Sadly...U can turn off the icons...but not the attitude

[Chilli]

yep, is easy to relate to this, for the AvsA saw a big decrease in numbers when Aces High switched to Aces High II back in '04....... eventually people started coming in or coming back, but then again it has always been a seesaw motion of up and down with the numbers...... dating back to the first major game play shift of the arena.....

and all the older long time players will always have those "rose colored" glasses they are trying to see through <grin>

Yep TC,

I try to keep an optimistic view for the future of the AvA (rose colored glasses and about time to get my eyes checked).   Just before the intro of WWI, I had seen the largest bump in numbers in the Arena since..... well seemed like ever. 

Humble's observations point to the good and bad "attitudes" (I prefer to call them split decisions) that determine whether or not the arena is a place that you would care enough to return to. 

• Do I check the roster to see if I should try and balance the sides?
• Do I look for fair fights or look to gain the best advantage over opposition players first
• Do I check with countrymen engaged in battle before joining or do I take the open shot
• Do I care whether the opposition would care to return to the arena or do I not have vested interest in the arena

There are no rules in how one plays this game, just these types of decisions that determine what kind of game it becomes. 

Ever since, I have known the staff in the AvA, they have made every attempt to level the playing field while maintaining a historical basis for choice of aircraft.  Maybe 262s weren't the wisest choice to be included but it was verified they were in service in the area that this map represented and an attempt to reduce the number was made.    Some good suggestions have been made as to how to better manage jets, so don't be surprised if the gang doesn't have an added twist the next time you visit (this is directed at all that have tried the arena in the past, and I hope that you do visit more and more often). 

 

[Dawger]

Jets have always been a sore point.

Personally, I hate them. They unbalance the arena and make the game fairly boring. There are a few scenarios where they are appropriate and fun but mostly they have to be tightly controlled. But the same can be said of the Allied plane set towards the end of the war. The superiority of Allied aircraft coupled with the tendency of more players to fly allied has the axis side pretty hard pressed in any late war scenario. I've seen them log off many times in frustration.

What is really needed for an historical arena are a deeper tool chest for a setup designer. Tying aircraft types to side numbers or overall arena population and tying those particular types that tend to unbalance the arena to airfields far from the front would help keep the historic aircraft in the fight without killing off the fun.

That would require tools not available now but there is always hope.

[Chilli]

Dawger,

You are correct, the holes in planesets, and an accurate way of controlling the availability is something that the staff and development group pay a great deal of attention to.  Having said that, most of the comments, have been on the positive side.  I have to attribute that to the success of the staff in doing a great job.  But the majority of the success, has come from the effort of the player base to share the sandbox with others. 

When we talk about balance of Allied and Axis planes, that all depends on a number of circumstances.  A faster plane equipped with 30mm cannon rounds it's pretty hard to convince some is the underdog. 

What the no enemy icons in the arena has done however, has increased the need for visual cues in order to execute maneuvers that work best for your particular choice of ride.  This is a new learning curve for some, and for others the adjustment may take longer or shorter.

[Dawger]

Dawger,

You are correct, the holes in planesets, and an accurate way of controlling the availability is something that the staff and development group pay a great deal of attention to.  Having said that, most of the comments, have been on the positive side.  I have to attribute that to the success of the staff in doing a great job.  But the majority of the success, has come from the effort of the player base to share the sandbox with others. 

When we talk about balance of Allied and Axis planes, that all depends on a number of circumstances.  A faster plane equipped with 30mm cannon rounds it's pretty hard to convince some is the underdog. 

What the no enemy icons in the arena has done however, has increased the need for visual cues in order to execute maneuvers that work best for your particular choice of ride.  This is a new learning curve for some, and for others the adjustment may take longer or shorter.

My comments were not aimed at this particular setup. I didn't know they were even enabled until this thread popped up. It was more of a general anti-jet rant. The no icon AvA is why I'm here and the occasional jet isn't going to change that. I'm sure the jets were being flown from rear bases, which is about the best one could do with the tools available.

I was impressed that the setup this week was modified in response to some well thought out input and think this setup went from something I wasn't really fond of to something that was quite enjoyable. It apparently was fairly popular as well.

I'm even glad this thread happened because any publicity is generally good publicity. If folks are complaining about gang banging in the AvA it has to be seen as a positive development because it means there was a gang present.