Let me tell you a story.
I love story time! I have one of my own to share.
This very night I logged on to Knight side, which was about even in numbers with everyone else (for once). Seemed to be a fight between a Knight carrier and base A1 (don't recall whoever the other side was). Not wanting to be a vulcher, I headed for where I thought the other side's reinforcements would come from. Sure enough, soon I was engaged with two or three of them (and, fairly promptly, was headed for the water). Remarkably, when I re-upped on our carrier, I saw that enemy planes were swarming from A1 itself, valiantly defending their base. Both sides poured their resources into that fight, from the Knight carrier, from A1, and from the reinforcing base further south. In classic Oldman fashion I often found myself swimming, and even managed to get a few kills of my own. Met people like Mindy, 330SC, Holmes, Doc4 and many others on the other side, all of whom were good sticks, all of whom gave me good fights. I had to log before I found out who ultimately kept the base...but who cared? The fights were excellent.
So...don't tell me the culture has changed. There are lots of people, vets and noobs alike, who still enjoy good air-to-air combat.
- oldman