Originally posted by Simaril
So, Storch, yeah I think the Ki (used as an energy plane) would be the best plane in the set because it could control engagement/ disengagement at will. The Tony is a goner against a Spit. The only problem for the allies is that the 2nd best Axis plane could outrun and outturn them both....
My own sense is that the Zeke is the best plane in the set, followed fairly closely by the Spit, which is close in maneuverability and has better guns. The P40 v Tony is really a great fight, the planes are closely matched (with, as you say, the slight edge going to the Tony). These fights almost always go to the better pilot. On balance, though, your squad ought to have taken the Axis side, which holds an overall advantage. By the time I logged on your people had already selected Allies, though. Quite often this is the "trickle in" effect - the first squad members to show up pick a side, for whatever reason (the lure of the Spit?) and others join the same side as they show up.
E25280: The numebrs I was talking about were at the point of contact, not in the arena. And what I saw was not the aftermath of a 3v3. It was single allied planes coming in towards the axis base, and getting attacked by 2-3 guys at once -- instead of the extra guys going on to engage the next con. It was ganging pure and simple.
I fear that I saw the same thing, and mentioned it to Duke when he logged on. I've thought about it for the past few days, and it seems to me that the ganging resulted from a combination of the unusually close bases and a bad case of "he did it first" syndrome.
Even in the AvA we don't usually have opposing bases as close together as they were on Friday night. By the time you were gear-up, you were almost halfway to the enemy base, and, since the other guys were in the same boat, we were meeting each other almost immediately and at low altitude - the conveyor belt Storch talks about below. It's natural enough to turn into the red plane that's almost on top of you.
The ugly part was the tit-for-tat undercurrent I sensed. Three planes approaching you on the deck sure look like a 3 v 1, but those three planes might be looking at you and the two guys upping from the base right behind you. Regardless, you will think you were ganged, and will be more inclined to gang others ("If that's the way these guys wanna play, well FINE!"). One way or the other, there was a certain killer madness going on Friday night. It didn't help things any when a couple of folks started vulching, probably out of ignorance, possibly out of frustration.
Most AvA regulars are really good pilots. The Mongrels have some good sticks, but a lot of us are just guys having fun. It seems to me that when the announced guests were getting reamed, it would have been good manners to lighten up, or offer a side switch. Instead, I saw 4 axis planes chasing Sondog on the deck, and 3 more after another guy.
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....er....I did suggest a side switch, could well be that you missed it in all the madness. While it would seem a daunting prospect, it actually wouldn't have been so tough, I think. Just tell your people to start switching as soon as the die, pretty soon it will all be turned around as others switch to even out the sides. Or simply say, "Hey, OK if we tried to fly as an Axis squad for awhile?" That's one of the unique things the AvA offers, is the ability to be a historical squad against historical opponents. We'll have to remember this for the next time.
Sondog did very well, it seemed to me. And remember that a 3v3 furball can rapidly become a 3v1 gang if there a couple of quick kills.
I didnt have fun Friday, but some guys clearly did. (After I left...I wonder if that has a deeper meaning....) If the AvA experience has improved from the time of the name change, I'll give it a try again.
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That's good to hear! Actually, maybe 20 or 30 minutes after you left the Allies seemed to have gotten things in hand, upping from further back, avoiding turnfights, sticking together - tactics which reflected real-world experience against the Japanese (as did the slaughter of the Spit 5s in traditional dogfighting, btw!). Saw some good P-40 flying there, too (including Nifty, who had a number of Oldman scalps tied to his radio antenna).
When do most of the regulars go now?
Prime time is usually from about 9 to 11:30 pm, eastern time, on weeknights, ending later on weekends.
- oldman
