Graduated perk plan

[zipity]

My turn, IMHO, I don't really like the perk scheme.  I understand why it is necessary but I would much prefer to see an RPS.  HOWEVER, I do respect the point made by J_A_B and certainly wouldn't want to see players leave the game because they couldn't fly the ride they enjoy.   SO, here's another suggestion that may solve a few other problems.  We've all read the threads about how over crowded the maps are and the amount of lag that is introduced when many hundreds of players log into the MA.  So why not have multiple MAs running revolving plane sets but ALWAYS at different points in the war.  MA #1  might be running early war while MA #2 is running middle war, while MA #3 is running late war.  Each MA progresses through the entire plane set but at different times.  If there aren't enough pilots to justify 3 MAs cut it back to 2.  That way, you would always be able to find your favorite ride, lag and over-crowding would be limited AND every now and then you could log into an arena and fly against a 100 other ME-262s which will never happen under the current perk system.  Remember the day Me-262s were perk free, everyone was flying them and most folks were enjoying it.

I know this would get blown out of the water when the BIG maps arrive because there you will need the large numbers but until then, this could solve a few problems and continue to make game play fun for all.

[BigMax]

Originally posted by Steven
That's why I'd like to see an experiment where player's rank can modify the perks awarded.  Shooting down a newbie who was flying a Yak isn't the same as shooting down one of the best ranked players who was flying a Yak and the perks awarded should take this into account.[/B]

I support the graduated perk idea.  It was nice to be able to fly ALL planes within a night of flying....  Also, I'm sure there are other players with a vault of Perks... Why is that?  Simply because the current MA perk costs are not realistic.

Steven's comments do identify another idea to consider:
A Perk System including a multiplier for a pilot's rank? That would be awesome.

[Maverick]

Perk system for game play ballance has some merit but only as a limiter. The real drawback to any perk system, particularly one that levies a high price, is that only those who truly do not need a perk plane get them. They have already demonstrated a mastery of the game that allowed them to get an even better plane to make them that much harder to defeat. Kind of like giving the high performer another advantage. The only limiter to this system is the "kill the perk plane" mania that develops when a "swarm" of enemies decend on the perk player. Once this phenomenon stops, the perk system will have truly degenerated to a total reward the gamer system. Those who have little time to play or desire for perked planes will be at a great disadvantage to those already accomplished (pasty skin) players who don't need them anyhow.

The multi arena is the way to go IMO, but given the reduced numbers in the CT I'm not sure it's really workable.

I really don't know what would be the best compromise. I do know that putting a blanket perk on the "latter war" planes isn't the way. Too many squads depend on a particular plane and that would deny them the ability to get the planes they want on a regular basis. The same for the RPS idea.