Gigarom 4/Mac Giga-ROM 4.0 - 1993.toast/FILES/TXT/Air Text/tactics

Text File | 1990-11-21 | 7.7 KB | 166 lines | [TEXT/MACA]

                   Plane Tactics in Air Warrior

                 Falcon(3667, Email PAUL.MORGAN)

Here is most of what I know about shooting down planes...

Maneuvering:  On  take  off put the throttle to full and  keep  it
there  until  landing.   The  yoke(mouse) is  the  real  throttle;
forward to speed up,  back to slow down.  Altitude equals speed so
climb  when  not engaged to store up speed  for  later.   If  your
moving at high speed then climb to turn that speed into  altitude.
If  you  need  to increase speed for a rapid approach  or  a  fast
getaway then dive.   Be careful not to go over your maximum  speed
or you'll lose your wings.   Full flaps about 20 mph below maximum
speed is usually good enough to prevent 'embarassing wing loss'.

Know your Plane ("You cannot fly like an eagle with the wings of a
wren"  -  William  Henry  Hudson):  Each plane  in  the  game  has
different strengths and weaknesses.    Some planes fly faster than
others;  some turn faster; some roll faster.  You need to know the
ability  of each type against another  type.   For  instance,  the
Spitfire  can  turn faster than any other plane except  the  Zero.
But  the Spitfire can dive and fly faster than the Zero.   So  use
high speed passes instead of turning when in combat with the Zero.
In  general,  the heavier plane dives faster,  the  lighter  plane
climbs faster,  the lighter plane with a larger wing turns faster,
and the plane with the smaller wing rolls faster.

Aiming:   To keep your opponent in your sights you should roll  to
place him above (or sometimes below) your sights.  Then pull up to
place him in the center of the sight.  In some cases judicious use
of  the rudder will slide the sight sideways in a side slip for  a
clear  shot on your opponent.   The maximum firing range  of  your
guns  is  about 1000.   The effective firing range is  about  800.
Gunner gun range is about 700.   Even though you may not see  hits
you could still be hitting your opponent.   Remember to lead  your
target when not firing from directly behind him.   Don't just  put
the plane into the center of your sights.   Look to see where  his
plane is pointing and move the sight in that direction.

Turning:   Always turn towards your opponent.  To get the tightest
turn use full flaps,  roll to a 90 degree bank,  pull back full on
the  stick and use full aileron to keep your nose up in the  turn.
A lot of players won't use flaps or aileron and you'll be able  to
out  turn them with good use of  your  controls.   However,  using
flaps  will drop your speed down below 120 mph making it  hard  to
maneuver  in  pursuit  or when fleeing.   You  can  drop  or  gain
altitude  while  turning  with an opponent to throw  him  off  and
possibly shake him for a quick getaway.

Half  Loop:   I  can usually get a good upward half  loop  with  a
starting speed of at least 240.  If I can start the loop above 300
I  can  usually  finish  the  loop  above  240  which  gives  good
maneuverability.   A half loop is a good tactic after a high speed
pass.   While the opponent is turning in the horizontal plane  you
have  looped  up and are now diving while rolling upright  into  a
second pass before he can get around to defend.   A downward  half
loop is possible but you lose both speed and altitude.









Full  Loop:  This  maneuver  sometimes works due  to  the  warping
involved in the game.   If your opponent is directly behind you at
close range you can go into your loop and disappear from his view.
While he is looking around for you on radar or starting a turn you
are  coming out of the bottom of your loop onto  his  rear.   This
maneuver  really wastes a lot of speed and your opponent might  be
out of range by the time you complete the loop.

Barrel Roll:  This roll can be used to get inside an opponent in a
turn.  Instead of just following him into the turn you roll in the
opposite direction.   On the bottom of the barrel roll turn to the
left.   This  should  move you inside the turning circle  of  your
opponent with a good attack line on his plane.  You have to have a
fast rolling plane to do this maneuver.

The Yo-Yo:  This is another maneuver like the Barrel Roll designed
to  get you inside your opponents turning circle.   This  maneuver
requires  a  high  speed  approach.   Instead  of  following  your
opponent into a tight turn in the horizontal you pull up to  about
45 degrees and then start your tight left turn.  The end result is
a  dive inside your opponents turning circle.   This maneuver  can
end in disaster if done at the wrong time.

The following simple set of instructions was written by one of the
greatest  aces of all times.   Oswald Boelcke organized the  first
German fighter squadrons (Jastas).  This excerpt is from "Aircraft
Versus  Aircraft"  by Norman Franks,  (C)opyright  1986  Macmillan
Publishing, NY, NY. - A book I highly recommend.


                          Dicta Boelcke
                         by Oswald Boelcke
                     (40 victories, died 1916)

1. Always try to secure an advantageous position before attacking.
Climb  before  and during the approach in order  to  surprise  the
enemy from above,  and dive on him swiftly from the rear when  the
moment to attack is at hand.

2. Try to place yourself between the sun and the enemy.  This puts
the glare of the sun in the enemy's eyes and makes it difficult to
see you and impossible for him to shoot with any accuracy.

3.  Do  not fire the machine guns until the enemy is within  range
and you have him squarely within your sights.

4.  Attack  when  the  enemy  least  expects  it  or  when  he  is
preoccupied with other duties such as observation, photography, or
bombing.

5. Never turn your back and try to run away from an enemy fighter.
If you are surprised by an attack on your tail,  turn and face the
enemy with your guns.

6.  Keep your eye on the enemy and do not let him deceive you with
tricks.   If your opponent appears damaged,  follow him down until
he crashes to be sure he is not faking.

7. Foolish acts of bravery only bring death.  The Jasta must fight
as a unit with close teamwork between all pilots.   The signal  of
its leaders must be obeyed.





A  couple  of  comments on the application of  the  Dicta  to  Air
Warrior:

2. We don't have a sun in Air Warrior but we do have big mountains
that  slow  down frame rates and can hide an aircraft dot  in  the
background.   If possible,  put yourself between an opponent and a
mountain that would show up on his screen at combat ranges.  Also,
try attacking OVER the mountain instead of around it.

4.  In  Air  Warrior  about the only way  an  opponent  could  get
occupied  is when he is involved in a chase of a  third  aircraft.
In that situation you can sometimes close on his rear without  him
noticing.

5.  When  being dived on by an opponent drop full flaps  and  pull
back  on  the  stick  to position  yourself  for  firing  directly
upwards.   Continue  in this position for as long as possible  and
keep  your sights trained on his plane.   Your opponent is  moving
fast enough that he will be by you and you can drop off from  your
steep  climb before you stall.   Keep pointing towards him  as  he
passes by.   Usually,  you can do more damage to your opponent  in
this  situation than he can do to you.   His speed as well as  the
close  proximity  to the ground has probably thrown  off  his  aim
while all you have to do is keep your sights pointed towards  him.
Also,  he  probably  won't know you've hit him as his  firing  may
cover  up your pings.  Follow him after his pass by raising  flaps
and diving to increase speed for the chase.

Audentes Fortuna Iuvat (Fortune Favors the Brave) - Virgil