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Wouldn't that be nice. I have yet to see it.
Here's an example (I wish I had the screen-shot photo, but I'm sure there is a verifiable source that documents this).
Sunday Afternoon 10/22/2006 5:00 PM CDST...LW1
Knights=57
Rooks=62
Bishops=..........95
Sunday Afternoon 10/22/2006 5:30 PM CDST...LW1
Knights=63
Rooks=60
Bishops=.........97
Not that this is much different than before last month's arena changes, it's just with the caps the ODDS of one side's lopsided numbers comes more into play.
With numbers like that in the old MA, the overall larger map sizes helped to dilude (somewhat) the strength of the side with the overwhelming numbers.....
With the new smaller arenas (smaller maps and smaller caps) all any one side has to do is "take over" a specific arena with overwhelming numbers and it's all over.
It also appears that when the side with the smaller numbers player's get frustrated because they can't find a field to up from that isn't getting swarmed by undefendable numbers, they defect to the "big" side...
I know there are some "independant" players (not loyal to any one specific country) that do defect to the side with the lowest numbers in an attempt to make it more fair....most do not.
Hey--I'm not one of those who complain about the new arenas--I came out of Air Warrior in the old days where Relaxed Realism had multiple "Europe" and multiple "Pacific" arenas...Full Realism arenas...WWI and even Korean Arenas (Korea was a BLAST!) so any squad of most any size could pick one and find a home...but lopsided numbers existed there at times as well.
I guess what I'm advocating is some sort of java based programming that somehow keeps the sides fair within an odds base of 1:1 to 1.25:1. Exactly how to do that-- keep the numbers fair, yet still be agreeable to us (the consumer) I'm not quite sure.
Possibly increasing the defection time frame to a week might discourage the 'piling on" mentality.
Entering an arena like I did Sunday where the odds were 1.2:1 on one front and 1.8:1 on the other...all friendly bases under undefendable attack and the country on the verge of losing isn't much fun.
BTW: I left and went to EW at 5:20 PM CDST and the numbers were:
Bishops: 8
Knights: 8
Rooks:........20
It almost seems if some players do not have a massive numbers advantage, they defect to the side that does, or go to the arena that does.
Kinda makes it hard to be one of the hardcore players who have long term loyalties to their country.
This is an observation....not a beef.
I'm curious as to your take....
Respectfully,
ROX