Jetfighter IV: Fortress America Unofficial Strategy Guide and FAQ Edited by Kasey Chang released June 24, 2002 0 Introduction 0.1 A WORD FROM THE AUTHOR This is a just a strategy guide and FAQ. You won't learn how to play the game with this document. That job is for the manual. If you bought the cheap Globalstar Jewelcase version, the manual is a PDF file in the JetfighterIV directory. Otherwise, you should have a printed manual. This USG only covers the PC version since that's the only version that exists. This primarily covers the single-player campaign. If you need multiplayer, install Gamespy Arcade and check lobbies. Maybe signup for a few squadrons over at the Talonsoft web forum. Some of you may recognize my name as the editor for the XCOM and XCOM2: TFTD FAQ's, among others. If you like the guide, please send me $1.00 (one dollar) worth of stamps (or 3 first-class stamps, as by this time the price would have risen again). Address is in [0.2]. If you don't want to read the standard legalese, skip to [1.0] now. 0.2 TERMS OF DISTRIBUTION This document is copyrighted by Kuo-Sheng "Kasey" Chang (c) 2002, all rights reserved excepted as noted above in the disclaimer section. This document is available FREE of charge subjected to the following conditions: 1) This notice and author's name must accompany all copies of this document: "Jetfighter IV Unofficial Strategy Guide and FAQ" is copyrighted (c) 2002 by Kasey K.S. Chang, all rights reserved except as noted in the disclaimer." 2) This document must NOT be modified in any form or manner without prior permission of the author with the following exception: if you wish to convert this document to a different file format or archive format, with no change to the content, then no permission is needed. 2a) In case you can't read, that means TXT only. No banners, no HTML borders, no cutting up into multiple pages to get you more banner hits, and esp. no adding your site name to the site list. 3) No charge other than "reasonable" compensation should charged for its distribution. (Free is preferred) Sale of this information is expressly prohibited. If you see any one selling this guide, drop me a line. 4) If you used material from this, PLEASE ACKNOWLEDGE the source, else it is plagiarism. 5) The author hereby grants all games-related web sites the right to archive and link to this document to share among the game fandom, provided that all above restrictions are followed. Sidenote: The above conditions are known as a statutory contract. If you meet them, then you are entitled to the rights I give you in 5), i.e. archive and display this document on your website. If you don't follow them, you did not meet the statutory contract conditions, you have no right to display this document. If you still do so, then you are infringing upon my copyright. This section was added for any websites who don't seem to understand this. For the gamers: You are under NO obligation to send me ANY compensation. However, I do ask for a VOLUNTARY donation of one (1) US Dollar if you live in the United States. Send about $1.00 dollar's worth of stamps to "Kasey Chang, 2220 Turk Blvd. #6, San Francisco, CA 94118, USA". If you don't live in the US, please send me some local stamps. I collect stamps too. 0.3 DISTRIBUTION This USG should be available at Gamefaqs (http://www.gamefaqs.com) and other major PC game websites (such as gamesdomain.com, gamespot.com, etc.). I personally only release it to Gamefaqs.com so if you find it anywhere else, they got it from gamefaqs.com. To webmasters who wish to archive this FAQ on their website, please read the terms of distribution in section 0.2. It is quite clear. In case you can't understand it, it says "no modifications". This means you may NOT modify any bits of it! Read that carefully. It says exactly what it says. 0.4 OTHER NOTES There is no warranty for this unofficial strategy guide. After all, it depends on YOU the player. All I can do is offer some advice. PLEASE let me know if there's a confusing or missing remark... If you find a question about this game that is not covered in the USG, e-mail it to me at the address specified later. I'll try to answer it and include it in the next update. The address below is spelled out phonetically so spammers can't use spambots on it: Kilo-Sierra-Charlie-Hotel-Alpha-November-Golf-Seven-Seven AT Yankee-Alpha-Hotel-Oscar-Oscar DOT Charlie-Oscar-Mike To decipher this, simply read the first letter off each word except for the numbers and the punctuation. This is "military phonetics" or "aeronautical phonetics" in case you're wondering. 0.5 THE AUTHOR I am just a game player who decided to write my own FAQs when the ones I find don't cover what I want to see. Lots of people like what I did, so I kept doing it. Previously, I've written Unofficial Strategy Guides (USGs) for XCOM, XCOM2:TFTD, Wing Commander 3, Wing Commander 4, Spycraft, 688(I) Hunter/Killer. Mechwarrior 3, MW3 Expansion Pack, Need for Speed: Porsche Unleashed, Mechwarrior 4 and MW4: Black Knight, DS9: The Fallen, Rally Masters, and more. If you need to write me, send e-mail to address above. Any spam will be reported to respective authorities. 0.6 DISCLAIMER/ COPYRIGHT INFORMATION Jetfighter IV was developed by RD Software and Mission Studios, published by Take 2/ Talonsoft. This FAQ was not in any way endorsed or authorized by any of the companies mentioned. 0.7 REVISION HISTORY 25-MAR-2002 Initial release 06-APR-2002 Revised release 24-JUN-2002 Second revision, some clarifications, more FAQs, updated address 0.8 THE MOST FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (EXPANDED) Thanks to StingUSA on Talonsoft JF4 forum for most of the info here. Q: Can you send me Jetfighter IV (or portions thereof)? A: You can't afford $10? (Which is how much I paid for it) Maybe you shouldn't be playing. Q: Can you send me the manual (or portions thereof)? A: No. It's on the CD if you bought the jewelcase version. Q: Where is the manual exactly? A: If you have the Talonsoft (2 CD) version it's on CD#1 in the file named. JetFighter IV Manual English.pdf. If you have the Global Star (1 CD) version it's available as an install option when you install JF4. Q: Can you tell me how to play the game? A: Read the manual (see above) Q: Why is your FAQ shorter than other similar FAQs? A: I don't include stuff that's already in the manual. Q: Is your FAQ free? A: Yes, it is free. However, donation of $1.00 is appreciated. See end of [0.2]. Q: How many releases are there of JF4? A: Three (3). The initial Talonsoft release (2 CD's), the initial Globalstar release sometimes called GS1 (1 CD, with note about second CD NOT included), and the second Globalstar release (1 CD, equivalent to both of Talonsoft's CDs), called GS2. The Talonsoft version (TS) comes in a box. The Globalstar initial release (GS1) comes in jewelcase only, no paper manual. It also has an inserted note that says "hi-res CD not included". The jewelcase has Globalstar logo. The Globalstar second release (GS2) comes in jewelcase only, no paper manual. The jewelcase has Globalstar logo. Q: Does JF4 support WinXP? A: GS2 version does. Get the JEWELCASE version with the Globalstar logo on it. Please also read the WinXP checklist: http://www.talonsoft.com/ubb/Forum2/HTML/000282.html Q: I downloaded one of those WinXP updates and JF4 stopped working! A: Some of them have been known to kill JF4. Specifically, patch Q319580 and Q313484 seem to do this. If you have downloaded these updates, remove them with Add/Remove programs. They are others. [NOTE: this does NOT apply to Win2K] Q: Does JF4 support Win2K? A: Yes. Install it normally, then open JF4.INI and change simUseLoaderThread to 0. It probably says "1". Save the file and try to run the program. Q: Does JF4 support Win9X and WinMe? A: Yes. No changes are needed. You may want to secure latest video drivers. If you have problems with WinMe and JF4, please see the WinME checklist at http://www.talonsoft.com/ubb/Forum2/HTML/000595.html Q: Why can't the game find my CD? A: Please install the game from your HIGHEST drive letter. Also, if you got a "Cannot Find CD" error, you may have installed the older Patch 4 on the Globalstar version (which is PATCH 5). The only way to fix it is uninstall and reinstall. Q: I got an error about FRONTEND.DLL A: There is a known problem with ATI video cards 7000-8500 series with JF4 on WinME or Win9X. A fix for all except the 7000 has been developed. Go to the Talonsoft ubb for the fix. Also see the WinME checklist at http://www.talonsoft.com/ubb/Forum2/HTML/000595.html If you are NOT using an ATI video card, please go to the Talonsoft UBB for more help. Q: I got an error about D3D_INVALIDMODE A: You set your game resolution too high. Adjust it in JF4 Options/Graphics. Set the resolution to match the setting in Windows/Display/Properties (1024x768) is about optimum. Q: What are the patches for JF4? A: Latest is update 5, which adds XP compatibility. However, it is NOT available for download. The GS2 version already has the update applied. Just install and go. If you got the Talonsoft version, get patch 4 from their website. [If you have the GS2 release, do NOT apply patch 4! If you do, you'll get a "CD not found" error and you'll need to reinstall!] Q: Can I create my own JF4 missions? Campaigns? A: You can use the built-in random mission generator, but you can't edit your own campaigns. Q: Does JF4 support force feedback sticks? A: Yes it does. However, there have been some reported problems relating to USB peripherals. Try it first. Q: Why is my plane moving by itself? A: Please calibrate your joystick and try again. Q: Why I can't get my joystick to work? A: Controller ID must be #1 for JF4 to recognize it. You may need to disconnect any other controller and reassign the controller ID. Q: Why is my throttle stuck at 100% when I keep pushing 10%, 20%, and so on? A: Make sure you set your throttle to KEYBOARD control. Most joysticks nowadays have throttle control and that will override the keyboard settings if you left it on "joystick" throttle. Q: The war isn't finished at the end of the campaign. Is there more? A: A campaign disk and a "platinum" re-release were planned for May 2002, but was apparently cancelled. Mission Studios, the creator of JF4, was disbanded in 2001. Q: How about new "skins" for the fighters? A: The skins are in \JetFighterIV\Simdata\TEXTURES\TEXFULL or TEXHALF. There are several for each fighter in TGA (Targa) format. Find an editor and/or converter that can convert TGA to something your editor can handle. Remember to make a backup first. [Thanks to Grimm-USA and e-team-usa.org] Q: Where is this "second CD" that supposedly contained higher resolution textures? A: There are THREE different releases. The original Talonsoft release (TS) has 2 CD's. The first Globalstar release (GS1) has just the first CD with a note about "2nd CD not included". This version does NOT work with the 2nd CD from the Talonsoft release. The SECOND Globalstar release (GS2) managed to fit all of that onto a single CD with optional install of the "hi-res textures". Q: Where's a list of keyboard commands? A: See page 95 of the manual. Q: Are there difficulty levels? A: No, just turn on some or all of the "cheats" if the game's too hard. Q: Can I install both versions (Talonsoft version AND Globalstar version)? A: Yes you can, just install them in separate directories. However, please patch your existing version before attempting to install a new version. [Thanks to e-team-usa.org] Q: What if I have MORE problems? A: Please see the JF4 forum at http://www.talonsoft.com/cgi-bin/ubb/forumdisplay.cgi?action=topics&number=2&SUBMIT=Go 1 Game Information 1.1 IN THE BEGINNING. The Jetfighter series had a long history of being a "sim-lite". It has not much of flight model, but always phenomenal graphics. If you want to watch the planes and stuff blow up, this is the game to watch. The original Jetfighter came out back in 1989, when EGA was around. The successive versions keep improving the graphics. Then came Jetfighter II, Jetfighter III, Jetfighter: Full Burn (a cinematic version of JF3). Later there were compilation releases of JF3. Jetfighter IV is the latest version in the series. Basically, America was invaded by the "Coalition" of Russia, North Korea, and China in a well-coordinated surprise attack on multiple fronts, and you are one of the few defenders on the mainland ready to repel the invaders... The game features excellent graphics (still measures up today) including nearly photographic textures of the entire San Francisco Bay Area with all the noticeable landmarks, including Golden Gate Bridge, Transamerica Building, and more, all the way up to Lake Tahoe and Nevada region. 1.2 SIMILAR GAMES The modern equivalent to JF4 would be the Novalogic sims, which is also "sim-lite", heavy on graphics, light on flight model and weapons. The series includes Comanche (helicopter gunships) series, MiG-29, F-22 Lightning 3, and F-16. The last three are also available together as "Jet Pack". EA's USAF is also a decent title if you like "sim-lite". You also get to fly EIGHT different planes, not just 3, and with improved flight models and such. Supposedly the upcoming Falcon 5 will also be a sim-lite, but have options that will turn it into a true sim so it'll serve as all things to all people... We shall see. 1.3 SOME NOTES ON THE GAME The force feedback reportedly doesn't work, though this may have been fixed by the patches. Network play... Could be better, as there's no lobby or play matching service, unlike the Novalogic games. However, you CAN still find players. Visit the Talonsoft forums and you can find some "squadrons" recruiting. The game isn't that stable. Several times I was dumped back to desktop with some unknown error. At other times the game started behaving strangely. The campaign is a bit on the boring side, with just text briefings with voice-over. The missions are a joke with no relation to reality. In reality an EWACS would never allow any bogey to get within 100 miles of it. At range of 150 miles they would be squawking for help and their dedicated CAP (escorts) would be already engaging the bandits. In the missions, you can find UNIDENT bogeys as close as 50 miles from friendly aircraft. Weapons are way off, either too powerful or too weak. Mavericks can sink cruisers, while a bomb may or may not destroy a building. 1.4 SOME TROUBLESHOOTING NOTES A lot of people using USB joysticks or throttles have MAJOR problems with the game, esp. while using USB throttles. There is no fix at the time. If you are getting an error about frontend.dll, please get the latest patch. Those of you with WinXP should buy the GlobalStar version, NOT the boxed Talonsoft version. The GS version has XP specific fixes. There is a list of multipllayer bug. Please see e-team-usa.org's website. If you have WinXP problems, read the WinXP checklist at http://www.talonsoft.com/ubb/Forum2/HTML/000282.html If you have WinME problems, read the WinME checklist at http://www.talonsoft.com/ubb/Forum2/HTML/000595.html Checkout the JF4 forum at http://www.talonsoft.com/cgi-bin/ubb/forumdisplay.cgi?action=topics&number=2&SUBMIT=Go 2 Craft Review To be blunt, the 3 crafts in JF4, the F-14 Tomcat, the F/A-18 Hornet, and the F-22 Raptor are virtually IDENTICAL in flight. The only difference is their carrying capacity. Each craft has 3 different loadouts, which are listed here: 2.1 F-14 TOMCAT F-14 is primarily air-to-air, and carries the famous Phoenix missile. Strangely, it also has the biggest bomb load of any plane in the game in air-to-ground mode... 2.1.1 Fleet Defense 4 Phoenix, 2 AMRAAM, 2 Sidewinder 2.1.2 Air-to-Air 2 Phoenix, 4 AMRAAM, 2 Sidewinder 2.1.3 Multi-role 2 AMRAAM, 2 Sidewinder, 2 Mavericks, 4 GBUs 2.1.4 Air-to-ground 2 AMRAAM, 2 Sidewinder, 2 Mavericks, 2 Mk 82, 2 Mk 84, 4 GBU (This is COMPLETELY unrealistic, because F-14 Tomcats don't have a bombsight, much less carry more bombs than the F/A-18! Some F- 14's have been refitted with HUD symbology that helps in some bombing, and were known jokingly as "Bombcats".) 2.2 F/A-18 HORNET Hornet is mainly air-to-ground though it can do well enough in air-to-air. 2.2.1 Air-to-air 4 AMRAAM, 4 Sidewinder 2.2.2 Air-to-ground 2 AMRAAM, 2 Sidewinder, 2 Maverick, 2 Mk 82, 2 Mk 84, 2 GBU 2.2.3 Multi-role 2 AMRAAM, 2 Sidewinder, 4 Maverick, 4 GBU 2.3 F-22 RAPTOR Raptor is sort of in-between but carries less air-to-ground ordnance than the Hornet. 2.3.1 Multi-role 2 AMRAAM, 2 Sidewinder, 4 Maverick, 2 GBU 2.3.2 Air-to-air 4 AMRAAM, 4 Sidewinder 2.3.3 Air-to-ground 2 AMRAAM, 2 Sidewinder, 2 Maverick, 2 Mk 82, 2 Mk 84, 2 GBU 2.4 WHAT TO CHOOSE Air-to-air: take Tomcat, maybe Raptor Ground-attack / wild weasel: take Hornet (maybe Tomcat if you have MANY targets) Both air and ground: take Hornet or Raptor 3 Weapons Review 3.1 AIR-TO-GROUND 3.1.1 Maverick (Mav) Maverick is a guided missile that can be used against a variety of targets, though usually against vehicles and ships. In JF4 you can use Mav to kill ANY ship. Just require ONE hit. Keep in mind that in JF4 the range of a Mav is LESS THAN 6 miles. Do NOT shoot until you get the IN RNG signal. If you are going against tanks, try to attack from the sides. Do NOT fire if you see a ridgeline between you and the target. The missile is dumb enough to hit the ridgeline. 3.1.2 MK-82 bombs (Mk82) These free-fall bombs are simple to use: put the circle on the target, hit the release button, climb out. The problem mainly is accuracy. If you miss by a little, you may not kill the target. Use it against buildings and ships (though Mav is much better on ships). 3.1.3 MK-84 bombs (Mk84) The MK-84s are 2000-pound bombs, with a bigger blast radius. You can ensure destruction, and all sorts of things around it. It's also quite heavy. Use it exactly like the Mk 82's. Use it against a GROUP of buildings, or big ships. 3.1.4 GBU-82 (GBU) GBU-82 is a Paveway laser-guided bomb. You should drop it at about 2.5 miles out and watch the bomb hit the target... Beware that this may NOT always hit. Stabilize, THEN drop helps somewhat. Use LANTIRN for best results. Remember GBU is NOT powered (like a Maverick) so you need to drop it nice and smooth to get a good hit. 3.2 AIR-TO-AIR 3.2.1 Guns (LCOS) Your Vulcan cannon is a point-blank weapon. You need to be VERY close to score any hits. Try LESS than half mile. LCOS stands for "Lead Computing Optical Sight". In other words, just put the sight on the target, and press the trigger, and the bullets will go where you are aiming. 3.2.2 AMRAAM (AM) The AIM-120 AMRAAM is the most advanced missile in US arsenal, and has earned the name "Slammer" in Desert Storm. You shoot, the enemy get slammed and goes boom. Doesn't work quite THAT well in this game. AMRAAM is a radar-guided self-guiding fire-and-forget missile. It's usable range is like 12 miles. Remember NOT to shoot until you're IN RNG (when you get a red X in the target). 3.2.3 Sidewinder (SW) The AIM-9X advanced Sidewinder is the latest version of the Sidewinder that had been in service since the 1950's. Sidewinder is IR guided fire-and-forget missile. It's usable range is like 6 miles. Remember, do NOT shoot until you get IN RNG! 4 Common Tactics 4.1 LANTIRN USE To be honest, LANTIRN isn't that necessary. You can almost always find your target by pressing T several times. In the game, your craft ALWAYS have LANTIRN without loading a LANTIRN pod. You WILL need LANTIRN, however, when you don't get the targets when you press T several times. In that case, get within 10-20 miles of the target and use zoom to locate your target. When you get it, hit T to designate it. Then you can hit it with your guided weapons. Any know what the "Shift-D" and "D" mentioned in the manual is about? 4.2 SAM AVOIDANCE There are two schools of thought on SAM avoidance: very high, or very low. The very low people prefer nap-of-earth flying... Down among the trees, under 500 ft if you can. The SAM sites have problems locking on if you fly that low. However, AAA becomes a problem, and IR-homing SAMs can still get you. The very high people want to fly at over 10K. There would be no AAA. SAMs usually don't fly that high, but the radar-homing types do... And you CAN get hosed by SA-2's. When you see a warning of a missile, look at the radar map (to your left). A white dot should be coming toward the center of the circles. If it's not, you can ignore it. When the dot gets close (half way between the center and the inner circle), turn toward it QUICKLY and drop chaff or flare (depending on which type of missile, chaff for radar-guide missile and flare for heat-seeking missile). 4.3 FREE-FALL BOMBING Basically, you have to perform the modern equivalent of dive bombing. Go in at 5000-10000 ft. When you are 6 miles to target, start a shallow dive, and try to align the pipper (the circle) on the target. Give the plane a second or two to stabilize, THEN drop the weapon and pull away. If you don't stabilize, the weapons have a greater chance of missing the target. Also only release when the speed stabilizes, or you will end up overshoot or undershoot your target. 4.4 USE YOUR WINGMAN Your wingman seems to be a lot better in air-to-air than you can be. Send him against bogeys in the air. He'll take them down in no time, even fully loaded with bombs and stuff. Even in ground attacks, your wingman can distract the SAMs giving you a chance to strike. He's not too shabby in ground attack either. 4.5 SHOOT ENEMY FIGHTERS AWAY FROM SAMS You don't want to fight both threats at the same time. Instead, locate an empty spot with no enemy SAMs so you can take on the fighters without being bothered. 4.6 LAND THE PLANE YOURSELF You CAN just go back to base once the mission is complete (i.e. you've destroyed all the targets you need). However, landing is easy enough in JF4 you can do it yourself. Basically, let the autopilot take you all the way to RWY (runway), when you should be directly lined up on the runway. Slow to 30% throttle and watch your speed. When it's under 300, drop gear and flaps. Then aim for the end of the runway and try to control your speed to about 180, use airbrakes if you need to. When you're pretty close (under a mile), start pulling up and increase throttle to 40%. You should still be going down but your nose is above the horizon. When you hit the ground, cut throttle to none (the tilde key) and hit the brakes again. And you've landed! Landing on a carrier, however, is a something else entirely. Remember, you're landing on a "postage stamp" (essentially, when compared to the rest of the ocean). You don't even need to "call the ball" or "go in marshall" (circle around in the pattern). It's still VERY difficult. Just autoland on the carrier... 4.7 USE CHEAT IF YOU HAVE TO You can tell how many times the cheat was "needed" at the end of the mission. You can leave it activated and just keep playing as if it's not active. Then see how many times you really needed it... If you needed the cheat MANY MANY times even if you played your best, that mission was just too hard. If you only needed the cheat once or twice, maybe you could have done without it. 5 Campaign Missions I'll use some abbreviations like NKSF (North Korean Special Forces). I may not explain them all, but if you actually READ the briefing, you should know what I am talking about. And no, this is not a walkthru. If you can't hit broadside of a barn, this guide won't help you. Do the training missions (it's another "campaign") first. In general, just follow all the waypoints and you should be okay. When in doubt, head toward the next waypoint. 5.1 BOMBING 101 You're completing your bombing training and use of the LANTIRN system. OBJ1: Drop test bomb on WPT4, the bull's eye target, must kill bull's eye without damaging more than 2 other spheres. OBJ2: Drop on simulated substation between WPT7 and WPT8 without destroying any surrounding spheres using guided bomb. OBJ3: (hidden) fly back to base Take an F/A-18 with air-to-ground loadout. OBJ1 is simple enough. Follow the waypoints on autopilot. When you get close enough, go at 80% throttle, nose down slightly so you can put the piper on the target. Release when you got it right. OBJ2 is a bit tougher, as you must use GBUs, and you need to use LANTIRN to target properly. Of course, first you must FIND the target. Once you found it, designate it and then turn around and drop a GBU on it. When you're done, go back to base, and notice all the burning buildings. You're now at war. [NOTE: you don't get "mission accomplished" until you fly all the way back to the base.] 5.2 PAYBACK TIME North Korean Special Forces are escaping. Destroy them before they get away. OBJ1: Destroy the Humvee and the Tanker Truck located in the mountain pass near WPT3. OBJ2: Destroy the 747 on the airport runway near WPT4. OBJ3: Destroy the bomb plant and the three warehouses located near the airport. Take an F/A-18 with air-to-ground loadout. Take off when ready. Follow the waypoints. Note all the smoke on the ground. When you get close to OBJ1, your wingman will abort. It's all up to you now. The tanker and the humvee should be killed with Mavs. When you get close to the airport, you'll run into a lot of flak and SAMs. Drop the appropriate countermeasure when they get close. Drop a Mk 82 on the 747 sitting on the ground, then drop a Mk 84 on the factory. With any luck, one bomb can take out all four buildings. If not, follow up with smaller bombs. RTB when complete. 5.3 FINDERS KEEPERS Apparently some tanks and APCs stolen from National Guard armory are moving toward Reno. Destroy them. OBJ: Destroy 3 tanks coming up I-80 approaching Reno. Take an F/A-18 or F-22 with multi-role loadout (Mavs and GBUs). Take off and follow the waypoints. You'll notice a lot of targets on the air-to-air radar. Start interrogating them (switch to them). You'll notice some remain UNIDENT while others show aircraft type. Target the closest UNIDENT, and send your wingman after it (ALT-G). They will be a bit far away, so just get there when you can. Several friendlies will be shot down when the Russians (Su-37's and MiG-44's) start to run wild. Help your wingman and friendlies take out the bandits. Continue toward target area, which is I-80 in the hills. You will encounter some SAMs. Drop GBU or Mav on each tank until all three are dead. RTB (return to base). 5.4 ROCKY MOUNTAIN SLAM NKSF are entrenched near Lake Tahoe with SAMs. Support the effort to eliminate them by removing their power. OBJ: Destroy the occupied cabin and the power station at the shore of Lake Tahoe Take an F/A-18 with air-to-ground loadout Take off, but do NOT follow the waypoint. Instead, head 110 and make gradual right turns, stay to "left" of the waypoint route. This way, you'll avoid most of the SAM. If you do follow the waypoint, you'll run out of chaff and flares before you get to the target, and while you try to avoid the SAMs the MiGs will get you. At about half-way to the target, two MiG-44's start getting close to you. If you have stayed away from the SAMs, find a good place to jump them and destroy them. You should be able to take on both, even without your wingman. Continue to the lake. The two targets are in the valleys, but watch out for SAMs and flak. Cabin is easy to hit with Maverick, while the substation must be hit with a bomb (Mk-84 if you got one). You have to approach the substation from the lake side as it is VERY difficult to see. RTB when complete. 5.5 WILD WEASEL Help destroy the NKSF base near Yosemite, but first you must take out the SAM sites... OBJ1: Destroy the guerilla camp located near the head of Yosemite Valley (WPT4). OBJ2: Destroy the two SAM sites located on mountain peaks near WPT5 and WPT6. Take an FA/18 with Multi-role loadout (4 Mavs and 4 GBUs). Take off and follow the waypoints. When your wingman peels off start doing NOE flying into the canyon in front of you. You'll see a lot of flak, but just keep flying through the canyon, dodging flak and missiles. When you see the HQ, you'll only be 3 miles away. Shoot the Maverick and pull up. Even if you missed, you have to keep going. There are 3 MiGs in the air coming after you. Send your wingman after them and help him out with your missiles while flying away from the SAMs. When you take out all 3, take out the HQ if you haven't done so. Then climb away from the SAMs and go after the 2 other SAM sites that you need to kill. After that, RTB. This mission can be EXTREMELY difficult as you'll be surrounded by SAMs and you need to fight some air threats as well. Use the invulnerability cheat if you need to. 5.6 CLEAN SWEEP Kill anything that's not ours. OBJ: Conduct fighter sweep of designated waypoints Take F-14 or F-22 loaded with max AA missiles. F-14 would be a better choice here. As you get close to WPT2, you'll start noticing some UNIDENT targets. Lock it up. As soon as you get HOSTILES DETECTED, let your wingman loose. You'll be shooting 3 separate waves of bogeys in groups of 2 each, both Su-37's and MiG-44's. One of the waves will be coming from the North, where Delta wing in F-22's should already be engaging. Help them if you can. When you're done, RTB. 5.7 FISH IN A BARREL Coalition forces have taken over the old Moffet field and here's pay back. Destroy all the Coalition planes on the ground (bombs, lots of bombs). OBJ: Destroy the enemy planes at old Moffet field Take F-18 with air-to-ground loadout. You need the Mk 84's for big damage, and some guided weapons. When you get close, you run into some bogeys... Some Chinese H- 6's and MiG-42's. Send in your wingman and help him out. When you get to the target, some of the planes you need to shoot have taken off. Take them out (send your wingman in F-22). Then use LANTIRN to designate the aircrafts and use one Mav or GBU on each. Or if you can, drop one bomb between the contacts. Feel free to wipe out the rest of the planes, including a 747 in takeoff position, some H-6 bombers, and so on. Wipe them all out, then RTB. The flak is not that dangerous. Feel free to use "reload munitions" cheat as you may not have enough to get good hits on all the targets you want. 5.8 DISPERSING RADS NKSF have taken over Lawrence Livermore National Laboratories. They may have taken the nuclear material cached onsite. You are authorized to BLAST THEM ALL to make sure NKSF don't get it. OBJ1: Destroy the cargo carriers on the airport tarmac at WPT5. OBJ2: Destroy the vault on the grounds of the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. OBJ3: Destroy all enemy aircraft that vector to you after attacking the Laboratory. Take F-18 or F-22, multi-role loadout. Take off and follow the waypoints. You may have to take out a MiG or two. Send your wingman to do it. When you get close to the airport, flak should open up. Target the RadMatrl and you should see the APC targeted. Shoot a Maverick at it. Then continue to take out the Vault with a GBU. Feel free to circle back to the airport and take out the towers and the H-6 on the ground. Circle the area and engage any air threats you see. Some MiGs should join the party. When the waypoints are cleared, head toward WPT7. You should see 2 Su-37's pop up. However, the F-18's acting as escort should have caught up by now. Help them take out the Sukois and you can RTB. 5.9 D-DAY Coalition forces are landing on the West Coast. We must bleed them quickly. OBJ: Destroy at least 6 of the vehicles or ships near the beach between WPT3 and WPT4. Take off as usual. You will be joined by beta wing, with more Hornets and Raptors. You get another section of Raptors (total of 8 aircrafts), but you can't control them. As you get close and you start noticing enemy planes on the radar, you'll see many Sukhois and MiGs (total of 6-8). Beta should peel off and go after their targets. Send your wingman after them, closest first. You can take care of the few that gets through him. After that, it's steady bombing of the landing ships. You should see like 5 lined up in a row, plus a few APCs on the beach itself. Slow to like 50% throttle and start launching Mavs as soon as you're in range. You can nail 2 in each pass before you need to dodge SAMs. The three that are marked are easy. Use LANTIRN to mark the two ships that are NOT automatically designated and shoot them too. When you run out of Mavs, drop GBUs (you'll need to get closer). After that, use LANTIRN to check the land near the ships, you may spot some K-60 landing crafts. Take them out too. If you prefer going after ships, follow the Bay Bridge (the gray bridge) and you'll see two MORE landing ships. Bomb them too and you should get six hits easy. Beware that ships can launch SAMs, and there may still be MiGs in the area. Once you got all six and used up all your AG ordnance, RTB. 5.10 CAUGHT FLATFOOTED Surprise enemy air attack. Scramble! OBJ: Destroy all enemy aircraft found within a 20 NM radius of the airfield. Take any craft, air-to-air loadout. This one is NOT fun. You start on the sides and you have to find the runway to take off. If you just hit full throttle you'll never take off as you can't go above 100 knots on the ground (in real-life, you'll rip out your gear first). So go forward slowly, turn onto runway, and take off quickly. Once you're up, go after the multiple MiGs and Sukhois (6-8 of them altogether) that are over your airfield. Once you've got them all, the mission is over. 5.11 LIGHTS OUT Coalition forces are still on the move. Take out the power plant to slow them down. OBJ1: Destroy the power plant and power substations located at WPT1. OBJ2: Destroy any air resistance. OBJ3: Follow any orders given by AWACS in the air. Its orders override all others. Take F-18, air-to-ground loadout, as you'll need some Mk-84's to bomb the powerplant. On the other hand, if you want to "exploit", then take an F-14 (yes, F-14) with Air-to-Ground loadout (see that it has the max number of weapons?) Take off and go 100% throttle. When you see an UNIDENT contact, tell your wingman to engage it. They are too close to the AWACS. On the way to the target, you'll run into an Ivan Rogov-class landing craft. Take it out with a Maverick as it'll be close to your target and you don't have time to mess with it while you're bombing. The 3 substations and the plant are widely separated so you need to drop one bomb on each. If you have the GBUs (and with F-14, you should) drop one on each. Fly straight at it, and hit release as it passes below your nose. Use LANTIRN to confirm the hit. When you take out the ground targets, and if the AWACS is still alive, you'll get orders to take out some slow lumbering targets... 3 troop transports (shows as GETC when you lock on) escorted by 3 MiGs. Send your wingman after the MiGs and you go after the transports use your missiles to kill them quickly. After you take care of all of them, RTB. 5.12 SHADES OF MIDWAY Locate one of the two Coalition Carrier Groups near the West Coast... Then make it to our CVN alive. OBJ1: Fly within 12-15 NM of a Coalition carrier group AND receive the message "Carrier task force identified." OBJ2: Reach the safety of the CVN George Washington task force (within 2 NM). Take F-14 with air-to-air loadout. You'll need a LOT of missiles. Take off normally. You'll be joined by your wingman in F-22. Just keep flying your waypoints. If enemy fighter comes close, kill it. Otherwise, just keep flying as you get close to WPT6. You can zoom in to see an oil rig or two as the brown dots. Use LANTIRN to watch them. If you have radar in 20-mile range, you should see 2 brown dots close together. If you don't, keep flying toward WPT7. When you do find it, and see the enemy fighters, turn RIGHT 45 degrees. Somewhere in front of you is the enemy carrier task force with a whole SLEW of ships (a BIG blob of brown dots, and I mean MORE THAN A DOZEN). When you can see that blob on radar, and get the message "Carrier Task Force Identified", it's time to "get out of Dodge". By this time you'd be dodging SAMs left and right, as two to three ships will be shooting at you, PLUS incoming MiGs and Su- 37's. Turn toward an empty sector and hit zone 5 afterburner (AB5) and dive to 500 ft or lower and just fly AWAY as fast as possible. Your job is to GET AWAY. When the fighters catch up with you, turn and fight. Then keep running away. If you take out 2-4 fighters you should be clear. Then just follow the waypoints to the CVN... Get close enough, and if you want to chance a carrier landing, go for it. Else just end the mission. 5.13 WE'RE GOING IN Alpha strike is ordered on the Chinese Task Force. Hit them now while you have the surprise. Reduce the SAM ships so the next wave has a chance of punching through. OBJ: You and your attack group must destroy at least 3 SAM- equipped ships. Basically, go after cruisers, destroyers, and frigates. Bring Mavs. GBUs don't seem to hit ships that well. You'll see a lot of oil platforms, tankers, container ships, and even replenishment ships. Do NOT shoot those. They are there to waste your missiles. Instead, look for the Jianhu frigates and the Kirov cruiser, and whatever destroyers you see. They look different from the rest. They also shoot SAM at you. Designate them and shoot ONE Maverick at each. Somehow, ONE Mav is enough to destroy a cruiser in JF4. Keep designating targets until you run out of Mavs. Let the F-14's deal with the air threats, but beware of any one who got past them. You can't dodge SAM and fighters at the same time. You can try dropping GBUs on targets of opportunity, but I can't seem to get a hit with GBUs. Consider coming at the ships LENGTH- wise so slightly short/long drop will still hit. Once you're out of ammo and you got the required ships you can go home. 5.14 SUDDEN IMPACT The task force is weakened, time to finish the carrier off. You must use Mk 82 or Mk 84, as the lighter bombs won't penetrate the flight deck (never mind the Intel!) OBJ1: Score a hit on the Coalition aircraft carrier located near WPT2. OBJ2: Reach the safety of the CVN George Washington task force (within 15 NM). Well, as you can guess, this sounds simple, but is not. Before you can within 30 miles of the enemy carrier, you see a SLEW of enemy fighters in a pincer movement, coming in from left, right, and front, both MiG-42's and Sukhoi-37's. Your wingman will probably "buy it" as you try to break through. The carrier itself has 2 escorts hugging its sides, and they will hose the sky with AAA AND launch SAMs. Send your wingman in if he's still there. Dive and arm Mk 84s. Dive at 70% throttle with brakes should put the pipper JUST below the nose cross hair. When you're close enough, drop and climb out (brakes off). Then run for it. Two more MiGs will probably appear behind you and chase you. Get away from the escorts, take out the MiGs, then you're home free. 5.15 CLEANUP The carrier has left (wounded), but enemy ships remain in the area. Expect enemy air cover. OBJ: Destroy the minelayer before it reaches the shipyard. Pretty simple mission. Your wingman is in a Tomcat, so let him take on the MiGs. And you'll see quite a few MiGs. 2-3 MiG-44s to start, plus some Su37's over the target area. You just find that minelayer and put a Maverick into it. Two (2) Rogov's and 2 Jianhu's (all of them shoot) will escort it. When you do that, feel free to put additional Mavericks into the other ships if you want to chance it, otherwise, just end the mission. 5.16 BAY WATCH Escort Beta and Delta flights on their strike routes. OBJ1: Ensure survival of Beta and Delta throughout the flight path. OBJ2: Delta's target at the shipyard near WPT3 must be destroyed. OBJ3: Beta's target of a hidden base at WPT4 must be destroyed. Take F-14, air-to-air loadout. All your threats are MiGs and Su37's. There are a few SAM shooters, but they can be dodged. Take off and rendezvous with Beta and Delta flights at WPT2 (you'll see a few SAMs on the way). Just shoot any MiGs that show up. As you approach WPT2 you'll see 2 S37's suddenly pop up at 10 miles as they take off. Kill them immediately. Then send your wingman against any one that pop up at 20 miles to north and northwest. Epsilon flight to your west is engaging other bandits. Just keep shooting bandits until you nail all that are in Beta and Delta's path. Once Delta made its Mav runs, you can pretty much ignore it. Beta will then go after its target. Once they're both done, you can end the mission. 5.17 JOHNNY ON THE SPOT US Ground forces attacking north from Southern California have met stiff resistance. Take out this tank column that's holding them up. OBJ: Destroy all tanks in your targeting computer near WPT2. Take Raptor with multi-role loadout. Take off normally. While on the way, you'll run into 4 fighters in 2 groups of 2. Split them with your wingman. Then take out a bomber (H-6) and a recon (Tu-126 Moss) in your way. There are actually FOUR tanks you need to take out. Use both Mavs and GBUs if you got them. Send your wingman in if you need to. You'll need to take out two MORE fighters if you want to fly your way back. You may be short on missiles, so learn to use your guns. Land at Castle AFB for your next assignment. 5.18 EARLY URBAN RENEWAL To cut off Coalition supply routes, the two landmark bridges must be destroyed. (What a pity.) OBJ1: Destroy the San Mateo Bridge at WPT4. OBJ2: Destroy the Golden Gate Bridge at WPT5. Take F-22 with multi-role loadout. San Mateo Bridge isn't that well protected, but you'll run into a few fighters here and there, and quite a few SAMs. Golden Gate Bridge however, is covered by 2 S37's and 2 MiG44's. You need to be VERY stingy with your missiles as you send your wingman after the fighters. Split them when possible. One Maverick into each bridge is enough. After you take out the GGB, you'll see more fighters. Kill them and land, or just end the mission. 5.19 FINISHING TOUCH The damaged Coalition carrier is back... And here's your chance to finish it off. OBJ: Score a hit on the Coalition aircraft carrier located near WPT7 Take F-18 or F-22 with multi-role loadout. You'll have a hard time making your way to WPT6, as the area is CRAWLING with SAM sites and there are fighters all over the place. When you get close to WPT6 you'll see 4 fighters flying CAP. When you finally get there, you can send your wingman after the others while you make a full throttle run on the Chinese carrier, the CVN Zhang (listed as Zhang on the target). Shoot a Mav at it and scoot. You'll need to dodge additional fighters getting away so you may just want to end the mission here. 5.20 DOUBLE TROUBLE The enemy recon flight found us. Two strike groups are inbound, but there's a gap between them. If you kill them quickly, you can land, rearm, and relaunch before the second group arrives... OBJ1: Destroy all Coalition aircraft encountered. OBJ2: Protect major U.S. task force ships from damage. Definitely take the F-14 or the Raptor, load up on the best missiles (AMRAAM or Phoenix). I prefer the Tomcat as you can carry Phoenix missiles. Tomcat with Fleet Defense loadout is probably the best combo. Launch as normal. Then you get within range (say, 20 mph), send in your wingman, and start ripple launch the Phoenix. Target, shoot. Target, shoot. Ripple off all four, then switch to AMRAAM, send your wingman against a fifth, and wait for the result. You should get two hits out of four, if not more. Then kill the leaker with your wingman. Then land quickly, rearm and take off again, and repeat the performance. You'll need to kill everybody in the wave or the mission won't end. Chase down the leakers if you need to. 5.21 WILD WEASEL 2 Need to take out some SAM sites south of San Francisco that has been hindering operations. OBJ: Destroy all four SAM sites in your targeting computer between WPT5 and WPT6. Take F-18 with multi-role loadout. Take off. Do NOT engage the closest fighters. Instead, go maximum speed and fly the waypoints. If the enemy comes too close, kill it. Otherwise just fly the waypoints and let Beta flight (4 F- 18's) to kill the MiGs for you. If MiGs get close, hit the afterburners. When you're close, pull up so you can see the SAM sites, then slow down and put one Mav into each while using your wingman on others. If you miss, reattack with GBUs. When you take out all 4, you can go home or try to kill any MiGs still in the air. If you attack MiGs early, you can lose your wingman. 5.22 FLY HIGH, AIM LOW Ground strike against targets in Richmond (NE of SF). OBJ: Destroy the three targets listed in your targeting computer. Take F-18 or F-22 with multi-role loadout. Take off normally and follow the waypoints at 60% or 70% speed, let Beta flight clear the path of fighters. Your wingman, in F- 22, is having a bad day and he won't respond to commands as you get close to the target. When you get close, target the closest structure you need to hit (hint: it's NOT the first one), then shoot a Mav. You may be able to hit all three before you need to pull away if you slow WAY DOWN (and hit the brakes). After all three are done, just land. 5.23 PROTECTING ONE'S OWN Rescue CAP... Destroy enemy fighters harassing our Rescue choppers. OBJ1: Destroy all enemy air power on your way to WPT2. OBJ2: Ensure the safe return of the Sea King helicopters located at WPT2. Take F-14 with Fleet Defense or air-to-air loadout. Take off and fly the waypoints. You'll see 6 enemy fighters in 3 groups of 2 each. Shoot all of them down, and wait for the Sea King to report it is back to the carrier, and that's it! 5.24 FIRST TIME Raid on SFO, which is now a major Coalition airbase with lots of defenses OBJ: Destroy the 3 targets scattered at the airport. While the briefing says to take Mavs, don't. Instead, take the air-to-ground loadout. You need Mk84's to kill all the targets in ONE pass. You'll see a TON of fighters on the way. Take F-22 with air-to- ground loadout. Fly your waypoints at 90% speed, which should be just behind the F-14's that'll be flushing the target area. However, more will be taking off constantly. Send your wingman against the closest ones that got past the 2 Tomcats. Fly in at 5000 or higher, dodge SAMs, and drop both Mk 84's into that big terminal that you see, try to spread them out a little, one on each side. That should be enough to take out all 3 targets. Then just get the heck out of there or you'll be dead before you know it. 5.25 DOCKSIDE DESTRUCTION Destroy docks to further limit Coalition supply routes. OBJ1: Destroy the dock by WPT5. OBJ2: Destroy the shipyard by WPT6. Pretty simple mission, take a Raptor with multi-role loadout. You'll have 4 wingmen (only one you can control though). Just fly your waypoints. Your wingmen knows when to engage. Send the one under your control against any leakers. You just shoot those Mavs where they belong. The dock can be a bit hard to kill with Mavs. Shoot them from higher up. Shipyard can be easily killed with a GBU if you're out of Mavs. Then go back and land on Castle AFB. 5.26 GOING DOWNTOWN The target is downtown San Francisco... Where the Coalition have established a HQ. OBJ: Destroy the Coalition command and control center listed on your targeting computer. Take off and join the group. Try to set your throttle at about 70% to pace the rest of the group. Then the leader says split, afterburners, shoot the Mav at the target when in range, then RUN! You'll be surrounded by MiGs (at least 4). As soon as you hit the target, end the mission! 5.27 SECOND TIME Escort another raid at SFO. OBJ: Ensure the safety of the F-22's as they destroy the remaining infrastructure of the San Francisco International airport. Take F-14 or F-22 in air-to-air loadout. Take off from the carrier, and you'll see a group of enemy planes attacking. Take them out immediately so the attack group can take off. Then immediately full speed to WPT1 (when you get the message) and destroy any other enemy aircraft in the area. The other F-22's will take off and make their Maverick runs on the target. Then the mission should be over. 5.28 FURBALL Fighter sweep over San Francisco Bay Area, kill anything that's not ours. OBJ: Destroy all enemy fighters. F-14 with fleet defender or air-to-air loadout is god. Just launch and fly through all the waypoints. You should see a bandit at about 30 miles out, send your wingman after it, and kill its wingman also. Then follow the rest of the team into a huge furball. You will get like 6 kills if you have enough missiles, others will get quite a few kills also. Remember to designate enemy for your wingman. When coast is clear, you can land. 5.29 CAMEL'S BACK CVN Teddy Roosevelt drove off the other Coalition task force with a surprise strike. This is our chance to finish off this task force once and for all. OBJ: Destroy the remaining Coalition carrier. Take F-22 with multi-role loadout. As you take off, you'll meet up with the other F-14's and F-18's. Kill any aircraft you see. Some of them, esp. S37's, are on attack run to the Teddy. Just kill everything in the sky, sending your wingman into the action. Once you've cleared the sky of enemy fighters, make your run on the enemy carrier. You only need to land ONE Mav to win. 5.30 EX-CRUISE ME Destroy the Coalition frigate, and destroy any incoming cruise missiles (no, it's not in the briefing) OBJ1: Destroy the Coalition frigate anchored in the Bay. OBJ2: Destroy all missiles threatening the task force. Take F-22 with multi-role loadout. You don't get a wingman, so you have to take the AG weapons yourself. Take off and take out the fighters in your way, but save at least TWO missiles. Approach the frigate at maximum speed. Shoot the Mavericks off in range, and you should get message about the cruise missiles taking off from the frigate. Make sure the frigate is dead. You should see two cruise missiles (and the message will also say so). One of them may hit the bridge. Just shoot any that are left with your missiles. When the frigate and 2 missiles are gone, you're done. 5.31 TURKEY SHOOT Coalition non-fighter crafts are all leaving. Destroy them before they get away. OBJ: Destroy all large, non-fighter, aircraft. NOTE: If you destroy ALL the enemy planes here, you win directly, and don't see the next mission. Take F-14 with fleet defender or air-to-air loadout. You'll see a TON of enemy aircrafts, mainly TU-126, H-6, A501, and other big lumbering planes... And they actually have flares. Shoot them from a distance, as they do try to dodge you if you get too close, and it's easy to overshoot. There are 10-20 of them, a lot more than you have missiles. Some will probably get away. Get your wingman into the fight ASAP, and try to fly THROUGH them to force them to turn back so the other fighters have a chance to catch up. They don't shoot back, so you just need to worry about SAMs. Just kill as many as you can. 5.32 CLEAN UP, CLEAN UP Coalition forces are slowly giving ground and their air cover is shrinking. This is the final push. OBJ1: Destroy all enemy aircraft. OBJ2: Destroy any ground vehicles targeted in your targeting computer. OBJ3: When the stand down order is given, land triumphantly at San Francisco International Airport. Take F-22 with multi-role loadout. Not that many enemy left. Take off and take out any fighters in your way, kill a few ground targets, a few more air cover... Then land at SFO, and you've won! 6 Multiplayer As each "squadron" would have different rules, it's pretty pointless to list them. JF4 uses Gamespy Arcade for lobby and game matching. Visit the Talonsoft UBB and see which squadron is hiring. Any one has suggestions for this section?