The Tour of Duty Concept

[Tilt]

Is there any further idea of what this may look like............ I appreciate it was very much based around a mission criteria with rewards etc.

It does seem to me that in similar games (worlds) that the player "grows" either in terms of material aquisition or ability.

This "growth" over time seems to be the essential "hook" to maintaining the player base.

I appreciate there may be an equivilent  in terms of rank in ToD. I wonder what real priviliges it would bring to the player.

If the ToD were to start in say Sept 1939 and move forward in real time (or a multiplier of real time) then new arenas would later open up as the Eastern Front and Pacific fronts come "online" where new avatars could be established.

Infact there could be initially 3 arenas
weto starting 39 ending 45
eeto starting 41 ending 45
pac starting 42 ending 45

and even a 4th
med starting 39 ending 44

Further as time passes new ac and vehicles become available (matching WW2 development) to those who have maintained highly ranked or highly skilled avatars as they are given the oppurtunity to transfer to those squads/regiments forming around the new rides.

It does mean that the plane set would need initially to be a complete 1939 plane set (or one complete for what ever time ToD would choose to start from eg 1941 or 1942) but would give a continued feel of growth and development for those participating.

[Batz]

Eeto starting 41 ending 45
Pac starting 42 ending 45

There's very little you can do with these 2 theaters to make a "tour". Until more planes get added to close the gaps the options are limited.

Take a 42' Pac.

Japanese

A6m2
Kate
Val

USN
F4F

No level bombers, so you are forced to use substitutions.

Read the CT forum whenever the Ki-67 is subbed in. The Ju-88 is highly unsuited due to its range (at least in AH1). The TBM and SBD are later models. There’s no B25 etc....

What you end up with is something even less fun then a CT set up.

There's no way to pull off an early Eeto. Late war Eeto is doable but no VVS bombers and a very limited late VVS plane set.

[moot]

from what they last said, the first environment will be USAAF vs LW over 44 Germany.

[Tilt]

Agreed Batz.........

I can see that the present plane set would lead to a mid 44 weto as the easy choice............

So how could our various avatars "role play" and "grow" in the weto air war of 44 and how would that growth motivate us toward more participation?

[Batz]

I don’t really know and it’s always been a concern.

You could probably start with BoB, mix in some med and end up '44 ETO and have a "career" progress through that time frame.

IMO Pac and Eastern front should have their own "avatars". I have no real interest in Pacific stuff and don’t think there are many who would be willing to spend a lot time flying as Japanese.

With the late war VVS plane set the East front will be much harder to survive being lw when you face LA7s and Yak9us.

If there is going to be just generic Axis/Allied Avatars then you will have some who will pick very carefully what theater they will fly in.

[straffo]

Originally posted by Batz
IMO Pac and Eastern front should have their own "avatars". I have no real interest in Pacific stuff and don’t think there are many who would be willing to spend a lot time flying as Japanese.

You nailed a potential problem IMO.

How will TOD deal with that ,I don't know but  there should be some incentive to promote the combat not mandatory with balance but something enjoyable for all.

[Purzel]

And:

I understood that there will missions be generated, maybe every 4 to 5 minutes or so? So that you can log in and join the action rather quickly. The Problem I see is, that when the prime-time is over Asia (time-zone-wise) You will have enough Japanese to fight the US. But when its over the US, the US forces will have hardly any opposition. Same maybe true for europe, where the problem wont be sooo big, because the Axis and Allies have the same time-zone. More or less.

This presumes that ppl from one country will preferably join the branch their country was with in WW2. Although I see many ppl flying german planes online I dont think this is far off.

Now everyone can have multiple avatars so that one can change the sides to balance the game. But, the actual MA shows that ppl dont do this. At least not the majority. Did anyone hear about a "solution" to this?

Thx.

[GScholz]

Enter the AI.

[LLv34_Camouflage]

AFAIK, the missions will start every hour, or every half hour.

Camo

[Purzel]

Hmm, there can be AI buffs, but AI fighters? I dont think that works well.

AI Targets are great tho.

[Batz]

Theres no AI fighters, just bombers and maybe GVS.