My "what if..." is my hit %
It's funny you mention that Shane, because I honestly think that element is more of a "key" than the other elements when it comes to fighter rank.
IMO, improving your Hit% will likely result in an almost automatic improvement in the other subsections, particularly for someone who fights the way that I remember you fighting. I took a look at your current Hit%, and it was right around 5%, which is right at the top edge of (but still in) the "masses". Improving it slightly would put you into the realm of accuracy that is shared by only a small percentage of AH players.
Doing that wouldn't matter much from a rank standpoint (back to the previously-mentioned (Lusche?) "rule" of diminishing returns for improvement beyond a certain level). But... Improving it to the 10% level would. The reason I say that is because it would cut your firing time down to about 1/2 of what it is now to inflict the same damage. That means if it currently takes you 4 crossing "snapshots" to kill your opponent, you could cut it down to two. Or take several missed kill opportunities and turn them into quick kills. On those saddle-up kills you'll score a bunch more (twice as many) hits in the same amount of time (more damage points). Even bombers become one-pass kills (or at least give more damage points if they're already one pass kills).
The effect of that is a lesser loss of SA.
Better shooting equates to quicker finishes to your fights, which improves survivability. Those 2 on ones or 3 on ones are much more survivable if you can kill the guys in front of you rather than miss them or just "sting" them.
In that way, an improved Hit% could easily bring up your K/D, which almost automatically brings up your K/S (especially because killing quickly helps keep you from taking hits yourself; even the more or less inconsequential hits add up...). Killing quickly has the effect of making your gas mileage seem greater, allowing you to kill a few more times more in that same xx minute fuel window.
An improved Hit% makes it easier to rack up more damage points, in less time, in fewer sorties, with less ammo. It leads to far fewer assists (more kills).
It's also an element that you can "work on" to greater effect than K/D, K/T, K/S or points. And while improving your Hit% can help lift the other elements, picking one of those other elements to work on generally had the opposite effect for me (i.e. working to raise my K/D made me try to fly "safer" which led to a worse K/T).
I've never been one to enjoy vulching, ganging, or augering, and I consider it a personal requirement to RTB to consider my sorties "successful". Those attitudes generally hurt fighter rank, but with a better than average Hit% I still often found myself ranked in the top 25 more or less accidentally.
And beyond that, Hit% is the one thing the AH community never really seems to improve on as a whole so it's fairly easy to jump to the lead and have a leg up on the others when it comes to rank. Get your Hit% up to 7% or so, and you'll be in a tiny minority of players.
And there's even a psychological advantage to it. Landing those little hits here and there on those crossing shots that nobody ever makes is disheartening to an opponent. It boost your confidence, while degrading his. Fun stuff!
