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The Training Missions
In order to access the main part of the game you have to complete eight training
missions which, judging from Emergency 911¦s mail bag, seem to be causing no
end of problems. Here¦s a resume of what you need to do and the best weapons to
use for each mission.
Mission 1
All you have to do is destroy a single MiG to complete your mission (which will
end about ten seconds later). Arm yourself with AAAMs or AA-ARMs, and you¦ll
be able to lock on virtually from your starting position.
Mission 2
The aim is to destroy two buildings at the military installation in sector 139,
187.
Destroy two large buildings or radars (the choice is yours) to complete the
mission. The best weapons to use are laser-guided bombs.
Mission 3
The target is the SAM site in sector 111, 85. A carefully aimed AGM 122 or 88
will destroy it easily, but laser-guided bombs will also do the job. It¦s up to
you.
Mission 4
The aim here is to knock out an incoming fighter over the main
island. Once you¦ve destroyed the aircraft, you have to land back on the
carrier.
AAAMs or AA-ARMs are once again the simplest choice, but your opponent may
avoid them with chaff, so be ready to close in and use short-range missiles.
Mission 5
This mission requires you to attack the enemy fleet in sector 83, 100. You¦ve
got
to target the largest ship - the carrier - to destroy the fleet. Use the Harpoon
missile or AGM 84. Afterwards, land back on your carrier.
Mission 6
There are four enemy aircraft to shoot down here. You¦ll find these to the north
and west of your starting position. Again, land to complete the mission. When
attacking two or more planes at once, it¦s best to even the odds with long-range
missiles, and then close in to finish off the last plane with a volley of
short-range
missiles.
Mission 7
You need to attack the battle front to the north of the friendly troops. Fly
north
and destroy four vehicles (two tanks and two helicopters, or any other
combination) to break the attack. The best tactic is to use your cannon, and
then
strafe the line from east to west and back again.
Mission 8
This is a night sortie. Use the laser-guided bombs to destroy the military
installation in sector 112, 84 - you need to blow up two buildings or radars (as
in
the previous missions). Land to finish.
Air-To-Air Combat
Aerial combat is relatively easy in TFX, assuming you¦re flying a Eurofighter or
F-22. Both aircraft are fast, extremely manoeuvrable and more than a match for
any enemy planes you encounter. The only important thing to remember is that
it¦s best to deal with planes one at a time - it¦s much easier to fight one
expert
enemy head-to-head than two novices. Try to use your weapons advantage to take
out the enemy from beyond his missile range. But even if you do end up at close
range, you¦ll still have an advantage because of your tight turning ability and
more powerful engines.
The only exception is the Stealth Fighter. With no cannon and a limited weapons
load, it¦s best to avoid all contact with planes and rely on your radar
invisibility to
get through in one piece. Use the terrain, and stay low and slow.
Air-To-Ground Combat
Attacking ground targets is generally a lot safer than dog-fighting - buildings
don¦t move and they don¦t fire back (SAM Sites are an exception). However,
using your actual weapons effectively is far from easy.
Laser-Guided Bombs Approach the target at about 10,000 feet and estimate its
position relative to your plane. When you are within 15 miles or so, check that
you¦re flying straight and level, and turn on the laser designator. Turn the
view
towards the target and zoom in until you can see it clearly. Don¦t lock on until
you
are sure you have the right target. If necessary, wait and make another pass.
Once
you are satisfied, lock onto the target and return to the cockpit. From hereon
in
it¦s simply a matter of waiting until you are close enough (within 15 miles) and
then releasing the bomb at the right moment. You can release it further away,
but
the bomb will glide low to the ground and perhaps hit something on the way to
the
target.
SAM Sites
These are the toughest ground targets you¦ll face - they¦re small and they shoot
back. The best weapons are the anti-radar missiles (AGM 122 or AGM 88), which
automatically lock onto active SAM radars. Be sure your weapon has locked onto
the correct site. If it hasn¦t, cycle through the targets until you reach the
one
you¦re interested in. Fire your weapons while travelling at a relatively slow
speed,
and when you¦re between three and five miles away from the target. If you aren¦t
carrying either of these missiles you can try Mavericks (see below) or if all
else
fails, strafe the site with your all-purpose cannon. If you come in low enough,
the
SAMs won¦t be able to lock on and fire at you.
Ships
Target these using your AGM 84s, which automatically lock onto the biggest ship
in a fleet - the carrier. When you are ordered to attack a fleet, it¦s always
the
carrier that you¦ve got to destroy. (You can also use Mavericksto dispose of
them.)
Runways
Use CMB 18s or Durandals for maximum damage. Fly over the runway at a slight
angle and fire the weapon. CMBs scatter lots of bomblets and mines, whereas
Durandals create a single large crater. Both are highly effective.
Mk 82 Bombs
The prediction circle on the HUD will estimate the bomb¦s landing point. It¦s
best
to attack from above 10,000 feet and dive quite steeply at the target. Not only
is it
easier to aim the weapon, but the bomb will travel much faster.
Mavericks
These are a good general-purpose missile, but you have to aim them manually
using the crosshair on the HUD, which some may find slightly off-putting. It
certainly demands careful flying, and you have to be careful that the missile is
locked on target and not on the surrounding ground area. Break the lock and try
again if you have any doubts.
CSWs
These are another anti-runway weapon, and you have to aim them in the same
manner as Mavericks. Approach the runway and aim the crosshairs at the centre
of the tarmac. Once fired, the weapon will deploy its contents just before it
strikes
the target spot.
Cruise Missiles
These are preprogrammed missiles. You simply release the weapon and it
acquires its target, flies towards it and blows it up. The pre-selected targets
are
always relevant to the mission in question.
Landing
This, the hardest part of nearly any flight sim, is made easier in TFX by the
comprehensive ILS system. Although it¦s possible to skip it and use the auto-
landing (ALT-L) feature, you score a lot more points for a manual touchdown.
Here¦s how it¦s done...
1. Turn the ILS on and head for the beacon. It¦s directly in line with the
runway,
about 20 miles away from the end. When you reach it you should be ideally at
less
than 10,000 feet and flying as slow as possible. At the beacon, turn towards the
runway.
2. When you are facing the runway, the ILS bars will appear, telling you if you
are too high or low and providing guides to help you line up exactly. Keep an
eye
on the angle of attack indexer in the bottom-right of the HUD. Try and adjust
your
speed to keep your AoA correct.
3. Take note of what the bars tell you and slow down. A simple way todo this is
to zig-zag as you approach, bleeding speed in the turns... Keep watching your
AoA.
4. At this point you should be on line and travelling at a slow speed - below
200
knots. Lower your wheels - this brings your speed down a little more - and get
ready to land.
5. Near the runway you may find you¦re moving too slow and descending too
quickly. Don¦t panic! You¦re probably doing okay. When you touch down, apply
the wheel brakes and deploy the parachute as necessary. Turn your engines off to
slow down even more quickly. Remember that you can use the autothrottle
(Autopilot mode 4) when landing to control yourspeed more accurately.
Carrier Landings
As in 1-5 above, except you should deploy the hook and keep your engines on.
Touch down on the wires to engage the hook. If you miss, switch on the
µburners,
retract your gear and try again.
In order to access the main part of the game you have to complete eight training
missions which, judging from Emergency 911¦s mail bag, seem to be causing no
end of problems. Here¦s a resume of what you need to do and the best weapons to
use for each mission.
Mission 1
All you have to do is destroy a single MiG to complete your mission (which will
end about ten seconds later). Arm yourself with AAAMs or AA-ARMs, and you¦ll
be able to lock on virtually from your starting position.
Mission 2
The aim is to destroy two buildings at the military installation in sector 139,
187.
Destroy two large buildings or radars (the choice is yours) to complete the
mission. The best weapons to use are laser-guided bombs.
Mission 3
The target is the SAM site in sector 111, 85. A carefully aimed AGM 122 or 88
will destroy it easily, but laser-guided bombs will also do the job. It¦s up to
you.
Mission 4
The aim here is to knock out an incoming fighter over the main
island. Once you¦ve destroyed the aircraft, you have to land back on the
carrier.
AAAMs or AA-ARMs are once again the simplest choice, but your opponent may
avoid them with chaff, so be ready to close in and use short-range missiles.
Mission 5
This mission requires you to attack the enemy fleet in sector 83, 100. You¦ve
got
to target the largest ship - the carrier - to destroy the fleet. Use the Harpoon
missile or AGM 84. Afterwards, land back on your carrier.
Mission 6
There are four enemy aircraft to shoot down here. You¦ll find these to the north
and west of your starting position. Again, land to complete the mission. When
attacking two or more planes at once, it¦s best to even the odds with long-range
missiles, and then close in to finish off the last plane with a volley of
short-range
missiles.
Mission 7
You need to attack the battle front to the north of the friendly troops. Fly
north
and destroy four vehicles (two tanks and two helicopters, or any other
combination) to break the attack. The best tactic is to use your cannon, and
then
strafe the line from east to west and back again.
Mission 8
This is a night sortie. Use the laser-guided bombs to destroy the military
installation in sector 112, 84 - you need to blow up two buildings or radars (as
in
the previous missions). Land to finish.
Air-To-Air Combat
Aerial combat is relatively easy in TFX, assuming you¦re flying a Eurofighter or
F-22. Both aircraft are fast, extremely manoeuvrable and more than a match for
any enemy planes you encounter. The only important thing to remember is that
it¦s best to deal with planes one at a time - it¦s much easier to fight one
expert
enemy head-to-head than two novices. Try to use your weapons advantage to take
out the enemy from beyond his missile range. But even if you do end up at close
range, you¦ll still have an advantage because of your tight turning ability and
more powerful engines.
The only exception is the Stealth Fighter. With no cannon and a limited weapons
load, it¦s best to avoid all contact with planes and rely on your radar
invisibility to
get through in one piece. Use the terrain, and stay low and slow.
Air-To-Ground Combat
Attacking ground targets is generally a lot safer than dog-fighting - buildings
don¦t move and they don¦t fire back (SAM Sites are an exception). However,
using your actual weapons effectively is far from easy.
Laser-Guided Bombs Approach the target at about 10,000 feet and estimate its
position relative to your plane. When you are within 15 miles or so, check that
you¦re flying straight and level, and turn on the laser designator. Turn the
view
towards the target and zoom in until you can see it clearly. Don¦t lock on until
you
are sure you have the right target. If necessary, wait and make another pass.
Once
you are satisfied, lock onto the target and return to the cockpit. From hereon
in
it¦s simply a matter of waiting until you are close enough (within 15 miles) and
then releasing the bomb at the right moment. You can release it further away,
but
the bomb will glide low to the ground and perhaps hit something on the way to
the
target.
SAM Sites
These are the toughest ground targets you¦ll face - they¦re small and they shoot
back. The best weapons are the anti-radar missiles (AGM 122 or AGM 88), which
automatically lock onto active SAM radars. Be sure your weapon has locked onto
the correct site. If it hasn¦t, cycle through the targets until you reach the
one
you¦re interested in. Fire your weapons while travelling at a relatively slow
speed,
and when you¦re between three and five miles away from the target. If you aren¦t
carrying either of these missiles you can try Mavericks (see below) or if all
else
fails, strafe the site with your all-purpose cannon. If you come in low enough,
the
SAMs won¦t be able to lock on and fire at you.
Ships
Target these using your AGM 84s, which automatically lock onto the biggest ship
in a fleet - the carrier. When you are ordered to attack a fleet, it¦s always
the
carrier that you¦ve got to destroy. (You can also use Mavericksto dispose of
them.)
Runways
Use CMB 18s or Durandals for maximum damage. Fly over the runway at a slight
angle and fire the weapon. CMBs scatter lots of bomblets and mines, whereas
Durandals create a single large crater. Both are highly effective.
Mk 82 Bombs
The prediction circle on the HUD will estimate the bomb¦s landing point. It¦s
best
to attack from above 10,000 feet and dive quite steeply at the target. Not only
is it
easier to aim the weapon, but the bomb will travel much faster.
Mavericks
These are a good general-purpose missile, but you have to aim them manually
using the crosshair on the HUD, which some may find slightly off-putting. It
certainly demands careful flying, and you have to be careful that the missile is
locked on target and not on the surrounding ground area. Break the lock and try
again if you have any doubts.
CSWs
These are another anti-runway weapon, and you have to aim them in the same
manner as Mavericks. Approach the runway and aim the crosshairs at the centre
of the tarmac. Once fired, the weapon will deploy its contents just before it
strikes
the target spot.
Cruise Missiles
These are preprogrammed missiles. You simply release the weapon and it
acquires its target, flies towards it and blows it up. The pre-selected targets
are
always relevant to the mission in question.
Landing
This, the hardest part of nearly any flight sim, is made easier in TFX by the
comprehensive ILS system. Although it¦s possible to skip it and use the auto-
landing (ALT-L) feature, you score a lot more points for a manual touchdown.
Here¦s how it¦s done...
1. Turn the ILS on and head for the beacon. It¦s directly in line with the
runway,
about 20 miles away from the end. When you reach it you should be ideally at
less
than 10,000 feet and flying as slow as possible. At the beacon, turn towards the
runway.
2. When you are facing the runway, the ILS bars will appear, telling you if you
are too high or low and providing guides to help you line up exactly. Keep an
eye
on the angle of attack indexer in the bottom-right of the HUD. Try and adjust
your
speed to keep your AoA correct.
3. Take note of what the bars tell you and slow down. A simple way todo this is
to zig-zag as you approach, bleeding speed in the turns... Keep watching your
AoA.
4. At this point you should be on line and travelling at a slow speed - below
200
knots. Lower your wheels - this brings your speed down a little more - and get
ready to land.
5. Near the runway you may find you¦re moving too slow and descending too
quickly. Don¦t panic! You¦re probably doing okay. When you touch down, apply
the wheel brakes and deploy the parachute as necessary. Turn your engines off to
slow down even more quickly. Remember that you can use the autothrottle
(Autopilot mode 4) when landing to control yourspeed more accurately.
Carrier Landings
As in 1-5 above, except you should deploy the hook and keep your engines on.
Touch down on the wires to engage the hook. If you miss, switch on the
µburners,
retract your gear and try again.