BF2S Forums Do the attack choppers suck in SF?

JaggedPanther wrote:

Flaming_Maniac wrote:

The Apache is the best ground-rape chopper in the game, and only behind the cobra and maybe Z-10 slightly in the air superiority department. Hind does suck nuts though at anything but strafing.

Hind gunner position is where I got my kill streak. You just have to anticipate the pilot doing the circle of death, the circle of squeeze etc and not lose focus

The_Jester wrote:

People just need to learn the differences.
Main problem is the TV box, as it is BELOW the gunner view stuff on the hud. So it happens often to have some leet-colonel-cool-pilot-wannabe who thinks he's lining you perfectly, but all you can see is the ground.

The second big problem is the maps' layout. Ghost Town is not Sharqi. Most of the time you are in the firing range of two, three or even four AA sites, plus the mobile AA.
On Mass Destruction there are less AA sites (max 2 can lock on you simultaneously in some points of the map), but the fog makes it hard anyway. Viewing distance is below 100 meters. Antiair don't need to see you and missiles come literally out of nowhere.
Surge is a mix of G-Town and Mass Destruction. Spetsnaz team has a Tunguska and there are many anti-air sites (2 flags only don't have their stinger), but flags are not so concentrated, so multiple locks happen rarely (usually when flying between Command Bunker and one of the two side flags-don't remember the names). Viewing distance is still a problem, but not so hindering as on Mass D.
All maps (except Iron Gator) are full of stuff like trees, chimneys, antennas and generally high buildings. So unexperienced pilots are bound to crash A LOT.

Third, many people don't like how the Hind handles. It tends to "drift" a lot, so many pilots used to vanilla choppers can't control it properly. Personally, I love its "sluggish" control combined with the uber-powerful main engine. These characteristics make it the ultimate "circle of death" killing machine, and it's super easy to go from full speed straight moving to circle strafing at any given moment.

The Hydra rockets are too far apart and make it hard to kill enemy choppers or tanks (4 are enough to kill a mobile AA, so just aim with a side on the target and fire all missiles: 4 from one side will miss by far, but 4 from the other side destroy the anti-air). The splash damage is huge: spamming all missiles is like a mini carpet-bombing, and if the gunner is handicapped or blind or both, the pilot can easily kill swarms of infantry anyway.

So, to answer your question, no. SF choppers do not suck. They are just different and need some practice. I personally am a Hind master, but half-handicapped with different choppers.
And knowing the maps' configuration is more important on SF. Iron Gator is somewhat easier to fly on. Just destroy the antiair and win the first dogfight. Then it's rapage time.

-=raska=- wrote:

Apache : best chopper in bf2 vanilla and sf included, incredibly maneuverable and turns on a dime. Rockets close to the body so its easier to take down enemy choppers and tanks. However its main rotor is weaker than the one on the hind, but the tail rotor is stronger so rotation is easier.

Hind : Uber strong main rotor : you can tilt the chopper at 45 degrees and it wont lose altitude, but at the other hand, the helicopter is pretty sensible to "lateral tilting" so it will tend to strafe. Its tail rotor is pretty weak, and doesnt allow for quick rotation and this is the reason why people hate it. Rockets are far from the body so there are inacurate.

globally, hydra rockets on sf attack chopper have a much wider splash damage than the ones on vanilla, but they are not stronger against tanks.

Tv view is the same but the camera is lowered, obligating the pilot to rise the nose a bit more than on vanilla.

finally, the hind sucks but it is a lot fun to solo with it on ghost town. The apache owns, nuff said....