I generally fly alone. I usually look for base getting whacked and head there. It's a rare occurrence when I find myself flying with a large group. If I can find a 1v1 or even 2v1, I'm usually content.
That said, I have no issues with taking bases. I have no issues with organizing missions (I never join them though). I have no issues with so called. "strategic" game play too a point.
10 to 15 guys trying to take a base is usually fun and often unsuccessful. Nonetheless, it does breed some good fights.
Where it breaks down is when the number of attackers climbs into the 30s, sometimes 40s. Few will rise to defend as they have no chance. Why bother? So, this clearly doesn't promote combat. Thus, a base is captured without much difficulty.
We also know that the bulk of these massive gangs of pilots are low level skilled players. They recognize that they can't defend themselves individually. Even small groups of 3 or 4 are virtually helpless against a top level pilot. So, their instinct is to mob up, which provides some level of relative safety and they will probably get a chance to do some shooting and bombing before they get whacked. If they are real lucky, they might get to shoot some planes on the runway. This isn't hard to understand.
Training these folks in the finer skills of ACM, gunnery and SA takes time. Trainers and many others will set aside the time for these players. Reality shows that it also takes time to learn these skills. Therein is the root of the problem. A significant percentage of the players have no interest in committing the required time to improve enough to be get to a point where they don't need the protection of numbers. They take the path of least resistance and effort.
A net result is that they lose interest. That type of game play is single dimensional and boring. Still, many are unwilling to apply the required effort to build skills. So, they cancel their account and move onto another game where they will repeat the entire process. I'm sure that this cycle accounts for the bulk of player turnover. A smaller percentage will make the effort. They will improve and begin to enjoy the air to air aspect of the game. Most will never be great pilots, but they are always striving. Those constitute the bulk of the game's long time veterans. Yet, they are still in the minority.
Grizz provides a reasonably valid evolutionary path (although I would push out SA nearer ACM):
Learn to control the aircraft>>Learn to Aim>>Learn some SA>>Help Friends and Country Win the War>>Get Bored>>Learn ACM>>Pwn T3h Noobz
What it doesn't show is how many never get past Win the War or Get Bored before Natural Selection overcomes them.
Aces High is little more than a microcosm of our society. In particular, young males. I see it all the time. If any task becomes too difficult, change tasks. That's much easier than overcoming the difficult. Most will take the easy way. Our culture promotes it....
Therefore, I believe that the problems within the game are systemic of society and our culture as a whole. HTC can take a path that makes tasks more difficult. This would probably increase player turnover rate. If it becomes harder to do; well, they'll go find something easier to waste their time with. Some increase in difficulty is certainly warranted, but is there another solution?
That leads me to this: Game play is really up to the players. Our veterans need to encourage learning new skills. Simply lambasting them will accomplish nothing. They will resist simply because they're are being pushed. Don't push, encourage. Take a noob to the MA, wing with him. Show him how to have fun without a mob. Protect him, don't concentrate on getting kills, concentrate on keeping the noob alive so he can learn without being discouraged. Take him to the TA. Practice basic BFM and ACM. Organize fights in the DA with players of comparable skills. Mentor. Praise good effort (results are secondary and will eventually come). Don't belittle them if they don't grasp a concept. No one gets good at ACM without much failure first.
COs of big squads: Set up routine training. Utilize the Trainer Corps. Encourage your guys to learn (some won't, but try anyway). Let's do what we can to change the culture, and with it change the game's dynamic, even if only a little. There's too many fat, lazy kids and adults these days. Let's see if we can work some of the fat and lazy out of the game. I think it can be better than it is without HTC's intervention.
My regards,
Widewing
