Totally agree. The same principles apply to Warbirds as well.
Umm... then you either have a very fuzzy memory or never flew WB.
I flew WB from BETA .07 thru 2.01, almost 5 years. HiTech worked very hard on the Dmg Model, and had great success with it, along with including variables such as velocity, trajectory and dmg potential of rounds, all based upon verified data collected mostly by the community itself by doing research. Their boards ( at AGW ) would be 90% conversations of how to improve the game, research on acft, guns, ammo and tactics. Everyone knew everyone, would share information, shoot it off to Texas, discuss ad naseum at conventions, and it would be put into the game.
The main reason for all of this, was the average age of a WB player was well into the 30-55 age range, based mostly off the fact it cost hourly rates all the way up to $2.00, and only history loving aviation enthusiast with jobs could afford it. There where no squeakers........... and yes, with only 200 in an arena, most of them great sticks, most being able to tell who they where fighting based upon the tactics being displayed... the experience was far more real life like, and thus the K/D ratios where much lower. Except the streak thing.....
The game you all enjoy today owes a large part to War Birds and HiTechs experiences and lessons there, and the community played a major role in all of it.
So yeah, part of me DOES want an hourly rate arena... but kids these days are more spoiled than ever with their cell phones and charge cards... so the squeakers would still show their faces.
Base Captures are much better here, graphics are better here, there is alot better here in AH. But I doubt HT would argue the fact that a desire to make money (mans gotta make a living) forced him to rethink the game and how it was to be structured to draw a larger audience (younger gamers with short attention spans and make the game cheaper), but it was at the cost of the quality of community and quality of experience in game.
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