Either we have some 3D chess trolls in Air RB or a lot of folks don’t seem to understand playing to your strengths and trying to win a match (? can’t imagine how that would be controversial to anyone with braincells).
I’m not posting this thread after one game, I’m posting this after years of noticing this pattern amongst many players. It happens at least once per night playing this game just trying to play to my plane’s strengths, or play properly, or not be suicidal, etc etc.
Scenario 1: you’re 1v5.
“RUN AWAY COWARD, OOOOOOH YOU’RE SUCH A COWARD, RUN AWAY FROM 5V1 YOU COWARD”
Why would I 1v5 when I’m in a plane that can disengage safely from it. I’d have to be stupid to do that? We can’t all pull Defyn-video level plays every match especially in non-dogfighting/suboptimal planes in suboptimal positions, sometimes it’s best to re-engage later, or J out on AF safely and try again next match which brings me to the next:
Scenario 2: you’ve noticed the match is practically over for your team, so you’re going to airfield in order to J out so that you don’t acquire a death/lose SL (not that I need it, but why not do this)
“OOOOH HE’S CAMPING THE AIRFIELD, COME AND 1v5 US YOU COWARD, OOOOOOOH I’M REALLY DUMB OOOOOHHHHH”
why would I do that???
2.5: people who vulture/hover over your airfield thinking you don’t see them, who proceed to get emotionally activated when you start climbing without leaving the AF, as if you’re expected to engage their high-energy state in a better plane, and if you don’t it somehow makes you a “coward”. I am literally just trying to even the playing field … … how do you even come to this conclusion as a rational person
Scenario 3: you’re in a 190D (or any comparable plane) vs a p51H or comparable designated turnfighter, literally the best prop in the game vs your off-meta boom n zoom plane.
“NOT TURNFIGHTING ME? GOING IN A STRAIGHT LINE TO RE-ENGAGE LATER? WHAT ARE YOU, A COWARD? COME BACK AND TURNFIGHT ME SO I CAN EASILY WIN BECAUSE MY PLANE IS WAY BETTER AT DOGFIGHTING”
you’d have to actually be stupid to expect anyone to do this for you
tl;dr we should culturally enforce ppl not being this painfully daft
90% of the time people dont go to their airfield to J out regardless of how many people are left on their team in my experience, but yeah other than you overexaggerating a little I agree that theres some cultural issues in warthunder
I am not sure if you are on the right track regarding “culture” - i see this more as an age and IQ related issue. So you are surrounded by clueless kids and plain stupid adults - it is therefore no wonder why they act like you described, which i can confirm,; there is no exaggerating.
The only really cultural thing i noticed is that certain regions / countries excel in team killing each other - often accompanied by verbal exchanges in chat in languages i can’t read.
My personal highlight was a 3 vs 13 match a year or two ago on Hokkaido. Gaijin had for a few days (like way too often) massive server issues and a hell of people could not even spawn - so the game was a 3 vs 13 right from the start.
Long story short:
My two team mates were able to crash in a head.on (Ki-108 vs 410) or decided to attack the least dangerous enemy in a Stirling (XP-50) turning a 3 vs 13 into a 2 vs 11.
I flew a B7A2 and decided to kill a base, rtb, land and leave. My superbrain XP-50 was (ofc) damaged by the Sterling, got hunted by their whole team and tried to land desperately - i came back at high alt and tried (undamaged) to land and leave.
Whilst we tried to land 7 of the enemies died to af aaa - leaving us in a 2 vs 4. My XP-50 repaired, took off and decided to trade with a (previously damaged by af aaa) Sakeen in a head-on (lmao).
I killed the last 3 guys rather easy.
Especially during grinding events you see even more clueless guys.
people just no longer actually want to stay alive in the game, and play far too risky, including taking far more headons
there needs to be better incentive for staying alive and consistently doing a bit rather than doing 1 thing a dying instantly
(technically there is as most RP comes from time played but people seem to not care enough or just not know how much more you can get from just being alive)
Imho you have to distinguish between new players, new players with passion and veteran players and veteran players with passion.
At least at prop BRs there is no incentive to learn anything about ACM; most players fly with auto pilot (=mouse aim) and are driven by the need to get instant gratification - head-ons are usually their only tool.
There is from my pov no need for further incentives. Passionate players are aware of how the game works - and the others are either not able or not willing to invest time in learning how to play and how to improve.
Staying alive on its own is worthless if you haven’t scored earlier in the match - or if you are not good enough to score late game.
Also, if its a 1v5 and youre prolonging the match flying along the edge of map for 20 minutes instead of just taking the head-on I think that’s a you problem. Commit to a fight, take one or two fighters with you for the RP/SL, and try again next match instead of wastkng everyone’s time.
I think you are taking this game too seriously. Most of the players who engage in the chat are kids. Don’t bother… Do your thing and play the game however you want as long as you don’t break the rules.
Really this isn’t some sort of special culture unique to War Thunder; it’s just how general toxic gamers and impatient juveniles act on average. It’s just how it’s expressed through War Thunder.