I attribute it to the way online gaming has developed. If you look at other MMOs, practically the goal of them is to find the easiest way to accomplish the objective of the game, however that has been defined by the game designers. They don't care about the journey, they only care about the destination.
In the case of AH, the goal is to win the war. That is the only measurable 'goal' that has been defined, so that is what people focus on. Hording is the easiest way to accomplish that goal.
It's not even about whether they feel they have 'the skill to hang with the big boys' or however the guys that feel the need to chest thump in the face of the horde want to put it. The question they are asking and answering is merely 'what is the easiest path to victory?' That is why you get hording, CV hiding, bomb and bail, gv spawn camping and any other path of least resistance tactics.
The gameplay is not where they derive their fun, the winning or losing is.
I personally don't get it. When I used to play other MMO games, it always confused me when people would get other people to help them get to the top levels as fast as possible, often by doing really really repetitive things. Why are you playing a game when you don't seem to want to ...y'know... play the game? Same deal here. A large majority want to play against other people, as long as the chances those other people have against them are minimal.
All I want to do is help my side out against the other sides by controlling airspace. That generally involves doing my best to help my side push around the enemy planes that are trying to come into our territory and do the same thing to us. That's where I get my fun.
Wiley.
