Age old question... membership

[JumpMan23]

Older player that hasn't been around for a few years... but used to fly with Pand a lot... that boy could BnZ in his Pony

Anyway.. thinking about membership levels... I know that one of the issues that's often discussed is the constant butt whipping "new" players get that will sometimes drive them away from the game.. truth is... if flying was easy, everyone would do it...

So I have a question.. what about "assigning" an AI "wingman" to a new player for a period of time after they subscribe?  We have something similar in the offline missions.  Would it be that hard to do in the MA?  It gives the new player a fighting chance early on and can be turned off after a period of time or achieving a certain skill level....

[DmonSlyr]

Idk, I think butt whipping is part of learning games. I mean, I get my butt kicked all over the place in Halo and Battlefield. Halo is really freaking hard. It's all about your ambition to learn how to be better. I don't believe an AI is going to provide any help. If anything it would allow me to get 2 kill easy kills instead of 1.

What would really be beneficial to new players is more time to try and practice the game since there is no populated free arena for them to fly in. These guys just want some quick fights to learn the planes and get into air combat. They don't want to fly aimlessly for 10 minutes to a base then get jumped by 4 players in Yak3s.

There is no team death match like in other games. There appears to be no objective like in other games. Like it battlefield, they have conquest that you capture certain spots on the map, this gives you more points to capture them, then the other team comes back and tries to recapture them. There are no zones on these maps encourage players to fight in a certain area.

I'd love for AvA to pick up, but we need people in there all of the time to show that there are #s in there and it should be added that it's a Team Death March style of play.

No one knows that AVA is on a small map, no one knows that it's set up team death match style. And players will not click on it to check it out if no other players are in there.

IMHO, the MA is just too big for new players who don't understand the game.

[JumpMan23]

Definitely valid points.  Part of why I had to leave was sheer time.. Most of the players in AH aren't 12 year olds with all kinds of time on their hands... I love the game, but because of family/life commitments, I'm relegated to an hour or so a couple days during the week and maybe a couple of hours one night per weekend.  So finding a balance between beatdown/rewards is important to me to come back.  If I wanted to get crapped on for a solid hour every day, I'd take up a hobby with my wife...

And regarding numbers... I don't know that "if" an AI was possible, it couldn't be made to be a better/worse wingman...You might indeed end up with 2 kills... but I bet everyone wouldn't...and... it'll add more game play... which is ultimately what people want/need.

Maybe some combination of the 2 ideas?

[Eagler]

Just need to make the game free and then sell each plane for $100 a pop like the other ww2 flight sims are doing

Then require someone/ group to provide the server with their rules and limitations....

On 2nd thought it ain't so bad now after all

Just need smaller maps so flight times are cut in half and fights are sooner and more plentiful

Eagler

[RotBaron]

Just need to make the game free and then sell each plane for $100 a pop like the other ww2 flight sims are doing

Then require someone/ group to provide the server with their rules and limitations....

On 2nd thought it ain't so bad now after all

Just need smaller maps so flight times are cut in half and fights are sooner and more plentiful

Eagler

They get rolled way too fast.

Yesterday Northco (a great map imo) was up somewhere around 6 hours, by the end of the night another map had already been rolled.

[DmonSlyr]

They get rolled way too fast.

Yesterday Northco (a great map imo) was up somewhere around 6 hours, by the end of the night another map had already been rolled.

That's no bother tho. The current players who are on have a chance to win a map. That's encouraging for players and could give them something to play for. I dont think quick map rolling is a bad thing as it gives more players a variety of different places to fight. Also, if you log in on a big map and see your team with 60% of bases only, and no fight on your side, or getting ganged by both sides. That will just encourage players to log who don't like to switch.

So what happens is, we get stuck on this huge map that takes up the entire weekend with minimal fights during the off hours.   It's creating an embalance that is hurting #s.

The other day I was on, there was 5 rooks, only 1 in flight. 27 bish and 14 knights on CraterMA. This is what happens on maps that are unsuitable for the current #s.

[RotBaron]

That's no bother tho. The current players who are on have a chance to win a map. That's encouraging for players and could give them something to play for. I dont think quick map rolling is a bad thing as it gives more players a variety of different places to fight. Also, if you log in on a big map and see your team with 60% of bases only, and no fight on your side, or getting ganged by both sides. That will just encourage players to log who don't like to switch.

So what happens is, we get stuck on this huge map that takes up the entire weekend with minimal fights during the off hours.   It's creating an embalance that is hurting #s.

The other day I was on, there was 5 rooks, only 1 in flight. 27 bish and 14 knights on CraterMA. This is what happens on maps that are unsuitable for the current #s.

To me, there’s a direct correlation to the small (good) maps getting rolled quickly and then getting stuck with the big maps when it’s weekend or holiday (i.e. higher player #’s).

Northco and Montis got rolled yesterday in a span of ~12 hours and now we’re going to have big map all weekend...

[DmonSlyr]

To me, there’s a direct correlation to the small (good) maps getting rolled quickly and then getting stuck with the big maps when it’s weekend or holiday (i.e. higher player #’s).

Northco and Montis got rolled yesterday in a span of ~12 hours and now we’re going to have big map all weekend...

Yup, we are in agreement there.

[Eagler]

So just remove the old big maps out of the rotation and let the smaller maps cycle through faster

Doesn't sound too difficult to do and try for a month or two

Some of us have never cared about base capturing at all

Eagler

[The Fugitive]

So just remove the old big maps out of the rotation and let the smaller maps cycle through faster

Doesn't sound too difficult to do and try for a month or two

Some of us have never cared about base capturing at all

Eagler

There are only two problems with that.

One, "those that dont care about capturing bases" are a small part of the players, much smaller. Other wise AvA and "War Online:Pacific" would be much more popular.

Two, the base captures is what generates the fights the fighter guys are looking for.

[DmonSlyr]

There are only two problems with that.

One, "those that dont care about capturing bases" are a small part of the players, much smaller. Other wise AvA and "War Online:Pacific" would be much more popular.

Two, the base captures is what generates the fights the fighter guys are looking for.

I disagree with your first statement, but agree with you second.

Those games are completely different. AVA would possibly be more filled up if it had "team death match small map" in the name. So people actually knew what was going on in there. And there needs to be someone in there playing to build #s. The fighter base has considerably dropped to go other play other faster action games like WT. I think by not making the game more fighter friendly, they are in effect losing those #s.

I do think base taking is part of the game does provide the "fight". So i do think it's important. However, lusche did post stats that the majority of players want to play in fighters and that that #s was decreasing due to certain factors with gameplay.

[Slade]

Seems to get good in any particular plane I just need to die in it enough.

Just the way of it.  VERY unique and special game we got here guys.

Wish there was easier ways to get new guys to hang in longer to make it fun for them.

[The Fugitive]

I disagree with your first statement, but agree with you second.

Those games are completely different. AVA would possibly be more filled up if it had "team death match small map" in the name. So people actually knew what was going on in there. And there needs to be someone in there playing to build #s. The fighter base has considerably dropped to go other play other faster action games like WT. I think by not making the game more fighter friendly, they are in effect losing those #s.

I do think base taking is part of the game does provide the "fight". So i do think it's important. However, lusche did post stats that the majority of players want to play in fighters and that that #s was decreasing due to certain factors with gameplay.

Could you point me to where he said that? I am a pretty avid reader of the boards and dont remember him saying that.

[svaalbar]

Was thinking about hitting up growling sidewinder on YouTube to see if he has played ah before and ill show him the ropes

I've tried Il2 multi-player and it's just not as good as AH

Single player is fun tho 

[Molsman]

Dam I got my butt kicked all the time here by  Violater even in the close tree top turn fights w had in 109s and he always won due to a fubar move I would make so ya butt kicking is part of all games