Hey all, I haven't taken the time to upgrade yet. I've been following this all week, but haven't had time to post either.
I have 2 questions then 2 comments about the new patch, as far as aviation goes:
1) Have they fixed the crappy HUD bug that makes friendly vehicles and aa sites show up as enemies? (ground pounders--sorry about all the tk's, but this is the primary reason for about 95% of mine). You generally have about half a second to compare the map with the hud, often times less, if you're being tailed-- you have to act quick or miss the opportunity. I'm hoping they fixed this. Some of us really are trying to cover you and defend the flags.
2) Are the mobile AA just as deadly as the fixed? I usually play Daquing Oilfields (less tk'ing over fighters it seems, since there's more armor on the map--just bunny-hopping thieves who develop a sudden affection for trees once they steal a plane). I'm just guessing, but the flying with the new patch could be easier on Wake where the aa sites seem to be fixed-- this could be much harder on Oilfields, when the aa could be anywhere. Does that sound right?
The First Comment:
I was ticked when I heard about the AA upgrade, how it required no skill. Then I talked to a buddy of mine who used to operate and train stinger crews in the Israeli military. I asked him how hard it was for a stinger crew to shoot down a plane.
He said "Very easy, if you can track it properly." ONe thing he said was that the range has to be very close in, which is why choppers are downed much more often. Pretty much he said that if you can track and hold the lock on the heat signature until launch, the plane is dead, fire and forget, unless you hit a tree or something. His crew got lots of free beer from the jet pilots that were trying to take them out.
So we all knew some modification needed to happen. But all in all, it sounds like the patch is too easy for AA-- it sounds like shooting down planes is monkey work. Thats not realistic, and it's not game-balancing. Sounds like this needs to be fixed, even though real stingers are pretty awesome, from the sound of it.
But even so, they still require a brain and a steady hand. It even sounds like the guy eating dinner while playing was BORED with it, he got so many kills. (put down fork, click mouse, pick up fork. Munch, munch) That's not fun for anybody--which is really the point. It sounds like you could train a pigeon to peck the mouse at the sound of the tone. How can you take any pride in that? At least a plane takes a certain amount of skill, even if only to get it off the runway (otherwise there wouldn't be so many bunny-hopping plane-thieves smacking into the trees at the end of it)
Same thing for Dogfighting-- I love a good chaingun fight. It's too bad it seems that's been done away with. It sounds like it's whoever spots the other guy first. I hope that isn't the case.
Second Comment:
Everyone gets ticked about how high the plane's k/d ratio is when in the hands of someone who knows what they're doing. You have to understand though--- it seems like this doesn't always mean points. It doesn't always lead to major advancement.
You see, a plane can't get flag capture points. You can't repair/reload/heal/revive other players. The ground pounders and vehicles can do that. I've had plenty of rounds with 30-50 kills where I haven't even PLACED in the top 3. And you never even get those kills if there's a halfway decent pilot on the other team who can tie you up in dogfights for a while.
I don't know offhand but I seem to remember, while going through the top ten players, very few of them were aviator-focused. Tanks and armor seem more the norm-- you can do all those point generating operations in them. Last time I checked, the best aviators I've ever heard of weren't even in the top 100.
If planes were as imbalanced as eveyone says, ALL of the top ten players should be pilots, and little else.
And I don't know how many times I've pounded the enemy-- defended flag after flag, blown up every tank and jeep and helicopter I could find across the map-- and we've still lost the game, with my ground forces hiding behind buildings at the home base.
You see-- a plane is there to soften up the enemy-- but it's up to the ground forces to move in, take hold, and win the game. In-gamespace, as in real life, the planes get the high kill ratio, but it's the ground forces who move in and win the war. The current point system reflects that-- and that's as it should be.
Whew! Long post in a long thread. Anyway, if memory serves, it seems like I've had some good dogfights with some of you guys (even if I lost). I hope this can continue when I upgrade. Otherwise, I WILL go find a good flightsim.
FeralExpress
