The Official F-15 Strike Eagle Handbook

by Richard Sheffield

Two-Player System

One of the great things about computer games is that you can play them by yourself—but that's also one of the disadvantages. As mentioned before, the real F-15E Strike Eagle is a two-seater aircraft, and the extra set of eyes really comes in handy when operating in hostile areas. This second set of eyes and hands can help when playing the game as well.

The best way to divide up the work is for one player to control the joystick and be the Pilot while the other takes control of the keyboard as the Weapons Officer (WO). The Pilot is in charge and should worry mainly about flying the plane and keeping his eyes on the main screen. The Weapons Officer should keep his eyes on the instruments and tactical screens and keep the pilot informed about altitude in low-flight situations.

If the pilot is in a hard turning fight, it's the Weapons Officer's job to keep an eye on the airspeed and altitude and to provide the necessary warnings. The Weapons Officer should not become a spectator. Don't let your pilot fly the both of you into the ground! The Weapons Officer should also be in charge of keeping track of SAMs and releasing chaff and flares at the appropriate times.

Table of Contents
Previous Section: Promotions
Next Section: Fuel Consumption