Hello from a noob

[Musick]

It seems there are very few "beginner" questions on this board so if what I asking is too trivial, sorry.  Ive been playing around with Aces high for over a week now and i just have so many questions.  I'm really enjoying the game and the challenge it has presented me with, i cant even imagine trying to fly in combat at this point. (I cant even hit the damn AI planes flying in perfect circles in offline mode )

First of all I am wondering what would be the best plane to get my bearings on, i started with the default plane (forgot the name) but recently started to try out a Spit 8.

What are some of the biggest revelations you had as a newbie?  Some random advice that I you wish you knew earlier? I have taken a look at the training site but even on there a lot of the terms have me lost at times. 

I have been working on my air combat maneuvers for a little while now but I'm having difficulty orienting where I am in the air especially when trying to do a Immelman.  I have no idea when I am at the top of the loop.  The one thing I'm kinda lost with is what else can i do offline to work on my skills?

I hit up the training area online one but i noticed that everyone was a bishop and i was a knight.  Am i supposed to change country, if so how?  Although I'm sure it'll be a while before i try my luck online is this a very social game?  Do people talk and organize over vent?  I'm a big fan of playing with other people.

I'm sure ill be back with more questions at some points but any tips would be appreciated.

Thanks

[Ack-Ack]

Personally, either Spitfire V, IX or the VIII are great for learning how to fly (Basic Flight Maneuvers) and for getting used to the learning curve.  I would highly recommend that you also seek the assistance of a trainer instead of trying to learn on your own during your 'learning period'.  This will help you avoid learning bad habits that sometimes can happen when flying planes like the Spitfire.  Bad habits can stem because these planes are quite easy and forgiving to fly so some "bad" things you can do in them would get you splattered in any other plane.


ack-ack

[The Fugitive]

It seems there are very few "beginner" questions on this board so if what I asking is too trivial, sorry.  Ive been playing around with Aces high for over a week now and i just have so many questions.  I'm really enjoying the game and the challenge it has presented me with, i cant even imagine trying to fly in combat at this point. (I cant even hit the damn AI planes flying in perfect circles in offline mode )

First of all I am wondering what would be the best plane to get my bearings on, i started with the default plane (forgot the name) but recently started to try out a Spit 8.

Spit 8 is a great plane to start with. Its pretty fast, yet turns well. Has good guns, and is easy to recover from spins in....well "easy" is a relative term 

What are some of the biggest revelations you had as a newbie?  Some random advice that I you wish you knew earlier? I have taken a look at the training site but even on there a lot of the terms have me lost at times.

Reading is big, and getting with a trainer is big, but the thing that helped me most is"to fly to were the target is going to be, not where it is." Read everything you can about the game, ask questions here for terms or concepts you don't understand. No question is a dumb question. Like Ack Ack said a trainer will help you avoid getting bad habits, you can email them from the trainers site and set up an appointment time to meet. As to my comment, this is a real time game so when you see a target 500 feet off you 2 oclock position if you turn to meet him there he will have moved and be some place else. Learn to see WHERE they are going, and get THERE. 

I have been working on my air combat maneuvers for a little while now but I'm having difficulty orienting where I am in the air especially when trying to do a Immelman.  I have no idea when I am at the top of the loop.  The one thing I'm kinda lost with is what else can i do offline to work on my skills?

Learning to keep you eyes on a target while still maneuvering your plane is one of the things you must master. AH has a great view system. A trainer can help you with some drills to practice.

I hit up the training area online one but i noticed that everyone was a bishop and i was a knight.  Am i supposed to change country, if so how?  Although I'm sure it'll be a while before i try my luck online is this a very social game?  Do people talk and organize over vent?  I'm a big fan of playing with other people.

I'm sure ill be back with more questions at some points but any tips would be appreciated.

Thanks

In the training are you can change teams by clicking on the "officers Club" on the clipboard. In there there will be option to switch countries. You can change the same way in the other arenas as well, but there is a time limit and you must stay in your new country at least 30 minutes before changing again.

The game is very social. There is chatting, trash talking, missions run by squads, and by groups of people who just throw one together.

Welcome to your new addiction 

[caldera]

The best advice I can offer is to not get discouraged. There is much to learn and you will get shot down a lot at first. Seeking out a trainer will make your initial time much easier than most of the players (who just jump in). Read everything you can about the game - knowledge is power. There are links on the homepage which have gobs of valuable info.

[trotter]

Although I'm sure it'll be a while before i try my luck online is this a very social game?  Do people talk and organize over vent?  I'm a big fan of playing with other people.

This really depends on your past gaming experience. It's all relative. I never spent any time with a massively multiplayer online game before Aces High, and I was amazed at what I thought was a very high level of social interaction in this game. Then, a few years later, I started playing a more traditional MMORPG, and the level of communication (good and bad, mostly bad) is far beyond what is in Aces High.

So, if you are new to online gaming, or have only played multiplayer in "private server" type settings (>64 people or so), you'll be very pleasantly surprised with the social interaction in AH. However, if you are coming from Eve, WoW, or any other of the elf games that no man with dignity would ever admit playing publicly, you will not consider the social interaction in AH very extensive.

One thing you will soon notice in Aces High online play is that there are no levels. You don't gain points that give you any sort of visible seniority over other players. Therefore, new players have a more difficult time finding each other, and veteran players who otherwise would use their 1337 virtual seniority to shove others around must first build a reputation before any such trash talk is useful (as if it ever is). To know and be known in the AH community you first have to build your own reputation through your actions; nobody will ever gain any impressions from you based on a level indicator next to your name. New players have unlimited opportunities to make a positive name for themselves regardless of how long they've been playing. It makes for an interesting social dynamic, as you will soon discover.

So, don't be discouraged if you log on the first few times and you're pretty much ignored. Friendly folks will of course be on text and range to help you if you have a question, but don't expect people going out of their way to fly in formation with you, ask you where you're headed, etc. It's not that type of game. However, once you are in battle, there exists great "in the air" teamwork through a fantastic ingame voice comm system (vox).

There are many squads, and once you find a group you like flying with (and that likes you!) join up, you'll learn a ton and have a ton of fun, as squads represent the best social dynamic available in the game.

Welcome to Aces High.

[mtnman]

but the thing that helped me most is"to fly to were the target is going to be, not where it is."  Learn to see WHERE they are going, and get THERE. 

When we discuss pursuit modes, this description is basically a simplified description for "Lead Pursuit".  It's as important as the other two modes "Lag and Pure", but even more important is knowing when to use each of those modes.  They're covered at the Trainers site.  Also check out the Netaces.org site.

Just beware, using Lead pursuit at the wrong time sets you up to get hurt.

[uptown]

Good advice from all that has posted so far. The only thing I have to add is turn the stall limiter off asap. It'll take a week or so to get used to, but you'll be better off in the long run.

The biggest revelation for me is when I installed a custom sound pack. I'll never play the game with default sounds again. 

[skullman]

I really cant add much but welcome to a new addiction.The 200 channel in the MA is a great source of enertainment and anger.Sometimes you just have to ignore it.There is a ton of whining and whatever but all in all it is a great community with some really wonderfull  people.You can make some really great friendships in here.When flying the MA be sure to give a check 6 whenever possible to help out a countryman.You will make alot of mistakes but keep your head up as it has a huge learning curve.Well all I have left is welcome to our little world an have fun.CYA around

[Enker]

In terms of best plane to learn tactics and such in, try some of the earlier war planes, as they will require you to think about who, when, and if you have the advantage. However, if you are going to take out a new plane, try and feel for some of the warning signs of its "improper behavior." Still, I haven't had a plane stall/misbehave without warning, so good luck there. 

[Murdr]

I have been working on my air combat maneuvers for a little while now but I'm having difficulty orienting where I am in the air especially when trying to do a Immelman.  I have no idea when I am at the top of the loop.  The one thing I'm kinda lost with is what else can i do offline to work on my skills?

Try this...
http://trainers.hitechcreations.com/files/murdr/immelexcer.ahf
It gives a demonstration of using the horizon to help keep oriented while maneuvering, and using landmarks to judge that you are actually making a 180 degree turn.

(.ahf files open with AHFilm.exe, which can be found in your Aces High II directory.)
(enable the "use recorded views" checkbox so that the film shows where I am looking during the maneuvers)

[Dawger]

It all starts with fundamentals. Here is a brief overview of how to become proficient in the least amount of time.

Get with someone who is willing to get the fundamental details ironed out before pushing you into advanced stuff before you build a solid foundation.

Start with your physical flying setup. Work with someone to optimize the following:

17 views, controlling the 3 flight axis, throttle and elevator trim without moving your hands around too much.

More info here including films

Once you get your control setup ironed out work on the very basic stuff. There really are only 2 maneuvers. Every other maneuver is a combination of those two simple maneuvers. Learning to perform those two basic maneuvers with skill and precision before trying to apply them against another aircraft is a good idea. Once you can handle the aircraft with a reasonable level of precision its time to move on to maneuvering with reference to another aircraft.

Learning to fly in formation is stressed by every air force in the world for 1 very good reason. The skills learned joining, breaking and rejoining formation are directly applicable to air combat. ALL air combat is the attempt to maneuver to join in formation on the target in a close trail formation. Anyone who argues otherwise doesn't understand the subject. We are lucky we don't have the safety concerns of mid air collision so our formation practice can be much more dynamic. Practice maneuvering into formation on straight and level aircraft and build up to varying degrees of maneuver until you are fairly proficient at this skill. At this point you can move on to maneuvering against an aircraft that is actively trying to prevent you from achieving your goal of joining in close trail on him.

This is not the only way to learn. I would estimate 99% of everyone online learns by flying in game and slowly develops skills that work. But the above method is a systematic approach that relies on the time honored building block approach and will get you from Zero to Hero most efficiently.

If you are interested feel free to send me a Private message here. I'll be glad to take you through the process.

[Musick]

Wow well thanks for all the advice, I hope this board is a reflection of the rest of the community.  I' definitely gonna to try to get with a trainer online.  The whole leading the target thing seems so obvious once you say it but I wasn't doing it at all, heh.  Yea I have played MMO's but I like the idea of a somewhat smaller community anyway.  (less of those elitists or 13-year-olds spamming chat )  Ill definitely have a look over those lessons looks like a good read.

oh and where can i find this custom sound pack?

[uptown]

Custom skins and sounds thread on these boards

[stran]

from one new player to another.
before you learn how to fly, learn how to play the game. that is... all the hotkeys and their functions, how to switch countries, why you shouldn't spam check 6, etc.  a lot of information is lacking on the AH2 website, but there is plenty of basic game knowledge you should read(from top to bottom) before you ask newbie questions.

these will get you a long way.
net aces, ah2 training corps website, gonzoville fighter comparison, soda's aircraft evaluation, and that book floating around the internet in pursuit.

then when you play the game, you will have real questions about ACM, tactics, and gameplay.

[FYB]

One thing I never did, and highly regret, was not getting the assistance of a trainer. I've learned quite a bit, but not enough to make me better than good fighter pilots.

I still can't figure what is best for a dogfight, alt, speed, plane, and weapons. Get a trainers help, i ended up having to stay under because i thought it was better to work it out on my own, figures, its better to ask for help then lose an arm.

-FYB