There are a lot of variables over time that impact a players performance over the years.
AH2 was a lot easier to read E differentials. I have a much more difficult time reading peoples E in AH3. It seems they come at me so slow, yet climb 5k straight up.
AH2, the spitV and 109f weren't "fixed" when Levi and Drex played. The spit5 is a totally different plane, albeit still fun to fight in.
Merging now is more unbiased in terms of the Air spawns relative to taking off and meeting in the middle. I'd like to see a lot of past fights redone with the airspawns to have closer merge speeds.
Getting older, having families, new sticks, not the same setups as before, not being able to practice as much, less people in the game, and AH3 conversion also create variables that make some players probably less as good as they use to be. Not all of us get to practice for dozens of hours straight which does help with stick control and other things.
However back then, rope merges and shooting in certain crossing shots weren't the goal. So, many people who fought skyyr weren't expecting to be roped on every merge or expecting a close HO shot to put them out of the fight. I'd like to see some of those fights with the airspawns though just to see if they could match Skyyrs E on the merge and the then go from there.
I do see a lot folks go nose down first before entering the merge and I think that is a crucial mistake.
