Losing air superiority, gaining creative gameplay
Since the start of the new development direction of Tiny Combat Arena (TCA) in April 2020, players have enjoyed almost complete air superiority. Even in the early versions of the Arena game mode, the most dangerous anti-air threats were MiG-21 Fishbeds with no infrared air-to-air missiles and very ambitious BMP infantry fighting vehicles trying to hit AV-8B Harriers with their autocannons. Fast forward a few years and this has gradually been changing; players in the venerable Harrier are gradually losing air superiority. Something that may be beneficial for gameplay depending on how you look at it.
Timeline of Land Air Defenses
The sliding scale of air defense threats has steadily increased since its early access launch on February 22nd, 2022. At launch, the ZSU-23-4 Shilka was easily the highest level threat at the time due to its radar guided high rate of fire autocannons and the AV-8B Harrier's compliment of weaponry primarily being within visual range weaponry that require the aircraft to come within the Shilka's engagement range. Though, the Shilka is certainly more of the point defense anti-aircraft system that cannot engage targets at high altitudes.
The addition of the ZSU-57-2 on October 26th, 2022 complimented the relatively short ranged Shilka by being a low-rate of fire, but high altitude capable anti-aircraft cannon with exploding shells. No longer could players loiter at medium altitudes to potentially drop unguided bombs at their maximum possible ranges, while not having to be concerned with ground based air defense. A handful of ZSU-57-2 are enough to make medium altitude operations near locations like military bases genuinely dangerous even while on approach. I would argue that until the introduction of the ZSU-57-2, even the Shilka was not an exceedingly high threat unless the player chose to engage it at close range, rather than destroy it from a 'safe' distance with an AGM-65 Maverick or high altitude bombing.
June 11th, 2023 introduced the first ground based surface-to-air missile (SAM) system to Tiny Combat Arena. The SA-9 is a basic, self-propelled light vehicle with infrared homing missiles installed. The SA-9 became a consistently viable threat to any aircraft operations up to medium altitudes. Though its missiles can be decoyed with flares, its implementation in TCA makes it dangerous. Simply deploying a flare or two while not maneuvering is not enough to guarantee safety. A decent amount of flares and hard maneuvering is needed to evade SA-9 missiles.
As of June 2023, the combination of all three aforementioned land based air defense systems made a small, but dangerous example of an intergraded air defense system capable of hitting maneuvering targets with various types of guided munitions at once.
Increased Air Threat
It goes without saying that usually the most dangerous threat to an aircraft in any combat flight game or simulator is other aircraft. As they are capable of deploying the same or more advanced radars to search and track players and air-to-air weapons that meet or exceed what players can use themselves.
Since 2022, this was not the case for Tiny Combat Arena. At early access launch, aircraft like the MiG-21bis Fishbed and MiG-23MLA Flogger were available as non-player controlled adversaries, but were only able to use their internal cannons to try and shoot players and their allies down. This resulted in players having the ability to deploy infrared homing missiles like the AIM-82B and AIM-9L Sidewinder and even a pair of radar guided AIM-7E Sparrows against enemies that had to rely on entering gun range and dogfighting players. Assuming they survive multiple missiles launched at them. While each missile launched is not a guaranteed aerial victory, it can feel undeniably one sided at times.
On December 21st, 2023, the scales in air combat began to balance. The ability for enemy controlled aircraft to launch infrared missiles against players and their NPC allies was added. Now players had to strategize against potential incoming missiles, with even a single MiG-21bis becoming a decent air threat during air-to-ground operations. The MiG-23MLA Flogger, though it is a fighter-bomber, usually flies in a pure air-to-air configuration in Tiny Combat Arena making it more maneuverable than the usual TCA Harrier loadout of primarily air-to-ground weapons. The Floggers, now with infrared missiles, have become increasingly dangerous in close range combat.
The developer also mentioned that radar guided missiles for enemy aircraft were on standby, but until game mechanics related to radars, radar guided missiles and countermeasures like chaff were implemented, this next level of weaponry is on standby. A medium ranged semi-active radar guided missile would most likely be one of the most dangerous weapons in game, but nothing compared to the large-scale looming threat that is highly likely to appear once the official 1.0 update to the game is made public.
Strategic Surface-to-Air Missile Sites
Since our interview with TCA developer Why485 in 2020, my interest has been in the first example of the SA-2 Guideline surface-to-air missile site. With a maximum range of roughly 20 nautical miles and an altitude ceiling of at least 60,000 feet, the presence of even a single SA-2 in the current, smaller scale Tiny Combat Arena island maps would be devastating. Essentially "spawn camping" the airfields players would be operating out of.
Though with the 2024 TCA 1.0 update hinting at the release of the newest massive map, that seems to be dozens of times larger than the current island maps, something like an SA-2 gains value in being a strategic air defense system. The presence of a large SAM site like the SA-2 coupled with large, complex terrain would almost completely change the way the "average" sortie in Tiny Combat Arena would play out. With large areas and multiple bases falling beneath their coverage.
Loss of Air Superiority Increasing Dynamic Gameplay
At the end of the day, players are still flying an air-to-ground attacker that specializes in delivery of weapons that have an average range of about 3 nautical miles. When thinking of the Harrier's longer-ranged weapons, something like the Maverick anti-tank missile or the purpose built AGM-112 Sidearm anti-radiation missile also lack the range to engage the SA-2 even at the edge of its own effective combat range. Pushing deeper into the effective combat ranges of air defense systems will be required. In the air combat side of things, MiG-23MLA with their own semi-active radar guided missiles to attack players from medium distances also complicates the player's mission in a considerable way.
While that sounds like a ruined gameplay experience, I'd argue that it is the nature of Tiny Combat Arena to press players into risky scenarios where low-altitude flying, within visual range combat and, honestly, enjoying the damage model are key parts of the game's formula. The more players lose the ability to comfortably attack from distance, it pushes their creativity in thinking up tactics to approach threats for ways they most likely have not attempted since 2022.
I am still waiting eagerly for longer sorties in contested air spaces. Where hiding behind foothills to surprise attack a supply base beneath the umbrella of an SA-2 far too eager to strike me on egress is a thrilling risk I want to take. You can be sure I'll write about that!
About the Writer
Co-founder of Skyward Flight Media. After founding Electrosphere.info, the first English Ace Combat database, he has been involved in creating flight game-related websites, communities, and events since 2005. He explores past and present flight games and simulators with his extensive collection of game consoles and computers.
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