Now, I don't have some crazy good KDR but there are some things that I know that can help some of you newer players get adjusted to life in the big leagues (blue servers).
This is more or less a lengthy response to this thread:
http://boardsus.playstation.com/playstation/board/
If you are going to play Warhawk I recommend that you play it with the intention of completing it 100% which means learning how to use all weapons and vehicles appropriately.
LEARNING THE GAME:
My first suggestion is to become a sniper. When I first picked up this game I had the hardest time getting used to the speed in which Warhawk's intense combat conducted itself. During baserapes I would spastically run around homebase picking up weapons like rifles and grenades just to get TOWd so hard my body would end up under the map. (true story) For the first 100 hours or so of gameplay I didn't even know that the rifle had an Auto-Lock feature.. 
Because of this, I started sniping. This means using both the sniper rifle and the binocs as frequently as possible. I found that I could hide myself in spots which protected my vulnerability as a noob. I think it was probably the best decision I made as a new player. Through a scope you will see many remarkable things. The most important advantage, as you make your way towards achieving your Warhawk Sniper Badge, is that you learn how OTHER people play this game. You learn what ladders to watch, which planes to damage and the general layout of how the enemy is advancing (how many people are spawing at each base). No matter the map or game mode, as long as you pay attention, you will learn what is safe to do and what will get you killed. Don't just snipe for yourself though.
Keep a team oriented perspective and alway watch out for:
*flag carriers
*mines
*airmines
*people who sit around base poles trying to steal territory
*other snipers
With sniping ALONE I transformed my KDR from a 1.18 to a 1.76 (the highest KDR I've achieved). This isn't a particulary high KDR but the result is that I enjoy the majority of my games because I was able to kill more than I am killed.
Unless you get really good with a sniper rifle, I would suggest avoiding ZONES. You will not be as much of an effective Team Player in this mode. Stick to CTF and TDM. Do this and I guarantee that by the time you have achieved your Warhawk Sniper Badge, you will be versed enough in the basic pattern of combat Warhawk has to offer to successfully assess each situation as it comes to you during fast gameplay and react accordingly.
Where you go from here is up to you but I would encourage you New Guys/Gals to focus on each weapon at time. You'll probably die a lot during the course of this adventure but the point is to learn what works and what doesn't work for certain locations/scenerios. By focusing on each particular weapon at a time, you've eliminated the confusion about what to do next when encountering an enemy. One less decision you have to make increases your reaction time and thus makes you more efficient and stronger.
MINES:
Get them and use them. Nothing balances a failing KDR like 4 extra mine kills. Mines could be the difference between having a good KDR and getting the Distinguished Assault ribbon. Use them on sandbags. Make sure that you place them so that the lazer line points horizontally instead of vertically (straight up and down). This makes them harder to see by passing jeeps and troops.
DO:
Place mines around corners from pickups
Place mines where people like to jump down from an upper level
Place mines in rocky areas or sandbags and boxes around Flags
Place mines on the skinny part of a base pole (upper part: kills incoming Warhawks who want to steal your base)
Place mines UNDER vehicles
DO NOT:
Place mines in the open, in the middle of the road
Place mines ON vehicles (your team-mates may need to steal a vehicle for a quick escape)
Place two or more mines directly on top of each other
WARHAWKS:
Try spending a few rounds not caring about being offensive. Don't worry about getting kills at all. Instead, fly outnumbered and spend all your energy on learning how to dodge. I know this sounds dumb but while sometimes the best defense is a good offense, other times its the other way around. Flying defensively means learning how to outlast your opponents. Weapons aren't infinite and the enemy knows that pick ups are essential if they want to kill you quickly and without MGs. Fly around and steal pickups like LG and Homing while dodging as much as possible. Once you feel comfortable dodging a succession of 15 + swarms and even some Homing shots you'll notice how much you've improved.
Do not steal warhawks from your team. If you get into a Warhawk make sure your sole intention is to fly, either as a budding ACE or as just a distraction. Do not fly your team's warhawks into the enemy base and leave them. When you hurt your team like that, you end up hurting yourself. This is the #1 mistake I see new players making as they scramble to capture flags.
@ Adam: Tanking is good but it still involves players in a more hectic form of gameplay. It makes you an easy target for Generals who are working on their A2G badges and players like RMT who are looking for as much bang for their buck when using Binocs. Snipers are only generally targeted by other snipers and victims of sniper kills. A good sniper also learns how to use the entirety of the map over time, a benefit that isn't shared by a tank.
@ Chemical Groom: Vaporfield is definitely not a good sniping map (although there are some pretty amazing locations to snipe from that few people use) but Badlands is actually a PERFECT map for following my tactics. With two Binoc spawns in the middle accompanied by two Sniper spawns, Badlands is set up in such a way that defending and taking bases on either side of Center becomes a great learning opportunity for either of these two weapons. As far as KDR goes, unless your job is a Flag Carrier KDR MATTERS! If you aren't killing, then you aren't stopping enemy advancement. Sure there are scenerios where you can stop advancement AND die but you'll most likely succeed as a team if everyone is coming out on top of their personal battles.
@ Brainzy: I would platinum Dead Space if your hippy ass would send it back to me.
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