Pimping Aces High

[toonces3]

Hi all.
Ok, shocker here, but I play other combat flight sims besides Aces High 2.  I know, sacrilege.  Anyway...

On a forum for another one of these offline sims, someone asked how to become better at dogfighting, as if there was some magic 'thing' you could read to make you better.  My advice?  "Join and play Aces High."

I think this is an unorthodox answer on the face.  The best way to learn how to dogfight in, say, an F-16, would seem to be to spend more time dogfighting in that plane.  But I disagree.  I've played offline flight sims since they started making them for the computer.  I thought I was pretty good.  After joining and playing Aces High for a few months, I learned just how little I knew about dogfighting. 

Sure flying planes in Aces High is inherently different from any other sim, even a prop sim.  Each sim has its own way of modeling the aircraft and the flight dynamics so one would automatically have trouble relating those particulars to another sim.  Anyone who is really, really proficient in an Aces High aircraft could move to Il-2 for example, and I'd wager they'd feel the plane feels different; not to mention that the way the plane is modeled against its opponents could be different which makes their relevant differences in AH moot. 

Still, one thing that AH2 does really well, imo, is teach you how to fly a variety of planes with extremely different fighting styles against a staggering array of opponents.  You run into the full gamut of scenarios in AH2, from running into total grapes to the aces of the game, both in and out of a horde, with and without advantage.  After a few months in this game, you automatically start to re-learn what you thought you knew about dogfighting.

I'm not an expert in this game by any means, but I am solidly average, which is pretty good I think, and the skills I've learned here have improved my ability against the AI in any number of sims offline.  In my opinion, Aces High is probably one of the best tools available to learn to be a better computer dogfighter type guy/girl.  There is simply no substitute for reading about lag pursuit or using the vertical and then having a really experienced player take you up and SHOW it to you in a range of planes. 

Anyway, just some recent thoughts from some guy.
See ya,
Toonces

[BMathis]

I completly agree. Nice post Toonces 

 

Mathis

[MajIssue]

Hi all.
Ok, shocker here, but I play other combat flight sims besides Aces High 2.  I know, sacrilege.  Anyway...

On a forum for another one of these offline sims, someone asked how to become better at dogfighting, as if there was some magic 'thing' you could read to make you better.  My advice?  "Join and play Aces High."

I think this is an unorthodox answer on the face.  The best way to learn how to dogfight in, say, an F-16, would seem to be to spend more time dogfighting in that plane.  But I disagree.  I've played offline flight sims since they started making them for the computer.  I thought I was pretty good.  After joining and playing Aces High for a few months, I learned just how little I knew about dogfighting. 

Sure flying planes in Aces High is inherently different from any other sim, even a prop sim.  Each sim has its own way of modeling the aircraft and the flight dynamics so one would automatically have trouble relating those particulars to another sim.  Anyone who is really, really proficient in an Aces High aircraft could move to Il-2 for example, and I'd wager they'd feel the plane feels different; not to mention that the way the plane is modeled against its opponents could be different which makes their relevant differences in AH moot. 

Still, one thing that AH2 does really well, imo, is teach you how to fly a variety of planes with extremely different fighting styles against a staggering array of opponents.  You run into the full gamut of scenarios in AH2, from running into total grapes to the aces of the game, both in and out of a horde, with and without advantage.  After a few months in this game, you automatically start to re-learn what you thought you knew about dogfighting.

I'm not an expert in this game by any means, but I am solidly average, which is pretty good I think, and the skills I've learned here have improved my ability against the AI in any number of sims offline.  In my opinion, Aces High is probably one of the best tools available to learn to be a better computer dogfighter type guy/girl.  There is simply no substitute for reading about lag pursuit or using the vertical and then having a really experienced player take you up and SHOW it to you in a range of planes. 

Anyway, just some recent thoughts from some guy.
See ya,
Toonces

You were not pimping... mearly stating a fact troonces3... I'm sure that some in "BrandX" MMOG flightsim a little put out by your post but the most and the best DO fly Aces High.

(NOTE TO HITECH:Does this shameless plug entitle me to any freebies?)

[lengro]

Very true Toonces - I recently reinstalled Falcon4 after a 2 year long break - and had some guns-only turnfights with F16 vs A.I. MIG29's and SU27's - was very fun. Back in the days I never tried that, it was all about firing missiles beyond visual range.

Also, out of curiosity I recently bought FSX, however in that one I now have this problem - whenever I pass another civilian plane I start barrel-rolls around it...

[trotter]

Nice post toonces.

I started flying online against human opponents back in Janes F-15. Those were the days when you would load up the Janes Lobby stand alone app and use that to find games (actually I started even before that, when you would have to exchange IP addresses through the Janes java chatroom). If I do say so myself, I was damn good at close range air to air (guns only, or rear aspect only) in Janes F-15. Was certainly among the ten best I ever encountered online, was XO of the largest squad in the game, etc.

Came to AH and realized how little I actually knew. There really is no training like it, in terms of SA, the great competition you square off against, and the wide range of situations you mentioned. Now when I go back and dabble in other online combat sims I feel like I have a much greater understanding of the bigger picture of ACM. Skills you learn in AH are very applicable to other sims, whereas vice versa is not necessarily the case.

[whiteman]

tried playing one of the others for a few days and was very unimpressed with it.

[MachNum]

...I play other combat flight sims besides Aces High 2.  I know, sacrilege.  Anyway...

What?!? There are other flight sims besides Aces High?? No, that can't be right 

[infowars]

I also would like to comment on this game,  I understand I'm probably singing to the choir but I just wanted you guys to know that this freeking games rocks...  I am a grown adult and cannot believe I think about this game all day while I'm at work.  I have one day left before I need to pay and regardless of what my wife says I'm going to do it.

I've played flying games for years and none even compares to this.  I was a big fan of Jane's USAF until it went offline.  Thankfully I have found AH.  So I hope you guys bear with me.  I did steal someones kill the other night that I feel horrible about,  so I'll be more cautious next time.  he he..

[angelsandair]

eermm..

I play War Birds, Fighter Ace 3, and Fly Aces High, I guess that about covers it for WW2 games (WarBirds has a WW1 sim too )

[BnZ]

The only fly in the ointment is that the view system on AHII is so much more logical, intuitive, and superior to other flight sims I've tried that doing BFM in other flight sims is just painful by comparison.

There are several other areas AHII whoops every other sim I've tried for ease of use and minimizing the difficulting of actually inter-acting with your virtual plane through a computer. There are sims which maybe have better eye-candy, maybe even better flight modeling in some areas, but AHII is the one where I can actually fly the airplane without difficulties in either looking around, reading my instruments, or pressing 312 buttons to fly the aircraft, so I can concentrate on strategy and maneuvers. So AHII is the one I keep on playing.