Side balancing

[LCADolby]

reduce the 12 hour rule to the 4 hour rule 

[715]

I understand that the imbalance is not easy, or perhaps even possible, to fix, but does anyone have any good theories as to why it occurs?  While I've seen all different balances, the most likely for North American evening hours seems to be many Rooks, slightly fewer Knights, and way fewer Bishops.  The imbalance goes way beyond what one would expect on random statistical grounds.  I'm curious as to why it happens.

[Mongoose]

I'd like to see some way to restrict the hordes either by making it counter productive to fly in one, and adjust game mechanics so that they couldn't be put together at all. I

No, no, no.  A thousand times no.

 A "horde" is just a tactic.  Use tactics to counter it.  Put up some fighter sweeps to attack the horde before they hit the base.  I have been in what you would call a "horde" when it was counterattacked by a "horde" of defenders.  It made for a fun and massive furball. I have also been on the other side, flying with a bunch of defenders to break up an attacking horde.  Good times... good times.

[Zoney]

Bender.

Nice post sir, well thought out and respectful.  I feel ya buddy.  I too like it the most when sides are relatively even.

For awhile, I hopped from one chess piece to another because if I have a choice I would rather be on the outnumbered side.  I settled with Knights and hardly switch anymore.  If I do switch, it's to fly with friends.  I ended up with Knights because after paying attention I noticed that the hours I fly, Knights are outnumbered most of the time.

Still, sometimes, I am flying against odds that are difficult to manage, or with odds that is difficult to find a fight that isn't me joining in a gangbang.

If I had the option of flying against 2 to 1 odds or with, I would certainly choose against.  When overwhelming odds do occur , then I study the map a bit closer.  Most of the time there is always a bit of space that will appeal to me and I'll go there.  I am however, infinitely patient and don't mind just flying around sometimes waiting for reasonable situations to develop.  With practice and study I think you may find that you can anticipate these type of interactions and be in the right place at the right time.


You were mostly lamenting upon being outnumbered, do what I do it it helps, climb higher.........  

[muzik]

I am not a regular poster to this board nor one to just troll to cause strife, but something should be done to fix the side numbers during the North American evenings.  All week long the Rook and Knight numbers are super high compared to the Bishop ones.  Example I logged in tonight at 10pm EST, the Rooks were at 186, the Knights at 158, and the Bishops at 114.  I don't have any answers on how to fix this or why it happens, all I know is that I just looked at it and logged off.  I know some are saying I am just whining as I am a Bish, and I should be glad for more targets but it is just too too much, everywhere you go it is just a gangb@#$.  Has anything ever been tried to balance sides out?  Why are the sides so unbalanced?  Just saying I like the game a lot but this just takes the wind out of my sails.

First, balanced sides doesnt mean more fun. Being on the side with the low numbers, means more fun, sometimes.

Second, those player counts you mentioned mean little to nothing. If you switched to the highest population country, you could just as easily find that most of the team are sitting in tanks spawn camping, afk or doing something that you don't care to participate in anyway. I've done it and been stuck waiting to be allowed to switch sides again. It sucks.

I personally don't care how the numbers are spread as long as there are fights, but I do think that this game would be more fun if the only way to get  into the air was when auto launched sorties of say 20 planes per side happened every 4 minutes directly across from an enemy field where they launched 20.

I would also like to take this opportunity to say I'm proud of my little girl Fugitima, she is finally looking for suggestions instead of just complaining. They grow up so fast.  

[The Fugitive]

First, balanced sides doesnt mean more fun. Being on the side with the low numbers, means more fun, sometimes.

Second, those player counts you mentioned mean little to nothing. If you switched to the highest population country, you could just as easily find that most of the team are sitting in tanks spawn camping, afk or doing something that you don't care to participate in anyway. I've done it and been stuck waiting to be allowed to switch sides again. It sucks.

I personally don't care how the numbers are spread as long as there are fights, but I do think that this game would be more fun if the only way to get  into the air was when auto launched sorties of say 20 planes per side happened every 4 minutes directly across from an enemy field where they launched 20.

I would also like to take this opportunity to say I'm proud of my little girl Fugitima, she is finally looking for suggestions instead of just complaining. They grow up so fast.  

and once you get a new paper route and can pony up the money for a subscription, maybe I'll take you off the "ignore" list. Hopefully by then your opinions might become relevant.

No, no, no.  A thousand times no.

 A "horde" is just a tactic.  Use tactics to counter it.  Put up some fighter sweeps to attack the horde before they hit the base.  I have been in what you would call a "horde" when it was counterattacked by a "horde" of defenders.  It made for a fun and massive furball. I have also been on the other side, flying with a bunch of defenders to break up an attacking horde.  Good times... good times.

There is no counter to the horde. I don't know about everyone else, but personally I don't have time to just cruise around either killing ords or troops at enemy bases, nor do I have time to cruise around and look for a 25 vs 1.

[Zoney]

There is no counter to the horde. I don't know about everyone else, but personally I don't have time to just cruise around either killing ords or troops at enemy bases, nor do I have time to cruise around and look for a 25 vs 1.

Fug, you're right, it is difficult if not impossible to counter the horde when you are grossly outnumbered.  I am not therefore trying to win aginst that horde,  I am just trying to kill a few of them which is very likely,  Yeah alot of the time it isn't much of a fight but that's also true throughout the MA no matter the odds.

If I kill 4 or 5 guys and then RTB and land them but they still get the base I consider it a personal win.  Off I go to defend the next base and then the next untill the map is lost and off I go to defend a new base on the new map.

"Off I go into the wild blue yonder.....flying high, into the sky....."

[DREDIOCK]

It's not so much the number imbalance, but how those numbers are used. If the numbers were spread out along the fronts then everyone could have some fun. Sure bases would be taken and the front would move, but everyone would be involved and have a chance to play.

I'd like to see some way to restrict the hordes either by making it counter productive to fly in one, and adjust game mechanics so that they couldn't be put together at all. I have always said that before long people are going to log in and do just what you did, just log back off. Do that enough times and you start thinking about saving your $15 a month instead of spending it to log on and right back off.

I've been saying the same thing for years.

The easy solution would be to limit the number of planes that can originate from any single base at a given time. This would add some realism to the game as no air field has the resources to support an unlimited number of aircraft IRL in either fuel nor ordinance.
It would also add to the challenge and realistically so  of mission planning requiring more thought and coordination. You would still have horded bases. but they would take longer to develop and coordinate.

It would also spread the mob.

Course if I had my way I would limit the amount or type of ordinance and possibly even aircraft you could take from specific sized fields. This would add a bit more strategical thinking to the game. No doing it this way made sense when one team could be reduced to one or two bases. But thats no longer a reason now as the map is reset well before it reaches that point

[guncrasher]

you guys ever notice how most players on fly against the horde and not with it?


semp

[Tank-Ace]

IMO, what needs to happen:

Change the available fuel % based on porking. Reduce minimum to 50%. If necessary,  back it down to 25%.

Implement sector ENY. Dictates radar visibility. If more than X players enter the same sector, darbar and dot dar alts are lowered to 0ft. No more stealth hordes.

Change arena ENY kick-in levels. Should follow a parabolic curve to be more lenient at low numbers, and so strict at higher numbers that some people will actually feel sorry for the horde.

[matt]

 

[zack1234]

Side balancing was appalling when implemented last time

If you think there are too many swap over to the other side,  its your choice don't force it on me

You will forcing me to have facebook next and Itunes

[zack1234]

reduce the 12 hour rule to the 4 hour rule 

Thats complete nonsense Dolby and you know it

[SkyRock]

It's not non-sense....  4 hours would only fair.

[zack1234]

Gibberish!