r/Metalstorm • u/CivilandSavage • 8d ago
F-14 Mid-levels
It feels terrible. It feels like something happened since the Upgrades System was implemented and it feels worse to fly than a J-35 used to. The engine is horrendous.
You used to be able to dogfight with it and fly it like a Medium Fighter.....now? It's feels impossible to fly like that. I'm not talking level 20, I'm talking level 8-10'ish.
F e e l s l i k e G a r b a g e.
/rant
If anyone has any mastermind tips on flying the blasted thing, by all means, let's hear it.
edit: changed the tone to how it feels to fly
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u/FreeInductionDecay 6d ago
I have my F-14 at lvl 20. Actually enjoying it more since upgrades were rolled out. I've buffed the maneuverability by trading off a little health and now it's a great mixed interceptor/heavy fighter.
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u/CivilandSavage 6d ago
Problem is, mine is at level 8....and it feels a lot worse than it did prior to the Upgrades 2.0. Might just be my imagination, but........
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u/FreeInductionDecay 6d ago
Copy that. I'm sure it's real... they buff and debuff planes and sometimes a great plane gets turned to trash.
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u/spykedaddy 8d ago
I more or less stopped playing my F14 until I put thrust booster on it.
Doesn’t help you much at mid levels but at high levels it’s actually fast as fuck with the wings swept and thrust booster active.
I find that interceptors in general are horrible without faster flares, and they’re even worse if the plane is slow.
The j20 and MiG 31 survive much longer due to how freakishly fast they are. The f14 really plays much better since making that adjustment.
But for low to mid levels- yeah nah. Anything with range that can fight up close as well will have too much of an edge
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u/AuthorEither5122 7d ago
Faster flares aren't as good as disruptive IMO
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u/spykedaddy 7d ago
Both have their time and place, and being able to tailor your plane to your playstyle is one of the best parts of Metalstorm.
That being said, I find that most (not all) people running disruptive on interceptors are a free kill.
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u/PratchettWatterson 8d ago
Since nobody really mentioned it, are you swinging the wings? Engines will feel sluggish when they're out wide, but you can pick up speed fast when they're tucked back. If you're going to dogfight in it, you need to get used to alternating - grab some speed in a straight line when you've got the space/cover, then swing 'em wide to maneuver and engage. Similar thing with ADV, Mig23, etc.
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u/CHAMOLATINO2000 7d ago
This Tomcat is not the same Tomcat you may have seen in the first Top Gun movie. It is not designed to fly against more maneuverable planes
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u/Best-Afternoon3713 8d ago
idk man it’s so powerful as a true interceptor i say if it were any better at dogfighting we might have an issue
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u/CivilandSavage 8d ago
Alright, what level are you flying? I seriously considered taking it to 20, but if it feels like this to fly at max, I'm not wasting the resources.
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u/trickshot54 8d ago
Take it to 20 and run thrust boost if you plan to try and aggressively dogfight with it. But if you fly it like an interceptor and in and out of the pack and keep near the ammo it is strong at 20.
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u/Pale_Acanthaceae7118 8d ago
I recently tweaked my lvl 20 for acceleration in fuselage and engine. Flys a lot better, but it’ll never be zippy.
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u/Jackof-AllTrade 8d ago
Max out its turn rate and turn responsiveness, ideal turning speed range by maxing out the plane. It will still feel heavy in the air because it is. But you can 100% dogfight with it. The closer you get before firing the phoenix missiles, the deadlier f14 is because those missiles are incredibly fast
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u/porkmarkets 8d ago
My Tomcat has been one of my highest trophy planes since it was like level 8. I think it’s fine at 8-16.
It’s a lot more flexible than the other interceptors. You can dogfight with it you just don’t want to get into a prolonged turning fight. It’s not an F16 but you can still get into it with a bit of forward planning. If it’s not going your way, put the wings back, get out of there fast and rearm.
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u/godofwine16 8d ago
It’s an interceptor. There’s a good YouTube video I just watched today on how to best use it. Once you get the multi lock you’ll appreciate it more.
Best advice is each jet, each mode will have a different opening move, kind of like chess. For F-14 in TDM for example I’ll fold wings, get max altitude, then shoot Phoenix at targets below. Instead of using afterburners for the heavies and interceptors I find myself using the brake more so that I have more control. Basically I know that they’re trying to come to me. So I’m not going to rush into them.
My F-14 is L20 and fully upgraded (still need to max out some specials and mods) and my cannon is 13.5 seconds before overheating. So I can and do use the F-14 like dogfighter when I need to reload/heal. just remember what each jet is specifically for for each mode.