New features, new users, and my thoughts.

[GunnerCAF]

I remember AW RR as Zazen described it.  Once in the kiddy pool, no one wanted to leave.  

Without all the effects enabled, players in the RR arena could not properly learn ACM.  With no black outs, they mostly tried to out turn everyone at 12Gs.  

Once they went through one learning curve to get good, they didn't want to do it all over again.  To fly in the FR arena, they had to unlearn and start again.  I think the RR arena proved to not be a stepping stone, but a trap.  I am glad this was pointed out to me before I started.  I followed the advice and went right to the deep end, and I am glad I did

This game is all about player skill.  We all fly the same set of aircraft.  AH has off line play, and a Training Arena.  New players can even use the stall limiter for a time.  These are all stepping stones.

Gunner

[TequilaChaser]

Originally posted by GunnerCAF
I remember AW RR as Zazen described it.  Once in the kiddy pool, no one wanted to leave.  

Without all the effects enabled, players in the RR arena could not properly learn ACM.  With no black outs, they mostly tried to out turn everyone at 12Gs.  

Once they went through one learning curve to get good, they didn't want to do it all over again.  To fly in the FR arena, they had to unlearn and start again.  I think the RR arena proved to not be a stepping stone, but a trap.  I am glad this was pointed out to me before I started.  I followed the advice and went right to the deep end, and I am glad I did

This game is all about player skill.  We all fly the same set of aircraft.  AH has off line play, and a Training Arena.  New players can even use the stall limiter for a time.  These are all stepping stones.

Gunner

that about sums it up, but back then for the newcomers who did step into the FR, they had to deal with Boozr, Dragn, Rapier, Fool, Fencer, DD, NB, Zues, WrW, Mute, STICK, Badz, Snowman, Merch and others and all of them "ALWAYS" offered a helping hand!!!

[miraj]

I have alot of experience in past flight sims , online and offline.

 I have a super duper computer and big moniter that runs AH , no sweat.

 After flying for an hour every evening for 2 weeks , I am begining to get the hang of it , but even still, I have found the actual air combat part of the game very difficult.

 This is a good thing, a REAL challange !!!

 However , I do believe there should be a new players arena , available only to those whom have logged under a certain amount of hours/kills/crashes.

 It would serve to feed the addiction early , and may have negative cosequences later , but it would help very early on in the learning.

 I would certainly prefer a 3 week allowance for new players such as myself.

 I feel now that I am getting a handle on things. Oh good , I dont have to work tomorrow , I will be playing all night!

[Hawco]

There must be a way that some of the vets on here can get to work with the various newbs? I think what happens is that newbs see what's going on around them and follow examples from other people.
What happens then is that you have 5-6 of them in lgays or 16's chasing 1 con and firing from 1.5k out or dying after a failed HO attempt.
Maybe reversing the perk system would help? i.e. limit the plane set till they have at least learned even the most basic of ACM/SA or what ever.
A spit 5 was (and still is) a great crate to learn in and die in. It's a shame really, there's much experience and lots of vets that could pass on good, constructive knowledge in a few mins, if they could only get matched up with each other.
What about a newb winging somebody for 30 mins to an hour?
I'm just trying to think of things that would help the community in the long run guys.

[bsdaddict]

here's my perspective, being relatively new myself...

saw the commercial, hit me like a ton of bricks "WTF...  I love WW2 planes, why have I not played a game like this before."  downloaded the game, played offline for a week or so and then started my free 2 weeks.  I, like many noobs, wanted action and I wanted it now.  I did spend a day or two in the TA, but I guess I didn't read the MOTD or something, 'cause I didn't realize we were supposed to ask before shooting in that arena.  Anyhoo, I wasn't getting enough action in the TA so I jumped into the MA (old MA, before the split)  Of course, I died A LOT.  The next month I died A LOT.  The next month I still died a lot, but a little less than the previous month.  This continued, with me getting better in small increments, learning "the hard way" so to speak.  For me, considering my motivations to play this game and the time I had available, this was/is my preferred method of learning.  Sure, I'd probably be better now if I had spent my first 2 months in the TA, but I wouldn't have had as much "fun" in the process.

So, that said, the improvement I'd make to make the noob experience better for both the noob and the rest of the AH community is this:  training squads.  A squad, led by a trainer(s), that flys together in the MA.  The one thing I was looking for in a squad was personnel with training experience who would take a noob under their wing and conduct on the job training in the MA.  Heck, I'd still like to join such a squad.  If someone asks a noob question on 200, he could be sent an invite to the training squad.  Of course, people would eventually people would graduate and move on to other squads, but they could possibly also stay on as a junior trainer if needed.  

Thoughts?

.

[Clifra Jones]

Originally posted by GunnerCAF
I remember AW RR as Zazen described it.  Once in the kiddy pool, no one wanted to leave.  

Without all the effects enabled, players in the RR arena could not properly learn ACM.  With no black outs, they mostly tried to out turn everyone at 12Gs.  

Once they went through one learning curve to get good, they didn't want to do it all over again.  To fly in the FR arena, they had to unlearn and start again.  I think the RR arena proved to not be a stepping stone, but a trap.  I am glad this was pointed out to me before I started.  I followed the advice and went right to the deep end, and I am glad I did

This game is all about player skill.  We all fly the same set of aircraft.  AH has off line play, and a Training Arena.  New players can even use the stall limiter for a time.  These are all stepping stones.

Gunner

Yup, just like I had to unlearn all that stuff I learned flying other sims before I came here.  Like being able to drop flaps @ 300Mph in a zeke to achieve those uber turn rates.

[Clifra Jones]

I would say, that anyone who is serious about this game/sim and especially if you are serious about flying fighters should invest in the following.


Fighter Combat: Tactics and Maneuvering by Robert L. Shaw

This book is the best info you will ever get ragarding flying fighter aircraft of any era.

[humble]

Originally posted by TequilaChaser
that about sums it up, but back then for the newcomers who did step into the FR, they had to deal with Boozr, Dragn, Rapier, Fool, Fencer, DD, NB, Zues, WrW, Mute, STICK, Badz, Snowman, Merch and others and all of them "ALWAYS" offered a helping hand!!!

As one of the guys who made transition from "Ace of Aces" in RR to "kick me I'm a target drone" in FR I learned more in a day in FR then in my year or so in RR.  Actually as a general rule they actually avoided ganging you (no clue how they qued up for the kick the noob conga line) and if you stuck with it over time you learned. And when you finally caught one of them in an over confident "triple emmil with the double reverse tailslide" you got some serious ego stroking vs some snide jackoscar comment. Then all of a sudden one day the 2nd guy doesnt stay out and you no longer get the "grab as much alt as you want"....and you realize your now firmly entrenched at the bottom rung of the food chain but your now "one of us". Then a bit later you see guys flying over you while your in a 1 on 2 and get the comment ( I'm not wating my time coming down unless you leave me one). Then you get the "hehe i'm swooping down and I'm gonna cherry em both" {which is not aimed at picking the percieved "baby seals" but at harassing you as a "known" player}[in many of the old guard squads "picking" from squadies was great ongoing fun] and being treated as an "auxillery member" was a compliment...

finally if you got really good (or were on a roll) guys would up looking for you....

[calan]

Originally posted by aqhawasi
a) Find some guy flying in a straight line, get on his six, he wont move, shoot him down.  Repeat 4 times. b) Find the same guy, or similar, tries to evade, but since he/she cant fly, goes into an uncontrollable spin, dies. c) Starts shooting once i start shooting him, even when I am on his six o'clock. d) Starts shooting at me from 1500 yds out. e) combinations.

OH GREAT!.... now they are gonna read this and know what not to do.

There goes my hope of getting a kill  

[calan]

Originally posted by miraj
However , I do believe there should be a new players arena , available only to those whom have logged under a certain amount of hours/kills/crashes.

I think it would be way cool to have some "skill based" arenas, where you could play against people at more or less your level of experience. No idea how you would implement it, but it would be fun.

Then we could get rid of ack, dano, widewing and whoever else it is that know what they are doing and keep SHOOTING MY ARSE DOWN.

   j/king

[Schatzi]

bsaddict, most squads ARE training/helping their new members. And if they arent but you need the help, then maybe they are not the right squad for you at the moment.

I love teaching. But some days, i just want to log on and shoot/get shot. Im pretty sure you wont find a player that will just go and "baby sit" newbies in the MA all the time.

When i shoot a flying-straight-and-level noob or the pony-full-ord-to-turnfight-my-Hurr-off-the-runway noob i usually tune them private and offer help (might need to let them know to use / key to chat on help channel 6). If they dont want the help, ill rack up kills. But most gladly accept any assistance offered.


Something else id like to add: not all players WANT to learn. Some just want to know the "button that takes them off and shoots the bad guy". To those that make a little effort (ie actually *ask* and listen to the answer) loads of learning tools and stepping stones are readily available. Provided by HTC, the Trainers Corps and a lot of helpful longtime players.


miraj, if you need help with the "air combat" part of things: http://trainers.hitechcreations.com - the page also contains a request form for scheduling training.

[RumbleB]

No more arenas

[Hajo]

Doesn't anyone play for the challenge anymore?

Sheeeesh.  RR was fun when you were new.  But FR was where it was at.
One actually had to learn some ACM there.  SA was about the same in both RR and FR but RR was flying on a rail with no penalties.

Now...if yaz wanna be a good virtual Pilot take the time to learn.

We all got shot down many times when we were new....happened to everyone in any arena.  But RR????   Sheeeesh ya gotta be kidding?

If ya want RR play FA....ya get a free toaster when ya sign up and a poster of Farrah Fawcett.....RR sheeeeeeeeeesh.