I think the major difference between "then" and "now" is the way a noobie is assimulated into the game. Being new, he goes with the flow.
The flow has changed and so he molded in a way different from times past. With that the game moves farther and farther away from air to air. There is no anchor to hold it.
It's a shame really. There are still those that come in fresh and what they want to be is the baddest mother in the valley. They do it on they're own and seek out those that can help like Wldthng or shane. But they are a very small minority.
When I came up in WB in 98 air to air was the begining and the end of the flightsim experience. The rest was window dressing for air to air combat.
To a certain point "now" air to air is window dressing to the rest of the flightsim for a good deal of the population.
That's so sad.
When I came up they had training most nights of the week where you worked one on one, or in a small group with a trainer on air to air combat.
It lights the fire. Mine was lit when I arrived so I didn't take advantage of it. The lessons I did later down the road refocused the fire.
In Aces High there is no formalized training in the art of air to air combat. Cant really blame Dale, I imagine the training group was baggage that got heavy.
What you have in it's absense, is the squads that take on the newguy. There they learn to take territory, kill buildings and how to live.
Living is easy. Play it safe, have the numbers, blah blah blah...
If the feeling you get when you go against the odds and come out the other side with a couple of pelts is lost on a good majority of people, the flow has changed.
It has. That sucks.
I still find my fights with the rest of the old fighters, not as often. But it's enough.
That perfect reverse is on my next sortie..
