I hate to admit it,
but I was one of those exclusive DA F3 guys for the first year that I was with AH. I came from an arcade style "Aerial Combat" game that taught me nothing except perhaps BFM. I was Green as Grass. I tried the MA Late War on my first day as a paid subscriber. Ruuuuuudddeeee Awakening!!!!! So it was the DA for me. One of the buttons on my stick when depressed put me into "F3" mode (had no idea you could map buttons). So I stuck with it...........bad idea!!!!!!! I got lots of help and made some friends and got more help, but I couldnt kick the "F3" addiction, I liked making impossible shots in my Tempest. I knew that I had learned about as much as I could flyiing outside the cockpit, and one day in 09' decided to leave my squad, change my name and really give LW Main a try. Man I got Kicked over and over again. It was perhaps 3 weeks before I actually got more than one kill in a single sortie. There was no going back.
Four years later my oppinion of the DA has changed substantially.
The average (not rank) MA pilot has sooooo much more to contend with than the average DA pilot, and in no way amy I dissing the quality of sitcks flying there. The OP is asking for ranking (I see no real need for it), but has not IMHO taken many factors into consideration. F3, ENY and Perk Rides have already been discussed.
Because someone is unwilling to fly more then 15 miles to find a fight is not a valid reason to "Rank" the DA. MA pilots must contend with: (its a long list) upping from a capped field to defend (LOL it does happen) GV's on or near the field or town, CV's parked close to his base (damnned dreaded puffy), CV's shelling his base to shut it down, the Dreaded Horde inbound to his base, Radar down, Ords disabled, Bombers hitting his field, The list goes on and on. For this he is given the reward (sic) of having and improving his or her Rank, which is broken into 4 distinct catagories with some having sub catagories. (some would say this is gaming the game too).
I am in no way condemning or condoning "Score Whoring" It is what it is. Im not saying that there arent good sticks in the DA I know there are. I am saying that Ranking in the DA is kind of pointless as there is only Furballing happening there, on the lake at least. As long as F3 is enabled in the DA, you dedicated DA'ers will never get the credit you so desire and for some perhaps deserve.
Now if its "Pitting your skills agains some really fine sticks in a furball setting" that youre looking for you may want to check out KOTH, some of the best sticks in the game are regulars in there, and if you can beat some of them then my hat is off to you.
If its close, accessable fights youre seeking, try the AvA, Weekly changes and historic plane match ups for the most part and some very fine fighting at times (remember no enemy icons in there).
<S>
Carver (Reformed F3 junkie, leading the clean life in the MA's, AvA and of course FSO)
F3 in fighters just has to go!!!!!!!!!!!
