Competitive

[Wyatt134]

So, I wan't to say this flat out, I'm really REALLY competitive and getting stomped over and over in AH has its pros and its cons. On one side you learn from your mistakes and on the other you have to re-up from a base and climb back out, (I only say that as a con is because im lazy). Now with this stated, is it your fault for getting shot down. I am not looking to get bashed just to start a civil discussion on who's fault it is for getting shot down. For the older players how do you deal with getting shot down and do you have any tips/tricks for a newbie? 

[Oldman731]

For the older players how do you deal with getting shot down and do you have any tips/tricks for a newbie?

For me, it's like running, or shooting, or most other individual sports.  You compete against yourself.  Did I do better this time than I did the last time?  Am I improving on this, or on that?  Am I pushing myself, or am I coasting?

Everyone gets shot down, the worst pilots and the best.  Don't let that bother you, it ought to be the conclusion of every flight you take.  Landing kills is for sissies and egotists.

After some time, perhaps you'll get beyond the competitive aspect of it, and simply enjoy the fun of the fight, win or lose.

- oldman

[jimbo71]

Watch out where the huskies go.  Don't you eat that yellow snow 

[Wyatt134]

If I don't land any kills I try and shoot for 1 kill and 2 assists or 2 kills just so I can have my name show up. That just makes me feel proud but the following sortie could be the same or I just get stomped.  I'm really hard headed I just kinda wanna learn from people as I go and let people like Hartmann take me under his wing who see potential.

[The Fugitive]

Just pounding away is going to take you a long time to figure it all out. Get with a trainer and learn what your doing wrong. Fly with a wingman to cover you while you are busy with a con. Working WITH some one is different than flying with some one..

Film is also good. Film every fight, then watch them the next day, or post them to the message board for comments from others.

[Wyatt134]

But then you get the really REALLY forceful people about it, instead of constructive criticism knowing my luck id just get nitpicked or just bashed for my lack of a certain something instead of explaining how to do it right. Its just people who don't want more people to fight against or risk losing their spot too

[Petey]

Training.   

I invite ya to train all of the time.

ya dont want to listen to dear ole dad tho

[lunatic1]

So, I wan't to say this flat out, I'm really REALLY competitive and getting stomped over and over in AH has its pros and its cons. On one side you learn from your mistakes and on the other you have to re-up from a base and climb back out, (I only say that as a con is because im lazy). Now with this stated, is it your fault for getting shot down. I am not looking to get bashed just to start a civil discussion on who's fault it is for getting shot down. For the older players how do you deal with getting shot down and do you have any tips/tricks for a newbie? 

how can you be competitive and lazy at the same time.
and it's your fought if you get shot down.

[nrshida]

There are some axioms / principles in ACM which you can read about, figure out for yourself, or be taught. One of the fastests ways to get that knowledge into your hands is to start duelling. Assuming you can find opponents. Previously the duelling community was quite active.

If you get shot down it's usually one or more from a set of things: you got into a bad / hopeless map location or your position degraded to this. There were multiple opponents or your position degraded to this. You had poor relative energy etc. etc. Finally: you were flat out-flown. You'll know when you experience this. The latter is the place to focus your study & energies. With all the former just get a new plane and re-up. Don't get sucked into the smack-talking game. Those that do are placing (or accepting) limits on their development.

It also depends on your agenda. If you are mainly result-focussed then learn to BnZ to a high level and master the appropriate aircraft. That's the safest, most effective and maximum result-producing method. If you value skill or self-development or the challenge then other methods and aircraft are available.

Good luck. Enjoy yourself!

[1stpar3]

But then you get the really REALLY forceful people about it, instead of constructive criticism knowing my luck id just get nitpicked or just bashed for my lack of a certain something instead of explaining how to do it right. Its just people who don't want more people to fight against or risk losing their spot too

My first bit of advice- Dont take any  thing personal! If you strive for "Getting your name in lights", you are just setting yourself up for disappointment. If not already, you are bound to run into several long time players who, after you believe you did something great, cut you viciously. Have seen that on more than one occasion. In 75% of those, the player quit. 2 of them before even completing their 2 week trial. Sure, you could say that is because they were too thin skinned and/ or not mature enough for this game, just stating that I have seen this. Like a previous reply mentioned, just try to do better than you did the last time out. If you are looking for gratification from others you will be cheated on what this game supplies, IMO. The hardest thing to learn in this game is PATIENCE. Push too hard for a kill and you will just be gun fodder. The easiest way to get kills, is to let the other guy push it and let him be the fodder. Cant really tell you how to do that, its just one of those light bulbs that will go off in your head,in time.  Second bit of advice---Find a plane that suits your style of game play. Dont let the popularity or stats on paper decide for you. If you want to turn fight, start with the Brewster or KI43, or equivalent.  Want to boom and zoom, which seems the prevailing trend lately, F4's Pony's or equivalents. You need to master the plane before you can do any of this successfully though. Even with the best plane, you will get into heaps of trouble when pushing beyond your ability. I spent countless hour in off line practicing. I still put in 4 or5 hours a week. Nailing down gun convergences that work for me, and accuracy for dive bombing. Third piece of advice---Spend some time with a trainer. While there are several players who are more than happy to help out new players, remember that they are disembarking from their usual routine in Main Arena to help YOU. Its much easier to ask for fine tuning, than it is for the basics of the game.  Also, if in game training is what you really prefer, Slpknot has started up a new squad just for that purpose! I would consider getting a mic and or headset before you go that route. Makes it more difficult if they have to type directions for you. You will get killed! You will get ragged on! You WILL LEARN! Good luck,Sir! Oh, and welcome to your new addiction....at least its cheaper than drugs

[thrila]

Below are just my thoughts, so don't be surprised if people disagre with me, wyatt.

My advice for people starting out:

Gunnery

• Fly aircraft with similar armament.
• Fly offline for 5 mins prior to going online and shoot the drones from various angles.
• Open fire when an aircraft's icon is 400 yds or less.
• If you're not hitting on deflection shots a simple trick is to apply twice as much lead as you think you need.
• Try not to pull back hard on the stick when firing for shots which require high amount of deflection or snap shots- pull the required deflection or greater- relax the stick- fire and let the aircraft pass through your gun sight.

ACM

• There is a lot of literature avialable online- read it
• Focus on a specific BFM/ACM for your sortie. e.g. This sortie I will try and 'rope a dope' every con, when a con does a flat turn I will perform a high yo-yo and when a con is on my 6 I will do a barrel role. They may not be the correct manouevre for the situation- but you will build experience on how to correctly perform them.
• View your films from the cockpit of the enemy when you get shot down. How easy did it look to shoot you down? Did you conduct a manouevre too early or late? Did you perform that manoevre well- was the barrel roll really a barrel roll?
• Conversely if you fought a guy you just couldn't out manouevre or hit- watch his film with trails on and try to recreate it.
• Don't be afraid to die. You will not progress unless you're willing to get shot down. There are a lot people ingame who are good at fighting from an advantage but poor fighting defensively. You should try to view fighting a higher con as just requiring different ACM to shoot them down.

I could go on and on I assure you.

[zack1234]

Do you all look in the mirror and say to your selves I must succeed 50 times before you log on

You lot need to get out more

[Bushmills]

The only thing you need is to not worry about getting shot down. If dying really continues to bother you that much you will stagnate once you reach a certain level of proficiency because you view not dying as more important than combat and you will not be prepared to take the risks necessary to progress further.

This is the stage most players stop at in terms of air combat, they spend the rest of their days in Aces High devising new ways to avoid dying.

[bozon]

So, I wan't to say this flat out, I'm really REALLY competitive and getting stomped over and over in AH has its pros and its cons. On one side you learn from your mistakes and on the other you have to re-up from a base and climb back out, (I only say that as a con is because im lazy). Now with this stated, is it your fault for getting shot down. I am not looking to get bashed just to start a civil discussion on who's fault it is for getting shot down. For the older players how do you deal with getting shot down and do you have any tips/tricks for a newbie? 

If you want to get good, prepare to die. A lot.

If you are not getting shot down it means that you are not taking enough risks and you dont learn much. I am very critical about myself but I can still consider a fight that I lost a success. This could be because I intentionally flew into a bad situation, and survived for a long time, or took out multiple enemies before the others got me, or because I bailed out a friend from his bad situation, or because I lost to a better player but put up a good fight.

The deaths that I really hate are the ones in which I screwed up, by making a bad descision, or by losing control and crashing - but you have to get into bad situations and make mistakes in order to improve. So in the end it is a balance between going guns blazing into the furball and trying to survive to land the sortie.

[Skuzzy]

Get with a trainer.  A couple of 30 minute sessions can save months of frustration.