Fighter help please.

[Brocster]

Hi all,

Thanks ahead of time for any help you may provide.

I am looking for a little help/training on improving my gunnery and overall fighter skills.  Overall, I would say I am above average on ACM and basic fighter techniques (I could be wrong here).  I have been playing AH for a number of years, however, I recently took a few years off and just started up last month again.  I have a positive kill/death ratio (2.42 to 1 my first month back, almost 4 to 1 this tour).  I am NOT looking to pad scores....that is not important to me.  I just want to be very good at flying fighters the "right" way.  However, regardless of my kill/death ratio, I realize I have to fly very hard to get these kills.  My gunnery and hit percentage is not that good, around the low to mid 5%.  When I look at the top sticks here, I realize they are landing WAY more hits than I am and are downing way more planes per sortie and hour.  Using this as a barometer for my own performance, I realize I need to greatly improve.

Here is the deal: I am not really sure what I am doing wrong?  I am trying to fly more of the 190's/109's/Yak's this go around versus the spits and 51's I did in my first AH life.  I have taken up my share of Tempests and 262's, but really, I would love to master the aircraft such as Corsairs (-1 and -1A), 109's (pick any, but mainly the K) and the 190 A-5.  I am VERY envious of those who can fly the 38 well.  I try to maintain E, and when caught, can shake pursuits to an extent.  I just can't seem to land my share of hits.  I try to get close, around 400 or less.  Still.......

Any general suggestions for me?  I know this is a little vague...any discussions/questions would be appreciated.  I just really would like to learn how to master fighters and how to maximize my performance.

Thanks!

Btw... I am flying under the name CrzeMonk in the MA.

[Ack-Ack]

I would concentrate on getting down the basics of ACM and the various combat tactics employed when using Energy or Angles Fighting.  Once you have those basics down, then visit a trainer to help you learn a particular aircraft.  Remember that ACM is the same no matter what plane you fly.


ack-ack

[DoNKeY]

I am NOT looking to pad scores....that is not important to me.  I just want to be very good at flying fighters the "right" way. 

This to me is the best attitude to have in the game (along with just flying to have fun ), so you are definitely on the right track to "getting better."

Getting with a trainer for a few sessions is going to be your best bet as they can work with you and find out what your strengths and weaknesses are and go from there, training and helping you out accordingly.  Check the trainers sight for times/availabilities and to make an appointment (? I guess it would be that lol). 

It sounds like you know at least the easy stuff, but it never hurts to go over the basics again, and again, and still yet again.  Visit the trainers page (Home -> "Game Info" -> "Need Training?").  Also, visit NetAces.  http://www.netaces.org/.  Soda's site never hurts either, as it allows you to understand your plane better, and the other planes that you will be up against. http://members.shaw.ca/soda_p/models.htm.  One more good one is Dok's Fighter Comparison, found here http://gonzoville.com/ahcharts/index.php.  You may already know about these, but in case you didn't...

Do a search in just the Help and Training section for film(s), training films, etc.  A lot of "veteran" players have posted films and explanations that follow those films up that help show certain maneuvers, fights, decisions, etc.

Visit the Training Area (even if you're not with a trainer.  Pick a plane and just fly it and learn it's abilities.  Learn where the envelop is.  This will really pay of later, because a BIG part of being a "great" pilot is knowing your aircraft and its capabilities.  Load a plane up with full fuel and bombs.  Fly it around and do loops, Immel's, turns, etc.  Consider it like baseball players who are "in the hole" who practice swinging with a heavier bat; it only makes it easier once you're done with it.  Training fuel fuel and bombs will make it much easier when you're fighting without bombs and at 25/50% fuel, etc.  Ask around in the TA for mock duels/engagements.  I type something along the lines of "anyone want to mock duel?"  If I get a yes I'll fly out a ways, give the person a check six, and then turn towards them.  Nice little informal training and experience. 

Go to the DA and duel people, etc.  Get lots of experience in your plane(s).

Then, if you havn't already, hook up with a trainer.  Then read the trainers site, etc again . 

In no time at all you'll be back up to where you left off, and then easily pass that.  The learning curve is somewhat steep, but with all this help you'll work through it and be an ace of the sky hehe.

donkey

PS:  Remember the most important part, have fun!

[Brocster]

This to me is the best attitude to have in the game (along with just flying to have fun ), so you are definitely on the right track to "getting better."

Getting with a trainer for a few sessions is going to be your best bet as they can work with you and find out what your strengths and weaknesses are and go from there, training and helping you out accordingly.  Check the trainers sight for times/availabilities and to make an appointment (? I guess it would be that lol). 

It sounds like you know at least the easy stuff, but it never hurts to go over the basics again, and again, and still yet again.  Visit the trainers page (Home -> "Game Info" -> "Need Training?").  Also, visit NetAces.  http://www.netaces.org/.  Soda's site never hurts either, as it allows you to understand your plane better, and the other planes that you will be up against. http://members.shaw.ca/soda_p/models.htm.  One more good one is Dok's Fighter Comparison, found here http://gonzoville.com/ahcharts/index.php.  You may already know about these, but in case you didn't...

Do a search in just the Help and Training section for film(s), training films, etc.  A lot of "veteran" players have posted films and explanations that follow those films up that help show certain maneuvers, fights, decisions, etc.

Visit the Training Area (even if you're not with a trainer.  Pick a plane and just fly it and learn it's abilities.  Learn where the envelop is.  This will really pay of later, because a BIG part of being a "great" pilot is knowing your aircraft and its capabilities.  Load a plane up with full fuel and bombs.  Fly it around and do loops, Immel's, turns, etc.  Consider it like baseball players who are "in the hole" who practice swinging with a heavier bat; it only makes it easier once you're done with it.  Training fuel fuel and bombs will make it much easier when you're fighting without bombs and at 25/50% fuel, etc.  Ask around in the TA for mock duels/engagements.  I type something along the lines of "anyone want to mock duel?"  If I get a yes I'll fly out a ways, give the person a check six, and then turn towards them.  Nice little informal training and experience. 

Go to the DA and duel people, etc.  Get lots of experience in your plane(s).

Then, if you havn't already, hook up with a trainer.  Then read the trainers site, etc again . 

In no time at all you'll be back up to where you left off, and then easily pass that.  The learning curve is somewhat steep, but with all this help you'll work through it and be an ace of the sky hehe.

donkey

PS:  Remember the most important part, have fun!

Nice post Donkey....<S> and thank you.

I will go the the TA...I have to admit I have not utilized that (nor the DA) enough.

[DoNKeY]

Nice post Donkey....<S> and thank you.

I will go the the TA...I have to admit I have not utilized that (nor the DA) enough.

No problem.  Anytime you see me on let me know and we can go to the TA/DA.  I'm not the greatest teacher, nor the anywhere close to being a great "fighter pilot," but I can try to teach you a few things that I've learned.

donkey

[BaldEagl]

There are at least a few basic things that can change hit percentages from average to good;

Do you try for a lot of snapshots or do you wait until you're saddled up?  Obviously, saddling up will improve hit %.

Do you wait until only a few rounds will do the trick or do you spray and pray (or walk your tracers to the target)?

Do you know exactly where your preferred firing range is and do you have your convergence set there?

Do you fight only small, nimble fighters in furballs or do you hit bigger targets too (buffs, 110's etc.)?  Going after only a few buffs will improve your hit % greatly.

I wouldn't put too much stock in your vs. others hit percentages as you don't know what they are doing to get those high %'s although following these few guidlines I raised my own from ~5-6% to 10-15% (depending on my camp). 

Personally, I'd just fly and have fun and not worry about it.

[goober69]

4:1 k/d dude you seem well above the curve lol
i been playing almost two years and im happy to see 1.5-2 k/d

of course i fly mainly in attack mode and rarely land, either with kills or without lol

lately i've been staying at around 1.2 k/d i think.

my kill sortie ratio could use some work, it dont help that i have a tendency to up a plane onto runway and then decide to do somethign else or forgot to get bombs or change my scoring from figher to attack.

i also tend to bail out close to the ground a lot so i can end flight and join a mission or go do something else.

so maybe if i tried i could have 3:1 k/d and 2:1 k/s

it also dont help that im on a crappy pc at the lowest setings and it's really jumpy when im shooting. lol

not gonna get good at this game till i have a decent pc of my own to play it on i guess. though ive gotten fairly good with what i have.

i also love to turn fight surounded by enemies so yea i die a lot to bad odds.

i think my hit percentage is pretty crappy but i do waste a heck of a lot of ammo trying to scare people at longer ranges i know i cant hit em at. helps that i turned my tracers off. now no need to worry about it cause they cant see em anyway lol.

i tried turning tracers off for a week about 4 months ago didnt like it coulnd't hit s$$T but now with em off im more confident in the leads im pulling and at least when i do miss the eneme maybe isnt so alerted to my guns solution so i get a lot more second tries without them manuvering.

p.s my main planes this tour have been p38l/j  p51d f4u1a(landed 7 the other night in this one)
and the 190d9 (wihich i suck in)  ocasionlay i take a super heavy jug to ground pound p47-n or d-40

or whatever my squad is flying i jump planes a lot fairly competent in most of em only really great in one or two.
with the exception that i never fly 109's unless im buff hunting then its a g-14 with full fuel a tank and gunpods.

oh yea and the fighters that i find i have the most trouble hitting when firing; even saddled up is la's and 190's there so small nimble and hard to see against the back ground of the ground.


ive been told im fairly competent at acm i think i really need to work on my decision making, (should i stay or should i go now)  my E reading and e managment. i tend to take the fight to close in too soon and be overagressive in trying for shots.

[Gryffin]

To improve your gunnery, the best advice I can offer is to turn off your tracers, and spend 10 - 15 minutes shooting the drones offline before each online session. With the tracers off you won't be able to hit anything for a few weeks, because you have to actually learn to aim, but once you start getting kills with no tracers you won't go back!

[mtnman]

To improve your gunnery, the best advice I can offer is to turn off your tracers, and spend 10 - 15 minutes shooting the drones offline before each online session. With the tracers off you won't be able to hit anything for a few weeks, because you have to actually learn to aim, but once you start getting kills with no tracers you won't go back!

That's a common opinion that some swear by.  Personally, I disagree, however.  IMO, any shot taken, that misses, is a complete waste unless you know where it went.  Without tracers, if you miss, where did the shot go?  High, low, left, right, just right but the allowance for leading your targets was off, etc...  How can you learn from your mistakes if no evidence is available?

Learning to shoot without tracers is like learning to shoot a rifle w/o ever bothering to check your targets to see where you hit, IMO.  Or maybe more like learning to shoot clay targets with a shotgun, but with your eyes closed, and a coach that will say "nice hit!" when you connect but keeps his mouth shut when you miss.

I've tried the tracers off, and saw ZERO reasons to keep them off.  As far as my opponent seeing my tracers and reacting to them- that's what I want him to do if he sees them...

I'm not saying I'm right, just saying I disagree...

IMO, lots of high quality practice makes perfect.  So pick a plane with lots of ammo, shoot alot, and pay attention to where you hit or miss.  Tracers are an indispensible tool for that.  AFTER you master aerial gunnery, switch 'em off if you want.  Judging by the hit % of the average player, only one or two people should have them off, hehe!

MtnMan

[Lusche]

To improve your gunnery, the best advice I can offer is to turn off your tracers, and spend 10 - 15 minutes shooting the drones offline before each online session. With the tracers off you won't be able to hit anything for a few weeks, because you have to actually learn to aim, but once you start getting kills with no tracers you won't go back!

I wouldn't take that for granted, as it differs very much from player to player.
I'm quite a good shooter in the AH world. But when I switch tracers off, I gradually lose my aim over a few days. No big difference on day one, but after 4-5 days my hit% has halved. It seems I need the tracers to keep my aim.

[uberslet]

convergance settings? i have my 20MM's at 250-300 and my .50's at 400. if im having a good day most of my rounds hit, on a bad day not so much....but anyway, i find knowing my convergance and planes weaknesses help my gunnery the most in fighters

[Yenny]

For gunnery, what I do is I always approach my target at an angle. That way the target always give me wing tip to wingtip view which make the target a lot bigger and easier to hit.

[CAP1]

Hi all,

Thanks ahead of time for any help you may provide.

I am looking for a little help/training on improving my gunnery and overall fighter skills.  Overall, I would say I am above average on ACM and basic fighter techniques (I could be wrong here).  I have been playing AH for a number of years, however, I recently took a few years off and just started up last month again.  I have a positive kill/death ratio (2.42 to 1 my first month back, almost 4 to 1 this tour).  I am NOT looking to pad scores....that is not important to me.  I just want to be very good at flying fighters the "right" way.  However, regardless of my kill/death ratio, I realize I have to fly very hard to get these kills.  My gunnery and hit percentage is not that good, around the low to mid 5%.  When I look at the top sticks here, I realize they are landing WAY more hits than I am and are downing way more planes per sortie and hour.  Using this as a barometer for my own performance, I realize I need to greatly improve.

Here is the deal: I am not really sure what I am doing wrong?  I am trying to fly more of the 190's/109's/Yak's this go around versus the spits and 51's I did in my first AH life.  I have taken up my share of Tempests and 262's, but really, I would love to master the aircraft such as Corsairs (-1 and -1A), 109's (pick any, but mainly the K) and the 190 A-5.  I am VERY envious of those who can fly the 38 well.  I try to maintain E, and when caught, can shake pursuits to an extent.  I just can't seem to land my share of hits.  I try to get close, around 400 or less.  Still.......

Any general suggestions for me?  I know this is a little vague...any discussions/questions would be appreciated.  I just really would like to learn how to master fighters and how to maximize my performance.

Thanks!

Btw... I am flying under the name CrzeMonk in the MA.

THAT'S A MUCH BETTER K/D RATIO THAN ME.....whoops.....sorry bout caps lock.....anyway.....good k/d ratio.....5% is i think a good average percentage..........

welcome back
<<S>>

[Redd]

What Donkey said....very good advice.

as well

Pick a plane , learn its abilities inside/out and it's strength's/weaknesses against all the other planes in the set. Fly it in every situation you can .A good one to start in is something mid-range that will let you engage in all types of fighting  E fights, Bnz , Angles fights   - dont start with something that can only Bnz  or only turnfight which will lock you in to 1 way of fighting. Everything you learn in that one plane can then be applied as you move up and down the plane set.

Good planes in that category are probably  spit 8,9,16  Hellcat , P38 ( altho the 38 is a little quirky and more difficult than the others to master) etc etc.

For gunnnery, furball lake in the DA can be good for gunnery skills