Is the CT really, really gonna survive?

[eddiek]

One sec, you will see a red bar in your sector, then it is gone......"okay, he dropped below 500 feet", then you look over and the guy is coming at you at 25K.........click the map, still no red bar, but ya know the guy is there, so the dar must be fediddleed.
The numbers in the arena are low, low, low......4 LW on when I logged in this morning, that # jumped to a whopping 8 in five minutes.  Unfortunately, today must have been another "wrong" day to log in for me, as the LW were rtb'ing from a JU-88 raid in England, and while I flew from A40 in a P-47D-30, climbing all the way to 25K, they landed, and did not take off while I was in the air.  I flew a circuit from A14 to A21 to A20, back to A14......waiting for a red bar to appear so I would know the LW was in the mood to fight.  Never happened.  Finally, all self restraint gone, I mouthed off on channel 1 about how stuff like this is why I rarely enter the CT, pissed RAM off, then got discoed.
Now, this is just my opinion, and my opinion only, but flying around over France like that is about as exciting as watching the grass in the front yard.  
I relogged and talked to Hazed, and he said the LW was planning it's next mission.  Great, fine, sit in the tower til your opponents are low on fuel and have to rtb.  Actually a smart move on their part.  But it is not what I expected or wanted to see when Pyro implemented the CT.
I had looked forward to fights between Allied planes and Axis planes, the classic fights that took place during WW2.  Don't know why I thought I would see that happening, just an illusion I guess I created in my mind after reading what other pilots had said they wanted.
StSanta talked to me in the MA the other night about going to the CT, he said it was great.  Santa, when you are there, it might be great, cause I know you are always willing to fight.  Again, just my opinion, or maybe just my impression, but the last times I was in the CT, the LW stayed on the ground if Allied planes were over France, while anytime a LW plane(s) is over England, Allied pilots are scrambling to get to it/them.  Seems the guys who fly Allied are more willing to mix it up than the LW I have encountered (actually, have only encountered them on channel 1, haven't seen them in the air at all).
I guess, in conclusion, I have to say that I take back everything I said about the MA.  While I hate seeing Allied planes vs Allied planes, and Axis birds mixing it up with each other, that is preferable to seeing nothing at all.
I hope the CT works out, but I can't see myself going back there anytime soon............

[ 09-19-2001: Message edited by: eddiek ]

[sling322]

I think it died already.  I have never seen more than 3 in there at a time.

[lll111LLL]

are they going to add a pacific ct?

[popeye]

Tower-only dot dar would make it easier to find a fight with low numbers, AND be more historically accurate than what we have now.  More fights = more players.

Maybe in 1.08.

[SKurj]

Tower only dot dar won't do a thing with the dar system in place now not even working properly.

The CT will not die yet.  Its current implementation is poor, and hopefully many player issues with the CT will be solvable with the release of 1.08

SKurj

[Buzzbait]

S!

I think the CT will only survive as a player controlled Arena.

Only a committee of players dedicated to providing the elements the flyers want will have the flexibility to make it work.

This committee should function in a manner similar to the Scenario CM's.

That includes maps custom designed, frequent changes to maps and planes, and scoring systems which allow players to see some results from their actions.

Right now it is a low population, historical furball Arena.

[moose]

well

with the new convoys and trains coming in, there might be some more interesting things to do in there

[Pepe]

I luv current radar implementation in CT.

I think the occasional plane not appearing in bardar even over 500ft. reflects perfectly the "fog of war" and favour a situation aware pilot. Unfortunately for me, I'm definitely not a member of this club  

As for numbers issue is concerned, the only really boring time I had lately was Monday and Tuesday. I had to fly just me. I was having fun with Ar 234   .  Yesterday were not great numbers, 4. But were fantastic 2vs2 fights.

S! SandMan9, bane, oblitoo, tuckiej05....nice fites  

With regards to survivability of CT, I hope HT mantains it. Atmosphere is just what I would expect of a WWII combat sim. No dweebery that I can think of. Players there are almost always playing nice. HO's are not the rule, but the exception, and even then, usually an explanation is given. <S>'s are often given, if not always....

Pity we can not use an average 10vs10 players. That would be more than enough  

Cheers,

Pepe

[Sancho]

I HO as a rule when in my jug in CT.  

[Nifty]

CT was release prematurely, IMO.  With 1.08 in the works, they're putting all of their effort into that (at least I assume they are!)  Once 1.08 is released, they can work on improving the CT playability some.  Perhaps adding some scoring methods so that the players advance the planeset and situation, and not have it advanced on a time schedule.  

[LePaul]

Interesting, when the Combat Theater first became active, there were oodles of "I'll be flying in here from now on" kind of posts.  Have even the diehards gone insane from the incessant sounds of crickets  

One of the first things that strike me about that Theater is you are dealing with a HUGE amount of terrain/area and so few players.  I've flown around in there and unless I taunted in Channel 1, I wouldnt see a thing.

You guys indicate 1.08 will change a few things....like?

Its nice to have a N1K free room and I don't mind the limted planesets, its a change from the Main.  But for a while, the anti-buff atitudes in there were pretty annoying.  Yes, I bombed a few fuels and made you take off further away.  You failed to shoot me down so I made it to target    Deal with it!  (Heck I was a lowly Ju88, slightly better defended than a blimp).

I still stick my head in there from time to time, but I also wonder if this room will suffer the same fate as the Dueling Arena.  Lots of initial hype, then largely forgotten.

[hazed-]

eddeik when you came on and appologised for ranting i thought you understood that we were not even anywhere near you.We were at a2 planning to fly 2 ju88s and 2 190s to hit a factory.
You accuse us of waiting until your fuel ran out before flying?
Im sorry but that is annoying. Ive told people on the allies side my exact position and alt in order to get fights when numbers are low.I would not avoid a fight and neither would ram.It just so happened we wanted to do another bomb run and as we planned the tartget you mouthed off at us.
if you want instant fights id suggest DA or MA.If you like the idea of real distances and time and an authentic opponent go CT.
no ones forcing you! and id rather not be accused of trying to avoid a fight because you happened to fly to the wrong area.
If you noticed we were flying those bomb runs alone before you got in.Just for the sheer hell of it but thats what we felt like doing.if you HAD stumbled upon the bombers then all well and good.
please dont bring me into an anti CT complaint.I fly in CT how i like.seems to me what you want is in MA, go there eh?

[Nifty]

1.08 itself won't change the CT much other than adding some new targets.  I think the positive changes will happen weeks after 1.08 is out when the dev guys can actually work on improving it.  Yes, this is becoming my new mantra for the CT.  

[eddiek]

Did I rub ya the wrong way, eh, Hazed?  
Hey, fly the missions however you want.  I can relate to telling the other side where ya are so the fight can develop.  Funked and others have done that on more than one occasion, and it wasn't due to low numbers, it was to get some action going, and with the fediddleed dar system in place now, the LW was not gonna find us without our help.
As to planning yer mission, it must have been something really complex, as your group dropped off dar when I was at 10K and still over England, headed northeast.  I made the French coast at just over 22K, kept climbing, and still no sign of opposition.
In hindsight, I was and am wrong to assume people would play this game the way I want it played...that is selfish of me, I know.  
But when I take to the air in that arena, I am looking for a fight.  Advantage or disadvantage, I don't care.  Call it mindless if ya want, makes me no difference.  I was under the impression that hardcore guys wanted to see Allied vs Axis matchups in there.  That is the thing that drew me to the arena in the first place.  Different people go there seeking different things I know.
As for my statement about "avoiding the fight", I stand by it.  Anytime a con is over England, if an Allied pilot is online, he will take off to do battle.  The last 4 times I have been over France, I have seen zilch, zero, nada LW planes.  Big goose egg.  I taunt them over channel 1, always the same tone to their replies.  "We're coming," "it takes a long time to get to XXK feet," "you're an alt monkey" (LOVE that one   ).  
Giving you the benefit of the doubt, and assuming that you did take off to do battle, and the dar just did not show you.........
As for "instant fights" I have no idea what you are talking about....figure out how long it takes to burn one DT and over 75% internal fuel on a Jug with the fuel multiplier in the CT, and tell me if that is indicative of "instant" action.
"Authentic" opponents?  Didn't know the LW let enemy planes roam unchallenged over their territory, but if say so, I will accept that.  I was always under the impression that the LW fiercely defended their airspace.....
Since that is what you felt like doing, all I got to say is go for it.

[streakeagle]

I still fly CT almost exclusively, but unfortunately I don't have the time to fly very often. HTCs low price is great, allowed me to subscribe despite being a poor starving student. But I may cancel my account anyway because school is simply taking too much of my time. I can't afford to pay for a service I am not using  

The numbers in the CT are a problem, but I can't make people fly there. Hell, I can't even fly there much myself right now. If the CT goes away, so will my account. I get what I want from AH more from HtH than I ever have from MA. CT for me guarantees the host is using the rules I prefer. MA guarantees that I will not get what I like.

In a more perfect world, the CT would always be packed, balanced, and full of squads flying missions assigned by a central command and I would have all the free time in the world to explore the various tactical problems faced by pilots flying all the aircraft and missions ever flown in the war. I guess I can keep hoping for my flight sim heaven.