Not that I want to flex, but I want to flex hahaha This is from when I achieved #1 and #17 in a ToD (tour of duty.. such a challenge to remember the acronyms!): I had developed a formula for success. The secret was to compound sortie scores. The more you scored and landed, the more points your next sortie would be worth. So the formula was to start in the Ki43. A slow TnB plane (turn and burn, remember?) with 2 MGs. You would be furballing and getting BnZ'ed (Boom and zoomed.. keep up!). When the enemy was approaching, you would turn to be 90º, so they face your side. Then, at the last minute, you would do a half loop downwards, and their fast plane would not be able to point further down and to the opposite side. They would miss and zoom back up. The Ki43 was so maneuverable that you would then turn again and shoot at the enemy flying away. And I would get many PKs (pilot kills) with a few MG shots to the cockpit. It was really maneuverable and aiming at the cockpit wasn't that hard. Then I would upgrade to the Ki61. The same rules applied, but things would get a bit faster. Then came the switch to the Bf109F2, and you would exploit that climb rate all the way. That means BnZing, but just one Boom, then one Zoom. No risks. When things got tight, you would just climb until the enemy gave up. Keeping that compounding score means taking off at the other field, and going back in any sign of danger. High enemies were a problem, because the Bf109 can't run from many red planes. Hunting zones were more tense because of this risk. Then came the Fw190s. Here I didn't have the climb rate, so flights had to be much better planned. On the other hand, if there was ever a higher enemy in the hunting zone, I would be safe. Just dive. The last step, of course, was the Me262. The secret was to be super safe, maintain ultra SA (situational awareness) and be 100% rational with 0% emotion. Many sorties were wasted. Some even with RTBing (returning to base) because of fuel. So much safety that I would fly for a long time without finding enemies. But every kill began to compound, and I would get 60k+ points per sortie near the end. One death meant starting back at the beginning, so running away like a coward at the slightest threat was worth it. And this process was quite stressful and sometimes boring. That's why you see my red puzzle alias, which I used to play more relaxed. I'm pretty sure you could reproduce it as red, using perhaps Spitfires, Yaks, LaGGs, LA5s and/or p51s. ---pap was keeping me busy, progressing very quickly too. tigrao had an impressive ToD as a bomber (!!!), but you can tell he spend a LOT of time in-game haha. I'm curious to know how he made so many points in bombers. And I admit this ToD had a low #1 score. Lucky me! Did you guys ever find a good secret?
K/D is to know who is the best. Score only says who won. Hahaha I would never try to be the best in WBFH. So many skilled pilots!
high k/d scores had skilled and at the same time MATURE pilots I remember -doku- had 100+ k/d-scores 2-3 times... but every time he got scored he had an assistant(s) who defended him in difficult cases
IIRC pietas had the highest K/D ratios several times in 302nd (and in the entire arena). I wouldn't call him "great" though. "Good" and "antisocial" would be better. The greatest pilots there were those, you could count on during squad (or otherwise organised) missions. Darkiller, buff pilots, jabo and Li-2...
Just looking at those stats gives me PTSD! It's weird, because some of us spent so many hours in that game. I remember so many moments. Maps, channel chats, particular sorties and emotions. I tended to fly "emotionally," and so in later years I went more to buffs/mud movers. Pilots who remembered that it was a game, as opposed to something historical had a decided advantage. (Good life lesson there.)
I had over 100 k/d once also. Tho remember -doku- getting it much easier, accepting HOs and such. He was just a phenomenal aim and I was often covering his ass. Not a careful pilot like me. I was only good because I fought when I knew I would win. Much like Nicaee says here.
I never had the patience to "polish" my K/D stat. I was keen on furballing too. I remember I once kept my streak rising to 50, just to get a higher rank in the 302nd, but it was a pain in the buttside, and a real fun-spoiler. By doing this I proved two things - that I could do that was the first one, and that I really hated it. I remember flying a P-51D sortie with a 40+ streak, as part of a small fieldcap, and almost shitting my pants, when 12mm ack hit me, while I was bombing it... not worth it (even if I vulched another 2 OTR, before the hangar was bombed). The whole thing was fun, when 100+ people were flying around, and you could prove yourself against opponents like Helrza or Haupt in a dogfight.
JG27 had a similar approach. Our usual priority was to bring every pilot safely back from each mission. Of course we would enjoy the arcade style from time to time but the preference was to engage with an emphasis on intent to survive. Didn't always work out that way!
I miss the mid-air launching/spawning in the Training Arena (TA Arena). Used to duel bullet/looseleaf/boa/turbo/bullet in there. Learned a lot before throwing myself to the lions in the MA! We did have AI drone planes if I do remember right. Love still seeing some action in the forums! And these smilies here yet haha
