Originally posted by AKDejaVu:
I say <S> to the mission builders that take the time to plan practical missions. <S> to the mission builders that know what "too much" means. <S> to the mission builders that are so good at planning these types of missions that filling them is not a problem.
The tone of the original thread is that <S> and success are deserved purely based on how big your missions are. It is flawed to the core. Its like saying that the 90 DMD that fly missions together make them the best squad in AH... all because their missions are so huge.
And Muck,
Making the missions relevant and practical is the key. When Rip does that then <S>. The gist behind this pick is the shear number of people participating makes it a success. I'll disagree with that forever. Hell.. more would have been accomplished with a pic of 4 Typhoons flying in formation with 4 Bombers in the background... or 4 P-51s escorting 2 lancs.... or three flights of attack craft on the horizon. Make em emersive. Make em practical. Make them smart. If you can only do this by using huge ammounts of aircraft... then what does that say?
AKDejaVu
Ahhh AKDeja I must admit i see your point in terms of what would be the best thing for looks and practicality but you are forgetting one simple thing AKD. The fact that the large missions are generally filled with inexperienced players or those that are attracted to the mission purely for the fact that theres so many flying.What you suggest, ie the mission with 4 jabo 6 bombers and a fighter escort are exactly my favourite type of mission but I have found that its far more difficult to fill these types of missions because once you have filled the fighters say, no one wants to join and be the only bomber etc.I have tried to counter this by waiting in the flight that needs filling then switching to another so who everjoins has others in but it isnt easy.
As you know if you set a mission for 20 minutes time you get no one in it until the last 5 minutes.So inevitably you scream for c47s or fighter cover or more bombers as the damn thing rolls.
What Im saying is basically what you are saying really.You say its really a game feature rather than the fault of the mission builders and Im glad you said it as what i was trying to say was planning and playing/executing smaller more defined tasks is really a squad night possibility, In MA if im lucky i get enough players I know to sort of lead each of the flights so i can make more complex missions but its not always possible with players I dont know who may never have flown the aircraf ive put them in.
This is the time when making a group of 20 typhoons is the only way for a quiet life!! you just tell em the alt you want and say 'KILL' when near the base!
on your last point i couldnt agree more AKDeja and my last larger mission did indeed have many elements planned in. I had a jabo for acks, which attacked 30 seconds ahead of low level lancs! a small hi cover fighter force and 2 small groups of fighters, heading to the nearest enemy bases either side.
it worked because of numbers? I guess, but hey, I took the time to plan it and drum up the interest and if someone thanks you for giving them a good game for 1/2 hour im pretty pleased. (btw 1 flight wouldnt fill at all
)
When i saw this thankyou to ripsnort i thought it was a nice gesture, when you atttacked it for being ignorent of what constitutes a 'good mission' i thought you was a miserable sod
sorry for misunderstanding what you meant but hey youre STILL a miserable sod
those poor 'techs'
[ 12-15-2001: Message edited by: hazed- ]