Why we need a smaller map, here is why...

[JFalk]

Right now the map is 250 miles by 250 miles which comes out to 62,500 square miles.  Thats quite a bit of ground for 100+players to cover, especially with tanks.  Each grid square is 25 miles across .

What I propsse is changing the scale to 10 miles per grid square, and maybe making the map 15 by 15 grid squares. (we could even change it to km), I think a smaller map would help out the tankers  and would really make for a better battle since the forces wouldnt be so diluted by being spread out all over the place.  The map size I recommend is still big enough to allow room for another 100 or so players and still not be crowded.

With 25 by 25 grid squares, the square gets cluttered with 1 AF and 1V base and a few planes.  I think this would really help out the tankers if we had a smaller theater to work in.

[JimBear]

I would politely dissagree. I like the map (large as it is,bigger wouldnt hurt) because it allows you the space and the time (aint paying by the hour here) to develop a strategy be what it will. I like having the time to gain alt look for trade and have some room to manuveur away from the bad guys on the way home if hit. If the idea is to make the map smaller to give ground forces a quicker thrill, and force more of a "Free For All, Quake 4 the Air War" feel, no thanks
I left a sim that caters to the instant gratification gimme the kill now! crowd. It would be a shame to limit the scope and size of the virtual battlefield that we have at our hands now. After all this is "Aces High"
not Panzer Commander  

[Mox]

I'm with Jimbear on this one.  I like the big map BUT I'd like to see some way to make the tanks more usuable.

Faster tanks, roads, time compressions for tanks, are just a few of the ideas being talking about to help the tanks out.

I can only imagine when we will fear the site of a column of tanks.  As it stands now the tanks are just JABO practice targets that "sometimes" shoot back.  

Mox
The Wrecking Crew

[Kieren]

Here comes the Real Life argument...

No tank column would feel confident going into a battle where the enemy held the air. It would insure high losses, and relatively cheaply for the enemy.

The Bishops have been showing us this weekend how to make an armoured assault. You start with mastery of the air, then move armour in. Let the bombers flatten hangars, bring fighters in to eliminate the enemy planes in the air, bring in armour to flatten the rest of the field. You roll right up on a defenseless field then.

BTW, anyone notice there hasn't been a reset yet (as of yesterday, anyway)? I think the play is pretty good right now, though I will have to dedicate a night to getting my butt blown away in panzers before I can say for sure. It sure hasn't been the Blitzkrieg closing fields was feared to bring.  

[Sorrow[S=A]]

I agree Kieren, with the ability to see saw with ground forces matched with the much higher ack counts per field you can easily swing a battle back with a little teamwork.  I thought the Bish were going to force the first one when they took ALL the fields on the mtn yesterday. But between rook and knights their hangers were down too much to capitalize on it.

Closing fields has not been the slightest problem..  but no-one I think has tried to close down a number at once yet. Closest I saw was knights having just 4 of 12 fields able to launch planes.. but we went to a ground war and kept them off anyways. It seems very balanced to me.

[Ripsnort]

JFALK, your point is well taken, however I tend to side with Kieren on the strat aspect.

Also:
1~More players are going to be coming.  Plenty of room for 200-300 a/c.
2~A terrain editor will be available soon, you can size down a map space and HTC may have a designated arena for users maps.

------------------
Ripsnort(-rip1-)
=CO=II/JG2~Richthofen~
JG2 Communications Officer
Aces High Training Corps
JG2 "Richthofen"
 
Turning Spitfires into Bud Lite cans since 1992

[This message has been edited by Ripsnort (edited 04-10-2000).]

[Nash]

"Closing fields has not been the slightest problem.. but no-one I think has tried to close down a number at once yet. Closest I saw was knights..."

Actually, when we (Bish) finally nabbed F1, it took the closing of multiple bases at once. After numerous failed attempts, we realized that the taking of F1 was indeed going to need a coordinated effort. First to go was the Rook city... completely down to 0%. The HQ was hit right afterwards, and following that were some factories (type escapes me now).

We then split up into 3 groups. One group shut down F13, the second shut down F2. While F1's surrounding feilds were being knocked out, the 3rd group moved in on F1 and made short work of the hangars/ack there. Group one and two then met group 3 over F1 and continued to assault the feild as the hangars and ack regenerated.

By this time, there was heavy Rook fighter defence as they surely knew what was coming. This was the largest fur I have ever seen in AH to date. From my lofty position inna 17, the feild below looked like someone set fire to an ant hill - a bunch of pissed off dots swarming in all directions.

This eventually thinned out due to the hangars being shut down repeatedly, and our 47 was able to successfully get his troops out, finally capturing F1.

This was perhaps THE most rewarding day I've ever had in any flight sim. I can't name names of those involved because I'll surely forget someone, but y'all know who you are  

A hearty <S> to you guys. Top shelf all the way and it was such a priveledge for me to fly with you.

This sim absolutely kicks arse now - thank you so much HTC.

And Hitech - I almost shorted out my computer due to an involuntary expelling of beer <everywhere> after hearing your (what turned out to be a)joke about having to reset the arena. Yer just evil  

Kudos all involved.

[Nash]

Well... something's gotta give. I decided to take a tank out fer a spin fer the first time. An hour and 5 minutes to go 1 grid space. Nothing to do at all but envision the carnage I'm eventually gonna wreak on the nme vehicle base. 5-10 mins before I get there? It gets captured by my side.

Sure is fun to straffe those things... but for now, as it is, it aint gonna be me riding in them. Uhn uh no sir. This *is* a prollem... and I suspect that it might not be too long 'till the numbers of ground vehicles start to dwindle onnacountofit. I'll leave the debate to y'all... but like I said - *something's* gotta give.

<edit>  I just parked under one of those camo nets in our newly owned vehicle field, and got a "you have ditched" message. Where exactly is one supposed to park these things?

[This message has been edited by Nash (edited 04-10-2000).]

[eskimo]

The total square miles of the map do not matter as much as the miles of front line.  I love the bigger size.  With the new capture requirements a large front line is needed to spread out the defences.

As for the tanks, they are a bit to slow, and targets are to far away for me to make the drive.

eskimo