ACM Book

[bcadoo]

In Pursuit is downloadable as a pdf:  Downloadable here:  http://web.comhem.se/~u85627360/

[RTHolmes]

yeah download the In Pursuit pdf and digest all of it while you're waiting for Fighter Combat to turn up. You should get everything in In Pursuit down before starting Fighter Combat, Shaw's book is alot more advanced.

[morfiend]

Ack,

  The every mans a tiger book is unavailable at this time,looks interesting tho.....


   Wish I could read books.....


   

[Delirium]

yeah download the In Pursuit pdf and digest all of it while you're waiting for Fighter Combat to turn up. You should get everything in In Pursuit down before starting Fighter Combat, Shaw's book is alot more advanced.

I've read every book listed in this thread, they will all help you to some degree.

I do have one big complaint about the book 'In Pursuit'. The author Johan Kylander encourages flight simers (particularly new sticks) to stay alive at all costs and even uses the phrase 'One pass, haul a**'. If you fly that way, only engaging when you hold all the advantages, you may land often and even score some kills.  However, if you are ever caught without having all the advantages (which is at least 70% of the time in the MA) you are a clueless dead man.

I think the book 'Check Six' is much more informative than 'In Pursuit' but the latter is written a bit easier for the inexperienced to understand. It just so happens the author of 'Check Six' is currently a member of the Aces High community as well.

Don't be afraid to get shot down, just learn from your mistakes. Push the limits, flying timid will only increase the time it takes to improve.

[shreck]

I've read every book listed in this thread, they will all help you to some degree.

I do have one big complaint about the book 'In Pursuit'. The author Johan Kylander encourages flight simers (particularly new sticks) to stay alive at all costs and even uses the phrase 'One pass, haul a**'. If you fly that way, only engaging when you hold all the advantages, you may land often and even score some kills.  However, if you are ever caught without having all the advantages (which is at least 70% of the time in the MA) you are a clueless dead man.

I think the book 'Check Six' is much more informative than 'In Pursuit' but the latter is written a bit easier for the inexperienced to understand. It just so happens the author of 'Check Six' is currently a member of the Aces High community as well.

Don't be afraid to get shot down, just learn from your mistakes. Push the limits, flying timid will only increase the time it takes to improve.

This statement is true enough, although I would say for new guys "survival" is what will keep them in the game! For those who "head-long" into the masses, death will come quickly with very little knowledge gained. Survival at least for the new folks will help teach them thru "trial and error" some energy management skills and survival that will ultimately encourage them to "push-it" a little further.
Aces High has a "natural" learning curve that almost everyone experiences. Books and lesson will only help so much, as it is stick time and experience that are the real qualities that make a peep better in the end.
The "good sticks" in this game I believe forget their beginnings and filter their current view of the game thru a lenze FULL of experience, forgetting where the starting line actually was 

Encourage the new peeps to survive! With that survival will come interest and skill and competition! Please do not rob them of their "natural" learning curve ( a curve every other good stick has enjoyed) to get them on the express elevator to a style they cannot possibly comprehend so early in there "flight sim" experience!  IMHO   

For new peeps "survival" does and should matter!  IMO

[Delirium]

The "good sticks" in this game I believe forget their beginnings and filter their current view of the game thru a lenze FULL of experience, forgetting where the starting line actually was 

Encourage the new peeps to survive! With that survival will come interest and skill and competition!

I'm all for building confidence and encouraging them to do well, getting smacked around repeatedly doesn't help the new guy nor does it help HTC retain a customer. However, if they want to fly for years before they see any improvement, then (quote from the book) 'one pass, haul a**'  is for them. My job as a Trainer is to make that ladder of ability have the fewest number of rungs the student wants to climb. I never encourage a regimen that is harder than they themselves ask for, nor do I force them to learn anything they do not wish to know.

For the record, I've never heard a student say, "I don't care if I improve, I just want to land cheap kills and get my name in lights." Most people will pick your brain until they can't absorb any more in one session, they then come back for another session once they have assimilated the past information and are implementing it. I'm not a good stick, but usually if you look hard enough you can always give someone advice no matter what their respective skill level is.

[shreck]

I'm all for building confidence and encouraging them to do well, getting smacked around repeatedly doesn't help the new guy nor does it help HTC retain a customer. However, if they want to fly for years before they see any improvement, then (quote from the book) 'one pass, haul a**'  is for them. My job as a Trainer is to make that ladder of ability have the fewest number of rungs the student wants to climb. I never encourage a regimen that is harder than they themselves ask for, nor do I force them to learn anything they do not wish to know.

For the record, I've never heard a student say, "I don't care if I improve, I just want to land cheap kills and get my name in lights." Most people will pick your brain until they can't absorb any more in one session, they then come back for another session once they have assimilated the past information and are implementing it. I'm not a good stick, but usually if you look hard enough you can always give someone advice no matter what their respective skill level is.

I agree with this, although I would say almost all new peeps don't define kills as cheap! Just the excitement that an array of "hitsprites" produces.
There is a saying I always refer to in my business, "you cannot teach experience"! This I've found holds true across the board! I can teach technique till the cows come home, but experience has to be experienced  My only point at entering this thread was to encourage the new peeps that read it that survival is not all bad and survival in its nature is a vehicle to learning, experience and success!  <S>

[shiv]

I feel the same way about In Pursuit, a little too much emphasis on survival as opposed to gaining experience actually fighting.  But it's definitely worth reading, and well-written and engaging to boot. 

I found a used copy of Every Man a Tiger on half.com  - just started it but I'm really enjoying it so far.  Thanks AckAck for tipping that one.

[Ack-Ack]

Ack,

  The every mans a tiger book is unavailable at this time,looks interesting tho.....


   Wish I could read books.....


   

Too bad, it really has very good detailed instructions on some of the more advanced ACM maneuvers like the Cloverleaf.


ack-ack

[crutch]

surviving is nothing to be downplayed for part of learning how to be a good 'stick' is learning to evaluate a situation and know if you can engage with little, some or total-nowayout danger.

sometimes there isnt anything more satisfying than to get into a bad sistuation but knowing when your escape window is about to close and slipping away to land safely and denying the other pilot(s) a kill.

that said, being able to record your fights to disect later is one of the better things about AH.  the only thing I can think of to improve it is a formal method for pilots to send in a film to a review body.  they would examine it and send the pilot a writeup back with an analysis of what they did to eventually lose the fight.

things like -
you entered the fight carrying external stores (bombs/DTs)
@ 3:32 you rolled right when you could have rolled left for a crossing shot
@ 4:15 you were target fixated on xxxx and didnt see yyyy sadling up on your six.

Things of that nature.

I have many of the writen works on the list and a number of others I have collected from other sources. each has value as each has a unique style and viewpoint.  what I missed in one I find in another.

[Demetrious]

If you fly that way, only engaging when you hold all the advantages, you may land often and even score some kills.  However, if you are ever caught without having all the advantages (which is at least 70% of the time in the MA) you are a clueless dead man.

Read those two lines again, and you will realize you have just refuted your own complaint.

Telling a newbie to make "one pass, haul a**," isn't going to deny them yank-and-bank experience for the reason you just named- in the MA, (of any game, much less AH,) you're going to be set upon by a mob in a position of disadvantage 70% of the time, weather you try your best to avoid it or not. For every Runstang newb in the game there's an experienced stick in an La-7. News will have ample oppertunity to practice maneuvers like the scissors, rolling scissors, and even simple guns defense breaks without ever once picking a fight. 

[gpwurzel]

Crutch brings up a good point - reviews. I've seen requests posted, and some of the comments (whilst joking/joshing etc) aren't really helpful. (Not a slam on anyone)

I get my squaddies to review periodic fights, either where I've done well and managed a couple of kills in a big furball, or where I've been on top of my opponent, only to die due to him either being better than me, or me screwing up.

Wurzel

[The Fugitive]

Read those two lines again, and you will realize you have just refuted your own complaint.

Telling a newbie to make "one pass, haul a**," isn't going to deny them yank-and-bank experience for the reason you just named- in the MA, (of any game, much less AH,) you're going to be set upon by a mob in a position of disadvantage 70% of the time, weather you try your best to avoid it or not. For every Runstang newb in the game there's an experienced stick in an La-7. News will have ample oppertunity to practice maneuvers like the scissors, rolling scissors, and even simple guns defense breaks without ever once picking a fight. 

You have me confused. Del is telling him NOT to "one pass haul a**". If you never learn to turn and burn, or at least learn a few other defensive maneuvers OTHER THAN "one pass haul ass" then that 70% of the time you get in trouble your going to die a quick and uneventful death.

[james]

Fighter Combat: Tactics and Maneuvering and check 6 are now ordered. Every man a tiger wasn't available so i'll have to check the book store. You guys have links to other places to find it other than amazon? I tried Ebooks but it wasn't there earlier today.

[shiv]

half.com had about 8-10 copies last week.