Combat Theatre Staff Interaction

[Mister Fork]

Before I ask a few questions, let me point out that the staff of the CT is not doing this job because we enjoy the position, it's because we enjoy and love the game. The CT staff has over fifteen years combined experience to provide historical setups balanced against gameplay. Believe it or not, we're here for you,  the CT players.

I am asking for all the players to answer the following questions without personal grudges.  

Question 1: What are your expectations from the CT staff?

Question 2: Why do you fly in the Combat Theatre and not in the Main Arena?

Please answer the questions in a constructive manner. We'll use this information in order to improve the customer service we provide to all the CT players.

[Tuck]

what do i expect from ct staffers?  ummm, keep things running (after ya put up with all the abuse and crap ya get. (it sux, but it happens.))  

second question is SUPER easy to answer, although it's 3 am, i'm sick and on drugs, so i may ramble....

i don't fly the ma, and haven't in exactly one year, due to the fact that i like more "historical" setups.  period.  NOW...what i mean by historical setup is not necessarily a certain battle/theater of the conflict with the appropriate planeset and all that per se (that means "in itself", basically, for you arlo.)  so far, these setups have been great overall  (even the pac setups...even though i, personally, detest them due to an aggressive case of no curiosity for that theater of operations (yeah yeah yeah...it was critical, i know that, still don't care for it as far as flight sims go, so there)).  real "historical" setups are great, and have a place in the ct without a doubt.  but i also  would consider a "setup" simply of "allied vs. axis" acceptable as well...in which it could more or less be a free-for-freaking-all, as it is in the ma, but the fights would not consist of, say for example, spit vs. spit, 109 vs. 109, zero vs. zero, OR u.s. built vs. u.s. built, german built vs. german built, etc., etc.  (yeah, i know there were situations where this happened...captured ac, pre-war sales of ac, blah blah blah), but that can be addressed in regular setups.  ya follow?

another aspect of the ct that has kept me there and away from the ma for the last year is the "number of teams" question that i've seen over and over again since i first started playing flight sims back in the awII days: why the F three teams?  i hate that.  simply, absolutely, makes me ill to think about it for some reason, hate it.  yeah yeah yeah, i've heard the reasons before...countless times, but i still hate it.  ya have three teams of knuckleheads, flying around in the same type of ac whacking the crap outta each other.  ooooooohhhhhhhhh.  that's fun.  i'm sorry, but i just can't get "mentally" into a setup where any ac goes and ya have more than one team to worry about.  i mean, i could go on more about this one...but why?  someone is just going to say something insulting about it, so i'll just leave it at that: 3 teams with all ac facing each other basically sucks and ruins any feeling of "immersion" that i need to get any enjoyment out of playing a flight sim.  (i felt the same way and *****ed about it from day one back in awII as well...so...)

i keep nodding off to sleep as i'm typing this load of crap...ie, my personal opinion, (i thought i'd go ahead and get that out there for ya arlo, because i know you'd try to attack the post in some way.), so i'm off to bed...again.  i could be a bit more specific on the biggest draw/drawback for the ct/ma, but in a nutshell, it's posted herein.

thanks for allowing me the opportunity to express my humble opinion...   (and i mean that sincerely.)  

[LtMagee]

Historical Historical Historical

Start early way, increase to late war.

Give us maps where we can fly the later planes that are seldom ever seen in the CT...again start early war and progress to late war. Limit base captures..if the map has a theme for the week then be there and CONTROL IT.....sorry, I am rambling

[Easyscor]

Question 1: What are your expectations from the CT staff?
Easy - To set up a balanced plane set using what’s available with neither side having too great an advantage.  That they'll ignore the handsomehunk whines and continue to do that job without ignoring legitimate gameplay suggestions.  I'll add I don’t think there are many people who could do the job without blowing a cork, S!
Question 2: Why do you fly in the Combat Theatre and not in the Main Arena?
Easy - The CT provides good plane sets for good fights.  My only complaints are there aren’t as many people as I’d like to see and the numbers have favored the Allies for at least a year now, except in Fin/Rus, so while I’d prefer to fly Allies I usually fly Axis to balance the numbers.  At least in the time slots I fly.

[artik]

Question 1: What are your expectations from the CT staff?

More ideas and to be more open minded for new different setups. I like BoB but.... I want sometimes something different (and BoB too ). I personally liked the Soccer War setup - maybe we only need more realistic terrains and skins historical - to make gameplay more historical.

Secondally to make setups ballanced (not that I want to tell that it is not heppens its ok most of the time).

Question 2: Why do you fly in the Combat Theatre and not in the Main Arena?

I do fly time to time at MA when there less then 8 players at CT


I like hostorical setups - more team work and hate MA dweebs that vulch, divebomb CVs with Lancasters or furball.
I like to write on the text to people I know and to hear ansvers when I come and write "Hello CT"

[Tuck]

artikmiester...from the times i've "talked" to ya during the game, ya seem like a helluva nice guy, but i have to take a freaking HUGE exception to the idea of non-wwII setups.  yup...several will/would like it, but this is a wwII sim...not a "soccer war" or "egypt vs. israel" sim.  

the reason i bring this difference of opinion up in this thread?  simple (going back to one of the original questions posed by forkster): i'd like to see ct staffers, if there are enough numbers of players willing  to participate in such a setup, do what ya gotta do to set it up (if, of course, the ct "powers" that be decide to do so.)...BUT ...allow those of us who don't like taking a trip into "let's stretch things way the F out there just to spice things up a bit" town the opportunity to stick with the norm.  ya know?    how could this be done?  well...(i know i'll be smacked around for this one) what about utilizing the training arena OR the special events arena to either host the "let's stretch things way the F out there just to spice things up a bit" setup or host the standard ct setup...whatever it may be decided upon.   because, let's face it...unless there is a magical time frame that i'm not aware of, the training arena is used by such a small number of players, no one would miss it (and i wouldn't worry about the newbies...most venture into the ma from the get  go anyhoo.)

eh, just a thought.  again...artik...and anyone else who likes that far out stuff.  no offense meant...not by a long shot.  just stating, again, my personal opinion and an option to consider (stick that...you window lickers who always say "it's easy to critize but ya never offer any advice/input" people   )

[Löwe]

Question 1.

 You guys usually live up to my expectations. A decent scenario thats is as historically accurate , and ballanced as possible. I expect you guys to thoughtfully consider input from players. I think you guys pretty well live up to my expectations of you. I think Brady should give the Corsair mafia their requested birds for once , but I have to admit . If I was attacked an insulted as much as he is, I'd probably be just as stubborn.

Question 2.

I fly CT only, never MA. I like CT much better for the main fact that your flying a plane against it's historical adversaires. It's more appealing to me, than the fly em all game in MA.

I love the CT, and I think the majority of the guys that fly in it are great. I think the arena is starting to lose it's poise though. Maybe I'm just getting old , but there seems to be an inclination on the part of many CT pilots now to insult, and throw garbage around. Trash talk is just that trash. I don't care how good you fly if you act like an prettythanghole, your known as an prettythanghole, not a good pilot. The arena needs more Eaglers, and less prettythangholes.

Oh one more thing...... YES I do realize I act like an prettythanghole myself at times.

[Arlo]

Originally posted by Mister Fork
Before I ask a few questions, let me point out that the staff of the CT is not doing this job because we enjoy the position, it's because we enjoy and love the game. The CT staff has over fifteen years combined experience to provide historical setups balanced against gameplay. Believe it or not, we're here for you,  the CT players.

If you don't enjoy it, don't do it. Simple. You can probably get 15 or more years combined experience in various events and community support of one kind or another from within the CT community in general ... be it AW, Warbirds or even AH. Most of us who volunteered our time to do it did it because we enjoyed it.

I am asking for all the players to answer the following questions without personal grudges.  

Question 1: What are your expectations from the CT staff?

To run setups designed to appeal to as many of the CT oriented players (players who prefer as much of an historical setting as possible who find three-sided battles under chesspiece flags over terrains from alien worlds with everyone fighting Spitfires against Spitfires and La-7s against La-7s just a tad[/i] bit anti-immersive) without making excuses to exclude any of the planes the CT community wants to fly based on personal bias for their own preferred alliance or unrealistic "fear of unbalance" which has actually been disproven time and again in the past. And if they are constantly doing it and constantly requested to stop ... they need to consider either changing their way of running a setup or letting a different staffer run it for awhile to see if they are the problem and not the CT community.

Question 2: Why do you fly in the Combat Theatre and not in the Main Arena?[/b][/SIZE]

Again: Generally ... CT players are players who prefer as much of an historical setting as possible who find three-sided battles under chesspiece flags over terrains from alien worlds with everyone fighting Spitfires against Spitfires and La-7s against La-7s just a tad[/i] bit anti-immersive. Seems quite obvious to me. I've always figured any CT staffer who resorts to the "If you don't like what I do you can just go fly in the MA arena" phrase uses it because they 1: Actually don't know what the CT is. and 2: Don't really care very much about promoting and supporting the CT community.

Please answer the questions in a constructive manner. We'll use this information in order to improve the customer service we provide to all the CT players.

I've answered as constructively and honestly as I could but there's really better, more constructive questions you could ask. Not to mention that the most important questions you probably need to be asking at this stage are ones you should be asking yourself. Such as ... if the CT community asks questions or makes claims that I don't agree with on a personal level, should I allow that to affect my professional demeanor when responding to such? Or If the CT community (or a significant segment of it) is disgruntled about something and calling them all a bunch of whiners and telling them to "stop lookin a 'gifted horse' in the mouth" or to "just go play in the MA, instead" doesn't work ... do we keep asking just what the hell they want from us (which can be perceived as playing dumb) or do we look back at what they were already asking of us and act on it?

and good luck!
[/B]

[scJazz]

Originally posted by Mister Fork
I am asking for all the players to answer the following questions without personal grudges.  

Question 1: What are your expectations from the CT staff?

Question 2: Why do you fly in the Combat Theatre and not in the Main Arena?

1: I expect the CT staff to respond to legitimate concerns. Provide setups that are both balanced and historical within the abilities of AH. Quickly repair any screwups. Clearly describe environmental variables in the CT in the MOTD.

I find that some CT staff are inflexible to the point of insanity when responding to player concerns. Others have to be persuaded but it can in fact happen. Unfortunately this to a degree indicates that the CT Staff has an attitude of "players always whine so ignore them". Yes there are plenty of whines and more than enough stones being thrown about. However it isn't as if we players don't have a clue as to what is right or unreasonable. The CT Staff, while charged with the job of maintaining balance, does not in fact have the market cornered on rational thought. While you set things up it is we who day after day actually deal with your decisions. It is reasonable to assume then that we players might actually know something about what is going on that can't be learned doing the occasional 2 hr AH session.

2: I fly in the CT because there is at least a reasonable chance that I can fly a whole sortie without being jumped by 6 cons simultaneously blazing away on my 6. Also because there is a chance that I won't see N1Ks, Spits, P51Ds, and La7 as 80% of the aircraft in flight at any given point of time. PRESENT SETUP EXCLUDED. The historical plane match ups provide an excellent chance to fly!

[Tuck]

arlo.  sir.  may i just say...i actually agree with your comments on this matter.

i feel so...so...mushy inside now.    maybe you're not such a waste of stuff afterall.  

[Arlo]

Yer scarin' me, Tuck!

Actually ... if I wasn't convinced that everything'll finally work out in the end (maybe not precisely to everyone's specific desires but close enough) then I'd probably not bother ... even with the "less diplomatic" type stuff. I don't see the CT actually living up to it's potential but I still see the potential and some really nice bright spots (I like FinRus, too ... I'm just a virtual Pacific Corsair pilot at heart). Then again .. I think HT and co. needs to model the Spanish Civil War as well. (I do ... I rahlly rahlly do).

[Squire]

Lets keep this civil.

#1 I expect setups that reflect "WW2" theaters, that are both interesting, fair, and cover a wide spectrum of air ops. I like to see setups that favor (slighlty) both the axis AND the allies, from time to time, and allow me to fly some of MY favorite a/c once in awhile, in the kinds of missions they really flew in.

#2 The MA is a 3 country LA-7 infested joke with no atmosphere, purpose, or any other redeeming feature that I can think of. I detest it. SEA and the CT are the only reason I pay for AH.

Regards.

[skernsk]

1.  I would echo the previous folks here.  Historical match-ups as balanced as possible and from each theatre and year of world war II.  Much like any other group that is there providing a kind of service for others they should be open to player involvement.  whether that be an idea for a set-up or a suggestion regarding one.  

I think that a player submitted set-up once a month might be a good idea also .. it makes for an interesting aspect.  Many CT squads are historic and can create a week long event based on their squadron.....


2.  I usually am flying for short periods at times when my squaddies are not around.  I find the CT players friendly and can easily hook up with them for a few missions.  PLUS they tend to bail alot which allows me to shoot chutes:aok




It is ironic that the CT numbers are as high as they have ever been ... and it seems the players (or some of them) are very upset.  I would say .. KEEP DOING WHAT YOU ARE DOING CT STAFF ... but LISTEN to your players and work out solutions and solve problems together.

[o0Stream140o]

Originally posted by skernsk
1.  I think that a player submitted set-up once a month might be a good idea also .. it makes for an interesting aspect.  Many CT squads are historic and can create a week long event based on their squadron.....

    I second this motion...

2. Honestly nowadays I don't know why I fly in the Combat Theater.  When I first started in here, this was the best place to fly. Now with everything that has been going on,  it's stock seems to be taking a downward spiral.  Me being the "Gutless" CO in the Combat Theater, maybe my opinion doesn't matter.  I can just remember one thing my first XO told me, "If your not fighting, your climbing."  Guess it has just stuck in my head.  Although when your 5k off the deck yankin and bankin, anything above 15k looks like it's at 30K.

[skernsk]

Don't worry stream .. I've been pounced on by countless in all arenas.  I'm just too stupid to learn from it and quite frankly couldn't BnZ my way out of a paper bag....