As a dedicated Air Simulator player, I want to address what I believe is the single biggest factor holding back aggressive, enjoyable gameplay in BR 11.0 and below: the complete lack of reliable identification for allied planes, especially those without IFF.
When you are flying an aircraft without IFF, which applies to the vast majority of Rank VII and below, you cannot engage an enemy with any degree of confidence beyond absolute visual range. This forces you into a purely defensive mindset, even when piloting a capable fighter or strike aircraft. Take the USSR BR 11.7 lineup as a prime example. The MiG-27M and MiG-27K carry good R-60M missiles with real offensive potential, yet that potential is almost entirely wasted because you simply cannot risk a launch unless you are close enough to visually confirm the target’s silhouette. You are left hesitating, holding your fire, and ultimately flying to survive rather than to fight. It affects every player who steps into a pre-IFF jet, turning what should be thrilling interception scenarios into anxious guessing games.
We already have a tool for this: the radio command menu, which allows you to ask a teammate for their identification. This is how it usually works:
1.When you hear a location ping, you check the map right away. If that ping is on your position, your immediate response should be to send the ‘Follow me’ radio command. This marks your location, letting the other player know you are friendly.
2.On the other hand, if you send out a ping and receive no reply, do not automatically treat the contact as hostile. The friendly may have missed the ping, be occupied with a dogfight, or simply not know how to respond, or maybe they just do not care.
3.So you are left with no choice but to fall back on visual identification. But if I see an F-104, how do I know which F-104 it is? I do not memorise every single detail of every aircraft variant, and neither do most players.
In theory, the radio system is a good solution. In practice, however, it almost never works. On my server, particularly in SEA, teammates simply do not respond. They may not even bother to learn these commands in the first place. By the time you receive a reply, if you ever do, the engagement opportunity has long since passed. As a result, the only truly safe option left is to avoid player combat entirely and spend the match farming AI ground targets or static bombers. This is exactly why you see so many players in low- and mid-tier Sim matches adopting a purely PvE playstyle. One reason is that PvE carries zero risk of a friendly-fire penalty, whereas a single misidentified missile shot can cost you thousands of Silver Lions.
I would like to propose a simple solution in Air Simulator Battles, friendly aircraft should always be visible on the tactical map. I am not asking for enemy markers, HUD icons, or any form of target tracking that would compromise the immersive fog-of-war that defines Simulator mode. I am asking only for a clear indication of where my teammates are located at any given moment. This would allow a pilot to cross-reference a visual or radar contact against the tactical map, instantly determining whether that is a friendly returning to base or an enemy trying to flank. It would enable pilots to plan their attacks with confidence, knowing they will not accidentally fire into a friendly. It would allow short-range IR missiles like the R-60M or AIM-9L to be used at their intended engagement , rather than forcing players to wait until they are within less than a kilometre for visual identification before pulling the trigger.
It does not reveal any enemy positions whatsoever. It does not simplify radar operation or give players an unfair advantage in situational awareness.
The current state of Air Simulator mode forces a large portion of the player base to fly with their hands tied behind their backs until they reach BR 12.0 or higher, where IFF becomes more common. This is not healthy for the game mode, nor is it fair to the many players who want to engage in dynamic PvP combat but are held back by a purely informational gap. By simply adding permanent friendly markers to the tactical map, we would reduce team-kill frustration, encourage much more aggressive and exciting engagements, and steer the meta away from the “PvE farming” culture that currently dominates the low- to mid-tiers. I genuinely believe this is one of the smallest changes Gaijin could make with the largest positive impact on the Air Sim experience.
- Yes
- No
