Pros and Cons on the 12 Hour Horse

[Changeup]

The current system of chess-piece switching matters very little to me.  I do like the ability to switch chess pieces to stop ridiculously lopsided gameplay, but that is really my only dog in this fight.

We've got the thread that has the emotion on the subject.....now, take the emotion out of the argument and simply state your reason(s) for, or against, truncating the timeframe in which a player may switch chess pieces.  No fixes, just "why" or "why not".

For:  

-Allows players the option to keep sides numerically stable in a more timely manner
-Can help prevent epic hoarding (which, if memory serves, base hoarding has always been an issue but the reinstatement of the 12 hour rule actually   caused wine threads to increase...you'd have to ask Lusche but I believe there is some statistical relevance to that....if it's true.)

[PFactorDave]

There is a sub-set of players who prefer to switch to the side with fewer players.

I believe that their willingness to switch to balance the sides should be encouraged, even at the risk that there is another sub-set of players who will abuse the system to cheat.

I would support a switch timer of 1 to 2 hours.

[Dragon]

I think 2 hour would be ideal.

[Changeup]

I think 2 hour would be ideal.

What are your reasons for making the change?

[Debrody]

There are many options how to make it better.
First of all, what was the main goal in it?
Im sure there is an other resolve of this problem what dont hurt us, low-numbers-siders, but can effectively stop the "they are about to win the war, switch quickly" ones. Then everyone becames happy <dancin banana>

For example, would cost you some perks to switch to the higher numbers side, combined with a 2 hours absolute limit (you cant even switch for perks).
Whats wrong with the version i sketched above? Anyone has problems with it? Then why isnt it the standard MA rule?

After all, we are paying for this, damn it.

[Dragon]

Since we rotate chess piece every few months anyhow, we have no loyalty and enjoy flying with lots of other toon pilots.  

I used to be able to switch sides to wing up with Shawk or Boxboy or even Betty (and their squads) for an hour or so then switch back when other squadies would show up.  Can't do that now.

[Shuffler]

One hour.

[coombz]

I can't think of any pros for limiting a paying customer's ability to find fun/action

It doesn't really affect me atm as I never really need to change sides, but I have a feeling I will want to when I move to NZ, and all my squaddies are asleep during my prime time!

[Soulyss]

Personally I'd like to see the time between switches reduced substantially.  There are two reasons for this, the first is that I really don't care one bit about the "war" or who wins the map. I like to log in, fly or drive around and shoot cartoon bullets at cartoon opponents.  I do from time to time chip in and help a capture attempt if there is combat involved, but I'm also perfectly content to switch sides and take that field back for the other side afterwards.  In short, my interest in the whole map is nil.  I'd just like to be able to log in and find someone to shoot at which can sometimes mean switching sides.  

The other reason is that I like to fly with different groups on occasion as I have friends on all three countries and it's just as much fun to fly with them as it is to fly against them.

I believe those that would exploit a short switch timer for ill gotten gains are relatively few in number, that most players who are in favor of a shorter time are similar to myself and just want to be able to quickly find someone to fight. It is unfortunate that I also believe that the damage done to the game and community by that group of scheming miscreants exceeds their relatively small number.

I have no way of knowing if what I want is good for the community at large, so in that regard I freely admit that MY experience would improve by fewer restrictions.


*edited a bit for readability*

[Shuffler]

Soulyss for President

[dedalos]

I'd vote for no limit.  If I want to wing with a friend in one side and then switch again to fight him on the next sortie, why should I have to wait?  I see no reason for the limitation and my action does not hurt anyone's game play. 
If there is a problem that could be caused by people using the ability to switch, then HT should identify what it is and punish "them" instead of the ones that do not cause any problems.

[SunBat]

Personally I'd like to see the time between switches reduced substantially.  There are two reasons for this, the first is that I really don't care one bit about the "war" or who wins the map. I like to log in, fly or drive around and shoot cartoon bullets at cartoon opponents.  I do from time to time chip in and help a capture attempt if there is combat involved, but I'm also perfectly content to switch sides and take that field back for the other side afterwards.  In short, my interest in the whole map is nil.  I'd just like to be able to log in and find someone to shoot at which can sometimes mean switching sides.  

The other reason is that I like to fly with different groups on occasion as I have friends on all three countries and it's just as much fun to fly with them as it is to fly against them.

I believe those that would exploit a short switch timer for ill gotten gains are relatively few in number, that most players who are in favor of a shorter time are similar to myself and just want to be able to quickly find someone to fight. It is unfortunate that I also believe that the damage done to the game and community by that group of scheming miscreants exceeds their relatively small number.

I have no way of knowing if what I want is good for the community at large, so in that regard I freely admit that MY experience would improve by fewer restrictions.


*edited a bit for readability*

A++++++++++++++++++++(pluses all around the room)

You get your Red Rider BB gun for such a fine essay.

[DrBone1]

  So many whines and not enough Popcorn! 

[Wiley]

If there is a problem that could be caused by people using the ability to switch, then HT should identify what it is and punish "them" instead of the ones that do not cause any problems.

Just devil's advocating here a bit, suppose you're on one country and see a carrier group horde from your side rolling a barely defended base.  You switch to the defending side because it looks like a fun fight to have from that side.  Reasonable?  It's one reason I'd switch.

What if just before you switched, you happened to see a knot of C47s flying by the CV on their way to the base, headed toward the base being attacked from the south?  Are you justified in upping from that base and heading south to intercept them?  Are you morally obligated NOT to head south because of your prior knowledge of what is coming?  Should you engage in that fight at all knowing what you know?

How on earth do you enforce rulings on whether people used knowledge from their previous country, compared to fortuitous circumstances?

Here's an example:  Last night I was headed to a base to defend it from a horde that had been at it for a while.  I figured I would go goon hunting, half expecting to be too late, but figured 'why not?'  On my way there, I got engaged with another P47 and wound up having a duel with him which I won by a slim margin.  Down 3 guns, I actually started to turn back and realized I still had enough control surfaces to take out a goon if need be.

I made it to the town, and through miraculous fluke got there just in time to intersect the goon's flight path just as he began to drop.  Due to my awesome gunnery skills, he survived my first pass just as he was dropping, and I turned back and managed to shoot down a few troops in their chutes and kill the goon.

With that situation, what if I had just switched over from that side and run that sortie?  How would someone watching that from the server be able to distinguish that from a guy who had seen the goon take off from the tower and was headed there to intercept it?

Wiley.

[Changeup]

So many whines and not enough Popcorn! 

You added zero value...