I think our thread is wandering off the topic slightly, now asking who's switching to WWII On-line when it comes live. I never comment on alphas, betas or screenshots, but I have to admit that I have a keen interest in more than just the flight sim aspect of my on-line entertainment.
I would like to participate in a more realistic ground element of tank warfare, then AH is able to give us as a secondary focus. For example, I was engaging in "tank to tank" combat yesterday and was consistently taken out by "3fingers" at ranges from 5.2 to 7.5k.
NOTE: there are no icons visible at those ranges, so simply lowering icon ranges wouldn't make an iota of difference here. By the way, as an aside, he's an awesome "tread head" and would have made an incredible real life gunner, having a natural feel for range and movement. If you guys want some Panzer IV training, then "he's da man"!!! Anyway, my point is that those engagement ranges are "quake like" and actually approach the theoretical range of at least vintage Sherman APDS.
So, will I switch to WWII On-line? Well, I will be trying the beta (closed if possible) and I'll let you know. If it provides me greater satisfaction in tanks, plus a more HA type capability for the flight sim portion, probably YES, but dependent upon other factors.
Easymo made an astute observation, which is unusual for him.
There are a lot of "little generals" over on the WWII On-line BBS. I notice a huge bunch of youngsters setting themselves up as "Supreme Commanders" etc. I think there's a good chance that the teen element could dominate the WWII On-line environment, which is not something I would be able to handle, even if the software supported the tank warfare realistically. I already went through puberty and its ego stuff once, I really don't want to watch the instant replays.
I also notice that WWII On-line's BBS is also starting to see the same cliquish self centric characters that dominate Argo's BBS for WB. I'm sure we all know who they are. Some of these guys are scary and apparently believe their own press releases about themselves. IMHO, they have helped lead to some of the deterioration of the WB community that used to have the kind of positive vibrancy seen here in AH.
So much of what makes AH really enjoyable for me today, is the sense of community and camaraderie that has developed so quickly. Simply look at the way this AH extended virtual family responds to someone who posts a message about a personal need or tragedy and this is to an individual they've probably never even met before. That says a lot about the overall character and maturity of the AH environment to date. If that holds, then I would probably stay here regardless of the direction of the competitive alternatives.
Sorry for the long winded dramatics, but sometimes I have to have a soapbox too.
BTW, back on topic, I still would like an HA. The WB one is operated by RAM1 and VERT with incredible dedication and variety (no drain on iEN resources). I don't see why we can't set the SEA up as an HA during off hours here. I heard ripsnort and kieren volunteer to handle it.
Regards,
Badger
