Good lord, constructive input. Flying a 163 used to be an exercise in energy management (in more ways than one) and setting up snapshots on bombers who were usually driven by skilled gunners. The lack of practice meant that 163s weren't quite as deadly as they seem to be now, and the higher skill set of the buff pile-its tended to ameliorate the 163's effects over the strats. Add to that the reluctance to burn perks when you manage to compress and shudder and shake your way into the ground like a 650mph dart/vibrator.
11 years later, many people have 1000s if not 10s of thousands of perks to burn. A dead 6 approach on a buff concentrating on lining up a target (just takes timing) by a 163 can net 3 kills in one slightly oblique pass, and along with a generally better understanding of the tater's ballistics means that things are weighted in the 163's direction over the target.
So, yes, maybe it is time to up the 163's perk cost, particularly in light of the ability of SPit XiVs, K4s, Ta152s, and P47Ds (once they get up there) to make meaningful inroads on buff formations heading for the strats.
