Hap use to do training missions all the time. Taught me how to bomb, fly in formation, and the dot commands.
I learned a bunch as a fresh noob from the horde NOE missions of old. New players will stay longer if they can fly with a group who want to accomplish the same goal no matter if there is 5 or 35 people in the group. Whole squads can be formed by people meeting in these missions. The vets who want to take this away are just being elitist. Fugitive is just the worst offender.
And when did I ever say I wanted to take away missions and squads???? Your reading something I ain't typing!!
Squads are the best way to teach the new guys, and missions the second best way to teach them (1 on 1 training time being the best). Our squads ALWAYS had a few newbies in them. First off they were great for comic relief
, but more importantly you were helping to train up the next generation of players. I remember night in the TA having a bunch of guys follow me in 38's and practice divebombing from first 5k then to 10k, and 15k for the brave. Showing them the speed, timing, and tricks to avoid any compression. To hit their targets, as well as pulling out of the dive to be useful to the rest of the squad if even as just another target.
Mission were great for putting that practice to use under fire. I knew who I could count on to hit, and who would most likely miss. Why? because I worked with all of them. Todays squads spend more time just uppin a bunch of 110s and running NOE to each shore base they can reach. Very few take the time to "train" any more, why? Because everyone is too busy grabbing bases and shooting down as many planes as they can the quickest way they can.
Fugitive your penchant to complain is not surprising.
If you want 1v1s and gentlemanly duels
1.DA
2.WW1
3.AvA
Hordes are going to happen. You do not have to take part in defending against them or fly in them. The choice is yours as much as the choice for people to take "the path of least resistance" everyone talks so much about.
I don't want just 1 vs 1, gentlemanly duels. I don't have time to learn all the tricks to get get 110% out of a plane, so I don't spend much time in the DA. The last few times I did WWI it was just a twirling furbal with a few pickers. Again it gets old fast. And the AvA, we I have to give those guy credit for trying, but everytime I've been in there its the MA with less targets. I don't have time to fly 2 sectors just to get HOed by the only guy flying. It just gets old fast.
The MAs though have a wide range of activities. If I get tired of dieing to other fighters I can buff, or get my butt handed to me in any number of GVs. The bad news is is that I'm not a Muppet and I can't kill fast enough to thin out a horde enough to slow them down. If all we have is a horde to fight against, then that is what I'm stuck with. As the fights dry up, so will some of the subscriptions. A lot of people played this game to fight, even Hitch use to "fight" (I wonder why he doesn't fight any more?) It is becoming more a "quake" game everyday. Strategy plays such a small part in this game now a days. Everyone complains about the maps not resting.... because nobody can plan a mission with out 50 guys in it. People running from hordes because it's more fun to milk run bomber points on towns. People complaining about GVs getting bomb. Heaven forbid you can't land those "double digits" sets of kills. Most of those GVers have forgotten that 6-8 GVs grouped up and with a plan can take a base with ease....LTARs did it all the time, when was the last time you saw a group of GVs it a base....other than to set up a camp at the vehicle hanger?
Elitist, nawww, Doomsayer, maybe. Me I just call them as I see them. Sure some of you are having a blast camping that spawn, but what are you going to do if nobody is there to spawn any more? Why not just make it so you have to fly over the town after taking one building. Land grab would be easier and I'll bet ya'll could reset the map now and then, after all thats what ya'll want isn't?
