Hey Stampf. I just went through the squadron forum in the JG11 thread trying to see what was going on with you lately.
You should jump into the beta arena one of these days soon - on the weekend there was 30+ players in there between 2 bases, tons of fights and opportunities to mess with various things. It's like a new game, truly, as so many things have changed - the devil is in the details as they say, and I'm finding this to be very true. A PILE of little, but not so little, things have changed. Tracers/hits/gunnery is going to be greatly changed for many (for the better IMO), even the towns and how GVs can fight vs aircraft is different (As Bustr said yesterday, the towns now = the death of the IL2). I haven't felt like this in game since the first beta came out in 1999 and then the next one with "AH2/whatever" a couple/few years later.
If you come play with others just for an hour, you'll be back, I'd bet $ on it. There is SO much new stuff and the old stuff all works/looks different too. I think just based on what I've played so far that even without changing anything to how the game "works", there is enough merit here on its own that the numbers are going to shoot up drastically very quickly. Just seeing GVs explode from the air = a huge change, and a good one. Again, devil in the details, and a lot of details have changed and improved. I think FSO/Events are going to really benefit, and enjoy a large increase in popularity along with the MA game. Seeing is how you and JG11 have such a strong rep in the FSO/events community, I think you'll be coming back one way or another, as the "lull" IMO is over with the game, and it's going to get much busier around here very soon.
I don't say this lightly, there has always been an undefinable "thing" with good games, like a hit song, it just IS a hit without any specific reason why. This switch has been flipped in my brain again with AH3/beta, and it didn't take long either - this coming from somebody that panned the first alpha releases, and who said they wouldn't play until late beta so as not to get more depressed about it - which I did. I'm more than pleasantly surprised.
I think a lot of guys in a similar position as Stampf - long time players, good players, that will be coming out of the woodwork in the very near future, are going to on their own really help bring new players in too.
So, I too hope you return soon. Again, I'll lay odds that if you play during a busy time in the beta, you'll have a similar response that I did with it, and get that old feeling of not being able to NOT play. Big Eastern front scenario coming soon too, ROC has come back too, so you can help shoot him and the Soviets down.
