- Joined
- Apr 11, 2007
- Messages
- 25,470
I use a Logitech Extreme 3 joystick for everything but the throttle, view changes, and countermeasures. Joystick in right hand, keyboard in left. The regular keybindings work the best.What do you guys use for flying jets? I'm having great difficulty with my mouse and keyboard. Any recommendations for key bindings, or do I really need a gamepad or joystick?
The insane pilots doing insane turns are using KB/M with the ingame sensitivity turned all the way up. If you run into these veterans, DO NOT TRY TO OUT TURN THEM. They are easily spotted in the killcam looking like they are flying sideways.
The best thing you can do with these guys is hit and run tactics with full afterburners. If you have one on your tail, do your best to change direction and dash out of there, or at the very least get near your teams AA and/or wingman. The only way to outfly them is to learn to use the kb/m with ultra high sensitivity settings.
1. Flying Tips
All planes turn tightest at a speed of 300, including the clunky F35. This can be seen on your HUD on the left side. If you are in the outside view you can see a dramatic increase in the turn rate as you slow down (use the "S" key)...that's the exact moment you hit 300. However, your planes automatically keep the throttle up to about 325 for some reason, so sometimes you have to keep tapping the "S" key every second or so. Throttle control is especially important in the F35, because any slower and it will attempt to go into hover mode and be a sitting duck...hence all the complaints about its poor maneuverability. Due to this limitation the F35 is better suited for hit and run tactics rather than turn and burn like the SU35 and F18.
2. Weapon Loadout Fighter Planes Only
There are really only 2 viable loadouts for the Fighter planes due to the reload times of countermeasures and fighting against the Aces who outturn you every time.
A. Beam Scanning with Heatseekers: Beam scanning shortens the lockon time dramatically, enough so that sometimes people don't get their countermeasures off or you can lock on to them again before their countermeasures reload. This loadout is best with F18 or SU35 and if you aren't flying against Aces. Its also handy on maps where there are lots of buildings and clutter you can maneuver around to break lock (e.g. Gulf of Oman).
B. Air Radar with Rockets: Air radar is too slow to lock on so it is useless with missles. It is effective at showing where your ememies are and which direction they are headed. This is especially useful when flying against Aces since they use the exact same setup and you can at least determine where they are before you attack or flee. This is also the best setup if you do hit and run attacks like flying against Aces or flying the clunky F35 (see above). Most of the Ace pilots use this setup. The rockets are useful against ground targets and hovering choppers. They are also the only weapon you can reliable attack individual troops on the ground with due to the splash damage.
3. Weapons Loadouts for Attack Planes (Rush mode)
The only real viable load out is Rockets with Proximity Scan or Air Radar. It gives the best overall setup. Guided missiles don't always take out a tank in one shot, where as a quick strafing run with full load of rockets and your gun takes them out quick. Rockets take out infantry with splash damage and hovering helicopters too. Heat seekers are pointless because there are so few air vehicles and you can kill any flying machine quickly with your gun.
4. Countermeasures
A. Flares: the defacto. Just works. Good for Turn and Burn fights and not Hit and Run. It will break a lock but only for a few seconds. Its always best to fire once you hear the missle launch tone.
B. Extinguisher: Good for people who are skilled enough to out turn missles and repair themselves fighting against Aces using guns all the time. Its also better for the tight turning Attack planes that can easily outmaneuver a missle but are too slow to exit the area before another missle lock comes in.
C. ECM/Chaff: Great for hit and run tactics and where there is a lot of AA. Perfect setup for F35 on maps like Wake Island. You have to fire it before the missle fires. Its great to just fire ECM then go full afterburner out of the area.