The current multipathing feature in Air Battles negatively impacts gameplay, particularly for top-tier jets involved in Beyond Visual Range (BVR) combat. Multipathing causes radar missiles to miss medium to low-flying targets, leading to an unrealistic, frustrating and dull experience. The Multipath effect is exaggerated by as much as 20x realistic levels with the Fox 3’s we have in game, this is just as much an issue of balance, as it is realism.
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Multipathing in game begins at 100 meters and significantly affects missiles at around 95 meters, causing them to fly into the ground instead of hitting the target. Me @warthogboy09 and @skilz2kil have conducted a few tests to demonstrate how the current Multipathing works and affects missiles.
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Video demonstration in SB: https://youtu.be/6yBV7QTuqZk
At 0:03 you can clearly see the multipath layer at 100 meters AGL, the radar cue (Where the missile is tracking) dips sharply into the ground, at ~95 meters and below, missiles begin missing their targets.
There are timestamps in the description if you’d like to see the results of the R27ER and AIM7M testing, they all missed when fired at varying altitudes and loft angles, even from directly above.
This effect is the same across all gamemodes. I’ve included a clip of RB below.
Video of R27ER missing at 94 meters above the water in RB: https://youtu.be/lLS77bliNJU
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- This mechanic allows players to evade radar missiles incredibly easily by flying low, thus nullifying any BVR advantage and forcing close-range engagements. This “tree-hugging” meta completely diminishes the strategic depth of modern jet combat and leads to repetitive and unengaging gameplay. It also massively intensifies the disruptiveness of OP flight models such as the JAS39 Gripen, since they can approach you with complete invulnerability by sticking to the deck and popping a few flares right before the merge. It completely negates the standoff capabilities of ARH missiles altogether, leaving you helpless.
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- Unrealistic Gameplay: Modern jets are designed for BVR combat, and the multipathing feature undermines this aspect, making gameplay feel unrealistic and overly simplified. Considering various balance issues at the lower tiers, the addition of Fox 3’s in the game would be a perfect opportunity to introduce reduced ground effects for top-tier.
- Gameplay Balance: Reducing multipathing will encourage diverse and strategic combat scenarios, reducing the reliance on low-altitude flying and promoting more dynamic engagements. At the moment, you’re putting yourself at a disadvantage by flying high and playing BVR.
- Using Air-SB as a Play-test: Since the nature of Simulator battles is to bring a more realistic experience to RB, additionally with the EC format (Enduring Confrontation), and with the majority of the SB community being in favour of this change, I think it would be an excellent place to reduce the Multipath effect.
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- Spawn-Killing Concerns: While some fear that removing multipathing could lead to increased spawn-killing, this is unlikely to be a significant issue in SB. Players have multiple airfields to spawn from, reducing the risk of consistent spawn-killing near active areas. Additionally, top-tier jets have great acceleration and don’t need much time to get up to speed to get into a defensive position. I’d even argue reduction of the Multipath effect will lead to less spawn-killing, since the meta will no longer be to fly in a straight line on the deck at M1.2 towards the enemies airfields as the more dynamic gameplay will make it more difficult to advance forward on the map, areas near enemy airfields would also be extremely hazardous due to enemies being able to engage you right off one of the 3 runways around you.
- Adaptation Period: Historical concerns over new mechanics (e.g., 30G all-aspect missiles, Phoenix, 27ER) have shown that the player base adapts over time. Similarly, reducing Multipathing for ARH missiles should be seen as a natural evolution, enhancing the game’s realism and strategic complexity. It would likely even reduce the IR slinging fur ball meta that no-one even likes in the first place.
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We do NOT need to completely remove the ground effect. To achieve the more dynamic gameplay I’ve proposed, we simply need to make the ground-skimming invulnerability less consistent. Making the player think twice about an engagement or an approach and promoting other, realistic missile-evading tactics such as cranking, notching and going cold, as advertised by Gaijin.
A reduction of the Multipath effect from 100 meters, down to 30-60 meters would go a very long way since it would promote actual dynamic and engaging gameplay over uneven and unpredictable terrain, whilst still keeping it somewhat easy for people that decide to play on the flatter maps like Denmark. At the moment, you can consistently stay safe even over the uneven terrain of Spain and Vietnam with little practice and I see it being abused every day I step into those games.
With recent radar and chaff changes, missile-evading tactics like notching and chaffing have become very consistent, and I firmly believe the game is ready for the realistic gameplay this would promote.
@Smin1080p @Stona_WT I sincerely hope the developers can take this into consideration.
Please note, Seek states in the poll that ¨You wouldn’t be able to fly low to the ground and avoid dying to all radar missiles¨ Which is not the intended result of this change. There’s also no mention of it changing for Air SIM. However it goes to show, even RB players are currently in favour of changing multipathing, even if it meant you wouldn’t be able to avoid them whatsoever by flying low.