combattips

vHere are some basic combat tips when playing squad matches:

    1. Make sure you have roger wilco up and running. It is an absolute necessity when playing matches.
    2. Use the roger wilco and communicate intelligently. Let your wingman know who has been hit and the extent of the damage. I know its hard to talk in the heat of the battle, but good efficient, articualte communication is essential.
    3. If your opponent is hit substantially avoid the head on. 90% of the time you can manuever around him (especially if he's hit). If you dont know how to manuever around your opponent on a head on ask someone. We will practice this. You ask why should we manuever around him? First, you can manuever around and then jump on his six oclock and finish him off, second, why get hit and fly a damaged airplane around when you could have kept a clean airplane and manuevered with ease to get on his six or sombody elses six oclock. Third, a head on with a damaged airplane means a possibility of a collision. If you collide with a damaged airplane we lose a kill.
    4. Here are a few ways to avoid a head on:
        a. Execute a barrel roll slightly off centered from your opponent.
        b. Stay low as possible to the water slightly off-centered moving your aircraft
            with your rudder side to side. If you keep your aircraft moving around there is
            less of a chance to get hit on a head on.
        c. Start a slight climb in the head on. Your opponent will follow you up. When
            you get within shooting distance start a descent. Your opponent will have a
            difficult time changing pitch and following you down.
        d. Stay slightly off centered on the head on. Your opponent will start turning his
            plane toward you. when you get within shooting distance turn your aircraft
            the opposite direction using aileron and rudder. A sharp hard turn is required.
            It is difficult for your opponent to change direction to follow you if he is not
            anticipating it.

The manuevers stated above require practice. After a while you will have them mastered. Practice them in FFA's or in team practice.
    5. If you are already hit go for the head on.The reasoning here is simple. You already have a damaged airplane and chances are you cant turn very well anyway so your only shot is a head on. You are likely to get hit on a head on anyways.
    6. Avoiding headons dont apply to everybody. Head on specialists like Firebird and shark or junior and hero who fly corsairs need to engage in headons whenever possible. The rest of us need to clean up after they have shot the opponent in a head on.
   7. I personally dont like head ons because both aircraft usually come out damaged and it is hard to fight with a damaged aircraft. But, for some of our players it is there specialty.
   8. Always fly with one eye on your radar and the other eye on your screen. This is called situational awareness.
   9. At the start of a match gain as much altitude as possible. Altitude is your friend.
       Altitude= potential energy
When diving from altitude use flaps and power to keep your speed under control.
10.Ask your teammates who needs help in a battle. Communicate, Communicate Communicate!
   11. Learn how to fly your aircraft after it is damaged. There are many things you can use like : trim, cowl flaps, flaps, speed brakes, extending gears, throttle control to keep your aircraft flying for as long a possible.
   12. Learn how to turn your aircraft. I have seen guys with corsairs outurn my george. Its very impressive. Go into single player and practice turning your airplane without stalling. Just fly circles or loops, but you need to learn how to turn your airplane. The person who can turn there aircraft more efficiently will win a dogfight.

In conclusion, as I stated above you need to communicate with your teamates with rw. Use your head and common sense. And learn how to FLY "your" plane. I hope this helps some of our new members. ~S~ and happy flying!

        By RS_T9