just can't seem to get it

[nostick]

been playing for close to a year, been through all the tech problems, new computer, vid card, joystick etc. Thanks to all your great help the game has been working perfect for quite awhile now.  I've been logging alot of hours lately and realized that the further I get into the game the farther away I get from understanding how any of it works. I can fly straight but the minute I turn someone shoots me down. If I do get behind someone I can empty the guns and hit nothing. I read and studied how to bomb, thinking maybe that would be better, but after many hours of practicing the bombs never get even close. Tonite by luck I got on a radio station that people were planning a mission and like normal I was left standing in the tower confuzed after listening to instructions still not knowing what to do. The radio has been explained to me 3 times and I'm still lost.  also I was able to listen to alot of talk on the radio, people explaining to each other how to do certain moves, and not a word it of makes any sense. I've decided to quit trying to master the game, that will never happen the learning curve is just to much. I've never spent this much time trying to learn something with not improving. The one thing I've done right is picking nostick as my call sign, it defintely fits! I'll still fly, everyone in the community is great and it is fun.  I guess some of us have to be drones, I'll just be the senior drone.

[SFCHONDO]

What you need to do is get someone to take you to the Training Arena. There; with no interuptions I believe you will catch on faster. Trying to do it in the Main Arena with all the other distractions around makes it a little harder to pick up on things. There are tons of guys that will take the time to go to the TA and help you out. Good Luck, I am sure the light will click on for you one day and you will say Dam....this is so simple.

[Furball]

Originally posted by goducks
been playing for close to a year, been through all the tech problems, new computer, vid card, joystick etc. Thanks to all your great help the game has been working perfect for quite awhile now.  I've been logging alot of hours lately and realized that the further I get into the game the farther away I get from understanding how any of it works. I can fly straight but the minute I turn someone shoots me down. If I do get behind someone I can empty the guns and hit nothing. I read and studied how to bomb, thinking maybe that would be better, but after many hours of practicing the bombs never get even close. Tonite by luck I got on a radio station that people were planning a mission and like normal I was left standing in the tower confuzed after listening to instructions still not knowing what to do. The radio has been explained to me 3 times and I'm still lost.  also I was able to listen to alot of talk on the radio, people explaining to each other how to do certain moves, and not a word it of makes any sense. I've decided to quit trying to master the game, that will never happen the learning curve is just to much. I've never spent this much time trying to learn something with not improving. The one thing I've done right is picking nostick as my call sign, it defintely fits! I'll still fly, everyone in the community is great and it is fun.  I guess some of us have to be drones, I'll just be the senior drone.

i will gladly help you out in TA / DA.  Seems a shame that you have made all this effort for a year and feel that you are not making any sort of improvement.  If you see me online just send me a message.

.radio 1 Furball    

[storch]

I'm not real good but I will be glad to help.  you can usually find me in the CT and I'm usually an axis player.  The CT is a much less populated arena when you log on it's the third one down the "Combat Theater"  I'm storch there as well.  I'll be glad to pass on the little I know.

Good luck and happy new year

[Ghosth]

Nostick

Well I may have gotten you started a bit with the radio last night.

Looks like we have more work to do though.

If you'd like we can discuss some of this via email before we try to make it happen in planes.

ghosth@hitechcreations.com

should reach me.
Or you can just keep popping into the TA and hope to find a trainer on.


There are several good trainers that really can help you "put it all together".

Virtually NO one manages to learn all that needs to be learned here on his own. We've all had help getting here of one kind or another. So no shame, lets just get to work & get you having fun!

[SuperDud]

Yup, TA is the place to be. Most players think it's for the newbies who have been here for a few weeks but it ain't. Many a nights a vet will drop in along with all the trainers to help. Also a lot of the newbies actually become decent sticks in a short time due to the training and could actually help you too.

[daddog]

I am average, but been at this a long time. Be glad to help out also.

jwg11@mlode.com

Also have some good ACM films on our site that would help. I can send you the link if you want, just e-mail me.

[WMLute]

I'd be glad to help.  I'm in the TA lots, but if you see me flyin' in the MA just say something, we'll head to the TA/DA and figure some of this out for y'as.

[Estes]

Originally posted by Ghosth
Nostick

Well I may have gotten you started a bit with the radio last night.

Looks like we have more work to do though.

If you'd like we can discuss some of this via email before we try to make it happen in planes.

ghosth@hitechcreations.com

should reach me.
Or you can just keep popping into the TA and hope to find a trainer on.


There are several good trainers that really can help you "put it all together".

Virtually NO one manages to learn all that needs to be learned here on his own. We've all had help getting here of one kind or another. So no shame, lets just get to work & get you having fun!

Yup, GhostH taught me how to get the plane in the air, and got me started with basic ACM.

And I don't know if Bigmax still plays or not. But look him up. He taught me how to kill people and evade them.

[Schaden]

Let everyone know when you are normally on and where in the world you're located and which country you normally play for and then we can keep an eye out for you next time you're on.

It does take a while to get the hang of things - I'm sure with a little help you'll be far better and enjoyign AH more in a month or so.

[JB73]

<-- raises hand to offer training of the basics (radio, text, planes / loadouts, all that)

i have an outline i cna train you on everything in it:

I. Communication
A. Tune private with player
B. Both go to an isolated base
1. teach “.move” quickly if needed
C. If they have a microphone teach to key up
1. If they have no microphone, have them respond on a non-public channel
D. Both tune to a common channel
E. Radio bar explanation
1. using the tilde key “~” to expand text buffer
F. Tuning manually
G. Using “.radio” command
1. explanation of “DOT” commands (not all but concept behind them)
H. Practice different tunings (private with you, numbered text, etc.)
I. Q & A about communication
 
II. Clipboard
A. Raise and lower
B. Move and resize
C. Zoom in and out (both keyboard and mouse buttons)
D. right click features (icons, alts etc.)
E. Teach moving by double clicking
F. Teach click dragging map
1. Have them locate a far away base and move there by dragging map
G. Explain flashing icons and dots
H. Bottom buttons (tower, hangar etc.)
1. Teach map room
a. map layout
b. clicking on a base to see strat
c. mission joining
2. Teach Hangar
a. choosing planes by type
b. reading plane “values”
c. explanation of load outs
d. perk multiplier
e. convergence
f. right click functions (fighter, bomber, enabled, favorites)
g. skins
I. Q & A about the clipboard
 
III. Flying
A. Teach spawn points
B. Both take off in same plane on separate runways
1. “auto takeoff” (including why it is best to move stick a bit after airborne to achieve best climb rate)
C. Kill engine before moving
D. Views
1. default views, and to get the back
2. moving head positions and saving them
E. Explain ammo counters
1. fire test rounds
2. select second weapon
3. fire test round
4. setting “.salvo”
5. fire salved rounds
F. Fuel gauge
1. explain how “automatic” drains tanks
2. manually switching
3. drop tanks
G. Both compasses
H. Radiator
1. explain WEP and relation to temperature of engine
I. Other gauges (including how to read damage to plane )
J. Auto pilots (turn on even while still)
1. setting “.speed”
K. Back to tower
L. Q & A about general plane setup, and starting
 
IV. Ground vehicles
A. Selecting and explanations of uses
1. ammo load outs in panzer, tiger, M8, LVTa2 and explanation of HE versus AP rounds
2. load outs of M3, LVTa4 and uses of items
B. Spawn points
1. Test if they can find and read arrows on map
C. Spawn in hangar
1. start engine
2. shift
3. drive through all gears
4. stopping
5. moving positions
6. firing guns
7. taking supplies
D. Field guns
1. field layouts, and CV layouts.
2. CV gun positions (tell not to use the big guns until they are more experienced)
E. Q & A about vehicles, and field guns

V. Advanced Training Lessons
A. Strategic concept of the game (resources)
1. how hangars relate to fighters, bombers, and vehicles
2. how barracks relate to troops and supplies
3. how bunkers relate to ordinance
4. how HQ relates to radar
5. how radar tower relates to radar
6. how fuel bunkers relate to fuel load out
7. how strategic targets on the map effect strategic items at bases
8. zones (when large maps return)
B. Capturing bases
1. town location related to base (map room if there is no town) i.e. yellow dot on map
2. explanation of how all buildings must be down (VERY IMPORTANT many in the game currently don’t understand the whole concept i.e. 1 building comes up, you need 10 fresh troops to enter the map room AFTER all buildings are dead again)
3. transport of troops (C47 drop alts and M3 being stopped)
C. Wining the “war”
1. who wins with tie of bases (country that took last base)
2. perk reward
3. what happens after (arena reset, and disconnection)
D. Carrier groups
1. command, and not needing to “take command” just to move it.
2. setting waypoints
a. looped
b. patrol
c. offline using the “.tgjump XX” command to get CV’s in a position faster for practice
3. using the big guns
a. land mode
i. using advanced view F8 to pan for better view
ii. making small adjustments in firing position
b. sea mode
E. Bombers
1. selecting load outs
2. taking off with flaps depending on base alt
3. advanced external views
4. gun positions, and changing planes in the formation
5. calibration

[DoKGonZo]

Originally posted by goducks
...  I've been logging alot of hours lately and realized that the further I get into the game the farther away I get from understanding how any of it works. I can fly straight but the minute I turn someone shoots me down. If I do get behind someone I can empty the guns and hit nothing. ...

Everyone in this game hits a wall. Often.

I'm sure other people have given the following advice, but what the hell:

- Pick one plane and stick with it. I recommend the P-51D. It's fast enough to let you get out of trouble, has plenty of ammo, great visibility, and great ballistics. Spit IX is a good 2nd choice, but it's all to easy to get tempted into turning (and then dieing). Pay attention to *acceleration* - level and in a dive. Acceleration is what lets you close for a kill, or get out of harms way. Speed, climb rate, and turning are vital - but how quickly you can get in or out of trouble (i.e. accelerate) is what will govern a lot of your decisions in combat.

- Practice shooting drones offline. A lot - many veteran players routinely practice drone shooting offline to keep their "touch". Gunnery in AH isn't like a lot of games. You can't just put the sight on something and make it blow up. In your head you have to "see" the time of fligt of the rounds from your guns. That's why the P-51D (or any US plane, really) is good to start with. The .50 cal has great ballistics - so this calculation is much easier. Learn to shoot from within  D.300 ... a common mistake is to start firing from D.400 or more and odds of missing are tons higher out there. If you aren't using tracers - start.

- The "die the moment you turn" is most likely because you are losing track of the enemy. Try the following offline exercise: perform as many manouevers as you can think of (loops, turns, Immel's, etc.) while keeping the water tower at the field in sight. Most of the experienced players "know" where their own plane is instinctively - and concentrate on where the enemy is. If you don't know where the enemy plane is, you're in trouble.

- Film everything - watch from the enemy point of view.

- If you want to feel like you're contributing, load rockets on your P51 and tag along with guys attacking a base. Just kill a few AAA or city buildings. You can practice this offline real easy - these are stationary targets, if you can hit 'em offline you can hit 'em online.

[Dead Man Flying]

JB73, that's an awesome list.  I bet a lot of two week players would find a tutorial covering those basics invaluable.  It's easy to think this stuff is second nature when we've been doing it for years, but I recall how daunting it all seemed when I made the move from Air Warrior way back in the late beta days.

-- Todd/Leviathn

[Estes]

Yup, agree with lev.

There wasn't in game vox back when i joined.

So, when it came out. I was learning how to use it just like everyone else was.

[Schaden]

Jb73's list should be made a sticky