Poor Gunnery

[mtnman]

I'm basically thinking along the lines of "towards the middle".  On a simple sight like we have in AH, the pilots eye (the virtual pilots eye, not really yours) becomes the rear sight, if he sits too tall, your guns appear to shoot high.  Sit to the right, they'll appear to shoot right.  The same thing happens with a shotgun, if you cant (tilt) it to the left (your eye is too far right), or lift your cheek off the stock (eye is too high).  I cheat my head up slightly from the default position, but not much.  In reality you don’t need to sit in the same place all the time, the virtual pilot does that for you, so your don’t need to worry about not having the “gun” mounted the same each time.  I’m not sure about the mouse and TrackIR options.

At least with the HAT/snap view system, my eye (rear sight) returns to the same place each time, automatically.  Since my eye and the sight are in the same place each time, my guns are shooting consistently to the same spot (but that falls apart under G-load, while tilted, inverted, etc, but not always to hugely noticeable extremes).  My gunsight is basically in the middle of the screen, always.  That means, when I'm looking at a target, if he's headed toward a point that will put him "in the middle" of my forward view when he gets there, he's headed toward my impact point.

Basically, even though I'm looking up, or sideways, or wherever, I still have a sense of where my nose is pointed, and therefore where my guns are pointed.  For me, it's like watching the clay pigeon, and ignoring the shotgun, but still knowing where the shotgun is pointed.

I can judge that even if I'm not in the forward view (anyone can, with some thought and experience).  The easy ones (for me) are when I'm able to spot the enemy plane straight above me (or below, if I'm inverted), moving rapidly toward the bottom of my screen, which will cause him to eventually fly in front of me.  I “think ahead” while viewing him in my up view (or whichever view I’m in) so that I can roll or pitch my plane so that as he exits my current view, he’s headed toward the center of my forward view.  In a sense, I’m already lining up my shot, even though he’s not in front of me yet…  From there, it’s just a matter of timing when to pull the trigger.

You can practice that offline, or against another player.  Just practice rolling, looping, or anything else, always keeping your target in sight, or “knowing” where he’ll come back into sight as he moves behind a part of your plane (so temporarily out of your sight).  In particular, if your looking at using overshoots, practice having someone higher/faster attack you, and as you roll to avoid his shot, practice watching him and lining up your plane in relation to him, so as he passes you, he’ll be at a point about 100-200 yards right in front of you, and you’ll have a shot on his tail as he goes by.

I hope that makes sense- I’m back to 12hr shifts again, and I’m tuckered out…

[mtnman]

This is an old film, I don't have time to go through my current ones and find a more recent example.

It still works in my filmviewer, hopefully it works for you too.

Watch this film with "saved views" enabled.  I also check the trails and icons box, because I like that info too.

Adjust your views in the filmviewer the same way you do in the game.  Use the keypad to look, left, or wherever, and move your head using the page up/page down keys, and arrow keys, and then save the view when it's optimal using F10.  Don't forget the "Up" view (key 5), and the combination up/"normal" views.

I saw this guy above me, already coming in on me before I had a chance to start the film, so you actually miss the first second or two.  But, watch how I get him in my views, and maneuver so as he "wraps around" me he's headed toward the center of my forward view.  I'm already working on lining up my shot several seconds before I fire, but notice how little time he's in my forward view, and how little time I have to actually use the sight...  No, this isn't something I can do every time, but I can do it pretty often.  This is an example of an ideal situation, where everything works as planned...

I know where the sight is, and where I'm pointing, so it's more a matter of timing and aligning myself so he'll pass in front of my guns than actual "aiming".  I guarantee that in this fim, I was focused entirely on my target, and not on my sight...  Yes, the sight was alingned correctly, hence the hits.  But I wasn't looking at the sight.  I was looking at the point where his canopy meets his nose.

http://www.mediafire.com/file/rgzvmwoifiz/MtnF4UvsF4U1D.ahf

Note that my tracers are on, but I don't "walk" them onto my target.  I mentally think of my shots like a single-shot weapon, and fire a small burst and then watch for the effect.  If I miss, my tracers will tell me where (hopefully) and I'll remember next time this shot presents itself that historically, I have a tendency to fire early, or late, or whatever...

Now, this is a C-Hog, so the guns are very potent.  It doesn't take much to knock a part off.  However, even with the .50's I normally use, this is an effective shot.  I actually focus on the point where the front of the targets canopy meets his nose, and strive to hit that point.  I don't just focus on/try to hit the plane, but try to hit a particular point of that plane.  No, I don't always hit it!  But I try!  If I'm forward a bit, I hit the engine (oil leak), hit a bit back, and I hit the pilot, a little to the side, and I hit a wing...  Or if I'm way off I miss entirely (obviously).

I shoot competitively and hunt with single-shot muzzle loading flintlock rifles, muskets, and pistols.  I'm used to having one try to succeed, or fail.  I learned a long time ago the simple little phrase "aim big, miss big/aim little, miss little".  The idea being that if I aim at a deer, and miss, I miss the whole thing.  But if I aim at a hair on that deers ribcage, and miss the hair, I still hit the deers ribcage...  You don't aim for the bulls-eye.  You aim for the center of the center of the bulls-eye...  It sounds nuts I suppose, but it works.  It's about the concentration level you're striving for, and the focus "strength" I'm looking for.

[moot]

Ultimately, tracers cannot guide your aim.  They're only a back-up to double check your aim against.  All roads lead to Rome and.. The best thing you can strive for is to make each gun's ballistics an intuitive integration, a sixth sense of sorts.  Tracers are, ultimately, only an after-the-fact artifice.

[Yenny]

Just get rly rly close xD

[mtnman]

Ultimately, tracers cannot guide your aim.  They're only a back-up to double check your aim against.  All roads lead to Rome and.. The best thing you can strive for is to make each gun's ballistics an intuitive integration, a sixth sense of sorts.  Tracers are, ultimately, only an after-the-fact artifice.

It's funny how that works, but most if not all of the skills we learn we learn "after the fact".  You don't learn to ride a bike, until after you've tried riding the bike, made a few mistakes, and improved your technique.

You may learn "facts" without actually experiencing them yourself, but "skills" are learned from experience, which is always "after the fact".  Even if the first attempt is successful, the act has to be accomplished before we know that.

This game is a perfect example of that.  How many "experts" have logged into the arena the first time, only to learn that they were far from "expert".  They may know the "facts" about the planes, and how they were used in combat, but they don't actually learn the "skills" in advance.  They try it, mentally review/contemplate the attempt and result, and try again.

[moot]

Yep. After the fact is only a conventional idiom to express what I meant  

[Steve]

(Image removed from quote.)

wow, I pretty much considered myself an average shot.

[boomerlu]

Mtnman,

Thanks again for the info. The process you describe is typically how I take my crossing shots. I'm just not as good at it as you are . I may differ slightly in that I may take a split second to refer to my sight to see if the opponent will actually cross the center. Other than that, I do what you do - I track my target and my mind is calculating if he will cross through my sights given my current turn rate, his movement, etc.

Also, your "aim big/miss big, aim little/miss little" is interesting and I do see the value in it, I may try putting myself into that mindset.
 

Edit: Trying out "aim little/miss little" and have to say, my behavior aiming that way closely matches my behavior flying tracers off. Props, good advice.

[Plawranc]

Its a knack really.

Practice with guns makes a world of difference. But If you have the knack and put practice in you can hit anything.

I have the knack, DrDeath has the knack and Grizz certainly does. You just practice alot and one day it will go "click" and you can hit targets from R -1.0

But all that techno babble is good, its down to science in the theoretical. But you have got to go by instinct. Soon you will KNOW when to fire and you will usually score hits.

But Yenny speaks truth, GET CLOSE so you dont waste ammo

[BrownBaron]

I've been on AH for a few months now and my ACM has improved dramatically but I can't hit a thing.

I find that I'm able to get the nose/sight of my plane at the target maybe 3 times before the fight goes against me. If I could land a hit I'd live longer.

Often my sight seems "very jumpy" when trying to get it on my target. I can't hold it straight while I'm firing. As a result I'm moving the stick around just trying to get it settled on the amount of lead I think I need. But I can't really get it to move to and stay where I want it. Even when the target is not really maneuvering against me.

Any thoughts would really be appreciated.

Thanks

It's a instinctive thing.

Find the speed of the aircraft, the distance, make a quick fire solution in ur hed, then go for the angle u want. as for the jumping, COMMIT TO YOUR LEAD. don't just spray in one direction, just pull up and dont change your angle, so that its a smooth turn, no jolting aroun. k?

[texastc316]

try this site, it has really helped improving my shooting. you can focus on the aimpoint with out all the other stuff.

[4brkfast]

I won't lie to you, I suck. But there's one thing I learned gunning, you can't rely on the tracers. You have to 'know' or 'feel' where the bullets are going to go, before you shoot. Practice and sticking to one convergence helps too, but turn off your tracers for a month and turn them back on after to see if you have improved. Helped me a lot.

[uptown]

Just wait until you're close. At 200 or closer it's hard to miss.

[texastc316]

Pffft I can miss at 200, easy

[EskimoJoe]

Pffft I can miss at 200, easy

Same here