Tracers, do you use them or not?

[Soulyss]

I used tracers for a very long time.  I finally decided to turn them off, with typical bad timing.  I turned them off then logged for the night came back the next day and forgot I had done it.  Then I actually managed to get with in 200 yards of a 262 in my little clunker of a Hellcat fired and the shock of not seeing tracers surprised me and I completely blew the opportunity.  


Now that I've gotten used to it I probably won't turn them back on.  I've found that nothing un-nerves your opponent like being hit when they don't know they're being fired at.

[thrila]

On for me.

I find them very useful for making quick adjustments if i have missed.  i usuaully don't open fire until i'm close, but when i miss i like to know why.

Tracers have improved my gunnery rather than worsened it.

[Grits]

On for a couple of reasons.

#1. Since I almost exclusively fly the CT, and I switch sides from Allied to Axis a lot, I am constantly in different planes with different ballistic properties, like jumping from a P-40 with .50's into a 109E with MG-FF's, HUGE difference there in ballistics. I never stay in one long enough to get that 6th sense of where the bullits will go if they are off.

#2. Probably tied to #1, my gunnery is attrocious. I can not take a shot over D250 and be confident of a hit, I have to have the tracers to help me quickly adjust.

#3. Having the tracers on is extremely useful in making a runner stop running and turn so you can gain ground on them. I do that all the time in planes like the 109E/F, both Zeke's, the 110c's, pretty much any plane with hugh ammo loads of small MG's. I run the main trigger for all guns, and another button (the one on the right side of the CH Fighterstick) for the MG's only so I can "spook" a runner.

[gofaster]

Originally posted by Grits
I run the main trigger for all guns, and another button (the one on the right side of the CH Fighterstick) for the MG's only so I can "spook" a runner.

Same here.  I have the machine guns mapped to that same button and the cannons mapped to the big red button at the top.


Very helpful in the Yak-9T and the 109s, where the cannons don't need any extra help to bring down an enemy plane.  I use the small machine guns to spook the target, then use the cannons to kill.

[68DevilM]

tracers are used in real life so use them in the game:aok

[Grits]

Originally posted by gofaster
Same here.  I have the machine guns mapped to that same button and the cannons mapped to the big red button at the top.

Thats exactly how I have it so I can pickle bombs and rockets with the thumb button, but if I fire the cannons I go with everything using the main trigger, and only use the side button for "MG spooking".

[ra]

Originally posted by 68DevilM
tracers are used in real life so use them in the game:aok

Tracers were optional in real life too.

[SLCR]

Tracers off...Combat Trim off.  Makes the game more interesting.


-SLICER

[68DevilM]

i dont know about ww2 but i know now that heavy machine guns like the 50 cal and medium machine guns rounds come standard with tracers

[Ack-Ack]

Tracers off.  Forces you to learn how to lead with your gun sight intead of your rounds.




ack-ack

[Zaphod]

I used to leave them on all the time, and my gunnery was fair.  I turned them off and my gunnery went to laughable.  However after leaving them off for periods and then back on for periods I have found that for me gunnery is better.

1.  No tracers forces you to concentrate on the sight and sight picture rather than just spray around till you get hits.  For me when tracers are on I just see a bunch of yellow streaks, look for some hit sprites and hope for the best.

2.  No tracers forces you to learn how much lead is required for a particular gun type.

3.  Tracers makes it harder to see your pipper once you have learned how to use it.  With them off its easier to aim for plane parts vs. the entire plane.  P51B's lend themselves to this type of shooting where hitting a wing is pretty important to a quick kill vs just hammering the fuselage.

4.  You will forced at the early stages to get in closer for your shots increasing lethality.

I learned to do this by just turning off the tracers, using the  sight  and practicing.  Once I got used to using the sight instead of tracers I would turn tracers back on, pay attention to how much lead I needed in different situations for that gun type then turn them back off and practice somemore.  During this time I was a particularly poor shot.  Once I got the hang of it I improved my gunnery tremendously.

My hit percentage has roughly doubled now that I have really started to get gunnery under control.   I still have a long way to go but for me no tracers has really helped in this regard.

Zaphod

[Oldman731]

Off.

I usually end up flying Axis planes or English planes with .303s, so it doesn't pay to shoot from much more than 200 out, anyway.  I have been saved (at least temporarily) numerous times by the sight of tracers passing nearby.  So no point to having them, and occasionally I'm able to sneak up on someone.

- oldman

[Steve]

ON.

 If I'm bouncing a guy, by the time he sees my tracers it's moot what he does, really.  

I don't know about that "walking" stuff, I don't really use  tracers  to aim.  
I like to have them on in order to force runners to jink/react and thus allowing me to close a bit.  If I'm not doin this, I don't shoot at evading targets much over 300 or so anyway.  I'd rather work for a closer shot than expend energy pulling/adjusting for a longer shot.

I've flown w/ them off and didn't notice any difference in my hit % or any added advantage in a fight.  My hit % is decent so I don't see how having them off can help me.

Exceptions:  when attacking a  buff it would be nice to have them off as it takes me a bit longer to saw pieces off.  

Having them off when furballing in my spit V would be nice as the shots are usually in so close that you really don't need them anyway.

[Keiler]

Originally posted by 68DevilM
i dont know about ww2 but i know now that heavy machine guns like the 50 cal and medium machine guns rounds come standard with tracers

It's not that you buy a machinegun including 1000 rounds, and after you fired them, you throw both into the trashcan.
You can feed them with whatever you want as long it is the correct calibre and load.
In WW2 pilots of fighters (especially US) could choose if they wanted tracers or not, even if they wanted AP and/or incendiary. Some pilots made actually a science out of it, in "cooking" the optimal "mixture" of incendiary, armor piercing, full metal jacket lead, whatever.

[VWE]

Now off... tried for the first time about a month ago. A few of the planes I'm at a loss as to where the heck my rounds are going but the .50's and 20mm go like little laser beams.

I did take up a 152 with which I have a life time K/D of 4.72 in and chased a pony all over the sky near A109 last night and only hit em with 1 ping. I'll have to work on that one...

But the best guns are the Osty and field gun, without tracers these two will make peelots scream on channel 1 after you pop them outa the sky!