The meaning of <S>.....?

[FiLtH]

   I <S> alot. Sometimes when I enter an arena I'll say <S> whats up to whoever. After a fight if a guy salutes me I return it. Even if it was cheezy. I usually only initate a post combat salute though if he fought a good fight without looking for horsepower or headons to get him thru it.

[E25280]

What I find interesting is the comment on "being a jerk" for not returning the salute.

Way back when I started playing with the big boys a <S> meant everything. Getting a recognition from the top sticks was an important measuring stick. It was also a way of nurturing "the code" and if you gave out a <S> improperly you didnt get silence or a lame uncalled for <S> with someone biting there tongue...you got a dressing down on text and you got your butt ganged for a week if needed.

Wow, so someone needs to be something special to have the "privilege" of giving a salute?  What a bunch of arrogant, elitist drivel.   

A salute to most is a simple and short way of saying any combination of "good fight", "I had fun", "you did well", "congrats for pwning me", "nice moves", etc. etc. 

If someone doesn't return a salute, fine, he may not have seen it, no big deal.

When someone salutes back or says "thanks", they are doing at least the polite and respectful thing, which is acknowledging the sign of respect someone has just given them.

To throw it back in his face like you said you did in your original post?  Yes, compete jerkdom.

You might as well have slapped a stranger's hand away when he offered it in greeting.  Or after a football game told the opposing team "you suck" instead of "good game."  Very poor sportsmanship, indeed.

[toonces3]

I suppose I'm the opposite end of the spectrum from the old school guys.

I salute virtually anyone I shot down if there's any sort of fight involved at all.  I salute a flight of bombers I take down if the guy shot back and didn't start dogfighting them or bomb and bail.  I saluted Coronado the other night for winging my A-20 in a flak, and some dude in MW that was collecting kills in the CVs puffy guns.

Handing out a salute for even a mediocre fight simply expresses, for me, that it's just a game and I enjoyed the match up.

One thing I do in particular is salute guys that fight heavily outnumbered.  We've all been there, the third guy chasing around some spit 9 or A6M that just wouldn't get pinned down.  I always throw out a salute.  Alot of times folks get bent out of shape about the gang.  However, brilliant flying isn't just confined to the times you landed kills.  Sometimes a beautiful defensive flight against the gang is awesome to watch and shows a ton of skill in its own right.

Usually it results in some snappy comeback, but I don't care- the guy deserves a salute whether he wants it or not.

Anyway, that's just my take.  I try to foster sportsmanship as much as I can in the arenas.

[BaldEagl]

One thing I do in particular is salute guys that fight heavily outnumbered.  We've all been there, the third guy chasing around some spit 9 or A6M that just wouldn't get pinned down.  I always throw out a salute.  Alot of times folks get bent out of shape about the gang.  

I got a <S> a couple of days ago from a BBs member after losing in a 3 on 1.  I didn't return it as I was already typing and posting my whine about being ganged.  I felt kind of bad afterward for not returning the <S>.  I was just frustrated.

[uptown]

The KI was returning the salute you gave him. Nothing more required after that. 

[dkff49]

I have a tendancy to <S> anyone that gives a good fight. I especially salute someone who stays and fights in multiple on one.

Now I don't usually enter into a fight that is already going on unless I am asked to help out by a friendly. The salute in these cases is a sign of respect and an at-a-boy or fight well given. This is what I am going to say was going on with your example Humble. I do it all the time and honestly get a little aggrevated when the preson that I salute gives me some barating on 200 about ganging and being skillless tardlet or whatever other comments they choose to make.

My advice, don't take it so personal, just say thanks or return salute and move on to next fight.

[NoBaddy]

Salutes are waaaaay over used....'specially by newbies. Heck, seen guys salute me while whining about me thumping them (like that somehow makes the insult more palatable ). It's a sign of respect and/or recognition for accomplishing something special.....well....it used to be anyway. 

[68valu]

Saluting, unlike talking is really a visual thing. If you are talking, how you say something is as important as what you say.
Saluting from a keyboard only lets the person doing the initial salute know the true intent of the salute  and a response may or may not be in order from the recipient and would only be done based on his feelings of the intent of the salute.

[Guppy35]

meh...  i've never bought into the whole in-game faux <S> thing.  I'll either say "fun" or toss out a smiley if someone "earned" something, which isn't too often anyway...  

I'm with Shane on this one.  It's always seemed a bit over the top to me, since the AW days.  Nice flying, nice shot or something similar is what I usually say.  I can't help but note I'm sitting at my computer, a bit over the hill, and hardly a "Knight of the air" who has just risked my life in mortal combat.

[Impakt]

As in life I tend to try and be friendly and generous (never been to hard on people "earning" my respect, civility etc---prefer to give it openly and let the person lose it if they are undeserving). So, I <S> good efforts---i.e., someone dies or kills me with some skill. I assume there is no need to explain <S>'s amongst in game friends. I think some people use a <S> to identify themselves as having killed a top stick. I did kill a top stick after he dropped ord on a jabo---he had no escape (cause of cliffs on Trinity map) and I killed him.  I sent him a PM (only he could read <S>) admitting that the kill "doesn't count" because we did not fight really. Hehe, no reply. I do sometimes get ticked not to get a <S> when I have done something that desrves one. I shot down two ponies in a P-40E---just them against me merging with me having a slight alt advantage. After much maneuvering (much of it me breaking off a drag situation)---I got one on a deflection---ammoless I killed the other with a hard decelerating barrel roll, followed by flaps assisted scissors such that he simply stalled into the ocean. Complex fight---they did good things, so did I, thought they would <S> when I landed the kills---nope---no biggee.
Okay a rambling 2 cents---sorry.

[Shuffler]

Maybe he was hit in the head with a golf ball...... happens alot to KI drivers I hear.....

[The Fugitive]

I guess Im old school. I rarely give a salute out unless it was something special like a really well flown fight. If I had been the KI I would have asked the yak to stay out. If he couldn't do that, I would have pulled out of the fight and typed out a message to the 202 that I was out, and told him it was a good fight., most likely spotting and returning Snaps salute.

To many quake style players going for their name in lights or on the scoreboard, again, the old days was about the fight. You were honest with yourself as well as everyone else. I've shot down Snap a number of times, but I wouldn't expect a salute for any of them. In most cases I was one of 2,3, or more that was in on him or any other number of people, I was just the guy who got the most hits on him. The one fight I may have "earned" the salute I got cherry picked by a nik after Snap and I had gotten from 8k to the deck in hogs. So I didn't get it again.

To me that Salute would have meant something seeing as I consider Snap a pretty good stick, as well as a number of other people I'd like to kill. But, like I said, I'm old school. I'm here for the fun and trill of the fight...... the occasional lightly used sheep is a plus   

[moot]

It could be a lot of things.. I wouldnt take it personaly, Humble.  If you play fair, that should be enough to have a clear conscience. If the other guy falls short of that standard, it's his problem

oh and <S>

[Oldman731]

A salute to most is a simple and short way of saying any combination of "good fight", "I had fun", "you did well", "congrats for pwning me", "nice moves", etc. etc. 

If someone doesn't return a salute, fine, he may not have seen it, no big deal.

When someone salutes back or says "thanks", they are doing at least the polite and respectful thing, which is acknowledging the sign of respect someone has just given them.

I agree with these sentiments.  And, hey, I'm pretty old school myself.

- oldman

[MaSonZ]

Wow, so someone needs to be something special to have the "privilege" of giving a salute?  What a bunch of arrogant, elitist drivel.   

A salute to most is a simple and short way of saying any combination of "good fight", "I had fun", "you did well", "congrats for pwning me", "nice moves", etc. etc. 

If someone doesn't return a salute, fine, he may not have seen it, no big deal.

When someone salutes back or says "thanks", they are doing at least the polite and respectful thing, which is acknowledging the sign of respect someone has just given them.

To throw it back in his face like you said you did in your original post?  Yes, compete jerkdom.

You might as well have slapped a stranger's hand away when he offered it in greeting.  Or after a football game told the opposing team "you suck" instead of "good game."  Very poor sportsmanship, indeed.

i disagree, during a game, you gonna be sour player, i wont give you any respect. your metaphor about the football game. the team played dirty, im not gonna go through and say "good game" im gonna go through and say nothign at all, or tell em how i feel;same thing here. you give me a cheesy fight (a HO, a gang, someone else comin into the fight 1:30seconds in, etc etc) i wont salute you. just how i feel. people may play game for fun, and i understand, i try and do that to best of my ability, but there comes a time i feel, were the fun needs to end, and some sort of seriousness needs to be taken. what im tryin to say if thats not clear is, the games fun, but if your gonna give me poor fight, imma tell you how i feel. hate me if you want to, love me if you can.