Most of the mentioned proposals are just tuning the old concept.
But in the face of steadily sinking player numbers and a new generation of players (or "gamers", as some like to say), with different expectations and more competition in the online gaming world... what about some more radical changes? Bringing in some more Combat Tour elements, reviving the idea of a Training Academy or mandatory (short) training missions? And *gasp* gearing the arena stronger towards a true "war", with featured news on the frontage, a more detailed and worthy strat system and some kind of enhanced teambuilding? Maybe augmenting this War Arena with an improved Furball Arena?
Talking with my son and his "gamer" friends I asked what would draw them to AH, and what do they look for in a game. The answers were simple, but how to incorporate them....... well here are a few thoughts.
Gamers look for competition, achievements, and side quests along with the main quest of "Win the War".
Add a training arena like Lusche said. Create half a dozen missions that the trainee MUST complete before they can enter the MA or other arenas. Nothing too horrible but things that push them toward "learning".
1st mission Chalkboard on the wall of the Training HQ gives you the basics of the mission, Take off, fly to next sector going to Angels 5 (5K in altitude) dive in on target at a 45 degree angle and strafe target down with guns, return to base and land successfully.
Candidate takes off (auto take off enabled, later missions it's not), grab to 5k fly to next sector and strafe down a building with guns (building hardness is set so that it takes 80% of the trainers planes ammo to take out), return and land for a completed mission.
Completed mission gives them an atta-bot and a plaque on the wall and access to the next mission. First mission gets them in the air for some basic flying, strafing of target teaches aim, angels for dives, compression for those who go too high, and how to pull out of a dive as well as landing, all basic skills needed to play the game.
Each mission successfully completed gives them a "award" (plaque on the wall) and teaches them some aspect of the game. missions can include bomber runs, dropping the last few buildings to get the "white flag" to pop, obstacle courses for a GV run to target and so on. Teaching the basics of the game getting a player use to the controls and giving them awards for succeeding. Once all 6 missions are complete the MAs open up for a taste of the real thing.
The MA's
The competition is there, but for many they KNOW they can't compete. This is what drives the hordes. In most cases it could take 8 months to a year to be an average fighter in this game. So while they are learning give them something else easier to strive for. This is where the Achievements and side quest come in. Add a new column in the score sheet called achievement points. Like all scores it's reset each month. Some achievements that earn points...
1 point for their first kill in each plane type they fly. With 83 planes to fly and get a kill in max is 83. If you get all 83, it gets rounded up to 100 as a bonus. Many have tried to get a kill in each plane, not many have succeeded, but as something to do as a "side quest" and you can add to your achievement points it something people have an option to do for themselves or by themselves.
1 point for a resupply run for a damaged base.
1 point for dropping supplies to GV (must have GVs in the area to use them)
1 point for RTBin in any vehicle or plane
1 point for bombing a strat
For side quests a number of missions could be added. to be used over and over again in the mission planner.
Mission 1, HQ bombing mission max 10 players 8 buffs, 2 fighters. Mission launches from a rearward base flies to enemy HQ bombs and returns. Successful landing is 10 achievement points for each that makes it.
Mission 2-6 assign a forward base as launch point, 20 guys max attack mission for next base. These missions won't come into play until the front opens the attack base to an attack mission. Again 10 achievement point to each who make it back.
Missions 7-15, pork run missions to enemy bases, max 5 people again either they are long mission behind enemy lines, or you wait until they become front line bases to shorten the trip. 5 achievement points for a successful landing.
Any player made mission using the mission editor with 20 or less slots available, 5 achievement points on a successful landing.
These are just a few things I can think of. These side quests, and I'm sure MANY more could be thought up and added will give people more options of game play, more options to achieve something and be successful, and be able to compete with other players even tho they have more experience. While the "hot sticks" may get the 83 points for a kill in each plane a rookie could do the same by porking ord and dropping supplies. The "achievement points" would give a reason to do these other things and bring more stratiegyinto the game at the same time still having the win the war as the big prize!
