Realize too that even if someone TRIES to affect only one aspect of gameplay in isolation, they'll never succeed. There are already so many different styles, and so many players pursuing their own ends, that there will always be unantcipated consequences for everything.
AH2 has far too many passionately addicted, clever people, working at the game from all angles for anything to stay simple. For example:
AH didnt used to have code that prevented supplies from working in the water. Remember when somebody figured out how to use that fact, plus resupply ranges, to keep ports from being captured indefinitely? They'd spawn supply lvts in the water, and instantly drop supplies.....then tower, and do it again. They'd bring the VH up, pop up another swarm of osties and GVs, fight the CV killers until the task force died, fight the porkers until the port was flat -- and just keep spawning LVTs from the inshore task force the whole time. I remember a port was simply 100% untakeable for an entire day despite maximum effort....and as I recall to break the stalemate, a highranking enemy switched sides to take command of the CV and get it out of range...(Boy was that an entertaining time on the BBS....)
You think that was part of HTC's plan for game rules? I'm almost certain it involved players creatively exploiting an unexpected loophole between multiple rule sets.
Changing the hangars would change capture dynamics...would it do it enough to make captures only happen when 20-30 people worked together -- which woudl make the gaem impossible for lone wolves to enjoy?
I dont know. I do know that just enlarging the towns made a big difference in how long it took to take a base, and how many gamers had to get involved. Getting the fighter hangars out of a straight line on small bases also made it tougher to take them down; and now we hear about how capture guys "always horde" to get something done.
AH is a finely balanced system that pretty much works well, and wholesale changes will of necessity cause wide ranging, and maybe unpredictable, resonances.
I have to agree with HTC's cautious approach to rule changes. Think of the community as an organism, with multiple organ systems working on their individual priorities as parts of the whole. If the AH organism is feeling a bit out of sorts, I wouldnt want to change 7 medications all at once! One thing at a time, a tweak here, a nudge there......
