Ai moderation?

[-gg-]

I think a random country change would be great. After every map reset. And then make it so that you can't change back to the country that you were just on if you happen to be moved to a different country. Like if the map changes and you were a rook and it switches you over to knits you can't just switch back to rook again. Unless you were on an automated side switching thing that they have then it could put you there at random

But that would be a completely fair thing to do and I don't see why anyone would object to that. In fact AI could be used to decide the order where people would go. Like it could figure out squad affiliations and things like that and just jumble everything up to make it the most even numbers based on the time of days and everything else. And just randomly plop people down in different countries after every map change. But keep squads intact. Keep them all on the same country together

[Shane]

Shane I noticed in your roster picture that it was mostly like two or three guys at most in two or three different squads that were making up all those numbers. Maybe if that was broken up somehow and they ended up on different countries that would automatically balance things.

I haven't given like a ton of thought to it or anything it just popped in my head but I think that would be a really good solution. That would at least kind of roll the dice. Or maybe it could be automatic maybe after each map change you automatically get selected to be on one of the other two countries and everybody if they're in a squad would go to the same country. That could be good.

now you're getting it...  I've mentioned in the past how the AK's rotate monthly.   

I've flown for all 3 sides, but primarily knit and now rook.

That rigidity in country/skwad loyalty or whatever is... overly tribal and explains the wagon-circling I typically see when I call it out - Fugi being an immediate example.

[-gg-]

I don't think it's really country loyalty it's just squad loyalty mostly. And yeah some squads do switch sides for a campaign, but it's just not easy for everyone because people don't all automatically know what's going on when they log in. But a random automatic side changing thing after every map change would be really great. As long as it keeps squads intact.

I think that could be one of the most Fair solutions that they're possibly could be.

I think it would definitely break up the morning situation that you're experiencing, shane. Because I don't think those guys are purposely trying to hoard anybody. Looking at the roster that you posted. It's just like three different squads with maybe two guys on from each squad. And it's not their whole squad or anything. I'm sure they play later times too or more of them are on together.

But I think that would change the whole dynamic and and fix a lot of things.

[Lazerr]

Solution is easy, start making some phone calls and wake up the Knights. It seems they enjoy sleeping in.

Lol that is flat stupid.

[Lazerr]

ANY forced Country change will make a significant number of players to quit the game. As Fugitive posted the solution is more players, not forcing players to conform to a new "mandate". 

Maybe these hordlings being gone and starting over would benefit overall.  Kind of think of it like redoing your grass.

I find it funny the dinks on the club side of the seal are the ones defending it..

[The Fugitive]

First you say this.....

Shane, in your screenshot where it shows the roster only two bishops out of all those online we're not in a squad.

I don't think it's realistic to expect people to change sides. There are people who refuse to be in any kind of a squad but they have lots of friends on a certain country and they go on vox with them. I mean there's whatever reason.

I still say that the numbers are way too low to be expecting much. I mean that's not a crazy amount of people being on one country. 20 or 14 or even 10 or whatever it is. The problem is there's just not enough people on the other countries or overall to fill out.

The thing I despise the most is game mechanisms that force me to do something that I don't want to do. Like change sides or whatever. I mean if you think about it, at the times that you're on you're just one person and the majority of the people that are playing are having fun in the game. In my opinion, when you force people to do things it ruins their fun of the game also. So like you force people to change sides or strongly encourage them to do it through mechanisms in the game that make their game play not as fun...... Well I'm totally against that. I actually despise it.


And like I said, it's a big map. 20 people on one side spread over the big map. I mean I kind of doubt that they're all in one spot on the map where you can't go up against someone and pick off somebody out of the crowd or fight or do something. And it's just for that time that you're on. Yeah maybe it goes on for a few hours but what can you expect at that time in the morning? Everybody is asleep.


And what harm is it doing for those players to be rolling undefended bases? Tool shedding. Bombing empty buildings and taking empty bases. Who really cares?


I know for me, I would be frustrated because I would want to find a fight. But I would find a fight. I could log on and I would go pick off somebody or do something to defend a base and I would have fun still. But that's just me.

I still think that it's just a fact that there aren't enough people playing at those times. I don't think it's the people on the bishop side having any kind of responsibility for anything that's going on. It's just the way it is

..... and then you suggest the game FORCES players to a different country each time the map resets and doesn't allow them to switch back..... hhhhhmmmmm OK 

now you're getting it...  I've mentioned in the past how the AK's rotate monthly.   

I've flown for all 3 sides, but primarily knit and now rook.

That rigidity in country/skwad loyalty or whatever is... overly tribal and explains the wagon-circling I typically see when I call it out - Fugi being an immediate example.

So because I like frying with a bunch of guys that I have been flying with for years and playing the game the way I want, I'm the problem? Maybe its guys like you with your lone wolf attitude always talking smack against those players who don't play the game your way that is the problem.

People are not joining to change, even you. The game is what it is and played as it is because that is how THEY want to play it. Even we had more number..... yes Euro guys, Aussies and Kiwis..... numbers would fill out around the clock..... like it was in the old days it wouldn't change how people played the game. It would on the other hand get players more options over a wider time period and they wouldn't feel that sting of not being able to play the way they.

[-gg-]

Fugitive, my idea keeps squads in tact. I said you can't expect players to switch sides and that's true. But a forced reshuffle after every map change, while keeping  squads in tact, is a totally different dynamic. I don't think many people care what Chess piece they have by their name.

It would be a great solution for what Shane is showing that's happening in the early hours. I don't see any negatives in it.

Way better than ENY BS.

It might actually balance the game. Use AI to determine the best shuffle based on current trends.

What issue would you have with that?

[Dadtallica]

ANY forced Country change will make a significant number of players to quit the game. As Fugitive posted the solution is more players, not forcing players to conform to a new "mandate". 

I like being on the Rook side for a reason. I don’t know what it’s like on other countries but in Rook country chat life is chill. Nobody takes things too seriously. Most of us could care less about winning wars and taking ground. We just like to mix it up wherever there’s a dar bar. I will stay a rook thanks.

The first thing I usually do every night is look for that single tank out in the middle of nowhere, which is usually Randy1… by the time I get there we generate some action lol.

Then, after that, I usually pick a fighter and point it towards a field with a big bar and then go do something else for like 10 minutes or so. When I come back, I’m either dead or above the fight. Traveling to the Bish/Knight front is probably one of my favorite things to do.

The subjectiveness of this game is its beauty.

[hazmatt]

that's called getting stroked by Ai....which is what it does.

Nut'n like a good stroken from time to time. Not sure I got as good of a stroke job as some...


can you characterize the tone of and summarize the posts made by hazmatt on this forum? https://bbs.hitechcreations.com/smf/index.php

I reviewed examples spanning 2020–2026, including game-balance arguments, technical help, hardware recommendations, flight tactics, and general discussion. These are the main patterns I see.

1. His tone is usually conversational and direct. He often gives a practical answer or shares personal experience without much ceremony. For example, in a computer-buying thread, he discusses GPU requirements, upgrading components, and the trade-offs between prebuilt and custom PCs.

2. He uses sarcasm, but it isn't his entire persona. His response to a complaint about Me 262s overwhelming a weaker side—suggesting the player switch sides for a cheap 262—is a teasing, dismissive joke rather than an attempt to solve the balance problem.

3. He is willing to challenge prevailing opinions. He openly criticizes Aces High's subscription model and gameplay decisions, but he also corrects factual comparisons with competing flight simulators. He doesn't simply echo whichever side of a discussion is most popular.

4. He can be self-deprecating and share personal experiences. In discussions about combat, he describes memorable fights, mistakes, and tactics he learned. His post about aiming includes a concrete explanation of how he uses recorded gameplay to improve his shooting.

5. He appears invested in the community, even when dissatisfied with the game. He has explored organizing gatherings, discussed custom arenas, and expressed concern about declining player numbers. His criticism is often connected to what he thinks would make the game better.

Bottom line
I'd characterize his posting style as practical, opinionated, informal, and occasionally sarcastic. He generally comes across as a hobbyist sharing knowledge and opinions, not someone whose posts are exclusively confrontational. When he thinks a complaint is misplaced, however, he may respond with a joke rather than empathy or a serious engagement with the complaint.
This is a qualitative review of searchable examples, not a complete audit of every post. It supports a description of his recurring forum style, but not a definitive judgment of his character or how he treats every person he disagrees with.

[Shane]

So because I like frying with a bunch of guys that I have been flying with for years and playing the game the way I want, I'm the problem? Maybe its guys like you with your lone wolf attitude always talking smack against those players who don't play the game your way that is the problem.

The game is what it is and played as it is because that is how THEY want to play it. Even we had more number..... yes Euro guys, Aussies and Kiwis..... numbers would fill out around the clock..... like it was in the old days it wouldn't change how people played the game. It would on the other hand get players more options over a wider time period and they wouldn't feel that sting of not being able to play the way they.

Please revisit my sig lines, especially the last two. 

Another fundamental aspect of my persona is only respecting effort. This goes way, way back.  My "smack" has always been directed at that, a lack of effort, whether it's being 3 v 1, or being the 4th, 5th  or 6th person in, or being HOing-biased and limited in acm. Or simply being a runner.  You've been around long enough.

What changed was encountering this persistent morning numerical imbalance - going on about 5 years now from my perspective; was it like that prior to my return? 

And Fugi, I take it you're an adult with agency, and it surprises me you think your skwad mates would shun you for breaking a silly rule.

I haven't had issues with "teh warz" since forever.  I don't particularly care about winning teh warz per se, as much as I enjoy seeing a bit more coordinated actions that also provides contestability. I'm very much there for a coordinated base-take that doesn't involve a needless horde. I don't even care for all-in double-teaming, no matter which side is in that bucket.

I think you struggle with this concept of contestability.

I hate that y'all put me on chatgpt... but it can frame things better than I probably have. I asked to further intersect my assessment with contestability and gaming theory.
-----------------------

"Contestability in gameplay: Can a player meaningfully contest an encounter, or do numerical concentration, repeated convergence, and limited alternatives make the outcome practically predetermined? This is about the quality of the competitive opportunity, not a right to win."


"Players often prefer to join the country where their friends are playing, where their side is already active, or where they expect to find the most action. Each individual decision may be reasonable, but the combined result can be a heavily populated side facing a much smaller opposition.

This can create a feedback loop: A side gains a population advantage. More players join the active side. They expect more teammates, activity, or easier objectives. The numerical advantage increases. Opponents disengage or log off. The remaining fights become less attractive to some players. The original imbalance persists.

Coordination theory explains why such outcomes can persist without anyone explicitly organizing a swarm. Individual choices can reinforce a shared equilibrium, even if another population distribution would produce more satisfying competition overall.

From Shane's perspective, the problem may look like a collective failure to provide contestable fights. From the other players' perspective, distributing themselves across sides may mean abandoning friends, objectives, or the action they logged in to enjoy.

This distinction matters because the solution to a coordination problem is not necessarily to persuade individuals to become more virtuous. It may require changing incentives, expectations, or the practical availability of worthwhile fights.

The strongest version of Shane's argument is structural: the system may reward behavior that is individually rational but collectively damaging to the competitive experience.

The weaker version would assume that everyone who participates in the numerical advantage shares a hostile intention toward opponents. Game theory does not justify that inference."

The relevant questions are more specific:

- Does the game's population and map design provide meaningful alternatives to the main concentration of players?
- Do mechanics such as ENY preserve a reasonable opportunity to participate, or do they discourage participation in other ways?
- Does the prevailing style of play create enough varied encounters to sustain different player preferences?
- Can the community discuss those trade-offs without treating every complaint as either self-interest or proof of a systemic failure?

[nrshida]

Respectfully I think some of you are identifying the wrong problem. It was suggested by us Euros long ago that AH would parallel an ephemeral lake the shrinking border of the pool being analogous to the start and end times of US Primetime. Completely understand the lack of interest back then: it didn't affect you.

The morning horde (of both Bish and Knight disposition) is an anomaly and indeed squad-motivated. Padded out with a lot of hangers-on who know there's safety in numbers and those who find the occasional pick rewarding somehow. I don't think they particularly care about the gameplay of others or anything resembling a decent fight as the olden days of AH used to value. However if you interfere with their locust-like activities by force of altering arena settings at this point they will quit en masse. The window for those changes closed long ago.

I've been proposing for years to re-open A1, A2 and A3 in the MPA to allow some semblance of a furball lake to perhaps re-establish. I'm not sure if this is viewed as a potential dilution of MA activity but this is quite wrong. The horde are going to horde and don't care to have meaningful opponents. As the arenas are presently disposed you have three choices if you can fly at this time of day:
1 - Pointlessly fight the horde like a subscription lemming through perpetual 5, 7 or even 9-vs-1 engagements (if you're lucky)
2 - Join the horde
3 - Log out (or worse, don't log in in the first place)

I'm suggesting 4 - give players an alternate place to fly to expand the viable prime-time. Offer parallel gameplay possibilities.

Yes I have been banging on about the furball lake for years, is that so weird that half a dozen rewarding fights a week - regardless of score or outcome - would keep the hobby alive for me and other like-minded players? There used to be a lot and many of those might be at retirement age by now.

I would also point out that the old DA - in contrast to the present MPA - was a subscription arena. Which many of us happily paid purely to have some fun fights. There were parallel gameplay options. Now there aren't.

[Shane]

Respectfully I think some of you are identifying the wrong problem. It was suggested by us Euros long ago that AH would parallel an ephemeral lake the shrinking border of the pool being analogous to the start and end times of US Primetime. Completely understand the lack of interest back then: it didn't affect you.

The morning horde (of both Bish and Knight disposition) is an anomaly and indeed squad-motivated. Padded out with a lot of hangers-on who know there's safety in numbers and those who find the occasional pick rewarding somehow. I don't think they particularly care about the gameplay of others or anything resembling a decent fight as the olden days of AH used to value. However if you interfere with their locust-like activities by force of altering arena settings at this point they will quit en masse. The window for those changes closed long ago.

I've been proposing for years to re-open A1, A2 and A3 in the MPA to allow some semblance of a furball lake to perhaps re-establish. I'm not sure if this is viewed as a potential dilution of MA activity but this is quite wrong. The horde are going to horde and don't care to have meaningful opponents. As the arenas are presently disposed you have three choices if you can fly at this time of day:
1 - Pointlessly fight the horde like a subscription lemming through perpetual 5, 7 or even 9-vs-1 engagements (if you're lucky)
2 - Join the horde
3 - Log out (or worse, don't log in in the first place)

I'm suggesting 4 - give players an alternate place to fly to expand the viable prime-time. Offer parallel gameplay possibilities.

Yes I have been banging on about the furball lake for years, is that so weird that half a dozen rewarding fights a week - regardless of score or outcome - would keep the hobby alive for me and other like-minded players? There used to be a lot and many of those might be at retirement age by now.

I would also point out that the old DA - in contrast to the present MPA - was a subscription arena. Which many of us happily paid purely to have some fun fights. There were parallel gameplay options. Now there aren't.

Very good assessment.  And you didn't even need AI! 

I believe Ta57x sometimes opens a custom arena based on the old DA/Furball Lake.   It would be nice if the current MPA was replaced by the old DA.  Even if HTC "fixed" MPA to function as intended, it would get very little use these days, imho. 

[LCADolby]

Solution is easy, start making some phone calls and wake up the Knights. It seems they enjoy sleeping in.

This might be one of the most unhelpful suggestions ever made. 

[LCADolby]

Respectfully I think some of you are identifying the wrong problem. It was suggested by us Euros long ago that AH would parallel an ephemeral lake the shrinking border of the pool being analogous to the start and end times of US Primetime. Completely understand the lack of interest back then: it didn't affect you.

The morning horde (of both Bish and Knight disposition) is an anomaly and indeed squad-motivated. Padded out with a lot of hangers-on who know there's safety in numbers and those who find the occasional pick rewarding somehow. I don't think they particularly care about the gameplay of others or anything resembling a decent fight as the olden days of AH used to value. However if you interfere with their locust-like activities by force of altering arena settings at this point they will quit en masse. The window for those changes closed long ago.

I've been proposing for years to re-open A1, A2 and A3 in the MPA to allow some semblance of a furball lake to perhaps re-establish. I'm not sure if this is viewed as a potential dilution of MA activity but this is quite wrong. The horde are going to horde and don't care to have meaningful opponents. As the arenas are presently disposed you have three choices if you can fly at this time of day:
1 - Pointlessly fight the horde like a subscription lemming through perpetual 5, 7 or even 9-vs-1 engagements (if you're lucky)
2 - Join the horde
3 - Log out (or worse, don't log in in the first place)

I'm suggesting 4 - give players an alternate place to fly to expand the viable prime-time. Offer parallel gameplay possibilities.

Yes I have been banging on about the furball lake for years, is that so weird that half a dozen rewarding fights a week - regardless of score or outcome - would keep the hobby alive for me and other like-minded players? There used to be a lot and many of those might be at retirement age by now.

I would also point out that the old DA - in contrast to the present MPA - was a subscription arena. Which many of us happily paid purely to have some fun fights. There were parallel gameplay options. Now there aren't.

I absolutely agree.

I recently went into the TA with a friend of mine and found even the Duelling fields (on the left of the map) to be pointless, not only was the variety less of the old DA but as the arena has no damage to train upon or expose the moment of the duel being over, it doesn't get across the point nor does it give the moment of success.. And going "bang your dead" or "Takka Takka Takka!" like a child is demeaning.

There needs to be something of the old DA created with a variety of valleys and lakes to be a reason to keep up the sub when the MA is lacking. And the MA is lacking. Lacking fun fights and dog-piling/gangbanging is a huge detractor at certain time periods for using the MA.

[LCADolby]

So because I like frying with a bunch of guys that I have been flying with for years and playing the game the way I want, I'm the problem? Maybe its guys like you with your lone wolf attitude always talking smack against those players who don't play the game your way that is the problem.

People are not joining to change, even you. The game is what it is and played as it is because that is how THEY want to play it. Even we had more number..... yes Euro guys, Aussies and Kiwis..... numbers would fill out around the clock..... like it was in the old days it wouldn't change how people played the game. It would on the other hand get players more options over a wider time period and they wouldn't feel that sting of not being able to play the way they.

Fry with who ever you want to, but

The horde squads are the problem, even more so in a smaller numbers environment. Your safe, we have the numbers, way of playing for your own satisfaction is an absolute detriment to the game and ignores the simple fact that a newcomer wont be on your side, know how to change sides and it ignores completely the gameplay of others.

Passing the buck to the solo flyer isn't a viable way to argue or refute the assertion, as a solo cannot gangbang and bully a new comer out of the game for repeat kills on said new comer nor do the solos pat each other on the back for gangbanging other aircraft into oblivion and jump another guy 3v1 all gun blazing like its a WarThunder lobby.

Your gameplay, regardless of how you feel or how you feel about Shane or myself or any other opposer of you horders, is a problem, especially as Bish routinely have high numbers and new starts go immediately to a lower numbered "highly likely to be under the hordes thumb" side. Their whole experience is being repeatedly killed and morale destroyed. My buddy flew without me for one day and has already asked about other options because the same guys killed him 3 times. He's not even had time to get to know anyone else but the towel has been thrown in and IL2 is already being downloaded.

Empirical evidence says; Maybe it is time to rotate and give some thought to the damage hordes actually do have on the individual trying to navigate AcesHigh.