new idea(i hope)

[Larokkit]

However, I would like to see more action taken with guys who park themselves in the tower and go AFK knowing that they wont be able to get back in. Maybe the server should kick them after 10 minutes of inactivity.

 

   This sounds like a great idea and one i would think would be easy to do.

[pluck]

I guess kicking people after 10 minutes is fine, if your not playing, don't see any reason to be taking up a slot.

Problem with reserving spots, is that it it makes the arena cap lose part of it's purpose. If you have an arena at cap, with 15 squads, and just say 8 reserve spots open, now you have a soft cap with 120 spot reserved.  If the arena is capped at 300 HT is looking at an arena that is still 1/3 of the way open for squads.  This in turn would reduce further the amount of people flying in other arena's.  Also, it seems a bit unreasonable that a lone wolf type of player may be forced to fly in a certain arena because the only way he would be able to log into a larger arena would be by luck or by joining a squad.  Though squads are great, there are still some who like the lone wolf style of play, and I'm not sure it is in the best interest of HTC to make a statement that squads are given better treatment than any other players paying the same amount of money for the same service.

That said, it might be interesting to use it as a side balancing feature.  If you are flying for a lower numbered team in a capped arena, then you team allow for more players to log on and fly.  However this won't fly, because many won't switch sides to begin with....though especially true if they have a number advantage.

If AH continues with arena caps, which I believe they will, I don't think you can take people who are in a squad and offer them more features than someone who has just as much right.  Though it is unfortunate that some squads can't get all members together in one arena, there is still the option of changing arenas.  If it is a big issue with you squad, you have the power to fix it on your own, if you choose.  Though it is a compromise, it is also a solution.  If flying together is a major issue....there you have it.

[Traveler]

Originally posted by The Fugitive
The cap has nothing to do with "balance". The cap was put in place to keep the numbers lower in the arenas. When the numbers increased over the 500 count, HTC determined that the larger numbers were not "healthy" for the arena and community, so he capped it to keep the smaller "cozy" arenas we use to have.

Balance is totally up to the community. You want more even fights, switch to the least populated country and help even it up. If you don't want to change countries, that is your choice, but then thats the bed you sleep in, out numbered, or hording your stuck with it.

But there's the rub, you don't know what the balance is until you get into an the arena.  and you can't get in to help balance because it's at the cap limit.

[bozon]

ok, here's a suggestion, but it will require a little coding done by HTC:

The problem:
Squadrons have difficulties in joining in a single arena. Squadrons are a key feature in the AH game and community.

Assumption:
Split arenas and dynamic caps are generally good for the game.

Requirement:
A way to allow squadmates to bypass quotas and join the rest of the squadron, while not significantly affect the work of the cap system.

Possible Solution:
Allow a privileged squadron member to raise a "rally flag" in the arena he is currently in.  A squadron can have the flag raised in only one arena at any given moment - raising the flag, removes it from the other arenas. A player trying to join an arena where his squadron rally flag is raised, ignores cap limitations. When no squadron "rally privileged" members present in the arena, the flag goes down.

Remarks:
This is not completely bullet proof system and some by-rules may be required. For example, limiting the total number of flags that can be raised simultaneously in an arena, or not allowing to raise the flag if arena is already full.