I like guys like fugi/guppy/shuff and numerous other folks who are "all about the air combat". They mean well but are unable to see the onesidedness of their thinking. I will explain:
First I think this "furballer" tag has to go. Personally I don't like furballs as I hate getting picked by 3 guys while I'm trying to pick someone else. I think you'd find most of the people that are concidered "furballers" would much rather fly sweeps for and/or against missions than furball.
Their basic interpretation of base capture is to make air combat happen.....ok lets roll with this.
1. The "furballers" want to be there to stop the base grab...They up light fiters and pick off hevy fiters/110's/goons/buffs who are not there primarily to fight back...but to capture the base. In this case they get to be the "wolves" and the base capture guys are "sheep" Overall fun for them...not so fun for the sheep UNLESS they capture the base...
a smart mission planner would launch light fighters, 6 or so for a base capture, 5 minutes BEFORE the main attack force. There sole perpose would be to draw the defenders away from the target using tactics made for them to survive. BnZ with a wingman and such. 6 guys could keep 10-12 guys busy for 15- 20 minutes either they are effective, and have a few skills. (unfortunately most players count on the horde to win the day, not skill)
2. The wolves then get upset with the sheep for not running right back at them but trying to accomplish their fun by hitting a different base....
3. Now the only way for the sheep to become wolves is if they basically abandon base attack at that point and up light fiters to evenly fight the wolves. But they have to abandon the original objective to do so...not exactly a fair trade.
Had they sent fighter cover in the first place they might not have had to abandoned their mission. Missions are made up of many different elements and the players filling those "rolls" should be counted on to fill them. Sometimes your one of the goon pilots, sometimes fighter cover. Either way you should want to give 100% to help in the mission, other wise WHY ARE YOU IN A MISSION?
Todays players aren't skilled enough to be depended on. I'd bet more than half the guys dive bombing targets will miss, or auger in ANY mission run these days. I'd bet that the other 50% will zoom strait up making a great target for any wolf who wants to pick. I'd bet that more than 75% don't know how to "porpoise" when de-acking and why it might be important. Why, because todays players are gamers and all of the massive on-line games these days are nothing buthaving everyone run into the same wall over and over again. The more running into the wall the faster it goes down. It doesn't take any skill to run into a wall.
4. Oh wait a minute..another way to prevent the win the war would be to retake the bases that were captured...but wait a minute that would mean these "furballers/air combat" guys would have to run missions.....ewwwww.
I would love to see this, but it is hard to generate some help. The reason is everyone is too busy running in the horde to split off and try something like that. Yesterday the Bish horde was attacking 27, while the rook horde was attacking 28, 30 miles away from each other.
Now where i call BS is that the furballlers....who want to use base capture to encourage air combat never run true base capture missions and let themselves be the sheep. When I played the game I NEVER heard "Here comes a shuffler mission....get up fast" or "Here comes a Guppy mission roll out" or "watch out here comes another fugi mission oh noes!!" I know guppy ran "stupid lets make fun of base capture" missions but hell they were rare and don't count. ANOTHER EXAMPLE of the "Its up to us players to "do the right thing for the game" where it really means "YOU do the right thing for ME to have fun with the game."
I think this will go way over their heads....but maybe...just maybe....for once...a so-called furballer will understand how easy it would be for them to affect gameplay.
I have run hundreds of missions. I spent hours on end circling fields in a bomber guiding every bit of the attack with my birds eye seat. I got burnt out running missions. Too much time planning, not enough time "playing". I ran missions for 5 years (2 in AW, and 3 here) I didn't want the responsibility of running them any more. I am more than happy to join any mission today except NOEs, or missions where the briefing goes like this..
"110's hit the town, P47's hit the hangers, everyone else clean up. Flatten any thing left up!"
Which means I'm not in too many missions these days.
So stop being hypocrites boys!!! If you believe that base capture encourages air combat....why aren't YOU running these missions and forcing the others to defend...AND don't forget to keep coming back hevy with goons and 110s to finish the base over and over again btw.....maybe they will like being wolves while they get to slaughter YOU???? But maybe you wont find being the sheep so much fun...
/facepalm
Todays players don't want missions, they want to roll over a base with out having to fight for it. Guppy's mission don't work because as soon as anyone on the defenders side knows it's them they run away because they know Guppy's not really after the base, and that most of the guys flying with him a decent sticks so they being the skilless players they are know they don't stand a chance at shooting them down so they a re gone.
Todays players are very good at avoiding a fight, and go to great lengths to do so.