Salutes

[Dennis]

I was reading a post about this over at the IL-2 boards, and it got me thinking.  A dangerous proposition to be sure, but I bring it up here, anyway.

What do CT regulars think about "saluting" ( gameid) your opponents after shooting them down?  And when someone shoots you down, do you consider it a compliment, or a nose-thumbing gesture?

I'm sure this has been discussed before, but I think the AH2 shift away from Channel 1 chat and the advent of the .s command puts a new spin on this issue.  Before, you could follow your salute with a complement if warranted, thus putting it in context.  Now, all you see in the text buffer is the gameid.  Compliment for a well-fought engagement?  Or mockery?

I started wondering about this during the BoB this week when my salutes often went unreturned.  Unless I'm hotly engaged, I usually send/return one to my adversary -- win or lose -- unless it was a really cheap kill (on my part or theirs).
Perhaps victors should only send them if their fallen prey salutes them first?

I know you can still go to Channel 200 for the old Channel 1 trash ... or at least I suppose you can, I haven't bothered ... but my question here is about the perceived message of the S! in Aces High.

Relic best left unused?

Splash1

[Oldman731]

Originally posted by Dennis
And when someone shoots you down, do you consider it a compliment, or a nose-thumbing gesture?

I consider myself to be uniquely qualified to answer this, inasmuch as I get shot down more than most people do (as you, sir, should surely be aware).

I'm delighted anytime someone salutes me.  If I'm picking dirt and gravel out of my face, it lets me pretend that they thought it was at least a fun fight.  At minimum, it confirms they were aware that I was in front of them and that they had to touch the trigger to dispose of me.

So I like the salutes.  Sometimes I can't give one because I'm still fighting for my virtual life, but I do when I can, and I love receiving them.  I vote to keep them.  

Until this post, in fact, it had never occurred to me that someone would salute sarcastically.  Geez.  Maybe they've been doing that all along?  

The horror....

- oldman

[Grits]

I have never thought of a as an insult. I give them when I'm not in the middle of getting kilt.

As far as channel 200, once you tune to it you forget its not the old channel 1. I sometimes send 's the old way on channel 200 too.

[detch01]

Don't see a as someone thumbing their nose at me, or give them with that in mind either. Just my $0.02.

Cheers,

[Oleg]

I usually use ch200 for instead of .s command - its faster and more suitable way for me. And i never treat as mockery or something like it.

[Reschke]

I don't everyone but when I do its because it was a truly hard fight and something worth saluting especially if I was on the loosing end. If I was on the winning end then it is done only because I got lucky and nailed someone first. In fact the only kills I ever get are because I was lucky and got someone first.

[CurtissP-6EHawk]

Just remember that if its YOU that got shot down, the shooter may still be too bzy to return the .

Dont take it personal if I dont ...its not ment to be snobish.

[Jasta]

I salute if its a real fight, if we both come away with damage and neither gets the kill, If I kill a really tough enemy, or if they kill me. And lastly I S! if I get totally bounced and never knew what hit me.

Its been used all the way back since Red Baron II as I can remember. Its never been seen as insulting by either me or anyone else i know.

*edit* typo

[TheBug]

I'm not opposed to the opposing side or having them me.  I generally just return a to the opposing side, unless it is a excellent fight/shot etc..

But I do try to make a habit of giving 's to the pilots of whatever side I happen to be flying for that land their kills.  Just as a bit of historical role-playing I like to think of the bad guys as bad guys and somebody that makes sure they get home in one piece after seeing some action is worth a far more than somebody that dives into certain death but still brings down 3-4 enemy.

[Halo]

Saluting is a compliment for a fight well done.  Not every fight warrants a salute.  

Heh, yes, often the victor is too busy to return a salute by the vanquished.  Since I'm usually the latter, my main problem is figuring out how to return the salute since Channel 1 has been restricted.