Autoresolve - how far can I get using it?

[dmholt]

I’ve been using Autoresolve for Air Combat, because I’m fundamentally useless at anything remotely real time. Using Autoresolve, sooner or later I run into trouble - basically as soon as heavy fighters start appearing, (December this time, not sure about other games), I can’t deal with them. Obviously this may be partly down to bad choices for resources and research etc., but if anyone can comment on the following it might be helpful.

I should point out I’m playing “V20 Hotfix 08/01/2014” - it’s possible that all my questions are irrelevant due to upcoming changes! Feel free to say if you think I shouldn’t worry too much about air combat strategy until I’ve played a later release.

1. Has anyone managed to play very far using just Autoresolve for air combat, or am I trying to do something that no-one else is doing? It would be interesting to know that it’s actually possible.
   
2. For anyone who has played far enough to meet and defeat heavy fighters and does not use Autoresolve, have you noticed what sort of percentages for chance of success on the Autoresolve option you see, even if you don’t use it? If people are making progress by manually winning lots of air combats where the chances of success for Autoresolve are low, that suggests to me that using Autoresolve is not really an option if I want to make progress. In that case I can stop thinking about resource allocation and research priorities and think about what game I’m going to play instead of xenonauts.
   
3. Regardless of whether you use Autoresolve or not, what do I need to deal with heavy fighters? 3 Condors won’t do it - would 3 Foxtrots? I haven’t managed to build enough Foxtrots to test this out yet, but it’s something I could aim for if it’s worthwhile. Would some Corsairs, which I’m currently researching, be able to deal with the Heavy Fighters?
   
4. Do I just have to bite the bullet and accept that I’m going to have a period of time where I simply can’t do anything about UFOs accompanied by heavy fighters and let the aerial terror attacks go unchallenged? I know there’s no strategy that will guarantee 100% success, but it would be nice to know that there’s something I could or should do about the aerial terror attacks if I do things right.
   

And I could say more, but this post is probably too long already. Comments appreciated.

[Gauddlike]

I know you said you are not good with the real time air combat game but do you use the pause function to give yourself time to set up your plans?

Real time with pause is not exactly turn based I know but I find it makes things easier if you pause when you want to evaluate your current plan and make changes to the pilots orders.

[Darth Draken]

Scrapping with a heavy and fighter escort takes timing..

For me by the time they have arrived i have 1 main base and 2 radar bases up across eu. Middle east and asia. A nice spread.

To combat the fighters timing is very important . Send a squad of three to intercept the enemy flight.

Once in combat (using the space bar) scatter your fighters in 3 total directions mainly away from the enemy. Observe what enemy targets who. Then lead the faster fighters away from the heavy ship as they follow your fighter. Once far enough away get your other fighters to get behind the escort and fire one missle to activate enemy role. Once the enemy has began role launch next missle and then gun them close. If your lucky you get both craft then disengage and head home.

Now while you were engaging the enemy to begin with you should of launched other fighter squads to intercept too.

Once the firsts squad heads home then jump them with the second squad. And then repeat the attack as before. Until all fighter are dead. If they are then find out the fighter the heavy is after and lead away and then engage the heavy with the othe craft.

This tactic will last a good while until you get better craft airborne.

I always make my bases basic radars overlap as this is good range for fuel of craft.

Now this is my way of dealing with ufo's

[Dranak]

[*]Regardless of whether you use Autoresolve or not, what do I need to deal with heavy fighters? 3 Condors won’t do it - would 3 Foxtrots? I haven’t managed to build enough Foxtrots to test this out yet, but it’s something I could aim for if it’s worthwhile. Would some Corsairs, which I’m currently researching, be able to deal with the Heavy Fighters?

With manual control and appropriate weapons, Condors beat Heavy Fighters. With autoresolve and appropriate weapons, Foxtrots beat Heavy Fighters (even i configurations that could never actually kill them). Three Foxes switched to Sidewinders beat 3 Heavy Fighters in autoresolve. Three Foxes with appropriate weapon tech beat pretty much any UFO with Heavy Fighter escorts (using torpedoes).

[thixotrop]

Just to show how air combat can be resolved manually:

This is not from me, but it was once mentioned in a post some time ago and for a former version. The "tactics" there are still valid.

Myself, I have tried autoresolve a couple of time but I always lost all jets. So now always manually.

[dmholt]

Thanks for the comments. Sounds like there may be a couple things I can try (ie. weapons research, more foxtrots) that will let me get further with autoresolve, but that it's always going to be a handicap. Whether it's enough of of a handicap to stop my progress after a few months I'm not sure yet, but I'll probably give it a try a few more times.

While the suggestions about how to do manual air combat sound useful and are appreciated, I don't think I'll be trying it. Like making my own clothes with a needle and thread, I can see that I could probably learn to do it in time, and might enjoy it once I'd mastered it - but I'm just not interested enough.

[Gauddlike]

Fair enough, I also don't get much enjoyment out of the air combat mini game.

It would be interesting to get an update from you on occasion to see how playing the game with auto resolve as the primary approach works out over time.

[Chris]

You should be able to complete the game using only autoresolve. When I do the geoscape balancing I don't both fighting the air combats manually because it's too time-consuming for repeated play sessions.

[jeon]

I pretty much only use autoresolve, and I find it very easy to keep up with the aliens. As long as your missiles are up to date, you should be able to beat most fights. Your aircraft will pretty much always receive damage at various points of the game, but it usually isn't a big deal. The really funny thing is that corsairs, which are pretty much a useless upgrade for normal combat, are actually really good for autoresolve fights. In autoresolve they have a better strength vs. large ships than a foxtrot does at equivalent tech levels and of course a much better capability vs. fighters.

[dmholt]

Thanks everyone. Gauddlike, I will try and remember to post something in this thread as I get further (or not!) , but the two other replies from Chris and jeon after yours sound like fairly definitive answers to my question. It would appear that there is every chance that it's possible to get through the game using autoresolve. So I probably just need to tweak my research and manufacture and up my game a bit. Which is a lot less daunting to me than mastering manual air combat!

[Dranak]

Corsairs are actually useful if you're going pure autoresolve, although they're still 100% obsoleted by Marauders a month later.

[Darth Draken]

The manual aire combat is hard. Very hard but when i take out a enemy heavy craft or even transports etc. But when you do drop them the satisfaction of dropping them is awesome.

[dmholt]

Quick update - mainly for Gauddlike I think was interested in updates on my progress using Autoresolve. After restarting and prioritising air combat related research I have managed to get quite a bit further (8th Feb 1980) using just autoresolve for all air cmobat. I think I'm about to fall off the cliff again with having spent too much money, while the next level of Alien ships are starting to appear and pound me before I can cope with them ... but that's the game. I now feel that there's at least a reasonable chance I could complete the game without manual air combat. May need to restart though - maybe when the next stable release comes out.

[Caaygun]

Autoresolve may win battles mathematically winnable but perhaps practically difficult such as 1Fox2Condor vs. escorted cruiser head on engaged, also due to a bug currently, foxtrots often spend less missiles than would be required. Needless to say, careful manual combat may win otherwise low-odd fights, for example Fox vs. Light Scout is winnable with 1 missile manually, with auto your Fox dies. Fox vs. fighter is possible manual, auto loses. 2 Fox vs. heavy fighter is possible manual, auto fails. 1 condor can beat 3 fighters with no upgrade (with much damage received), Auto fails.