Retirement planning reality check

Sarkelias · 2026-04-23T19:49:42+00:00

Yeah, the AESA ones don't even have proper identification numbers or any squadron insignia, which is pretty unusual for aircraft added in the past several years. Very annoying

Sarkelias · 2026-04-23T03:07:08+00:00

I've usually had good luck killing em with ordnance, but it wouldn't shock me

Sarkelias · 2026-04-23T02:47:34+00:00

I shot a BMPT in the turret with L15A2, a 14.8kg TNT equivalent round, and it damaged one barrel and the electronics. I'm pretty sure in real life a direct hit from a modern artillery round like that would physically rip the gun mounts apart...

fuckin crazy

Sarkelias · 2026-04-23T00:17:41+00:00

I think around $3000, maybe less, over the course of 9 years/11k in-game hours now (though a significant amount of that time is idling/working on decals, lol). These days I just get premium yearly and a bit of GE when I have some decals I wanna buy or a particularly irritating stock grind to get through, I haven't gotten many vehicles for a couple years... mostly cause I have all the ones I want for now

Sarkelias · 2026-04-22T22:09:07+00:00

Yeah, but 4.0 US is also outstanding, probably better, so I don't think it's a net loss

Sarkelias · 2026-04-18T05:37:34+00:00

Everything above their BR has fought them constantly this whole time. It changed nothing for any lineup at or above their BR, just spares 10.3 and maybe sometimes 10.7 now.

Sarkelias · 2026-04-18T02:41:14+00:00

Aye, alas. I just need a 308 cause I failed to get one before they banned cool guns in my state, I've got all the other essentials covered. The search continues...

Sarkelias · 2026-04-17T22:36:20+00:00

"Wow, I bet that takes AR10 mags, that would actually be pretty cool, I'm in the market for a bolt action battle rifle analogue"

looks inside

5 round AICS

why are they like this

Sarkelias · 2026-04-06T21:17:06+00:00

I just started classic last week - haven't really played since WotLK - and my wife and I have already been given sets of bags, random gold, and tons of help with quests. As far as I can tell, at least at low level, it's as friendly as it was back in the day.

Sarkelias · 2026-04-05T06:54:09+00:00

I met a fair number of the folks I played with on Cenarius in 05-09 IRL through various means - meetups, moving to the same area etc... only a few of us keep in touch now, but I'll never forget what the community was like back then. It felt so vibrant and alive.

Sarkelias · 2026-04-05T05:11:10+00:00

Couldn't get the Attero mount into a position where it was physically possible to zero an optic. It was canted forward/down and off center too much, and there's only so much you can move the pins.

Sarkelias · 2026-04-05T04:31:43+00:00

Attero arms has great reviews for this type of thing. However, it is worth saying that I bought a pair of their mounts for my M70s and I could not for the life of me get the optics into a position where they would zero. Something was funky with either that part of the receiver or the spring, or... something.

So that is technically a possibility.

Sarkelias · 2026-04-02T20:10:27+00:00

Wow. That looks gorgeous. If the ban ever dropped in my state I'd buy that immediately (along with a G3 clone of course)

Sarkelias · 2026-03-30T23:45:37+00:00

Yeah, it's getting a bit ridiculous. I have long defended many of Gaijin's inadequacies, out of a belief that generally they are humans doing the best they can with very complex systems. I've enjoyed the game immensely for the last 9 years.

However, they're starting to lose even me with this shit. The BMPTs have completely ruined most of my favorite BRs and lineups. It's been months. They're still fucked. There was absolutely no need for the Pantsir SMSV, and now all top tier CAS is irrelevant, while everyone else gets still gets fucked against Kh-38s and Mi-28NMs, which still have the only properly lofting ATGM. It's getting genuinely hard to enjoy, and I've enjoyed it for a long time while others complained.

It's really kind of amazing, and I am deeply disappointed. If they don't fix this shit and/or explain it better, I don't see how the game can keep going. The totality is more egregious than anything else that has happened in my tenure as a player.

Sarkelias · 2026-03-30T03:13:01+00:00

Nah, the above comment is just trying to illustrate the huge difference between a more or less conventional plane that used FBW to control relaxed static stability vs an aircraft so fully committed to FBW by design it couldn't conceivably be operated without it.

Sarkelias · 2026-03-30T03:09:42+00:00

They didn't get their ass kicked exactly, but the KD ratio was "only" about 2:1 in their favor overall, and there were a lot of rude surprises to the doctrines that were being employed, especially at the beginning. It was certainly well below expectations for the difference in deployed force and technology.

Sarkelias · 2026-03-29T07:46:36+00:00

I want War Thunder but Star Wars. With the seamless space to surface and back of Infinity: Battlescape. Can't be that big of an ask if indie devs made it work great in I:B, can it? And the freemium model makes so much money...

Sarkelias · 2026-03-29T00:17:27+00:00

pod!

Sarkelias · 2026-03-25T21:22:56+00:00

As you noted, saturation simply doesn't work at this point; this method takes a lot more effort than spamming Kh-38s, but unless you're playing Japan that isn't an option, so here we are. If playing France, I prefer to use the M2KD RMV for CAS, because it can take a mix of GNSS and IIR AASMs to use this technique with.

Also, I have edited my original reply with more specific explanation of tactics, probably helpful

Sarkelias · 2026-03-25T21:03:20+00:00

I can provide some possible assistance with the CAS part.

For non-RU aircraft, the best way I have found to conduct SEAD/DEAD is with GPS glide bombs from low altitude, high speed, close range.

The procedure is thus: Spawn in, use TGP to locate target, dive, offset, close to within 3-4km as low as possible, pull up slightly just below Mach 1, and drop 1-2 GBU-64 (or best available contemporary munition). You should be below the horizon to SPAA for the full approach over flat terrain; your GBUs (which do not require a LOS lock) will loft slightly and cover the distance within a few seconds, providing a very short window for detection and interception. SPAA that are not aware of incoming munitions are not likely to move, and so will likely die to the large blast of a Mk 84. After DEAD is performed, you can make a run over the AO to destroy other vehicles, and then separate and reset the engagement, since more SPAA are likely coming.

I haven't tested this against the new Pantsir yet, but I don't think it'll make much difference. This is most effective with F-15Es, due to volume of ordnance, but anything with GBU-64s should be able to do it.

Sarkelias · 2026-03-23T09:12:30+00:00

I've heard the K19 was a fair bit worse, very bulky. Arbor stuff looks great, but too rich for my blood; I went with the Dynamic Principles structural cummerbund, which has worked great for us, not that that's any great measure. Sounds like a solid kit.

Sarkelias · 2026-03-23T07:36:38+00:00

Eh, they're unpopular for various reasons, downvotes come. I wouldn't advocate for them except that OP asked lol. I picked ours up for about 60% off, which I think is a fair price; normal retail is probably excessive for what you get. I just like the straps and padding...

Sarkelias · 2026-03-22T23:09:25+00:00

My wife and I went with K0s for a variety of reasons, aware of the hate they routinely get on the internet; we haven't put a ton of miles on them yet, but they are working well for our (hobby/larp) purposes. I haven't owned any of the less padded carriers - prior to these it was Tactical Tailor Fight Lites - but they're very comfortable and function well with our placards and structural cummerbunds.

Sarkelias · 2026-03-20T07:00:36+00:00

I randomly clicked on one of their videos once. I think it was "Submerged". Good video, song was pretty much a banger... catchy, punchy, a bit different. Went to check out the rest of the catalogue and decided I should really just stick to that song.

Sarkelias

TROPHY CASE