...for the third and absolutely, definitely, positively final time forever, nrshida is leaving the Aces High forum!
This is part of my broader AH exit strategy. I'll still be flying a bit until the end of the year. Realistically the MA is unflyiable now on my Timezone - although I might be able to get in at peak US times here and there. So any friends I've made over the years can probably find me in the Match Play Arena in my most beloved Ki-84 for the majority of the time I have left to fly in. Even better if any of the enemies I've made want to have a pop at me, this'll be your last chance. I hope you've got your ACM in good order
Aces High and the forums have been a marvellous learning experience for me. I've literally learned all I need to know about ACM, developed a fairly decent ability to think strategy and tactics both analysing other's and adapting my own sometimes on the fly. Most of all on the forum I've learned to conflict with people - an activity my frightfully old-fashioned English upbringing did not equip me for. It has been a strange (and indeed unplanned) environment to learn the basics of that in, but there you go. Realistically to continue that now would be gratuitous. I also feel the time for creative / critical contributions to the game has long passed and the birds of a feather I also used to flock together with have gone already.
Almost 10 years. Wow, how time flies when you're having fun. I shall now be taking said skillset to another sort of game although as I say the transition will be smooth so maybe see you round in-game for a tiny bit longer. Just not on here, obv.
One final word to my FPH, I only had very little contact with at the start and to my analysis the best AH stick I ever saw - bar none - Kazaa (who's gone already but you never know might read this someday): yours was the most unconventional and innovative approach to ACM. Although I didn't have the equipment to understand it at the time. I ultimately arrived at similar conclusions and technique (although not as well practiced and executed). It was way beyond any of the seminal literature or conventional wisdom on the subject. Thanks for the small time I had to fly with you and the esoteric yet expanding pointers you gave me. These meta-transfer to other domains - my biggest take from my AH experience. I am the most grateful of your final advise. A small piece of timely text now right at the top of my notes for my next project. You'll never know how valuable that was to me. I aspire to follow a similar path in the other MA. Perhaps I'll come to a similar point. I hope so for my family.
Well, to everyone else, many thanks for all the friendships, fights and conflicts, whatever the form they took. I wish you sincerely all the best. Cheerio.
