The chaos and cluster%^&* known as the TA

[gofaster]

Maybe I should log into that arena some time and play target in an FM2, just to see how many I can squirrel around.  Might be a good place for me to practice dogfighting my Dauntless and A-20.

[Drunky]

I too have been shot down while taking off  in the TA.

My solution was to repeatedly, and with disregard to anyone else, shoot that bastige down again and again and again

My version of tough love

Regards,

Drunky

[Vipermann]

Don't be so hard on yourself about that incident Fuze, after I logged I was thinking that it's so hard to tell the newbies from the others that you can't really tell if someone just doesn't understand the rules or is being an prettythang.

I wonder if there could be a way to change the id color for newbies on their 2 week trial in the TA only. That way we would know who needed help and who was a vet in for practice.

Fuze was doing a great job in there, give him CM privs... he can be the new sheriff in town.....bang....bang

Viper

[Grizzly]

Chaos in the TA isn't really a bad thing, it's normal. New players are bound to create chaos if for no other reason than they don't know different. You also have the basic bully who can be a big fish in a small pond. It's all normal behavior. A new player has no idea what the game requirements are in AH. The thing is to create a setup that will initially familiarize the player with the basics and naturally discourage unruly behavior.

IMO, the biggest issue for new users are knowing the rules and how to communicate. One of the biggest problems I have seen in helping new players is getting them to respond. Perhaps upon initially entering the TA the players would be presented a readme file that they must scroll through. This could simply state the rules and describe how to use the radio.

Instead of killshooter, a setting that will acknowledge a friendly kill but not destroy the target would be a good way to deal with the friendly kill issue. The shooter may see an explosion, but the other plane would fly on as if nothing hit him. That way players would not be affected by friendly kills, but players on the same team could still practice on each other.

Limiting the number of points accumulated could be used to wean players from the TA. After reaching this points limit, they no longer get any ammo. This way experienced players can still help the new ones, but bullies would be powerless. Since many of these bullies are defiant and cause havoc on the radio, a point limit would help with the radio anarchy also. Of course, this would make the place unsuitable for more advanced training and practice.

That brings up another suggestion, separate new user and training arenas. For what it's worth, AirWarrior had that and it seemed to work quite well.

It can't be expected to have trainers or monitors with eject powers available at all times in any arena, so perhaps a command can be added to allow players to summon for help if a problem arises. I think most online multiplayer games have this feature.

Providing a separate free for all arena might be ok, but I fear it might become an alternative to the other arenas where players learn to work together in some form of organized play.

[Drunky]

Originally posted by fuze

  Drunky, the 'eye for an eye' attitude is one of the things that continues the problem. When I get 'infracted upon' I point out what they did wrong and there is a better chance they will stop if they want to comply with the basic guidelines HTC has set up...

Don't get me wrong...I point out that vulching (among other things) is not proper.  When the offending person continues I usually repeat my request.  If the behaviour continues that is when I act.

I'm not too concerned about being "politically correct".  I'm certainly not a touchie-feelie type of guy.  I simply want that person to experience some of the same treatment.  I don't necessarily vulch him while he tries to take off, but I will get him again and again.  Call it negative reinforcement behaviour conditioning, "getting a taste of your own medicine" or call it uncouth.  Doesn't matter to me.

I'm not too concerned about most of the rules but I find it very, very upsetting when someone will not let you up.  Vulching in this paradigm is uncalled for and basically the action of a bully or a punk trying to act big.

Regards,
Drunky

[ET]

TA needs a switch to turn bullets hitting your plane on and off. If you don't turn on (O.K. to engage ) bullets hitting you does nothing.

[Soar]

Good try Fuzeman but they are not interested ,,,,,you were doomed from the git go!!  Sorry if I gave you a hard time in the TA the other day, guess i'm fustrated and disappointed.......X pee lot......lol


Soar,,,,,,,moved on bye bye

[Kweassa]

Just out of curiosity, what in the world are the so-called "regulars" doing there when they pay the same monthly fees?

 It's like paying big expensive bucks for the final game of the World Series and then, visit the stadium restroom, take a piss, and go home and watch it on TV..

[hogenbor]

Hi Fuze, nice that you try to get them to behave... incidently, are you the fuzeman who was flying for the bish a few days ago? That guy helped me out a couple of times *grateful*. We discussed gun behavior as well.

I am also quite new, but being based in Europe, there never seemed to be anyone in the TA when I logged in. So I proceeded to the MA and had to learn myself. When you're all new to AH, it is a bit overawing and there are still plenty of things I don't know. And yes, I read the manual.

It would be quite nice to fly with someone in the TA who knows his stuff, do some ACM, air to ground and saturate him with questions.

And, on a personal note, I really love the game (not that much time to play it though) but some people on the BBS and when playing the game make me sick. Unreasonable, rude, never satisfied with anything, disrespectful to the extreme... and worse still, this may lead otherwise very reasonable people into the same behavior out of sheer frustration. That REALLY sucks.

I think that quite a lot of the scum that spoils the atmosphere here would never dare to have such an attitude in IRL and are actually underendowed weenies with a 400lbs wife (see, it even affects me too!).

Bottom line is: I would love to fly in the TA with someone who knows his stuff and improve myself.

Regards,

Ronald

[Bluedog]

Originally posted by Kweassa
Just out of curiosity, what in the world are the so-called "regulars" doing there when they pay the same monthly fees?

 It's like paying big expensive bucks for the final game of the World Series and then, visit the stadium restroom, take a piss, and go home and watch it on TV..

More like havin' a contract with the national league, wherebye if you drop in on the junior league and answer a few questions every now and then,  they let you into the super league stadiums free ......every now and then.

Personally, I drop in to the TA fairly 'regularly' just to warm up before hitting the MA.
If you are lucky, while you are in there, you get to teach a new guy something, if you are real lucky, he'll be gratefull and remember you come time to sign up for a subscription.
At this point I believe they are asked who helped them out, the handle they give, gets $ credited to their account.......who knows, help a few newbies out, you might just get to fly for free.

Some of these guys dont stand a snowball's chance in Hell of surviving two minutes in the MA, show 'em around a bit, how to use the clipboard, the map, what the differant symbols and dots and bars mean etc., how to map controls, how to set convergance and select loadout, how to spawn on a runway.....all of these things that are second nature to us, are, in general, very confusing to a guy who saw the add on WD and downloaded the software today..........most,no, in my experience, ALL, will be appreciative of your time and effort, and it may earn you a few HTC bucks in the old kitty.

Apart from that, I remember guys helping me out when I was a newbie, I remember it helped me a great deal, and I was thankfull toward them......I kinda think if I do the same for some new guys now, goes some way to showing my appreciation.

Allso, some seriously good, loooooong dogfights, 1 on 1 with some of the not-so-newbies


Blue

[BigGun]

I think being able to turn off/on bullets & damage might help solve this problem.

Turn off means your bullets won't cause damage and your plane won't take damage, On meaning bullets & damage. Not sure if this is even possible to code or the difficulty envolved. Sure some would figure out a way to be a trouble anyways & break rules.

[Ripsnort]

I have a theory:

The TA is there to get you disgusted after you've acquired natural skillz for verbally abusing everyone around you after you've become quite good, forcing you to go to the MA.

The MA grows quite long in the tooth since its basically a quake FFA, which forces you to the CT.

The CT is always empty, so it forces you to the SEA.

The SEA is where its happening.

[Skuzzy]

Ok fuzeman,..I wil take the bait .

I have spent a lot of time in the TA to help, as we do realize there are a ton of new people to AH.  I also have become aware of the problem with pilots not minding the rules of engagement in the TA and have shown up there to reinforce those rules.

You want to see me post more?  It's rather simple.  I will almost always participate in discussions about any issue, when I see the discussions are trying to move to a resolution and are doing so, showing the posters some respect.

[Ghosth]

Fuze
TA requires a hide like a waterbuffalo.
Man you have to let it all just roll off your back or it will drive you insane.

Seriously too much time in the TA will do bad things to your composure, your gunnery, your flying skills.

Keep up the good work but when it rains be a duck.
Stick your head down in the muck and wiggle your butt at em  

[VAQ]