So, obviously I'm going to focus on the Air Superiority part of 1943 Battlefield, a fun little game where mass mayhem ensues because you pit one bunch of players against another.
Air Superiority (AS for short cause it's easier on my fingers) is a different kind of mass mayhem, but a fun one nonetheless. Rarely does a flight-sim do well, especially on multi-player, but this one is certainly one to set the bar. It's fun to get in the Corsairs or the Zeros and fly off the carrier, before heading straight into a furball with guns blazing in front of a target unlucky enough to be in front of you at the time.
So, if I like this game so much, why am I going to talk about it? Cause it can be better.
Which is a moot point, since technically everything can be better, so let me elaborate.
You're bearing down on a Zero fighter with your Corsair, you have him in your sights and you squeeze the trigger. Tracers fly, but you know you landed several hits on the Zero and watch as he explodes in midair, and you get your twenty points. No other fighters are in front of you, so its time to start looking for more enemies. You bank, and then your screen does a 180 as your plane bounces around like a maniac, before crashing into the water and deducting points from you for your suicide. Back home, you're obviously confused as you swear and curse, wondering what the hell happened.
Well, quite simply, you've just been bumped.
Don't get angrier, you don't have to. Most likely, it was an accident (But you never know). In fact, it could have been your fault. Maybe you didn't pay attention and banked right into the flight path of one of your allies. You didn't take damage, but the physics engine in the game kinda shrieked as it sent you into the water, and your ally back into the air. Things like this are unfortunate, but they happen. And they can be avoided.
But before I get into that, there are a few basic rules that pilots should go over when you're in air combat.
The rules I generally follow, are known as the Dicta Boelcke. These were made by a german fighter pilot during World War I. It may seem strange, but the Luftwaffe were good for a reason, these were of course a good part of it.
1. Try to secure the upperhand before attacking. If possible, keep the sun behind you.
-By securing the upperhand, it is meant that you understand the strengths of your enemy before attacking. Unfortunately, you won't have enough time to really do this, however if you do happen to come across an enemy, you should try to put yourselves behind it before pulling the trigger. If you're anywhere else, it's likely that you can get a few hits, but the enemy most likely will not be shot down. But most importantly, they'll know you exist for certain.
2. Always continue with an attack you have begun.
-If you're in the right spot while attacking an enemy, you have the best chance to shoot him down although it might take a little time for him to make a mistake or get back into your sights. Don't let him go, because that will only leave you in danger of a counter attack from your former prey.
3. Only fire at close range, and then only when the opponent is properly in your sights.
-The closer you are, the better the chance that you'll hit. You'll also have the chance to make a kill before the enemy starts to turn evasive.
4. You should always try to keep your eye on your opponent, and never let yourself be deceived by ruses.
-If your good, you should always have your enemy in front of you. If your decent, you'll know where he is even if he isn't in front of you. Dogfighting is supposed to be long and slow, you merely need to hope that your friends can keep the other bad guys off of you as you try to grab another kill.
5. In any type of attack, it is essential to assail your opponent from behind.
-This game can ignore this fact, especially with the many pilots resorting to kamikaze tactics in order to get 20 points before being shot down. You don't have to fall into this category, as risky as it is. It is always more fulfilling to shoot down a number of other planes without being shot down yourself (As difficult as this can be in a game of this caliber). If two planes are charging towards each other, both are in danger of being shot down. If one is chasing the other, then the one in front is in danger of being shot down (if two planes were the only ones in battle).
6. If your opponent dives on you, do not try to get around his attack but fly to meet it.
-This tactic keeps your enemy from shooting at you for a long period of time, preferably by flying past him and forcing him to turn around and chase after you, or to simply ignore you and find another plane. This doesn't mean that you should be trying to strike at him while he's shooting at you, although you are always welcome to try. The end result might be that you shoot each other down though.
7. When over enemy lines, never forget your own line of retreat.
-Remember where your Carrier is! This could save your life when you realize that most of your comrades are dead and gone, and the enemy planes will be looking for a loner. And they'll all swarm in after you. Which means that discretion is the better part of valor in this case (Get the F*** out of there and you might live to fight them after your comrades respawn).
8. In principle, it is better to attack in groups of four or six. Avoid two aircrafts attacking the same opponent.
-This is where it gets hard. By all accounts, there's no way that you can avoid two or more airplanes going after the same target. The final result could be disastrous, because if you bump into your own guy, it's likely that you'll find yourself in the water and with -10 points. If you've shot someone down after trailing them for a little bit, chances are, there are two planes on your right and left who are pissed off that you took that kill (even if it was yours to begin with). Still, they're the safest ones if you turn right or left, so pull on your stick and head straight up in the sky while gunning your engine. You're safest that way.
-This is where it gets hard. By all accounts, there's no way that you can avoid two or more airplanes going after the same target. The final result could be disastrous, because if you bump into your own guy, it's likely that you'll find yourself in the water and with -10 points. If you've shot someone down after trailing them for a little bit, chances are, there are two planes on your right and left who are pissed off that you took that kill (even if it was yours to begin with). Still, they're the safest ones if you turn right or left, so pull on your stick and head straight up in the sky while gunning your engine. You're safest that way.
The last rule also gives something that most gamers don't consider, which is refusing to fly solo. Specifically, in World War II a good pilot usually had a good wingman flying by his side and keeping a part of him clear. At this point in time, flying alongside more than one aircraft might not net you more points, but survival is more likely to happen. While four or six planes might seem difficult, if done correctly it could savagely destroy a scattered number of enemy planes.
**
From here, I stop from the rules of an actual air combat expert, and simply go into the advice that I can give as an air combat gamer. World War II planes are slower, to begin, you're going to find that if you played Fighter Jet games before, things are very different now. You're planes are slower, but at the same time they are actually more maneuverable. Practice makes perfect here as yawing will also save your life more than once while someone is strafing you.
Try to fly low or fly very high. The best position to be in is out of sight of your enemy. Also if you gun your engine from a height, your speed will be faster with gravity aiding you in your attack. While this might seem dangerous as far as positioning goes (you aren't all that well hidden to be honest) you can take down a fighter and put yourself behind a wave of enemy fighters, the best place to be if you want to survive and score several kills.
At the same time, flying low might not be the best option for attacking, but for sneaking around its great as long as you use terrain and keep an eye out for enemy ambushes. A plane can still be aware of your presence if they are close enough, even if they can't see you (Yet) and they can set up the perfect ambush to fly out right behind you and gun you down. That being said, your best option is to not stay behind cover all the time, in which case, following rule #6 will be your best bet. If someone tries to ambush you or is setting one up and you know it, fly towards his attack and dodge under or over him. For a few moments, you'll be safe.
The easiest target for you to look for is an enemy who is trying to shoot down another aircraft. As such, getting in close before that enemy shoots down your ally can be tricky and difficult. And if they have a wingman, it's unlikely that you can save your ally, but you can take down two kills if your smart and careful. Shots like these come often, but with their focus on another plane, it's the best time for a close contact assault, so hold your fire until you get in real close. Then blast away on the cockpit and hope for a quick kill before moving on to the next one.
Don't get so close that you'll bump into them, or else you'll kamikaze and the 20 points are yours with a slight respawn delay. Also, you're at risk of bumping into shrapnel which could also send you into a watery suicide. Deciding on what the best distance is usually is a personal preference and also depends on reflex. If you've got a clear shot and a good lead, it is your call on whether you should take that shot.
Instincts are a thing that you will eventually train yourself. It's almost like driving a car, and you eventually learn what speed to get into, when to turn onto a road and when not to. The idea is that through trial and error, you'll learn what shots you can make and what shots you can't.
Ah, what else...?
I suppose more tactical advice is in order. There are two choices available to you when you start off in Air Superiority. Get in a Plane, or get in the Flak cannon. Neither of these is the wrong answer, unless all flak cannons are being used and your waiting for someone to jump off, that's definitely the wrong answer.
Undoubtedly, base and carrier defending can be as boring as it gets. Still, this is generally what catches people off guard. A good pilot will fly towards the base at a low altitude, using the ridge of the carrier and the maximum radius of the flak cannon as their cover. American players have the greatest disadvantage here, because while the Japanese Carrier is almost completely open and easy to spot targets from, the American Carrier has a big control tower to the side, just the right size and in just the right place for a plane to do a raid, even to the point of parachuting onto the carrier and causing mass mayhem. As such, the best advice for you is to always keep your eyes open and towards the group of islands. If you are on your own, look twice and if you see ally plane coming your way (you can easily tell because they will have a blue icon) note that there are very few reasons for this to happen:
1. He has been injured and wants to make a landing to repair (which means that while he survived someone shooting at him, he is a visibly limping target and an easy kill. An enemy plane may not be too far behind).
2. There is an enemy plane heading in that direction, and your ally has given chase.
Keeping that in mind, you should be able to anticipate a spot appearing in the sky with no icon and then you can wait until they come into range (They should not know you're there until you take damage, or unless the have good eyes as long as you don't fire). After that, light the skies and happy hunting. Few pilots, even skilled ones, can't survive for very long once caught in the net of Flak cannon, even if it's only one gun.
After that, I've seen a few other things that you need to worry over. A plane that drops a bomb over you (which is just something that can't be solved without shooting down the plane anyway.) and a jumper. I've seen several planes jump onto a carrier, all in different ways.
Personally, this is not a tactic. There is no specific reward for doing this tactic, besides slowing down the enemy respawn (which makes this a spawn kill, deal with it.) Also, the worst part about this is that a successful player who can keep killing pilots before they can take off is essentially killing off points that other players can benefit from, and instead the points are wasted on nobody. While this might not matter to someone who is already at full rank, consider other people on the team before you get bumped into the ocean.
There is only one moment, that I can think of currently, in which this is acceptable: being over enemy territory in a plane with her warning lights on. In which case, the best to do would be to parachute on their carrier and hope for the best, which would entail getting on one of their planes and flying out of there as quickly as possible. Difficult I know, but still your best option if you want to keep living when there are several planes shooting at you and you're just in the wrong place.
Ok, now back to the fun stuff.
I've given some advice on attacking, but what if you're the one being attacked? Well if you're attacking someone while being attacked, you might be screwed. Even if you gun it and turn away from the guy on your tail, you'll only put yourself in a position where he's more likely to hit you by spraying bullets in your flight path and having you run into them.
At this point, it's a good idea to try that button that lets you look behind you, if only for a second. If he's far away, stay straight until you get to a landmass you can use for cover, and spin around while yawing in order to make yourself a more difficult target. Also, lower your altitude and start skimming the water. It makes things harder on the both of you, but he's shooting while your just dodging. Once you get to a landmass, turn into it and cut your engine slightly to turn better before moving around the island as quickly as you can. If you don't lose him, you can at least stall for time by swinging around the island until someone shoots him down for you. Just note, if someones got you by the tail, you won't be able to defeat him unless you do something remarkable (like cutting your engine as he pulls up right behind you, so you fly over him) or he does something silly. The planes here are relatively equal in strength, with few variations. And you can't pull on the stick any less harder than the other player chasing after you.
It's hard to lose another player, especially since the controls for this game are much simpler than that of an actual fighter plane in World War II. But little can be done about this.
Besides that, I don't think I can give you anymore advice. Experience will probably be key after listening to all this jargon, and you might find that some or all of what I say is wrong. But hey, it'll be worth it to find out if writing all this was worth it in the end. If you've got anything to say, or any questions, let me know.
If you want to add me as a friend and we can fly together on Battlefield 1943, my PSN is Pilotace.
-See you
Ah, what else...?
I suppose more tactical advice is in order. There are two choices available to you when you start off in Air Superiority. Get in a Plane, or get in the Flak cannon. Neither of these is the wrong answer, unless all flak cannons are being used and your waiting for someone to jump off, that's definitely the wrong answer.
Undoubtedly, base and carrier defending can be as boring as it gets. Still, this is generally what catches people off guard. A good pilot will fly towards the base at a low altitude, using the ridge of the carrier and the maximum radius of the flak cannon as their cover. American players have the greatest disadvantage here, because while the Japanese Carrier is almost completely open and easy to spot targets from, the American Carrier has a big control tower to the side, just the right size and in just the right place for a plane to do a raid, even to the point of parachuting onto the carrier and causing mass mayhem. As such, the best advice for you is to always keep your eyes open and towards the group of islands. If you are on your own, look twice and if you see ally plane coming your way (you can easily tell because they will have a blue icon) note that there are very few reasons for this to happen:
1. He has been injured and wants to make a landing to repair (which means that while he survived someone shooting at him, he is a visibly limping target and an easy kill. An enemy plane may not be too far behind).
2. There is an enemy plane heading in that direction, and your ally has given chase.
Keeping that in mind, you should be able to anticipate a spot appearing in the sky with no icon and then you can wait until they come into range (They should not know you're there until you take damage, or unless the have good eyes as long as you don't fire). After that, light the skies and happy hunting. Few pilots, even skilled ones, can't survive for very long once caught in the net of Flak cannon, even if it's only one gun.
After that, I've seen a few other things that you need to worry over. A plane that drops a bomb over you (which is just something that can't be solved without shooting down the plane anyway.) and a jumper. I've seen several planes jump onto a carrier, all in different ways.
Personally, this is not a tactic. There is no specific reward for doing this tactic, besides slowing down the enemy respawn (which makes this a spawn kill, deal with it.) Also, the worst part about this is that a successful player who can keep killing pilots before they can take off is essentially killing off points that other players can benefit from, and instead the points are wasted on nobody. While this might not matter to someone who is already at full rank, consider other people on the team before you get bumped into the ocean.
There is only one moment, that I can think of currently, in which this is acceptable: being over enemy territory in a plane with her warning lights on. In which case, the best to do would be to parachute on their carrier and hope for the best, which would entail getting on one of their planes and flying out of there as quickly as possible. Difficult I know, but still your best option if you want to keep living when there are several planes shooting at you and you're just in the wrong place.
Ok, now back to the fun stuff.
I've given some advice on attacking, but what if you're the one being attacked? Well if you're attacking someone while being attacked, you might be screwed. Even if you gun it and turn away from the guy on your tail, you'll only put yourself in a position where he's more likely to hit you by spraying bullets in your flight path and having you run into them.
At this point, it's a good idea to try that button that lets you look behind you, if only for a second. If he's far away, stay straight until you get to a landmass you can use for cover, and spin around while yawing in order to make yourself a more difficult target. Also, lower your altitude and start skimming the water. It makes things harder on the both of you, but he's shooting while your just dodging. Once you get to a landmass, turn into it and cut your engine slightly to turn better before moving around the island as quickly as you can. If you don't lose him, you can at least stall for time by swinging around the island until someone shoots him down for you. Just note, if someones got you by the tail, you won't be able to defeat him unless you do something remarkable (like cutting your engine as he pulls up right behind you, so you fly over him) or he does something silly. The planes here are relatively equal in strength, with few variations. And you can't pull on the stick any less harder than the other player chasing after you.
It's hard to lose another player, especially since the controls for this game are much simpler than that of an actual fighter plane in World War II. But little can be done about this.
Besides that, I don't think I can give you anymore advice. Experience will probably be key after listening to all this jargon, and you might find that some or all of what I say is wrong. But hey, it'll be worth it to find out if writing all this was worth it in the end. If you've got anything to say, or any questions, let me know.
If you want to add me as a friend and we can fly together on Battlefield 1943, my PSN is Pilotace.
-See you
EXP!!!
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