Ah, what the heck, I rarely chime in on these discussions, but here's my two cents worth:
NOE missions have been around for ages. Back in the day, we Assassins would do them on a pretty routine basis if we couldn't find decent fights anywhere, or to make the opposing countries focus on more than just one place (interpreted, they were hording, but we didn't call it that back then).
We didn't need, nor did we have online at any one time, more than 7-8 guys to take a base down. Zigrat was pretty good at figuring out and planning our "mishuns" and we took the aircraft need to 1) take down the town; 2) provide a small CAP as needed; and 3) get the goon(s) in safely.
There was no need for massive amounts of players in the missions. It was all about planning the thing out beforehand and then executing it.
Personally, that is what I find both amusing and offensive about the huge amounts of enemies I see assaulting a base. The attackers, due to the general lack of response from defenders, or a delayed one if you will, end up milling around overhead, then when a defender ups from the base, the race is on to see who can get the kill. Looks like the fish in "Finding Nemo", you can almost hear the attackers screaming "mine! mine! No! He's mine!!!"
The other day, I think it was Saturday, a couple Muppets and myself helped break up a raid on our base, then we took the fight to the attackers' base......and what did we find there? The attackers, now on the defensive, were like that school of fish in "Nemo"....hovering close together, not daring to come fight....point your nose at them, and they, en masse, turned and ran back to their base and the safety of the ack. Amusing....especially considering that I am a less than average stick, lose as many as I win, blow E, overshoot, miss shots all the time cause my aim sucks, etc........but I do follow what I read once about a fighter pilot (even a cartoon one) being AGGRESSIVE....I attack, I press the issue, even if I die, for that is much preferred to staying high and safe and watching rather than engaging/fighting.
Last night, the bish were attacking from A77 to A80 (I believe that was the base we got swarmed at). For over three hours, they stayed overhead, took the acks down almost from the onset, then setup a vulchfest. I played their game a bit, got shot down 3 or 4 times, then I decided to take the game to them.....took a YAK and launched due S, stayed on the deck.....first time, I made it all the way to 77 and harassed 4 or 5 cons just for fun before being shot down, tried it again, made it about 2 minutes S before a 109 came screamin down at me and I broke too hard and she snaprolled into the ground (remember, I said I am a less than average pilot in AH), went again, and made it back down to 77, engaged 4 cons, shot down 2, then headed back N to help at our base. Stupidly, I wasted my E and got into a turning fight and Banshee nailed me in his trusty ole P-40E (<S> sir!). Mind you, and this was the puzzling part for me......I never saw even ONE goon or M3 the entire time I was defending the base or running harassment sorties!!
All in all, a frustrating start, but I turned it into a fun time (for myself at least), with the exception of the stinking Wirbelwind who parked off the end of the runway and started firing at uppers.....IMHO, once a GV opens fire, his icon should pop up and stay lit up til he dies......and not the BS 1.5K, all the way to 6.0K range...GVer's can ID a plane from his icon LONG before he even spots them, which is total nonsense to me. I signed up to Aces High back in 1999 to fight aircraft, not get sniped by players who I can't even see until I am within their kill zone. Utter nonsense IMHO.
(Deep breath, rant mode OFF)
Falconwing, it wasn't base ack that got Scotch, it was me....I didn't know he had changed sides and I took the shot when it presented itself....then found I had committed Muppetcide!!
I don't see a solution to the problem....I know everyone pays their subscription to play the game the way they see fit and the way they enjoy, but if you and your squad wanna do the horde thing, please, PLEASE, DON'T get on 200 whining about someone HOing you....when you vastly outnumber someone, do you expect them to try and saddle up (preferred ACM most of the time IMO) so your horde can swarm them? From personal ingame experience, it's better to get your licks in, take a few of your enemies with you when you are outnumbered.....and that means pretty much anything goes. I'm not into naming names of the guilty, but one very vocal leader of a horde was on 200 yesterday morning complaining that someone had HO'd him......given the fact that I have never see the accuser flying lone wolf, solo, he is always surrounded by a swarm of his countrymen, I'd say "don't fly with the horde and they won't resort to last ditch HO's". (not referring to you, Falconwing....someone else, a squad CO who loves to horde then run home and land those kills)
I know this was a ramble, but there was a LOT to cover from the things I've read in this thread.
<S>!
