Could AvA be revived...........

[Larry]

I believe Combat Tour was to be a campaign that would last days, weeks or more.

I was envisioning a single life event, basically a snapshot scenario that would run and re-run several times a day and change periodically.

What you're asking for cant be done unless to things are done.

1. HTC allows CMs to enable missions with AI like you can offline.

or

2. The AvA recruits a ton of new CMs so that there would be one on every hour of every day setting up snapshots.

Even then what you are asking for isn't what the AvA is about. What you want is a 24hour SEA.

[jimson]

What you want is a 24hour SEA.

Pretty much Larry, thanks for "getting it", but instead of 24hr, maybe a couple of missions run in the morning, a couple in the afternoon and a few in the evening.

There would have to be some automation involved so all day staffing wouldn't be required.

AI might have a place in this idea if only to fill unclaimed slots, so the missions could continue with low player numbers.

So Anaxogoras has a point, there might be some Combat Tour elements that could be used.

This started as a wishlist idea and then some suggestions were made that AVA might be the place for it.

Certainly not, if AVA was to continue to exist in it's present form.

Even though I've never had a chance to try AVA, I'd hate to see it die out completely.

I realize this would require some programming effort to bring about even if it was ever considered, but for reasons I noted in the wishlist forum it seems like it might not be so far-fetched.

I do appreciate the feed back.

[jimson]

.

[Shifty]

Jimson,

I believe if AVA could be taken off life support with a couple of dedicated squads getting the ball rolling. It would help attract other players to the arena. Once you had a healthy AVA community even if it was small... I believe you'd then see the arena dynamics provide pretty much what your looking for without missions being designed or assigned by CMs. Way back in Tour 1 there were enough people flying to where historical type missions popped up on their own. You didn't need schedules or forced missions.

YMMV

[Anaxogoras]

The big hurdle then is having AI aircraft in what's traditionally a human-only game.


For my part, the AI isn't up to a high enough standard for this idea.

[Shifty]

The big hurdle then is having AI aircraft in what's traditionally a human-only game.


For my part, the AI isn't up to a high enough standard for this idea.

Agreed... Nothing is going to replace the fun a live adversary.

[Anaxogoras]

I've seen some good AI in other flight sims.  Falcon 4.0 comes to mind.

[Shifty]

I've seen some good AI in other flight sims.  Falcon 4.0 comes to mind.

I'm sure there is good AI, but I don't get the same juice flying against it. I wish I did, then I wouldn't have to wait all week for Friday night to get my historical matchup fix.  

[Easyscor]

hehe, let's face it, killing an AI isn't as satisfying as sssmacking a player back to the tower. 

[jimson]

The big hurdle then is having AI aircraft in what's traditionally a human-only game.


For my part, the AI isn't up to a high enough standard for this idea.

Ideally, there would be enough human participants to populate each side.

You might facilitate that by having a minimum number of slots per side and when one side fills, a balancing mechanism would take over to fill the other side and keep them relatively even depending on the needs of the scenario.

If there were slots left open below the minimum, I suppose a couple of AI replacements might not be too much of a detraction.

Of course this is all predicated on there being enough interest for players to say...

"Hey a scenario mission is starting in the "yellow arena" at 2pm. Lets take a break from the MA and go fly that for 30 or 40 minutes and at 4pm when it runs again, I might go fly the other side."

Even though I am finally getting the critical discussion I had hoped for, I probably erred in bringing it here and connecting it with AVA. I apologize for that.

I tried to direct it back to the wishlist forum and in retrospect might have posted in the scenario or snapshot forums, but it might be an abuse to keep rehashing it in all areas of the board.

<S> all

[The Fugitive]

Ideally, there would be enough human participants to populate each side.

You might facilitate that by having a minimum number of slots per side and when one side fills, a balancing mechanism would take over to fill the other side and keep them relatively even depending on the needs of the scenario.

If there were slots left open below the minimum, I suppose a couple of AI replacements might not be too much of a detraction.

Of course this is all predicated on there being enough interest for players to say...

"Hey a scenario mission is starting in the "yellow arena" at 2pm. Lets take a break from the MA and go fly that for 30 or 40 minutes and at 4pm when it runs again, I might go fly the other side."

Even though I am finally getting the critical discussion I had hoped for, I probably erred in bringing it here and connecting it with AVA. I apologize for that.

I tried to direct it back to the wishlist forum and in retrospect might have posted in the scenario or snapshot forums, but it might be an abuse to keep rehashing it in all areas of the board.

<S> all

Thats the problem, there just isn't enough people interested to make it work. If you could get 70-80 people in there every night you would draw enough notice to get new guys rotating in and out to see whats going on. This would give you enough numbers to make it fun/interesting, as well as having enough numbers so that those few who like to "dictate" game play become the minority instead of the majority.

I'd like flying in there if there was some numbers, there just never really is any.

[Shifty]

Thats the problem, there just isn't enough people interested to make it work. If you could get 70-80 people in there every night you would draw enough notice to get new guys rotating in and out to see whats going on. This would give you enough numbers to make it fun/interesting, as well as having enough numbers so that those few who like to "dictate" game play become the minority instead of the majority.

I'd like flying in there if there was some numbers, there just never really is any.

If you could get a decent start with say just twenty a night it would gradually build IMO. You've got to get a start though and it has to stick. The only way that's going to happen is to get people commited to making it happen and cooperating above all else.

[jimson]

Thats the problem, there just isn't enough people interested to make it work. If you could get 70-80 people in there every night you would draw enough notice to get new guys rotating in and out to see whats going on. This would give you enough numbers to make it fun/interesting, as well as having enough numbers so that those few who like to "dictate" game play become the minority instead of the majority.

I'd like flying in there if there was some numbers, there just never really is any.

You are talking about AVA in it's present form. For whatever reason, it isn't currently drawing the numbers.

What I'm describing is a much different concept. Scheduled and structured/defined scenario events still have a draw if the success of snapshots and FSO are an indication.

This concept, whether presented in a new arena or an existing one that has been reconfigured, might appeal to that player base, and to the others who would like to try FSO or snapshots but work nights or otherwise cannot play during the US evening hours.

Scheduled start times also have the advantage of concentrating people in at the same time.

I guess it all depends on whether the community's want for a "historical match-up fix" is being satisfied by these weekly events or whether there is room for more.

[jimson]

.

[Dawger]

What you're asking for cant be done unless to things are done.

1. HTC allows CMs to enable missions with AI like you can offline.

or

2. The AvA recruits a ton of new CMs so that there would be one on every hour of every day setting up snapshots.

Even then what you are asking for isn't what the AvA is about. What you want is a 24hour SEA.

People hate fighting airborne AI. I did a lot of experiments with AI. People are fine killing AI ships or ground vehicles but aren't interested in AI airplanes as opponents.

Instead of tons of CM's HTC needs to develop a scripting language that can perform the functions of the CM. That other game had it and it worked well (in the hands of someone capable of learning and using it.) I used it extensively to the point of creating EXACTLY what shifty is asking for. The automation could not change maps due to limitations in the structure of the game but the scripting language could perform any command a CM could execute plus many other useful functions. It was an incredible tool.

It probably already exists in some form in AH but I don't think HTC has made it public.

To be frank, I don't see too many CM's in AH that have the maturity or patience to properly debug a few thousand lines of script before they turn it loose in an arena. That is probably why HTC isn't too interested in such a thing. It takes lots of effort to learn and  create but the results can be spectacular (and replace the endless stream of less than competent CM's).