This post is not about the F104A or the F104C, but rather their subsequent models.
the discussion applies to the f104 G onwards.
F104G (11.0 and 10.7), F104S, F104S TAF and F104S.ASA are completely unplayable in their current state and due to overBR.
It’s impossible to play with this plane, after the FM changes without a proper BR adjustment.
The F104S has the same BR (11.3) as aircraft such as the Mig21bis, F5 E FCU, AV 8B (NA) and Sea Herrier FRS.1, Su-22M3, Su 24M, Su17M4, JA37C, J11B, Mig27M, Mig23M and MF.
The F104S is extremely inferior to these same BR planes, both in flight performance and armament.
Not only that, the F104S is inferior to planes below its BR, such as the F5E, J7D, J7E and AJS37… but at least in the BR Range 11.0 the armament is similar to the F104S and it only has inferior flight performance.
…and this is the tip of the iceberg.
Let’s now talk about the uptier matches that the F104S faces in the br range 11.3.
Facing F4s, Mirage F1C, F4J, JA37D, Mig23 ML among others are already very, very difficult match ups, in which you cannot make any mistakes and your opponent needs to make multiple mistakes for you to win these matchups.
Now you face F14A, F14A IRAF, F4EJ kai, mirage 2000C/D, These are impossible matchups, you can’t do anything, you are literally combat statistics in these matches and they are very frequent.
F104S, and S TAF Need to go back to BR 11.0, it’s a question of urgency.
F104S.ASA should be 11.7 or 11.3 for game health reasons, because from this BR the plane is unplayable.
This plane is completely lost in the game in terms of function, It is an interceptor that cannot fly high because other planes of the same BR have better misses than them and the F104 cannot perform evasive maneuvers and there is still the issue f14 in this equatio, It cannot be a good bomber because it does not have CCIP (in the case of the f104S and S TAF) and it is intercepted, even more so with the changes in FM and current low altitude performance, he is definitely not a dogfighter, You can’t even verticalize the fight anymore and you try to do boomig and zooming.
What is the function of this plane now?
A plane that was once fun and not very competitive, became completely useless, FM changes that nuked the plane’s performance, it was the biggest FM nerf this game has ever seen, the BR changes that left this plane overBR and compression in BR that is already over BR, like for example the f14A and A10C with aim9m
How does the game balance team not see these things and question themselves? and there are 2 other planes in the same situation, the Kfir canards and the J35XL, the J35XL is in an even more critical situation.
These are planes that are a key part of the grind of nations that are in a horrible spot.