Requesting the AH community's help

[shppr01]

I posted on our Squad BBS to find out if any would like to fly .. Lets hope you get some of us !!

[Lusche]

Well, it's an interesting question which probably will never be answered: Do they not play special events becasue they don't know about it, or because they simply don't care about them? 
But since we got the cross arena announcement feature, it's probably hard not to notice the excistence of special events at some point in your career.


Another thing coming to my mind.. could your problems of mustering players for TIWW2 (or other events) be simply a reflection of the overall reduction in numbers? If so, the SE's would be as popular as ever, and getting higher attendance levels than that would be quite difficult... 

[Brooke]

Well, it's an interesting question which probably will never be answered: Do they not play special events becasue they don't know about it, or because they simply don't care about them?

But since we got the cross arena announcement feature, it's probably hard not to notice the excistence of special events at some point in your career.

They know such things exist, but they don't care enough to try it with just me saying, "These are fun -- please give it a try."  It's a different thing if someone they know says the same thing.  They are much more likely to try it then.  If they do try it, some portion will think it's fun enough to try again and some portion won't.

Another thing coming to my mind.. could your problems of mustering players for TIWW2 (or other events) be simply a reflection of the overall reduction in numbers? If so, the SE's would be as popular as ever, and getting higher attendance levels than that would be quite difficult... 

I do think participation scales with overall numbers.  So, I need to increase the recruiting.  Fortunately for me, the numbers I need are quite small and, I think, achievable.  I already achieve them for many events, and for the ones where I don't, I need only another 20 players.

[vafiii]

A couple of things come to mind:

1. Reduce travel times. For a 2 hour event, sometimes as much as 30 minutes to 1 hour are spent flying to the target. Not good if you're sitting at a desk staring at a screen.

2. Make the event more realistic.

For Pearl Harbor, the U.S. Fleet should be anchored inside the harbor (no carriers). No U.S. planes can take off until the 1st wave of Japanese planes attack U.S. warships (or after 1st hour). We can man ship guns, field guns and half tracks to try and shoot down incoming Japanese planes. Have many U.S. ships in the harbor, not just 1 CV group. Goal is to sink U.S. warships/shoot down incoming Japanese planes. Keep it simple and start the event with the Japanese fleet within 1 sector of Pearl Harbor. After 1st hour U.S. planes can launch and seek revenge on Japanese task force.
 
For D-Day, start with the allied fleet right off the coast of France. No planes allowed to take off for 1st hour. Allied ships can shell German gun positions perched on bluffs while LVT's head into shore under intense enemy fire. Goal is to destroy German guns and get LVT's and troops up those cliffs and eventually move inland to capture occupied cities. We have a good map for this. Let's use it properly. Put more guns on top of the cliffs for realism so there's a hail of gunfire raining down on the beaches as LVT's approach. Perhaps the Sherman's can spawn from allied ships directly onto shore (like the floating tanks) for even more realism. This could be awesome! 

[Lusche]

A couple of things come to mind:

1. Reduce travel times. For a 2 hour event, sometimes as much as 30 minutes to 1 hour are spent flying to the target. Not good if you're sitting at a desk staring at a screen.

2. Make the event more realistic.

I know I'm playing the wise guy now, but isn't that a contradiction? 

[earl1937]

I run the "This Day in WWII" events, and I'm having increasing difficulty getting enough players.

If you have played in any "This Day" events and like them, please help me recruit more players.

If you know anyone who might like it, please invite them to join us.

If you are in a squad, please ask the squad to join us.

If you see anyone in the MA asking about special events, please let them know about "This Day in WWII" as well.

If you have any ideas on how to increase player numbers in "This Day", please give it a try.

I will pass on info on your events to my squad! One thing that I might add is the way I do it on Tuesday nights at 9PM EST. I try to do a "re-enactment" mission for the squad, complete with a pilot brief, 15 min before lift off. Sometimes I include a "dialog" of either ATC,(which really wasn't used much in WW2), or a in aircraft dialog between the a/c and other crew members. I do every once in a while include some special sound effects during the mission. The guys in the MLW arena usually enjoy these missions, as usually we will have 3 or 4 squads represented, usually with a total of 20 to 30 players.
The problem that I do have, which I have to take into consideration, is, for example, tonights mission: An all German aircraft mission, with the target as London, England, but I already know that we will en-counter 262's, F4U's, F6F's and other aircraft, which did not defend London in early war years! The ideal setting would be for only "spits" and "Hurr's" defending London, but anyway, we will have a good time and that is what the game is all about!
I will encourage the 94th BG, Devil Dogs to join your mission in August!

[Brooke]

Thanks, Earl. 

[Brooke]

Hello, Vafiii.

Typical travel is 1 sector from takeoff to combat, but it varies from event to event.  Some of them, I can't make it closer, but I will probably be adjusting things to make it a little closer if I can.  I am reluctant to reduce it to half a sector, though, as I don't want every event to be the same furball with just different aircraft.

For realism, I pick the level of that to have balance and fun, taking into account typical preferences of players.  Not having flight for any time (let alone 1 hour) is not popular with the large majority of players.  Pearl and D-Day are two of the more-popular events, so we generally are OK on attendance for those two.

[vafiii]

Well, then I guess nothing will change, including the attendance. Just trying to help.

[save]

No European playeri fly @ 8:30 pm any US TZ.

[Brooke]

Well, then I guess nothing will change, including the attendance. Just trying to help.

I welcome suggestions, yours included, but please keep in mind that not every suggestion or preference is compatible with every other suggestion or preference.

Also, some changes are not to setups at all but things like spreading the word and players helping with recruiting.  Those are significant factors that can change attendance.

[Brooke]

No European playeri fly @ 8:30 pm any US TZ.

That's why every "This Day" event runs also at 3 pm Eastern US time, which is prime time for Europe.

I'm very much in favor of Europeans playing in the events.

[Brooke]

Also, for Milne Bay, which is a big deal for Australians, I try my best to run it at a third time, prime time for Australia.  That is really hard for me to do, though, as it ends up being at 3 or 4 am my time.  I'll be working to see if we have any Aussie CM's the next time around or if a European CM can do it at 11 am or noon their local time.

[Zoney]

Brooke, your plea is reasoned, presented well and civil.  Because of that and because I also enjoy these events very very much, I shall endeavor to promote the events that I am able to participate in.

 

[Brooke]

Thank you, Zoney!