From: opus@cbnewsc.cb.att.com (robin.g.kim)
Subject: Re: falcon 3.01
Organization: AT&T
Distribution: na
Date: Mon, 12 Oct 1992 13:11:24 GMT

In article <1992Oct9.201440.4967@mcc.com> knutson@mcc.com (Jim Knutson) writes:
>
>Here's what works for me.  When you get a launch warning, IMMEDIATELY
>pop into padlock view (if you're already there, use the 8 key to target
>the SAM), start turning into it and get your nose down (somewhere below
>the horizon that is, but not straight down).  If you're slower than 450
>kts, go to 100% mil but NOT afterburner and if you're in AB, get out
>(you don't need to be the perfect heat source for the SAM to lock on).
>If you're faster than 450kts, pop those speed brakes and slow down.
>Don't point your nose directly at the missile, place the missile about 45
>degrees above you (you want it to be in the vertical plane that runs
>from your nose to tail and is perpendicular to your wings).  You can
>pop flare early if you want, but when you see it start turning into
>you, pop 3 or so flares in rapid succession and start pulling as many
>G's as you can.  This will tighten the turn that it must make to hit
>you.  If you do everything just right, it won't be able to make the
>turn and will lose lock on you.
>
>After it misses, make sure you don't have your speed brakes hanging
>out.  You may need to use AB to get your airspeed back up and maybe
>gain some altitude.  Do it now before another SA-7 is launched
>(luckily, I haven't seen Falcon launch more than a single SAM at me at
>any given moment).  While you're at it, you'll probably want to pick a
>direction that lets you exit the area in the minimum amount of time so
>you can recompose yourself.
>
>Hope this works for you.  It takes a bit of practice to know just when
>and how much to do each step.

This seems like a very useful tactic if you start off high enough up and
want to end up at a low altitude.  SAMs all seem to have a hard time when
they have to dive after you (except those #$%&*^@!* SA-2s which sometimes
START tracking you from higher up).  Usually, though, I get SA-7s thrown
at me right after I overfly a convoy on a level bombing run at around
1000-1500 ft. AGL.  I doubt I'd be able to afford a 45 degree dive for
any length of time in that case.

If you really wanted to escape, and there are no radar guided SAM sites
around, my looping evasion method could be better since it will bring
you closer to 13,000 feet or so, the maximum altitude of an SA-7.  Clearly,
there is no one best method.  The more you know, the better you'll be able
to deal with the different situations that come up.  I'll have to give
yours a try.

Jim, you say you've never seen the game launch more than a single SAM at
you at a time.  Either you're very lucky or you have your settings different
from mine.  I used to play 3.0D with SAM-AAA set to Recruit (the lowest
without eliminating them altogether).  Used to get bunches of SAMs sent
after me all the time, from both SA-7s and (more commonly) SA-6s.  After
I switched to OFT, I also adjusted SAM-AAA to Elite (call me a masochist).
Guess what.  It's EASIER now!  The book says that poor SAM-AAA operators
will concentrate on the first target they see, which was usually me, while
better operators spread their attention over all targets in the area.  What
level do you have it set at?  My wingmen seem to be able to dodge SAMs a
lot better than before.  I wonder if it's just that they only have to
worry about one at a time now, or if they've gotten better.  The SAMs sure
don't seem any easier to dodge to me.

Has anyone else noticed how deadly the D-30 flak guns are?  They can hit
you at up to 19,000 feet, and WILL eventually down you if you don't fly
out of range or take it out.  Since it doesn't emit a radar signal, it's
pretty darn difficult to find.  I've taken to practicing high altitude
dive-bombing with a release point at around 18,000-19,000 feet.  Believe
it or not, it is possible to hit ground units fairly accurately from
this altitude.  When I first tried it, I didn't know if I would even be
able to see the brown dots from that high up!

Rob
ihlpy!opus@att.att.com
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.games