Who HO's?

[Ninthmessiah]

Perhaps I'm confused as to the unwritten rules of the HO.  Who, therefore HOs, and at what times do they do so

[GNucks]

If somebody flies in front of me and I feel like they're assuming I won't shoot them in the face I'll HO 'em. That's what you get for assuming. If I can tell the guy is looking to HO I'll just barrel roll around him and let him blow E and ammo trying to get a cheap shot. If I ever take a HO shot though it's a really short burst and a break, performed far enough away to avoid collision. I never fly straight at 'em holding the trigger down hoping for the best.

http://www.mediafire.com/?182gotzxv337a5v
Looking to fight a much higher 190, he wouldn't come down so I find a Spit. The tard went for the HO every single time. I committed the next 15 minutes to just pissing him and his dozen Knit buddies off.

[MajWoody]

I HO zeros and 262s. 

[Rob52240]

I'll HO sometimes, sometimes I don't.  It all depends in what I'm in, what's approaching head on and what kind of mood I'm in.

[GrimWulf]

I ho all the time but the wife doesn't like it....wait a minute...nevermind.

[Krusty]

There are no rules to HOing.

What we DO have is a general public disdain and disgust for somebody that ONLY puts every effort they have into getting a face shot then runs away, never to make any other move.


The HO, as an angle that you shoot at an enemy, is a perfectly valid thing. If you have a toolbox of moves and you find that one tool suits your purposes, then use it! HO the sucker!


The problem is people that have a big empty toolbox with only one tool. Say you only had a hammer. Soon any fixit job you had would start looking like a nail. You can imagine how bad it would be to try hammering sink faucets to work, or hammering screws into plaster, or hammering doorknobs tight.


IMO it's not the fact that people HO that gathers disdain. It's the fact that's ALL they do, and all they aspire to do. You could fill in the blank "Climbs to 30K, dives to the deck and runs screaming for home any time you get near" or "bails out as soon as the enemy gets within 2K" or any other pathetic move.

It's the attitude we hate, not the move. So, HO away, and enjoy it! Just, don't use it if it doesn't fit. Learn more than that. You'll do just fine.

[Soulyss]

People can't even decide what a Head On is let alone a complex etiquette to decide when it is and isn't acceptable.

For my trivial little opinion on the matter, a head on to me is when both planes can get a gun solution on each other.  In general I do my best to avoid those situations because I spent a lot of time getting to the point where I'm confident I can get better than the 50/50 odds that the HO gives me and I've learned to exploit the situation to my gain when I come across someone who I see pulling for a HO. What that means in the MA is if I can get guns on you without exposing myself to return fire I'm taking the shot.  I tend to not fire on the first merge, but if I can get enough of an angle advantage going in I still may take the shot.  Other variables come into play and influence the decision making process as well  like number of friendlies around, number of enemies around, proximity to their base, proximity to my base, alt, speed, relative planes involved, who my opponent is, etc.

[Midway]

I HO  , but only during moments of weakness , and if someone complains , I typically ask if they'll forgive.  


 

[BoilerDown]

I HO zeros and 262s. 

This definitely, unless I'm also in a Zero, then I won't HO the other super turny planes.  But if I think I'm facing a pilot that "always HOs" or flies in such a way that I'm only ever going to get a HO shot then I'll HO.  Also if its a huge furball, or I'm upping off a base that is being vulched or nearly being vulched, or if I feel that the enemy is hugging ack too much, then I feel the green light to HO, although I don't automatically do it.  Finally if I'm feeling pissy about fighting too many "dweeb" planes (the definition of which is a whole 'nother debate) in my Yak, I may say "F it" and start HOing every 5 ENY plane (my usual definition) I see.

So in short, I'll HO, but I usually go pretty far to try to avoid it given the chance.

For my trivial little opinion on the matter, a head on to me is when both planes can get a gun solution on each other.

To me its not actually achieving a simultaneous guns solution, but merely that it obviously could happen if both of us tried for it.  If the only reason it didn't happen is because I flied to avoid the HO, and they shoot their guns, then IMO I just got HO'd.

[hawkeye61]

Will ho if that's the best shot I'm likely to get before I get shot.

[Messiah]

ugh 

[Beefcake]

I HO all the time!

[olds442]

I HO  , but only during moments of weakness , and if someone complains , I typically ask if they'll forgive.  


 

rgr aqua

[JOACH1M]

I have been known to take high angle deflection shots

[ink]

I have been known to take high angle deflection shots

a deflection shot is perfectly fine, these people that whine about HO's all the time just have no clue, and need to learn a little ACM.

but those that are supposed to be a "cut above the rest" should be ashamed of themselves by flying in the hoard all the time, Vulching, and ganging...and then thinking they are some hot stick.