Joystick Magazine 7

home *** CD-ROM | disk | FTP | other *** search

/ Joystick Magazine 7 / Joystick Magazine 07.iso / mac / Fouillationnons! / Magazines & Infos / A-10 Attack! / A-10 Attack! FAQ next >

Wrap

Text File | 1995-10-06 | 61KB | 1,390 lines

The A-10 Attack! FAQ Version 1.3.4 Compiled by Petteri Sulonen psulonen@helsinki.fi Home page: http://www.cs.hut.fi/~psu/ (c) Petteri Sulonen, 1995. You may freely upload this FAQ in its original form to BBS's, ftp sites and other online services, give it to your friends, or include it in shareware/freeware collections. However, please don't distribute any modified versions you may make of it. (A "modified version" is one where the body text has been changed; conversions to different file formats don't count.) You may not charge money for it, other than nominal fees covering material/copying costs. For further information, contact the author. All trademarks mentioned in this document are property of their respective owners; any use here is for an editorial purpose and does not constitute an infringement. _________________________________________________________________ TABLE OF CONTENTS * Introduction + Release history * Section I: About A-10 Attack! + What is A-10 Attack!? + System requirements + Versions + Speed tips o All systems o Power Macintosh only + Bugs o Crashes o The amazing self-repairing runways o Non-centered rudder with Thrustmaster system o Missing serial numbers o The bad spelling and grammar + Announced but as yet unimplemented features o Save Mission o Networking * Section II: Control, Waypoints, and AI + Taking control of a plane + Waypoints and battle plans o Assigning new waypoints o Changing your mind o Tips about placing waypoints * Section III: Flight and Combat + Wind, and how to live with it o Navigating o Landing o Targeting + Bombing o Bombing with the CCIP o FAR (Feels About Right) bombing o Dive bombing + The tools of the trade o The GAU-8/A Avenger gun o Free-fall bombs o The CBU-15 Durandal o Laser-guided bombs and missiles o Hyper-velocity rockets (HVR's) o The AGM-88A HARM o The Maverick (AGM-65B, AGM-65D) o The AIM-9L Sidewinder + Managing loadouts o "Cheat" o Use Post-Its on the function keys o Standardize your loadouts o Ripples * Section IV:The Missions + Prelude to War + Retaliation + Docklands + Marauding BMP's + Antinov [sic] Armada" + Demolition Crew + Assistance Needed + Old Man River * Section V: Where to get background info? + Internet resources + Documents _________________________________________________________________ INTRODUCTION This FAQ is meant to help solve some of the problems the beginner Hog driver is liable to run into. It is a compilation of stuff I've discovered myself, stuff that's been posted at comp.sys.mac.games.flight-sim, and stuff from certain WWW sites. Some major sources are Tom Morrison, Scott Cherkofsky, Tim van der Leeuw, and Art Day. They've provided invaluable background information on the game, the plane, and many related topics, and made it available on various WWW sites. This FAQ will not (at this point, anyway) include any of this rich background info - if you decide you like A-10 Attack!, it's strongly suggested that you check it out yourself - there are pointers in Section III of the FAQ. Instead this is a "bare-bones" FAQ that only includes the truly most frequently asked questions. One more thing: this document is anything but definitive. Suggestions, tips, questions, answers, comments, resources etc. are welcome - mail them to me (psulonen@helsinki.fi), and I'll include them in the next update to this FAQ. Release history 1.0 Initial release 1.1 Added section on wind and the problems with it Added questions list before each section 1.1.1 "Fully functional" HTML version; minor stylistic changes 1.1.2 Added illustrations. 1.2 Added section on mission tactics Added description of AGM-65 Split Section II into several parts 1.2.1 Added description of Rockeye cluster bomb 1.2.2 Added some links, corrected some inaccuracies; minor stylistic changes 1.2.3 Added SpeedDoubler to Speed tips section; minor corrections 1.3 Expanded descriptions of weapons systems Split "Speed tips" into "Power Macintosh" and "All systems" sections 1.3.1 Added Andre Molyneux's mission strategies to Section IV Added bug report on non-centered rudder 1.3.2 Added mention of missing serial numbers 1.3.3 Added description of version 1.1 and updated some info accordingly 1.3.4 Minor corrections __________________________________________________________________________ SECTION I: ABOUT A-10 ATTACK! "What is this game anyway?" "Will it run on my machine?" "What's this VBE thingy?" "A-10 crawls on my PowerMac. What gives?" "A-10 crashed again. What am I doing wrong?" "I just bombed a runway into a potato field, but the enemy planes land like nothing's the matter. What's the problem?" "Hey, where are the Save Mission commands they describe in the manual?" "My Network button won't work!" What is A-10 Attack!? A-10 Attack! is a game by Parsoft Publishing International that combines a combat flight simulator with a tactical game. It features the best flight modelling currently available on the Macintosh (or, many argue, on any microcomputer), a wide variety of ordnance, many different kinds of vehicles, and a "virtual battlefield environment". The latter means that it is easily expandable with plug-in type modules. Parsoft has announced its intention to release VBE modules with more missions, more maps, more aircraft to fly, etc. System requirements A-10 Attack! requires System 7.0 or newer, 4 MB of free memory, a 640 x 480 pixel or bigger 256-color (or grayscale) monitor, and a 68030 or faster. It fully supports larger and multiple monitors. It is partly Power Macintosh optimized. It performs well on all Power Macintoshes (especially after implementing the speed tips below) and 68(LC)040 based Macintoshes. Maximum performance is achieved on the Quadra 840AV and the new PowerPC 604-based Power Macintoshes. Versions Currently, there are two versions of A-10 Attack! around: version 1.0 (initial release) and version 1.1. Despite the "large" increase in the version number, 1.1 is a minor update, providing mostly bug fixes and only a few new features. This is what the Readme has to say about it: BUG FIXES * Pilots list. Pilots were sometimes disappearing. Scores not consistent. * Wayinfo Dialog. Velocity, altitude sometimes garbled. * System crash when switching from simulator back to map mode. * C5b gear damaged after takeoff. * System crash when dropping multiple Rockeye cluster bombs. * Black mask drawn when CMD-I to hide instruments performed on 19 and 21 inch screens * System crash when double clicking on VBE or mission icons from finder. * "Sound Effects" system prefs non-functional * VBE Icons disappearing from finder * A10 sometimes displayed behind mountains. NEW FEATURES * HUD brightness can now be controlled by holding down PageUp/PageDown or Y/U keys. * Bomb craters last longer now and cause more damage when encountered. The only "most wanted" fix that made it into this update was the pilot list fix. The bomb craters still vanish rather fast, and performing certain missions by hitting at a runway takes very good timing (or the craters will vanish before anyone tries to use the runway). Speed tips (These are from Tom Morrison's flight sim page.) ALL SYSTEMS * Re-boot with all inits/cdevs off, except your joystick software and software required for the game. * Switch to 256 colors. * Close all Finder windows (like Launcher, Monitors) and quit all background applications. * Trash your A-10 prefs file (don't trash your pilot file if you want them), re-boot, rebuild desktop and re-enter your serial number. * Quit the Finder using an AppleScript, a dedicated program such as NoFinder or Peek-a-boo (available at ftp://ftp.hawaii.edu//mirrors/info-mac/cfg/peek-a-boo-11.hqx), or with a system modification program that adds a "Quit" to the Finder's file menu. An appropriate AppleScript would be: tell application "Finder" quit end tell * If you have over 16 MB RAM, make a 9 MB RAM disk, copy the game onto it, and play from there. This won't help the frame rate, but will stop the occasional halts when A-10 has to access the disk during flight. N.b.: if you give the application more memory, it'll have to access the disk less. Normally, halts caused by disk access shouldn't be a major problem. POWER MACINTOSH ONLY * Move the "PowerPC Only" VBE file into the same level (folder) as the A-10 Attack! game. * Install the native sound manager (or don't use sound manager for sound.) It is available at: ftp://ftp.info.apple.com/Apple.Support.Area/Apple.Software.Updates /USMacintosh/System/Other_System/Sound_Manager_3.1.sea.hqx * Buy and install Connectix SpeedDoubler. To enjoy major performance increases in A-10 Attack! with it, quit the Finder and terminate all processes except A-10 Attack!, using one of the programs mentioned above in the "all systems" section. N.b.: A-10 Attack! may even slow down with SpeedDoubler if all other processes are not terminated. N.b.: Some users (including me!) have reported an incompatibility with Speed Access (a Speed Doubler module). With Speed Access in the Extensions folder, A-10 Attack! has been known to crash inexplicably (but reproducibly). If this happens to you, drag Speed Access out of the Extensions folder and reboot to disable it. Speed Emulator and Speed Copy can be left on, and provide all their benefits. Bugs A-10 Attack! 1.0 is something of a rough diamond. There are many documented bugs and some rather inexplicable ones. Here are some: CRASHES Several people have reported crashes especially when switching from tactical view to simulator view and back and when firing large ripples of HVR's. Some of these crashes have the very nasty side-effect of mangling your pilot roster. There seems to be no easy fix for this. The game is somewhat sensitive to INIT conflicts and low memory situations, so it is advisable to give the game as much memory as possible and to play with minimum extensions. Also, the presence of a preferences file that's from the demo can mess up the game. Trash your preferences file, re-boot, rebuild desktop, and re-enter your serial number, and see if the problems disappear. Many of these crashes were reported fixed in version 1.1. THE AMAZING SELF-REPAIRING RUNWAYS Runway damage is not handled correctly. Bomb craters in runways disappear in less than a minute. This is very annoying, as one very nicely modeled weapon, the Durandal, becomes next to useless. Also, this makes it impossible to try alternate approaches to certain missions. The fix in version 1.1 makes things a bit better, but they still disappear within minutes, making timing very critical when hitting runways in e.g. Antonov Armada. NON-CENTERED RUDDER WITH THRUSTMASTER SYSTEM With a Thrustmaster FCS and WCS (but no rudder pedals), it has been reported that if you "take command" of an A-10 on the ground (rather than letting it take off under TACAN), the aircraft has right rudder applied. To rectify this, remember to center the rudder, or else get a nasty surprise once your airspeed exceeds 50 knots on takeoff. MISSING SERIAL NUMBERS Several people have reported that their copy of the game doesn't have the stickers with the serial number, making it impossible to install and play the game. Needless to say, this is exceedingly annoying. The only way to go is to contact Parsoft about it. Please don't post on the Usenet asking for serial numbers, as there's no way to tell a legitimate post apart from a pirate's, and in any case it's illegal to "share" serial numbers. THE BAD SPELLING AND GRAMMAR The mission briefings are abysmally badly written, with spelling and grammar errors galore. Obviously this doesn't affect actual flight much, but it is annoying. Announced but as yet unimplemented features SAVE MISSION The manual (page 3-15) states that the File menu includes commands for saving and reloading missions. This is not true, more's the pity. The commands in question are to be implemented in a future update. NETWORKING One of the most hyped-about things about A-10 Attack! (before release!) was networking. This did not make it into version 1.0, but Parsoft has promised a free update for it. _________________________________________________________________ SECTION II: CONTROL, WAYPOINTS, AND AI "I select Return to Cockpit and nothing happens. What gives?" "How do I set these #%&@!! waypoints?" "How do I get planes to take off and fight under computer control?" "My computer-controlled plane is just ignoring targets!" "My computer-controlled planes fly into the ground!" Taking control of a plane To make it possible to take control of a Hog, drag a pilot from your pilot roster to it. The pilot with the red check mark next to it is the one that the Return to Cockpit command will return to. You can move the check mark by clicking next to a pilot. You can take command of any plane with a pilot in it by selecting Take Command from the chit pop-up menu. If there's no pilot in the plane, this command will be disabled. However, you don't have to have a pilot in the plane to have the computer fly it in combat. Note that taking command of a plane disables the battle AI of the plane - after that, the autopilot will just fly the plane from waypoint to waypoint. Waypoints and battle plans The most confusing part about A-10 Attack! is the waypoint system. It's badly documented and the user interface isn't too good either. However, once you get the hang of it, it isn't so bad. Much of the enjoyment in the game comes from being able to make your own battle plans and implement them; therefore it's worth the trouble to figure out the system. To begin with, in most missions one A-10 has pre-set waypoints. It's represented by a chit with the waypoint symbol (sort of like crosshairs) in the corner. Chits that don't have that symbol don't have assigned waypoints. There is no way to copy a set of waypoints from one plane to another; you have to place each waypoint separately. ASSIGNING NEW WAYPOINTS 1. Select the waypoint tool from the palette. 2. Select the plane you want to give waypoints. To do this, select New Waypoints from the chit pop-up menu (hold down the mouse button on the little arrow in the appropriate chit to see the menu). If the plane already has waypoints, select Way Info. You'll notice that a waypoint marked IN (initial) will turn red. 3. Add the first waypoint. Hold down the option key. The cursor will change to a boxed "+". Click wherever you want to place the waypoint. 4. Add the other waypoints. Repeat step 3 for all other waypoints. 5. Move the waypoints. If you like, you can move around the waypoints with the waypoint tool. 6. Add waypoints in the middle. If you like you can add waypoints in the middle of the path by holding down the option key and clicking on a line between two waypoints. Useful for rounding out tight turns. If you just want to use the waypoints as navigational aids for the plane you're going to fly, this is enough. However, if you want to "program" the autopilot of the computer-controlled planes, read on: 7. Assign attributes to waypoints. Waypoints can be assigned different kinds of attributes, including targets, airspeed, and altitude. Note that the attributes only take effect once your plane arrives at the waypoint. a. Altitude and airspeed In the waypoint window, click on the line representing a waypoint. To the left are two fields. Enter the desired airspeed in the Set Vel: field, and the desired altitude in the Set Alt: field. Check the TFR box if you want the Hog to use its terrain following radar instead of barometric altitude. b. Targets You can set the Hog to search for targets. Select the desired target type(s) from the pop-up menu labeled Targets:. This will cause the Hog to start looking for targets at the waypoint in question; i.e., if you put the waypoint directly on top of a target the plane will be past it before it sees it. (See below for tips about placing waypoints.) c. Actions The Hog knows how to take two actions: Take Off and Land. If you want the Hog to take off by itself, you must give the initial waypoint the Take Off command (with the check box). If the Hog is on the airfield, it will take off. If you put a waypoint lined up with a runway (not on the runway!) and give it the Land command, the Hog will land. 8. Switch on the TACAN with the On button in the waypoint window. Off he goes! CHANGING YOUR MIND If you want to change the attributes for a waypoint, note that the commands only take effect if the altered waypoint is after the current waypoint. To make sure, you should use the Next button to scroll once through the waypoint list - this updates all the commands. TIPS ABOUT PLACING WAYPOINTS Targets Do NOT place a waypoint with a Targets: command directly on top (or even very close to!) a target. Instead, place the waypoints so that the flight path of the plane goes over the targets, and have the plane look for targets well in advance. This gives the pilot time to deploy his weapons. Also, note that hills block line of sight - if you're having your pilot sneak on a SAM site from behind a hill, he might not see it until it's too late to shoot it. Note that if you take command of a plane, it stops performing attack actions thereafter; instead, it just flies from one WP to another. Tight turns If the Hog is damaged or heavily loaded (or if you're assigning waypoints to C-5's), the poor pilot might fly his plane into the ground when trying to pull a tight turn close to the ground. Most commonly this happens when you have the initial waypoint at one end of the runway and waypoint 1 "behind" the plane - the pilot will start a tight turn immediately after take-off and may crash. To avoid this, either drag the initial waypoint to the right end of the runway or use more waypoints to round out the curve. Flying into hills If a heavily loaded and/or damaged Hog flies low and slow and runs into a hill, it might not have enough power to clear it, and you might lose a perfectly good pilot and plane for nothing. Make sure your damaged Hogs get to limp home safely by giving them enough altitude in the waypoints! Threats If enemy chits (especially radar!) appear under your flight paths, take some action - otherwise your planes are liable to be cut to shreds by SAMs. Either take out the SAM site or move the waypoints so that the planes will steer clear of the site. Landing It's a good idea to use two waypoints to set up for landing - one placed some way back from the end of the runway, with the Land command, and another before it so that the flight path of the plane is parallel to the runway. Otherwise damaged or heavily laden planes might find the maneuvering a bit too tough. Besides, it makes lining up easier for you, the human pilot, as well. _________________________________________________________________ SECTION III: FLIGHT AND COMBAT "My plane won't fly straight. What's wrong?" "I can't land without making a mess of my plane." "My wheels scream every time I land on a runway." "What's a Rockeye?" "My Mavericks won't track moving targets!" "I can't hit anything with the CCIP!" "I get myself killed while diddling with ripple settings." "I always get confused when trying to select ordnance in combat. What should I do?" Wind, and how to live with it A-10 Attack! is the only Mac combat flight sim that realistically simulates wind. You can turn it off, though, but it makes things more interesting by giving some challenges of its own. Gusts of wind will cause the Hog to yaw or pitch and the wind will carry you "diagonally" relative to the ground. It's also worth noticing that unlike many other sims, you often have to maintain stick pressure (or use the trim tabs) to keep the Hog in level flight. This is not a bug; it's realism: when your airspeed increases, you generate more lift and the plane starts to climb; when it decreases the opposite happens. You have to use the elevators to counter the effect. NAVIGATING The Total Velocity Vector (TVV) is the little circle with three lines from it in the HUD. It indicates where the plane is heading relative to the ground. Use it rather than the gun cross to navigate - for example, if you're heading at a waypoint but have crosswind, you'll drift in the wrong direction if you point the gun cross at the waypoint. Note that when you're flying from one place to another, there's no point in trying to correct the heading with the rudders - it will just increase drag. LANDING The TVV is an invaluable aid when lining up on a runway in crosswind. By keeping the TVV on the end of the runway while lined up, you'll land in the right place. However, unless you correct your heading relative to the ground, you're liable to start slewing around with wheels screaming once you touch down. To do this, you're going to have to create a sideslip opposite to the wind direction - the A-10 will be flying straight relative to the ground, but diagonally relative to the wind. This takes a little practice, and requires coordinated use of the rudder and the ailerons. If you have a flightstick (as is highly recommended!) you can do this with the normal controls; if not, you're going to have to use the trim controls. To introduce a sideslip, simply apply rudder in the direction of the TVV, and correct the resulting roll with opposite aileron (flightstick pressure or trim tabs). For example, if the TVV is to the right of the centerline, apply right rudder and left stick pressure. (An alternative way to think about it is "aileron into wind, correct with rudder"; use whichever is easier for you as it comes down to the same thing.) TARGETING Wind can also be a problem while targeting, especially with the CCIP. The trick is again to keep the plane lined up with the selected target. The symbols on the CCIP are somewhat confusing when bombing in a crosswind - technically, flying level in the correct direction should work, but it might be easier to introduce a sideslip and fly straight relative to the ground. Practice helps! Bombing There are three bombing methods: CCIP, FAR, and dive-bombing. CCIP ("continuously calculated impact point") bombing is best used for high-altitude bombing runs in calm situations to carpet bomb large targets or drop single big bombs on smaller targets such as ships. It can also be used with retarded bombs in low-altitude runs on the battlefield. The checklists before each description are not definitive, but serve as reminders of the things you should take into account. For example, it is quite possible to dive-bomb ripples. BOMBING WITH THE CCIP Checklist: HUD mode Set to CCIP HUD Barometric mode ON Weapons stations Selected Release mode Set accordingly Ripple count Set accordingly (if any RIP mode) Ripple interval Set accordingly (if any RIP mode) The CCIP (Continuously Calculated Impact Point) system helps target free-fall bombs. It's far from foolproof, and is best used in "calm" situations, when nobody's shooting at you, and you can get a nice, safe, straight approach to the target. It's often used for carpet bombing large targets such as runways or airfields, or for releasing single big bombs at a safe altitude. To bomb with the CCIP, locate the target, point your gun cross at it, and press the release button to pickle it. Then fly straight and level towards the target. The bombs will be released at the appropriate moment. On the battlefield, the Mk82HD can be used with CCIP in fast, low-altitude attack runs very effectively. In such a case you're very close to the target when the bombs are released, and you don't need to fly as accurately. Pickle somewhat ahead of the target, as the retarding fins will cause the bomb to fall slightly behind the calculated impact point. For higher-altitude attack runs you have to be very precise, as even small deviations in flight path and attitude can mean that your bombs miss. When doing high-altitude bombing runs on "long" targets like ships or runways, it's better to fly lengthwise to the target. The A-10 CCIP is not as sophisticated as in some newer aircraft. Furthermore, wind increases the difficulty of bombing, as you might be flying somewhat diagonally relative to the ground. Practice makes perfect, though - fly the Air to Ground training mission and practice CCIP bombing. You should be flying level when the bombs are released. The CCIP "inaccuracy" is not a bug, though - it's a feature. Important: Don't forget to switch your altimeter to barometric mode before bombing with CCIP. FAR (FEELS ABOUT RIGHT) BOMBING Checklist: HUD mode NAV or PAVE Weapons stations Selected Release mode Single The FAR (Feels About Right) method is very effective but hard to explain. Basically, you find a target, fly at it level or in a shallow dive, and release the bombs when it Feels About Right. With practice, you can get quite accurate at this. Most of the bombing in battlefield situations is done with this method. Dive bombing is a somewhat more disciplined version of this. DIVE BOMBING Checklist: HUD mode NAV or PAVE Weapons stations Selected Release mode Single The idea with dive-bombing is that you increase the downward velocity of the bomb by diving prior to release. This means that the bomb will take less time to hit the target and it'll fly in a straighter line, making aiming easier. Usually dive-bombing is used against small, hard targets such as buildings, ships, or vehicles (tanks etc.). Therefore, ripples are not often used. Ideally, you'd want to dive-bomb from at least 5000 feet. Locate the target, line up on it, and go into a steep dive (at least 45 degrees). Control your airspeed with the brakes. Point your gun cross somewhat ahead of the target and release the bomb at around 1500 feet, then pull up. After a little practice, you'll be able to estimate the right moment and position for bomb release. You can also dive-bomb from different altitudes and different dive angles. If you start really high, you can fly almost or completely vertically for maximum accuracy, but you'll have to pull up much earlier. Similarly, in a battlefield situation you might have to bomb from a much lower altitude, and will have to do with a shallower dive. Note that you're going to have take into account your weight (the heavier you are, the longer it'll take to pull out of the dive), the kind of bomb you use (it's very dangerous for your health to get too close to the blast from a Mk84), and wind. Long hours at the practice range are highly recommended! The tools of the trade In this section are practical tips about using the different kinds of weaponry available in A-10 Attack!. The checklists aren't "rules", instead they remind of the things that should be taken into account and describe typical uses for each weapon. Which weapon to use on which target? Target Weapons Tank, artillery The gun, Maverick, Hellfire, HVR's, Rockeye, Mk82HD, Mk82 Paveway AAA Maverick, HVR's , The gun SAM site HARM, Maverick, HVR's, The gun Oil tank Maverick, HVR's, The gun, Mk 82, 83, 84 Boat Maverick, HVR's, The gun Ship HARM (radar), Maverick (other defences), Mk82, 83, 84 Fighter AIM-9, HVR's, the gun, HARM Bomber, trans. AIM-9, HVR's, the gun THE GAU-8/A AVENGER GUN The gun carried by the A-10 is one of its deadliest weapons. It can be used with devastating effect against all kinds of targets up to medium-sized boats. Use the "low" fire rate against tanks and small buildings as one or two hits are enough to destroy the target. Against aircraft, boats, AAA defences etc. use the "high" fire rate, as they take more damage to destroy or are important to destroy at extreme range. (The "low" fire rate tends to spread the bullets too widely at extreme range.) FREE-FALL BOMBS See above (Bombing section) for descriptions of the different ways to use free-fall ordnance. Free-fall bombs are bombs that have no guidance system of their own. They're simply dropped on the target. When a free-fall bomb is released from a plane, it continues in the direction the plane was going at the moment of release, and starts to fall downwards. This means that if a plane is flying straight and level and keeps going after the bomb is released, it will be very nearly above the bomb when it impacts. At low altitudes this can be a problem, as the blast radius of the bigger bombs is considerable. In other words, keep enough altitude, and pull up after releasing the bombs. (Drag will slow down the bomb slightly, but at low altitudes not enough to significantly affect the impact point, except with the Mk82HD). The Mk82, the Mk83, and the Mk84 general purpose bombs These are basically iron shells filled with a high explosive and equipped with a fuse that causes them to explode upon impact. The Mk82 carries 500 lbs of explosives, the Mk 83, 1000 lbs, and the Mk84, 2000 lbs. They are very effective against all kinds of ground targets, provided you can score a hit. ("Remember: big dumb bombs kill just as dead as small smart bombs.") The CCIP is very helpful with free-fall bombs, if you're not being fired upon and can get a good, steady approach. In combat situations, dive-bombing or the FAR (Feels About Right) method works better. See above for descriptions of the different bombing methods. The Mk82HD The Mk82HD ("high-drag") bomb is a variant of the standard Mk82 500 lb bomb. It is not strictly free-fall, as it pops retarding fins after being released. This means that the bombs "fall back" from the plane after release, and the plane has time to fly out of the blast radius before the bomb impacts. They're meant to be used in battlefield situations at low altitude. The CCIP is useful with them, too, if you use them at an altitude of ca. 200 feet. At higher altitudes, the slow-down caused by the retarding fins renders the CCIP useless. They're not well suited for dive bombing, as the retarding fins make it difficult to judge the point of impact. A typical way to use Mk82HD's is to get a tank or group of tanks in your gun cross, pickle slightly ahead of the target with the CCIP, and pull to level flight. When the bombs release, pull up. With a little practice, you'll find that you can score accurate hits this way or even without the CCIP, by estimating the right moment for release - you're quite close to the target anyway. The Mk20 Rockeye cluster bomb These bombs are particularly badly documented: they're not even mentioned in the printed manual. The Rockeye cluster bomb is a special-purpose weapon designed to destroy large numbers of small targets, such as small buildings, tanks, or personnel. When it is released, it falls some distance, then bursts, releasing a cloud of bomblets, each of which produces its own small explosion. A single Rockeye can cover a fair amount of terrain, and destroy several targets at a go. Rockeyes are used much like ordinary free-fall bombs. They can be targeted with the CCIP or used in dive bombing. Only the targets are different (small targets as opposed to big, hard ones). Rockeyes are most effective if released from an altitude of a few hundred feet: this gives the bomblets time to spread, and enables them to cover a larger area. A problem with Rockeyes in A-10 Attack! is that they're so accurately modeled. Each bomblet is individually tracked and produces its own explosion. This means that some slow-down (read: jerkiness) is guaranteed on all but the most powerful Macs. Also, several people have reported system crashes when using Rockeyes. THE CBU-15 DURANDAL Checklist: HUD mode NAV or PAVE Weapons stations Selected Release mode Set accordingly Ripple count Set accordingly (if any RIP mode) Ripple interval Set accordingly (if any RIP mode) The CBU-15 Durandal is an anti-runway bomb. A drag chute pops up, slowing down the bomb and pointing it downwards. Then it fires the warhead straight down, which pierces the concrete of the runway and explodes. This makes a crater and causes a "bulge" around it - not even an ATV can drive around in it, let alone an aircraft. (In A-10 Attack! the bulge is modeled as a crater.) As stated in the Bugs section, Durandals are next to useless as the runway damage is repaired very quickly. They're also a beast to target, as the CCIP is useless with them because they're not free-fall bombs. A good technique is to fly fast over the runway as if you're landing but at a couple of hundred feet and ripple lots of them on the runway with a ripple interval of 50 to 99. But for the bug, this would really mess up a runway. LASER-GUIDED BOMBS AND MISSILES (MK 82, 83, 84 PAVEWAY, AGM-114A, AGM-65E) Checklist HUD mode PAVE Weapons stations Selected Target designation from HUD Selected (Tab key) Release mode Single Laser-guided bombs are very easy to use, and hit almost every time. The only limitation is that a target has to be painted with laser light by other forces - either ground units or aircraft specially equipped for the task. (In A-10 Attack! it's always ground units.) Such targets show up on the HUD as little diamonds, when PAVE mode is set. Select a target from the HUD with the Tab key, and when the text "release" appears on the HUD, release the bomb. LGB's have little fins which correct their flight path. They don't really glide, though, which means that you have to have sufficient altitude for the bomb to reach its target. A few hundred feet is enough, and the "release" sign won't light until you're within range. Laser guided missiles work just like the bombs, except that they have smaller warheads and greater range. The AGM-114A Hellfire comes in pods of four, which would be useful if there were more laser-designated targets in the game. It carries a fairly small warhead and has limited range. The AGM-65E is a "miracle weapon" with excellent range, pinpoint accuracy, and a considerable warhead, but the scarcity of laser-designated targets seriously reduces its usefulness. HYPER-VELOCITY ROCKETS (HVR'S) Checklist: HUD mode NAV or PAVE Weapons stations Selected Release mode Ripple Single (RMRS) Ripple count 06 Ripple interval 01 HVR's work like a kind of "long-range cannon". They're so fast they don't need much leading and they do a lot of damage. A ripple count 06 with an interval of 01 tears up pretty much anything up to small boats. They're rather devastating against other aircraft, too. They're simple to use: just get whatever you want to hit under the gun cross, and release a ripple. For fast-moving targets such as aircraft, you might have to lead a little (shoot ahead of its flight path). HVR's are particularly useful against AAA sites, because of their superior range and velocity. THE AGM-88A HARM Checklist: HUD mode NAV or PAVE Weapons stations Selected Hand-off selection from RWR Selected (H key) Release mode Single (RMS) The HARM is used primarily against SAM sites. Note that in A-10 Attack! the ground-based radar is fairly smart: it doesn't just sit there and wait to be hit. Instead, it only switches on the radar when it is needed - this means that HARMs are often usable only at close range. To use a HARM, select the radar source from the RWR with the H key, point your nose level or slightly down towards the target, then release the missile. An altitude of 1000 to 4000 feet (depending on range) is recommended. The HARM is useful not only against ground-based radar sources, but also against radar-emitting aircraft (such as the MiG-29). I don't know if this would work in real life, though. It carries a much bigger warhead than the AIM-9L, but it turns slower. This means that it doesn't hit as often, but does more damage if it does hit. THE MAVERICK (AGM-65B, AGM-65D) Checklist: HUD mode Any (see below for CCIP) Weapons stations Selected Release mode Single (RMS) The Maverick is possibly the most useful weapon the A-10 can carry. It has fairly good range and is effective against all kinds of targets, from AA defenses to tanks to boats to buildings. It homes on stationary targets and it tracks moving ones. It comes in three flavors, the AGM-65B, D, and E. The AGM-65B is the standard, TV-guided version; the D has an infra-red camera for use in low-light situations, and the E is laser-guided (and discussed above with the other laser-guided ordnance). To use a Maverick, center the crosshairs in the TV display on the target, then press to release. The CCIP mode can also be used to release Mavericks. With it, the first press of the release button pickles the target. The diamond marking the target can be seen on the HUD. A second press releases the missile. This helps avoid false locks - in real life, it's not at all uncommon to have Mavericks lock onto bushes etc. instead of the intended target. In windy conditions it can be quite difficult to get a good lock, what with your Hog bumping around all over the place. You might think you have a lock, only to have the Maverick fly straight and miss the moving target you're aiming for. There's no easy way around this, but practice helps. Rest assured that the weapon works correctly. AGM-65D's work just like AGM-65B's, except that they can see in the dark. In the Gulf war, Hog drivers used the infra-red camera on the AGM-65D to look for targets. In A-10 Attack! this is made even easier, as the infra-red image is projected onto the HUD. THE AIM-9L SIDEWINDER Checklist: HUD mode NAV or PAVE Weapons stations Selected Release mode Single (RMS) The AIM-9L Sidewinder is a heat-seeking A/A missile. When it's picking up a heat source, you hear a growl. When the source is stronger, the growl is louder. Release when the growl is loud. If there are several heat sources in the area, the Sidewinder will track the strongest one near the gun cross. Ideally, the Sidewinder should be fired from behind the target, but it is an "all aspect" weapon and works from other directions as well. Managing loadouts The variety of ordnance and the large number of hardpoints pose a problem: in the heat of battle, it can be tough to select the right weapon and release mode. Three solutions have been proposed. "CHEAT" Hit Command-P to pause the game, then select the ordnance at leisure, then return to game. Of course, this isn't exactly fair - and probably won't work with networked games once they become available. USE POST-ITS ON THE FUNCTION KEYS Paste a Post-It (or similar) next to each function key, specifying which weapon is at which hardpoint. Helps a lot! STANDARDIZE YOUR LOADOUTS In other words, decide which hardpoints to use for which weapons and memorize them. The "general-purpose" mix I use has Mavericks at points 3 and 9, Mk 82's at points 4 and 8, HVR pods at 2 and 10 and an ECM pod at 1. For specialized missions use loadouts with fewer different kinds of weapons - for radar-busting, say, load up with an ECM at pod 1, Mavericks at 3 and 9, and HARMs in all the other hardpoints. For a carpet-bombing mission, just load up with free-fall ordnance at every hardpoint. Once you decide on a "system" to use, you'll find that it's easy to find the right weapon at the right time. RIPPLES Rippling ordnance is especially useful for two things: free-fall bombs (carpet bombing) and HVRs. If you're carrying enough bombs for carpet bombing, you probably won't be carrying HVRs, and vice versa. This means that you can "pre-set" your ripple to match your mission - for example, ripple count 6 and interval 1 for HVR's, and ripple count 4 and interval 8 for carpet bombing. Set these before you actually get into battle. When you're in combat, all you have to do is switch between RMS (single) and RMRS (ripple). (If you want something in between, use RMP and RMRP instead of diddling with the actual ripple setting.) Of course, some sort of programmable weapons system controller (the Thrustmaster WCS, a game pad or the as yet unreleased CH Products Pro Throttle) helps a lot here - you can just program one button for RMS and another for RMRS. _________________________________________________________________ SECTION IV: THE MISSIONS "I'm stuck with mission X. Help!" A-10 Attack! being the dynamic beast that it is, and giving the player lots of freedom in selecting the way he/she approaches the missions, "walkthroughs" in the traditional sense can't really be written. Instead, this section covers some tips in dealing with the challenges each mission poses. Different approaches are possible, and indeed are a large part of the fun. My appeal for mission strategies has been answered: Andre Molyneux sent me descriptions of his solutions to several of the missions. Here's what he has to say about them: Obviously, I've found that a few 2000 pound bombs will go a long way. In some cases it may be more fun to go after targets individually with the gun, but when you need to take out multiple targets fast there's nothing like Mk84's to do the job. With the exception of "Old Man River", I've found that the right weapons load-out will allow me to complete the mission with a single Hog (although I will use the F-15 and F-16's where available to take out enemy planes). Editor's note: Make sure you have enough altitude when using 2000-pounders. The blast radius is big, and a Hog carrying multiple Mk84's handles much more heavily than a more lightly laden one. There are still plenty of missions looking for a strategy, and other approaches are appreciated. Mail me if you want to have your strategies included in this section! PRELUDE TO WAR This is an easy mission. There's nothing particularly deadly around - even the SAMs are quite light and most often don't do any serious damage to the Hog. The most straightforward method is just to fly in, shoot everything and fly back out. This is a good mission to practice A/G attack skills - there are stationary targets, radar-emitting targets, laser-designated targets, and moving targets, some of which even shoot back. If you use Mavericks, make sure to get some altitude, as otherwise they tend to hit the lip of the tin mining pit in which the fuel dump is. RETALIATION This is a bit more difficult: the Wildcat batteries are nasty, if you get within range. One method is to plot a course avoiding them, sink the ferry with Mavericks and the gun, and get back home. Another method is to find the Wildcats, hit them with the Mavericks or HARMs before you're in their range, and then go for the ferry. This can be tough, as time is a factor here - spend too long playing with the Wildcats, and you're liable to "miss the boat". (Incidentally, letting the ferry blow up the dam is good for laughs; try it once...) Andre's strategy: "The quickest way to take out the boat is to take off, fly at a heading of 120-125 degrees, and stay close to the ground once you've reached the first set of hills. The SAM batteries (not mentioned in the mission briefing, but shown on the map) will take potshots at you and the F-16's, so staying low keeps them (and the anti-aircraft batteries) from hitting you. Once you're over the hill, skim the water and head straight for the boat. With the firing rate on "high", a single pass is usually enough to take out the boat with the cannon, at which point you can just circle around and land. On the other hand, you can go up with HARMs and take out the AA and SAMs for more points." DOCKLANDS This is basically another "target practice" mission. The tanks don't shoot back. The only major danger is the SAM battery (where the "radar" chit shows up). Don't use the default waypoints: instead, plot a course avoiding the radar on the way back. Otherwise all your Hogs might get shot up on their way back. Sinking the cruiser is a bit more difficult. One method that works is to send one A-10 to knock out its defences with HARMs and Mavericks. A HARM or two will knock out its main radar, and Mavericks sprayed from stem to stern will destroy the chaingun. Then have another A-10 loaded up to the armpits with free-fall bombs do a couple of nice, safe, high-level bombing runs at it (once you've mastered the CCIP). It takes two direct hits from Mk84's to sink the ship. Andre's strategy: "Load up with five Mk84 LGB's, three infra-red Mavericks, two Mk83's, and two HARMs. Follow the pre-set waypoints on the way in. Of the three groups of parked tanks, at least two will have one or more tanks that are being "painted" by a laser. Set the HUD to PAVE as you approach. Select one of the painted tanks in the first group (the one in the center if multiple tanks are painted) using the tab key, and release a Mk 84 LGB once "RELEASE" is indicated in the HUD. Press the tab key until you have selected a tank in another group, and do the same. One bomb will take out all three tanks in a group, so if every group has a tank painted by a laser, you can easily knock out all tanks in one easy run. "Use the HARMs on the cruiser (they'll take out the main radar and one of the others). Fire the infra-red Mavericks at the central portion of the ship to take out the chain guns. At this point it's fairly safe to make a CCIP pass (dead on from the bow or stern is best) and use two of the Mk84's to take out the ship (the LGB's can be dropped as normal bombs if you run out of lased targets). With whatever ordnance you have left, take out one or both of the tankers/transports/whatever they are. "With judicious use of ordnance, a single Hog can take out every enemy in this mission except the SAM battery. That hillside SAM site is vicious, and is best avoided altogether." MARAUDING BMP'S This mission is a bit tougher than the first two, as there are threats approaching from several directions. One working strategy is to have one Hog fly straight to the artillery pieces shelling your airfield and knock them out, another (targeting anti-aircraft on the first pass, tanks on the second) to harass the BMP's. Once the first Hog is done with the artillery, he can come back to kill the BMP's with all he's got. Mavericks, HVR's, Mk82HD's, and the gun work well here. It's very important to get the AAA tanks knocked out fast - otherwise they'll smoke you while you circle around after the others. Try to pick them out from the crowd from a safe distance, and kill them with Mavericks. When you're getting closer, use HVR's - they're a lot faster than the cannon rounds and have better range. And if they're still not dead at cannon range, shoot hard. Andre's strategy "Load up with six Mk 84's and two HARMs. Take off and nail the artillery battery (there may be two) with the gun, then swing back around and head for the groups of BMP's. For each of the two main groups, select a HARM as you approach. If you get painted by the AA radar before you're really close, fire a HARM at the radar source and turn away (it'll be firing at you, and the HARM may get hit on the way in. If you change your heading it won't be firing in the HARM's direction.) If you don't get painted by the radar until you're really close, or you've already taken it out, select 3 Mk84's, go to CCIP, set release mode ripple single and ripple count 03 (helps to have buttons programmed to do this quickly). Pickle a point a bit ahead of the BMP's (they're moving forward, so give them a fair lead), then fly level and wait for the bombs to release. Make a hard break to one side or the other, you don't want to be above the Mk84's when they go off. As long as your salvo of three big bombs hits close-by, you'll wipe out the entire group. "Use the same strategy for the second group, and if there are any BMP's to the SW of you base (occasionally two or three will be approaching from that direction with no AA support) take them out with the gun. With this strategy I've been able to take out each group with a single pass with just one plane." ANTINOV [SIC] ARMADA Actually, it's Antonov with an "o", whatever Parsoft says. There's only one challenge with this mission: the MiG-29's escorting the Antonovs. One good strategy is to have the F-16 fly above and behind the enemy planes (this takes some careful tweaking of waypoints) and have him try to take out the MiGs. After they're down, killing the Antonovs is easy and fun. For the ones who like a tough dogfight, it can be fun to try to kill the MiGs yourself. This is not easy, though - first you'll have to dodge their Atolls, and then you'll have to outfly them. Not an easy task, considering that the MiG-29 is one of the best fighters around. However, if you fly low (below 150 feet) and slow (below 150 kts), you'll be able to out-turn them and give them the Warthog Stomp with the gun, or they might stall their planes and auger in, trying to follow your maneuvering. (In real life, the MiGs would probably just take off with full afterburners and come back for high-speed slashing attacks; you'd be in a lot more trouble then.) Of course, whatever you send against the MiGs will slow them down, enabling another Hog to sneak up on the unprotected Antonovs, again toasting them. An entirely different approach to this mission involves destroying the runway at the planes' destination base. However, this is currently impossible because of the Amazing Self-Repairing Runway bug. DEMOLITION CREW This is a quite a difficult mission. There are lots of targets, many of which shoot back, and time is definitely a factor. One tactic that works is to send one Hog after the column of tanks and another after the boats - if you're the one who attacks the boats, try to get two boats with one pass each, and then hit the tanks. You have to be quick, or the tanks will get to their position and blow up the nice building that Parsoft seems to think constitutes Hamburg downtown. Tactical finesse doesn't seem to help much here; what is needed is some very sharp flying. Andre's strategy "Similar strategy to Marauding BMP's. Head straight for the tanks, taking them out with a few well-placed Mk84's. Nailing the tanks right away is paramount - once they're gone you can take your time. Carry a few harms as well, to help reduce the amount of fire coming from the boats. Use the gun to take out the boats, them mop up any AA pieces left behind. Oh, and don't forget to vector your F-16's up that valley to the north to catch the Su-25's well before they can start bombing." ASSISTANCE NEEDED Two good strategies have been suggested. The first one is to do what the mission briefing says: load up one Hog with HARMs, Mavericks, and an ECM pod and send it against the SAM site, and the others against the airbase, loaded with bombs and Mavs. Note that each SAM launcher has its own short-range radar: destroying the radar truck isn't enough to knock the site out, you have to get each launcher too (or have it launch all its missiles). Fly along the preset waypoints at around 1000 ... 2000 feet, until you see the spike corresponding to the main radar of the site. Kill it with a HARM, and keep your trigger finger ready when closing in. When you're quite close, the launchers will target you. Now's the time to hit them with the HARMs, duck any missiles coming your way, and get in close. If some are still up, you can get them with Mavericks or your gun - the SAMs seem to be intermediate range and can't lock onto you if you stay very close to them. An easier way to complete this mission is to tell the generals to go fish, disobey your order to destroy the SAM site, and program the Tornados to avoid the site altogether and fly straight to the enemy base at top speed. Have your Hogs (loaded up with Mavs and Mk82HD's) fly to the same destination. After your visit, the enemy airbase will look much like a potato field. OLD MAN RIVER This can be very tough, if the enemy decides to send its bombers in: if one of those Sukhois gets through, you can kiss your tanks good-bye. Have the F-15 fly to the area ASAP and intercept any incoming bombers. However, you're going to have to deal with the SAM in the town first, or good-bye Eagle. One A-10 (flown by you, preferably) will fly like a bat out of Hell to the SAM site, destroy it (at one pass, of course) and then find and destroy the S-2 artillery pieces. The others will follow hot on his heels, targeting anything that moves. The rest (tanks) are easy - if you get that far, the M1A1's won't have a whole lot to do once they get to the garrison. It's also possible to complete this mission without flying the planes yourself: you'll just have to program the waypoints with appropriate targets (no more than two different kinds at a time; one recommended), move them, and change the programming as the situation progresses. _________________________________________________________________ SECTION V: WHERE TO GET BACKGROUND INFO? "Are there any WWW pages about A-10 Attack!?" "Where can I find out more about the plane/the gun/the ordnance/the flight model/the missions..." There's a lot of info available about A-10 Attack!, the A-10 plane, the various weapons and related topics. Internet resources * The comp.sys.mac.games.flight-sim newsgroup. This is where most of the A-10 related discussion is. * Tom Morrison's flight sim home page: http://www.xmission.com/~morrison/MFS/home.html The best archive of Mac flight-sim related stuff, with links to many other pages. * Scott Cherkofsky's flight sim home page: http://www.shirenet.com/~crusader/html/Flight_Simulators.html Another archive of stuff related to Mac flight sims. Notably, the Things to do, Places to see list can be found here. * Tim van der Leeuw's A-10 Attack! home page: http://www.cs.vu.nl/~tnleeuw/A10/ * Todd Hartmann's home page: http://www.metronet.com/~toddh/. * The Rosebooms' A-10 page: http://www.rahul.net:80/roseboom/a10/ Tips on the missions, easter eggs, and more. * The home of this document: http://www.cs.hut.fi/~psu/A10FAQ.html/ The documents below can be found at these sites. Documents "A-10 Flying Qualities" by Art Day A very detailed and enjoyable tour of the A-10 Attack! flight model. Taught me that "Dutch roll" isn't some kind of pastry... "A-10 FAQ*Rev 1.1" This is an FAQ about A-10 the plane, not A-10 the game. It contains lots of info about the Hog, the Avenger gun, and related topics. Definitely worth a read! "A-10 Attack! demo help" by Michael Hutchens A how-to guide for the A-10 Attack! demo. A bit dated now that the actual game is out, but worth a look. "An A-10 Attack! Primer" by Petteri Sulonen A guide for the beginner Hog driver. Covers topics from take-off to CCIP bombing to crosswind landings.