Need advice on training Squadies

[Widewing]

I need some advice from experienced trainers on how to go about training the "un-trainable". Seriously, I need some fresh ideas as I'm at a dead end.

Tonight, I was reviewing squad stats and was stupified at one member's fighter numbers. I won't mention his name.

K/D: 0.08861
Kills / Hour: .07216
Hit Percentage: 2.666%

I don't think I've ever seen anything quite like that. Worse, he's been playing this type of game since Air Warrior DOS.

I've been thinking about taking some of our newbies to the TA for an evening and working with them to improve their skills, but I'm at a loss as to what to do with this guy. He's dedicated, always shows up for squad events, and is the first to volunteer for gooning. He just doesn't seem to understand that the record for the most sorties in an hour is not a desirable goal (he averages 11 sorties an hour). Moreover, he's not a suicider either. His problem seems to be that Stevie Wonder has better SA. He manages to land about 20% of his sorties, but almost never returns with even a single kill.

Despite his ACM and SA shortcomings, he is easily the most enthusiastic member of the squad. He absolutely loves this game.
He's a cancer survivor, suffered through all manner of surgery and therapy, yet there's not a hint of self-pity in him.

I'd like to help this fellow improve, but nothing anyone says seems to sinks in... Any ideas on how to go about helping this very kind-hearted and pleasant man improve his game?

Oh, and since I mentioned cancer, we have another squad member, VX who is another cancer survivor. Sadly, his cancer has reoccurred. He still flies with us several times a week, is a great squadmate and utterly dependable. Keep VX in your thoughts and prayers, with the hope that he is with us for many years to come. bud!

My regards,

Widewing

[Sandman]

I guess the first question is...

Does he want help?

[Steve]

Wide,  gosh this guy sounds like a great asset to the squad, in his own ways.  I can understand that you'd want his numbers to improve in order to help the squad stats, but it sounds like he helps the squad in other ways (i.e. gooning).
If he is fun to be around, and enjoying the game himself, how much does he need to change?
Not harping... but, people that put up respectable numbers but are no fun to be around(like this author, oft times) are a dime a dozen.

[straffo]

I think Steve nailed it perfectly :

If he is fun to be around, and enjoying the game himself, how much does he need to change?

[TimRas]

The most effective way I can think of is that you both actually sit at the same computer. First you at the controls, offline, showing how you handle the views, basic manouvres, shooting, etc. Then let him practise, you observing. Then you fly some missions in the MA, explaining all the time what you do and why you do it. Then let him fly some missions, you telling where to look and what to do thru the missions.

Of course, all of this only if he really wants to improve, and you have the possibility to pay a visit.

[Sikboy]

Originally posted by Widewing


Oh, and since I mentioned cancer, we have another squad member, VX who is another cancer survivor. Sadly, his cancer has reoccurred. He still flies with us several times a week, is a great squadmate and utterly dependable. Keep VX in your thoughts and prayers, with the hope that he is with us for many years to come. bud!

Man, Ole ^VX^ spent a few years as a Shill before we lost him to the alure of FR in AW.  Thanks for letting us know about his condition.

-Sik

[Sikboy]

Originally posted by Widewing
Despite his ACM and SA shortcomings, he is easily the most enthusiastic member of the squad. He absolutely loves this game.

Every squad needs a mascot. I'm not kidding here lol. I spent probably 5 years as the worst pilot in the Shills. If he's having fun, then maybe that's all that matters. however...

If he has trouble with Energy management, the easiest way to address this is to simply ask him to follow you on your 6 through many many sorties. You can focus on maintaining a high E state, and setting up passes. At first he will be totally focused on following you. But as time wears on, he should start to get a better feel for how you are flying. Following will become easier, and ultimatly, he will begin to pick up how it is you maintain your energy state. Plus, if he's sitting on your tail, at about D700 he will be sure to get a few shots as bandits try to latch on to you.

This is the only method that ever had any effect on me when it came to Energy management. I must have followed Montezuma around for a year in Airwarrior lol.

-Sik

[lazs2]

yep.. I agree with steve.  Who cares?  If the guy is fun to be around and is having fun then he is an asset.   He will get better if he enjoys the game.   He might simply need to get into the fights more often.   Nothing like getting into the thick of it to improve someone.  

I honestly don't know our squad rank or the numbers on any particular squaddie.   Our guys have access to films by drex, leviathn, hoolign and apache and maybe a couple of other allmost as crappy pilots but that is about it.  

The maw beat their players with sticks if they dont get over a .05 K/d.   If they still don't improve... a mild shot of "Raid" in the face.

If the fields were closer he would get better faster.
lazs

[Virage]

Reality Check.

Fighting Cancer vs. Fighting to Improve personal/squad score.

HMMM.

get your head out of your 6 and let him fly anyway he damn well wants.  He obviously has much more to offer your squad than a stupid number no one but you really cares about.

[Zippatuh]

I think, as proposed earlier, the question is… does he want help?  If he’s having fun and supporting the squad then statistics are really just an indicator of vanity and not cohesion.

As far as how to instruct the fellow squadie, spend about 30 or so minutes of your squad nights in the DA fighting each other before heading to the MA.

[SLO]

well well.....

I think Sikpuppy(sikboy).....nailed it right.....

I actually taught a 65 year old man(Hedd).....you wanna know how hard it was:D

now he actually gets kills and lands em.....took awhile....but like sikpuppy said...eventually he will get the feel for E state....just tell em to fug SA right now and concentrate on your BIG butt Widewing.....

[Ecke-109-]

I noticed that lots of newbies are much too lazy to use their sights properly. Because of the fact that the cooliehat dont give you all sights you need in combat.
Thats the reason why my lefthand is ALWAYS on numpad. My lefthand does the biggest part when succesfull flying.

Sometimes, a friend visits me at home. And its always the same:
He watches me like i get kills in an easy looking manner, and then he wants to fly.
He is not used in using the numpad, and the cooliehat dont give you all views you need. So the most of the time, he is flying always looking straight forward.
when it comes to fight, he sometimes tries to hammerhead like i often do. Man..that hurts watching him.
Most of the maneuver he is looking straight in to the blue sky. No look left or right to control the planes position in comparison to horizon. Not even a look to the speedometer.
He is one of that guys who can fly a hammerhead contrary to what it should be: Climbing too long, stalling, tumbling down and get cherry picked by the former victim waiting down low.

There is nothing to help him, as long he didnt want to help himself.

Ecke

[SlapShot]

Originally posted by lazs2
The maw beat their players with sticks if they dont get over a .05 K/d.   If they still don't improve... a mild shot of "Raid" in the face.

If the fields were closer he would get better faster.
lazs

LOL ... your to much !!!  


WW ... I would have to agree with most of the other posters. If he is having fun then what the heck ... leave him to it.

Also, like someone posted above ... Does he really want to get better ?

If he really wants to improve, take him to the DA with the squad. Have him join you as you do 1 v 1 - 1 v 2 - 1 v 3 against other members of the squad. You can communicate on local channel to him telling him exactly what you are doing and he can see that your views/head seems to be on a swivle as you fight off multiple bogeys. Proper SA requires one to be a master of the view system along with good anticipation.

Good luck and <> and prayers to both of those pilots.

[krazyhorse]

acke ??? you have sites  that explains alot:D  no  seriously thoughsa is the game, i tried teaching a friend of mine how to fly, he did ok except he would use his veiw keys or the tophat, now this is on my puter though and  a setup he is not use to saiteck x45, anyhow as hard as i tried to explain to him keeep your thumb on that top hat at all times and use the forward up and angle veiws to see target(me on sons puter) he just had hard time douing it, dunno why  i guess to some of the flyers in ah it is second nature by now.

[gofaster]

Originally posted by Sikboy
If he has trouble with Energy management, the easiest way to address this is to simply ask him to follow you on your 6 through many many sorties.

There's a downside to that.  I don't mind squaddies following me around, but please stay outside 1.0.  Otherwise, I'll hear their motors in my ears and won't know if its friend or a foe saddling up in my blind spot.

Best training plane: Yak 9U.  Taught me to (a) measure my shots and (b) work the throttle to get in close.  No WEP to its motor, so full throttle is full thrust - easy engine management there.  Climbs well, good rearward visibility, good maneuverability, good speed to catch Spitfires and N1K2s  or run away from them, and the nose cannon means you don't have to worry about convergence.  It has flaps but you don't really need them.  Its a good way to get some easy perk points, too.

But that assumes that the pilot actually wants to learn.  Otherwise, just let him keep on truckin'.