These are the two most hashed and rehashed topics I see (see this thread) in both the game and in here. These are my opinions.
Headons- Personally I dont like them. But since I never was a BnZ type, I never longed for them. The guys who BnZed in AW sure did. Now they have them. It is more realistic than not being able to hit a guy headon. The problem isnt that they are an option, its the fact that so many look down upon them.
Many merges end up with both players nose to nose. This is a shot opportunity. Whether you want to take it or not is up to you. Nine times out of ten the other guy will. If you dont want to put yourself in that position, Id recommend a different setup that doesnt allow the guy the shot on you. If a guy pulls a double immel on you and hangs there, handing you the noose to slip your head into, BUT, you didnt bite..instead leveling off long enough to conserve your tiny bit of E..so that when he drops down on you to get a headon on shot by using up the rest of your E at the last second...HE MISJUDGED YOU. He will generally say "Nice headon . This of course is his attempt to belittle you..on channel 200, for all to see. The last resort of someone who made a mistake, and can't quite come to grips with it.
The same is for when planes like spitVs, taking a headon against an LA7 (a headon shooter if there ever was one) or other fast planes. Quite often the headon shot is the only one you will get. Take it..its in the game..its up to them to avoid it.
When I first came here..after years of no-headons in AW..I didnt like it. But Im used to it now. Would 2 planes approaching at 300mph go head to head risking a collision to try for a headon? Probably not. But that was real life. This is a game. Some folks may never get much better than they are in week4. Those guys still want to play, and if they only seem to be able to get headons shots, then so be it. We all want to play, and kill people. The guy who doesnt want to be hit that way should take every pre-caution to avoid it. So remember the next time you see a guy say "Nice headon dweeb!"..remember..he made a mistake, and is trying to cover that up by making his opponent look bad.
RUNNING-
Again..some guys may never learn the ability to manage space around him, or learn to TnB. These guys generally use fast planes to stay alive longer. No one likes hearing the wheels come up every 10 minutes. Others, who are very good at all aspects of the game use a faster plane when they want to stay alive a long time and rack up some kills.
Each of these guys has every right to use their planes speed to escape. A 51 against a spitv when slow, will likely end up dead if he turns with the spit for a few minutes. That said..the outcome known..why waste the time re-upping, when you can just run away and set up another attack a few minutes later?
When a guy runs...you beat him. Either by having the better plane for the situation, or you flat outflew him. In either case..he is out of the fight for a few minutes and you are still alive. There is no need to call out "WTG you runner!!" on channel 200. Hes just doing what he has to, to live. Be it outmatched in plane type, for a slow fight, or outmatched in ability.
The other side of the coin, is if you are tired of planes continually out-running you, and frustrating your gameplay...try a faster plane. Go after him. Fly in his shoes awhile. You will find yourself having to run against tighter turning rides yourself at times if you want to live.
The main thing is..there is no need to announce to channel 200, that someone headon'd you..or ran away from your fight. Its all in the game. Broadcasting your frustration only pollutes the channel. Think of that the next time you're tempted to vent on channel 200. If you cant resist it..atleast (if you know who it is)..use PM to hash it out. We dont need to hear it.
