Arena caps are...

[Guppy35]

Zazen,

Are you suggesting that letting the mob rule and the horde run amok, because it's human nature, is the way to go?

We joke about sheep in this game, but letting the sheep dictate the way it's played is silly. 

[sunfan1121]

Zazen,

Are you suggesting that letting the mob rule and the horde run amok, because it's human nature, is the way to go?

We joke about sheep in this game, but letting the sheep dictate the way it's played is silly. 

Hordelings = easy kills , sounds good too me.

[Zazen13]

Zazen,

Are you suggesting that letting the mob rule and the horde run amok, because it's human nature, is the way to go?

We joke about sheep in this game, but letting the sheep dictate the way it's played is silly. 

If people didn't enjoy horde wars in general, both arenas would be equally populated and not cap'd. In fact, there would be no reason for cap's at all if there were some magical homogeneous distribution of souls. All splitting the arenas does is create a large number of players hording over a larger area in one vs. the other arena with a smaller number of players hording over a smaller area. It's really just semantics whereby the only real distinction is the deprivation of freedom of choice for the player on several levels.

The current setup allows for several environments other than the LW arena where you can enjoy low player density conditions. It's pretty obvious that the vast majority of the denizens of the LW arenas overwhelmingly enjoy high player density conditions.

[Hap]

Thought I might throw this in there, I sat in the O'club for 10 min. tring to get into the Orange, so I decided "F it, I'll do a sortie in the other arena." I did that sortie that I wanted, went about 15 min till I died.
Oh last thing before I went into the other arena. It was 272/200 just before I went to do my sortie. here is what it was 15 min. later:

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This is what pizzes me off, because I got discoed before that and it was 250/300.
Here it is 5 min later: How does it go up, when you cain't even get into the arena?
(Image removed from quote.)
Again, another 15 min later. This has been the worse I've ever seen it, I've not been able to get into the Orange for just under 45 minutes now:
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Bosco, I've experienced the same thing you have.  Seeing the player numbers increase.

Lately, I've seen something very different.  No screen shots.  Sorry.  But lets say Orange is at 275/250.  I'll log out of the game and come back in, and I'll see 275/350 or something like that.  Made me wonder if I wasn't seeing on my end the true state of affairs.

[Lusche]

Bosco, I've experienced the same thing you have.  Seeing the player numbers increase.

Lately, I've seen something very different.  No screen shots.  Sorry.  But lets say Orange is at 275/250.  I'll log out of the game and come back in, and I'll see 275/350 or something like that.  Made me wonder if I wasn't seeing on my end the true state of affairs.

You were seeing the true state of affairs.

The dynamic cap of LWO is controlled by LWB and vice versa. When dynamic caps are enabled, one arena's max size increases as soon the other arena player number reaches 70% of it's current capacity.

Example:

Orange 120/100 (indicating that max capacity was recently reduced)
Blue 100/150

Now when Blue reaches 105 players, Orange cap will go up:

Orange 120/200
Blue 105/150

[bongaroo]

I think I heard more  ing

Where's my 5 bucks!?!

[hitech]

Zazen13: I am not exactly naive when it comes to creating online flight sims.

As a great case in point in letting the mobs run the game, take a look at my previous game Warbirds. Before I left WB was the top money maker in the Online FS world. Creating a flight sim is not just about the tech side of the game, it is also about KNOWING what the customer wants, being able to learn what the customer wants, and what the customer asks for is NOT necessarily what they want, because very rarely are the 2 things the same.

WB is a great example of giving the vocal minority getting what they think they want. A few quick examples of great WB mistakes after I left.
1. Removing easy mode in the arena with out replacing it with something suitable. The reason the did this is simply players thinking is was unfair to have the easy mode in it. The vocal minority screamed and IEN changed it.

Net result, loss of some players, less new players every day.

2. Players scream that Axis vs Allies is better, WB changes arena configurations to push players to axis v allies.

Net result, loss of some players, less new players every day.

3. Players state the flight model is not realistic and should be change, IEN changes many things like roll inertia with out really having a true math guy who could perform all the physics and understand the real behavior of aircraft.

Net result, loss of some players, less new players every day.

4. Many more players say the guns are wrong, IEN changes guns many times, also starts doing many changes on flight model causing the players frustration on having to relearn there plane.

Net result, loss of some players, less new players every day.

These are just a few of the choices similar to choices we make at HTC every day, and drastic changes like the arena split are things we do not take lightly. Zazan13 ,do you really think I am so naive that you believe I do not consider advertising into my thoughts about what causes AH to grow and not to grow? When I started AH, I had 0 players, WB had large numbers, now I have a large number of players, and WB is almost empty every night. I have now twice created the top online flight sim, do you really think this is only because I look at things from a program perspective, and I happened to get lucky twice?

My point is, I listen to all the things my customers have to say. Some times players think of very original ideas, and I am happy to implement them. Some times we come up with ideas, try them, and think, what the hell was I thinking, that idea sucked.

The one thing I and Doug have become very good at, is discerning the difference between what players as a whole ask for and what they really want.

HiTech

[Anaxogoras]

Fine then.  We ask for the He 111, and we want it!   The BoB is coming up, after all!

[Yenny]

Gava, they didn't give us HE-111 since it started! what make you think they'll give in now!

[Guppy35]

It's pretty obvious that the vast majority of the denizens of the LW arenas overwhelmingly enjoy high dense player conditions.

Thought I'd correct that last line  

[straffo]

For me the current arena look like a giant H2H  I rarely see more than 4 player on my side or the opposite.


Can you imagine flying 20 min and not having even one icon contact ?


It happened to me several time since the split, as a consequence I'm flying less because of real life but mostly because AH is now boring.
 

[MajIssue]

The remedy is simple, remove your choice and not let you fly with an imbalance, because that is exactly what you are asking for.

Point Taken...
  I do not wish to minimize the efforts you have made to make the AH experience as much fun as possible. Kudos to you and all that have contributed to the success Aces High enjoys!

   I understand that there is a trade off between what the "mob" is clamoring for and what will actually work out and increase the number of customers wanting to use your product. More importantly, NOT doing something that will drive players away...

  If the choice is not  flying or flying with an imbalance I would invariably choose the latter <S>. Numeric ebb and flow is a fact of life... I understand this! Perhaps if I had a better understanding of how the system as it is now constituted functions,  I could make better informed suggestions!

  I still believe that this "game" is the best entertainment value on the planet and as I have said before, I will quit Aces High when the wife pulls my credit card from my cold dead fingers!

If I didn't care about Aces High I wouldn't bother to spend the time "talking" about ways to possibly improve it!

[Nisky]

Personally i like the arena caps the way they are due to the fact when i cant fly in the arena i want i make it my training time and fly in the DA or TA. Then i try later to get into the most populated arena or fly with squadies. I dont think ive ever had to try to get in to high pop arena for more then 10mins, but either way im in a large enough squad that there will most likely be squadies in both arenas. The only night that presents a problem is squad night so we will drop what we are doing in one arena and move to the other for population problems. This is a game that i enjoy very much and im not gonna whine cuz i cant get into one arena when there are 6 others that i can get into. This of course is IMHO. <S>

[1Boner]

For me the current arena look like a giant H2H  I rarely see more than 4 player on my side or the opposite.


Can you imagine flying 20 min and not having even one icon contact ?


It happened to me several time since the split, as a consequence I'm flying less because of real life but mostly because AH is now boring.
 

Shirley you're not serious? 

[DMBEAR]

Point Taken...
  I do not wish to minimize the efforts you have made to make the AH experience as much fun as possible. Kudos to you and all that have contributed to the success Aces High enjoys!

   I understand that there is a trade off between what the "mob" is clamoring for and what will actually work out and increase the number of customers wanting to use your product. More importantly, NOT doing something that will drive players away...

  If the choice is not  flying or flying with an imbalance I would invariably choose the latter <S>. Numeric ebb and flow is a fact of life... I understand this! Perhaps if I had a better understanding of how the system as it is now constituted functions,  I could make better informed suggestions!

  I still believe that this "game" is the best entertainment value on the planet and as I have said before, I will quit Aces High when the wife pulls my credit card from my cold dead fingers!

If I didn't care about Aces High I wouldn't bother to spend the time "talking" about ways to possibly improve it!

I, an admitted mobster lemming moron, second this sentiment.