Why the Hordes?

[The Fugitive]

I know this thread may get stupid, but I'm hoping to have a good discussion about "why" people feel the need to run in a horde.

Last night it was the Bishs turn to run the horde....do we draw numbers or short sticks for this honor? There was one GV battle going on in the hills, Knights were pushed back through the south and were trying to recapture a base from the bish. In the north the Bish horde was going from base to base taking bases back methodically one every 20-30 minutes. As a Rook I could do the GV battle (which I did for a bit getting killed 5 times to every kill   ) or dive into the Bish/Knight battles going on just outside of the valley south of A1 (which I did and got HOed and ganged by BOTH teams.... are Rooks such a nemesis that the Knights and Bish team up to chase a lone Rook?) or defend against the mighty horde in the north?

Looking at the roster there were 4 Bish squads with close to 10 players each on. All working together creating a horde of 30-50 players (Adding some for those that while not in one of these squads joined the mission due to the horde). I understand capturing bases is fun, I understand working together is fun AND rewarding. What I don't understand is what is fun about using an overwhelming force to do these things. How can it be fun for the second half of the group to get to the field/target they are attacking only to find nobody is upping any more, the town is down, the flag is white, and the first group of guys in are screaming "Don't damage the base! We will need to up from here!". Why are the second 20+ people still tagging along?

I know the Bish or any horde for that matter are not out to impress anyone, or are they? Isn't one of the reasons you team up and run a mission to succeed? Isn't it to give each other that "Atta Boy!". Isn't it to "spit" in the "enemies" face and say "Take that!".  Well to me, doing it with a horde is no big deal, it doesn't deserve an "Atta Boy". With the towns as they are now 3 guys can capture a base if nobody defends. 50 really should have much of a problem right?

Hordes are a product of the mission planners. LCA, Bops, even the multi squad groups teaming up have a "mission planner". If the MP has 50 guys all going to one base he has created a horde, not a mission. After all we already know 50 guys are going to pretty much "own" any thing they try to do, why call it a mission? It's up to the MP's to do away with the hordes. They have the ability to plan the missions, so plan them! Last night the Bish had the horde, instead of taking 1 base ever 20-30 minutes how about try taking 3 at the same time? Over all you would capture more bases in the same amount of time there by increasing the "fun" your squad/group is having. Squad night runs 2 hours, if 4 captures are good, 10-12 would be better. AND having "earned" them would make it that much sweeter wouldn't you think?

The arenas were split do to it becoming "a cess pool". I think, that one of those things that created the poor environment was the hordes. Last night a newbie might have been a rook and looking for a fun place to play and couldn't find it due to the hordes, heck some of us old times couldn't find a fun fight and left. If the arenas start turning away the subscribers again HTC WILL fix it. As we know their "fixes" (remember the radar change) aren't always fun    Maybe it's asking too much for these groups to come up with a battle plan and try to execute WITHOUT having to rely on overwhelming numbers. I think it would be more fun if you have to "earn" the capture. I know I'd join more missions if there was going to be a fight involved. Now it's a waste of time unless you happen to be in the forfront of the group. Why wouldn't you want to have MORE fun?  

[mechanic]

A horde is usualy the result of a small furball growing. People log in and flock to the biggest dar-bar to find a fight. Often one side gets more players than another as the hours go by. The less populated side starts to get fed up with being outnumbered and their players leave the fight. This off-sets the fight even further untill finally there is a horde on one side pushing in to vulch the enemy base.

It's most often not that people want to horde. It's just like electricity following the path of least resistance. The easier fight attracts more players and the harder fight discourages the other team. Hordes are most often a natural result of a brawl that has no rules or organisation. Most of the hordes have nothing to do with base capture and everything to do with individuals looking to join the biggest fight.

[Masherbrum]

Fugi, they still believe quantity is better than quality.  I gave up long ago trying to convince some to become more creative. 

[TinmanX]

When folks realise that all three teams, HO, Pick, Alt-monkey, horde, camp, gang with equal crapitudes, this board will wither and die like daffodil in the microwave. Until then we'll have these threads.

[DMGOD]

lwblue last night got to see quite the rook horde going at it. I agree with Fugitive how in the world is it any fun to come in and fly over a field with nobody upping and do nothing but wait for troops? Better yet  is the clown on 200 running his mouth about how great they are for doing what they are doing.

[BiPoLaR]

lwblue last night got to see quite the rook horde going at it. I agree with Fugitive how in the world is it any fun to come in and fly over a field with nobody upping and do nothing but wait for troops? Better yet  is the clown on 200 running his mouth about how great they are for doing what they are doing.

Thought you quit?
Your 2 weeks isnt up yet.

[bj229r]

This is where the obligatory whorder will state that 'you should up and defend against us'  I believe the answer can be found in another thread

Broken..I feel your pain.  What has helped me lately is to stay in highly populated areas as to avoid alot of 1-1 or 1-2 contacts which i will lose 99% of the time.  You can work on things a bit better when you are not the focus and have some fun at the same time.  As you get more confidence you can escalate your encounters.

the poster is a new guy, but the vast majority of folks who follow that mentality aren't. The edge of the radar ring on their base is like the rope holding back the bulldog on the old bugs bunny cartoons--when not whording, they orbit high over their base, always turning back and climbing when nearing the edge, so as to be certain to NEVER be in a position that might put them at risk. When they get tired of that, they land their picks, gets congrats, and join another whord mission. This is why I HATE large maps. Small maps force the whords from each side to interact, whether they want to or not. I bet Lusche could come up with a table that would should the perfect ratio of sector to online players

[DMGOD]

Thought you quit?
Your 2 weeks isnt up yet.

lol i did quit but im such a loser and have no life that i unquit

[SlapShot]

I don't know Fugi ...

I remember when the MAW would combine forces with the FreeBirds and/or USMC and when that group was on the move, there were upwards of 60-80 flying strong. The only difference between then and now, was the fact that when this horde mobilized, they was a counteracting group of squads the would meet you head on ... like the Arabian Knights or the Cactus Air Force. Back then each country had a core set of squads that were the protectors of the country and were always there to meet the enemy head on ... and not avoid them and horde a different part of the map.

If the MAW was not running organized ops and the call came over country channel that the AKs were attacking a base ... we dropped everything and upped like mad bees to try and beat them back. Repelling them, at times, was just as satisfying as taking a base. And conversely, when the MAW was hitting a base, you could bet the ranch that the AKs were going to up and fight like cornered badgers.

That is what is missing in the game IMHO ... countries don't see to have the "core" set of squads that are the "protectors".

[bj229r]

No, but there IS a "core" set of squads which will look at that situation, and bravely go to the far end of the map and whorde some OTHER undefended area---one other variable exists now which didn't before: The whorde can take 10-20 bases...and it REALLY doesn't mean very much, in the overall scheme of things, so there's no sense of importance attached to the defense

[The Fugitive]

A horde is usualy the result of a small furball growing. People log in and flock to the biggest dar-bar to find a fight. Often one side gets more players than another as the hours go by. The less populated side starts to get fed up with being outnumbered and their players leave the fight. This off-sets the fight even further untill finally there is a horde on one side pushing in to vulch the enemy base.

It's most often not that people want to horde. It's just like electricity following the path of least resistance. The easier fight attracts more players and the harder fight discourages the other team. Hordes are most often a natural result of a brawl that has no rules or organisation. Most of the hordes have nothing to do with base capture and everything to do with individuals looking to join the biggest fight.

I can see this, but more often than not if you check out the guys you find in these hordes most couldn't fight their way out of a wet paper bag. I think it's more along the line of the lemmings than it is furballers looking for a furball. Again I think it's up to the MPs and "leaders" of these squads to lead. If they are just the first lemming in the line, they are not leading.

When folks realise that all three teams, HO, Pick, Alt-monkey, horde, camp, gang with equal crapitudes, this board will wither and die like daffodil in the microwave. Until then we'll have these threads.

Had you read and comprehended what I typed you would have notice that I did point out ALL the teams doing this. It is a universal sickness. Just because ALL teams do it, doesn't make it right.

This is where the obligatory whorder will state that 'you should up and defend against us'  I believe the answer can be found in another thread  the poster is a new guy, but the vast majority of folks who follow that mentality aren't. The edge of the radar ring on their base is like the rope holding back the bulldog on the old bugs bunny cartoons--when not whording, they orbit high over their base, always turning back and climbing when nearing the edge, so as to be certain to NEVER be in a position that might put them at risk. When they get tired of that, they land their picks, gets congrats, and join another whord mission. This is why I HATE large maps. Small maps force the whords from each side to interact, whether they want to or not. I bet Lusche could come up with a table that would should the perfect ratio of sector to online players

Ya that was one of the first things posted after I commented on 200 that "the horde won again". I dive into the hordes more often than not. All trips end the same with me getting shot down by 6 or 7 guys at once. So now either I'm an idiot for diving into an out number situation, or I'm a wuss for not defending my bases from the horde. I'm just a guy trying to have fun, and this situation really isn't all that much fun.

lol i did quit but im such a loser and have no life that i unquit

....and it was the only way he could figure out how to change his avatar  

I don't know Fugi ...

I remember when the MAW would combine forces with the FreeBirds and/or USMC and when that group was on the move, there were upwards of 60-80 flying strong. The only difference between then and now, was the fact that when this horde mobilized, they was a counteracting group of squads the would meet you head on ... like the Arabian Knights or the Cactus Air Force. Back then each country had a core set of squads that were the protectors of the country and were always there to meet the enemy head on ... and not avoid them and horde a different part of the map.

If the MAW was not running organized ops and the call came over country channel that the AKs were attacking a base ... we dropped everything and upped like mad bees to try and beat them back. Repelling them, at times, was just as satisfying as taking a base. And conversely, when the MAW was hitting a base, you could bet the ranch that the AKs were going to up and fight like cornered badgers.

That is what is missing in the game IMHO ... countries don't see to have the "core" set of squads that are the "protectors".

You could add the 444th Air Mafia to that list as well. On the other hand all of those squads named were guys that fought. The fought to keep bases, as well as fought to take bases. I remember many a night going head to head with the MAW in AW. It was always fun to have a bunch of MAWs on my kill list! Maybe todays players are not into fighting, but just into running up base counts.

The game has a large learning curve which doesn't suit todays type of players who are use to "point and click" type games/combat. Who reads a manual to play WoW? Nobody, but to get off on the right foot in this game it could take a week to read up on the ins and outs. So we have a bunch of players whos skills are "questionable" with a large lack of confidence grouping together to hide their lack of skill..... safety in numbers.

[CptTrips]

The arenas were split do to it becoming "a cess pool". I think, that one of those things that created the poor environment was the hordes.

Well then.  Apparently arena caps have been spectacularly successful in solving that problem, and well worth the annoyance they cause.  

Perhaps we need MORE arena caps.  Maybe arena's should be capped at 2 players each.  If you go 3 players, well then you will get 2 on 1 and that's going to seem like a horde to the odd man out.  

,
Wab

[JUGgler]

Hordes feed the BEAST, when the horde is upon us the 2-3 kills I get compaired to the 200 I lose are well worth it. Even if it is only 2-3 hording vulchtards I send to the tower at least one ends in a whiiine. Then I just bask in the glowing warmth that I may have disrupted somebodys "fighter" score  


JUGgler

[sky25]

lwblue last night got to see quite the rook horde going at it. I agree with Fugitive how in the world is it any fun to come in and fly over a field with nobody upping and do nothing but wait for troops? Better yet  is the clown on 200 running his mouth about how great they are for doing what they are doing.

about 10 more planes not pictured.
Everybody does this. Rooks, Bish and Knits!!

[grizz441]

A horde is usualy the result of a small furball growing. People log in and flock to the biggest dar-bar to find a fight. Often one side gets more players than another as the hours go by. The less populated side starts to get fed up with being outnumbered and their players leave the fight. This off-sets the fight even further untill finally there is a horde on one side pushing in to vulch the enemy base.

It's most often not that people want to horde. It's just like electricity following the path of least resistance. The easier fight attracts more players and the harder fight discourages the other team. Hordes are most often a natural result of a brawl that has no rules or organisation. Most of the hordes have nothing to do with base capture and everything to do with individuals looking to join the biggest fight.

This.

I would also like to add, and what Fugi is probably getting that, is the small population of people that will only up when the odds become stacked in their favor as the fight shifts their way in the way you described it.  Also, it is probably the same players that are the first to leave the fight when it becomes slightly stacked against them too.

The reason is pretty simple though, they want to experience success.  They may be new or not very skilled, and they want a reasonable chance to kill a couple bad guys and go land em.  We all probably did the same thing when we were new.