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Need Help With Use of Avalanches in Air Combat


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I've been playing a bit more Xenonauts recently, and I've noticed that the MiG-32, when armed with Avalanches, seems rather useless in a head-on fight where the UFOs are charging right at you. As there's no option to slow down and you can't change directions without losing missile lock, you have to fly the MiG right into the UFO's guns, and by the time you can launch the Avalanches due to the 8-second lock time they've got you in their sights, thus ensuring a dead MiG as it doesn't have the dogfighting capability of the F-17.

My question is, am I just using the MiG wrong, or is this something other people have encountered? It seems problematic to keep a MiG out of weapons range of a UFO when the UFO is on an attack heading, thus defeating the entire purpose of having Avalanches in the first place.

Any advice on how I can better use the MiG and Avalanches would be greatly appreciated!

Edited by TheTuninator
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I tend to try keep the mig slightly behind an F-17, and off to the side. Use the f-17 to draw shots from the ufo's, which it can dodge, giving the mig time to lock on and fire with avalanches. Once it's fired missiles, i usually set afterburner and retreat, then flank UFO if it's still alive with remaining planes if mig is being chased.

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Yeah we do need to add something to control the speed of the interceptors really, else the MiG always flies into combat first. Right now you'll probably have to put the F-17s on afterburner to make sure they get there first, which is a bit ridiculous.

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I have problems with the air combat. Most time my planes were shot down because i dont really know how this air fight works. I dont know if this air fight is final or if it will change much, but is it possible that someone will maybe do an youtubo video with some explanations how this works and with some hints... !? This would be very helpful for me.

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It does need more explanation. I'm trying to think of a good way of making it more intuitive but it does take some getting used to.

We also need to pace it better - the MiG is essentially pointless at the beginning of the game. I think we need to add a small Light Scout at the beginning of the game that is slower and easier to kill than the Large Scout so everyone can get familiar with air combat, then have the Corvettes, Fighters and Large Scouts all appear at the same time. That'll mix it up a bit.

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I have problems with the air combat. Most time my planes were shot down because i dont really know how this air fight works. I dont know if this air fight is final or if it will change much, but is it possible that someone will maybe do an youtubo video with some explanations how this works and with some hints... !? This would be very helpful for me.

The most important thing is to make sure your F-17s get into enemy range before the MiG (they can tank) and, very importantly, make sure that you fire off missiles in multiple salvos.

If you fire off all your missiles at once, Scouts will just dodge them, and then you're up a certain creek without a paddle. If you volley them, the second wave will usually catch the Scout.

You can keep missiles from all going off at the same time by right-clicking them and toggling the color indicator to red; that will keep them from automatically firing.

Edited by TheTuninator
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how you deal with 1 corvette and 2 fighter escorts? i can deal a corvette with zomgwtfit avalanche missiles from 3 mig32, but then the fighters will kill my helpless migs with their aliens missiles! :D

tactic retreat and a second squad of f17 to pursue the fighters?

also, it's normal that ONLY scout ufo leave a crash zone? i'm sure to bringing it down, even with cannons, to not completely destroy the corvette/fighter ufo.

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how you deal with 1 corvette and 2 fighter escorts? i can deal a corvette with zomgwtfit avalanche missiles from 3 mig32, but then the fighters will kill my helpless migs with their aliens missiles! :D

tactic retreat and a second squad of f17 to pursue the fighters?

also, it's normal that ONLY scout ufo leave a crash zone? i'm sure to bringing it down, even with cannons, to not completely destroy the corvette/fighter ufo.

You can't use MiG-32s in a furball with multiple UFOs at the moment; they'll just kill you in the head-on charge, as avalanches can't fire until you're in range of their guns.

The default loadout of 2x F-17s and 1x MiG-32 works decently well, but you're going to need F-17s one way or the other.

Corvettes leave a crash zone too, at least they have for me. Their tileset isn't implemented yet, though, so it's still the "evil shed".

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The most important thing is to make sure your F-17s get into enemy range before the MiG (they can tank) and, very importantly to make sure that you fire off missiles in multiple salvos... If you volley them, the second wave will usually catch the Scout... You can keep missiles from all going off at the same time by right-clicking them and toggling the color indicator to red; that will keep them from automatically firing.

Is there a volley option? If not, that might be a nice addition. I'm not sure how many weapons you plan on having the best fighter being able to equip but if it's more than two an option to link weapons and fire either in unison or volleys could be nice. The volley option could either be with a preset delay or a customizable delay. This is all assuming that currently you have to deactivate a weapon until you get in range then pause, reactivate it, and resume in order to fire in volleys.

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I had some trouble with interception too. It's not very intuitive yet but i'm getting to it.

Would it be possible to have all the plane being sent to intercept as a Wing?

This would help a lot. Especially if you intent to hit the UFO with several planes!

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Hello,

dont know if this info is helpful.

yellow = fire automatically weapon when in range.

red = lock weapon in manual

green = ready to fire (but waiting for you to activate, click to fire the green)

grey = used, already fired.

I point out when starting from default, avalanche is in red, sidewinders and autocannons are in yellow. change the options system remembers the change option at next enagement.

as suggested with large corvettes, loadout of 2 f17 and 1 mig is reasonable ( i rearm my migs to carry 3 avalanches and 1 sidewinders). Those pesky scouts rolls well avoiding avalanches (slow moving blips).

Corvettes sort of dont roll but i noticed to keep my f17 and m32 alive i needed 3 avalanches not fired in volleys, but out of corvette' range. 3 avalanches knocks corvette down before they fire on my poor m32. the escorts is still a gripe for me, yet to learn tactics with 3 ships.

R

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If a corvette is flying without escort, a Mig can take him out because the missiles lock before the enemy is in range or as it's just in range and the mig can survive one hit while the corvette can't take a salvo of missiles. Then I usually set the Mig to afterburners so it flies through the death zone as fast as possible

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Hello,

interesting tactics. Mine is to always assign a f17 (first one) in intercept list, then pick other two. in combat, the radius and targeting by corvette is targeting the first aircraft. I off-track the first f17's target to some empty spot usually to the northeast, open afterburners.

this trick forces corvette to move and maintain it's target on the first f17, creating an open "flanking" zone for both slower 2nd f17 and mig. those two fly into (bit practice) in zone that is not covered by corvette. then let go the missles...

this results no damages recieved from corvette. However I have yet figure out a tactic for "three ships... escort style".

R

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  • 2 weeks later...

I can't seem to get 2 f17s to attack. I launch 2 and when the popup shows up to engage i only get 1 f17 to show up in the fight. can someone explain how i get 2 to show up to attack. i remember in x com i could have them stacked, up to 4 i think, until all planes where at the ufo and then attack at the same time. i just can't get the hang of this part yet. thanks.

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Yeah you can highlight up to three craft at the same time to launch them at a ufo as a squadron.

You can't engage at the same time with more than one squadron (even if it only contains one craft) because otherwise you would have to display all of them on the same air combat screen.

The UI doesn't support that.

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