First let me repeat what I've said before. HiTech is not displeased with the progress the CT has made since Pyro organized its revitalization. The numbers are what he expected to see at this point, and he is reasonably happy with how things are going. The support, patience and dedication of those who frequent the CT is primarily responsible for this success. Thank you. This doesn't mean there's no room for improvement of course:). Now in answer to the nay-sayers who would have the uninformed believe that the CT is tottering on the edge of virtual extinction...
The following is only my opinion, though based on long thought and study. I’ve listened to and pondered the various arguments and ideas suggested as to why more people don’t fly in the CT. “Too limited in A/C choice.” “Too hard to find a fight with reduced radar.” “Reduced icon range sucks.” I’ve also listened to those (many of which have little or no time in the CT) who say “If you want more people in the CT, make it just like the MA, only with Axis-vs-Allies. All these arguments are based on faulty and circular logic. Specifically, since the MA has hundreds in it at peak times while the CT only has dozens, making the CT just like the MA will make hundreds fly there. That’s bull. The reason hundreds fly in the MA now is because it is “The Main Arena.” It was first, and the answer is as simple as that.
Let’s look at the various arguments noted above. For instance, the argument that limited choice of A/C keeps people away. Well, we’ve run an all aircraft Axis-vs-Allied set up in the CT before (Perdonia). Numbers were up the first time we ran it, but returned to more typical numbers the second time it was offered. The difference in radar coverage between the CT and the MA during Perdonia was largely transparent, too. The only real difference was the short icons. On those few occasions where the MA went down – resulting in tons of people switching to the CT to continue playing – I don’t recall noting more than a few isolated complaints about the short icons. Contrast this with the most restrictive plane-set we’ve ever used, the Battle of Britain. This CT set up did just as well as Perdonia’s first run (perhaps even a bit better), and with short icons and much more restrictive radar coverage to boot. Plus, it did so with an old and less-than-ideal terrain!
Admittedly, people may be a bit spoiled by the plethora of choice available in the MA, but remember that we were all having a great time when we only had a half dozen A/C available during Beta. Indeed, WWIIOL has less than 10 A/C available, so by the reasoning of some, nobody would choose to fly there when they can fly in AH or WB. Yet they do, and in great numbers. So I don’t buy the “limited plane-set” argument. The evidence is against it. The right limited plane-set can and has worked just fine.
The only real answer to why more people fly in the MA that resonates true is, “I’d fly there, but there’s never enough people in there when I log on.” Yet we have had a significant number of people who have taken the plunge and tried the CT. Finding it to their liking, they have become regulars; nay, they have become zealots in their dedication to it. Search the call signs of the regular CT crowd and you will find many that never flew in the CT (or even wanted a CT) before Pyro took the steps to revive it.
What brought them in that first time? What made Perdonia initially popular? What brought them into the CT in droves (relatively, that is;)) during the BoB, or during the first half of the week of Sicily? I see two reasons. First, we offered something different. Either a new terrain was offered, a new and unique (from the MA) plane-set, or simply a quasi-historical feel of immersion lacking in the MA. It is like a scenario that doesn’t require registration, and doesn’t require players to plan their schedule around it. Some people love military history, and play AH for that primary reason. They look for an experience that gives them that “I was there” feeling. The other reason is that the MA environment itself drove them away. Too many people, endless and mindless furballs, and a perception that civility had been lost. It simply got boring for them, to the point that they were able to overcome the lemming-like instinct to click on “MA” simply because they always have before, and because that’s where all the other people were. In short, they longed for something different.
In my opinion, the high attendance in the MA is the best thing to happen to the CT. Simply making the CT a copy of the MA would not make it more popular. It would, in my opinion eliminate, the primary reasons its core players choose to spend some or all of their AH time there. In short, the CT is not a replacement for the MA, but an alternative. As more aircraft are introduced and new terrains become available, I believe the success we had with the BoB set up will repeat itself more often.
Again, the above is only my opinion, based on personal observation, and no doubt colored by my dedication to the CT. However, as long as I see twenty or more people on during peak times, I’m going to consider the CT a success and plan my future CT set ups accordingly. At the same time, I will not discourage other CT Staff members from running full plane-set Axis-vs-Allies set ups. Only time will tell which will be more successful in the long run. The great thing is, neither has to be wrong. Thanks for reading this.
Sabre
CT Staff
