Aces High Bulletin Board
General Forums => Aces High General Discussion => Topic started by: Buzzz on September 07, 2004, 10:15:01 PM
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I'm a NEW paying customer. I have been participating in AH for 5 weeks now. It looks like the new rules and features that are quickly being implemented do not take new players into consideration at all. This game is difficult enough to learn as it is without having to constantly make an accounting of how many players are logging in and to what country they are on. Most people are glad to befriend a newbie and offer help. But if you have to constantly switch sides any relationships you build are gone in the blink of an eye if you jump countries and you are back to square one. Being FORCED to fly a inferior plane with only a few hours total stick time in any AH plane is pure suicide. Especially when you don't have time to build relationships so you can have wingmen to fly with. I would be weak in the best plane in the arena as would any new customer to this game.
I know this game is extremely hard and it takes a great deal of time and determination to manage to crawl over the learning curve. I'm not usually a quitter. But, what may be a mere handicap to experienced players is impassable barrier to new ones.
Now add to that equation that the power of ack and the hardness of fields may increase and vary depending on the number of players on each side... well it appears that new customers mean nothing to the game developers.
I realize that one subscription and one easy kill for other players means nothing in the big picture of things. But as a consumer that's the only recourse I have. Farewell and perhaps I will see some of you over at that new flight sim that's in free beta. Maybe it's a bit more newbie friendly.
-Buzzz
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Well ... you can not fly rook (at least to start out) and that may help you get settled. Then later, if you feel like switching ... or if overall numbers shift, you can throw off the lala training wheels.
That or you can find yourself a squad that knows how to switch sides as a group.
Just a suggestion. I'm sure there'll be others.
:)
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Everyone was new once.. we didn't just jump right in and become super-aces, or building-battler extraordinaires, or GV geniuses overnight.
It takes work. Find out what you like doing.. and do it until you get good at it. I don't mind flying with a newbie, if you don't mind dying when we plunge into a horde. I go by Urchin in the MA, I play at various times.. usually in the evening EST time.
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Originally posted by Buzzz
I know this game is extremely hard and it takes a great deal of time and determination to manage to crawl over the learning curve. I'm not usually a quitter. But, what may be a mere handicap to experienced players is impassable barrier to new ones.
You merely need to change sides. That's it. Since you are new you have no squad affiliation or "country" loyalty. Switch to knights and you will never lack for whatever ride you need.
Our squad has some great trainers--goto roster, sort by squad, look for the Damned Air Group. We fly Knight at all hours of the day. PM one of us and we'll be happy to help you find your way.
h
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Buzzz,
Run, do not walk, to the Training Arena to get a handle on how things fly in AH2.
Second, H2H forums can be a blast for quick get up and shoot-em-up fights where you don't have to fly 20 minutes to enemy airspace just to get ganged by 7 enemy aircraft.
Third, You may want to skip the Main Arena (MA) altogether as worthless and proceed straight to the Combat Tour (CT) arena for a more pleasurable experience.
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I really think that is a valid point.
When starting most people advise flying one plane for a while, and i for sure wouldnt want to fly in training arena for 4 weeks.
So this side balancing stuff really hurts the guys that are new to AH2.
ciao schutt
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But if you have to constantly switch sides any relationships you build are gone in the blink of an eye if you jump countries and you are back to square one.
You dont have to constantly switch sides. The pendulumn doesn't swing that fast. It's usually the same country over crowded, and if the ENY will work, the coutries will be more evenly ballanced so the ENY will not even kick in.
Besides, there are only 3 countries and so many players. You'll get to know enough of them.
Being FORCED to fly a inferior plane with only a few hours total stick time in any AH plane is pure suicide.
If you are a newbie, you might not be aware of that, so I'll let you in on a guarded secret: high ENY planes are not nececerily inferior.
Most plane lines have a very good earlier models. The 109F/G2 are very capable. The P51B and La5 are monsters. F4u-1 is just as capable as the F4u-D, faster and has better range. The mossie and 110 are great JABOs. Flying them is far from suicide.
Ballance is good for the newbies. ENY tries to achive that. It might not be the only solution, it might not be the best solution possible, but it's a solution.
Bozon
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Buzzz,
Become a knight.
Look up myself or vic.
Fly with us.
We will help you in anyway we can.
Die with us.
Have fun.
We are always looking for newbies. Hell half the squad are newbies.
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Buzzz ...
You are only thinking of the new players that have joined the side that, for the most part, enjoys overpopulation.
What about the new players that don't join that side. How do they feel after getting wheels up, and then shortly into their sorties, they are constantly ganged by 5 or more bandits ? ... every single sortie. That would be more disconcerting to me than to have to fly some mid or early war planes.
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Simply put, with no BS attached.
Switch sides.
If you cant deal with that option than your just going to have to deal with the choice you made.
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I flew one or two sorties in the beta. I shot down one enemy Spitfire by riding the edge of a stall in a hard, flat turn. That was my first experience in AH. I didn't participate in the beta beyond that.
I signed up in v1.03. It took me nearly two weeks to get my first kill, and when I did I ran out of fuel seconds later. I had some fighter where I almost got kills before that, but it took nearly the whole freebie period to get to my first kill.
I did one session with a trainer in the TA. I recommend that you try that out too.
I flew for the Rooks for the first two years I played AH and we were almost always outnumbered in that time period. I switched to the Knights after joining a squad in the CT that then started a Knight squad in the MA and I've been a Knight ever since even though the squad is no more. I have been on the out numbered side way more than on the side with numbers. I don't fly often anymore, but I am certain that I would not be nearly as good as I am (a bit above the average I'd guess, certainly nothing to get excited about), if I had started out as a Bish or if I had stuck to flying the most powerful aircraft in the game.
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You want a super plane? fly the SpitV. It should be available most of the time. If not, TIFY is not bad either.
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P-40!!!!
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Originally posted by Stang
P-40!!!!
:rofl
A good option for the average or above average pilot. Being underestimated can give you the upper hand.
Hardly the tool for a new player faced with "wonder pilots" flying LA7's and Spitfire IX's.
And yes, I know you were joking.
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Some would argue that you learn more and will become a better player quicker by flying the "inferior" planes. Which I find from my own personal experience to be somewhat true. When I started playing AH I flew the P-51 nearly exclusively for a couple years. I achieved a decent kill to death ratio, and was generall pretty successful. I couldn't fight my way out of a 1v1 for the life of me, unless I had a comfy altitude advantage to start with. Then I started flying the Hellcat. Suddenly I couldn't run from any fight that I was losing, I had to learn/relearn a lot of lessons. I died a lot... the result, I'm now a much more capable opponent than I was when I could rely on the aircraft to get me out of trouble. Now I have to get MYSELF out of trouble. It forced me to become a better player in this game. You can learn a lot more from flying "inferior" aircraft than you can flying the big and fast planes. That's not to say that they're are not some very good players out there cruising around in P-51's. But I found a "worse" plan to be the best learning tool I had.
*edit* I had a teacher tell me once that learning is being uncomfortable, as long as you are not comfortable with what you're trying to do you're learning it, when you lose that feeling it's time to move on to bigger, better things. I think there's some truth to that.
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I don't post much on this board, but I have to jump in on this dissabling planes when one side has a numerical advantage.. It sucks really bad.. I just joined a spit 5 squad.. Most of the time when I log in after work,, I can't get a spit 5 because of the balancing thing.. Its so phony and unrealistic.. I'm looking for emersion, not even game play.. I want to play a wargame.. If anything, as one side has a numerical advantage their options should increase not decrease.. We should be able to take out enemy plane factorys and make certain plane types unavailabel. Not the other way around, like it is now.. It might mean shorter wars.. Whats wrong with that? If you don't like being on the smaller team switch countrys thats all there is to it.. I actually prefer to be on the smaller team, more targets! This new system really hurts squads, and anyone else who has a favorite plane.
3moons
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Originally posted by ElLobo
I don't post much on this board, but I have to jump in on this dissabling planes when one side has a numerical advantage.. It sucks really bad.. I just joined a spit 5 squad.. Most of the time when I log in after work,, I can't get a spit 5 because of the balancing thing.. Its so phony and unrealistic.. I'm looking for emersion, not even game play.. I want to play a wargame.. If anything, as one side has a numerical advantage their options should increase not decrease.. We should be able to take out enemy plane factorys and make certain plane types unavailabel. Not the other way around, like it is now.. It might mean shorter wars.. Whats wrong with that? If you don't like being on the smaller team switch countrys thats all there is to it.. I actually prefer to be on the smaller team, more targets! This new system really hurts squads, and anyone else who has a favorite plane.
3moons
It's all about you !!!
Nevermind the people that constantly have to face overwhelming odds of P-51s, La-7, N1Ks and other late war monsters. Constantly facing 5 to 1 or greater odds. Just as long as YOU get to fly your Spit V.
Nevermind the people that make up the overwhelmed country and get slammed day in and day out ... boy that must be fun ... the heck with them ... just as long as YOU get to fly your Spit V.
Just as long as YOU get to fly your Spit V and with overwhelming numbers and smash and decimate anything in your path amongst the safety of the horde. That must really be an adrenalin rush ... eh ?
I know that RedTop and BatFinkV are in your squad, and I don't believe for one second that they hold the same views as you do.
Doesn't your squad fly for the Knights ? I believe they do ... so the amount of times that the ENY has bit you in the butt, especially the SpitV, is hardly a blip on the radar.
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you may lol but i learned alot from the P40 flying it for a Tour
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Thanks for the offers and the advice gents. It's greatly appreciated. I have to say that the community here is top notch.
I think I just tried to join at a bad time and now I need to go overcome this really poor first impression of aces high. Perhaps I will sign back up again when all this development, testing, and turmoil is finished.
Thanks again.
-Buzzz
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First let me say Im against this whole eny thing and have said so from the start. And the ENY doesnt ever even effect me as I dont normally fly the planes that get affected anyway.
Inasmuch as it is here the best anyone can do is somehow learn to live with it and try to make the best of it in the time your forced into it.
for the new guys. this would be a real good time to try out the other planes.
You want to get better?
Well one way to get better is to learn how the other planes fly and handle. And theri strengths and weaknesses
That will put you in a better position to know how to deal with such and such plane when you do encounter it in your preferred ride.
You will also learn new skills from alot of these rides which will also make you better in your preferred ride.
Ever wonder how that Jug managed to out turn your spit?
Best wayt o find out is to learn how to fly the jug.
I used to fly Niks al the time. Was fairly decent in em too
But FW's kept getting the better of me. So I decided to find out why and how.
Hated the FW atr first. It didnt do any of the things I was used to the way I used to do em. But I stuck with em Gradually after time I got better at it. Now the FW's are just about all I fly most of the time. I love em.
Im not an uber pilot in em but I do pretty good I think. And I learn something new every day. Keeps it interesting.
I know you dont like to be forced into other rides. Nobody likes being forced into anything.
But for the moment there isnt a whole lot anyone can do aboutit cept complain and learn to live with it and make the best of it.
Like the saying goes. "When life hands you a lemon. Make lemonade"
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HTC does care about their players. Call them some time. Someone will pick up the phone.
It is a solid community. Yes you will find an occasional worm, but over all they are a pretty good bunch. :)
Join a squad asap. Find a group you like to fly with that has the same attitude, style, motives as you and stick with them. Squads are where it is at. When you find a squad you can call home most other worries seem to fade.
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CO CM daddog
Squad Operations (http://events.hitechcreations.com/squadops/index.php)
332nd Flying Mongrels (http://www.332nd.org/)
332nd Roster (http://www.332nd.org/squadroster.htm)
Special Events (http://events.hitechcreations.com/)
Noses in the wind since 1997.
daddog@hitechcreations.com
(http://www.332nd.org/cdaddog.jpg)
Democracy is a process by which the people are free to choose the man who will get the blame. - Laurence Peter
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Oh and if your new, and want to fly a plane that while not very fast is easy to fly, very forgiving to mistakes, can turn on a dime. and you can easliy get kills in Try the FM2.
Highly underrated plane in my opinion. And an outstanding plane for newbies
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Originally posted by simshell
you may lol but i learned alot from the P40 flying it for a Tour
Once you get the hang of it the P40 is another under rated plane
And can be a hell of alot of fun to fly
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slapshot! I read your posts here in this thread, and instead of a beetlesque wall-o-words, I will condense my feelings into a simple graphic. I'm the balloonhead on the left, that's you on the right.
(http://smileys.smileycentral.com/cat/11/11_2_104.gif)
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buzz, what other sim in beta?
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Originally posted by killnu
buzz, what other sim in beta?
(whispers) Targetware.
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Buzz is absolutely right. HTC needs to accomodate newbies and provide clear and simple in-roads to the game. The most important is the flight model itself. WB didn't get it, and therefore they are where they are now.
I can't say the ENY has any bearing on his concerns, but there needs to be this 'painted line' for newbies.
g
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Slapshot said
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It's all about you !!!
Nevermind the people that constantly have to face overwhelming odds of P-51s, La-7, N1Ks and other late war monsters. Constantly facing 5 to 1 or greater odds. Just as long as YOU get to fly your Spit V.
Nevermind the people that make up the overwhelmed country and get slammed day in and day out ... boy that must be fun ... the heck with them ... just as long as YOU get to fly your Spit V.
Just as long as YOU get to fly your Spit V and with overwhelming numbers and smash and decimate anything in your path amongst the safety of the horde. That must really be an adrenalin rush ... eh ?
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This coming from a member of TAS which unless I'm mistaken is a P51 squad, and an excellant one with a long and proud tradition in AH. Me smash and decimate anything in my path in my Spit V? Which by the way I couldn't fly for the 5th night in a row. Took up an A8 instead, now THERES a monster plane.
The post was all about me, just one mans opinion. Not getting much of a rush at all in AH lately.
3moons
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Originally posted by SlapShot
It's all about you !!!
Nevermind the people that constantly have to face overwhelming odds of P-51s, La-7, N1Ks and other late war monsters. Constantly facing 5 to 1 or greater odds. Just as long as YOU get to fly your Spit V.
Nevermind the people that make up the overwhelmed country and get slammed day in and day out ... boy that must be fun ... the heck with them ... just as long as YOU get to fly your Spit V.
Just as long as YOU get to fly your Spit V and with overwhelming numbers and smash and decimate anything in your path amongst the safety of the horde. That must really be an adrenalin rush ... eh ?
I know that RedTop and BatFinkV are in your squad, and I don't believe for one second that they hold the same views as you do.
Doesn't your squad fly for the Knights ? I believe they do ... so the amount of times that the ENY has bit you in the butt, especially the SpitV, is hardly a blip on the radar.
3moons does not need my back up but i will anyway:
No offence intended slappy but i have two words for that unprovoked attack:
'YOU tosser'
you're so quick to judge and damn others opinions
is the whole world really against you or do you just need some valium?
i can help, if you let me.
your responses like this will scare away more newbies than any horde. (which i will add, my squaddies do not need to fly with)
so all of a sudden you are the good samaritan?
most newbies seem to love getting totaly ripped apart in the air. they say "aaaaaa, ooooooo, pretty plane go boom.' and up another plane.
more to the point we fly knights, and therefore are usually the underdogs.
chill yourself out and stop attacking people who dont deserve your jaded opinion.
other than that
keep having fun
Batfink
EDIT: just checked out targetware flightsims.
its official, they are total crap.
crap crap crap crap crap.
useless.
did i mention crap?
AH2 is far beyond this targetware CRAP!
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Originally posted by daddog
Join a squad asap. Find a group you like to fly with that has the same attitude, style, motives as you and stick with them. Squads are where it is at. When you find a squad you can call home most other worries seem to fade.
I'd just like to add that if you are new, you might want to look for a squad that has been around for a long time. This is because when you join one, and tell the CO your name for these forums, they'll normally give you access to their own private forum. The nice thing is, you have access to ALL the posts, not just the ones that you've been around for. A quick search on your squad's forum can give interesting advice and training aids. If your squad claims to train, and actually does, you can bet there will be some very good material there.
Furthermore, if you're new and getting killed a ton (like we all used to be/still are), you might find a squad very helpful. That way, if you fly in the same area, you always have someone watching your back and actively doing EVERYTHING in their power to help YOU out. I'm not saying that the rest of your country always, or even usually, won't, I'm just saying that your squadmates always will. Most squads would rather put all their members on the board with landing 2 kills than have a few members get six while the rest all die.
As to your issue with the ENY, look at it this way:
You are new and therefore have not flown a particular plane for a very long time. You really haven't gotten to know the ins and outs of one very well. THAT IS FANTASTIC, it doesn't matter if you can't fly your uber plane because, not meaning to insult you but let's face it bud, ya already can't fly your uber plane! :) Given enough practice I'm sure you could do quite well in it, but given enough practice I'm sure you could do quite well in ANY plane. What is there, something like 70 planes and vehicles at your disposal? Find one with a lower ENY and try it out! It really might suprise you!
I personally take more satisfaction out of kills I get in A5's vs. D9's, and G2's vs. G10's. You very well might too.
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Im new as well.
My strategy to become a good pilot is to first learn ONE plane. I dont want to learn in top of the line planes because usually good equipment gives bad habits.
For example when selecting my first plane one of the main requirements was that it had LOW ammo. Ummm low ammo is this noob totally dumb? You might think. No Im not. I want low ammo so I learn to take the right shots and dont get a bad habbit of spray and pray in a high ammo plane.
Further I dont want a pure turner or a pure climber. I want a plane that is multi dimentional. Ive flow a trial in this game before and flown other flight sims as well so I know the basics of flying and I dont wana be in a pure turn fighter. Turn fighting in say a N1K is really easy but doesnt make me a good pilot. Neither do I want to start out in a 190 and BnZ fight all day long. BnZ is booring and doesnt make you a great pilot.
So what I wanted is a decent turner so I have to learn to decide who to turn fight and who to not turn fight. Also a plane which BnZ can be done in when the situation calls for it and the plane has to have at least decent E fighting abilities.
So what did I end up with?
Not a Spit9, Spit5, N1K, P-51D, LA7,190 or any other top rated plane but the Yak9U.
I know that one day I will face a situation when I cant fly it but I have a plan for that as well. I have my back up plane that I will learn when needed. Its the 109-G2, Ive read up on it alot I have a plan how to learn to fly it but I will do it the day when Im forced to.
Well thats my plan and so far its work in out well.
Tex
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Originally posted by ElLobo
This coming from a member of TAS which unless I'm mistaken is a P51 squad, and an excellant one with a long and proud tradition in AH.
Just to be clear, the 13th is not a dedicated P51 squad. Before I joined they were for a while, but since then we fly a very mixed bag of planes.
Slap had been flying P38s and still does. He may be onto a new plane though....not sure.
Sax is an FM2 fanatic.
The rest of us fly what we like and like what we fly (to steal a quote from Toad).
Personally I'll fly any plane with cannons as my gunnery is still seriously lacking. ;)
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Originally posted by TexMurphy
So what did I end up with?
Not a Spit9, Spit5, N1K, P-51D, LA7,190 or any other top rated plane but the Yak9U.
:rofl :rofl :rofl :rofl :rofl
yak is the most uber of uber planes.
and spit5 is not uber.
spit9 is.
spit5 is slow and made of toilet tissue paper.
spit5 is no more uber than the hurricane.
infact, the hurricane is way more uber. 4x hispanio plus almost the best turn radius in the game? work it out.
i dont like to catagorise planes as being dweeby or not, but the yak is the same as a spit9 with more speed and a litle more refined skill in the piloting.
but hell, its a great choice of plane to fly.
dont let anyone tell you that the plane you learn and love is a 'dweeb' plane.
this just shows their ignorance of how to kill said plane.
lets face it, in any other plane, only a moron lets a spitfire mkV on his tail given equal alt and E.
dont damn them, learn to fight them.
the spitV pilots have to learn how to deal with constant, unreachable alt monkeys with their constant bore n zoom, and bore n zoomers have to learn to deal with the low and slow TnB'ers.
the real good pilots are the ones that use BnZ and TnB together to create an actual dogfighting style unique to them, not just a one pass wonder snapshot expert or a super flat break turning maniac.
the yak is a great plane, learn it well and you will kick arse in a few months
good luck to ya
batfink
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Originally posted by TexMurphy
Im new as well.
Neither do I want to start out in a 190 and BnZ fight all day long. BnZ is booring and doesnt make you a great pilot.
Tex
ahem.
190's when flown right, can turnfight quite well
thankyouverymuch:)
The Trick is in throttle/flap management, Not using flat turns.
and knowing when to get out and reobtain E And in not doing it for extended periods of time against planes like Dwebfires and 109's
Yak is an exellant choice of a plane. Its short ammo load will teach you ammo dicipline (bet you rarely get a killshooter)
Its guns are usually enough to destroy most planes with a single burst. It can out turn most things it cant out run and it can out run most things it cant out turn.
Yaks concern me more then most other planes on the threat scale other then the spit. And that would include the P51, La7 and Nik.
Yak Does everything well. Its short ammo load is the primary reason people dont fly it.
But those that do and no how to? Well they are DANGEROUS Mofo's
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Originally posted by DREDIOCK
Yak is an exellant choice of a plane. Its short ammo load will teach you ammo dicipline (bet you rarely get a killshooter)
Took me a while, during the last week of tour 55 (thats when I started) I was rackin up assists but no kill shots. Now on the other hand I rarely get assists but I do get the kill shots. I know stats dont mean shait but I do get like 3.6 kills per hour, which is enough to make me happy and want MORE!! ;)
Originally posted by DREDIOCK
Its guns are usually enough to destroy most planes with a single burst. It can out turn most things it cant out run and it can out run most things it cant out turn.
This is one of the reasons I picked it. It forces me to learn about all the planes strengths and weaknesses and to remember it under preasure. Its great SA training and after all SA is what its all about. Nice fancy ACMs without any SA doesnt help you flight your way out of a paperbag. ;)
Tex
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Originally posted by ElLobo
Slapshot said
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It's all about you !!!
Nevermind the people that constantly have to face overwhelming odds of P-51s, La-7, N1Ks and other late war monsters. Constantly facing 5 to 1 or greater odds. Just as long as YOU get to fly your Spit V.
Nevermind the people that make up the overwhelmed country and get slammed day in and day out ... boy that must be fun ... the heck with them ... just as long as YOU get to fly your Spit V.
Just as long as YOU get to fly your Spit V and with overwhelming numbers and smash and decimate anything in your path amongst the safety of the horde. That must really be an adrenalin rush ... eh ?
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This coming from a member of TAS which unless I'm mistaken is a P51 squad, and an excellant one with a long and proud tradition in AH. Me smash and decimate anything in my path in my Spit V? Which by the way I couldn't fly for the 5th night in a row. Took up an A8 instead, now THERES a monster plane.
The post was all about me, just one mans opinion. Not getting much of a rush at all in AH lately.
3moons
No ... the 13th TAS is not a P-51 squad ... back in the day, but not anymore. We mostly fly early war planes now.
I flew from 9 PM EST to 1 AM EST last night and the Spit V was available at all times.
I always get a rush when I play AH ... not matter if I can fly the Spit V or not.
I guess you and Bat didn't really get it. That post was all about you. You were stamping your feet all over the placve because you get locked out of the Spit V on occassion. You want to abolish the ENY disabler cause it hurts you, but never considering that it might be helping someone else. I considered your squad the type to suck it up ... after all, you are a Spit V squad and ya gotta be tuff to fly one of them low and in the weeds.
The Spit V is my main ride too, but I'll be damned if I will jump up and down and stamp my feet when it's not available. I will simply find another ride until the lock is off ... might I suggest the P-47-D25 ... early war and a lot of fun on the deck.
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Guys... The main reason I started this thread was to give some attention to the plight and feelings of new players.
I'm personally not new to flight sims. I played Air Warrior from AW2 beta to it's demise. I own European Air War, MSCFS2, the first IL2, and did a trial over at Fighter Ace 3.whatever. I own a hardbound copy of Robert Shaw's book "Fighter Combat" and have studied it cover to cover. Tactics, plane selection, or wingman tactics were not the problem.
I came to Aces High with big hopes that I had found my new hobby. I was totally turned off by the experience and canceled my account a week before my rebill. I will not join back up and I would not recommend AH to friends, family, or co-workers.
This was the experience of a seasoned simmer. I shudder to think what a total novice would go through giving this game a try for the first time.
It's too late for me (and I'm confident that no one could give a you know what about that). But you all might seriously consider making a few changes if you want to retain new customers that come in the door. Without new players your game will eventually die.
-Buzzz
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Originally posted by Buzzz
But you all might seriously consider making a few changes if you want to retain new customers that come in the door. Without new players your game will eventually die.
As long as the community keeps helping out new players, there will never be a shortage of them. This game is just too much fun :D
As for your concern that the game isn't newbie-friendly, I completely disagree. This game, and especially this community, are definately newbie-friendly. It's just not newbie-easy. The challenge is what makes it fun.
Sorry to see you go bud. If you are into flight sims that much, it really is a shame. I hope you'll give it another shot in a few months, but have fun wherever you're flying, !
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Got my first kill on my second flight in here, took me a few months to exceed 1:1 K/D. It's not THAT hard. I had never flown on-line, just had some experience with AI flightsims and a keen interest in aviation. You just have to work at it a little bit.
But... I still don't feel like part of the community after two years. I guess I don't fly enough. Would like to hook up with some Europeans who don't mind someone who has little time to fly and can't commit much to squad activities. I actually like, no I LOVE the eny thing and don't care much what I fly except when it is complety outclassed in every way. I just up something and try to kill and try not to die. Easy as that.
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Originally posted by SlapShot
You were stamping your feet all over the placve because you get locked out of the Spit V on occassion. You want to abolish the ENY disabler cause it hurts you, but never considering that it might be helping someone else. I considered your squad the type to suck it up ... after all, you are a Spit V squad and ya gotta be tuff to fly one of them low and in the weeds.
The Spit V is my main ride too, but I'll be damned if I will jump up and down and stamp my feet when it's not available. I will simply find another ride
:aok:aok
Slap - how soon can you get a divorce? I want to marry you myself! (http://smileys.smileycentral.com/cat/11/11_1_206.gif)
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@Vudak
I dont know if I should agree or disagree with you.
Ive gotten ALOT of help from an AH player. His hints and tips have been extreamly valuable BUT it is not through the AH community or through in game interaction but through the Jumpgate community, of which we both are a part.
When it comes to ingame Im not sure I would call it noob friendly. I mean during my first week in game I had to get the calling of targets and sixes going more often then not. For a noob who knows how to fly a plane communications is the most important part as noobs lack SA.
Though this is not as much about helpin noobs as its a thing of helping each other. Yes there are alot of fantastic team players in the game but there are more players that arnt team players.
If you are luckey and get to fly your first sessions with the team players then definatly a fantastic noob experience.. but if not...
Also this game has a "occurence" that is the most noob unfriendly thing Ive ever seen in any game. Vulching.
There is nothing sooo disencouraging to a noob then to get vulched. When you feel insecure with flying and cant even get off the ground with your plane then you just log off and when you log off in discontent your not likely to log on again.
Tex
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Originally posted by Buzzz
I'm a NEW paying customer. I have been participating in AH for 5 weeks now. It looks like the new rules and features that are quickly being implemented do not take new players into consideration at all. This game is difficult enough to learn as it is without having to constantly make an accounting of how many players are logging in and to what country they are on. Most people are glad to befriend a newbie and offer help. But if you have to constantly switch sides any relationships you build are gone in the blink of an eye if you jump countries and you are back to square one. Being FORCED to fly a inferior plane with only a few hours total stick time in any AH plane is pure suicide. Especially when you don't have time to build relationships so you can have wingmen to fly with. I would be weak in the best plane in the arena as would any new customer to this game.
I know this game is extremely hard and it takes a great deal of time and determination to manage to crawl over the learning curve. I'm not usually a quitter. But, what may be a mere handicap to experienced players is impassable barrier to new ones.
Now add to that equation that the power of ack and the hardness of fields may increase and vary depending on the number of players on each side... well it appears that new customers mean nothing to the game developers.
I realize that one subscription and one easy kill for other players means nothing in the big picture of things. But as a consumer that's the only recourse I have. Farewell and perhaps I will see some of you over at that new flight sim that's in free beta. Maybe it's a bit more newbie friendly.
-Buzzz
HTC, maybe an even better reason to default newbies to smaller side -- they wont realize initial country assigment is nonrandom, and they will no tbe hit by the ENY. Remember, the newbies will not have much gameplay balance effect on the high or low side -- and they can always switch if desired.
Remember, RELATIONSHIPS are what will keep people in the game during the LONG learning curve.
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Originally posted by Buzzz
Perhaps I will sign back up again when all this development, testing, and turmoil is finished.
That will probably never happen, when it does, the end is in sight. AH has been in constant developement and testing since before it was opened as a closed beta. There's a full-time permanent staff of skilled developers and artists who are CONSTANTLY working on this game and I hope they never stop.
I do think we could do with a bit less turmoil, but if you hang around here long enough you'll recognize that the 'turmoil' is not as bad as it seems, it is usually just a smallish group of malcontents making a noise that is out of proportion to their number.
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Originally posted by Edbert MOL
a smallish group of malcontents making a noise that is out of proportion to their number.
Talking about the pizza map whiners?
:D
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Originally posted by TexMurphy
Also this game has a "occurence" that is the most noob unfriendly thing Ive ever seen in any game. Vulching.
There is nothing sooo disencouraging to a noob then to get vulched. When you feel insecure with flying and cant even get off the ground with your plane then you just log off and when you log off in discontent your not likely to log on again.
Tex
Well I'm definately guilty of this... Though as of late I'm beginning to see that it's not really helping me get better in any way shape, or form...
Bottom line that my epiphany nor your regrets won't change is that there are a lot of people who really like taking bases and winning the war, and vulching is definately a huge part of that (as Shane and other's have pointed out, there are better ways for people to CAP *Note - Combat Air PATROL* an area, but nonetheless, some vulching needs to be going on).
Of course, every time I sign onto the arena, the server tends to place me at a field a bit far from the action? I don't know if I'm just lucky or if this is the way it is built in, but if the latter is the case, then a complete, first flight, newbie can at least get off the ground.
In my previous post I was thinking more along the lines of how the community helps out people with simple questions. Sure, you'll get a few people who say "READ THE HELP FILE DARNIT!" but you'll also get quite a few who will actually take the time to answer your question, either ingame or on these boards.
Once the simple questions are dealt with, you can also find people who will be willing to spend vast amounts of time helping you with the finer details. Just this week I've had the benefit of help from three excellent pilots with years of experience, all of whom devoted the better portion of an hour to helping someone whom they all shot down within three seconds of the first merge in the DA. I won't post their names to prevent them from being personally swamped with requests, but you know who you are, and you know I'm greatful
:)
In light of my personal experience, I would have to say that this arena, community, etc. are newbie friendly. I can see what your saying though, sometimes you can't catch a break on your first try. But if people would just dig a little deeper, I'm sure, nomatter what side you fly for, you would run into good pilots and good people who would help you out.
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Originally posted by TexMurphy
Though this is not as much about helpin noobs as its a thing of helping each other. Yes there are alot of fantastic team players in the game but there are more players that arnt team players.
If you are luckey and get to fly your first sessions with the team players then definatly a fantastic noob experience.. but if not...
Tex
Tex, I think a lot of players have a different definition of "team" than the one you're thinking of. Most of the people in this game are team players, but that team is their squad, not a chess piece like rook or bish or knit. I can't emphasize it enough... join a squad. That's where you'll find a team. To someone flying for the same country as you, you're just another one of the thousands of green icons that they see. When you get on a squad, suddenly you're talking with players who hear your voice and see you as a different colored icon. The ch6's will come fast and furious then, assuming you're good at finding trouble. :)
Join a squad. Join a squad. Join a squad. It's simple; just go to the squad forum and post a message about yourself, what you like to fly, when you fly, etc. Squads will often find you. Otherwise, look through the recruiting posts for a squad that seems to fit you and post a message or look up one of their players in the MA and private message 'em.
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Switching sides and breaking up friendships you have made is a two way street. If you switch sides you can actually make NEW friends and still keep the old ones when you happen to fight them and pass on a
wether you win or lose.
I'm a AH2 Trainer and have been guilty many many times of saying 'read the manual'. This might be because I spend a lot of time in the Training arena helping new players. I put my question answering time in the TA and some questions asked in the MA kind of tell a guy should be in the TA for awhile. I can't recall seeing you in the TA but then again us Trainers are not in there 24/7. This doesn't really point to you because you mentioned you had other flight sim experience but anyone new to AH2 could use some TA time. Even only if it's to set things up, get used to the flight model, or get used to our commands and things specific to AH2. This sim does have a steep learning curve and I have 6+ years sim experience, 3+ in a previous one and about 3+ in AH1 +2. I'm still learning and the really good pilots, and even average ones and nOObs also, get kills on me. Just like life it's a process not a destination. At times I do get frustrated and kind of bored with things but AH also has so many things to do a change usually breaks up the monotony.
I for one hate to see anyone leave the best WW2 simulation around, in my opinion at least, you included Buzzz.
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Ofcourse squads work as teams.
But in my world (and I might be a naive noob) it is for the best of a squad if the green dots who are not in the squad survive for as long as possible. The longer people on my side live the bigger the chance for victory of my side and hence my squad is.
This imho is true to all cases except when the squads goal is to be the highest ranking squad of nation X. That means a ego centric squad.
But it depends on where you define the team. I define team as nation and squad as a unit within the team. Much like DBs on a Football team. Its quite obvious on a football team that DBs help LBs who help the DL. Because they are a team.
And Im in a squad.. ;)
Tex
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As a new player in any competitive "pvp" style game that requires actual skill such as AH I've always choosen the underdog side.
Why?
You learn and become better...slower yes but in the end much better.
You'll find that in most games the team that is usually outnumbered will have the most skilled players....maybe it's because of thier previous game skills, maybe they were born with amazing skills or a knack for that game or maybe it's because they choose the team that they knew they'd have to fight hard to do anything and it made them better.
No team is ever outnumbered forever and generally when the "usually outnumbered" team has equal numbers they destroy people.