Good pilots are still better than AA

[motorboatJones]

I play Oman almost exclusively. Lots of AA on the map. The other day a really good pilot was just abusing me and anyone who tried to shoot him down with AA. What I noticed was that he would come straight at the AA. By the time you saw him it was too late. He would drop down out of nowhere so fast you couldn't get a lock. By the time I clicked missiles he'd drop his load and you could see the bombs coming at you and of course that meant instant death. Over and over he did this to me and others dumb enough to try and shoot him down.

The AA missiles don't work head on. There's not enough time to lock on before they either fly passed you or drop bombs or bullets on you. It's a bit easier on the carrier with the chaingun/missiles thing. You seem to get visual contace sooner which results in an easier lock on, and on top of it you have the chaingun which helps a lot if missiles alone don't do the job.

I have also been victimized by really good pilots who fly the right height and the right angle to shoot me with their guns rather than risk dropping down and trying to bomb me. As MEC on the IGLA by the chopper pad I saw a F-35 really high. I got no lock and he disappeared. The next thing I know he shoots me dead with the plane's gun. I didn't even see him. He knew where I was and shot me out of range from the IGLA.

Good pilots can still dominate in my opinion.

[Jamesmcw101]

Re: Good pilots are still better than AA

Hello,
I've been playing around in AA since the patch... I see a lot of people sat in the AA posts waiting for targets, this lights you up like a christmas tree on the HUD of savvy pilots. :)

Wait for a target to present itself before jumping in. Even better wait for the pilot to pass you, or get engaged with another target.

Just watch out for the AA's "My god there is a friendly plane, I better go and blow it to pieces" mode.

[Heartless_]

Re: Good pilots are still better than AA

I play Oman almost exclusively. Lots of AA on the map. The other day a really good pilot was just abusing me and anyone who tried to shoot him down with AA. What I noticed was that he would come straight at the AA. By the time you saw him it was too late. He would drop down out of nowhere so fast you couldn't get a lock. By the time I clicked missiles he'd drop his load and you could see the bombs coming at you and of course that meant instant death. Over and over he did this to me and others dumb enough to try and shoot him down.

The AA missiles don't work head on. There's not enough time to lock on before they either fly passed you or drop bombs or bullets on you. It's a bit easier on the carrier with the chaingun/missiles thing. You seem to get visual contace sooner which results in an easier lock on, and on top of it you have the chaingun which helps a lot if missiles alone don't do the job.

I have also been victimized by really good pilots who fly the right height and the right angle to shoot me with their guns rather than risk dropping down and trying to bomb me. As MEC on the IGLA by the chopper pad I saw a F-35 really high. I got no lock and he disappeared. The next thing I know he shoots me dead with the plane's gun. I didn't even see him. He knew where I was and shot me out of range from the IGLA.

Good pilots can still dominate in my opinion.

Good pilots do still dominate.

1. They can line you up in their sites and hit with machine gun fire before you can even think of a lock on occuring. Only chance is if you are lucky enough to be facing them at the time... even then its luck.

2. The AA positions are in the MOST RETARDED places ever. Who the hell decided to place an ANTI AIR SAM SITE RIGHT NEXT TO TREES, TOWERS, AND BUNKER WALLS. Pure retarded level design.

3. The missles are more effective, but they still miss and still hit FRIENDLIES out of viewing range. Its called IFF... Identify Friend/Foe! It is meant to deter missles from hitting friendlies. Thats what the big X is for. Seriously.

4. Aircraft bombs still have a HUGE kill radius. You just gotta be close... which removes all skill from the pilot position.

So we finally got our damn AA fixed and yet good pilots still make the majority of people quit the server. Was just in an Oman only server also (Moongamers). Pilot in there had a score of 100+ half way through the match. Simple as circling the infantry fights and dropping spam bombs on them with the SU. Its getting retarded. They need to make it so bombers have to actually be within 100 feet of you. I can't count the # of deaths I have recieved while in buildings, behind bunkers, and well out of the bomb drop area. Its retarded.

[=Yes=Overkill]

Re: Good pilots are still better than AA

So what did you expected?
Since the patch is out I was shot down by AA only 2 or 3 times.Which is actualy less then before for same time period.Before this patch I was careless and often simply did not pay much attention to AA missiles.Now is a bit different...I simply avoid AA sites or I'm going strait for them...neutralize them an have a min or so off pease...
I guess all the whiners will not whine a little more...so with the next patch we will have AA placed near enemy air strips,or invisible stingers...or ability to shot down planes with just looking at them :p .
Seriosly AA is good now,unlike the rest patch features.

[IVfluids]

Re: Good pilots are still better than AA

@ thread starter

This shouldn't have come as a surprise. I've been posting since before the patch that all it is going to do is get the really good pilots to adapt to different tactics. More people are probably flying the jets like ex-DC vets used to fly the bombers , really high and come down straight on top of you so you never see it coming.

[munky99999]

Re: Good pilots are still better than AA

ya. ive been whoring AA and getting lots and lots of 2 missles to the nose kills. and ive been called a hacker by many people. I just respond with. Yep my good old 1.2 hacks. EA gave them to me.

But ive also been raping alot in the air. pre-1.2 i mastered the following other planes thing. which i now use to great use. All i do is get on the planes ass and wait till i relock from the flares. I then shoot 3 missles and i dont care who it is flying. they are dead.

BUT the same goes for me. but when they relock i simplly fly high and jump out. ground AA hasnt shot me down in a pretty long time. they cant seem to even get me in the helicopter. I was in wake island and i was raping up the beach with the airfield neutralized. i didnt even have a gunner. Just using the terrain to your advantage.

I was just at wakeisland. there was at least 45 people in the server. I was medic. I jumped in the f-35. I flew all the way to airfield. neutralized it. jumped in tank and killed everyone. captured the flag. jumped in f-18 flew off. and that was my final vessel the rest of the map. I simply dive bombed the **** out of the people. i got a final of 55 enemy kills. but i also got something like -24 in teamkills. morons standing next to jeeps and tanks that appear to be full or perhaps the bug which shows them full when they are empty.

More people are probably flying the jets like ex-DC vets used to fly the bombers , really high and come down straight on top of you so you never see it coming.

I never played DC. but 1942 bomber on kursk. that was amazing pro with dive bombing.

[imported_Village_Idiot]

Re: Good pilots are still better than AA

The greatest flaw of BF2 is how grossly overpowered planes are, untouchable by AA.

They drastically lowered the range at which you can get a lock with the patch! I think it must be half or third of what it was before, Crazy. I still manage to do ok sometimes with MOBILE AA. But Stationary AA is a complete joke.

The instant you hop into the AA, it's like putting a bullseye on your forehead because you show up instantly for the planes to pinpoint on their map. Then they start firing at you with their machine gun, so you explode before you can even see and react, let alone lock... This is true even with carrier AA, you get popped in one second.

I am confident the BF2 people never playtested this stuff, at least not on a server with decent pilots... AA has no prayer at all, and they just made it worse

[motorboatJones]

Re: Good pilots are still better than AA

Hearless, you are right about the ridiculous bombkill radius. I see bombs fly over my head and to the side thinking I'm safe, then BOOM, I'm dead. It's just lame.

And the AA placement is WEAK. It's almost always next to or in front or/behind some obstacle. Go to Oman and look where all the AA (except for maybe two) are. They are in front of bunkers, trees, etc. If you are MEC and you take one of the beach flags and then you hear a USMC chopper coming from the carrier, you can't see them until they are right on top of you because of that wall. It's stupid.

I don't know how you people are killing jets head on with AA missiles. Most of the time I get killed in that situation. The bombs land before the missiles do.

[The Soup Nazi]

Re: Good pilots are still better than AA

I don't know how you people are killing jets head on with AA missiles. Most of the time I get killed in that situation. The bombs land before the missiles do.

Usually going for a head-on kill with AA results in 1 of two things:

1. Both missiles hit but no kill for me (and I die) because the jet was at full health.
2. Both missiles hit and we both die.

I try to do what someone in this thread suggested when I've already dropped flares and have been re-targeted by an enemy jet. Bail out. No maneuver can save you from those missiles if you're out of flares.

And motorboat... nice kills on me earlier today (or was it yesterday?) from the AA. You roasted me good.

[The Soup Nazi]

Re: Good pilots are still better than AA

The instant you hop into the AA, it's like putting a bullseye on your forehead because you show up instantly for the planes to pinpoint on their map. Then they start firing at you with their machine gun, so you explode before you can even see and react, let alone lock... This is true even with carrier AA, you get popped in one second.

This is why you need to use your noggin when you're playing AA. Don't just sit in the turret waiting for a jet to come to you. Stay near the turret (but preferably somewhere with some decent cover), wait for a jet to pass by, jump in, wait for lock, and fire.

When I'm flying, I usually don't even wait to see if someone's in a turret at an enemy flag. I take it out with the cannon to keep enemies from even getting a chance to shoot at me. I imagine many other pilots fly this way.

[whoosh]

Re: Good pilots are still better than AA

The greatest flaw of BF2 is how grossly overpowered planes are, untouchable by AA.

They drastically lowered the range at which you can get a lock with the patch! I think it must be half or third of what it was before, Crazy. I still manage to do ok sometimes with MOBILE AA. But Stationary AA is a complete joke.

The instant you hop into the AA, it's like putting a bullseye on your forehead because you show up instantly for the planes to pinpoint on their map. Then they start firing at you with their machine gun, so you explode before you can even see and react, let alone lock... This is true even with carrier AA, you get popped in one second.

I am confident the BF2 people never playtested this stuff, at least not on a server with decent pilots... AA has no prayer at all, and they just made it worse

You are ****tin me right????


Another one that wants all aircraft to come standard with 2 C4 bags attached and he has the detonator.

FFS man. How about learn to shoot down aircraft the AA is greatly improved and if you have a clue what you are doing you can shoot down aircraft way easier than before. The only change post patch is the good pilots fly and average ones get shot out of the sky.

Pre-patch the good pilot got 50+ kills and 2 deaths. He probably had a few -points for the suicide tks. And more than likely those 2 deaths he did himself doing low levels. The average pilot got 20+ kills and 15 deaths and -15 for tking teamates with his bombs. He also wasted the aircraft for the majority of the game.

Then there are the whole class of real idiots that get in airplanes. They tk to get them, then crash taking off. Or use it for thier personal taxi.

After the patch the good pilots are still getting lots of kills and a few more deaths More of their kills are from people in AA simply because there are more of them and they are a threat.

The average pilots are getting shot out of the sky because of AA and because there are more good pilots in the air and less idiots.

At the end of the day things are the same. People will either play in a way that is best for the rest of the team and win. Or be dickheads and loose.

I had a guy tell me go ahead and take the plane I'm not that good yet. Now that is rare.

I made sure he got the plane when I knew we were going to win.

[Dilla_Incognito]

Re: Good pilots are still better than AA

By the time you saw him it was too late. He would drop down out of nowhere so fast you couldn't get a lock. By the time I clicked missiles he'd drop his load.

im sorry i couldn't pay attention to the rest of your post after you said that.

[munky99999]

Re: Good pilots are still better than AA

I don't know how you people are killing jets head on with AA missiles. Most of the time I get killed in that situation. The bombs land before the missiles do.

well dont get me wrong. if the guy has aim on me I die before lock. but if thats the case i just shoot for the hell of it.

My favourite AA is the one between the Airfield and the second flag on north side. @ wake island.

Any plane taking off, who pulls up soon. you can lock on and kill right then and there. its also a very central position with very little obstruction. now any plane who likes to bomb that flag to the north their. which isnt to far. i can lock on and hit the nose. killing them. any plane coming towards me from the airfield can get pegged. and if they use flares. i simply peg them from behind which does damn good damage.

I take it out with the cannon to keep enemies from even getting a chance to shoot at me. I imagine many other pilots fly this way.

actually usually i dont do this really. I fly real low and fast. to make me very tempting. while chain gunning the areas that are open. someone usually runs to AA then. once im past the gunnning. I pull straight up and go backwards. and spin to dive bomb that AA or anyone i happened to see.

[Chickenhawk]

Re: Good pilots are still better than AA

This latest patch evens things up very nicely. On our server we have a couple of regulars that are pretty good in jets. Most other pilots I can shoot down with AA or Tunguska but these 2 can usualy get me before I can lock on, they just memorise the position of the AA and hose it with guns from a distance.
Once they start doing this I just get ****ed off and get in a plane and start harrasing them, I can usualy kill them, but I wouldnet say I m a good pilot, just a good dogfighter cause when it comes to attacking ground targets with bombs I suck big time.

[Paas]

Re: Good pilots are still better than AA

Simple solution. Add mobile A.A. to every map with Jets.

Done.

{WP}Paas