2 sided war arena

[Rich46yo]

+1. Ive been Pro- 2 sides for years now.

[Bruv119]

Numbers might have been higher on one team, yet you rarely EVER saw one country conquering another country because of raw numbers. Yet again, testament to how the gameplay worked. The only time numbers "mattered" was when the numbers were due to a squad having a squad night with the goal of conquering a map (NRF/BAT/ALL41 did this frequently). And even then, it wasn't the numbers, it was the fact the players were playing specifically to a coordinated end.

By the way, US was always by far the largest due to the noobs always went US because they were patriotic. Despite 2-3x the odds, the US was one of the easier teams to fight in general. Numbers made little difference. But, if you wanted to switch sides regardless, you could do it easily.

Japan (JP) numbers outnumbered the other countries 2:1 and 3:1 over Japanese primetime hours (FA had a huge Japanese playerbase), yet you rarely ever saw JP dominating the map either. Raw numbers rarely ever correlated to map wins. The way the planesets were split gave every country inherent strengths and weaknesses, and make the gameplay more tactical in general. What won maps was teamwork, not numbers.

The distinction that FA had in the team aspect was that it required pilots who knew how to fly their planes effectively. There was no upping an LA-7 because you just got shot down by one. It resulted in a much higher skill-level of opponent.

I dunno skyyr I saw Japan conquer the map with a 5:1 advantage most evenings their prime time 50-60 vs 10 on other teams.   I however got many kills in the process 

As for FA having more numbers that is debatable.  I left for that very reason, when all the Japanese players logged there were no more than 50 - 60 players at 6pm UK time until US numbers built back up.  AH has always had triple figures since playing here at that time which has only really tailed off in the last 2-3 years.  Would get up to 600-700 on weekends which was un-heard of in FA.

[Skyyr]

I dunno skyyr I saw Japan conquer the map with a 5:1 advantage most evenings their prime time 50-60 vs 10 on other teams.   I however got many kills in the process 

As for FA having more numbers that is debatable.  I left for that very reason, when all the Japanese players logged there were no more than 50 - 60 players at 6pm UK time until US numbers built back up.  AH has always had triple figures since playing here at that time which has only really tailed off in the last 2-3 years.  Would get up to 600-700 on weekends which was un-heard of in FA.

Currently, we're lucky to have 60 players in the entire arena during what would be Japanese prime time. Even then, FA's numbers were higher. But, this isn't about FA vs AH as much as it is the team arrangement.

And again, I'm referring to the numbers now. I'm sure that AH numbers set to be higher, as there were commonly 400+ in the MA when I started 15 months or so ago. Now we're lucky to regularly break 300, and that's not a good thing.

My suggestion is simply to try something different (yet something that's known to work) instead of trying slightly different variations of what is functionally the same thing as what we currently have.

[Vraciu]

Fighter Ace did so well with this setup that nobody plays there now.   

AH w three sides is riding FA's bumper with two... 

It deserves a shot.

In WBs it was fun.  Not like now with fronts that move only based on time zone.  Zzzzzz.

[bustr]

Air Attack\FA passed through too many hands as a business unit. Then was kept alive by Vange as a labor of love, not because of it's revenue generating abilities. He had the personal fortune if you dig around a bit, to have kept it's doors open even now out of pocket. Aces High has been in Hitech's hands since the beginning while he is now creating it's third generation.

It still amazes me the number of game subscribers and forum denizens who want this game to fail like FA. They take every opportunity to thinly veil their vitriol towards Hitech, while wishing his company to fail. If Hitech was perceived to be making this game look like FA, WT or IL2, it would fail.

The words below are massaged a bit but, you don't look good looking like your competition in a major news release.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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[Vraciu]

Make it five countries and split them up by nationality, where British planes are only available to Great Britain, American planes are only available to the US, and so forth. Lend-lease aircraft are available to all countries that flew them, regardless of where they originated from.

It works quite well in most other games that use this setup (before anyone throws it out there, Axis vs. Allies is not the same as all countries vs all others).

Combined with smaller maps, you'd have instant action.

Count me in.  What we have now doesn't work a bit.

[bustr]

Let me guess, you came over from FA also??

[Vraciu]

Let me guess, you came over from FA also??

Negatory.   Let me guess, you don't read threads before posting?

[The Fugitive]

Count me in.  What we have now doesn't work a bit.

3 works great! Its not the number of countries that is the issue. Its how the players play the game.

Many of these players are of the "Call of Duty", "World of Warcraft" ilk. The game is run in the bare minimums. Spawn attack until dead, repeat. Over and over again. Very little changes, it's no wonder they call it "grinding". That is how these players come in and play this game. Grab the fastest cannon bird run to the next base with 50 other players bomb the crap out of everything and hope a goon gets through before a defender get there from the next base over. If captured move to next base, if goon dies, move to next base. Over and over again until they gert bored and move off to the next game they hear about.

This game is rich in depth of play, history, and game mechanics, unfortunately most of it is ignored in the race to win the war. 2 countries, 5 countries, it won't change anything in how these players play the game. Game mechanics will have to be changed to "steer" players into a richer game play experience. If not they will do the same thing over and over again until they are bored and leave.

Oh, has anyone else noticed that tying for last place in anything now sets you at 1055. 6 months ago it was 1873. 

[Lusche]

Oh, has anyone else noticed that tying for last place in anything now sets you at 1055. 6 months ago it was 1873. 

You can't really compare those numbers at the beginning of one tour with at the end of another

[bustr]

Count me in.  What we have now doesn't work a bit.

Yes, I'll just give skyyr one for his ability to get your attraction.

[JimmyD3]

ahhhhhh Shutup  all of ya!! 

Don't change horses in the middle of the stream guys. Wait till the new version is out, give it 6 months, then you can start your whines again. Most of you couldn't code at mailing list, much less a game like this, nor managed a company as well (that includes me).

There are times this BBS is worse than 200  sheessss.

[FBKampfer]

ahhhhhh Shutup  all of ya!! 

Don't change horses in the middle of the stream guys. Wait till the new version is out, give it 6 months, then you can start your whines again. Most of you couldn't code at mailing list, much less a game like this, nor managed a company as well (that includes me).

There are times this BBS is worse than 200  sheessss.

The only thing you said that makes sense is to wait and see what happens after the update.

I don't need to be able to code to see the population has been dropping. I don't need to code to see that something has to be done about that.

[JimmyD3]

The only thing you said that makes sense is to wait and see what happens after the update.

I don't need to be able to code to see the population has been dropping. I don't need to code to see that something has to be done about that.

Sorry FBKampfer , I just get tired of all the whines, and "I know better" comments. If anyone is so great let them "code" their own game. If the population is declining, then I'm sure HT has noticed and this could be the reason, or at least one of the reasons, for the update. If I remember correctly didn't he say in one of the releases that they started this upgrade in 2013?

You have probably been playing this game longer than I, but I love it just the way it is, and I'm sure the upgrade is going to be even better. Want to change the game play? Do a custom arena, see how many people move over, at least you might be able to prove your point, or not.

Nothing personal to anyone.

[Vraciu]

Yes, I'll just give skyyr one for his ability to get your attraction.

Or would that be "attention"?

Speaking of "attraction"...   Why are you stalking me like a lovesick puppy on these boards?   It is creepy.

In any event, this is Caldera's thread not Skyyr's.  I have been an advocate of a two-sided arena for a long time now and the title caught my "attraction".