Game Play question.

[PAKFRONT]

One of the sweetest moves in the game!
Is to sneek in behind the horde and snatch back one of the bases they took, LOVE THAT, LOL!
They blast the town down so fast, then move on after the take.. Sure the ack pops, but all the bldgs are still down..
Just need two guys, savvy troop taxi and a skilled deacker, and a little luck..
Love seeing their whole attack choke, when the base behind them is stolen back, right under their noses!
And hear the lementation of the women
 

[Delirium]

Think how easy it is for the original country jut to have troops waiting to capture it back instantly.

If the attacking country cannot scan the town for enemy M3s prior to capture, they deserve to lose it. Not to mention, a single fighter can lay waste to so many M3s, it would be prohibit such an activity. Heck, it might even give tank drivers a new role of guarding a newly captured town.

My biggest worry with this set up is the ability to spawn something carrying troops and drop troops almost at the spawn to take the base. This has been minimized with the gameplay setting that removes active ord/troops from remaining in effect if they respawn. It looks like most of the GV spawns are ok, and the changes to the LVT spawn positions in the past (from what I remember, they cannot spawn close to town now) would also further gameplay. This wasn't in place before and isn't really comparable.

I still think it is worth revisiting delay in ack coming back up. I feel strongly that it would diminish the 'whack a mole' base taking in the Main Arena. I call it 'whack a mole' because by the time you take off from a rear base and get to the field in trouble, they have already taken it, landed and moved on to the next base.

[The Fugitive]

Somehow motivate "defender hordes" and you'll have a fix!





JUGgler

Well THAT is the question I posted in the first plac, "What would motivate a player to defend more?"

If the attacking country cannot scan the town for enemy M3s prior to capture, they deserve to lose it. Not to mention, a single fighter can lay waste to so many M3s, it would be prohibit such an activity. Heck, it might even give tank drivers a new role of guarding a newly captured town.

My biggest worry with this set up is the ability to spawn something carrying troops and drop troops almost at the spawn to take the base. This has been minimized with the gameplay setting that removes active ord/troops from remaining in effect if they respawn. It looks like most of the GV spawns are ok, and the changes to the LVT spawn positions in the past (from what I remember, they cannot spawn close to town now) would also further gameplay. This wasn't in place before and isn't really comparable.

I still think it is worth revisiting delay in ack coming back up. I feel strongly that it would diminish the 'whack a mole' base taking in the Main Arena. I call it 'whack a mole' because by the time you take off from a rear base and get to the field in trouble, they have already taken it, landed and moved on to the next base.

Exactly!

Base comes under attack, a few guys get up to defend and do so until the hangers are drop (usually in the first few minutes of the attack). Then defenders MUST come from another field, but the attack is finished, a couple of the "horde Captains" land their kills and the the whole group disappears.

Pretty much how I spend most of my time flying.

[Guppy35]

Well THAT is the question I posted in the first plac, "What would motivate a player to defend more?"

Exactly!

Base comes under attack, a few guys get up to defend and do so until the hangers are drop (usually in the first few minutes of the attack). Then defenders MUST come from another field, but the attack is finished, a couple of the "horde Captains" land their kills and the the whole group disappears.

Pretty much how I spend most of my time flying.

Close 'satellite" fields with just fighter strips and VHs.   To really take turf you have to take out all three.  The main base houses bombers and fighters as well as a VH.  Just single fighter strips and a VH for supporting the main base within fairly close proximity.

If you are a serious cartoon general, it means coordinating your attack horde to hit targets at the same time.  If you are a 'whack a mole' cartoon general, you might get frustrated at having to work for the capture.  The first pass drop the hangers bit doesn't work quite so well if fighters are scrambling from close by and mobile AA and tankers can be on the role to support the main field under attack.

[The Fugitive]

That sounds interesting. Something like this...



If the satellites have 1 VH and 1 FH for small and medium bases, and maybe 2 FHs each for a large.

[PFactorDave]

I like this idea, assuming that the distance from the satellite fields is fairly short.  The problem is, this idea would require the reworking of  the maps.  That's a job that HTC seems not to have any interest in doing. 

[The Fugitive]

Seeing as it's still all one base, it would be just remaking the "base" set-up. What that entails I don't know. It would be just changing out 4 base units in the maps (small field, medium field, large field, and vehicle field)

[ttflier]

What a concept Jug - makes the issue a player problem and HTC doesn't have to "fix" the game.  All sides horde - offensively and defensively when they have the right leadership.

Maybe some of the complainers/whiners/naysayers should take a more active leadership role in their respective countries if they want to change game play.

Myself - I just try to have fun and enjoy all aspects of the game

[Chilli]

For the most part EVERYONE wants to be on the attack. Part of the team to grab that next base. Part of the team to "WIN THE WAR!"

Here's the question, what would it take for you to DEFEND?

As the game is played now defenders are few and far between. Sure sometimes you get a dozen guys to up, but as soon as the numbers get overwhelming like they "sometimes" do  most head off looking for something else to do. More often than not it's to join their local "horde" for the next attack on a base that very few will defend against.

So what would it take? We know players JOIN the hordes to be part of the "success" of the mission, the comradary of flying with their squad. So if there was a system message that said "Bishops have successfully defended against a capture attempt at A22", would that get more people to defend? Maybe points/perks for defending?

What would it take for you to defend more? 

A real good question Fugitive.  The problem with the base take horde, is they have nothing to loose, and its purpose is to discourage any defense.  When I defend a base, I like to get in before it gets ugly (vulchers, capped, downded hangers, deacked, etc). 

Defending is pretty much like lining up to block the PAT after a touchdown.  Pretty much they pay a guy to do nothing more than to put the ball through the uprights, so you very rarely actually stop him from doing his job.  Still, somebody has to do it. 

Give me the option to roll a mission with AI drones (no more than 3) that respond to my commands (to keep them from leaving my high and dry at the first sight of enemy contact).  Give me a simple form up dot command to keep them on my wing until, I give the attack at will dot command.  Now, I am all set to defend and don't have to beg for others to leave whatever they are doing to help.

To keep it from being used to create the horde, the AI option would only appear from an airfield that had a certain enemy count in that sector.

[BaldEagl]

...

Bad idea.  Part of the beauty of AW/AH was/is playing against human opponents.  I have no interest in playing against AI.  There's many other games where I could do that without paying a subscription fee.

[james]

Leave it the way it is I love watching everyone try to defend a field from 10 ft off the ground and whine when they die 12 times a minute.

[PAKFRONT]

Has there ever been a test of the gameplay dynamic?:
In which the town is disconnected from the base capture.. Such as giving the town its own single VH, representing the Garrison Motorpool or whatever.. And give the base its own Map bunker, naturally next to the tower, so the brass hats can hide in it..

In that way, taking the town would give the opponent a VH close to the base.. Battle would move, from Spawn vs Town, to Town vs Base..
I mean really, would a military facility, like we have in game, fold up shop because the local townies were overrun??? HELL NO!
MAKE EM COME ON THE BASE TO TAKE IT!

[JUGgler]

Well THAT is the question I posted in the first plac, "What would motivate a player to defend more?"

Easy, everyone that has been logged in for the country 1/2 hour prior to a 1/2 hour after that country loses a base loses 50 perks each.

Everyone in the same sector as the captured base "either country" receives 50 perks the moment the base is won/lost.

Everyone within the dar ring of the captured base "either country" receives 100 perks the moment the base is won/lost.



Think of the whiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiine s and dare I say,  INVOLVMENT 



JUGgler

[BushLT1]

hmm .... not much defend 75% of time in game. Planes are free and when i do stop base take (likes 1 out of 1000) make it all worth it.

[Chilli]

Bad idea.  Part of the beauty of AW/AH was/is playing against human opponents.  I have no interest in playing against AI.  There's many other games where I could do that without paying a subscription fee.

Then you would be less likely to join the horde.  In a way you have just increased the defenders' chances by 1    and that could be one less vulcher, one less tool shedder, one less BnZr, or one less pair of eyes.

Have you flown any of the offline missions?  If so, you pretty much don't HAVE to fight the AI, but depending on how accurate they set their gunners, you might need to avoid them.  You could easily avoid them by not joining a HORDE.  I explained that AI would only be available¹ in my idea (which you either don't entirely understand or didn't read that part) if there were a certain *¹(large) number of enemy counted (dar bar) in the same sector as that field they would depart from.  In another thread, I explained that the AI in the mission planner are actually place holders, and if actual players join the mission, they would take an AI slot.  Basically, the AI insures that a mission under the above defense conditions, may launch almost immediately with the planner and at least 3 other planes. 


So, to answer the OP's question, what would make it worth my while to defend, I say all of the above, assuming that HTC would grant those 2 wishes:

• 3 AI available in times of defense
• AI that respond to 2 commands, form up (with the smarts to land and end sortie when I do) and attack

In the meantime, the previously lone wolf defender has the option to spawn wingmen to draw fire away or camoflague emergency take offs from capped fields by assigning each AI a different runway direction.