Originally posted by AKDejaVu:
Are you saying the guns would be significantly more lethal at 100 yards? If so, I'd like to know why.
AKDejaVu
I don't for a minute think they should be considerably more lethal. However, there are a few things sim pilots tend to forget about reality versus sims.
Most of the successful fighter pilots in history were significant shots. A few of the best shots died despite that, but they were nevertheless very good at shooting. They did not shoot at anything like 200m. That's ridiculous to imply that they would. Richthofen, Marseille, and Hartmann all preferred to be in very close.
I suspect the reason is grouping. All of these guys could shoot very well. Richthofen once climbed out of his aerodrome while it was under attack, dispatched a buff, and landed. His armorer found only three cartridges missing from his gun belt. I bet they all hit the pilot.
Even with armor plating, if you can manage to get inside of 100ft., you will down your opponent with very few rounds dispensed. Even with the comparatively weaker .50 caliber I find that I can kill with as few as 30 rounds per gun. You just have to be very close. I'm not saying that's easy, or even possible in some situations, but true. You simply cannot concentrate your fire upon a single impact point from 200m. (or yards). It takes fewer rounds when you can, so getting in close is very definately important. The difference between 200m and 100m would be small. The difference between 200m and 20ft. would be huge.
In any flight sim you do not have the ability to use the earth to steady your aim. You are not upon a bench rest. Your airplane is in relative free suspension, and as such no two rounds will hit precisely coposition, unless you get very, very close (and not even then).
I waste a lot of ammunition in Aces High. I'm still learning the gunnery, and such, but I know what works.
I have not tried IL2, and it is not likely that I will.
