What are you learning?

[HomeBoy]

The latest threads by Biggles, Dichotomy et al with respect to improving your combat skills have been very encouraging and positive.  ! to those guys.   Keep it up!  Thus the inspiration for this posting.  Maybe this posting will inspire you to share what you're learning as well.

I have always felt there is this "fighter pilot" deep within me struggling to get free!    Yet, my flying career here in AH can be characterized by  "hours of mediocrity followed by flashes of brilliance."  I am forever trying to understand how and why I "get in the groove" and why I don't.

I have come to believe the key is being able to "see in 3D."   When I "get in the groove", I somehow am able to translate myself from sitting in front of a two dimensional computer screen and actually into the "simulation world of 3D."  This translation is much more difficult than I ever thought.  It's a bit like staring at those 3D pictures that make no sense and suddenly the Statue of Liberty pops out.  Sometimes I'm able to see those things and sometimes I'm not.  Therefore, it does me no good at all to learn the "Rope-a-Dope" maneuver, for example,  if I can't tell that my opponent is losing energy and approaching a stall.  That is, if I'm not "in 3D", tactics do me no good at all.  If I haven't "entered the world" then I'm just staring at a 2D collection of pixels.

So, what can I do to get "into the 3D world?"  I do believe I'm making progress on this but it is often a series of "two steps forward and one step back."

Doing everything I can to get good hardware has made a difference I think.  Having good frame rates and a top notched graphics card has definitely helped.  Fine tuning all that stuff is definitely important.

Track IR has been a great example of "two steps forward, one step back."  When I first started flying with TIR, though it was great to be able to turn my head around and not have to wear my thumb out on the hat, I found I had to sort of learn to fly all over again.  Add to that the months of experimenting with how to best configure the darn thing.  Thanks to Mace and his TIR profile, I finally settled on a reasonable way to use it.  I think I've finally gotten on the plus side of that technology.

My 54 year old eyes have not exactly been an asset here either.  I've experimented with various screen resolutions and gamma settings as well as trying several types of glasses.  I have an LCD monitor on my "Christmas list" to replace my 19" CRT which I think will probably help.

Using the "3D picture" analogy and how you have to get your mind and eyes right as you stand in front of it waiting for the 3D picture to show up, I have been trying to do things to acclimate myself to the "simulation world."  When I first log on for the evening, I fly over where a fight is taking place and get high above the fight so I'm reasonably safe.  Then, I just circle around up there watching the fight.  I focus very carefully on someone in pursuit.  I try to get the "sense of flight" so that I can tell what the energy states of the planes are and which ones have a lot of smash, etc.  After a while, my mind begins to shift into the 3D world a little better and I'm not just looking at pixels on a computer screen.  I try to discipline myself not to engage until this "transformation" begins to happen.

So, here's where I am right now with all this.  I think computer games are optical illusions and the ease of which your mind gets tricked into the "reality" of the simulation is directly proportional to how much success you will have playing that game.  I think that explains why some people are more "natural" at it than others.  It's just like the 3D picture.  Some people can see that image instantly while others have to stare at it for five minutes and some never ever see it.  The good news (I think) is you can learn to see this 3D world given the proper environment and practice.  As for me, I'm making progress.

Sorry for the rambling.  I'm thinking out loud and trying to organize my thoughts at the same time.  Hope this is helpful to someone.

-hb

[Dichotomy]

Interesting perspective Homeboy.  I'm going to mull this a bit

[StuB]

I recently returned to AH (and flight sims in general) after a 5 year hiatus.

I have to admit that it has been frustrating, being a dweeb again......but I have also been surprised at how much fun it's been.

Just about every flight makes me remember a little bit more.....although usually it's AFTER I just got sent down in flames

It has been tough for me to get used to using a twisty stick (Saitek AV8r) .....I think I am going to go back to using pedals.

It has also been very difficult....more so than I imagined....to redevelop my situational awareness skills.  

After hearing about it, I went ahead and purchased a TrackIR Pro.  I have been using it for a couple of weeks now and in some ways it has improved my SA.........but overall, I seem to be doing worse with it.  This is something that I think will work itself out as I use it more.

It has been a great help reading (and re-reading) the helpful posts here  and reviewing everyone's films.  They are definately appreciated.  

[Max]

Homeboy I'm the same age, have the same lack of inspired skills, and related to every damned word you wrote. Wanna be pen pals?

[Emu]

I can echo HomeBoy's sentiment.  Also, TrackIR is definitely a piece of technology which requires one to learn how to fly all over again.  I have TrackIR, and I can definitely appreciate its strenghts; however, I am not yet ready to make the investment in time to get used to it.  I hate losing fights because of an optional piece of equipment... and completely forego its long term benefits I also cant get used to wearing a hat to use it (I dont use headphones)... so it is now collecting dust.

Anyway, very good call on adjusting the mind to the 3D world.  I think that could be another reason why some days i do well, some others I stink.  One I will have to think about and incorporate into my AH routine.... hopefully with good results.

Great post

Emu

[WMDnow]

heheheh, i have a habit of watching a show like dogfights, so i can find a bunch of fun tactics, once i use them successfully, i feel 'in the moment' or 3D as you call it.

[HomeBoy]

Originally posted by Max
Homeboy I'm the same age, have the same lack of inspired skills, and related to every damned word you wrote. Wanna be pen pals?

Sure Max.  Us old coots need to stick together!  Please share any progress you make on this.  We are not the only ones!

!

[Max]

Check your PM

[EsX_Raptor]

I am a newbie, or at least a little over that now and have always had the reputation of learning really fast, always, and that is what motivates me to learn and learn anything I can so that I can be good at it as everyone else or even better
I thank all the people that have helped me and trained me and let them know that every second they spend trying to help this noob here did indeed work! Thanks Ghost, thanks WMD and hope to learn with you two again..

I'm learning the Bf 109G-2, it's fun!

[BaldEagl]

Originally posted by HomeBoy
We are not the only ones!

Me too.  3 years you "oldsters" junior... soon to be 2 years.  11 years at this and still mediocre.

Although I almost always know what I should do and I sometimes have flashes of brilliance it just seems I can't put it all together all the time.

I do find I do better if I say out of the me on many fights in my high ENY planes in the LW arenas though but the challenge is often just too alluring to me.

[morfiend]

I recently saw a show on remotely controled craft.It seems the most difficult part to teach is the "immersion" that Homeboy speaks of.
While the different sorts of vehicles were easy to control the operators had a problem getting a "feeling" for their overall surroundings.
 Hmm sounds like a lack of SA.......


The practice to help with this problem was simple.
  Hours and Hours of video game play.

Sounds good to me:aok

[lagger86]

I'm learning that I have alot to learn. The more experience I gain, the funner it all becomes.

[Dichotomy]

you guys could post your films in the what went wrong thread to get some critiques you know

good post HB

[Bubbajj]

Some days I wonder if it aint something to do with the connection. The other day I landed something like 14 kills with one death. It seemed that everything that flew in front of me went down in flames. Then there's other days when I can't hit a damn thing. I unload entire magazines without a single kill. Now that is frustrating.

[HomeBoy]

Originally posted by Bubbajj
Some days I wonder if it aint something to do with the connection. The other day I landed something like 14 kills with one death. It seemed that everything that flew in front of me went down in flames. Then there's other days when I can't hit a damn thing. I unload entire magazines without a single kill. Now that is frustrating.

It absolutely is connection (sometimes).  There can be just the slightest bit of lag which will throw your aim off.  Planes can warp just a bit to cause you to miss.  Planes which look like they can't hit you will because they are not "really" where they appear to be.  Connection most definitely accounts for some of this.

I have days like you're talking about too.  I think everybody does.  The good players learn to recognize it and can compensate.  I've never learned to do that though.  I just get frustrated as you do.

It all balances out though I think.  Even with crappy connection, the good players will still win.  I decided a long time ago that I'm going to accept connection issues like a real pilot would have to deal with mechanical failures like the mechanic forgetting to tighten all the bolts on the machine gun shroud causing the barrel to wobble around when fired.  That sort of stuff can't happen here so we have connection issues as a "simulation" of these sorts of problems.

If I discipline myself to think like that I get by much better.  Amazing how I never seem to remember any of this "wisdom" when it's happening to me.  

! Bubbajj   and hang in there!