Author Topic: HiTech: possible side auto-balancing system? (Read 844 times)

dtango · « **on:** August 18, 2004, 12:10:54 AM »

Hitech:

What are your thoughts regarding a system like this?

OVERVIEW:

The system auto-balances countries and assigns pilots to countries to balance out the numbers.
This is applied at the start of some logical interval -e.g. each new map rotation? or tour?.
The system does a two-stage side balance - (1) by squads, (2) by pilots unassociated with squads.
Basis of the balancing country numbers is by dividing estimated hours online equally among the 3 countries.

ROUGH ALGORITHM FOR SIDE AUTO-BALANCING:

System tallies up total # of hours online for all squads over some interval - (e.g. 1 month, last tour, length of last map rotation, etc.). Total_hours_online is divided by 3 to get the target hours to be slotted for each country.
Randomize association of country Bishops,Knights,Rooks to groups 1, 2, 3.
System does a sort of squadrons by total_hours_online over interval and then applies some optimization or trisection algorithm to assign them to groups 1,2, and 3 respectively to get as close to the total_hours_online/3 target as possible.

Same algorithm is applied to non-squadron associated pilots and divied-out into random countries.

ONLINE COUNTRY-SWITCHING:
You would have to come up wth new rules for this. The easiest would be not to allow it. Another set of rules could be:

TEMPORARY country switching only allowed to the country with the lowest numbers at the time. Upon relog system puts you back into the country your were assigned.
PERMANENT country switching for the interval only allowed as a SWAP for non-squad associated individuals or as a squad (not both). You must have someone/squad that is rated with the similar amount of time online that is willing to swap with you. Upon request the system would do this automatically by finding someone/squad who has not been on for the interval and automatically swaps you. If no match is found then you can elect to be entered into a barter system tracker that will make you available for swap. I'm thinking this wouldn't be a problem for individuals but a little more for a squad.

Hopefully the end result would be that countries are much more balanced. Obviously a key assumption is hours online correlates close enough to # of players online. Certainly there would be some localized spikes in numbers where it isn't totally even but perhaps tolerable. This is by no means a perfect solution but it may be more palatable than the plane ENY limit system.

For greater accuracy and fidelity you would need data points that allow you to factor in peak times vs. non-peak times etc. as it relates to squadrons and non-squad pilots. Not sure if that data exists but I'm guessing that it is possible given the log data that gets dumped from events in the SEA that actually show flight times for individuals. This would give enough to make some better balancing calculations based on trends of when people are actually online.

Again by no means fullproof. My brain is totally fried so I'll leave it at that for now. What are your thoughts?

Thanks!

Tango, XO
412th FS Braunco Mustangs

humble · « **Reply #1 on:** August 18, 2004, 12:49:10 AM »

It actually sounds pretty well thought out, hard to punch a hole in it on theory. biggest question would be when various folks are online. since I haven't played since AH2 went "live" I dont know how bad things got to force the current situation. Obviously since this went from talk to implemintation (eek sp) within 48 hours the powers that be felt it was a potentially catostophic situation....so I gues they will ride it out for awhile as is...

hitech · « **Reply #2 on:** August 18, 2004, 08:32:08 AM »

Have considered that dtango.

HiTech

airbumba · « **Reply #3 on:** August 18, 2004, 08:37:28 AM »

Wrong place.....oops ignore me.
.

dtango · « **Reply #4 on:** August 18, 2004, 09:01:21 AM »

cc - totally discarded idea or does it still have some possibilities?

Tango, XO
412th FS Braunco Mustangs

hitech · « **Reply #5 on:** August 18, 2004, 09:03:19 AM »

dtango: It would balance the sides, not sure if it is worth the aspects of community building.

HiTech

Zanth · « **Reply #6 on:** August 18, 2004, 09:06:31 AM »

The desired goal is to move people around, look at the grief hitech has got for encouraging volentary switching. The howls of pain from a mass move would give some a stroke. "I GOTTA fly for brand X, it's my COUNTRY!!!!", yadda yadday yadaa.

If folks were reasonable to begin with, hitech wouldnt have been compled to do anything.

Jackal1 · « **Reply #7 on:** August 18, 2004, 09:34:52 AM »

I think it is more than reasonable that if a person or squad has been flying for one country for a while and does not wish to switch countries that they be allowed to stay with that country. That`s the kick a lot of us get out of the game. We fly with the same folks day in and day out and have no desire to do otherwise.
If a squad wishs to rotate, etc, that`s fine too, but you shouldn`t be forced to do so.
If this was going to be the case then I believe it should first of all look to the new player just signing up to be assisgned to a specific country. They have no country affilliations like some of us.
In the case of someone coming to AH in order to fly with a particular person or persons it could be dealt with, by request.

dtango · « **Reply #8 on:** August 18, 2004, 09:39:12 AM »

cc HT. Just a clarification regarding the community building aspect - do you mean that a system like this would be detrimental to that? Thanks.

Zanth - So you don't think this system would move people around?

Jackal - Would the country SWAPPING feature would resolve some of the stability in staying with a particular country?

Tango, XO
412th FS Braunco Mustangs

Urchin · « **Reply #9 on:** August 18, 2004, 12:40:03 PM »

Midnight had a real good idea (although other people have said it before).. I think one good idea would be to ALWAYS let people switch to the outnumbered side.

That way if a squad gets split up because different people log in and go to the outnumbered side (at different times), they could get back together again on the same side for their squad night or whatever.

hitech · « **Reply #10 on:** August 18, 2004, 01:01:23 PM »

Urchin lets say I havn't switched in 6 hours. So I switch to the big country. Check out its CV's, and since I came from the low side I can switch right back.

HiTech

SlapShot · « **Reply #11 on:** August 18, 2004, 01:03:31 PM »

Quote

Originally posted by hitech
Urchin lets say I havn't switched in 6 hours. So I switch to the big country. Check out its CV's, and since I came from the low side I can switch right back.

HiTech

For that ... you would need the "Men in Black" patch installed.

GRUNHERZ · « **Reply #12 on:** August 18, 2004, 01:06:22 PM »

HiTech how about offering one free Me262 ride, effective only for the next 30 minutes, for switching to the short side?

Zanth · « **Reply #13 on:** August 18, 2004, 01:31:34 PM »

Quote

Originally posted by hitech
Urchin lets say I havn't switched in 6 hours. So I switch to the big country. Check out its CV's, and since I came from the low side I can switch right back.

HiTech

That is a good point, however they do that anyway with "radar" accounts. Example Kongo/Kongoo (he wasn't even creative with his naming convention)

(While we are at it, should an ip address be allowed to maintain simultaneous log-ins?)

dtango · « **Reply #14 on:** August 18, 2004, 01:59:46 PM »

HT - would you mind clarifying what you meant by the "not sure if its worth the aspects of community building" statement? Thanks!

Tango, XO
412th FS Braunco Mustangs