The game play

[RufusLeaking]

The OP is pretty accurate in the description of player behavior. Like almost everything in the game, there are counter options.

Against buffs, roll the big cannon birds. Against hordes, up fast mover birds and keep energy high. Always a rock-paper-scissors.

It is not always the exact way one may want to play at the time, but there are options.

... and during the dog fight heard very little chatter and not one check six, other than the one’s I issued.

There are some players who are very good wing men. It is a matter of being in the same area at the same time.

[Krupinski]

that was just me saying that.  And yes I did exaggerate, but I do feel it will be very unbalanced for a longer period of time than it is balanced, with only two sides playing.  When everyone will want to feel like they at least have a chance.

I wonder if there is an example of this working where the players can switch sides at any time.
That they self level to keep the game play alive. I'm doubtful though.

Yeah there is, the new IL2 series allows you to switch sides whenever you want. The Germans have far superior planes than the Russians in that game, yet you will find the sides are balanced 90% of the time.

It's simply more fun when it's balanced, and the players know it.

[redcatcherb412]

Also, that's the beauty of AH's open world maps, if you're getting swarmed in one area, counter-attack in another.

Same goes for offense.  Many a time trying for a defended base on a large front, getting some 'lone wolves' to attack and get all the front line bases flashing at the same time thinning defenders works good too.

[Lusche]

I don't know why you guys think the numbers are going to be so dramatic as 1 vs 50, it simply isn't going to happen as long as both sides have the same resources....

Just as they do now. All three sides have the same resources, yet numbers fluctuate drastically over the day.
Why would these imbalances suddenly stop with 2 sides?


(Melee Arena Screenshot from April)

[Krupinski]

There's your problem, side balancing clearly isn't.... ENABLED. 

[Lusche]

There's your problem, side balancing clearly isn't.... ENABLED. 

You said it won't happen because of the same resources available to both. That's the part I was looking to get explained.

[gflyer]

Warbirds.. which is the closest relative of AH has two sided fights and RPS.   While some would switch to balance most would not - loyalty to color and not wanting to be on out-numbered side are common reasons - people are people wherever you are.  Forced balancing does not work either - people want to fly with and on the side they want. 

On another note, those that don't want to fight have just as easy a time avoiding it in a two sided war as they do in three.  Two sided wars do not fix what is going on here. IMO, only more people will really solve the problem - or possibly much-much smaller maps.  Why not have more countries instead of less? Why not end teleporting?  Anyway you go nothing is a silver bullet to solve the perceived problems. 


 





     

 

[nugetx]

not wanting to be on out-numbered

That's why there need to be in-game system that puts players on teams so its equal.

If there are 3 sides and all planes for everyone, it doesn't matter which team you are on.

[DmonSlyr]

Pushing players into positions is not good for AH. That's why the 2 MAs failed, when squads could not all fly together. Everyone screams about titanic Tuesday, when that's how it should have always been.

The key issues that will bring the best fights, will be shorter base distance from back fields, and strat resupply adjustments. The side switch would be more reasonable at 3 hours. Or like Brooke said, players should be allowed to willingly choose to go to the lower side. Making the overall fighting area smaller, but shortening the base distance, would bring a lot of action to more people. At least in my opinion.

[Kanth]

I like those ideas too.

and gflyer I also think squad based movement between the countries due to numbers is a bit more cumbersome than it is for individual players.  I would assume that most squads don't jump countries to even up the numbers for the short term. Most do it for the month or not at all.

The key issues that will bring the best fights, will be shorter base distance from back fields, and strat resupply adjustments. The side switch would be more reasonable at 3 hours. Or like Brooke said, players should be allowed to willingly choose to go to the lower side. Making the overall fighting area smaller, but shortening the base distance, would bring a lot of action to more people. At least in my opinion.

[Zimme83]

if numbers are too low there arent enough people to attack on 2 fronts, hence it always ends up being 2 v 1.

[cav58d]

Just as they do now. All three sides have the same resources, yet numbers fluctuate drastically over the day.
Why would these imbalances suddenly stop with 2 sides?

(Image removed from quote.)
(Melee Arena Screenshot from April)

Oh stop man, what an awful screen shot to try and make a point.  Show me a consistent imbalance when the arena is populated with the normal 120-180 players during prime time, not SIX people during an off hour.  SMH.

[NatCigg]

Pushing players into positions is not good for AH. That's why the 2 MAs failed, when squads could not all fly together. Everyone screams about titanic Tuesday, when that's how it should have always been.

The key issues that will bring the best fights, will be shorter base distance from back fields, and strat resupply adjustments. The side switch would be more reasonable at 3 hours. Or like Brooke said, players should be allowed to willingly choose to go to the lower side. Making the overall fighting area smaller, but shortening the base distance, would bring a lot of action to more people. At least in my opinion.

imo, 2 ma's failed because htc would Lock the first arena (in a attempt to fill the second arena) at noon central every day.  this is euro prime time and a lot got upset everyday.

second, the main arena attracts a lot of ugly (herding cattle is ugly).  eliminating the second arena up set me.  being forced in the pen with cattle was not fun, Titanic Tuesday (big cattle farm) was not fun.  Many liked it, many like the cattle farm, for friends and food.

 

[Lusche]

Oh stop man, what an awful screen shot to try and make a point.  Show me a consistent imbalance when the arena is populated with the normal 120-180 players during prime time, not SIX people during an off hour.  SMH.

'Prime time' Is only a small window of play time during a whole day. Many AH players have a totally different 'prime' time than you and never get to see 120-180 players anymore.
For example us Europeans usually get 15/30 at noon, 50-60 at the beginning of our 'prime time' and something like 80-90 players during the height of it.
Only for the smaller part of the day numbers raise above 100.

Even back in the day with 200+ during Euro and 500+ during US prime there were significant imbalances between the chesspieces, despite all sides having equal resources. This alone doesn't equalize the sides with three chesspieces, and so it won't with two. Which was the whole point I was making.

[Ack-Ack]

Exactly, long ago... when numbers and fights were probably much more balanced than what you see today.

 "Long ago" has nothing in common with today's gameplay.

He didn't say it "long ago".