Ways of reading skill

[AAIK]

I was just recollecting fights I have had and I saw some indicators of potential skill of my opponents based on the way they move and figured it would be an interesting topic. 

- From my view I noticed that the better pilots were more intense and gave of a sort of wavelength or pattern of reflexes that revealed their level of focus and I could measure it against my own capability and then come to a general conclusion how the fight will unravel before it has started.

Has anyone noticed any other behaviours that reveal the potential of opponents in here? 

[popeye]

As soon as they do the "instant-reversal-spin-turn" I know I am dead.     

[Oldman731]

Has anyone noticed any other behaviours that reveal the potential of opponents in here?

Most obvious clue:  If he HOs you, he's most likely a noob (or just lazy).

Second not-quite-so-obvious clue:  If he goes into a slight dive on his way to the merge, he's dangerous.

- oldman (who is otherwise quite clueless)

[Shane]

As soon as they do a simple lead turn in the vertical I know I am dead.     

fixed...   

if you anticipate it or expect it, then your options suddenly increase     beyond, "what just happened?" and ending up in tower.   

[JunkyII]

If my opponent goes for an HO on any merge I assume they are completely terrible and that I'm going to win that fight very quickly unless they get a lucky hit while I'm moving to avoid the HO....which is why I give people a lot of crap about HOs...you literally give up the fight by taking the shot....it's too easy to gain an E advantage in the merge after they miss the HO shot. There's only a select few who it works out for because they have very good aim.

Most of the "good" pilots I know who I'm fighting once I see their merge....everyone has tells, mine is probably a reverse scissor I do pretty often where instead of rolling back to the right to turn back right, I roll left  through inversion and turn back right.

But the thing which makes me know how good of a stick I'm flying against is timing...

Most of the community turns too early when they are trying to reverse someone...so they don't get the overshoot....some turn way to late....the good sticks force you into a fight even when you start on their six...or at least make you work for a shot.

Or when I'm in a E- situation the good sticks time yo yos and attacks better....a lot of you are too nervous and do these terrible High yo yos which just burn your E while not making me give up any of mine....which leads to you normally diving away and running to your ack.

[JunkyII]

Most obvious clue:  If he HOs you, he's most likely a noob (or just lazy).

Second not-quite-so-obvious clue:  If he goes into a slight dive on his way to the merge, he's dangerous.

- oldman (who is otherwise quite clueless)

The dive into the merge I actually don't agree with anymore...a lot of people dive in hoping to get an angle but often give up too much E in the process....great example watch Skyyr's 1v1 videos...he doesnt dive into merges...but he beat most of the sticks people would have considered good.

Now a pilot like Joachim knows how to do both but his tell is when you get him in a near stall scissor...his nose does some "jigging" which I assume is the game trying to keep up with his rudder input or something but it works because he is for sure the best 1v1 stick I have faced.

[waystin2]

So much variance pilot to pilot but I pick up patterns of flight quickly. I can usually tell who it is by plane and flight style and act accordingly. I never enter into a fight thinking I will lose, otherwise it is already over. I do get my butt kicked on a regular basis but you won't nail me with the same maneuver twice. See you up there. Oink

[Bruv119]

how quickly you end up in the tower? 

How many nasty PM, cheat accusations you get?

How many youtube/facebook mentions of your questionable ability cant possibly be legit? 

If the other guy survives more than 2 or 3 merges then you know he is worth his salt and those guys tend to take a bit more work.   

Case in point being a certain KI61 pilot in the latest frame of the scenario.  He was prepared to turn in which compared to his colleagues told me he wanted to fight.  We enter a diving rolling scissor and I'm thinking there is only one person who can fly that bird so nicely but I'm going to stick with him in these rolls because I know when the KI61 gets slow to stall speed it loses its finesse.   Without knowing who I killed I would have bet my house on it being Tongs  needless to say the logs confirmed it the next day.   Hehe.    

[bozon]

There are no good pilots - only really bad moves by me. 






Also, there are no spoons, only dull full forks 

[thndregg]

I am skilled in "pile-it"-ing myself into the ground.

[LilMak]

First clue is aircraft selection. LA7, Yak3, Spit16, P-51D, are often sign of a player that either is weak or marginal. When you see that unusual icon C2, P-40, KI61 and some others that you know you’re facing a potential killer.

[bustr]

If the La7 is flying slow and steady begging you to get closer, it's shane, and the next move may be your last.

[Volron]

Does blowing up spawing on the runway when there is no one around count?

[waystin2]

First clue is aircraft selection. LA7, Yak3, Spit16, P-51D, are often sign of a player that either is weak or marginal. When you see that unusual icon C2, P-40, KI61 and some others that you know you’re facing a potential killer.

This could get you in trouble making too many assumptions based on plane type.  See an La7-it might a some one great like a Kappa, a runner like a Hoagi, or a newb that needs the engine and the cannon.  I do not know many Yak3 pilots that impress me, but you get the point.  See a Spit16 it could be someone scary like Bruv, or someone who will flip-flop and HO on every pass like FLipTH, or a new player that needs the performance envelope the plane provides.  Not too many great pony drivers left in game nowadays mostly hit and runners so you may be close to the truth here.  There are some players that have mastered planes not listed that are down right scary to deal with.     So I try to assume the most difficult opponent possible is in each plane until they are not.

[Bruv119]

kazaa used to fly the spit 16 all the time,  I very rarely use it and IF I do its to load 3 bombs, evade all the Bish vulching the runway, drop as many GVS  I can in town then single handedly wrestle any planes that decide to shoot at me.   

Spit 5/8/9 is where its at in that regard.   

But your right I treat every single plane like its the best ever AI pilot robot that is seconds away from killing me anything else leads to mistakes.