In short, it is a sniping platform.

 

Or at least it is when it comes to the kind of high-threat conventional war scenario the GOW campaign presents, where you can employ the Black Shark in its intended cold war anti-tank role. Not sure how well one could employ the Black Shark in a COIN role, where having a second pair of eyes to look for insurgents (and slew the cannon around) would be extremely advantageous.

 

Anyway, also when flying in those CAS missions in the GOW, remember to use your wingmen. Try to rely on them primarily, keeping your armament to take out air defenses, important targets, or when you need to kill the enemy ASAP (for example, if a tank platoon is currently engaging your own tanks, order your wingmen to attack some then attack another yourself). If your wingmen are bugged (keep saying "unable"), then order them to cover you so they are at least partially useful (they will actually engage any threat to you once you've ordered them to cover you).

 

Finally, remember that for these missions time is of the essence. Do not dawdle in getting to the ingress point. Take off and get there at maximum speed to have as much time as possible to survey the situation before your units are engaged/destroyed.

 

I hope this helps, even if it is a bit incoherent. :)

 

Thank you.

 

Itkovian

[sobek]

[...]

 

You are aware that this is considered rude behaviour? Just checking. ;)

 

AI unit routines have been revised, btw.

Edited November 1, 2010 by sobek

[bogusheadbox]

You are aware that this is considered rude behaviour? Just checking. ;)

 

AI unit routines have been revised, btw.

 

Thank you, i shall try to use smaller font in future. ;)

 

BTW, i love the product.

 

I would dearly like to see the new AI routines in A-10 but alas, that will mean a new computer for me. :cry:

[Fimble]

 

AI unit routines have been revised, btw.

 

When can we expect to see this come to BlackShark?

[sobek]

When can we expect to see this come to BlackShark?

 

The day it is patched for compatibility with DCSW

[CheshireCat]

Thanks a lot for all your answers! You helped me to be noticeably more comfy when flying missions, which obviously is totally awesome :D

(Also, I love the sniper approach. Though I more or less flew like this already, I never realized it, and now I really try to focus on it, and it's a buttload of fun :) )