Where Have All The Aces Gone?

[Rude]

Now, I don't fly as much as most folks do, but still, I don't ever see or fight the better pilots in the sim. Contrary to popular belief, my squad flies in the weeds most all of the time, leaving when we see the odds changing against us. Still, I would think that every once and awhile, I would have a turn with some of the better pilots.

Do you guys just see a gaggle of ponies and run away or what? The only pilots that I can remember fighting or even seeing are Nath, RA, Fester, but thats about it.

Where ya be boys and if I ask while online, will ya buck up and invite us to the dance?

 

 

[Kieran]

I am not in a squad; Hell yes I run when I see a gaggle of high ponies! I don't consider myself better than average, so why in the world would I want to jump in the middle of you guys- the only issue at that point is which of you guys will whack me when I am fighting the other. Not my idea of fun.

Now if I was in a squad it would be entirely different.  

[popeye]

Of course, I wouldn't include myself in such exalted company, but the last time a couple of them TAS guys blew all that alt to jump my low and slow Hurri, they didn't make it back to file the AAR.

 

[Apache]

I'm certainly not an ace by any means but since tour 17, I'm 10-4 against the 13th. That count?  

[Rude]

I checked myself vs. Popeye and Apache back thru tour 17...results:

0-0 vs. Popeye
1-1 vs. Apache

Makes my point...seems I never get to fight the old farts   It's just weird. I seem to never run into any of the older more polished pilots. Maybe we're just all too smart and our SA is so good, we avoid each other by default? LOL...I just made myself giggle  

<S> to you both!

 

[ 12-11-2001: Message edited by: Rude ]

[Apache]

lol, I see your point.

[Mr Hanky]

I flew for a couple of hours today.  A9 was being attacked by the Knights (I was Bishop) and I came in from a ways away at about 20k.  There were 5 Knights over 10k around the field picking off low cons then grabbing alt.

When I arrived with a distinct alt advantage, I spotted 2 190s and an F4u-1D.  I came in above one of the 190s and tried to keep my wings attatched.  Both 190s had turned and started heading for home the second they saw me come in.  The F4u-1D tried to clear me off of the 190, and succeded to a point, but he did not have as much energy as I and I turned the tables on him quickly... the 190s never turned to help... they just kept running as I downed the F4u-1D.

My belief is the veterans are all looking for easy targets and getting out of dodge when things get too risky.  Afterall... there are sooo many easy targets right now they can afford to be picky.  That means they spend a considerable amount of time avoiding each other.

[Ripsnort]

I was thinking the other day how rare it is to run into a AH veteran anymore...then I started thinking, not alot of us sit there and try to re-up a continously vulched field...not alot of us go beyond the "edge of the furball" only to be devoured by the hordes,...not alot of us fly suicide missions, etc....that's why you rarely see vets around, they tend not to be at the wrong place at the wrong time since they done that,been there if you know what I mean.  

[Ripsnort]

Mr.Hanky,
What was their fuel status?
What was their ammo status?
Was there a goon IB?
Whats the difference of them having alt and picking off climbing cons, and you coming in from a distant field with alt and picking them off?

Wouldn't you agree that supressing a field until either a capture goon arrives or re-inforcements arrive to take the field?

To many variables there to assess with a summary like yours Mr.Hanky, me thinks you just attempted a troll.  Nice try, but my 5 year old trolls better than you  

Incidently, as long as you have airplanes that fly over a field where enemy airplanes try to take off, you will ALWAYS have vulching ...ALWAYS  

[ 12-11-2001: Message edited by: Ripsnort ]

[Mr Hanky]

I was not critiquing the pilots Ripsnort.  I could care less how they chose to fly.  It was an observation.

When I see a person leave when things get risky, I think "vet".  When they don't leave and they get killed instead, its never a vet ID.

BTW, those two 190s left from A9 and proceded to A10 once they grabbed some more alt.  Unfortunately, the entire attack force they must have been trying to defend was killed in about 2 minutes by a lone fighter.  They rolled in about 3 minutes later after regaining some alt... with nothing to protect.  They never really engaged the fighter, chosing to do a large amount of BnZ passes.  The fighter landed at the VBase (low on fuel) and exited... leaving the two 190s to guard empty airspace.

[Ripsnort]

Editted my post, re-read it please.  

[Kieran]

Now, give Mr. Hanky some due. He is responding to the original thought of the thread, which is in essence a call for players to provide a challenge for his squad. In addition, Rude made the comment of how people ran "when they saw a gaggle of P-51's". Seems Mr. Hanky's response was in line with that comment. I think it is obvious too that the 190s were running like hell to avoid dying, not conserving fuel.  

You are onto the truth nonetheless, Rip. Some of the vets are being timid because they can get kills by playing around the edge of the fight, or teaming up against inferior numbers. Nothing wrong with that, but that does make this discussion moot.

I'm surprised lazs hasn't found his way here yet, the irony of the posting is staggering. Realism guys becoming bored with smart play? Course, it could be that Rude was trolling for some fun, but it sure would be easy to twist the intent of the thread...  

[Ripsnort]

Your statement "My belief is the veterans are all looking for easy targets and getting out of dodge when things get too risky."

Isn't that what being a veteran is all about?  I mean to fly smart, take the path where your least likely to get shot down?? (easy target, you have the alt, enemy does not, as in Rudes case of rovering P51's)

Think about what makes them survive, and why you don't survive, most of the Aces I've met fly smart and live because they tend to stay away from high risk areas or enter high risk areas with plenty of wingmen to cover one another.

Incidently, when I look at an Ace, I never consider the score that HTC keeps, its slanted towards gunnery and time online, therefore not a good measure of ones skill at all IMO.

[ 12-11-2001: Message edited by: Ripsnort ]

[Dead Man Flying]

Not all "vets" care about mindless self-preservation.

Hell, yesterday I killshootered myself on AKNimitz on purpose because I was bored and didn't feel like making the long trip home to land.

-- Todd/Leviathn

[Mr Hanky]

OK Ripsnort, I re-read your edited post and I believe you are actually the one making assumptions.  Its entirely defensive.

I didn't get into the details of the attack.. and said nothing about the status of the base... nor did I mention vulching.

The base's ack were up.  2 fuel tanks were destroyed and the city was completely intact.  I serioulsy doubt that is a group of smart flyers trying a coordinated base attack.

The newbies went low and were killed.  The vets stayed high and got out of town when a real threat arrived.

The vets are flying smart.  The newbies are not.  There is little to no reward trying to engage a pilot with good SA right now because there are so many others that don't even know what SA means.

An example:

Two 190s are chasing a P-51.  You dive in on them and begin to close.  One 190 peels off, but the other remains fixated on the P-51... you get an easy kill on him and turn to engage the other 190, but he is too far away.  One flew smart, the other did not.  One died as a result, the other did not.  If you had to guess.. which one was the vet?