Why is the La7 not perked?

[Anaxogoras]

I don't understand the big deal.

Don't HO the La-7, and don't furball on the deck.

Of course, arena play is mostly about furballing on the deck... for most people.

[Yarbles]

Originally posted by Anaxogoras
I don't understand the big deal.

Don't HO the La-7, and don't furball on the deck.

Of course, arena play is mostly about furballing on the deck... for most people.

[scottydawg]

Originally posted by Anaxogoras
I don't understand the big deal.

Don't HO the La-7, and don't furball on the deck.

Of course, arena play is mostly about furballing on the deck... for most people.

Thank you, Captain Obvious.

[The Fugitive]

I don't think you can use the K/D section of Lusche's table. When flying the "monsters" of the game the first 7 out of 10 are flown by the better sticks in the game. Those player are more skilled and tend to have better aim, and strive to stay alive.

I think you have to go by the total kills in a plane to see the usage. In this case I think when 2 planes account for 15% of all kills that its a heavily used pair of planes. The large "death count" is because most are flying for kills, and are trying to get them any way they can, which then brings up the reason people would like to see them perked.  

But if you give a perk, even a light one to the Spit 16, and the La7, then you'll see the Spit 8 and Nik numbers climb. Perk them and it will be the La5 and the Spit 5..... and so on, and so on, and so on.  

[Lusche]

Originally posted by The Fugitive
I don't think you can use the K/D section of Lusche's table.
(...)
I think you have to go by the total kills in a plane to see the usage.

In absence of any better data, I always found the combination of kills+deaths the best indicator for actual "usage" of a plane. Of course, there are a few planes like the Ar 234 (wich often neither kills noth is being killed in a sortie) for which it doesn't work that well.

For determining the impact on the arenas, the K/D is (in my opinion) quite meaninful. Of course with a second look at the absolute kill numbers.

Originally posted by The Fugitive

When flying the "monsters" of the game the first 7 out of 10 are flown by the better sticks in the game. Those player are more skilled and tend to have better aim, and strive to stay alive.

Apart from the obvious fact that 5 of them are perked, and thus usually not available to the sub-average mass of players, there is a lot of truth in your words. A few good pilots can easily boost the K/D of planes with low usage in the arenas.
For example, only fanboys would deny the fact that the P47D-25, the Ki-61, and the FW 190A-5 are far from being the superior dominating MA fighting machines their K/D seems to imply. They are good planes, but with pilots of equal quality they should been eaten alive by all those La-7's & Spits.
But they have a small yet dedicated following that can really fly those planes to their limit.
The K/D of planes with low usage can be boosted considerably by even a single player!

[BaldEagl]

Originally posted by Yarbles
I certainly would not feel I had any significant advantage against the La 7 in the spit 14, 16, or Tempest

The Spit XVI can dominate the La-7 except in pure speed.

[Karnak]

Originally posted by The Fugitive
I think you have to go by the total kills in a plane to see the usage. In this case I think when 2 planes account for 15% of all kills that its a heavily used pair of planes. The large "death count" is because most are flying for kills, and are trying to get them any way they can, which then brings up the reason people would like to see them perked.

The P-51 accounts for more kills than the La-7 or Spitfire Mk XVI and yet always seems to escape the screaming about how common it is.

[Widewing]

Originally posted by BaldEagl
The Spit XVI can dominate the La-7 except in pure speed.

Yep, the La-7 is a bit outclassed as a pure dogfighter when compared to the Spit XVI.

I use the Spit XVI to defend a base, both against air attack and GVs. However, I prefer the Spit VIII overall.

My regards,

Widewing

[LilMak]

If the LA-7 was perked it would easily be in the top 5 of that K/D chart. The only reason it isn't there now is because there is no penalty for getting killed in one. Also, you'll note that it accounts for a greater volume of

kills 16000+
and deaths 13000+

the highest #s of any other plane on that list.

The problem I have is that too many unskilled pilots use them as a HO bird. I would say 80% of the encounters I have with LAs happen the same way. Either they HO and run or just plain run. When I come in contact with a pilot that starts manuvering an LA, I know I'm dealing with someone who might have some skill.

As a general rule, HOs are easily avoided when I see them comming and this type of pilot will most surely will fall to my guns if he sticks around for the rest of the engagement. Since there is no "value" to the LA-7 noobs will always use them to HO/run. If they die then it's no sweat to up another HO-7 and repeat until they get lucky and take you down or pick you while engaged. The only reason I see to perk the LA vs other HO birds (anything with more than two 20mm) is that the others are already perked or aren't as likely to get away with the HO by extending out of the fight (slower). I think the LA-7 issue isn't really that the plane is "uber" but the manner that it's used and the frustration that it causes. Often, when I find two opponents on my six (LA and something else), I will try to avoid the LA (sometimes to the benifit of the other plane) just because I don't want to give the LA pilot the satisfaction. I do this just because I instantly give the other pilot more credit than the LA driver and would rather reward the "better" pilot with a potential kill. With a small perk there would be tons of crying by the masses. I believe those few who fly it well won't mind the perk.

[scottydawg]

Originally posted by Widewing
Yep, the La-7 is a bit outclassed as a pure dogfighter when compared to the Spit XVI.

I use the Spit XVI to defend a base, both against air attack and GVs. However, I prefer the Spit VIII overall.

My regards,

Widewing

I like the IX, I don't know why, it just feels right.

[Oldman731]

Originally posted by scottydawg
I like the IX, I don't know why, it just feels right.

On those rare occasions when I am required to fly a Spit, I agree with you. The Nine is the nicest of the post-1940 bunch.

- oldman

[splitatom]

i dont think i have ever been killed by a hoeing lala i have killed many who try to do it

[Lusche]

Originally posted by LilMak
If the LA-7 was perked it would easily be in the top 5 of that K/D chart. The only reason it isn't there now is because there is no penalty for getting killed in one. Also, you'll note that it accounts for a greater volume of

kills 16000+
and deaths 13000+

the highest #s of any other plane on that list.

If you take a look at the whole year 2007, the La7 is only ranked #4 when looking at kills&deaths combined:

1. P-51D 7.7%
2. Spit XVI 7.0%
3. N1K 6.8%
4. La-7 6.8%

(Fighter kills & deaths Main Arenas, not taking into account EW&MW after introduction of split scoring in Tour 93)

Originally posted by LilMak

The problem I have is that too many unskilled pilots use them as a HO bird. I would say 80% of the encounters I have with LAs happen the same way. Either they HO and run or just plain run.

But that's not the La's fault. If you perk the La, that pilots wouldn't change their ride, not their style. tere are still a good number of almost equally fast planes, like Pony, Typhoon, Fw190D - and the latter ones inferior turning ability may encourage Ho&Run even more.

Originally posted by LilMak

 I think the LA-7 issue isn't really that the plane is "uber" but the manner that it's used and the frustration that it causes.

Exactly.

Originally posted by LilMak
I will try to avoid the LA (sometimes to the benifit of the other plane) just because I don't want to give the LA pilot the satisfaction. I do this just because I instantly give the other pilot more credit than the LA driver and would rather reward the "better" pilot with a potential kill.

I think you may be worrying to much about what & why other people fly

[dtango]

For what it's worth here's a sampling of the kills and deaths totals data for the top 30 aircraft from 2001-2006 that I posted back in Sep 2006 just when the new arena settings came into play.  This data reflects total #'s when there wasn't separate arenas for EW, MW, or LW.





For a better assessment of how usage fluctuates using total kills and deaths as as proxy, I actually like looking at the % change of a given aircraft above or below it's median.  The reason is that there is volatility in the swing of total kills and deaths for a given aircraft per tour.

Here are the tables for fluctuation above/below the median of particular mode for that same sample of data circa 2001-2006.





Tango, XO
412th FS Braunco Mustangs

[stroker71]

How about taking the LA7 out of the game?  I target LA7's first just because if I don't they will (95%) HO me.