I have no problem with being killed in a game. It's just that in an online game I expect to be killed by other human players who have to work for it just as I do, and not some silly unrealistic AI that can magically lay a gun barrage at a maneuvering fighter five miles up.
But yes... I am an alt-monkey for sure!
I witnessed this, when you took a flak hit over a CV the other night. However, you were NOT maneuvering -- you were flying in a straight line in a shallow climb (reducing speed).
This is not only opposite of what you said, but also
the opposite of what you want to do when CV ack starts firing -- instead
you want to increase speed and add some G-s (turn). HTC has in recent years enhanced the algorithm so that the "flak box" is larger if you are 1) faster and 2) pulling G's. Try it out. It works.
As to WHY I know about your particular case, I was the Corsair you followed back to my CV. I was at operating at around 10K-15K, screening against some bombers and fighters attacking our CV and nearby V-base, when I ran into you. You came in from at least 20K. You made a couple passes at me which I avoided. I was able to reset at one point for a more nose to nose merge (though I believe I was still -E), where you offset horizontally (good HO-avoidance technique!) and went into a steep Immelmann that I could not hope to match. Seeing this and your previous merges, I knew I was up against a good pilot who knew their ride. I could have fought you from a distinct disadvantage, but recognizing a good pilot flying a better E-fighting bird, I thought it better to call it a draw and extend while I had a chance.
You elected to follow me back to the CV. I thought you might give up once the first few puffy acks started, but you didn't. You continued to follow. So, I
intentionally went into a shallow climb -- done to keep you straight at me (seeing closure) and slowing you down in the climb (making you an easier target for the ack). You took an oil (and possibly radiator?) hit.
Rather than dive out and leave, which I probably would not have bothered following, you nosed straight down and dove for the CV kamikaze style and plunged into the water (beyond proxy range). I only know it was you because I thought the move interesting, saved the film and watched it to see who it was.
So,
before you make claims that puffy ack is too accurate against a "maneuvering fighter five miles up" you may want to revise your story. Mine is the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.
Before you say nobody wants to fight, consider the situation from both sides. I would have been happy to fight you from anything resembling an equal merge or decent position or if I could see you making a mistake. In fact, I actually
flew back to you for subsequent merges, knowing you were likely +E. But you flew well, kept the fight uphill and didn't make a mistake. I will add that I actually landed 4 kills that same sortie, all against fighters, most of whom entered the fight Co-E or +E with me. They just weren't as good as you at retaining their E. I salute you for that.
Lastly,
before you continue to say there was no player involvement in your death, consider the following:1) I flew in such a way as to give myself an option to extend (I think wisely). You chose to follow into puffy ack (I think unwisely).
2) I
intentionally got you to go straight and slower,
after you refused to break off and
after you realized we were over my CV. Perhaps a cheesy tactic, but you were just as likely to vulch me landing on the CV. (Don't pretend like it was some magic insta-puff that got you. It certainly wasn't that time. And subsequently, you should have known there was a CV there.)
3) YOU elected to nose straight down and suicide into the sea -- death at your own hands, not the ack.
Those were all player actions and choices (mostly yours, in fact). They just didn't have the result you wanted (someone to get roped and shot down) which would have been much more to your liking. My objectives (protect the CV) didn't align with yours (bounce somebody and shoot them down).
That's the moral of this whole thread: you get to control your choices, others control theirs. Sometimes objectives align, sometimes they don't. Sometimes you get what you want, sometimes you don't. Play accordingly.
<S>
Kingpin
