Piloting Flaw

frostytheplebe

Seventh Part of the Seal
Hey everyone, I was just wondering what, if anything was your worst flaw as a pilot in Wing Commander, something you really wish you could change.

Me? I abuse the afterburners like crazy. Once they're gone, I usually get in to trouble. I rarely get blasted, but thats when I have my closest calls. I fair well in light fighters- Medium fighters. Heavier fighters scare me, they run dry too quickly. Bombers aren't my thing mobility over armor any day of the week. Most of my moves require afterburners, so w/o them, I'm just a basic pilot (which sucks for me). I guess you could call me an interceptor; fast, deadly, but not built for prolonged battles, go in, get out quick, anything more then that, kills me.
 
I have tunnel vision.. NEVER take me on in a one-on-one fight. but if I get tag teamed I follow the leader to the point of suicidalness.
 
never matching speed. This is a problem in WC1 and WC2 when even a slight collision is likely to rip off all of your front armor in anything less than a Broadsword.
 
I have a tendency to attack the enemy from the front. I sort of assume my guns have better range and that I can get a few hits in before my shields go down, but I often take a good deal of damage anyway. Seeing a heap of damage on the armor screen is pretty good as keeping me from trying it again.

I'm also pretty bad about avoiding missiles, WC4 was a real pain.
 
I'm also pretty bad about avoiding missiles, WC4 was a real pain.

I always thought Prophecy was worst...it seemed like anytime I got hit by a missile on WCP or SO it was a one-hit-kill, though my missiles never seemed to have that affect on anything I was shooting at. But then, I always felt like I faced less enemies that fired missiles at me in WCP.

More realistic I suppose, but annoying none the less.

My biggest flaw is shooting my own ships - they always get in the way! Either the carrier, or the other fighters trying to steal my kill! (Okay, I'm stealing their's!) That and friendly fire. I seem to attract that stuff like moths to the flame. Nothing gets me moving more then flashing by my carrier at 420 kps hot on the tail of some alien intent on blowing up my home base, but at the same time, it's a good way to catch some of that Anti-Fighter Artillery! (Especially the Cerberus - Yikes! I can't count how many times that BFG holed my fighter!)
 
I guess my biggest flaw is that I don't really have any fancy flying...AB straight for it, tail it and shoot it. I rarely pull off anything more fancy than a Shelton slide.
And of course that I am flying very little at the moment.
 
I am the same as frostytheplebe mostly. Standard armament in Starlancer? As many extra fuel tanks as possible - screw missiles.
Only difference is that I am very good in bombers as well. So basically either give me speed (in that case you can forget about shields, armor or maneuverability) or give me a tank.
 
In WC2? Getting too smart with the afterburners in the Epee for my own good and becoming a splatter on the rear turret windshield of a Grikath on multiple occasions.
 
In WC2? Getting too smart with the afterburners in the Epee for my own good and becoming a splatter on the rear turret windshield of a Grikath on multiple occasions.

I always thought doing anything in the Epee ended that way. :p I love what was said early... i think Loaf said it best... "Its incredible how so many strategies have been developed for this fighter when you only fly it in a handful of missions."
 
In Standoff, sometimes I get a little too greedy/stubborn.

Instead of peeling off, I have a bad habit of staying on a target's tail even when I'm being shot from behind... for some reason I'm in a rush to get kills right then instead of coming back for a second go - this results in a lot of unwanted damage and/or getting fragged.
 
I'd sort of get in the same bit of trouble. Once I've got a target I won't pull away until it's dead, and that generally means staying right behind it long enough to get swarmed by whatever else isn't feeling friendly. Seems like every mission ends with a half-shattered cockpit canopy from pesky tail turrets. I suppose that's why I prefer heavy fighters. That extra defense and firepower is just what I need since I don't emphasize any slick manuevering (that plus I tend to accidently ram things whenever I'm in a light fighter). xD
 
I think my absolute biggest flaw was being a cadet for like over a year. Oh well, apparently I'm a 2nd Lieutenant now :D
 
My flaw is the inability to adjust to anything other than keyboard flight after years of keyboard using, I guess.
 
Ejecting. I have a tendency to eject in all the games if I get badly damaged, but in standoff it is the worst. I tend to eject the second I get 'Severe' and normally have to start over because the kilrathi have gotten me. D:
 
At least you'd have a chance to survive and fight another day. I daresay most others (myself included) just fight to the death. :)
 
- I NEVER eject. Not anymore, anyway. In the later games, it's very rare to get picked up by friendly SAR.

- I tend to get tunnel vision when attacking a capship gun. I just can't make myself pull out, especially when I'm **this close** to killing the gun.

- I use afterburners too liberally as well, but it gives you a much better fighting chance to survive and blow afterburner fuel another day. :D

- Flying anything heavy, I have way too much tendency to take 'em head on. In a lighter fighter, I'll dance, but heavy? I get that invulnerable feeling, and I usually end up taking lots 'o holes as a result...that is, if I'm not blown back to dust.
 
Back
Top