I've just found this at SimHQ forums. I find it rather cool and maybe it will improve my flying a bit:)
IN PURSUIT: A Pilot’s Guide to Online Air Combat
S!
Mac
P.S. and this seems to be funny - the book of noobs
M
IN PURSUIT: A Pilot’s Guide to Online Air Combat
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MikeVictor
- Forum Junky
- Posts: 491
- Joined: Tue May 17, 2005 7:57 pm
- Location: Washington, DC; USA
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:FI:Heloego
- Post Maniac General
- Posts: 3898
- Joined: Thu Mar 06, 2003 9:40 pm
- Location: Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA (Smile when you say that!)
I've been slowly reading "In Pursuit" and I'm about finished. I definitely agree with Gadje about how well-written it is. Some sections rivaled training material we had in the USAF.
I learned quite a bit in terms of the online flying world, since I've never spent much time there for 3 reasons: a general dislike for frequent deaths
, lack of time, and lack of a wingman/wingmen who like to work as a team to keep each other alive. I'd do it when I could... IF I were flying with people who wanted to develop the teamwork skills & enjoy the satisfaction of kicking some butt & making it back home alive. Short of that it's not very interesting to me.
I see what you mean about the assumptions part, Gadje. He does seem to assume that most online pilots are inexperienced. I believe you fly online quite a bit, right? Is his assumption a bad one based on your experience? Maybe it's not so true these days, or in the IL-2 world...? I noticed that his logbook entries in the book date back as far as 1998 or so, and are mostly Warbirds and WW2 Online... however I noticed he wrote this just 2 years ago or less (says "2005").
I think anybody could develop an impressive skillset out of this book & lots of practice, but lots of guys would sooner go without food for a month than read thru 170 pages. For my money, chapter 18 all by itself is worth its weight in gold, mainly because it should apply almost equally well versus human OR AI opponents. That means benefits both online and in the weekly FI campaigns. The techniques would require some practice to get the timing down, but thy're as tried and true today as they were when first learned in WW2 days. I suppose you'd need to read the first part of chapter 12 also, for chapter 18 to make good sense... I also think the endorsement letter on pg 4 is worth considering.
Do you guys who fly a lot online use line abreast formation and "loose deuce" tactics (author's term)? Just curious.
I learned quite a bit in terms of the online flying world, since I've never spent much time there for 3 reasons: a general dislike for frequent deaths
, lack of time, and lack of a wingman/wingmen who like to work as a team to keep each other alive. I'd do it when I could... IF I were flying with people who wanted to develop the teamwork skills & enjoy the satisfaction of kicking some butt & making it back home alive. Short of that it's not very interesting to me.I see what you mean about the assumptions part, Gadje. He does seem to assume that most online pilots are inexperienced. I believe you fly online quite a bit, right? Is his assumption a bad one based on your experience? Maybe it's not so true these days, or in the IL-2 world...? I noticed that his logbook entries in the book date back as far as 1998 or so, and are mostly Warbirds and WW2 Online... however I noticed he wrote this just 2 years ago or less (says "2005").
I think anybody could develop an impressive skillset out of this book & lots of practice, but lots of guys would sooner go without food for a month than read thru 170 pages. For my money, chapter 18 all by itself is worth its weight in gold, mainly because it should apply almost equally well versus human OR AI opponents. That means benefits both online and in the weekly FI campaigns. The techniques would require some practice to get the timing down, but thy're as tried and true today as they were when first learned in WW2 days. I suppose you'd need to read the first part of chapter 12 also, for chapter 18 to make good sense... I also think the endorsement letter on pg 4 is worth considering.
Do you guys who fly a lot online use line abreast formation and "loose deuce" tactics (author's term)? Just curious.
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:FI:Falcon
- Full Metal Ferret
- Posts: 5572
- Joined: Mon May 19, 2003 6:32 am
- Location: New Orleans
- Contact:
Blue Twice,
The Sunday crowd is pretty much that, a crowd, when it comes to formations and teamwork. Mob and horde come to mind too. That's fine, I have tons of fun every session, but I'd be willing to read through one or two of those pages and practice some wingman stuff. If you want to do some casual training for us during, or after or before, our missions let us know. You will find a willing pupil ... if not a gifted student in me.
I'll try to read some of the manual this week.
Thanks for the encouragement,
Falcon
EDIT: Just tried the link and it looks rather dead.
The Sunday crowd is pretty much that, a crowd, when it comes to formations and teamwork. Mob and horde come to mind too. That's fine, I have tons of fun every session, but I'd be willing to read through one or two of those pages and practice some wingman stuff. If you want to do some casual training for us during, or after or before, our missions let us know. You will find a willing pupil ... if not a gifted student in me.
I'll try to read some of the manual this week.
Thanks for the encouragement,
Falcon
EDIT: Just tried the link and it looks rather dead.
"He who warned, uh, the British that they weren't gonna be takin' away our arms, uh, by ringing those bells, and um, makin' sure as he's riding his horse through town to send those warning shots and bells that we were going to be sure and we were going to be free, and we were going to be armed."
- The history of Paul Revere's midnight ride, by Sarah Palin.
Hi Blue2
I first read it about a year ago and it is full of good useful information.
I still play this sim a lot and these days you dont find many mugs flying online (with the possible exception of Sunday night for some reason 
)
<runs>
I remember being most interested in guns defence, when you mess up by getting a bandit on your six, get him off and shoot him down (aren't we all!) But even back then I recall thinking that the attacker would have to be pretty inexperienced to fall for some of the manuevers he suggests. And that is still so. He kind of puts these manuevers forward as surefire successes, and they aren't but they are worth learning and having in your arsenal I reckon.
Mikester and I have been doing 2v2 matches for a wee while now. He puts up a slot in HL and asks other squads to join. Usually they are axis pilots as we all fly the G2 as I guess they feel confident in that plane.
Without really being aware of it through time we do fly 'loose deuce' and very loose too
If I see the other pair flying like they are attached with string I reckon on a pretty easy fight. If the Lead/Wingman way of thinking is too strict they lose.
The hard pilots to beat are the ones who constantly swap between opponents. This demands really good SA and good shooting skills to pull off. This type of coordination takes time to develop and has to be instinctive in the end as there is no time to think in these fights. The moves have to be second nature. We have been beaten in the past by a few pairs who could do this better than us (happily not recently as there is a good defence for this
)
I agree that working together is the more satisfying way to fly. European night time has seen a few :FI: M8's join up on servers and we generally do real well working together. If you can make it at this time it would be good to fly together on ts M8.
S!
I first read it about a year ago and it is full of good useful information.
I still play this sim a lot and these days you dont find many mugs flying online (with the possible exception of Sunday night for some reason
)<runs>
I remember being most interested in guns defence, when you mess up by getting a bandit on your six, get him off and shoot him down (aren't we all!) But even back then I recall thinking that the attacker would have to be pretty inexperienced to fall for some of the manuevers he suggests. And that is still so. He kind of puts these manuevers forward as surefire successes, and they aren't but they are worth learning and having in your arsenal I reckon.
Mikester and I have been doing 2v2 matches for a wee while now. He puts up a slot in HL and asks other squads to join. Usually they are axis pilots as we all fly the G2 as I guess they feel confident in that plane.
Without really being aware of it through time we do fly 'loose deuce' and very loose too
If I see the other pair flying like they are attached with string I reckon on a pretty easy fight. If the Lead/Wingman way of thinking is too strict they lose.The hard pilots to beat are the ones who constantly swap between opponents. This demands really good SA and good shooting skills to pull off. This type of coordination takes time to develop and has to be instinctive in the end as there is no time to think in these fights. The moves have to be second nature. We have been beaten in the past by a few pairs who could do this better than us (happily not recently as there is a good defence for this
)I agree that working together is the more satisfying way to fly. European night time has seen a few :FI: M8's join up on servers and we generally do real well working together. If you can make it at this time it would be good to fly together on ts M8.
S!
MY 2-CENTS......
Online Gaming Teamwork-
These thoughts have been tossed around the squad since before I joined. (2003) The Squad has definitely improved over the years; from both playing as a 'squad' to removing icons/padlock, or just more realistic parameters. This has created only TWO working pairs of players in our squad- Rabitsky and Ardmore, and Gadge and Mikester.
My question is this- Is this imposed wingman organization cramping the style of the average FI squaddie? Is the very nature of computer gaming/online play inherently antithetical to an organization of like minds? I have been looking for a 'loose-deuce' partner for years-to no avail. I also believe that our beloved games are technologically below par, thereby nullifying the wingman's ability to follow a player throughout any given mission. Just my 2-centavos. ~S~
These thoughts have been tossed around the squad since before I joined. (2003) The Squad has definitely improved over the years; from both playing as a 'squad' to removing icons/padlock, or just more realistic parameters. This has created only TWO working pairs of players in our squad- Rabitsky and Ardmore, and Gadge and Mikester.
My question is this- Is this imposed wingman organization cramping the style of the average FI squaddie? Is the very nature of computer gaming/online play inherently antithetical to an organization of like minds? I have been looking for a 'loose-deuce' partner for years-to no avail. I also believe that our beloved games are technologically below par, thereby nullifying the wingman's ability to follow a player throughout any given mission. Just my 2-centavos. ~S~