Top tier Air is designed for one thing - encourage players to GE modifications.
The stock grind in top tier air is absolutely horrendous. Since top tier air relies so heavily upon weapon systems, 2 x R73’s or Aim9M’s puts you at a HUGE disadvantage when facing spaded enemy planes.
Farming AI is also extremely nerfed. The PVE content in Air is pathetic. First off, why are AI A4’s in the same match as modern F-16’s? Gaijin can’t be bothered to update the AI vehicles? Secondly, they barely provide any RP and they’re all located in the center of the map so you have to dodge a ton of fox 3 missiles just to get to them.
PVE at top tier is basically non-existent.
With the stock grind being so aweful, the one outlet you could potentially have would be the pathetically underdeveloped Air Assault mode. However, Gaijin just completely prevents 13.0 from going into Air Assault mode.
The transparent greed here is just laughable at this point. They might as well just charge money for the new aircraft like DCS.
It’s shocking that after the review bombing due to grind and all the developers empty promises that they would be this transparent about their intentions.
Top tier is an underdeveloped money grab. Gaijin barely puts time into game design or game balance. They purely care about grind.
But hey at least you may get a free camo if you click on a banana in the hangar 40,000 times. What a joke.
Give it a few years and you’ll be getting pop-up advertisements for your car’s extended warranty.
Just wait for economical changes. It’s costs 10$ (in Russia) or 15$ (in US) to prepare your top tier jet to battle.
Do not try to “play”/ suffer , just wait.
Also Russian Su-27SM got an advantage - 2 x 100 kg bombs and 2 x R-73 for free!
I kinda have to disagree. I have spaded the su 27 and f15c from stock, mostly in RB. I also grinded the r77 and aim120s on the f16c and mig29smt although not from stock vehicles.
And from my experience the stock grind may not be joyful, but it isn’t unplayable either. You just need to be smart about it.
And when in doubt play sim and ambush people. That definately works.
Don’t forget BR compression that makes some jets not worth playing.
The F-16A(France) is at 12.3 for ARB and has no BVR missiles. 90% of the time you’re fighting against ARH and you have to try to close the range to dogfight distance without being able to engage.
It also requires 90,000 RP grind before you get a x6 AIM-9M loadout. Where you’ll still be competing against jets with x6 AIM-120.
So why would you ever play that jet now? Unless you like to play with a handicap I guess the jet is just a useless grindwall not worth equipping