you are correct, the F-16 is great when it is put in its proper BR range (even in normal up-tiers), it’s an Extremely effective and super fun jet. But IMO the biggest issues are the times when my poor viper gets put into the same games as the SU-30 (if either a debug error or a freak up-tier.) and how horribly compressed 12.0-13.0 currently is.
Have to agree that the F-16A feels pretty awful to play after revisiting it.
It’s an incredible dogfighter and will easy win almost every 1 on 1 for the same BR, but it’s living in a missile boat world.
You can’t afford to dogfight people because you will get third partied unless you’re the last two people alive or you’re so far away from the rest of the teams that it doesn’t matter.
9Ls are useless against anyone who isn’t asleep at their keyboard unless you’re directly behind an enemy sub 1km who isn’t maneuvering while flaring.
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The F-16A, equipped only with the AIM-9L and facing BR 13.0–13.3 opponents in 80–90% of its battles, is one of the most disadvantaged aircraft in the game; perhaps only the F-104 is in a worse situation…
It’s sad to see, because it’s a wonderful fighter with one of the best flight models in the game, but what good is that when it constantly has to contend with much better-armed aircraft firing long-range missiles/IRCCM missiles?
I really don’t know what the problem would be for Gaijin to introduce a specific BR for it—let it stay at 12.3, but have it matchmake within the 11.7 to 13.0 range, or—for God’s sake—just finally extend the Battle Rating scale to 15.7.
Edit:
I’m currently grinding the Dutch F-16A (still 60% stock) and just hit that mythical downtier against enemies who seem to be asleep at the keyboard; now it’s back to 10 battles at 13.0–13.3, and maybe I’ll get lucky again :)
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no,… the reality is that everything above 12.0 is overcompressed,…
what the game needs is decompression.
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exactly, nowadays you get dragged to 13.3 more than 12.0 even though there is plenty of people playing F-4S, yet cancelled out by people playing 12.7 Hornets, 13.0 Su-33 and F-2A ADTW plus 13.3 Su-30MK2/MKK
before those planes above exists 12.3/12.7 really thrives on downtier to 12.0 thanks to spam amounts of F-4S and Mirage F1C-200
too bad it’s not the case for RNLAF F-16A and F-16A Netz (Mod), and also what other place can get premium 12.3 F-16A aside those, apart from theoretically and blasphemously Venezuelan F-16A into Russian tree