Wulfyn

You do get a lock on a friendly, but it has a cross to indicate that it is not something that should be fored upon. However missiles seem to forget this. I have had a situation before (one of my few on an AA weapon) where I had a perfect lock on an enemy chopper. He launched flares, but was flying only just over the roof tops (Sharqi) so they almost immediately dropped out of sight. With a clear lock i fired.

The missile started to fly straight and true. Then, out from my right a friendly chopper popped into my target acquisition, and the weapon locked on with the cross. The missile suddenly diverted from it's much closer chopper to streak off towards the friendly one. It didn't take the friendly chopper down, but it did hit (I got a vehicle warning message).



As a side note, I used to have a game called EF2000. It was one of the best flight sims I have ever played, and the 200 plus page rulebook had some fantastic flying tips, combat tactics, and detailed info on most of the weapons. I don't know if it transcribes to BF2, although gestaltic evidence leads me to believe there is a case to be made, but missile locks generate natural hit statistics based upon aspect.

If the aircraft is flying towards you the model predicts a 100% hit rate, from the rear around 80%, and from the side it drops to 40%, regardless of target lead or lag (this is not counting enemy evasive manoeuvres or defence systems). It would be interesting to test this further I think, as I have found I have much better luck of missiles tracking at rear aspects than side ones.

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Levi

I think the main reason you can't shoot down helicopters is because they're flying tanks mostly. I can get every single AA missle I fire to hit a helo most of the time, probably around 80% of total missles fired at helos hit. With jets it's alot lower, and you have to have alot more technique, like don't fire at a jet when it's in a turn unless it's turning far away, then fire as far in front of it as the AA emplacement will let you while keeping a lock. The best thing to do is fire from the back, if you're in a place they have to pull up to not hit a mountain that's a prime AA place because pulling up will slow them down, even if they hit their AB it's a wider aspect to shoot. If someone is coming in full speed straight at you it's very difficult to get a lock in the short time it takes for them to pass over you, if you do get a lock, fire the missle up so that it hits them from the top.

Xink

AA missles are useless, atleast for me, give me a tank and you can be sure ill drop it in 2 shots, awhole lot quicker than locking on... waiting for flares... waiting for decent angle.. fire... goes straight thru then the chopper swings around and takes your ass out anyway

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FUNKED1

Wouldn't mind an aircraft-free server.

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TMG FUNKED1
"It makes no difference what men think of war, said the judge. War endures. As well ask men what they think of stone. War was always here. Before man was, war waited for him. The ultimate trade awaiting its ultimate practitioner. That is the way it was and will be. That way and not some other way."

TwelveTwo

But without airplanes, what would I crash into those villainous trees with?

TEMM

Wow... Just... Wow.

StrikeFear

I really think you don't.
Your missiles can guide toward and hit it, yes.
You do get a HUD indicator (with an X), yes.
But if you sit in a station and the only aircraft in view are friendly, you'll get no tone. Nothing on the HUD will indicate that it is trying to acquire a lock.
Suddenly an enemy aircraft moves into view and HUD indicators appear and you begin hearing tone.

Is this not your experience?

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"You live and learn. Or you don't live long."
- Lazarus Long

jex

Yup

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Jex