unlearning bad habits

[lagger86]

I have been here off and on for 3 years now and I have never received any training. I have asked for some, but my work hours are lame, and my free time is limited so it never happens(I could probably try harder, but I lag). I have a lot of fun playing this game, but seem stuck in my ways.

Is it possible to teach a 36 year old dog some new tricks? I find my plane choice in LW a bit over matched, but that is no excuse for being as bad as I am. I know how the MA is and accept it. I fly the F6F and Fm2 mostly and there are many pile its that have a lot of success in them. I know my tactics suck, and while I fly looking behind me more often than not, my SA still sucks.

I think my biggest problem is flying with a "made up code of conduct" I don't jump into a 1v1 unless I am called upon, I don't HO(because silat told me not to a long time ago), and I don't chase a con when there are 2 to 90 already on the train. I find that a lot of people fly without that so called "code" and more power to them, they do better than I do.

  I am just wondering what I should be working on at this point in my AH career. Any advice is welcomed. You can also attempt to flame me, but I have thick skin....I usually praise the people that kill me in the MA via PM....I'm sure it can be annoying, but I strive to be able to pull off some of the maneuvers I get beat by.

 Above all I'm just here for a break from real life and just to have some fun. If you think you can help me...by all means do so.


Lagger 

[Blooz]

Had a look at your stats.

Seems you have trouble breaking contact against planes that can outmaneuver you yet...they are slower than you.

I notice alot of your deaths are from Spitfires and Zekes. The Hellcat would have no problem disengaging from these planes if you bugged out early enough. Seems to me you've fallen for the old "stay and fight regardless" scheme of these pilots that fly slower planes. You do realize the guys that advocate not running from a losing fight fly these planes right? It's the only way they can get guys to stick around long enough to die to them.

This tour, I'd suggest ignoring the Spits and Zekes (and anyone else that is slower than you). Concentrate on the planes that are faster and less maneuverable to be your victims. The Hellcat (and Wildcat) are strong planes but the tighter turning planes are eating you up. Be a little more discriminating who you fight. Theres no rule that says you have to fight everyone you meet.

Remember history too. The Hellcat wasn't as maneuverable as the Zero's and Zekes. It was more a question of pilot training, teamwork and a huge advantage in numbers that got the job done. As good as the Zero and Zeke was they still couldn't replace pilots fast enough to make up the losses of their best pilots. After Midway, it was down hill. In Aces High, where you don't die for real, we just keep getting better and better.

Hope this helps a bit.

[lagger86]

Yes blooz you are correct, I do fight against planes that I know can out turn me. It's so much fun...but that is one of my bad habits. I really need to stop doing that.

 I thank you for your response
 Lagger.

[Blooz]

http://www.savagesquadron.com/dicta.htm

Here are a few rules to live by in the game of aerial combat.

This will definately help.

[lagger86]

thanks man, I have read those......I just REALLY need to apply them. I guess I just need to think more when I fly, but when I play AH I am usually trying not to think. I realize that probably 80% of my deaths are because I fly stupid, the other 20% are just getting destroyed by better pilots 1v1....I can't blame my airplane if I don't fly to it's strength. I can stay high and fast against a zeke, but I usually don't because I'd rather get low and slow...it's really stupid when I think about it.

[Ghosth]

Nothing wrong with having a code of ethics, as long as those ethics don't take all the fun out.

I agree with Blooz, try a tour in A6m's and spits. If nothing else you'll gain a much clearer picture of how those planes need to fly to win.

As for teaching old dogs new tricks, well, yes and no. Depends on the habits and how badly you want to progress.
I'm in the TA most afternoons, but if that time doesn't work for you shoot me a PM and we'll see if we can't hook up sometime soon.

I warn you though, I'll probably start you off in a D3a1 to work on basics.

[LYNX]

Link to kill page.  type names in select arena and tout date.  If you look me up do it from tour 114 or earlier in main arena.

http://bbs.hitechcreations.com/newscores/players.php

I wasn't to bad in an F6f.  The trick with the F6 is flaps.  in turns use 1 or 2 notches but get the flaps back up asap.  Spits are quicker so catching them is a pain but in turn fights the F6 has the edge and even more so when using flaps.  

With zero's try to be high or faster to zoom fight or BnZ the buggers.  You can turn with them in a couple of turn but you'll lose the edge after that and this is where you'll need alt to dive away.  The zero compresses and doesn't turn half as well when it's real fast.  The f6 is faster and can turn tighter at speed .  If your up against a hot shot zero fighter BnZ it.  

When getting drawn into vertical fights which isn't ideal for F6's use flat, notched flap turns and catch em on there descending side.    

P.S  you must learn the weakness of enemy planes to use it against them in your fight.

[Anaxogoras]

I notice alot of your deaths are from Spitfires and Zekes. The Hellcat would have no problem disengaging from these planes if you bugged out early enough.

[The Fugitive]

I'm in the same boat as you Lagger, but I'm in my 50's  

While Blooz has some great comments, it only relates to one style of game play, winning the fight. Flying a BnZ style of fighting is the very best way to fight as it is very rare.... as long as you stay strictly BnZ... will you ever loose a fight. On the other hand I find that kind of fighting to be about as exciting as watching paint dry    Blooz is saying NOT to engage spit and zeros and other slower planes. In the MA's taking out spits are half the targets !

You have to decide what type of game play you want, and go from there. I like the fight, period! win loose or draw, I couldn't care less.... tho winning does seem to be a bit more fun   To that end, I'd fly the F6 like an "E" fighter against those slower planes. If it looks like the guy flying the slower plane doesn't really know what he's doing I might even turn a circle or two against him. To me this is fun. To Blooz it might be stupid, to you.... well only you really know.

Once you KNOW how you want to play, then you look to see what your doing wrong that is killing your fun. Work on that. My biggest problem was and still is to some extent is my aim, it's just terrible. I hooked up with Ghost and he stuck me in that darn D3a1 and gave me a few pointers. It took my hit percentage of 2-3% to 5-6%. While that is still nothing to brag about it is twice as good as before, and I've been able to maintain that for months.

So my tips are,

• Identify what style of game play YOU have fun at.
• Then identify what areas of that type of play that your having trouble with.
• Then get with a trainer for a few minutes to get some 1 on 1 training in that area.

Once you have the basics down.... which I assume you do... each step up to the next "plateau" is an exercise in fine tuning, small things like knowing when to loosen a turn, go nose up, or nose down, or the timing on the flaps. By IDing the area your having trouble in you can tweak these things. Your getting beat by spits and zeros. Are you staying in a turn too long with them? Are they forcing an over shoot? If its the turn issue, maybe you need to work on high yo-yos or nose up turns, maybe spiral climbing turns. If its the over shoots, maybe you need work on slowing your plane quick, or turning "out of plane" after your pass to give them a smaller window to shoot at you.

Film ALL fights. I name them.... from the tower most times... what happened in the fight. "out turned by spit" and so on so I know what to look for when I play them back. If you have trouble figuring out what you did wrong, post the film on the boards, you'll get all kinds of responses    Most will be helpful, oh you could read only the responses of people you respect. The point is you'll get views from different perspectives from people from different styles.

WHile this game is fun, you'll be learning it for a long time. The "learning" part of it never ends, and if your memory is anything like mine each thing takes longer to stick in my memory so it take even longer !  

[Steve]

Lagger, glad to see another old schooler who refrains from the Ho/ 1v1 initerruption.

Lazs does quite well in his FM2 in the MA and Greebo's F6 is verry successful in the MA.  Find out what they're doing.  I have little experience in either.  I wish I could help you more.

[mtnman]

I know my tactics suck, and while I fly looking behind me more often than not, my SA still sucks.

I think my biggest problem is flying with a "made up code of conduct" I don't jump into a 1v1 unless I am called upon, I don't HO(because silat told me not to a long time ago), and I don't chase a con when there are 2 to 90 already on the train. I find that a lot of people fly without that so called "code" and more power to them, they do better than I do.

Resorting to the tactics your "made up code of conduct" forbids won't make you any better, and following that "code" isn't making you any worse.  If anything, lowering your standards will lower your skill (IMO).

I'd look right back at the first sentence i quoted you on, and fix that part.

I don't know if we've fought much, and I haven't seen any films, so I can't comment there.  But looking at your posts, the planes you die against, and your Hit%, I have a mental image of what I think may be happening.

It's very much ok to resort to the slow fights with the decent turners, as long as you dictate that certain things will happen.  You have the ability to dictate those conditions, because you're in the faster plane.

While not getting shot yourself, you need to present yourself a shot (which you need to connect on) quickly in the fight.  You need to leave yourself an option to get out, and reset the fight if you do miss, and you need to make sure you don't get yourself pinned down.

The longer you allow the fight to drag out, the poorer your prospects for survival.  Even if you do end up killing that guy, your SA and E-state will be so degraded that you'll be easy pickings for the next guy along.

PM me if you want, and we can see if we can work out some TA time.  I work an atrocious schedule as well, so maybe it'll match with yours, lol!

[Clone155]

Had a look at your stats.

Seems you have trouble breaking contact against planes that can outmaneuver you yet...they are slower than you.

I notice alot of your deaths are from Spitfires and Zekes. The Hellcat would have no problem disengaging from these planes if you bugged out early enough. Seems to me you've fallen for the old "stay and fight regardless" scheme of these pilots that fly slower planes. You do realize the guys that advocate not running from a losing fight fly these planes right? It's the only way they can get guys to stick around long enough to die to them.

This tour, I'd suggest ignoring the Spits and Zekes (and anyone else that is slower than you). Concentrate on the planes that are faster and less maneuverable to be your victims. The Hellcat (and Wildcat) are strong planes but the tighter turning planes are eating you up. Be a little more discriminating who you fight. Theres no rule that says you have to fight everyone you meet.

Remember history too. The Hellcat wasn't as maneuverable as the Zero's and Zekes. It was more a question of pilot training, teamwork and a huge advantage in numbers that got the job done. As good as the Zero and Zeke was they still couldn't replace pilots fast enough to make up the losses of their best pilots. After Midway, it was down hill. In Aces High, where you don't die for real, we just keep getting better and better.

Hope this helps a bit.

I disagree.

What I do is I go for the planes that can out turn me first. I use my energy to kill them, never getting into a turn fight with them. The trick to this is learning the plane set, know what can out turn what. If you like turn fighting, you have to do this, or else you will tend to lose a lot. You fly f6fs and fm2s a lot right lagger86? Well then you should come in high, and go for the spitfires and a6ms using cherry picking tactics, or learn to reverse them, or else you know the consequences.

[Spatula]

There's some great advice in the thread espc from the other trainers. IMO the best way to learn is to push your boundaries. Do things you wouldn't normally do. Fly aircraft you wouldn't have given a second glance. Fly in differnt envrionments or arenas - I'm thinking spend some time scraping the bottom of furball lake in the DA. Fly for different country. Use different tactics. Broaden you view of the game. Push yourself. Learn to love loosing and love learning from those loses. Film EVERYTHING. Review and get others to review your films.

Often you get much worse just before you get much much better.

Someone posted advice on picking on the better turning aircraft first. I personally go after the faster aircraft because they're the biggest threat to you making it out alive - assuming you actually want to of course... 

 

[boomerlu]

Not sure about the FM2, but the F6F has terrible visibility out the back. If you don't fly with a wingman or at least fly with some friendlies around, this fact will get you killed quite a lot.

[lagger86]

Wow, some good feedback

  I was going through my stats from my first tour (lagger87) through my most recent tour(lagger) and have found that I used to play a heck of a lot more(where did that free time go?). I think the more playing time I put in the better off I am. I actually used to fly the whole plane set pretty much and stopped doing it...why? I have no idea.

 Fugitive, I have to agree that strictly BnZ is like watching paint dry, I think that's why I end up blowing all my E on a couple red guys...I lack the ability to combat boredom almost as much as I lack the ability to combat the hoard that ends up chasing me. However, I DO have a lot of fun doing that at times.

My K/D has never really bothered me much, because a capped field is tough for me to leave alone. However my Hit% has always been poor and that bugs me. That is really the only stat I even pay attention to. There have been MANY times that I got into trouble by missing easy shots only to have the fight last longer than it should. When that happens the 1 guy I'm fighting turns into 2 or 3, and I'm already slow. Mtnman pretty much nailed my biggest problem.

 I appreciate all of your responses, and you may hear from me when I know I'll have some free time coming up. I don't go into the TA as much as I used to, so I think I will be visiting it a little more often to work on accuracy. What ever happened to the P.S.A.M. guys that used to go in there? They were great.


Lagger