Custom Arena keepalive

[bbosen]

I'd like to see more activity in the Custom Arenas.

I know that there is already some mechanism to keep a Custom Arena "alive" for a few minutes after the last player leaves it. Could we adjust that timer to last longer? Could it be "tweaked" to last long enough to always keep at least 3 Custom Arenas alive? That way, the most recent 3 arenas to have ANY activity would always be available (and additional ones could be started anytime).

I think the result of this would be that the best arena ideas would tend to linger on longer than any individual has time to manage it, and might encourage the entire Custom Arena concept. If people keep coming back to a good arena, it would have a better chance to be "discovered" by others and gain in popularity. It would tend to remain visible until somebody else came along with a competing arena idea that earned even greater popularity.

....As it is right now, most of the time I check the "Custom Arena" area, there's nothing happening at all. I  am left to wonder if I just missed something good that I could have joined had I checked a few minutes sooner.
 

[Nr_RaVeN]

+1000

[guncrasher]

why not just have the settings available for download and anybody that wants to use certain arena can open one at any time.


semp

[bbosen]

why not just have the settings available for download and anybody that wants to use certain arena can open one at any time.


semp

Guncrasher:  I'm not sure I understand your meaning. It sounds like your proposal (if conveniently implemented) would make it trivial for anybody to "clone" an arena with which they are already familiar?  Do I have that correct? That would be helpful, and would tend to reward good arena design concepts as I had hoped.


...But I was also hoping for some kind of "persistence", so that airfields captured would remain captured, RADAR knocked out would remain knocked out, etc.

Can your proposal give us all of that?

[Nr_RaVeN]

 "persistence"

The above recommendation is the key to seeding the custom arenas. Just imagine if the MA, Early war, mid war, AVA, DA, arenas turned off and fell off the radar.
"persistence" is the key to seeding an arena IMO. It's what most every other sim incorporates into their available arenas.

As an addition to the  "persistence" wish  logging capability's would go a long way to getting players and squadrons involved and connected to a custom arena, much like we see in FSO..
Perhaps this type of thing is already in the works so lets give the developers the benefit of the doubt..

[jimson]

I'm sure the time out was intended to prevent 10000 custom arenas clogging up the server. Instead it seems to be preventing the capability from reaching it's potential.

I don't know the answer, but there should be some way to run a more permanent custom arena.

[bbosen]

As an addition to the  "persistence" wish  logging capability's would go a long way to getting players and squadrons involved and connected to a custom arena, much like we see in FSO..
Perhaps this type of thing is already in the works so lets give the developers the benefit of the doubt..

I like that too. I should have added that thought into my original suggestion.
 

[guncrasher]

Guncrasher:  I'm not sure I understand your meaning. It sounds like your proposal (if conveniently implemented) would make it trivial for anybody to "clone" an arena with which they are already familiar?  Do I have that correct? That would be helpful, and would tend to reward good arena design concepts as I had hoped.


...But I was also hoping for some kind of "persistence", so that airfields captured would remain captured, RADAR knocked out would remain knocked out, etc.

Can your proposal give us all of that?

perhaps you misunderstand the meaning of user created arenas.  while the capture of bases there is allowed, they were not meant to be used as win the war type of arena.

semp

[bustr]

Other than a few dedicated players and terrain testors, the custom arenas seem to have less intrest than the WW1 arena. As for a genisi of arena design, I did mention terrain testors a moment ago. This looks more like a back handed attempt to let your arena stay active forever, or until you dismantle it.  Semp may not be too far off on the win-Da-war motivation either.

After all the problems with the near permenant free H2H arenas years ago, making your arena dependant on realtime user intrest to keep it open is a very sound decision on managments part. Things like personal custom arenas have a bad tendancy to entital themselves and their creator to extraordinary privleges due to the precidence of it's time alive. Kind of like the longer you squat in an abandoned building the more you feel you own the property rather than the bank.

I can see the whine here in the forum: Waaaaa, Hitech how dare you delete my personal arena without asking my permission!! I pay you $14.95 a month so you work for me!!!

So why not belly up to the bar and take the risk of directness? Ask Hitech to change the custom arenas to stay alive untill each arena creator chooses to take them down to make you personaly happy? But, that approach removes all possibility of finessing any concessions from Hitech. Or gathering community peer preassure to your cause via your selflessness and concern to the utility of a process that so far shows minor community use.

If you were concerned for the process and community itself you would be speaking to the community attempting to determine why they under utilize the custom arena offering. Instead you are beseaching Caesar to grant you a personal boon by acting as Cato to the Roman mob. Got Bread??

I've always liked Hitech's assertion that what you want is not what you need.

[hitech]

I've always liked Hitech's assertion that what you want is not what you need.

The idea is more like , the trick is giving people what they want, not what they ask for. Because they are very rarely the same thing.

HiTech

[hitech]

All you need to do is leave your computer attached to the arena.
HiTech

[bustr]

The idea is more like , the trick is giving people what they want, not what they ask for. Because they are very rarely the same thing.

HiTech

My apology for misquoting you sir.

[jimson]

So why not belly up to the bar and take the risk of directness? Ask Hitech to change the custom arenas to stay alive untill each arena creator chooses to take them down to make you personaly happy? But, that approach removes all possibility of finessing any concessions from Hitech. Or gathering community peer preassure to your cause via your selflessness and concern to the utility of a process that so far shows minor community use.

If you were concerned for the process and community itself you would be speaking to the community attempting to determine why they under utilize the custom arena offering. Instead you are beseaching Caesar to grant you a personal boon by acting as Cato to the Roman mob. Got Bread??

Sort of what the wish list is for, rather than bothering HTC with direct contact, they can peruse the forum and decide what they want to respond to.

[Chilli]

HiTech's answer for extending the life of the arena seemed to be reasonable.  It means that the creator of the setup would need to leave their computer logged on for the duration.

I have a different question, that does concern the usage of the arenas that have been asked for and now seem to be empty.

Why bother with Early War and Mid War?  << Flame on!  On just about every occasion that I fly there I come into a situation where the numbers are lopsided.  I have NEVER had a sense that any different strategies are used there that are not present in Late War.  Are folks that afraid of 262s and La7s?  I JUST DON'T GET IT?

It is my belief that the addition of so many arenas, back when it first occured, almost killed the Combat Theater now named Axis versus Allies.  It presented so many colorful options on the menu, that people stopped reading the menu and started going for the most popular buzz..... LW MA.  Any bump in any other numbers is a result of some sort of EVENT that has caused the number on the menu to be inflated.

For instance, the LW arena is reset, and people are forced to either take a break or find another arena.  During this time I have noticed WW1 numbers jump as well as other arenas.

What does all this mean, to the Custom Arena and its future?  I believe that if the Custom Arenas total #s could be shown on the main menu, there would be a bump in its activity as well.  As for, Early War and Mid War, I am of the opinion that they are NOTHING BUT FLUFF.  They are just as detrimental to the LW MA as split arenas were.  Maybe if the had a different strategic war component, they would be useful.  As it is now, all I see is the addition of a few names on the front page for participation in something much less worthy than FSO, and other Special Events.  Forgive my honesty.

[ImADot]

Why bother with Early War and Mid War?  << Flame on!  On just about every occasion that I fly there I come into a situation where the numbers are lopsided.  I have NEVER had a sense that any different strategies are used there that are not present in Late War.  Are folks that afraid of 262s and La7s?  I JUST DON'T GET IT?

As for, Early War and Mid War, I am of the opinion that they are NOTHING BUT FLUFF.  They are just as detrimental to the LW MA as split arenas were. 

I'll bite...

How can you say the low numbers in EW, MW and Custom Arenas are detrimental to the LW arena? I think the HO's, Vulches, Ch200 crap, and overall poor sportsmanship and gameplay are more a detriment to LW than having other arena choices.

I personally prefer smaller more intimate engagements which, IMO, generate better fights than horde-on-horde HO at every merge that I see in LW...and I'm not afraid of 262s and Lalas. More choices is fine. If they aren't your thing, that's fine. If the LW arena isn't someone elses thing, that's fine - it doesn't mean they can't hack it in the LW arena, or they're afraid to fly there.

The LW arena, although most populated, isn't the end-all be-all of the Aces High experience, so please check your ego and attitude at the door.