sfma map

[caldera]

If there is no change in the HQ down = darbar down policy, can we at least get a vehicle spawn to the HQ?

Some maps have airbases practically on top of the HQ, which limits the tedious process of resupplying it to find the action.  This map is the extreme opposite.  One player can shut down the HQ and it takes a long time for a low population to repair it.  Coupled with the very long transit time for C-47s and even 163s. 




Have no idea how having no darbars can possibly be good for gameplay.  With the low numbers limiting fights as it is, how is this a good system?

It is a major fun killer taking multiple long trips to HQ instead of fighting.  There are very few things that are wrong with this game.  This is one of them.

[waystin2]

+1 for some solution.

[RotBaron]

No HQ combined with my level of attentiveness is a deciding factor of whether I log out and find something else to do. If I just starting out and planned on playing for a couple hours, I'll stick it out; if I'm on the fence in any way and HQ goes down I log out.

[Latrobe]

+1!

On the topic of HQ's, I have not flown to one in years so I have no idea what the ack defense it like there. Should the HQ get a massive puffy ack boost? It is an HQ after all, shouldn't that be one of the top priorities to position AAA around? Stick some more 88 guns around the HQ, maybe a few miles from the HQ to start hammering the bombers before they're already directly over the HQ.

[Lusche]

Speaking of SFMA and strategic targets... the relocation of the factories hasn't exactly made things better either. Have you noticed that the NW country has it's AA factory (about the most vital one) at the intitial frontline, whilre the other two countries have much better (= more defensible positions) for that.

[cobia38]

 soooo,you cant see the grunt training or city flash ahead of time as a warning to incoming buffs ?
 

[MrKrabs]

I'm glad my little stroll in Lanasters last night has generated some butt-hurt...

Btw, nits lost their HQ too and you don't see us complaining about a few trips in a C-47 

[WWhiskey]

Plus one for a spawn to HQ,, and all other strats,, wanna drop HQ, drop the VHs too!

[Lusche]

soooo,you cant see the grunt training or city flash ahead of time as a warning to incoming buffs ?
 

On this map (like some others), you can easily fly Lancs NOE to the HQ's in a way that makes defense about impossible. There's no way for the defender to get to HQ and find the intruder in time when the first alarms go off.

[cobia38]

On this map (like some others), you can easily fly Lancs NOE to the HQ's in a way that makes defense about impossible. There's no way for the defender to get to HQ and find the intruder in time when the first alarms go off.

 does this mean you support the idea of changing the game to suit the needs of those who do not wish to defend HQ ?

[Lusche]

does this mean you support the idea of changing the game to suit the needs of those who do not wish to defend HQ ?

How do you defend that HQ when you can't even get there in time?

From another thread

Don't get me wrong - usually I'm one of the "If you want to keep it, defend it" faction. But as I pointed out earlier, the combination of low player numbers, HQ placement, City connection  and game impact vs effort necessary to kill HQ is very much out of balance at times.

It takes only 1 single player to take out HQ. Unless in earlier times, it can now take a gargantuan effort to get it back up (downtime 45-165minutes, -4 mins per goon drop). And on a couple of maps, there is no way to defend HQ unless you keep a constant cap above in case a NOE HQ raider comes along. Not even I am doing this.

It's all about balance.

[Lusche]

To illustrate my statements:



Flying this route, a player can take NOE Lancs to the HQ with ease without making anything flash at all, especially not the troop 'factory'. Note that A10 has been made friendly only for testing purposes (to speed things up), one can easily fly there from a NE country's front base (about 6 sectors).
The Lancs is fully loaded with bombs and still has ~ 25% fuel left, yet it's doing 250mph on the deck. Which means once the HQ starts flashing, it takes only about 3 minutes to arrive on top of it.

The enemy however can't even get a Me 163 there in time. Not even if a pilot is sitting in tower, ready for taking off at a moment's notice. A Me 163 racing to HQ on the deck near 600mph will take 5 minutes to reach HQ. And the Komet Pilot will be in trouble by then, with only 30% fuel, being on the deck and having almost 2 sectors to the next friendly airbase. Very few players can easily shrug off such a risk of losing ~100 perks just by runnign out of fuel - if they take a Komet up at all they would probably have to choose a higher flight profile, which would take even longer.

[cobia38]

 

 sorry to burst you're bubble but according to the radar range of the strats {i marked them with neon green},you can not get within a sector and a half  of the HQ without warning,even if you go off map it still shows a red arrow that gives you away. so  it all boils down to people not caring 

[Lusche]

 sorry to burst you're bubble but according to the radar range of the strats {i marked them with neon green},you can not get within a sector and a half  of the HQ without warning,even if you go off map it still shows a red arrow that gives you away. so  it all boils down to people not caring  

You don't need to go off the map. If you keep on map, but south of the troop factory, the factory will NOT flash. Been there done that. That's why I included an actual picture of that route. I'm on map and the factory never flashed. Only the HQ did when I got in range. 3 Minutes later I'm over it. It's impossible for any kind of interceptor to be there in time.

But even if an unfortunate NOE raider would make the factory flash, he's still safe. Nobody knows where he's at, and nobody knows he's actually ib HQ. You still would have someone to race to the HQ immediately 'just in case'. But a conventional fighter will again not be there in time while a Komet pilot has not the fuel to loiter.

Now take into account the probability that there's actually a player sitting in the tower and ready to take off immediately for this. Particularly with the low player numbers these days. And how likely is it that you will find players that "care enough" to patrol the HQ area for hours?
Are you expecting players to keep on non-combat duties, either patrolling or resupping an HQ for hours?

Again, it's all a matter of balance. One palyer, with very little risk, can screw up all dar for a country for hours with little to no chance to stop him in time. On the other hand, it may take a very high effort for the hit country to bring dar back up. Which is, due to low overall numbers (less than 20 players on a team total!) often not even possible.

[Zimme83]

I will agree with Lusche. Its very possible to reach and kill HQ without any warning other than HQ flashing when u get close enough.