And folk wonder why(IMO the reason for this) The Alchemist and Flakhappy, back in AH2 ran missions NOE. If the 20k BNZs couldnt see you,it meant success! I cant wrap my head around your argument FUGI. Nothing in combat is SUPPOSED to be EQUAL OR FAIR. True this is a cartoon game and combat doesnt cost anything of VITAL importance, but the nature of combatants is STILL THE SAME. In this combat arena, the attitude has gone from Win or adjust your tactics...to a Win or I will just go home. If you do the same thing every time and get disappointing results...WHY is it the other guy's responsibility to change? 
I dont mean to come off as attacking you personally. it isnt my intention AT ALL. Its like every time you play, within the first 10 minutes you will be on 200 whinning about someone hoing you...like clockwork. How long have you played this game? You know its going to happen if you merge too close, so why not change your tactics. Its not the other guys job to change his, and why should he...if its working. BE THE CHANGE. Dodging ack and ho shots was first thing I learned. I know its coming, so I avoid it. Thats just how I think and its the really only thing I can point to about your game play..as an example.its not pointing fingers. If we want this game to thrive IT ISNT UP TO HT...its UP TO US. HT has done his part, and continuously tries to improve when its needed. TRUE, not every "NEED" is really a need. Its his sandbox, but I will be damned if I crap in it! I like playing in this sandbox and dont like to see others crap in it either. Does it get irritating....its SAND of coarse it does Pretty sure of one thing...If there was something truly better, none of us would be here 
And the NOE is just another way to avoid combat. Its game play changes like this that are slowly killing the game.
NOE's were soooo rampant that HTC dropped dar to the deck!
GVs were getting bomber mercilessly, range counter are adjusted to make spotting GVs harder.
Nobody can find GVs, they were sneaking bases all over the place.... we get GV dar, and a winner that turned out to be.
At least they are changes. Do we like all of them? Maybe not, but they help change the direction the game was going at the time. I just think it's time to make some more changes because as the game is played now, NEW PLAYERS ARE NOT STAYING!
This is a game..... I know far too many take it too seriously, but at the end of the day its still a game. A game is suppose to challenging and fun. If it is too challenging (ganged, hoed, chasing runners, dodging pickers, etc) players wont stay long enough to learn to turn those tables and have the game become fun. If it isn't fun...... why throw $15 a month at it?
Personally I have been HAPPILY giving my $15 a month to HTC since Oct 2001. I love this game, I love everything IN this game. These days I get one or two good fights a weekend and Im happy. Days gone by, it was a dozen good fights in a night. I still lose most of them but that is the way the game has gone. From a game that was full of action, fun, comradary and friendly banter with your "enemy" to chasing runners, dodgin pickers and toxic text messages.
The fun is to hard to find for a 2 weeker these days. They are not staying now, if changes arent made, what makes you think they will say next month?
