World War Tuesday

[trigger2]

I think it would be interesting to add, but I'd do something a little different than the OP is describing. I'd set it up so on Tuesday, one of the LW MAs would become your "TT", whereas the other would be the more historically correct arena.

HT, the problem is, unfortunately, that the server is unpopulated. Being an admin in a few other games, you learn ways to get more people into your servers, as that's how donations are received and the server survives. Basic rule of thumb is always have some sort of action going on. If there is a server with people on, enjoying themselves and playing, no ones going to go for the server with nobody in it and do nothing, especially those who don't have the time to wait for the server to populate.

That's my $.02 and HT, I didn't mean that to be a personal attack or an "in your face I know more than you" correction, as we both know that's not true, I'm just speaking from personal experience.

Trig

[The Fugitive]

This might be a good time to mention you have a great game here and I'm sure you know best how to run it, but this is a wishlist.

Lol, I guess that's true.

You need to satisfy the majority, and if the current set-up is the way people want it, it should be. Right now I'm pretty much forced to play in the all sides enabled, historically incorrect arenas, simply because that's what's available.

I'm still here.

Here's a question for everyone.

When you first heard of AH or any other WW2 air combat game, did you envision Spits vs Spits and Mustangs vs Mustangs?

No you didn't, Walter Mitty.

You were thinking Spits vs Messerschmidts and Hellcats vs Zero's.

So if the game has evolved to where the former is the most popular, then that's the way it should stay most of the time, but I doubt if it would spell the beginning of the end, if just one day a week, people had to try the latter.

Might become a pretty popular day.

No your wrong, I pictured planes dogfighting close enough to see the pilot. To me and if the lack of players in the AvA arena shows, it doesn't matter the "match-up", all that matters is the fight.

A strait AvA arena will never work, its just too restricting. Look at how many people fly the senarios, and FSOs. Why aren't they filling the AvA arena every night practicing against the rabble? I think it's because senarios and such are organized fights with plans and battle fronts and commanders giving orders, and people working together for a single goal. That is what the history buffs like, the immersion that all of that gives you. AvA arenas on the other hand have none of that. Its an all out do what you want to do type arena and that takes away a lot of that immersion.

CT looks to have been a heavy duty attempt to have that "immersion" the history guys like, but with enough "bells and whistles" to pull in the regular gamer. I personally don't think it would have worked, but for now we'll just have to wait until HTC pulls it of the shelf and finishes it up to see.

[Ack-Ack]

Here's a question for everyone.

When you first heard of AH or any other WW2 air combat game, did you envision Spits vs Spits and Mustangs vs Mustangs?

Yes.

You were thinking Spits vs Messerschmidts and Hellcats vs Zero's.

No, don't know about you but I was only thinking of aerial combat using WW2 planes, couldn't care less if I was flying a P-38 against someone in a Spitfire or Zeke.  If I wanted a historical matchup then I would join a scenario.


ack-ack

[Ack-Ack]

I think it would be interesting to add, but I'd do something a little different than the OP is describing. I'd set it up so on Tuesday, one of the LW MAs would become your "TT", whereas the other would be the more historically correct arena.

That arena set up is already available on Tuesdays, and every other day of the week.  If you want a historical matchup, fly the AvA arena.  There is no need to create another AvA arena on Tuesdays that will only be populated because you're essentially forcing people to fly in there.  If you think that popularity is going to make the numbers stay at Titanic Tuesday levels, you're mistaken.  If that was the case then the AvA arena would rival the LW arenas every day of the week.


ack-ack

[jimson]

OK, I give up, but I'll never know why the hell this ally vs ally, axis vs axis planeset idea is so popular.

I guess I am in a small minority that actually got into this kind of game because of an historical interest.

Maybe some day I'll have the kind of schedule that will allow me to play more scenarios.

<S>

[Ack-Ack]

OK, I give up, but I'll never know why the hell this ally vs ally, axis vs axis planeset idea is so popular.

Because people want to fight, doesn't matter what plane they're fighting against.  If you look at all of the online flight sims from the last 20 years, you'll see that it was the same in all of them.  The most populated arenas were the ones that offered arena setups like the LW arena.

HiTech pointed out how that 'other' company went from an RPS and then Axis vs. Allies in their main arena and it resulted in a sharp decline of customers that the game has yet to recover from. 

Honestly, the best thing that could be done is for the certain time lines in the planeset be fleshed out more.  This would result in a greater selection of aircraft available for the AvA arena where more historically accurate weekly scenarios can take place.  Then you'll see the population increase as a result.

I guess I am in a small minority that actually got into this kind of game because of an historical interest.

Maybe some day I'll have the kind of schedule that will allow me to play more scenarios.

<S>

Actually, you'll find that you're not in the minority in that part at all.  There are a lot of us, quite a few actually, that started these games out of historical interest.  I know that's why I started to play but having a historical interest in WW2 aerial combat and WW2 in general doesn't mean I have to fly in an AvA arena 24/7 or can't fly in an arena that allows Spitfires to fight Mustangs.


ack-ack

[jimson]

  I know that's why I started to play but having a historical interest in WW2 aerial combat and WW2 in general doesn't mean I have to fly in an AvA arena 24/7 or can't fly in an arena that allows Spitfires to fight Mustangs.
ack-ack

I understand, and never suggested a 24/7 everyday AVA only choice arena.
 
I suggested once a week, and have it your way the rest of the time.

People will always gravitate to the arena where most of the players are. I would like to try an AVA set-up, I'm sure others would too, but there is a finite amount of players and there aren't enough to populate a third arena on a daily basis.

However, if that was the set-up only one day a week, It would have a concentrating effect and might be surprisingly popular.

It would create a different dynamic than the AVA has ever seen by having a lot more different players than have ever tried it before.

Really, how can one know whether people would like it or not, when probably most of the player base have never even tried it because there is rarely enough people in there to make it worth checking out.

Again, I said ONCE A WEEK, not always.

[Strip]

This begs the question....if its about forcing people into not doing what they want thats fine. How about we give them the option, a choice on which arena they want to fly.

Why cant we run a test next Tuesday?  One LW arena is TT and the other arena is a small two sided LW AvA setup.

It would probably not compete head to head with TT but I think it would see okay numbers, more than MW or EW.

What say you HTC?

Strip

[Lusche]

Why cant we run a test next Tuesday?  One LW arena is TT and the other arena is a small two sided LW AvA setup.

This test is already running every week. There is a TT and a small two sided AvA setup. Called "AvA".

[Oleg]

AvA so extremely unpopular you need to force ppl play there?
How cute  

[Ghosth]

The fact is that people vote with their feet. They don't stay in an arena where they don't like the planeset, map or other variables. Even Midwar with its limited planeset gets more use day in day out than the AvA. That has to tell you something.  Frankly I'm surprised HT has even left the AvA up as long as he has considering how little use it gets. Pretty dang tolerant if you ask me.

Changing the arena from the AvA to one of the late war's, without changing the setup, is not going to give you results that your looking for. Your trying to trick or force people into flying your way, and that is not going to work for long.
Once people realize the setup they won't go in there same as they don't go into the AvA now.

[jimson]

This test is already running every week. There is a TT and a small two sided AvA setup. Called "AvA".

True, but TT is never capped.

I believe it's always going to be more about the numbers than the set-up.

I don't even consider the map, I always try to get into the orange arena, because that's where most of the players are.

The only time I go Blue is when Orange is capped and I am forced in there. I may find a fight and stick around a little while but I am always checking to see when I can get into the Orange arena.

I haven't been around here for 8 years, so I only know this set-up, and don't know when or if AVA was more popular and can't say why it fell out of favor if it was, but I doubt it was because people had a strong desire to pit allied planes against allied planes.

Maybe it was because people wanted to be able to fly any plane without changing countries.

I only know that I don't go in there now because there is never anyone to fly with or against.

I'm guessing that if you could magically have 40 to 50 players in there at all times, those numbers would build, but because people are creatures of habit and stick with what they know, it will never be jump started voluntarily.

It's a waste of space to even have it.

If it was only opened one day a week without forcing people in there, it still might see more play because anyone wanting to try it would be concentrated into that one day.  

Sometimes you can have too many choices.

[Mister Fork]

AvA so extremely unpopular you need to force ppl play there?
How cute  

I'm curious how the AvA even got dragged into this.  A lot of you who complain about the AvA being empty and complain about the 'forced' setups are forgetting that most of them are 'player' submitted.  The AvA is going through a resurgence lately and is doing fine.

It's just a different kind of arena that offers a change from the MA game-play.  It's essentially a FSO/SEA that is open 24/7.   Most people don't like the fact they're forced to face an opponent in a) an aircraft they're not comfortable with and b) an aircraft setup that is not evenly matched.

Forcing players into a TT AvA arena is, like HiTech explained, a bad idea.  I've seen it and its fails miserably - the numbers in the AvA are testament to this idea - it's not for everyone.  But once you fly in the AvA, the MA is well, so MA-ish.

[hitech]

OK, I give up, but I'll never know why the hell this ally vs ally, axis vs axis planeset idea is so popular.

Give it some thought, I am sure you can figure out the reason. And it is NOT because there are more people some place else.

Start with the knowledge  most people have more fun in the LW, accept that , and then start asking yourself why that is. Start asking your self what in the AvA do people NOT like. What in the AvA is frustrating people. Do not blame people for the choice , but keep looking why they make that choice.

HiTech

[jimson]

Give it some thought, I am sure you can figure out the reason. And it is NOT because there are more people some place else.

Start with the knowledge  most people have more fun in the LW, accept that , and then start asking yourself why that is. Start asking your self what in the AvA do people NOT like. What in the AvA is frustrating people. Do not blame people for the choice , but keep looking why they make that choice.

HiTech

That would just be conjecture on my part as I don't have first hand knowledge of the dynamic in that arena, having never played there, because it is always empty when I log in, (a fact that does prove people prefer the Orange and Blue arenas)

It doesn't seem to me that there is a preponderance of people who prefer allied rides over axis or vice-versa, It seems pretty evenly split, which would indicate to me that the capability of each sides equipment isn't extremely "unequal" but I might be mistaken.

My best guess is that folks want the ability to fly any plane they want, at any time, without changing countries.

I certainly didn't mean to denigrate anyone for their choices.

 The AvA is going through a resurgence lately and is doing fine.

That's great.

I do look when I log in, and if I ever see folks in AVA, you can bet I'll try it.

Sorry about the "force people in" suggestion. I guess I thought that a once a week "push" to get people to try it wasn't that "heavy-handed."

I'd just like to see a way to concentrate the numbers so that it would be more of an attraction.