Sorry for this of topic reply but you could also make a post in the locker room for Dropships or vechicles in general, something like "The Bastion" for sentinels or "The Barbershop" for scouts

cool, ill drop by later...

but we dont really have wings do we?

Hope this takes off (pun intended), I've added your chat, hopefully more pilots will too.

I've been away a year, with brief logins, what the heck happened with Judge?

I have some questions

1. how would one go about improving there gun game with an ADS?

2. when do you prefer to use first and third person view?

3. what would you rate the weapons you can load on it and why?

Thanks! If you ever see me on I'll be more than willing to help out, answer questions, etc. I'm isually on about 00:00 Eve time (0800 PM EST).

Judge was a member of CPM0 (iirc) and basically just walked away, so he was kicked from his position.

1) Practice practice practice practice practice. After that more practice. When I started out, I liked to stay in the redline and pick a land feature or spot in a city and shoot at it. I'd simulate coming from different angles, different altitudes, orbiting, etc.

2) Depends on the situation, but usually 3rd. When assaulting the ground and for general flying I like 3rd because of the wide angle you get; it's easier to see targets and hazards. The ship does get in the way a bit but the passive scan chevron is usually visible, so I just aim a little below that. I use 1st person when doing anti-air fighting, especially with the Incubus, but sometimes it's necessary to toggle between the two.

As an aside, a lot of pilots want to be able to move the first person camera to look down and shoot people. I'm personally against this for various reasons.

3) I assume you mean turrets. On a Python you should always use missiles. Incubus can use missiles or rails, depending on if you want to kill infantry or vehicles. Blasters are bad on dropships because they need to be in close, which brings a dropship close to the ground and enemy fire. Side gunners should always use missiles because it's much easier to hit targets (unless you're just shooting vehicles, then rails are fine), but be careful that they dont hit the sides of the ship because the splash will kill them. Rails have fickle hit detection which is compounded with every little movement the dropship makes (eg when trying to keep still).

That's unfortunate about Judge, but real life does have a tendency to interfere, especially a managerial position like he held. Real life kept me mostly out of the game for the past year too, so I can't judge (no pun intended).

But I digress, are Incubi still the, well I guess Flavor Of The Month is an understatement, let's just go with Flavor of the Year. When I left, current TTP and weapon/tank balance made the Python only really usable against vehicles.

Do HAVs still provide area denial for an entire map, or can you survive long enough to maneuver if you're skilled?

It's a shame 1st Airborne is locked now, that's where I hung out the most, are there any channels up that are pilot heavy?

In time, I hope to get the flight school 'off the ground' (pun heavily intended) first and maybe try and build some sort of pilot community before doing something like that.

Call it "The Landing Pad". Also dropping in to see your guide, and.... shameless advertising!

But what if we want to be pilots and can't afford a mic...

Thanks! It would probably be better if I leave that sort of thing to someone more socially apt.

I was going to say I wish I saw your guide sooner, then I saw I was the first replier... Guess my memory is a bit rusty.

I'll link your guide in here and continue to add my own thoughts and experiences. Feel free to follow and add your advice and corrections to whatever I or others may write.

I'll have to personally test some of those.

-What do you mean precision fits?

-I've heard that isn't the case but I'll give it another look next time I play.

-I'm very biased against any non-AB fitted fit, but I'll give that one a try. Seems pretty tanky, but the AB avoiding damage should be the main tank of any DS, imo.

By precision fits, I mean ones that can passively pick up damped soldiers. I've tested them, they don't work anymore to my knowledge.

I personally have noticed it.

And the fit I gave you is mainly useful against swarm launchers. In most scenarios where an ADS is useful, it is counterproductive to spend so much time dodging swarms, so may as well tank it and kill him and hopefully friends he brought. And knowing swarms, that's going to happen.

Interesting. I've always wanted to try and devise some multiple ADS tactics with other pilots. If you're interested, we should try and develop formations and maneuvers sometime.

One thing as was thinking of with that fit you suggested and have it be a "bait" fit to id AV locations then have the other ADS swoop in and take them out.

Just a thought.

Any thoughts on a control scheme that would allow free/unlocked aim for the primary turret on adses? (shameless link to thread in the feedback section LINK)

I personally don't support the "free" primary turret idea, at least in first person mode. I'm perfectly content with the way things are and I think it's the optimal set up in general.