Bottom line is, if you're flying level 12 at somebody, doesn't matter if you're one of the AH aces, who do not ho..... All that matters is your there, right there. Do you expect the other not to fire? Then you're just silly.... Perhaps stupid......
Perhaps.
I've merged with some of the good guys in this game. At 2k we are dead 12, at 1.5 he teeters left, so i teeter right...... AT 1k now it is clear that we will pass, and we do. But if you lack ACM and remain head-on and not fire..... There is no excuse for that, that's just you living in a fantasy world other then this fantasy world.
So you're relying on the other guy to "teeter" first? Then you make a matching move indicating you want a clean fight?
What is he doesn't move? What if he's waiting on you to make the first move, and when you don't he's thinking exactly what you're thinking, and you both end up trying to give each other a face full of lead?
See why I said "perhaps" above? 'Cause that might not be it every time, that the person is silly or stupid to expect to not get HOed, he maybe just doesn't want to be the first one to give up the gun solution knowing that there's a chance that he's opening the door for the other guy to take a lucky shot that he may or may not make it though alive.
I've been killed a few times by very good sticks who HOed, ahem
high angle front quarter shot me after I made a move to avoid the HO. Instead of making a matching move, they kicked the rudder and sprayed me as we merged. I would have been better suited to keep my nose on them and dared them to do it as I'd surely be sending 20mm back.
Truth is, I've had a lot of luck in the N1K2J with HOers... it amazes me that people want to joust against that thing. I just wait til I see rounds coming from their guns, and BAM, let loose.