Originally posted by Grizzly
You don't understand it at all. Yes, the head on shots were nullified in the programming. But they were still reviled, for two reasons.
(1) Although HO shot affectiveness was reduced by 80%, they still could cause damage. This was especially true of planes that had centerline guns for greater concentration, like the P38. Without the threat of head ons or collisions, it was common in AW to merge head on. Players were not expecting a cheep shot in the face. I'm not saying this was good... just the way it was. AH certainly provides a superior encounter.
(2) Perhaps the biggest reason head ons were reviled is that it marked the opponent as a rookie. The time wasted for a face shot is critical for setting yourself up for your initial maneuver. The face shot was especially silly in AW with its reduced affectiveness and signaled an easy victory. In AH it may not be as silly, but IMHO is an act of desperation.
Being reviled and humiliated was one of the very best incentives in AW to learn ACM and comply with community standards. Except for a few basic requirements, like not being able to kill friendlies, our game is presented to us without any rules. So acceptable conventions and game play must be applied by the players, and humiliation is our only means of inforcement.
I don't think I understand, either, Grizzly. Doesn't make any sense to me at all.
1: HOs can be avoided .... easily.
2: Not avoiding a HO then getting on channel 1 to berate the guy who won the "joust" is only whining poorly disguised as an attempt to humiliate the other player (probably to disguise one's own embarrassment more often than not). Avoiding an HO .... then successfully saddling up on you opponent and shooting them down ...
then getting on channel 1 to attempt to ridicule and embarass them for not being as good at playing AH as you are ... is nothing but childish chest-beating.
If you feel revulsion about any element of the game that doesn't violate TOS (or is even encouraged by the design and layout of the game) ... then that's not the other guys problem ... it's yours. And it certainly isn't his fault, other than his taking advantage of what's there to freely take advantage of. If you feel the desire to humiliate anyone in AH for using tactics (or their limited use of tactics), for their skill (or limited amount of skill, for their score (or lack of score) ... even for their approach to the game (be it an active attempt to mimic real life acm or taking advantage of whatever gamey aspects of the game that were incorporated for "game playability") ... then that's not the other guy's problem either ... again, it's yours.
Maybe "revulsion leading to ridicule leading to shame leading to everyone playing the way the loudest barker wants them to" is part of the AW heritage you remember, Grizzly ... but I don't remember it that way, myself. Then again, my memory ain't what it used to be.
Sorry, bro. That's how I honestly feel. The only revulsion I have is for hacks.
