The How-To I really want to know

[Pathfinder]

OK, how do they do it?

I'm talking about OTH, Esko, and a select handful of other A-10 drivers who can find you from 50K feet, seemingly in an instant.

Whether in armor, or without. I lay in the grass on the outside of the sandbags. I sit in the shadows without firing. You couldn't see me if you walked right up to me. Yet, they find me everytime. On the very next run. There's NO WAY they could have SEEN me.

It's always seemed like a radar hack/mini-map of some sort. I have a hard time believing it's a technique.

But, I'm open to the possibility. So, this is a call for one of those AMAZING ACES to tell us how they do it...if it's a technique, I want to know both how to do it and how to try to avoid it.

If you can't explain it, then you shouldn't be doing it..

[tona]

OK, how do they do it?

I'm talking about OTH, Esko, and a select handful of other A-10 drivers who can find you from 50K feet, seemingly in an instant.

Whether in armor, or without. I lay in the grass on the outside of the sandbags. I sit in the shadows without firing. You couldn't see me if you walked right up to me. Yet, they find me everytime. On the very next run. There's NO WAY they could have SEEN me.

It's always seemed like a radar hack/mini-map of some sort. I have a hard time believing it's a technique.

But, I'm open to the possibility. So, this is a call for one of those AMAZING ACES to tell us how they do it...if it's a technique, I want to know both how to do it and how to try to avoid it.

If you can't explain it, then you shouldn't be doing it..

I don't know how they do it. However, I do know that when it comes to people on the ground, most times it is merely indiscriminate bombing. The use of the rear view is very helpful however. You can watch as you are climbing...picking up a body or movement, or a stinger trail. Bombing that person isn't so hard with multiple bombs, splash, etc.
I do ok in a fighter but never did spend the time in the bombers so I just don't have much of an answer for you.

I have several players that I just have to shake my head at and wonder wtf are they doing? But then when I swing up with an apache, or barrel roll and kill someone with one shot, I'm sure they are shaking their head as well...I know Swanny sure has. :-]...and I know that Skunk and even Esko himself do a whole lot of head shaking too...

Developed skill, after a lot of practice makes more difference than you can begin to imagine.

[Pathfinder]

Dude, I'm talking about laying in a clump of grass...how they gonna see me even in rear-view? And, in a place where they normally wouldn't bomb, outside of the sandbags. They have to HIT outside the sandbags, and these guys don't carpet-bomb, it's all about precision.

And, I'm not talking about them making a pass FIRST. I'm talking about..I see them fading away into the clouds...next thing I know there's a bomb dropped squarely on my head.

I 'm not questioning their skills. They're all great pilots..it's just a select few that share this particular "technique". I just would like to know what it is...

[Specialist]

Not sure if I would fall in the same league as some of those pilots, but when I am flying I watch the mini map and also listen to my team and their calls. I know pretty much every map and where people would hide if they are sniping, spotting etc.. I come around and bomb those certain spots, sometimes all I get is grass and some times I get a sniper. When bombing a flag that might be grey, I tend to bomb on the outside of the flag, normally if your trying to take a flag you will hide there vs inside the bunker. I also tend to do a fly by first and while pulling up I switch it to third person view and get a great view of the ground.

[Swanny-CG]

Yeah I've been in the SA3, and that's when I see the technique I know Pathfinder means. Some guys just vary the angle they come at, which is very effective, although sometimes I catch them at the last minute, too.

Some, though, like OTH - I'm watching the sky carefully between EVERY shot, knowing they're coming ... I see him dip down out of the clouds and swing back up. As I blindly fire some rockets into what I hope will be his path (it never is) 3 seconds later BOTH SA3s are gone (I'm thinking of El Al in particular).

I don't get it either, I can't even see him yet. When I fly I get lost and upside down as I try to approximate coming down over just the main, much less a target as small as the SA3 from that height.

...And tona, in terms of skill - I generally know it's you even if you have some crazy "Gold Dust Fatty" or whatever. Some times it's incredibly irritating, some times I think it IS bullshit - hey, we all know sometimes odd stuff happens in game. But I have never, ever, even ONCE, accused you of cheating.

[Nightster]

I'm not a bomber but like Spec said I use my views like crazy to be able to see where someone is moving to as I fly off and to constantly check my tail. Also when I'm flying I use the F keys to call out enemy potions for the bomber, if I find a tank I like to hit F3 F1 and then fly strait up over (or around) the tank so the bomber can head right to it. Now about snipers in the grass sometimes dude I think SOMETIMES at extreme distances the game shows the player model just before it shows the grass so maybe they can get a glimpse that way.... idk I to wonder about cretin players but I also know that with time and practice some people are simply amazing.

[Demonic]

i agree with all of the above....lol.....to me i dont even attempt to fly, coz i havent got the skills to match you guys in planes....helos, well the lil bird is the only one ive had any practice with and i can hold my own....sniping....yeah, thats what ive spent 99.9 % of my
DC gaming time doing......soooooooo...as has already been said, with time and loads of practice, you delevop specific skills for one or more areas of the game......but to ask how its done, thats really up to those in question if they decide to tell you, but perhaps rather than peeps giving away trade secrets, watch and learn

[tona]

Wasn't even inferring Swanny bro!

I just know the frustration and the head shaking sometimes because I experience it myself from other players with different skill sets than my own.
Tankers...I'm a tanker hater...SAM pilots....hater...shottie lovers....yep hate hate hate...shakes head; calls bs a lot.

[Pathfinder]

Swanny,

The difference I'm talking about here..the SA-3s are fixed targets at known locations. I'm not commenting on the precision bombing. That's simply their superior skills. I'm talking about how these guys find ME regardless of where I'm at or how well I hide. And, from "on high" without even doing a fly-by....

[Swanny-CG]

Well I know exactly what Nightster is talking about, I've seen snipers from far away lots of times but when I get closer I see they thought they were hiding in a clump of grass - from far away I couldn't see the grass at all but I could see their silhouette.

Not to mention cluster bombs on the maps that have them - if bombers are even CLOSE it removes everything in sight. I can't imagine what being in the blast radius would do to a guy hidden in a clump of grass. If even one of those bombs landed on your side of the sandbags it would be all over.

BTW I SURELY don't mean to imply that I don't share your frustration. I don't understand it either, but I can barely bomb a stationary tank in the middle of the desert.

[fireWIRE]

We all know they hack and have bombing aim bots....

[Pathfinder]

You mean...just like you?