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Originally posted by master:

And then I find that the game is no fun!!
Every mission ends with "apex inbound!"or"SAM launch SW!" BOOOM!
The AWACS gives little help and TWS beeps like crazy. I think the game is to realistic for ordinary guys and that is probably the reason why Microprose left.Im of to FS2000 and FCS2 they might suit me better.
Bye!Bye!

Master

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Hehe. I am always tempted to just say "bye bye" right back. However, I recognize that posts like these are usually a cry for help.

When I first started flying F4, I was lucky if I even got my weapons launched at the target, and I never ever had a chance to make it home. But with a little bit is easy learning things have quickly changed.

I have flown 20 campaign missions and I have not been shot down even once. I have been hit by AAA one time and hit by a SAM once as well...but both times managed to bring my bird home.

If you know some basic common sense and some not so common sense tactics, you will find it possible to survive most missions.

There are realistic and effective ways to avoid missiles that work great in F4.

Yes, there is a problem with AWACS not warning you, but if you just keep asking AWACS to "vector you to the threat," you will never, ever be surprised by any migs jumping you.

Well...if you care to learn some tactics, you can post your questions on this message board, and people will be all to happy to help you.

But remember, we can only help those who are willing to help themselves. If you have decided that you are giving up on the great virtual experience that F4 has to offer, then I hope you can find fun with some of those other sims - because that is the most important part of simming...having fun.

Good Luck.
Juggernaut

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Join the North American Freebirds Squadron. No requirements. No rules. No tests. Just fly and have fun!

Just xcisting is overrated.
Period!

Ammendment: you dudes over there in Scandinavia have lost touch with being real -IMO- it`s obvious that your socialist mindset is a hindrance to evolution of the human race...

Oh WTF...we`ll still take all your chicks here in Hollywood... ...send them bitches ovah...

To minimize your losses in F4, fight like the USAF does in the real world, eg:

-Avoid medium altitudes. Fly either very high (15,000-20,000 ft) or very low (below 1,000 ft) but by all means avoid the altitudes in between! The medium altitudes are where everything can hit you. For high altitude attack, learn how to use CCRP with dumb bombs and GBU's effectively. Use the high-altitude profile whenever possible as it's the safest. The most dangerous ground defenses in F4 are the same as in real life: MANPAD's, AAA, & machine gun fire. (90% of all Gulf War losses were from these three things). But when you must go in low, go in really low! Learn how to do effective loft bombing so that on your low-altitude strikes you don't have to overfly the target.

-Coordinate your package! SEAD and Escorts should go in first, followed closely by the strike element, followed by the BDA flight. As in real life, coordination and timing are a bitch sometimes. It's easy to get ahead of your support. Keep track of your package elements' call signs and use the 8 key (browses through nearby friendly planes) to see where your guys are in relation to you. Feel free to use the labels "cheat" at first. Also, before the mission, you might want to reroute nearby CAP flights & change their timings if neccesary so that they will be over your target area to provide your package with additional air cover.

-Don't be suicidal. Sometimes you can plainly see there's just too many of them and not enough of you. Run away and live to fight another day! Think of such aborted missions as a useful recon. Now you know that you should reroute additional support next time you go in on that target.

-Strive to maintain situational awareness. Use the "Vector to Threat" calls frequently. Playing the Erazor.exe improves the AWACS a lot; they'll warn you on their own without you having to ask.

There is much, much, more but I hesitate to go overboard on tactics because F4 is still in transition. For example, I could talk more about missile evasion but this will likely improve (become more realistic) with the next Erazor/RP4 release as jamming and countermeasures should be better implemented. In general, remember to beam incoming missiles (the Incoming Missile View helps) and also another smart thing is to dump a flare string when you make the mistake of overflying enemy ground troops at low altitude (it's handy to have that programmed into your stick with one button press).