There's a fourth time, isn't there...

So I just beat Ace Combat 6 on Expert 'cause I felt like it. Then Ace difficulty opened up. I should've skipped Hard... wait, maybe I have to go through Hard to get to Expert. I can't remember.

For the most part, though, the (single-player) game seems to be all about awareness. Things become a lot easier when you figure out where you are and what's likely to be aiming for you. Sometimes I see an enemy formation heading right towards me, and when I do, that's where I turn my attention. I usually (okay, almost always) have Semi-Actives, which have longer range than they do, so a preemptive strike solves every worry I have. Sometimes the missile warning goes off, yet since I already have an idea where it's coming from, I know it won't hit.

Enemy fighters are pretty high priority for me, then SAMs. Flak guns can be annoying, too. Balance that with taking out mission targets.

Semi-Actives just rock, though. They're like XLAAs except you give up some missiles for better tracking and range from like, 1000 to 10000... meters or something. Catching Pasternak with these at max range is just awesome.