HT I have a better way for arena transitions.

[Jayhawk]

Start small;

HTC, please can we have a 'Refresh' button in the Lobby so that we don't have to log out and in to get updated arena numbers?

Not to encourage a hijack but +1 to that.

[PFactorDave]

HTC, please can we have a 'Refresh' button in the Lobby so that we don't have to log out and in to get updated arena numbers?

+1 to this, but the teleporting thing strikes me as being just a tad looney.

[Chalenge]

I was going to say!... First warp and now teleport? What is this? Star Trek?  

[MrRiplEy[H]]

Ok, let's say 400 people are on, it splits into 2x200.

What happens when 150 of the people from the second arena just got plucked out of a great fight and log out of that arena and back into the primary arena because 'that's where teh gud fitez ar!'

Wiley.

First of all you will never see a mass movement of 150 players. If you now have 8 targets in front of you and then you have 4 targets, you're not going to miss the other 4 on the other side. You will still be in the same spot on the map, the same fields will be on fire, your objective is still the same. You'd gain absolutely nothing by switching sides at that point. There wouldn't 'be' a 'better fight' on the 'other side' since it's the same exact status of the war with the almost same exact numbers of players on both sides.

Only difference would be that you would automatically be thrown to the same side with your squad members to avoid 'disconnecting' team members in middle of fight.

And to everyone horrified with the idea of teleporting: This is only going to happen after 200 players on average will join the server. That's going to take a looong time to happen. Furthermore if so happens that players like this so much that playerbase grows to 600, a third server can transparently be created using the same method. Then fourth, then fifth.

[MrRiplEy[H]]

I was going to say!... First warp and now teleport? What is this? Star Trek?  

TNG of thinking perhaps? 

[Dead Man Flying]

It's not easy - but the goal is to create something. Creating something takes hard work and pain.

For what benefit exactly?  HTC is a small company, so the many hours they would put into implementing this largely unnecessary system is time not spent updating old planes or researching and adding new planes.  Do people really leave the game because of arena splits?  Let's face it, if someone is unhappy that they can't fly with the squadmates due to the arena split, they aren't going to leave the game (and their squadmates) forever over it.  They're just going to get upset and then log off but keep their subscriptions.

So from a business perspective, what's the benefit to all that hard work and pain?

[Wiley]

First of all you will never see a mass movement of 150 players.

Why not?  They just saw half of their buddies disappear, including the goon that was about to drop troops, and the sky in front of them is now devoid of enemy aircraft.  Why wouldn't they want to get back to that fight?

If you now have 8 targets in front of you and then you have 4 targets, you're not going to miss the other 4 on the other side. You will still be in the same spot on the map, the same fields will be on fire, your objective is still the same. You'd gain absolutely nothing by switching sides at that point. There wouldn't 'be' a 'better fight' on the 'other side' since it's the same exact status of the war with the almost same exact numbers of players on both sides.

Ok, I think I see where the disconnect is.

You're assuming an even distribution of people across the map on the server.  Have you not noticed this is never, ever the case?  You had 8 targets in front of you.  They were all squaddies.  They all switched at once.  You now have zero (0) targets in front of you, because the server split.  This isn't annoying?

The enemy horde you're moving in on was comprised of members of 3 squads and a half dozen single people.  Now suddenly instead of 25 planes for you and your 15 friends to play with, you now have 6.  More importantly, THEY now only have 6 on their side.  This isn't annoying?

Even assuming your perfect ideal, where through some miracle 50% of the people from all sides in the local area disappear, the situation was you upped to defend an airbase with a dozen other guys against 30 hordelings.  It goes from 30-12 to 15-6.  12 guys can fight their way out of a 30-12 a heck of a lot easier than 6 guys can fight their way out of 15 planes.

TNG of thinking perhaps?  

Heh, funny.  I loved TNG.  I wouldn't call it groundbreaking or great, compared to TOS.  It was more of a rehash of the formula that while decent, brought very little new to the table, and many who liked the old show found it vastly inferior.

And to everyone horrified with the idea of teleporting: This is only going to happen after 200 players on average will join the server. That's going to take a looong time to happen. Furthermore if so happens that players like this so much that playerbase grows to 600, a third server can transparently be created using the same method. Then fourth, then fifth.

Again, it reaches 200.  It splits into 2x100.  75 of those guys log out of the second server and back into the first within the next 5 minutes.  It doesn't matter why they did it, they did.  What happens when 26 more guys come into the first arena?

Wiley.

[MrRiplEy[H]]

For what benefit exactly?  HTC is a small company, so the many hours they would put into implementing this largely unnecessary system is time not spent updating old planes or researching and adding new planes.

These are totally irrelevant. We already have a large planeset, nobody's going to come or go over 1 new plane.

Do people really leave the game because of arena splits?

EVERY DAY. By the dozens at least if not more.

Let's face it, if someone is unhappy that they can't fly with the squadmates due to the arena split, they aren't going to leave the game (and their squadmates) forever over it.  They're just going to get upset and then log off but keep their subscriptions.

Rofl listen to yourself. A paying customer is going to QUIT using your product over being UPSET about being denied of the use and you think it's not going to end up with cancellations? Hehehe, think again.

So from a business perspective, what's the benefit to all that hard work and pain?

The benefit is a seamlessly scaling server environment where the amount of players gets dynamically relocated as it grows or gets smaller.

[MrRiplEy[H]]

Why not?  They just saw half of their buddies disappear, including the goon that was about to drop troops, and the sky in front of them is now devoid of enemy aircraft.  Why wouldn't they want to get back to that fight?

Because the only difference they would see is switch in player numbers. Would you chase a goon to the other side and leave your squadmates behind? I wouldn't

You're assuming an even distribution of people across the map on the server.  Have you not noticed this is never, ever the case?  You had 8 targets in front of you.  They were all squaddies.  They all switched at once.  You now have zero (0) targets in front of you, because the server split.  This isn't annoying?

I don't care if the 262 I tried to kill disappeared as long as I don't have to log off and get denied gameplay with my squaddies in the new full server. The split is 100% better option nobody will care less about a couple cons discoing once a day. People logoff, can't get to new arena, QUIT playing. Every day.

The enemy horde you're moving in on was comprised of members of 3 squads and a half dozen single people.  Now suddenly instead of 25 planes for you and your 15 friends to play with, you now have 6.  More importantly, THEY now only have 6 on their side.  This isn't annoying?

You prefer moving to the server with 20 players in total while the rest of your squad managed to get in before the cap?

Even assuming your perfect ideal, where through some miracle 50% of the people from all sides in the local area disappear, the situation was you upped to defend an airbase with a dozen other guys against 30 hordelings.  It goes from 30-12 to 15-6.  12 guys can fight their way out of a 30-12 a heck of a lot easier than 6 guys can fight their way out of 15 planes.

Again, would you prefer to continue that fight uninterrupted or be forced to logoff and be blocked from joining with your friends?

Heh, funny.  I loved TNG.  I wouldn't call it groundbreaking or great, compared to TOS.  It was more of a rehash of the formula that while decent, brought very little new to the table, and many who liked the old show found it vastly inferior.


Again, it reaches 200.  It splits into 2x100.  75 of those guys log out of the second server and back into the first within the next 5 minutes.  It doesn't matter why they did it, they did.  What happens when 26 more guys come into the first arena?

Wiley.

That will not happen since 75 individual players will never have the common incentive to do so. Besides a split is only required when total number reaches around 400 there won't be a 2x100 arena untill numbers start to drop off-hours. And when that happens, it is 100% desireable for people to populate just one arena.

[AWwrgwy]

I see no one will commit to saying that they would not choose to switch when asked. (duh)

Problems with poofing:

Different map(s) in arena you are being poofed into.
"...But I don't like that map."

You get poofed but your squadmate(S) didn't, or vice versa.
"...But I need to get into that arena to be with my squad."

Same problems, different implementation.

Essentially no one will willingly change. If they would, the "problem" we "have" now would be moot, (sorry Moot), as squads that really wanted to fly together would plan properly by going to the arena where they would all fit.

The simple solution is what we have now. Kick everyone and start over.


wrongway

[Ack-Ack]

EVERY DAY. By the dozens at least if not more.

Any proof to back up your claims that dozens if not more are leaving the game every day?  From your claim, AH would have been a ghost town by now.

ack-ack

[Wiley]

Because the only difference they would see is switch in player numbers.

Yeah.  And a random number of the guys they can see disappear.  Sometimes it's all the friendlies, sometimes it's all the enemy.  The point is, you would never be able to trust what you're seeing, as it could change at any moment.  If you don't see that as being completely abhorrent for gameplay, then I don't know what to say to you.

Would you chase a goon to the other side and leave your squadmates behind? I wouldn't

I meant friendly goon.  They were just denied their attaboys and the pleasure of seeing the base change over to their country  Now in their arena, the ack that goon was just going to beat coming back up has now popped, and they've lost momentum.

I don't care if the 262 I tried to kill disappeared as long as I don't have to log off and get denied gameplay with my squaddies in the new full server. The split is 100% better option nobody will care less about a couple cons discoing once a day. People logoff, can't get to new arena, QUIT playing. Every day.

Citation please.  What Ack-Ack said.

You prefer moving to the server with 20 players in total while the rest of your squad managed to get in before the cap?

Again, would you prefer to continue that fight uninterrupted or be forced to logoff and be blocked from joining with your friends?

You're completely ignoring the fact that the supposedly 'uninterrupted fight' you are having just completely changed.  You now have 0 enemy in front of you.  ...This is an 'uninterrupted fight'?

That will not happen since 75 individual players will never have the common incentive to do so. Besides a split is only required when total number reaches around 400 there won't be a 2x100 arena untill numbers start to drop off-hours. And when that happens, it is 100% desireable for people to populate just one arena.

Whatever your cutoff point, 75, 150, whatever.  That many people are never trying to change arenas at the same time?  I wish, oh how I wish I could get Hitech to post here how many people are hammering Orange when the arenas are split trying to get into it that aren't in a squad.  I would be willing to bet it's enough to cause your arena to want to split again.

You've just given them the incentive.  The entire battle they were in just completely changed, either putting them at a sudden disadvantage, or suddenly giving them a massive numbers advantage that killed the fight because there aren't any interested enemy now that they've got a horde in the area.  They just got shot down because half their friendlies disappeared.  They're going to be angry, and if they're not angry enough to quit for the night, will want to go back to the 'good arena' where they believe the situation they had before will still be there.

I'm not saying it's logical, I am saying it's what will happen.

Wiley.

[MrRiplEy[H]]

I see no one will commit to saying that they would not choose to switch when asked. (duh)

Problems with poofing:

Different map(s) in arena you are being poofed into.
"...But I don't like that map."

You are not even reading what was written. Running copy of the MA means same map, same fields taken, same state of war. Only thing players will notice is a change in numbers.

You get poofed but your squadmate(S) didn't, or vice versa.
"...But I need to get into that arena to be with my squad."

Again you're not bothering to even read before complaining. Move can be made in a way that squads are split squad at a time.

Essentially no one will willingly change. If they would, the "problem" we "have" now would be moot, (sorry Moot), as squads that really wanted to fly together would plan properly by going to the arena where they would all fit.

People play a game. They do not play this game to have set dates on where and what time to play. They expect to be able to play when they need to and (usually) who they want with i.e. their squaddies. Currently if someone joins after a cap has reached he's blocked from joining all the friends and is left with 3 options: Play alone (yeeee), login/logoff untill a slot is open (yeeeee) or decide not to play at all (yeeee @ subscriptions).

[Dead Man Flying]

These are totally irrelevant. We already have a large planeset, nobody's going to come or go over 1 new plane.

Really?  I'd say plenty of people would leave over developmental stagnation.  Like, say, no new planes for two years while they implement the painful coding scheme you propose.

EVERY DAY. By the dozens at least if not more.

You're full of it.  There'd be nobody left at that rate.  I don't have access to HTC's numbers, but I can absolutely say you're pulling that one out of thin air.

Rofl listen to yourself. A paying customer is going to QUIT using your product over being UPSET about being denied of the use and you think it's not going to end up with cancellations? Hehehe, think again.

They're upset because they occasionally can't play with their squad in a social game.  So their solution to this pain is to... leave the game and the squad?  That's not a rational solution to that problem.

[AWwrgwy]

You are not even reading what was written. Running copy of the MA means same map, same fields taken, same state of war. Only thing players will notice is a change in numbers.

So you want the same old stale maps on both arenas after the split?
(Yet another complaint about the split, not mine)

Again you're not bothering to even read before complaining. Move can be made in a way that squads are split squad at a time.

Your squad is in an arena "with no action". Or, the other half of your friends are in a different arena?
(more complaints, not mine)

People play a game. They do not play this game to have set dates on where and what time to play. They expect to be able to play when they need to and (usually) who they want with i.e. their squaddies. Currently if someone joins after a cap has reached he's blocked from joining all the friends and is left with 3 options: Play alone (yeeee), login/logoff untill a slot is open (yeeeee) or decide not to play at all (yeeee @ subscriptions).

A group of individuals with free will to get together where they can get together but choose not to? Whose fault is that?

Who said "Proper Planning and Preparation Prevents Piss Poor Performance"?

The "I can't fly with my squad" has to be the most ridiculous whine there is. A squad can fly together if they choose to.


wrongway