How do you plan your mission in MP

[Apanos9]

So here is my question after playing some hours in MP. 
How do you plan your mission? Lets say that you are logged in the server map, what are you doin' first.  I usually see which is the most crowded airport of my team and spawn there in the hope, I'll find someone to follow... If I fly solo I try to find a target of my team and fly there in hope of finding action, if not I find my self flying for 20 or 30 minutes without finding anyone, even in servers with more than 40 players,  then I decide to go to the enemy airport and get ganged banged by the enemy players...
So I'd like to hear suggestions from more experienced players on how to plan a free hunt MP mission.

Cheers!

[[RBRI]Khaela]

While usually flying bombing missions myself, when I actually end up in a fighter I tend to look at the friendly targets that are left and then determine which is more vulnerable. 

Usually I end up flying caps above Airfield targets, tanks/vehicles or defensive positions. Mostly because these targets tend to be a bit more difficult to take out and are usually close to the front. 

Factories and such are usually to far away to warrant a cap... well, sometimes a dedicated bombing squad levels it, but usually you'll just be looking at a lot of ground for most of the time.

All in all I would say it depends a lot on what mission and what server you're on, as they all differ slightly in target priority. 
 

[Diggun]

This is also a very useful tool https://il2missionplanner.com/

 

You can properly plan out routes, speeds etc, so you can practice some actual navigation

[=FEW=fernando11]

I would say. First. What do you want to do?

Kill planes. Find action. Fly with other people?

 

In my case, the later was the main point. Fighting against other players is the challenge. Cooperating with friendly planes is the goal...

So if that's your case. I would say, first be sure you have discord and/or TeamSpeak. And you have it set properly. Mic working. Volume ok, keybindings working

Then joing a server. Say hi, and ask. If someone migh need help, want an escort, or another bomber/ataker for the mission.

That way you are bound to be asked to joing a discord or TS channel. Afther that, be civil, no need to be a flying Ace or the most acurrate bomber, just being nice is a good way to be invited to keep coming and playing together.

 

For me it started that way 3-4 years ago and worked out prety well

 

Edited January 17, 2020 by =FEW=fernando11

[Birdman]

I plan a route that takes me above a couple friendly objective if possible, if I don't find anything I push towards enemy objective to see if they are defended.

 

You can also loiter between objectives if they are not too far out.

 

I try to pay attention to navigation features too: if a river leads a friendly objective I'm assuming someone is gonna follow it to get there so I patrol that area etc...

[40plus]

1) take off

2) find baddie

3) die

.

.

.

4) repeat

[cardboard_killer]

5 minutes ago, pfrances said:

1) take off

2) find baddie

3) die

.

.

.

4) repeat

 

You find the bad guy? I never see it coming. You must be very good.

[Sublime]

Same. Usually my instrument panel explodes which apparently was the early RWR? Anyways I always am sure enemies are about then

[Lusekofte]

I take a bimber and try to outsmart defending fighters. 
or I take a fighter with bombs and fly over defensive or offensive areas of interest. If there are enemy fighters below I jettison my bombs and have a go. If not I bomb something. 
I prefer using. 
P 40/39/47/38, Lagg, I16, Spit, Tempest BF 109E7, 110 for this

Edited January 18, 2020 by No.322_LuseKofte

[ZachariasX]

On 1/17/2020 at 4:46 PM, cardboard_killer said:

You find the bad guy? I never see it coming. You must be very good.

It works that way: The bad guy we see is going. The bad guy we don‘t see is coming.

[busdriver]

23 hours ago, ZachariasX said:

The bad guy we don‘t see is coming.

 

[Requiem]

41 minutes ago, busdriver said:

 

Phrasing...

[69th_Mobile_BBQ]

When I'm not totally failing at covering bombers that are utilizing bad tactics and wondering why the fighters are useless (great bunch of guys though), I'm pretty much free flying and doing 2 things:   

 

1.  Identifying landmarks that the opponent most likely will use to navigate to their target (non-GPS servers).  Usually these landmarks are not far from straight-line approaches anyway and with the right altitude and positioning, those using more "off angle" approaches can still potentially be spotted as well. 

For GPS servers, if possible, just orbit an area along the most direct route the bombers will take to the target or I create a multipoint route (in my head) that touches near every target to defend and patrol between them.  

 

2. Making sure that my position relative to the search area and the sun is such that the sun illuminates the search area as much as possible. 

 

 

[=FEW=fernando11]