How AHII has conditioned my understanding of history...

[PJ_Godzilla]

I'm starting this thread to enable members to create a repository (or suppository if that's what you're into) of things they learned from AHII that are corroborated or contradicted by the historical record. Consider my starter examples:

1. In the P40 versus A6M matchup, the P40 is the energy fighter and the A6M the angles fighter. This is entirely coherent with all the stuff I'd read about Claire Chennault's tactical advice to the AVG.
2. The Dora and Pony are both poor angles fighters relative to the rest of the AC set - this was particularly surprising since I'd read how good both were and, 2 years ago, expected to be able to low-speed turnfight in either. No-ah-ah - though, had I bothered to check the mg/A on either, I'd've known a priori.
3. Attacking formations of bombers is difficult, not just for the murderous defensive fire but also because of the difficulty in interception (getting speed AND alt, both of which are needed for any viable attack)
4. In any BoB scenario, the LW is at a distinct E-M disadvantage against both principle RAF fighters. What's all this anecdotal historical falsehood about the Emil's near-comparability (how close is close?) in turn rate?
5. Friendly fire incidents can occur pretty easily in combat
6. 190s generally have poor sustained turn performance but very high roll rates and strong instantaneous turn performance, relative to the rest of the AC set
7. It's very easy to get killed, even if you're a decent pilot.

nyway, those ar ejust a few examples for critique or agreement. Write your own.

[Shuffler]

Might I add two more....

1) Augers are an Art form

2) Trees should be RED

[PJ_Godzilla]

Might I add two more....

1) Augers are an Art form

2) Trees should be RED

Actually, if you want to get serious about augers, I'd add:

8. It is amazing that any Luftwaffe pilots survived 109 training, much less scored kills against other aircraft, given the ~500 mph lock that 109 controls experience. I've augered this bird throughout my entire 2years of expereince with it, happily just less than before, thanks to learning to use trim and developing my own special trick.

[Zoney]

One aircraft alone is a liablilty, 2 or more aircraft is an asset.

ABC, Always be Climbing.

It is easier to lose E then gain it.

Make your kills quickly.

You can tell in one turn if your apponent is competant.

You only have too much fuel if you are on fire.




(I likey this thread PJ)

[ozrocker]

Actually, if you want to get serious about augers, I'd add:

8. It is amazing that any Luftwaffe pilots survived 109 training, much less scored kills against other aircraft, given the ~500 mph lock that 109 controls experience. I've augered this bird throughout my entire 2years of expereince with it, happily just less than before, thanks to learning to use trim and developing my own special trick.
Oh, so you're the one that leaves Brown/Green/Yellow streaks on my G14 Seatback.

                                                                                                                                             Oz

[pembquist]

Contradicted by the historical record would be the kind of low speed death match fights like between a mossie and a zero.  Also I think the Me163 in the game is a lot more reliable and effective than it was in real life.  I understand it used to blow up spontaneously and caused a lot of back injuries on landing.  Also allied fighters could just hang around the field waiting for them to come back with no power.  Also that t-stoff stuff would disolve you...there's a graphic graphics challenge.

[SmokinLoon]

I'm starting this thread to enable members to create a repository (or suppository if that's what you're into) of things they learned from AHII that are corroborated or contradicted by the historical record. Consider my starter examples:

1. In the P40 versus A6M matchup, the P40 is the energy fighter and the A6M the angles fighter. This is entirely coherent with all the stuff I'd read about Claire Chennault's tactical advice to the AVG.
2. The Dora and Pony are both poor angles fighters relative to the rest of the AC set - this was particularly surprising since I'd read how good both were and, 2 years ago, expected to be able to low-speed turnfight in either. No-ah-ah - though, had I bothered to check the mg/A on either, I'd've known a priori.
3. Attacking formations of bombers is difficult, not just for the murderous defensive fire but also because of the difficulty in interception (getting speed AND alt, both of which are needed for any viable attack)
4. In any BoB scenario, the LW is at a distinct E-M disadvantage against both principle RAF fighters. What's all this anecdotal historical falsehood about the Emil's near-comparability (how close is close?) in turn rate?
5. Friendly fire incidents can occur pretty easily in combat
6. 190s generally have poor sustained turn performance but very high roll rates and strong instantaneous turn performance, relative to the rest of the AC set
7. It's very easy to get killed, even if you're a decent pilot.

nyway, those ar ejust a few examples for critique or agreement. Write your own.

Bomber fly much faster in AH than they did in the real deal.  

[pembquist]

I guess I need to press post 2 times? I read somewhere something like "there were only great fighter pilots and dead fighter pilots."  Meaning that you had to be really lucky or talented to survive long enough to get the skills to survive.  I think AH2 illustrates this with the happy exception that you get unlimited second chances.  It makes me think of how tough it must have been to lose experienced fighter pilots for Britain during BoB and how hollowed out the japanese air forces must have been after losing most of there best pilots in the first couple years of the war, would you want to be a brand new japanese pilot in 1945?

I don't think very many t-34s shot down very many spitfires.

It is hard to catch a mossie bomber but I thought they cost less than B-17s

[ImADot]

I just want to see actual WWII footage of 4-engine bombers doing hammerheads and barrel roles and then divebomb a carrier or radar tower. 

[Yeager]

reality is such a bore

[BigR]

Just remember that most of the fights in AH take place at very low alts. Relative plane performance changes drastically once you get to realistic fighting alts of 20k+. It's a totally different ballgame up there. Having said that, the Mustang does very well at low speeds on the deck in this game, if you know what you're doing.

[PJ_Godzilla]

Contradicted by the historical record would be the kind of low speed death match fights like between a mossie and a zero.  Also I think the Me163 in the game is a lot more reliable and effective than it was in real life.  I understand it used to blow up spontaneously and caused a lot of back injuries on landing.  Also allied fighters could just hang around the field waiting for them to come back with no power.  Also that t-stoff stuff would disolve you...there's a graphic graphics challenge.

Yes indeed - and this is a function of the fact that we have NO RELIABILITY MODEL. Everything operates at 100% reliability - guns, engines, landing gear, ejections, everything. It's kind of a loss to the richness of the experience but is probably a decent trade for playability, at least at current CPU and transmission capabilities. If Moore's law still holds (not sure, honestly, if it will) and reasonable reliability data is evident, who knows? Your Hispanos might soon have some chance of firing-on-trigger that is slightly less than 100% - and that would be keeeewl. I somehow doubt the Hispanos would be one of the less reliable examples, though.

As for the 163, it was reputed to be a greater danger to its pilots than the enemy - but I'll cite flight journal OL for a fun article/interview with Rudy Opitz: http://homepage.ntlworld.com/andrew.walker6/komet/flight/flight5.htm

For the record, that crazy Nazi pilot chick (Hanna Reitsch perhaps?the one who was eerily tight-lipped about flying the Fieseler into Berlin at the end, there) also got some stick time in the Komet. 16 kills = insignificant to the war effort... otherwise, tres kewl...

[PJ_Godzilla]

Just remember that most of the fights in AH take place at very low alts. Relative plane performance changes drastically once you get to realistic fighting alts of 20k+. It's a totally different ballgame up there. Having said that, the Mustang does very well at low speeds on the deck in this game, if you know what you're doing.

A good point - both Jug and Pony seem to be designed around fighting at high speed and "up there". I say, "seem" because I am blithely devoid of stick time in either but know enough to not take on a Jug at 20k+ or to fight a Pony at speed (which usually means dodging his firing passes). OTOH, when I do see Ponies down low, it seems like they're usually running or using their excellent high-speed handling to reverse vertically at the end of BnZ passes.

In very few cases do I recall seeing a Pony low and slow - for long. How do you manage to survive in such a situation?

[Ardy123]

At 20+k the p47 is like a zero (compared to most other planes). It is the only plane with a turbo-supercharger, and the result is that its engine performance degrades much less than other planes. Now, once its at 10k, its like trying to quickly move a giant wine barrel with fins, but as you pointed out, 10k is out of its element, so to speak.

[Wiley]

Yes indeed - and this is a function of the fact that we have NO RELIABILITY MODEL...

As for the 163, it was reputed to be a greater danger to its pilots than the enemy - but I'll cite flight journal OL for a fun article/interview with Rudy Opitz: http://homepage.ntlworld.com/andrew.walker6/komet/flight/flight5.htm

For the record, that crazy Nazi pilot chick (Hanna Reitsch perhaps?the one who was eerily tight-lipped about flying the Fieseler into Berlin at the end, there) also got some stick time in the Komet. 16 kills = insignificant to the war effort... otherwise, tres kewl...

...am I reading you right that it would be 'tres kewl' to start a sortie, press the E button, and explode immediately costing you ~100 perks?

Wow our definitions of 'tres kewl' differ widely.  As neat as a reliability model sounds, it just doesn't transfer into good gameplay.  Dying because your ground crew didn't do its job is not fun gameplay, no matter how you dress it up.

Wiley.