A different kind of perk

[AKcurly]

I used to hear guys complain about the F4u1C.  Since it's been perked, not too many complaints.  Many of the Chog drivers just moved over to the N1K and now we get to hear continous dribble about the N1K.

We got two kinds of pilots in AH: Good ones and the other kind.  Good ones don't care what you're flying, they'll just kill you -- doesn't matter to them.

So why should the good ones complain about the N1K hoard?  I suspect they complain because they are simply tired of seeing large groups of the same plane.  Heh, good thing they weren't in the Pacific war, eh?  I can just hear them : Damn Zeke dweebs!  Why don't you fly something else!    I imagine the Japanese got really tired of fighting F6Fs.    I'm sure they wished for variety!

Anyway, I think the goal of the perk system is to balance the plane set.  It's designed to keep the really uber planes from appearing in large numbers.  Man, can you imagine what it would be like running into swarms of tempests?

I think the current perk system has a problem.  It's clear to me the N1K will soon be perked, probably around the same amount as the Chog.  HTC, because of politics, will perk the d9 as well.  Guys, that isn't going to solve the problem!  We have hundreds of guys with well over 2,000 perk points!  Maybe if you charged 100 points for the N1K/d9/F4U1c, it would slow down the usuage.

Why not do this?  Assign each airplane a fraction between 1 and -1.  For example, you might assign 1 to the 202, 9/10 to the P51, 8/10 to Me109 G10, ... 1/10 to the F4U1c, 1/20 to the N1k, 1/100 to the tempest and maybe -5/10 to something truly uber (P51 with 4 hispanos.)

Now, what you do is use the fraction to multiply times the kills for that sortie.  For example, if you got 2 kills in a 202, yup, you get credit for 2 x 1 or 2 kills;
if you get 2 kills in a N1k, you get 2x1/20 or 0.1 kills.  If you get kills in the uber ride, yep, it would cost you points.

Many of us (although a lot won't admit it) are sensitive to their airplane score.  They may not care about their vehicle score, but I'll bet they watch their a/p score.

This system has many benefits: 1) You can fly anything you want - anytime.  2) You can up N1ks for bases defense - anytime. 3) I'll bet you the score sensitive group will stay away from the planes with small fractions assigned. 4) Discos don't hurt you so far as losing perk points.

The current system doesn't keep me out of Chogs or even tempests.  But, if I'm porking my a/p score, yeah, I would think twice before I jumped in a N1k.

AKcurly

[Ghosth]

Excellent point Curly!

As to the niki problem, well it's 3 fold.

A 4x20mm with lots of ammo, makes it the spray & pray ride of choice.

B UFO FM, well ok something seems fishy about it even if I can't prove it. Chalk it down to
"Niki's do some STRANGE things"

C They seem to be running in packs lately.
One high niki is bad news, but 3 is suicide.

Love your idea though, hope HTC adopts it.

[skernsk]

Well Curly I am NOT one of those with 2000 perk points.  In fact I think I have around 400 or so ans have not flown a perk plane since the first tour they were available.  I am against "regular" planes costing perk points.  


It was predicted that when HTC perked the C-hog the N1k would be next.  My questionis what happens next???  Should we perk the zeke because it can easily outurn even the N1k?  


There has been alot of talk about the flight model of the n1k.  I personally have never flown one so who the hell am I to say it is modelled incorrectly.  Also.....I almost never fly the N1k and personally could care less.....but we are definately on that "slippery slope" and should proceed with caution before a 202 costs perk points.

[StSanta]

1 downed plane is 1 downed plane.

Not 2. Not 1/2.  .

[Preon1]

Right on, StSanta.  I'm not going to have my feathers ruffled because somebody killed me from a nik.  Personally, I don't think it's that much fun of a ride in the first place, and in a furball, it's just as effective as any other plane because people like to kill nikkis first.  BUT, when I DO get shot down by a N1k, I keep this in mind:

I'm playing a game here.  If I don't want to get shot down by nikkis, I'll just avoid them.  It's not that important.

[lazs1]

yep, ya shoot down a plane and it should show  as a shot down plane... How else ya gonna know how your doing?  stats should not be screwed with...  some people use em to gauge progress but....  If you just can't keep your hands off.... If you just can't resist making things as complex as possible...   If you want to f-ck with something.....

How bout a "score modifier"?   from say one to three?  A tempest would give you 1 times your 'score' points and a 202 would give you three times your score points...  Enough people care about racking up score and rank and other nonsense that it would have the effect you desire without messing up any usefull information.
lazs

[Pongo]

The nikis impact in the game is not even in the same ball park as the hogc. So I think the whole premise is questionable.
And the D9? Does anyone even notice it in the game? Might as well be perked allready
Recognising the motivations of the top 30% of pilots and adapting the game to influence their behavior is a good idea.

[2Late4U]

FIrst of all, I read somewhere on here, HT said there were a few issues to be addressed, Niki...oppps sorry Pyro N1k2 modeling and the gross wieght of the Chog and new P47 variant.  Maybe this will improve things.


While I do agree the N1k2 is a less than fair ride in many aspects, it not the issue that the Chog was in terms of numbers.  I have started to notice a huge increase of La7s in the arena, as many cry about its virtues (Im convinced its P51 drivers getting run down Bwahahah....but I digress).  I flew the La7 most of last tour, and while it is a very good plane, its vices more than compensate for its vurtues.  As with all planes, knowing it, makes me much more confident in flying against it.

[LePaul]

The Niki is the strangest bird in that arena.  As Ghosth pointed out, the fact it has LOTS of ammo and 4 20mms make it a spray-n-pray favorite.

At least nimble birds like the La-7 only have 400 and some odd rounds, and those can go quick if you aren't careful.

I've seen Niki's come in on Lancs at 27k and hose use down before they are well within the gun range of the machine guns.  I've also seen Niki's, in level flight, catch up to Arados doing 400 mph + and on FULL RATOs.

Clearly the folks flying the Nikis aren't stupid.  Between the firepower, speed and manuverability, its Area 51 at its finest!  <g>   But most frustrating is in an arena with 20 or so airplanes to choose from, they are *all* you see out there.

The C-Hog became perked for such reasons.  If this is the measuring stick for which we perk aircraft, then the Nik is long overdue.

And frankly, I do not see why the airplanes that *are* currently perked, are still so expensive.  How many Arados, TA-152s and Tempests have you seem around?  Nil here.

In my opinion, the perk system is flawed.  If they didnt want us to fly the perked birds, that seems to have worked marvelously.

[milnko]

I'd like to see perk points lowered/raised depending on country stats, i.e. number online, total bases, etc. in this way giving the underdog a fighting chance to recover.

Tempest is 70 points, wtf is the Me 262 gonna cost? Or the Me 163?  gonna effectively place it well outta the hands of most of us I think.

[Pongo]

That is what they wanted.
Replace every niki you see(I dont see as many as you) with a tempest and think of the consequence.
I flew a long dog fight the other day against catbert. Him in a p38 me in a ta152. I didnt like the ta152 and I have no experiance in it. I climbed up through his position in the clouds. Totaly blew every move I made for about 30 miniutes. But it didnt matter. He never got close to taking a shot at me. I could extend from him up level or down at any time I wanted. If I had any skill in the plane at all he would have been helpless and dead. The census dweebs came to the door. I just leveled out and flew away from him. Came back 20 min later and he was still trailing me. That is why the plane is perked. That is why the tempest is perked. We want to encourage a 1944 plane set. That is the objective of the game.
Unless we want to play a 1946 game we have to keep a handle on the planes in the game. But we want to have them available.
The perk system does that very well.
The chog is obviosly a strange inclusion. But it is a whole different issue then the niki.

[ 07-04-2001: Message edited by: Pongo ]

[AKcurly]

How bout a "score modifier"?   from say one to three?  A tempest would give you 1 times your 'score' points and a 202 would give you three times your score points...  lazs[/QB]

Heh, Lazs you turkey, that's what I suggested -- a score modifier.  

The range of the modifier doesn't matter ...
it could be from 0 to 2 or -1 to 1.  What's the difference?

The strong points are:
1) reduce the number of N1Ks in use except for base defense.
2) if you want to fly a particular plane, you can.
3) you don't worry about discos when you're flying a tempest, ta152 or arado.

AKcurly

[lazs1]

curly... you said that you would use the idiotic "perk" system to balance out the arena... We allready have a modifier for perks.  I understood you also to mean that you would change the actual recording of kills with this "modifier"

I am against all of the above but if you want to modify the useless "score" or "rank"..... fine with me.
lazs

[BigGun]

Originally posted by LePaul:
I've also seen Niki's, in level flight, catch up to Arados doing 400 mph + and on FULL RATOs.

I would think you are either exagerating or full of bs. Next time ya see that happen I would love to see the film of it. Only way possible is if Nik2 went level shortly after a steep dive, and the 400 wouldn't keep up to long.

I fly the Nik2 (and not niki or nikki because there never was such a plane) cuz I like it. Hell, it probably compensates for some of my inferior ACM skills. If something is wrong with the FM, then fix it. Otherwise leave it alone. If the 4x20s are what the bird carried, then so be it. Just cuz people like to fly it doesn't seem like a reason to perk it.

BgMAW

[BigGun]

Originally posted by LePaul:
I've also seen Niki's, in level flight, catch up to Arados doing 400 mph + and on FULL RATOs.

I would think you are either exagerating or full of bs. Next time ya see that happen I would love to see the film of it. Only way possible is if Nik2 went level shortly after a steep dive, and the 400 wouldn't keep up to long.

I fly the Nik2 (and not niki or nikki because there never was such a plane) cuz I like it. Hell, it probably compensates for some of my inferior ACM skills. If something is wrong with the FM, then fix it. Otherwise leave it alone. If the 4x20s are what the bird carried, then so be it. Just cuz people like to fly it doesn't seem like a reason to perk it.

BgMAW