Getting Discuraged.....Again!!

[BrokenArrow226]

Hi All,
This is the third time I've subscribed to AH. I'm staying this time but I have some questions.
1, Why is it I'm so easy to kill and there so hard to shoot down? I've been on someones six emptied mags into an enemy plane at 500-600K and I know I can't be missing them but no Victory.

2, Why is it that when I engage another plane there flying circles around me and I'm stuck in ultra slow motion?  When I see another plane, we turn into each other and he past me either right or left side, I try to do a 180 but it seems to take forever as he or maybe she turns on a dime and takes me out with what seems like less that 5 rounds.

3, Does the enemy have any ships? I never see any enemy aircraft carriers.

Can someone please help.
Thanks Bill S

[Lusche]

1. How do you know you "can't be missing"? It's actually not difficult to miss the enemy at 500-600... for the majority of players, this is already long range.  Try to get considerably closer, also film your attacks and view them afterwards (very helpful not only to judge gunnery).
2. Could be several reasons, and it's not easy to identify them here on the BBS. The best way would be to hook up with a trainer or an experienced player in the Training Arena. They can quickly identify your main problems, ranging from less than perfect setup of your controllers up to still having stall limiter enabled (can be found under options, it limits your ability to turn)
3. Oh yes they do. It's just that they often are on the way from their port to their destination, which can take some while. Watch the country text channel for reports about enemy CV attacks.

What is your ingame id?

[SPKmes]

Have you been to the training arena? spent some time with a trainer or experienced player  I'm not sure how long you have played each time but as some others are about to tell you this has a steep learning curve...many of the guys getting on your six quickly have played for years...
Have you set convergence...just because you are hitting a plane doesn't mean you are hitting them in a concentrated area..you could have peppered the whole plane.
Throttle control for turns and also don't yank and bank as this will just slow you down...rudder also...and of course do you have the stall limiter off.

Many many things to take into consideration with this game/sim

as for the CV's   yes all sides have them...you just can't see them on the map....just as the other sides can't see yours

[Delirium]

I will be in the Training Arena a lot more starting next month. Look me up, I'm willing to help you.

[BrokenArrow226]

Thanks for the help and I will go to the training area.
My on screen name is MrMag00..............

[AAJagerX]

Would be glad to go to the DA and play target drone for ya.  I betcha it's just that you're not used to saddling up at D200 and sticking there like glue.  A very fixable issue (that took me a long time to truly grasp).  PM me if ya want to give it a go.

[mthrockmor]

Don't get frustrated, just do what you are doing and ask.

I am a geek for this stuff and when I signed up I thought I would be owning people left and right. I knew all the names, theories and tactics. I started reading about World War Two airplanes when I seven, F4U Corsair - that was over three decades ago. Yet, it took me months to figure it out. Even now I have a lot to learn. The neat thing is what I am learning has little to do with the game and the nuances of 'E', turn radius, strategy, etc.

On top of going to the DA I would spend most of your time in one plane. Most go with the Spit though the great pilots rarely fly the Spit on a regular basis. Most of the great pilots zoom and boom, which is how they fought in WW2. I would start with the P-51D, learn all about 'E', and grow from there.

Boo
Loose Deuce

PS You'll also note that the great pilots took Cpt Eric Hartmann's adivce, they mostly shoot at 200 yards or less. Hartmann spoke of waiting until the enemy filled your windscreen then shoot. You can kill at 600 yards but takes all your ammo.

[Lusche]

Thanks for the help and I will go to the training area.
My on screen name is MrMag00..............

With that info, I may now come back to the gunnery issue (a problem that many players have). I took the freedom to look up your current stats, and I discovered you have a hit % of only 0.53%  In other words, only 1 out of 200 fired bullets does hit your target, which is almost as far away from "I know I'm not missing" as possible. No wonder your enemy isn't coming down at D600. An occasional hit or two at this range will rarely hurt him.

- Shoot only at close ranges. Consider D600 as long range not worthy of a shot. Many players do stop trying to get into a good position at this range and start to spray away. Don't do that. Strive to get really close (at least 400, preferably 200) before you start to fire. Restrain yourself at the trigger.
- Take short bursts. Observe & correct.
- Practice attacks against the offline drones. Make use of the lead computing crosshairs offline or in the TA (to use them against friendlies in the TA, hit ctrl-tab to allow "friendly lock", then use TAB to lock on the plane you are shooting at.)
- Don't try too hard. Relax.
- Until you really "have it", try to stick to one plane, or at least to planes with the same type of guns. Switching back and forth between weapons with different ballistics (for example 109K with 30mm and P-51D with .50 cal) can be quite confusing for your mental sight picture.
- Same goes for convergence. Do not fiddle around too much with it, do not use different convergence settings in different planes for the same weapon. Best would to leave it at default.
- You may have also some controller issues. Your stick may be too bouncy.
- As mentioned before, film your sorties. It's far easier to detect errors and identify problems from a film. You will note a lot of things you would never had in combat.

If you can't find a regular trainer but happen see me (Snailman) online, feel free to contact me for a few rounds of gunnery school in TA or DA

[kilo2]

I know this is going to sound noobish but sometimes when I start getting into a slump in the aiming department I go to offline and shoot up some drones for a bit and get back used to the lead.

Try it out it does help. Also limit yourself to taking shots at 200 or less. It is frustrating at first when people seem to just own you but with practice and time you can become just as good.

[mbailey]

Would be glad to go to the DA and play target drone for ya.  I betcha it's just that you're not used to saddling up at D200 and sticking there like glue.  A very fixable issue (that took me a long time to truly grasp).  PM me if ya want to give it a go.

+1, If ya see me on, and want someone to shoot at, send me a PM. Glad to be a target for ya 

[pervert]

So many really good trainers out there magoo get stuck in put the time in with them and the results will come with practice.
Good Luck 

[Dichotomy]

1. Don't get discouraged.  This game is hard for most people and should be.  It's a constant series of challenges to get better and no matter how 'good' you get there's a guy out there that will clobber you every time you meet him.  To me that makes it fun

2. Check ye olde ego at the door.  See ex 1 and remember somedays you eat the bear somedays the bear eats you.  I'm a horrible cartoon airplane pilot.  I'm getting better but I have 4 to 5 years off and on in game.  Learn to love to learn and love to laugh.  It's a defense mechanism for getting killed over and over and over and over.

3. I'd venture to say that 98% of the guys and gals that fly this sim are really great people and would be happy to take you to DA or meet you in the TA to give you some practice. 

4.  READ READ READ!!!  there are tons of sites that can give you little tips that will help you.  Netaces.org is one of the most premiere but you can find links all over this site.

5. Most importantly set up a time with a trainer to get your legs under you.  These guys are all great people and very patient.  Don't be embarrassed by the fact that you can't get hits early on.  You will get them if you apply yourself.

6. If there's a question you feel foolish about asking anybody you can pm me.  I'm kind of the resident clown anyway but I won't mock you nor will I tell anybody you asked.  If I don't know the answer I'll find somebody who does and share it with you.

In game name Dichodog and I'm usually in the Axis VS Allied arena Monday through Wed 5:30 CST to at least 6:30.  If you pop in there and we're alone I'll fly drone for you sir.  Keep plugging.  The game aside this is, by far, the greatest group of people I've ever found online.  They're worth becoming a part of.  So it takes some people a little longer to become a 'great' pilot.  Being accepted and even, grudgingly, respected around here is pretty freaking cool in my book.

Hang in there bro.   

[Mar]

Respect is what AH is about; you could say the game was built around the chat function with the planes thrown in just for fun.

Being good at flying isn't what really matters, having fun trying to be is. Now with that said...

To really benefit from ACM training here you have to keep at it long enough to burn it into your instinct, because combat here moves too fast for you to have time to recite paragraphs from manuals. Another area where manuals can't help is gauging energy states. Learning relative speed can only be done by 'calibrating' your eyes to the game with experience.

To survive a fight you have to understand it at the core, and part of doing that requires you to have 'been there, and done that' about a million times before. It's a long, slow process, but believe me, the rewards are awesome to behold.



Good luck!

<<S>>

[wareagle83]

- Practice attacks against the offline drones. Make use of the lead computing crosshairs offline or in the TA (to use them against friendlies in the TA, hit ctrl-tab to allow "friendly lock", then use TAB to lock on the plane you are shooting at.)
-

How does one turn on the lead computing crosshairs?

[MickDono]

To survive a fight you have to understand it at the core, and part of doing that requires you to have 'been there, and done that' about a million times before. It's a long, slow process, but believe me, the rewards are awesome to behold.

the man speaks the truth!