There has always been lame behavior in the MA, but it was formerly mostly the province of the noobish, the desperate, etc. It is my observation that it is now being applied in a refined (I will not use the word "skilled") and systematic manner. Honkin' on the stick and HOing is a primary guns defense for the planes which have the turn rate and firepower. "Runners" aren't just some poor guy in a P-51 diving away from 3 Spits anymore...it is any and every plane heading for ack and friends at the first hint of trouble, really no matter the matchup. I mean, there seem to be great numbers of players whose whole purpose is not to engage the enemy themselves and get valid kills at all, but simply to drag individuals to gang bangs or ack-ack guns. Most planes now seem unwilling to leave their horde for a 1v1 against a singleton, if they do follow you far enough, they often try to run at the first sign you will put up a decent fight, no matter the maneuverability situation. (I have seen an La7 run from an FW-190. I kid you not.) These things have gone from being exceptions to the rule, IMO. I have lost respect for perhaps the majority of pilots playing. I'm beginning to suspect the MA culture not only isn't a majority of the old guard ACM types, it doesn't even respect those values. The monkeys have taken over the temple.
I will actually fight it out from a neutral situation, confident of the win until proven wrong. I used to think that was the bare-minimum, bottom rung standard. But apparently that standard actually puts you head and shoulders above the "pack" these days.
