New arena format Part 2 - Use this thread, don't open duplicates

[Kev367th]

Been away for a while but had my first taste of the new setup last night.

Impressions -
1) It has fractured the community more than ENY or any other issue has.
2) The ENY limits swing WILDY.
3) Caps are too low.

Overall, don't think I like it -

I miss the HUGE mega furballs that occured in the 'old' MA.
Never get another Cat 5 furball in the current setup.

Having to try again and again to get into an arena to join the squad for squad night sucks.

Dunno, something is missing now. (not talking about the hoards).

Maybe as has been suggested -
Have EW, MW arenas as they are currently setup.
Re-instate the old MA under its previous setup.
See what happens, and should keep EVERYONE happy.

[edit] If things stay this way there's no reason why HQ shouldn't go back to its 'old' settings
i.e. Partly and fully down, old hardness settings.

[96Delta]

Originally posted by Iron_Cross
Hitech has killed that 800 Lb. gorilla named HORDE, and the only people complaining are the parasites that fed off it.

This kinda makes sense to me.
Always got that feeling in the MA.

It reminded me of a swarm of flys just buzzing around.
One enemy with 22 guys chasing him.
No use of over half the planeset.
No tactics..just arcade.

I now fly exclusively in the Early war arena.
Lots of good dogfights in there.  Most fur I've
see was like 15 total combatants including
all sides.  MUCH more historical than the megahordes
in the old (good riddens) MA.

And the caliber of character is unbvelievable now.
I feel like I've found an adult simulation where the
cooperative efforts add a new dimension to the
game that I seldom experienced in the MA.

To be blunt, AH now seems like a new game
to me.  Its is certainly more fair now.  A good
pilot can hold his own against a comparably
matched enemy combatant.  No more P-40
vs. LA7.

I, for one, LOVE the new setup.  Thank you.
I'm finally learning how to dogfight.  

David "96Delta"

[Guppy35]

Points to the post above.  If this isn't proof it's working, nothing is

[96Delta]

Originally posted by ByeBye
Anyone have a better idea than mine?

1. leave the original MA exactly the way it was, but no cap

2. have the EW and MW just as they are now, except add duplicate arenas after 90% of 250 cap.


Even Lazs should approve.

Ya gotta have a CAP in all arenas.
Its essential to keep people from "hoarding" the game.

[96Delta]

Originally posted by Guppy35
Points to the post above.  If this isn't proof it's working, nothing is

Come on into the EW Guppy.
They got a P-38 for ya to fly in there.

Hope to cross paths with ya there.  

[Kev367th]

Originally posted by 96Delta
Ya gotta have a CAP in all arenas.
Its essential to keep people from "hoarding" the game.

Why?

No-one would be forcing people into an uncapped arena, it would be a choice.

Whereas currently you are coerced.

Or is it that if there was an uncapped MA again, most people would be in there, thus showing the current set-up is unfavourable?
Never know for sure unless it is at least trialled for a few weeks.

In the current setup something has been lost, and I can't quite put my finger on it yet. (no it's not the hoards).

[soupcan]

Originally posted by Kev367th



Maybe as has been suggested -
Have EW, MW arenas as they are currently setup.
Re-instate the old MA under its previous setup.
See what happens, and should keep EVERYONE happy.

sure why not?

heck bump the cap to 1000 if u like on the old MA..........

i'd be willing to bet money that those who are currently enjoying
the EW and MW will not be logging into the "old"MA.

for myself i have not been to the LW since i "discovered" the MW.
i feel confident that HTC will find a good formula for dealing with the ENV
issues soon.

until then i will deal with the ENV situation  and enjoy its pleasant
surprizes.................... ........
............... such as finding out that u can bring down a P38G in a Hurri1

[Killjoy2]

I again suggest one arena with three features.

Fighter Town

Tank Town

Historical Town

Historical town gives us early war and mid war setups.  You could even set it for historical rivals.  How difficult is this?

[lazs2]

I don't really know but when we had numbers of 200 or so in the old MA we had small maps.   I don't know what the limit is but when we got much over that....

The small maps were dumped.   I would think that much over 250 and the arenas would need to do the same as before and go to the big maps. sooo...

You would have big maps in the LW and small in the EW and MW...  unless they became over 250....  I guess the point is that the small maps work for 0-250 but not well for over that...

conversly, the large maps don't work all that great for 0-250...  It would be reall lonely for LW guys on any time other than peak with 50-100 guys on...

seems the maps are the bottleneck... you can't raise the limit too much in any of the arenas with small maps and none seem to draw enough players to justify large maps all the time soooo...  seems HTC came up with a pretty good comprimise with limits.  

That is not to say that the limits are at max now.  I wouldn't know what that would be.   Either way... not my decision.

I tend to think tho that if you raise the limits in the LW you will encourage the lousy game play and have people desert it for what is now...  viable options of good gameplay in the mid and early war arenas.

lazs
Public Relations Officer for the BK's

[scottydawg]

lazs et al,

If I'm not mistaken, the primary reason for the changes aside from the 'unhealthiness' of the MA was for future expansion.

If there are small maps and big maps, why can't there be medium maps, ones that would work better for 250-400 users?  Or even dynamic maps that would expand or contract depending on the arena population?  I would venture to guess that the arena spawning that occurs when an arena fills up is just a stopgap measure until they all start to get busy on a regular basis (or one is dropped and thothers fill in the gap) and then perhaps all caps would go up simultaneously...  just a wild guess on my part, but it kinda makes sense to me.

edit:  the concept of dynamic map sizing is kind of intriguing, isn't it?

[Mugzeee]

Originally posted by 96Delta
I now fly exclusively in the Early war arena.
Lots of good dogfights in there.  Most fur I've
see was like 15 total combatants including
all sides.  MUCH more historical than the megahordes
in the old (good riddens) MA.

 How so?

Originally posted by 96Delta

And the caliber of character is unbvelievable now.
I feel like I've found an adult simulation where the
cooperative efforts add a new dimension to the
game that I seldom experienced in the MA.

 Selective reading no doubt. I have seen the same ridecule in the EW and the LW as we seen in MA of old. Will film next time and be sure to enlighten you.
 While true is is to much less extent, give it time as the numbers are still relatively low at this time.

Originally posted by 96Delta

I, for one, LOVE the new setup.  Thank you.
I'm finally learning how to dogfight.  

David "96Delta"

 Ignorance (or blindness) is bliss so it has been said.
 But if it makes you happy, that is a good thing.

[Mugzeee]

Originally posted by lazs2
I don't really know but when we had numbers of 200 or so in the old MA we had small maps.   I don't know what the limit is but when we got much over that....

The small maps were dumped.   I would think that much over 250 and the arenas would need to do the same as before and go to the big maps. sooo...

You would have big maps in the LW and small in the EW and MW...  unless they became over 250....  I guess the point is that the small maps work for 0-250 but not well for over that...

conversly, the large maps don't work all that great for 0-250...  It would be reall lonely for LW guys on any time other than peak with 50-100 guys on...

seems the maps are the bottleneck... you can't raise the limit too much in any of the arenas with small maps and none seem to draw enough players to justify large maps all the time soooo...  seems HTC came up with a pretty good comprimise with limits.  

That is not to say that the limits are at max now.  I wouldn't know what that would be.   Either way... not my decision.

I tend to think tho that if you raise the limits in the LW you will encourage the lousy game play and have people desert it for what is now...  viable options of good gameplay in the mid and early war arenas.

lazs
Public Relations Officer for the BK's

 
 This is his idea of proper paragraphing  

 I am not sure why map size matters in any event other than over population. Even 10 players can fight on a large map.

 There are two scenarios that come to mind where maps are concerned.

1. Too small, and there is no elbow room to get creative or even off the runway. (Yes vulching is alive and well in ALL the new arenas.)

   This of course should be fine with Laz from reading all his post's

2. Too large and the map cant be reset.

   Again should be fine with Laz.

[Kev367th]

Originally posted by lazs2

I tend to think tho that if you raise the limits in the LW you will encourage the lousy game play and have people desert it for what is now...  viable options of good gameplay in the mid and early war arenas.

lazs
Public Relations Officer for the BK's

In that case an unlimited cap on the LW arena shouldn't be a problem.
You don't like it you can go to another arena.
I would rather have choice than none at all.

Of course your view of "good gameplay" doesn't neccesarily co-incide with someone elses view.

LW seems to be the biggest used, so it would seem logical that it would need either a much higher limit or unlimited cap.

Unusual that this is really the only major change that has been foisted on us unannouced.
Can't recall anything as major as this change not being announced ahead of time.

[Panzullo]

It appears to me the new change has destroyed our "the customer" ability to fly what type of plane and when we want to fly. Mostly if the "customer" has grown accustom to any type or mode of flying. New players wont notice this and will just integrate.

For the longer term players here a year or longer and the ones that have formed friendships in the squads it has destroyed the atmosphere.

The lone reclusive flyers and people that have no interest in the strategic part of the game "base captures" will not notice the social change and wonder why the complaints are still coming in.      

With the lack of time to play the game in general, the time we do have to play is consumed with:
 
1. dealing with the dreaded ENY
2. Flying the entire map looking for fights
3. "Most Important" Unable to fly with squadies      

Not blaming HTC for running the business the way they see or feel works best for them, But the method it was done appears HTC is looking for mass influx related to the new movie "Fly Boys" due to be released and will focus on the new accounts that have no clue of the old arena.

HTC throw us a bone do something to make the server situation better the mini micro warps and freezes are out of hand.

Herbalife
http://www.anthemwellness.com

[scottydawg]

Originally posted by Panzullo
It appears to me the new change has destroyed our "the customer" ability to fly what type of plane and when we want to fly. Mostly if the "customer" has grown accustom to any type or mode of flying. New players wont notice this and will just integrate.

For the longer term players here a year or longer and the ones that have formed friendships in the squads it has destroyed the atmosphere.

The lone reclusive flyers and people that have no interest in the strategic part of the game "base captures" will not notice the social change and wonder why the complaints are still coming in.      

With the lack of time to play the game in general, the time we do have to play is consumed with:
 
1. dealing with the dreaded ENY
2. Flying the entire map looking for fights
3. "Most Important" Unable to fly with squadies      

Not blaming HTC for running the business the way they see or feel works best for them, But the method it was done appears HTC is looking for mass influx related to the new movie "Fly Boys" due to be released and will focus on the new accounts that have no clue of the old arena.

HTC throw us a bone do something to make the server situation better the mini micro warps and freezes are out of hand.

Herbalife
http://www.anthemwellness.com

First of all, please take the blatant commercial advertisement out of your signature.  That's just lame and probably against the terms of use for the board.

Second, I think your conjecture that this is in some way related to an unreleased WWI movie is kind of a stretch, i.e. silly (in case you missed it in 6th grade history, there were TWO world wars).  I wonder if they changed the game right before 'Pearl Harbor'?  Or 'Saving Private Ryan'?  Kinda doubt it.  I don't understand why people can't just read what HTC wrote about the reasons for the changes, ACCEPT IT, and adapt and keep playing or move on to something else.  These conspiracy theories are getting seriously stupid.


It's not like we're now flying bananas or donuts in CandyLand, the changes aren't that huge, get a grip!