Just picked this up today :)

[TheLoner222]

Well...after a few hours of frustration..I finally got flying down and decided to head online. Anyone have any tips such as plane choice/tactics/etc? Anything not in written stone would be mucho helpful.

[Viper35]

If I were you I would go into the training rooms.  They are more then happy to answer any questions you have about the game.  If you go into the MA and start asking basic questions they more then likely won't be so "helpfull".  If you do.....expect the barrage of Alt 4 replies!   If I were you start out flying something simple as the LA7.

[SgtPappy]

I suggest first fly what you really like. I came into this game with my fave planes being the P-51, Spitfire and P-38. The P-51 has since been replaced by the F4U-1A though the Spitfire has always had a special place in my heart.

After you learn the physics, you shoudl learn how to fly the F4U. It teaches you a lot of energy fighting tactics. Then go bust your face in any other plane lol.

[Zazen13]

I've written a few articles which might help, if not right now, perhaps later..Below are the links to the original threads I started followed by alot of even more useful information from other players on the topics..

Being Successful In Complex Engagements

http://forums.hitechcreations.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=193895

The Art of The Set-Up

http://forums.hitechcreations.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=167443

Fighter Rank: Plane & Pilot Analysis

http://forums.hitechcreations.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=157411

I put those in order from Beginner>Intermediate>Advanced

But, I've been told repeatedly I'm as useless as chit-on-a-stick in fighters, so they could be of no use at all. So, consider this information in the context of coming from a terrible fighter pilot but at least a fair tactician...I'll leave it to all the good fighter sticks to explain how to win the Co-E/Co-Alt same plane duel type fights you may encounter 2 or 3 times a year if you're lucky in the MA.


Zazen

[Viper35]

Originally posted by SgtPappy
I suggest first fly what you really like. I came into this game with my fave planes being the P-51, Spitfire and P-38. The P-51 has since been replaced by the F4U-1A though the Spitfire has always had a special place in my heart.

After you learn the physics, you shoudl learn how to fly the F4U. It teaches you a lot of energy fighting tactics. Then go bust your face in any other plane lol.

Great point about the F4U-1A! It's a blast to fly but once you hit the deck and lose your E it then becomes a tough battle!

[B@tfinkV]

Originally posted by Zazen13

But, I've been told repeatedly I'm as useless as chit-on-a-stick in fighters, so they could be of no use at all. So, consider this information in the context of coming from a terrible fighter pilot but at least a fair tactician...I'll leave it to all the good fighter sticks to explain how to win the Co-E/Co-Alt same plane duel type fights you may encounter 2 or 3 times a year if you're lucky in the MA.


Zazen

 modest sarcasm ,

the only people who say he cant fly are those that he has just killed. any newbie could do a LOT worse than learning the game from Zazen, and, as far as gunnery goes, he is almost second to none.

[Spikes]

Originally posted by TheLoner222
Well...after a few hours of frustration..I finally got flying down and decided to head online. Anyone have any tips such as plane choice/tactics/etc? Anything not in written stone would be mucho helpful.

Most people fly the P-51 because it was one of the most known planes in WWII. I started out with a Spit8. Then I got better and moved to harder planes (Jug, 109s, etc.)

NOTE: Do not Alt + F4

[BaldEagl]

First of all, given equal pilots every plane has some that can beat it and others that it owns but some have more of one than the other.

Before choosing a plane you have to know what style of fighting you like.  Are you a boom 'n' zoomer or a turn 'n' burner?  Do you prefer to hover above the crowd seeking opportunistic kills or do you prefer to dive in and mix it up?  Do you fit somewhere in between or is it just too early to know yet?

Even once you have that figured out your mission plan may dictate a different choice of plane.  You probably wouldn't want to take a pure fighter to attack a base.  You probably would want something with high altitude performance if you were going to escort high alt bombers.  You wouldn't want a pure b'n'zer in a turn fight and vice-versa.

For these reasons many choose a "mid-tier" plane to begin with.  One that plays well in several roles.  There are several among that category, probably a third of the plane set.

I suggest you go to http://trainers.hitechcreations.com and from there follow the links at the bottom of the left navigation bar to Soda's aircraft evaluation pages then to Doc Gonzo's performance stats site to find something that looks of interest to you and go try it.

If it's not what you expected then repeat the proccess until you find something you're comfotable in, then stick with it for a while.  

This is going to take a little bit of reading and research on your part but it will pay dividends as you'll remember some of what you read when you meet an opponent and you'll at least have some idea of what his plane is capable of.  When you meet an opponent make a mental note of what he was flying.  Win or lose go back to those web-sites and re-read the information of those planes to see where you might have gone wrong or what you might have done right.

The way to win is to know what your own planes strengths and weaknesses are and your opponents, then expoit your strengths against his weaknesses.  Until you get to that point you will be pawned continouously.

Good luck and have fun on your journey.

[TheLoner222]

Thanks for everyones help . My K/D is looking like the Cavaliers record 5-6 years ago...but I'm enjoy it

[Zazen13]

Originally posted by BaldEagl


The way to win is to know what your own planes strengths and weaknesses are and your opponents, then expoit your strengths against his weaknesses.  Until you get to that point you will be pawned continouously.

Good luck and have fun on your journey.

To elaborate on this important concept Baldeagle touches on, here is another article I wrote on the subject of what constitutes a Fighter Ace. Probably not crucial right now, but be thinking about it as you try different planes and start to get a feel for your natural aptitudes...


Fighter Rank in and of itself a poor measuring tool because by its very nature, it's relativistic. However, the components that comprise fighter rank are absolutes and do have some comparative relevance. That is to say Hit %, K/T, K/D and K/S do indicate the prescence of aptitudes in specific areas that are key components of aggregate talent in fighters. Of course there is no measure for one key component and that is raw flying ability, that is unquantifiable, very subjective and situational.

So, to define an Ace, you really have to qualify that with, Ace of what..? Very few people, I can think of only 2 or 3 I've ever known in 17 years of this, can pick up any plane out of the hanger, fly it in any style and be equally successful in it. By that I mean there are Aces, there are TnB Aces, there are E fighting Aces, there are snipers, there are those with great flying skill but awefull aim, or people with great aim and flying ability but piss poor SA etc.

Humans will tend to, after sufficient experience, cultivate the self-awareness to figure out what aptitudes and weaknesses they have and fly in a fashion that maximizes those aptitudes while at the same time minimizing their weaknesses. In my personal opinion those are the Aces.

If you want a pure definition, an Ace is a pilot who flies in such a way as to maximize the effectiveness in combat of both his own aptitudes and his chosen plane's strengths while at the same time minimizing his own weaknesses and the strengths of his opponent and his aircraft. Someone who can consistantly accomplish that flight after flight, encounter after encounter is an unqualified Ace regardless of what particular area(s) he excels.

Naturally, in the game there are certain activities that can statistically perpetuate the illusion of Ace-dom without actually possessing the reality of it, vulching, 262 and 163 buff farming missions and more clandestine methods involving other accounts for example. This is the biggest reason Rank in and of itself or any sub-stat of which looked at in isolation or out of context is not particularly meaningfull. But, blatant padding notwithstanding the core attributes that comprise fighter rank, not the fighter rank itself are, if nothing else, fairly pure indicators of pilot aptitude in a given area. Taken as a sum total they do tell a story and combined with the correct plane to accentuate those proclivities do end up becoming, to a certain degree, a measure of that person's overall effectiveness in the MA with a fighter.

Zazen

[B@tfinkV]

he shoots good but no one has a clue what most of the words he says mean.

[toonces3]

If you absolutely have no preference, I'd recommend starting out in a high number spit, say the spit 16.

Good speed and it can turn, which I think a new player will appreciate in the beginning.

[TheLoner222]

The spits do seem to work pretty well for me. I've also found the P51-D seems like a solid choice and isnt to hard to handle.

[SgtPappy]

Originally posted by SpikesX
Most people fly the P-51 because it was one of the most known planes in WWII. I started out with a Spit8. Then I got better and moved to harder planes (Jug, 109s, etc.)

NOTE: Do not Alt + F4

Lol. I was never successful in the spit8. i found the turning radius to be practically useless over the 9's and i was more successful in the F4U when i figured out how to fly it.

[Spikes]

Originally posted by SgtPappy
Lol. I was never successful in the spit8. i found the turning radius to be practically useless over the 9's and i was more successful in the F4U when i figured out how to fly it.

I suck in the F4U...so there we have it