Alright, lets address the root cause. The top-tier meta is compromised not by airframe performance but by a documented and quantifable imbalance in active radar-homing missle (Fox-3) performance. This imbalance creates a stratified enviroment where engagement outcomes are increasingly predetermined by selection of tech tree rather than pilot execution.
The issue is foundational. A 15G overload deficit places certain missiles at a severe mechanical disadvantage. While the R-77-1 and MICA-EM operate with a 50G capability the AIM-120 AMRAAM family is constrained to 35G. This is not a minor specification difference; it defines the tactical envelope. A missile with lower G-load cannot command the same lead in a turning engagement fundamentally limiting its effectiveness a weakness that is most critically exposed in the dynamic close-range merges that remain a decisive phase of combat.
This G-load limit is compounded by other critical performance parameters. The adjustment to the R-77-1s drag coefficient (Cxk -0.05) directly enhanced its kinematic performance and energy retention. The concurrent minor adjustment to the AIM-120C-5 (Cxk -0.025) fails to reflect its status as a later-model missile. Furthermore the C-5s notoriously poor thrust-to-weight ratio (TWR ~9.7) and severely restricted tail control surface authority cripple its acceleration and agility. The result is a weapon system that cannot reliably leverage its theoretical BVR advantages and is often a liability in WVR scenarios.
Consequently the combat loop becomes predictable. In BVR the AMRAAMs kinematic potential is neutralized by its susceptibility to standard defensive maneuvers. In WVR its sluggish acceleration and inability to pull high-G lead render it non-threatening to a defending player executing basic maneuvers. This stands in stark contrast to the immediate high-G threat posed by its counterparts.
The pattern of selective implementation is evident. Technically substantiated bug reports concerning the AMRAAMs flight model and seeker logic remain in a perpetual state of review while performance adjustments for other systems are deployed with notable rapidity. This discrepancy alongside persistent low-priority visual and functional bugs affecting specific nations fosters a perception of inconsistent development priority.
The outcome is a degradation of top-tier gameplay. Tactical skill energy management and positional advantage are devalued when the primary weapon system of entire tech trees is mechanically incapable of performing its designated role. The request is not for a return to an overpowered state but for the application of a consistent historically plausible performance standard. Implementing the documented kinematic and guidance improvements for missiles like the AIM-120C-5 is essential to restoring competitive integrity. The long-term health of the endgame experience depends on rectifying this engineered performance gap.