Frateras, on 29 April 2020 - 08:18 PM, said:
We agree that light fighters should not attack ground targets if there are flying targets on base. I sometimes did so when all the targets in the air were killed and I don't want to wait in the AA fire for new ones. just to keep the AAs down. They guns in the mid can be destroyed even by light fighters and I often got the impression that I could make the last missing points with. Meanwhile I almost leave that base and fly to the next one. It's more effective I think. What I don't understand when planes without bombs, rockets or 37 mm guns attack a factory plant. They are just a target for the AA and might prevent the capturing when they got shot. We got the issue, that we have many pilots with light fighter that got no chance in a AtoA combat. (Many HF or Multiroles can't dogfight too, but they have strong guns with far range and can kill a light fighter easily when they surprise it.) Somewhere this new pilots have to fly and make some points. I don't think they like to hear permanently - go fly in a low tier -. especially because many experienced pilots have specialized themselves for the lower tiers. So it's sometimes more easy to make points in the higher or middle tiers. The only possible strategy does not exist. It's almost a mix of many tactics regarding changing circumstances. So there are reasons for "wrong" strategies and there is not enough communication in a game to discuss that. So might be flights with experienced pilots and beginners would help. Something like a mentoring system.
I'd like to adress two points that you're making here.
1) Killing the AA gun with any plane you're flying, after all aerial targets are eliminated, is a sound choice. Mind you - after other threats are eliminated. I am amazed by people plinking at GTs while there are ADA on their tail, not to mention red team planes. This is very close to plain stupidity, it's like trying to blow out a candle while your house is on fire. Moreover, taking out the AA gun itself removes the threat, one does not have to try and blow up the neighbouring bunkers using LF's light machine guns (quickstart guide, remember - early fighters have just too puny firepower). So the best thing to do when approaching a sector you want to cap is to first eliminate aerial threats, then either move on or maybe strafe the guns alone - but if it's a contested sector, you will have another aerial threat (this equals capture points) faster than trying to snuff out some GTs; the mistake made by many people is ignoring the aerial targets and threats, while trying to bomb something, and that's a very fast way both to the respawn queue and a sector lost. When attacking e.g. missile base in a fragile LF, especially when you're bottom tier (meaning that AA is one tier higher than you, dealing more damage) it's better to kill the two ADA as fast as possible, and then just getting out of there if there are no other aerial targets. New players trying to strafe GTs are more likely to crash into them than to effectively destroy those GTs; leave GTs for the so called 'PvE planes' (so GAA and bombers), stick to what your plane does best.
2) ANY damage done to other planes (neutral or enemy) is worth more than damage done to GTs, for any class. Moreover, even when you start flying mid and high tier planes, armed with high calibre guns, it does not make you more effective against GTs. There are hidden stats concerning particular resistances (e.g. fire resistance, explosion resistance), and hidden stats for cannons. A 37mm cannon of a Yak is NOT as effective versus armoured GT as a 37mm IL cannon (if you want analogy, think of different types of ammo loaded - you need High Explosive ammo to kill planes, but need more of Armour Piercing stuff if you want to blow up steel bunkers or steel bridges - again, I'm simplifying). Non-PvE planes are always better off doing air-to-air combat, even if they die in the process, because of xp/silver gains associated with different types of targets. Even if you ram another plane, you will get the xp/silver for a kill (and capture points), while crashing into a GT will only make you look silly (and I have a Pavlov's reaction of pressing F8 immediately when I see a crash notification - 'Good job, good job...'). The fact that one's plane is not meta, or is not Elite, does NOT mean it's useless, does NOT mean it will not get aerial kills, does NOT mean one is powerless. Learn how to recognize bots, improve your gunnery, and just wipe out higher tier bots with your puny stock I-16 (late) for massive experience and monetary gains; it's totally doable, and much more enjoyable than just... peppering some bunkers with your peashooters...
Most of the time the issues are not about the planes, it's about how are they used. And that's the topic I'm writing about (probably too much) here.