One arena weekend

[oTRALFZo]

Whoa...

The absolute worst environment in terms of social behaviour I have encountered in AH during my years was without exception in small, low populated arenas.

Agree with this 100%. Less populated arenas IMO, the problems are more concentrated. One dork is always going to be a dork with 10 people or 100 people. I have to say out of any online game Ive ever played, this has been the most "social" community of all.

I noticed as of late a revolving door of new players. That feeling of community and knowing/respecting others beyond your chesspiece I think comes with maturity. My experience coming into this game was that all red guys are scum and we do everything to stop them. Most new guys I think go through this stage. (some never grow out of it ). More and more I was acclimated with the community, the more respect I had towards others and the game itself.

[Guppy35]

Cmon now, most players in the game play in one wing squadrons.  This is a massive exaggeration.  

The game is very social actually, just not the type of eutopia that you wish it were.  If we are going to be throwing out HiTech quotes, I will add that he has said in the past, that the object of the game is to piss off the enemy, which goes against a lot of what you say in regards to how you should approach combat in the main arena.

So why do you not ever head over to the DA for fights?  There are frequently groups of players participating in fun & fair fights on the deck that are quick to get to and the best action you could possibly see.  That is where I get my fair fights and competition.  The MA is basically just a bunch of brainless seagulls flying around cawing at eachother.  It's fun to see how many seagulls you can kill before you have 10 seagulls cawing and chasing you away.  

There also are other events that are held in the spirit of the fight such as King of the Hill and Baldeagl's Tournament that you might want to check out.  Those of us that do enjoy the fight participate in them regularly.  

Let's clarify something real fast.  This isn't about me.  I don't know why it always comes back to what I do.  Again I'll say it.  I understand that this is the way it is now.  My understanding is the arena split stuff had to do with player numbers and the social aspect of the game.

What my rose colored glasses remember was a time where you knew where squads were going to be, you knew the guys you were fighting against, you knew where the fights would be on the map and the community policed itself.  I don't believe that's possible in one 500+ person arena.  Lusche talks about low numbered arenas being a problem.  I would not disagree.  I believe that HTC is looking for that in between where the social and the combat come together.

Your wish is I accept it the way it is.  To me that's the attitude that has now taken over in the game.  Do whatever you want regardless.  So be it.  My experience coming into an online flight sim was shaped by the guys who were there at the time.  Their attitude was not 'do whatever you want regardless.'  They took some ownership of how the game was shaped.  I would like the MA to reflect us doing something about that.  I doubt it will happen.

Again, it's my rose colored glasses at work I'd imagine.  But do me a favor.  I'm not talking about how it's impacting on me.  It's my observations, opinion on it.  Nothing more, nothing less. 

 

[The Fugitive]

I agree, the social aspect of the game is what is gone, and it is also the main reason so many "old timers" have left, and I'm sure it why a lot of the new players are leaving also. As a case in point, how many of the players who attend the KOH, and Balds turny are players that have been playing under 2 years? I don't know as I don't fly them, but my guess it would be people who have played many years, and maybe a number of folk that no longer attend the MAs.

Todays player is only interested in getting to the top, and it doesn't matter how they do it. To most the "top" is either the win the war, or the scoreboard, or even just getting their name in lights. It might even be something as minor as 90 of his closest friends all typing WTG!!

I don't know, I must have the same brand of glasses as Guppy. Saturday, the bish were running NOE after NOE because they had the water to run across. Once all of the shore line/ island bases were captured they disappeared. An hour later the rooks.... if you can believe that... had most of them back. The bish that were together Saturday were interested in nothing more than running a bunch of bases to get all their WTG's posted and them moved on. Thats not combat, thats clubbing baby seal "IF" you can catch them at what ever base they "pop up" at. I don't care what any of them say either, it's NOT strategy, it's hiding from a fight.   

[Lusche]

This is the same kind of stuff I read on this board when I joined AH 5 years ago. "Today it's all about war or score, the old folks are driven away, no one wants to fight anymore, no honor" and so on
Five years ago, both big countries were clobbering the small one in the race for reset (old war rules). We still had Fighter Town, but it was frequently bombed and even captured. CH 200 was quite the same way it is today. Only few players from 99/00 were still playing back then in 05. Same as few guys that joined with me are still playing today. After I jhad been on for a few tours, the LCA (not a squad, but a multi-sqd "alliance") turned Rookland into one borglike horde that smashed 4 fields to take one.
AH population wasn't really "better" back then.


One reason many "vets" stop flying or limit themselves to small niches like Duelling League is not that the gameplay and player base went worse - it's because they have seen it all, and what once was exciting is now dull & average.



And I will never forget that certain player: He joined AH about the same time I did. I remember we onced camped a spawn in our Tigers, getting 50+ kills (camping was easier back then) and WTG'd each other.

2-3 years later the same guy started to complain more & more how the game has detoriated, how lame the newbs were playing and that no one does really fight anymore

[Guppy35]

So why do we talk about it then?  Why all the charts and stats?  Why does it still matter to you? 

[Lusche]

So why do we talk about it then?  Why all the charts and stats?  Why does it still matter to you? 

Huh?

[Guppy35]

Huh?

You seem to be telling me that what I'm seeing is the same old same old.  If so, why are we talking about it? 

[Lusche]

You seem to be telling me that what I'm seeing is the same old same old.  If so, why are we talking about it?  

There are different topics/aspects in this thread, and I differentiate between them. I'm not using a broad brush.

[Melvin]

I've been playing nearly a year now, and here is my observation.

I signed up with daydreams of flying with some squadron of (Allied/Axis) on our way to get into some brutal engagement with the enemy (Allied/Axis).

What I've found in the MA's is just a bunch of cartoon nonsense.

C-hogs killin my B-17's. Spitfires killin my F4u1A. Other 109's killin my 109. Etc. etc etc etc.

BORING

This is why i haven't logged into the MA's in quite some time. (Actually logged in tonight to make an appearance at squad night. What happened? Got my low P38 jumped by a Corsair from the stratosphere. I <S> the guy and left.)

The only thing keeping my money flowing is the AvA arena and the upcoming Racing season.

I'm sure that they too will dry up eventually.

I know that some will say, " You can do snapshots or FSO." That is well and good, but my schedule is hectic and doesn't always allow for me to be reliable enough to commit.

Take my words for what they're worth (little), but understand that I believe the game is going downhill due to the complete lack of....ugh what's the word I'm looking for...?

Cohesion? comprehension? compassion? Oh wait.....REALITY Yeah, that's it.

Lame cartoon gameyness is all that will be left soon.

Flame on Chodes.      Melvin

[The Fugitive]

This is the same kind of stuff I read on this board when I joined AH 5 years ago. "Today it's all about war or score, the old folks are driven away, no one wants to fight anymore, no honor" and so on
Five years ago, both big countries were clobbering the small one in the race for reset (old war rules). We still had Fighter Town, but it was frequently bombed and even captured. CH 200 was quite the same way it is today. Only few players from 99/00 were still playing back then in 05. Same as few guys that joined with me are still playing today. After I jhad been on for a few tours, the LCA (not a squad, but a multi-sqd "alliance") turned Rookland into one borglike horde that smashed 4 fields to take one.
AH population wasn't really "better" back then.


One reason many "vets" stop flying or limit themselves to small niches like Duelling League is not that the gameplay and player base went worse - it's because they have seen it all, and what once was exciting is now dull & average.



And I will never forget that certain player: He joined AH about the same time I did. I remember we onced camped a spawn in our Tigers, getting 50+ kills (camping was easier back then) and WTG'd each other.

2-3 years later the same guy started to complain more & more how the game has detoriated, how lame the newbs were playing and that no one does really fight anymore

....and 5 years before that FT and TT were almost NEVER taken, squad battles lasted all night over a single base because people DEFENDED the bases they took, not just run off to the next NOE, channel 200 was good natured ribbing and I don't remember ANYONE complaining about being "muted" EVER. The major squads had dozens of mission saved in the mission planner and the first 5 were NOT "Everyone take a nik and go NOE, or everyone take a 110 and go NOE, or everyone take a hvy P38 and go NOE, or everyone take your favorite cannon bird and go NOE, or everyone take a goon and go NOE..... well ok that last one was a main staple   

The point is is the game play has been declining steadily over the years. I think the only reason the game is still going at this point is due to "Mommy and Daddy" using it as a place to park their kids for a few hours everyday.

[dedalos]

Could be.  I don't know that it's necessarily a better age.  But again the bottom line is the player base.  The number of players paying to play makes a difference. 

To me the one arena filled to the brim creates an anonymity that is harder to get in an arena with smaller numbers.  It's easier for the 'community' to police itself then.  One large group of players is less inclined to play the game in a way that is detrimental to the rest of the players in that arena.  You know who is doing what and there can be a, for lack of a better way to say it, peer pressure to think beyond the tip of your own nose in terms of game play.

One of the things that seems to have changed is the idea of interacting with other players regardless of chess piece.  Now it's you and 90 of your closest friends in your three squad wing, focused on just that group.  Note that the whines about caps generally include  "I can't fly with my squad!"  I've yet to see a whine that includes "I don't get to fly against the guys I like to fly against."  I believe there was a time when folks thought that way.  You knew who would give you the best fights and wanted to fly against them.  It didn't have to be 'go to the DA" if you want a fight

I think from reading what Hitech has said in the past, he has a concern for that social aspect of the game and at what point that gets lost in the numbers game.

Police what????  That is how they play the game.  The objective is to win the war.  Change the objectives if you want different game play.  You  act as if the hording and everything we don;t like is caused by a couple of guys that can hide in the crowds lol.  The community is not going to police what the community thinks is the norm.   Less people less hoards.  More people more hoards.  Available options, hoards only.

[Shuffler]

Xbox generation.

[grizz441]

Shuffler picks 1v1s.

[Guppy35]

Shuffler picks 1v1s.

LOL so does Agent

[Shuffler]

Agent picked me twice last night and I didn't even have my hand up