More Bearcat action for WC4?

[Lynx]

There's a basic mission editor out IIRC and a few missions were done also. I remember trying them to get to run properly some years ago, but it never worked for me.

 

[Mjr. Whoopass]

I think the BC could be athmosphere-capable (sp? true?) and carry a Camera laser.

I would guess that it wouldn't do well in atmospheric combat because of the heavy armor (remember, it's a HEAVY fighter even though it's faster and more maneuverable than most light fighters). When you look at the wings, they're unusually thick and probably wouldn't provide lift unless they had serious alteration.

The Dragon gets boring of whooping everythings' butt, so i'd like to get the one and only worthy sequel of the Excalibur into action.

I also enjoyed flying the Bearcat- I would say more than any other fighter (though the Razor would've been fun to fly- same speed and hardpoints as the Bearcat). The Dragon in generally a superior fighter- but there are missions where a Bearcat is better suited. In the battles Vs. the Vesuvius, the Bearcat is a better choice. This is because you don't need to cloak and the afterburners should last long enough to finish the attacking fighters- and the superior speed allows you to maneuver close enough to render the enemies decoys ineffective. Sorry I can't help you with mods, but while we're on the subject of the Bearcat- I played a mission where I was allowed to select my fighter, but the Bearcat didn't come up as a choice (even though I flew it previously), was this because I brought it back with too much damage? I didn't get to choose the Bearcat again until the defecting Bearcat pilots.

 

[McGruff]

I would guess that it wouldn't do well in atmospheric combat because of the heavy armor (remember, it's a HEAVY fighter even though it's faster and more maneuverable than most light fighters). When you look at the wings, they're unusually thick and probably wouldn't provide lift unless they had serious alteration.

I don't think WC fighters rely on their wings for lift to fly in a planet's atmosphere, after all, the Scimitar was used for atmospheric combat.

 

[Mjr. Whoopass]

In the battles Vs. the Vesuvius, the Bearcat is a better choice.

I should clarify that it's NOT the best choice on the mission you blow up the Vesuvius- just the ones where you engage fighters. You need lots of torps to blow that thing up. On that mission I took a Dragon, launched everything I had at it, took out all the fighters and turrets, allocated all my power to my weapons while I was inside the Vesuvius and shot at it for about an hour, finally I paperclipped the space bar, and left. After well over another hour, I checked on it, and the Vesuvius was STILL THERE with my guns blazing at it!

 

[ChrisReid]

I should clarify that it's NOT the best choice on the mission you blow up the Vesuvius- just the ones where you engage fighters. You need lots of torps to blow that thing up. On that mission I took a Dragon, launched everything I had at it, took out all the fighters and turrets, allocated all my power to my weapons while I was inside the Vesuvius and shot at it for about an hour, finally I paperclipped the space bar, and left. After well over another hour, I checked on it, and the Vesuvius was STILL THERE with my guns blazing at it!

Hmm.. I don't think that should happen. If you just go by the numbers, your guns will equal the damage output of the torpedoes long before you reach an hour. Maybe you were hitting the shields somehow. Try a Starburst Missile on the flight deck. That screws lots of stuff up.

 

[Mjr. Whoopass]

I couldn't understand how it could happen for the same reasons. I figured with the guns firing every second, it should've finished out all the armor. As I remember, I had made the whole carrier red, and had been aiming at the one spot inside the carrier with fission cannons and regular full guns for a LONG time (I used the slide so the fission cannons wouldn't knock me out of position). The only reason why I kept firing on it for about an hour is because I figured that any minute the carrier HAD to explode. That's when I put it back on regular full guns, put a paperclip on the spacebar and left (did quite a few things- dinner, etc.). As I remember, it was well over an hour- probably closer to two hours. I couldn't believe what I saw when I came back- it was STILL firing at that one spot! I can only guess that the shield (or core strength?) recharge rate must have been equal to or greater than the Dragon's full guns firing rate.

Try a Starburst Missile on the flight deck. That screws lots of stuff up.

Hmm.. never tried one of those- the Coneburst is the only missile I've used to any effect by firing at oncoming fighters (though I still prefer the more sure method of pulling up close behind and firing an imrec). The du for the cone/starburst shows as only about 100, so I've resorted to simply loading up an Avenger with dumbfires and firing all torps and full salvos at the Vesuvius and pressing autopilot when it blows up so the Hellcats don't get me. Is using a starburst really an effective method for that, or just fun to watch?

 

[ChrisReid]

Is using a starburst really an effective method for that, or just fun to watch?

Starburst to the flight deck is an extremely effective method for damaging ships with them.

 

[Edfilho]

Shouldn't he use a Flashpak on the Vesuvius?

 

[Lazy Panda]

Maybe he preferred to nuke Ella with it (I can understand so, outrun Ella IS probably the hardest mission even with Dragons).

 

[Mjr. Whoopass]

I've played through both ways, and nuking Ella is definitely the easiest. If you don't, you have to defend your carrier against waves of longbows, 2 cruisers, a destroyer, frigate, bearcats, etc..... whereas to blow up the Vesuvius all you have to do is load full salvos of dumbfires with the Avenger, fire all torps, order all wingmen to "attack my target", and the carrier will be destroyed on the first pass. Then the autopilot light pops up and the Avenger lands automatically. I asked about the starburst because I never found a good use for it. It makes sense though that if you fire and detonate it inside the carrier, it should hit all the walls, though I'm not certain that it's more powerful than dumbfires.

 

[JVTruman]

while we're on the subject of the Bearcat- I played a mission where I was allowed to select my fighter, but the Bearcat didn't come up as a choice (even though I flew it previously), was this because I brought it back with too much damage? I didn't get to choose the Bearcat again until the defecting Bearcat pilots.

If it was a MIP mission, you need hardpoints for those, so you can only use the Avenger (sometimes Vindicator). Also, in the mission that ends with the 'capture transport' part, you have to use a Border Worlds fighter so you'll have Leech cannons.

 

[Viper61]

Starburst to the flight deck is an extremely effective method for damaging ships with them.

I asked about the starburst because I never found a good use for it. It makes sense though that if you fire and detonate it inside the carrier, it should hit all the walls, though I'm not certain that it's more powerful than dumbfires..

Always found the coneburst to be a little more effective. IIRC, one coneburst detonated at close range and the Intrepid is toast (not sure about other capital ships, its been awhile).

C-ya

 

[Edfilho]

But "Outrun Ella" is probably the BEST mission in WC4, it is a waste of fun not playing it. Not to mention that it's the morally right choice.

 

[lorddarthvik]

Outrun Ella with a dragon is suicide, if yu ask me. The problem is mainly not the problem that they shoot at ya, the problem is they shoot at the intrepid Only speed was essential. Btw, i didn't knew there was a coneburst missile, and such extras... I never had the time till last year when i played through again

 

[Mjr. Whoopass]

Outrun Ella with a dragon is suicide, if yu ask me. The problem is mainly not the problem that they shoot at ya, the problem is they shoot at the intrepid Only speed was essential.

I think the Dragon is easily the best for Ella- especially if you play on nightmare difficulty level where you have to use afterburners to help you avoid missiles. You might be able to conserve your afterburners to use for defense against the Longbows, but it's easier just to take the Dragon so you have unlimited afterburners. After you take out a couple fighters, you can then move on to the attacking capships by cloaking until your torps get a lock, then uncloak and nail the cruisers/destroyer, then finish off the two or so fighters that you left by using your guns and the Intrepid.

 

[Lazy Panda]

News to the Bearcat in atmosphere debate: In Unknown Enemy, you can see a wing of Bearcats flying in a planetary atmosphere. This means, at least PopsiclePete thinks they are capable to fly on a planet.

 

[lorddarthvik]

I think the Dragon is easily the best for Ella- especially if you play on nightmare difficulty level where you have to use afterburners to help you avoid missiles. You might be able to conserve your afterburners to use for defense against the Longbows, but it's easier just to take the Dragon so you have unlimited afterburners. After you take out a couple fighters, you can then move on to the attacking capships by cloaking until your torps get a lock, then uncloak and nail the cruisers/destroyer, then finish off the two or so fighters that you left by using your guns and the Intrepid.

Sorry mate, but thats only theory Seems you never tried it... Your too slow Even with unlimited afterburners in a dragon... thats the simple point.
Bearcat in atmosphere: thats nice, i wanna build an RC foam plane with the shap of a WC fighter, but i still havent decided which. Hellcat looks nice for it!