HO clarification

[ICU2]

I've been in AH for a month now and I see a lot of comments about head on shots. I was wondering why there is a stygma against it?
It was a normal occurance in ww2.  Both ac have the opportunity to strike the other so I don't see what the fuss is about.

icu2

[Arcades057]

People complain about it ad nauseam.  If you go for the HO, 9-10 times the other guy is too.  The one time you don't, they do and they get you.

This is just one more thing for people to complain about.

[DoKGonZo]

HO shots are artificially easier in AH than IRL and that allows far lesser skilled players to shoot down better players by leveraging this "feature." When you're new, it seems like a weird thing to gripe about. Once you get better you'll quickly get frustrated with it too.

[SlapShot]

It was a normal occurance in ww2.

Yes it was used in WWII ... but it was far from a "normal occurrance".

[JAWS2003]

Originally posted by DoKGonZo
.....that allows far lesser skilled players to shoot down better players by leveraging this "feature."

 There's a bit of true in that but I see another side of the coin. If i'm in a FW-190 A8 with a busted aileron, a smoking engine and a bleeding pilot what chance do I have to compete with the much nimble fresh painted La-7 or Spit 16? What do i have to do? Fly straight and wait until the inevitable happens, or take my chances in a HO hoping the heavy cannons and big armored radial engine will save me from certain death?
  I try to avoid as much as is possible but sometimes HO is all you have left.

[dedalos]

Originally posted by ICU2
I've been in AH for a month now and I see a lot of comments about head on shots. I was wondering why there is a stygma against it?
It was a normal occurance in ww2.  Both ac have the opportunity to strike the other so I don't see what the fuss is about.

icu2

 Lets say this is WWII and you are a real fighter pilot with a real life to waste.  would you be making pass after pass after pass HO?  I will guess no.

People get upset when this is all they see.  As DoK said, once you have the ability to fight, you will look down upon the dweeb that comees in while you are fighting 3 of his friends, fires short burst at you comming out of a turn, takes your engine out and runs 5 sectors to safety telling you it takes 2 to HO.  IT DOES NOT

[wetrat]

It takes two to joust, one tool with hispanos to HO.

[JAWS2003]

This is from Luther's Soviet fighter tactics in 1942

 http://luthier.stormloader.com/SFTacticsIII.htm


..........The following information about German tactics is derived from experience of our pilots that fought the FW-190.

 

Enemy mostly stays in obsolete formations when flying, i.e. closely spaced pairs, etc.

 

Germans will position their fighters at different altitudes, especially when expecting to encounter our fighters. FW-190 will fly at 1,500-2,500 meters and Me-109G at 3,500-4,000 meters. They interact in the following manner:

 

FW-190 will attempt to close with our fighters hoping to get behind them and attack suddenly. If that maneuver is unsuccessful they will even attack head-on relying on their superb firepower . This will also break up our battle formations to allow Me-109Gs to attack our fighters as well. Me-109G will usually perform boom-n-zoom attacks using superior airspeed after their dive.

FW-190 will commit to the fight even if our battle formation is not broken, preferring left turning fights. There has been cases of such turning fights lasting quite a long time, with multiple planes from both sides involved in each engagement. .....

[Saxman]

I hate HOing because my bullets ALWAYS turn to rubber in a HO. 10 pings in the engine of a Spit XVI and it doesn't even make him smoke? WTF!

That, I think, is one place where people get most bent out of shape by repeated HOing. Especially when the HO insists on doing it in a plane that clearly outclasses yours in some capability that's actually useful in a "normal" confrontation (whether it's TnB, E or BnZ).

Sometimes I've also found it difficult to judge on some aircraft whether he's just REALLY flying slow or flying towards you. Also some aircraft have this irritating ability to 180 practically on a dime and turn a tail-chase or even full-plane deflection shot into a HO (anyone ELSE been in a diving tail chase against a 110 only to have him do a yawing 180 and suddenly be sucking on cannon fire?)

The only HO I've ever won was against a Goon.

[Pooface]

HO shots are only taken by pilots that don't know how to fight properly, or they just want to kill and run, and just want a good score. its very sad, and skilless.

going for a guys six instead of his nose means there is no danger to you, and you can kill more easily. i have no idea why people prefer to HO. really silly

[AutoPilot]

What it really comes down to is the HO shot is easy.Virtual pilots such as myself like to outmanuver the other pilot for the 6 kill.It's kind of a contest too me and usually makes for a way better fight when you and the other pilot are trying for the same thing.

I love it when people try to HO me,it let's me know that they are new and they suck then it's just a matter of 2 -3 moves and the end for them.

It is sad however that the only real manuver they know is lining up for the HO shot.

You simply merge with them like you are going to HO then fly underneath them full elevator roll straight up then flip over and be on them.This manuver works really well when they have alt on you because then they are already travelling downward,so by climbing it confuses them and they lose sight of you faster.

This is just my Opinion take it for what it's worth.

[pluck]

i like it when i try to up in a hurri, and someone tries to face shoot me on the vulch...now that is good clean fun.  he knows he has the advantage, so instead of taking the cowardly way out by shooting me in the back on take-off, he comes in for the face shot....woot:)

[DoKGonZo]

Sure ... a 190 w/4x20mm has a distinct firepower edge over a Yak with only 1x20mm. And given the superior training and experience of the Luftwaffe at the time, they probably had better odds in such a head-on engagement.

But in AH there are so many multi-cannon birds that victory becomes more of a crapshoot if all you do is HO. By comitting to a HO you are more or less rolling the dice on every crossing pass. Where's the skill in that?

Why do people do it? Because the HO shot (a) is the only one you are pretty sure to get, (b) is able to do more damage than any other shot, and (c) requires no skill or brainpower.

In a 1-on-1, yeah, it takes two to tango. But in a furball where you don't have the energy to avoid a HO shot, that's where that rule goes out the window.

HO should be a tactic of last resort, or a tactic to penetrate the defensive fire of a bomber formation. In AH, it is the primary tactic for probably half the players in the air.

[dedalos]

Originally posted by AutoPilot
You simply merge with them like you are going to HO then fly underneath them full elevator roll straight up then flip over and be on them.This manuver works really well when they have alt on you because then they are already travelling downward,so by climbing it confuses them and they lose sight of you faster.

This is just my Opinion take it for what it's worth.

People say that in the BBS a lot, but it does not work.  Too many assumptions.  Read at what you wrote.  They are already traveling downward so you will try and fly under them?  Three things are going to happen:

If he has alt you just offered him a canopy shot.
Co alt, you gave him the advantage by pushing your nose down and a shot.
If you did not die due to 1 and 2, he can safelly extend for a sector so he can try again.

HOs are not easy to avoid once you are withing guns range and they do not guranty you a kill.  Unless the bad guy has been here for a week or two.

[Mustaine]

Originally posted by wetrat
It takes two to joust, one tool with hispanos to HO.

this is the most true statement in this thread