New gameplay objectives

[oTRALFZo]

The never ending controversy of what this game is supposed to be between furballers and basetakers only feeds it's own fire everytime the debate is brought up. Some people want to rule the map and some want to rule the sky. You have to admit that the dynamics of both styles of play actualy make the game what it is and you cant have one without the other no matter how hard you look.

There is no debate on the fact that you basetakers out there need guys that are willing to defend or your game will rapidly just die off out of mere boredom. You furballers need basetakers or this game would be nothing but guys flying 30k above their feild with no will or need to enter at sort of disadvantage. These days to survive in the MAs, you almost HAVE to have some sort of advantage if you plan on having any sort of fun either by numbers, suprise attack or whatever.

Like it or not, ENY is a genious system that is put into place preventing this game from being AIRQUAKEII. We also have a perk point system that encourages people to use their skill to fly "inferior" types of planes, GVs.

To the new customer, the 2 weeker that comes in to try this game in the MAs understandably has to suffer a long tedious process of self training to get anything done. I dont blame them one bit to want to fly in the comfort of many other freindlies. Agreed that some guys leave their comfort zone sooner than others, but most never the desire to put themselves at a constant disadvantage because we can all agree its not fun.

My question to HTC and the community is: Is there any system that we can put into place that rewards people that put themselves in a disadvantage and overcomes? Just a shot in the dark here but would it be feasable to have say a "Interceptor" category on the AH page that is devoted to the guys that like defending? Perhaps coding the game in a way that if you come within 2k of red guys with less green guys earns your name in lights "XXX landed 4 victories and survived a 2vs1"? By no means am I computer programer so I have no clue on this. I just would like to hear people's oppinion.

[cobia38]

 quite sure we allready know who the peeps that like to defend vs those who like to horde are 

[RTHolmes]

Is there any system that we can put into place that rewards people that put themselves in a disadvantage and overcomes?

yes there is - a local points/perks modifier.

currently there is a Perk Point Bonus modifier (B_country) for damage points or perks (P) which depends on ENY, so:

P_awarded = B_country x P

just add a local modifier (B_local) which is the ratio of enemies/friendlies within eg. icon range, so:

P_awarded = B_local x B_country x P

if you get a kill and/or score damage in a 1v1, 2v2 etc, you'll get the same perks/points as you do now.
if you're outnumbered 1v2, 2v4 etc, you get double the perks/points.
if you're hording 10v1, you get ¹/₁₀ the perks/points.

simples.

[1Boner]

My opinion?

The game is fine the way it is.

[waystin2]

You mentioned the sides that are most extreme in these issues, the furballers and the base-takers.  Most of us are quite happy middle of the road fur-takers(lol) or base-ballers!

[sunfan1121]

I like the idea, but it has some flaws. What if you have a 10 year vet taking on 2 week noobs? The 10 year vet probably still has a slight advantage even if he's outnumbered. What about if it's 4v1, but I have an altitude advantage and I'm in a K4? I can keep climbing all day long and control the fight. I still have the tactical advantage even if they have superior numbers. A cookie cutter eny based on how many people your going against won't ever work because every engagement is different.

[RTHolmes]

sure, the local bonus only accounts for numbers advantage, not tactical advantage. it isnt perfect, but it is better.

in your example it will be harder to get a kill 1v4 than 1v1, so you get more reward.

[Yeager]

Here is an idea: have an arena progression plan for the 2 weekers/noobs.  Start em off in EW, after a few days transfer em to MW, and once they have their wings attached ship em off to the meat grinder, LW.

[ghi]

The average player in MA enjoys both sides of the game furballing and taking bases/or defending. After the changes over past years ( arena split, arena closed every 12 hours ,.....), the pure score/ furballer/land 100s of kills style, still has fun, but...... there's absolutely no reward or fun for basetakers because it's close to impossible to reach their goal and  win the war. I didn't see a map reset for long time;imop  the map reset %  should be reduced from 40% to 20% and let all paying customers have fun, not only one category; and what's bad in having maps changing more often?

[Lusche]

arena split, maps resetting every 12 hours ,.....)

maps do not reset every 12h.

[Wiley]

yes there is - a local points/perks modifier.

currently there is a Perk Point Bonus modifier (B_country) for damage points or perks (P) which depends on ENY, so:

P_awarded = B_country x P

just add a local modifier (B_local) which is the ratio of enemies/friendlies within eg. icon range, so:

P_awarded = B_local x B_country x P

if you get a kill and/or score damage in a 1v1, 2v2 etc, you'll get the same perks/points as you do now.
if you're outnumbered 1v2, 2v4 etc, you get double the perks/points.
if you're hording 10v1, you get ¹/₁₀ the perks/points.

simples.

That's an idea, it would encourage people to go in at a disadvantage, but I think the math might need a bit of tweaking.

For example, let's take the extreme.  Suppose I'm cruising along in my P47D-11 (eny 30 iirc) o'doom at altitude and I happen across a flock of 5 ponies on the deck, having just finished hording a couple of friendlies.  Fortunately for me, their BnZ defense is weak, and I manage to kill a couple of them.

So we plug the appropriate values into the formula,

P_awarded = 5 x 1 x 6 = 30 for the first one, and 4 x 1 x 6 = 24 for the second.

54 perks for a few minutes' work seems a bit on the high side.  It'd get even worse if you start having country modifier stacking with that.  Even moreso if you factor in landing bonus.  Just with landing bonus, 67.5.  With landing bonus and a 1.25 'we're outnumbered' modifier, you're looking at over 84 points.

Seems a bit excessive to me.

Edit:  The other thing to think about is, how would that modify peoples' gameplay style?  It greatly encourages base defense, and greatly discourages hording a base to vulch.  It also gives guys that are so inclined another reason to whine on range, because people 'came into their area and ruined their perk farming'.

It's interesting to consider how it would affect tactics and gameplay.  I wonder how many people have perks as a main driving force?  I know farming perks is fairly important to me because I like to fly a jet now and again, but am not very good at it. <g>  I also haven't been around long enough to rack up a metric buttload of perks.

Perhaps having that modifier, tweaked a bit or capped at 3x or something along those lines, and applied to perks as well as score might change how a lot of people fly.  Again, I'm just not sure how many are actually influenced by the numbers counting up and how to maximize them.  I'm guessing it probably wouldn't affect the win the war people all that much, I'd guess it might affect people who like to furball moreso.

Wiley.

[JUGgler]

Not so sure any of what I said was relivent!  sorry



JUGgler

[LCADolby]

For some, intercepting a horde of 2 weeker Jabos is almost easy mode.
I see no reason to change the perk system to break up those grouped 'targets'. They may eventually take the base but the interceptors can often take home 10 perks at a time if they fly smartly, bagging a few victories and RTB.

(Jug, I think increased ack will only promote the weaklings to run to it more)

[JUGgler]

RTB.

(Jug, I think increased ack will only promote the weaklings to run to it more)

This is true!


How about a forcefield around my plane till I reach 200' and 200 mph   


JUGgler

[Doctahg]

Now that i have been here for 5 weeks or so, i am used to the game, but i did like the way Fighter Ace handed the discrepany in ranks better..It felt more rewarding to score better against  a top player than a noob, and made it wrth wile as well.  Of course you needed to know the 8new toons* that were really pros, but that was easy..