ENY an alternative maybe?

[Eagler]

If Animl-AW is against it we have to try it..

Eagler

[hitech]

Just another game now.

Sick of the AI pilot talk.

No more TRUE MMP

Might as well make it single player.

Instead of constant low number talk drivel, how about just getting more players, WHICH IS THE CORE OF THE PROBLEM. AI is a lazy band-aide crap

AI fad where everything is AI remnds me of crack cocaine, they never know when to stop

First, the flight AI isn’t new. It has always been in the game; we just never used it. The new AI connection adds one thing: the ability to plan flight paths and missions on the fly.

Second, who do you think Crew Chief is aimed at? Not existing players. Its main purpose is to bring in more subscribers. When we launched on Steam, about 30,000 people came to try the game, and only a handful stayed. Easing the way in for new players is the whole point of the AI integration.

More players is exactly what we are working on. Mol’s idea is not about replacing players; it is about giving the short side something to fly with until the numbers are there.

HiTech

[LilMak]

When we launched on Steam, about 30,000 people came to try the game, and only a handful stayed.

HiTech

More didn’t stay after the steam release because it was clearly a bait and switch. The game was advertised as free to play which is technically true if you wanted to fly by yourself. Two weeks is not nearly enough time to get someone into the game if they’re not familiar with sims. Heck, I came from AW and it took me quite a few minutes just to figure out how the runway spawns worked.

[Wiley]

More didn’t stay after the steam release because it was clearly a bait and switch. The game was advertised as free to play which is technically true if you wanted to fly by yourself. Two weeks is not nearly enough time to get someone into the game if they’re not familiar with sims. Heck, I came from AW and it took me quite a few minutes just to figure out how the runway spawns worked.

And it looks like the same mistake is going to be made with Epic.  Gamers have um... "an extremely well developed sense of fairness".  If you say F2P, then they find out the real game is a sub, they have a tendency to freak, versus telling them it's a subscription game off the hop.

Wiley.

[oTRALFZo]

I have been advocating this for a while now but dont see why it is so touchy with some folks. We have AI implemented in the game with field ack/ship guns and even resupply so I don't see any issues as to why we could not us AI to balance out low numbers.

Not sure how we would use them for base defense, but I am thinking it would be nice to have several defensive cons to randomly fly around at least to be used as cannon fodder for when a hoard decides to come in.
We can have AI missions to strat factories and when one side is outnumbered, the more damage it does to their factories.

Just some ideas.

[-gg-]

I have been advocating this for a while now but dont see why it is so touchy with some folks. We have AI implemented in the game with field ack/ship guns and even resupply so I don't see any issues as to why we could not us AI to balance out low numbers.

Not sure how we would use them for base defense, but I am thinking it would be nice to have several defensive cons to randomly fly around at least to be used as cannon fodder for when a hoard decides to come in.
We can have AI missions to strat factories and when one side is outnumbered, the more damage it does to their factories.

Just some ideas.

I think base defense would be a good place, along with the offensive bomber raids ( which give people targets).

Base defense with some Ai planes would be more realistic than just allowing two players to roll undefended bases all night or morning. Let some Ai planes and GVs get added to the mix to have some kind of fight for those bases.

[thndregg]

Not sure what to think.

I only know (by the roster only) that on Tuesday night before Dickweeds squad night, I believe I observed a total of 53 Knits & Rooks combined, and 11 Bish.

I also observed that for most of my 2.5 to three hour B29 flight, there were only limited, short instances of Rooks and Knits developing any activity with each other according to map activity.

Most of the activity, if not very close to all activity was against the 11 Bish roster.

I did not factor in AFK/in flight, etc, etc, etc...

Not very analytical, but alas, there's my two taxed cents.

[Banshee7]

I have been advocating this for a while now but dont see why it is so touchy with some folks. We have AI implemented in the game with field ack/ship guns and even resupply so I don't see any issues as to why we could not us AI to balance out low numbers.

Because it means no more rolling undefended bases   

[Dadtallica]

Every base should have auto puffy ack. At least one.

[Wiley]

I ran into an AI P51 yesterday a little while after the bombers did their thing.  I was defending a base against GVs mostly.  The biggest difference I saw was it engaged me to the death instead of one pass haul backside.

Still not quite sure how I feel about AI fighters.  A case could be made for either side.

Wiley.

[Rubicon]

I have been advocating this for a while now but dont see why it is so touchy with some folks. We have AI implemented in the game with field ack/ship guns and even resupply so I don't see any issues as to why we could not us AI to balance out low numbers.

I fly for the thrill of competing against other players.  I already hate getting killed by AI ack but I get the reason it is there.  AI planes - meh, may as well go play a single player game

[Animl-AW]

First, the flight AI isn’t new. It has always been in the game; we just never used it. The new AI connection adds one thing: the ability to plan flight paths and missions on the fly.

Second, who do you think Crew Chief is aimed at? Not existing players. Its main purpose is to bring in more subscribers. When we launched on Steam, about 30,000 people came to try the game, and only a handful stayed. Easing the way in for new players is the whole point of the AI integration.

More players is exactly what we are working on. Mol’s idea is not about replacing players; it is about giving the short side something to fly with until the numbers are there.

HiTech

I assumed that. I know it’s not new. But if it were left up to some ya might as well make a single player. I hope the AI fanatics don’t ruin tradition with lobby overload.

I get the new player draw. However, a lot of old dogs who have flown almost no AI/Drone just will not accept AI fighters.. AI has been normalized and is now the answer to everything. A few here are obsessed like a junky with it, a toy they push on others. Aspirin, which aids a symptom but fixes nothing.

Certainly appreciate new player efforts, I just can’t get onboard with AI pilot/fighter. Oit’s like sacrilegious to me in MMP

<shrug>

[Spikes]

More didn’t stay after the steam release because it was clearly a bait and switch. The game was advertised as free to play which is technically true if you wanted to fly by yourself.

I believe this was an unfortunate technicality by Steam when it was launched. HT addressed it at the time and said his hands were tied because technically the game is free to play.

[DmonSlyr]

Im telling yall right now, people are going to complain like no tomorrow when they start getting ganged by AI. The Match play is a great example of that and how challening they can be in groups. Then you have all the different skill levels youd have to add, and what planes they'd be flying in. While bombers may be fine. It would completely change the scoring unless AI planes weren't calculated in scoring. I think there is a lot of variables youd have to consider. 

[oTRALFZo]

I fly for the thrill of competing against other players.  I already hate getting killed by AI ack but I get the reason it is there.  AI planes - meh, may as well go play a single player game

Nothing saying that there is any intention of replacing the real player. I think the prime purpose will go to help support the balance of numbers.

If you log on in the early AM, it is NOT unusual to see 27 vs 5 vs 2 on a typical day and it has not changed in years. ENY doesn't help these situations because half the time, the time the larger group usually rolls maps uncontested or molest a lone defender with 15 Jugs.  What I am hoping for is to get some sort of balance and enact some AI that can help counter those situations. I would hope that the more unbalanced the numbers are, the more AI can implemented until the numbers become somewhat even.

Im telling yall right now, people are going to complain like no tomorrow when they start getting ganged by AI. The Match play is a great example of that and how challening they can be in groups. Then you have all the different skill levels youd have to add, and what planes they'd be flying in. While bombers may be fine. It would completely change the scoring unless AI planes weren't calculated in scoring. I think there is a lot of variables youd have to consider. 

I highly doubt there will be ganging from AI LOL. like I mentioned above it should be used to help balance out numbers. Maybe even get rid of ENY but that would require heavy thinking.

I also highly doubt affecting scores would be an issue. I think it should be in the kill count and maybe get damage points (like you do when shooting a field ack)