The Flash man

[Bandit LOAF]

How many good ConFed pilots lost their lives one way or another through Maniac's flying? Catscratch almost did, depending on how you faired in that mission.

I think you're making a mistake in thinking that because Maniac serves as comic relief that he must therefore be incompetant or dangerous. In the final analysis, he was unquestionably one of the Confederation's most notable war heroes. He's recognized, next to Blair, as being one of the war's two finest ace pilots... and unlike Blair, he served in combat roles regularly from his Academy graduation through the Nephilim invasion. Even the Temblor Bomb mission would not have succeded without Maniac covering Blair's wing. He's a very, very important guy.

Catscratch was endangered for *immitating* Maniac, not because Maniac put him in some particularly dangerous situation and abandoned him. I'm pretty sure I can go out and get myself killed trying to act like John Wayne -- but that shouldn't reflect poorly on the Duke.

(And, of course, the pedant would point out that Catscratch was *not* a ConFed pilot at that point in WC4...)

Several of his "Wild Eagles" test-pilot squadron did, didn't they?

Only one Wild Eagle died in Special Operations 2 (not counting Minx), and it had nothing to do with Maniac. Crossbones was killed by a bomb on the Concordia's flight deck.

 

[KoN21]

In a sense Maniac was one hell of a pilot... doubtful that any cats or bugs could take him alone. Then again, in missions that required reliability and competence, such a escort missions, was maniac really a help?
In most of the WCs he hardly responds to any command other than break and attack. A good pilot heeds all commands to get the job done. While someone is out showboating, a transport is getting torpedoed. Escort missions aren't always about straight dogfighting. Often you have to sacrifice yourself and draw cover, more than you can handle, to save your escorts.

Based on his flight in WC1-WCP, Maniac just doesn't seem like the kind of pilot who could sacrifice.

 

[Vinman]

In a sense Maniac was one hell of a pilot... doubtful that any cats or bugs could take him alone. Then again, in missions that required reliability and competence, such a escort missions, was maniac really a help?
In most of the WCs he hardly responds to any command other than break and attack. A good pilot heeds all commands to get the job done. While someone is out showboating, a transport is getting torpedoed. Escort missions aren't always about straight dogfighting. Often you have to sacrifice yourself and draw cover, more than you can handle, to save your escorts.

Based on his flight in WC1-WCP, Maniac just doesn't seem like the kind of pilot who could sacrifice.

On a strike, he's quite an asset, but during an escort mission, he's dangerous.

I think that's why everyone likes Hobbes so much, he'd do exactly what you wanted him to do and he'd do it really well. He was like a fire and forget weapon, you just cut him loose and trust that he wouldn't get himself in trouble.

 

[Death]

Except when the fucker thinks that your ship works like a lens to concentrate his laser fire on his target...

(Granted, Maniac had the same problem. )

 

[McGruff]

Keep in mind Hobbes was a sleeper agent. He was probably trying to nail you on purpose. "I am deeply sorry for atomizing you my friend". I'm sure.

Of course with you out of the way, Maniac's #1 rival is eliminated and in his maniacal mind, he'll now get that long overdue promotion. Now that I think of it, Blair really couldn't turn his back on his "friends" for a second.

 

[Dougly]

I think you're making a mistake in thinking that because Maniac serves as comic relief that he must therefore be incompetant or dangerous. In the final analysis, he was unquestionably one of the Confederation's most notable war heroes.

I'm sure the crew of that Confed transport that Maniac blew up during WCI might disagree with that analysis.

Seriously... I can understand that Maniac was an excellent flyer and a notable war hero. And, I also feel that, in the years following the Vega campaign, he did more than enough to make up for the friendly transport he brought down.

Nevertheless, there are honestly very few missions where I think I'd want the guy flying on my wing. In the WC I Strategy Guide, Blair/LaFong was so angry after flying with Maniac for the first time that he wanted him to face a court martial... Precisely because Maniac disobeyed a direct order, and potentially put his wing commander at risk.

When I'm in a dangerous situation, I want someone on my wing who I know I can count on to follow orders. Not someone who's just going to peel off and do his own thing the second he feels like it.

 

[Bandit LOAF]

I'm sure the crew of that Confed transport that Maniac blew up during WCI might disagree with that analysis.

The whole story is that Maniac fired a missile which accidentally locked onto a transport and damaged it... and then the Kilrathi quickly finished it off. As much as everyone wants to rag on Maniac, even super-critical 'LaFong' recognized that this was in no way Maniac's fault.

As for disobeying orders, it's the pot calling the kettle black -- Blair made a career out of doing *exactly* that, sometimes simply for personal glory (K'Tithrak Mang, for instance).

 

[McGruff]

The difference being that Blair doesn't blatantly put other lives in jeopardy when he picks and chooses to disobey orders. Maniac does it routinely as a matter of habit.

 

[Quarto]

The difference being that Blair doesn't blatantly put other lives in jeopardy when he picks and chooses to disobey orders. Maniac does it routinely as a matter of habit.

Like the time he didn't put the lives of his turret gunners in jeopardy by going after Stingray's ejection pod when he'd been specifically told it was too dangerous? Or the time he didn't put the lives of the Concordia's crew in jeopardy by attacking the enemy headquarters solo, thereby putting himself in a situation where ejection would have given the Kilrathi a prisoner with complete knowledge of the strike force's planned route, composition, schedule, et cetera?

And heck, we're talking about the guy who, after nearly ten years of retirement and desk job duties decides he's going to help Casey by flying as his wingman. Not exactly Mr. Responsible on that occasion, either - an ageing earthworm that hadn't seen the inside of a fighter for years was more likely to put Casey at risk than save his life.

All in all, Blair was as full of it as Maniac - the only reason he got to achieve more and be the big hero was simply because he was the player character for most of his career, so somehow he always ended up with the cushy assignments.

 

[Bandit LOAF]

I couldn't make the point any better myself.

In all our frothing at the mouth to turn the comic relief into a villain, remember that Blair himself said that Maniac always came through when it mattered. Yes, it sucks that he won't form on your wing in the original game when you're trying to get every kill for yourself... but that doesn't make him a bad person.