I've been thinking about what makes an Ace, and whether or not ships are always Aces, or if the match-up determines whether a pilot is an Ace or not.
Example: A lot of pilots with Ace-like abilities are stuck at I4, falling into a kind of no-man's land between the low- and high-Initiative ships.
On 10/31/2019 at 1:44 AM, Stryker359 said:I've been thinking about what makes an Ace, and whether or not ships are always Aces, or if the match-up determines whether a pilot is an Ace or not.
Example: A lot of pilots with Ace-like abilities are stuck at I4, falling into a kind of no-man's land between the low- and high-Initiative ships.
I agree that the definition of an Ace is muddy and uncertain. However, if I was to add my two cents, I think the key would be some level of mobility (I'd say T-65 and better) along with some reactionary abilities that allow the Ace to dictate their own rules of engagement (some degree of arc-dodging where desired). This technically could mean that an I2 pilot in a mobile ship would be an Ace in a game versus all I1 ships, but the same wouldn't apply against similarly mobile ship with a higher Initiative count. One can't be sure what the opponent fields, so this criteria isn't very precise.
By control of engagement, I don't necessarily mean high Initiative score. For example, Saesee Tiin (I4 Delta-7) with R2-A6 and Sense upgrades could technically be an Ace by virtue of being able to see and react to higher-Initiative pilots' efforts, whether changing his own course or causing nearby allies to block an ace by altering their dial. Then again, ships with Coordinate (like AP-5) wouldn't feel right when called Aces, so again, the criteria isn't precise here either. Likewise, I would hesitate to consider Initiative 6 Anakin in Y-Wing an ace, even with SNR or Precognitive Reflexes, just by the fact that an Y-Wing is a very clunky ship to fly and has very few options of avoiding fire and can be blocked far more easily than an average Ace.
I'm basing this assessment on what determines an Ace in real life. It's true that while the criteria was 'shoot down X amount of planes', it was usually achievable not only by smart flying, but even being in an engagement in the first place, which wasn't that common for most pilots. However, what put Aces above typical pilots was, I would say, their ability to dictate the flow of combat on their own ground - bushwhackers would make use of sneak-and-shoot approach and hide behind obstacles, steamrollers would rain fire until one of the countless shots finally lands, pluggers would annoy and distract enemies by forcing them to waste time on pointless chases, and so on.
So in general, I agree that it's very hard to get to the essence of what an Ace here is
But I do feel that mobility and a certain level of control/arc-dodge would be the two main aspects when considering whether someone is an Ace or not
EDIT: Typo
Edited by TedWactually in one word: Anakim.
Honestly, I'm leaning towards the idea that an "ace" is entirely dependent on who's flying the ship. Luke and Wedge are considered extremely good Aces, but I have mixed luck with them. Can you consider a B-Wing pilot to be an "ace" I don't know. I was running Nein Numb, but I'm having more luck with other B-Wing pilots. The ship lacks the maneuverability and speed of commonly considered Aces, but if played right it can be devastating. And the pilot abilities of the various named B-Wing pilots can turn the drawback of most maneuvers being red into an advantage.
And to be honest, I'm starting to prefer having the lower initiative values. Sure, it means my ships fire last. But it also means I can maneuver without worrying as much about being out guessed. In fact, I've been finding it easier to get good positioning by moving first, and being able to guess what my opponent is likely to do so I can counter it in advance. Such as just yesterday when I managed to outguess a friend, and blocked his Tie Advanced's K-Turn with a ship I'd positioned to do that while getting a shot on where I anticipated his Reaper would be going. I turned out to be right about where my friend was going with his Reaper since I've flown against them more then my friend has used his. He had ended up misjudging clearances and where he'd end up, while I guessed accurately enough what he'd attempt that my Blue Escort was able to get a Bullseye shot in with Predator. And of course Vader was unable to fire a single shot off since the only thing in range was my Blue Escort, who he'd bumped.
Are the generic T65 X-Wing pilots "aces"? Not according to conventional wisdom. But I was able to play mine well enough to qualify as an Ace for the match.