Author Topic: Arena Imbalance (Read 693 times)

Löwe · « **on:** November 07, 2002, 10:49:47 PM »

Gents.

Shane had every right to complain about the numbers tonight, they were very one sided for about the first hour I was on. I don't have a solution, I just came off nearly 5 months flying for the Axis, and I came to AH to fly Allied in the CT. I got enough of my Luftwaffe jollies in Warbirds, and over the summer here in AH.
I know complaints have been made about squads in the past causing an overload on one side or the other. Except for the 27th Sentai, there is no regular Axis squad participation I know of.
I don't blame Shane for complaining, I've been on that end and it sucks. However I think all squads and pilots should fly what they want, it is each persons money, let em spend it as they wish.
If any of you guys that are regulars to CT, and members of Jagdgeschwaders I hope you will see if you can get your squad to fly CT more often. The one thing I can help with is our squadron the 325th FG will fly Japanese during PTO's. I hate flying Japanese, but that will be the 325ths little part in helping keep the CT a fun place. Besides I ate so much VF-27, and 880FFA lead over the Summer I think i'm addicted to it.

Shane · « **Reply #1 on:** November 08, 2002, 12:08:19 AM »

here's my take on both, squads and arena balance...

first let me note than generally sides will sort of balance out over time. and with the unlimited ability of side-switching in CT, even on squad nite some squads can send a few as OPFOR until more people arrive.

a squad is (or should be) more than a loosely formed mob; anyone can grab 10 people and do that. isn't it (more so in CT) the ability to fly cool formations well, to properly allocate resources for whatever mission-goal is decided upon.

for example, bombing... a nice box of 4 buffers (12 planes) with alts staggered slightly to provide proper defensive coverage - not a loosely strung out chain planes. proper escorting... a flight on high/close cap, and a flight as sweep. when bombers get threatened not all escort will chase after one, perhaps a wing will peel off to deal with the threat with the other wing pair staying on escort and covering the engaged pair. the engaged pair would normall just ***chase off*** (or kill) the threat then return to station asap - not get suckered down into chasing a badguy and basically abandoning their escort duties.

woouldn't the goal be to basically successfully bomb (and/or capture if that's enabled) and get everyone home alive?

flight/mission disciplne is what i'm aiming at.

i mean if you wanna mimic the MA, by all means do so, but don't you think the whole point of CT is the "immersion" factor?

see what i'm trying to get at? all the more reason if nbrs are imbalanced for part of a squad (or another squad on same nite) to go opfor with an organized intercept/defense mission with all the flight tactics and discipline that infers. you could even do a mission or 2 and then switch sides, especially with the unlimited side-switching allowed. how better to see how your squad really performs than by playing opfor to allow you to see areas that need improvement, etc etc.

i honestly fail to see how a loosely organized horde can be called a "squad" in the sense of CT. nothing wrong with that per se, a group of friends flying together; maybe it's just me, but i'd think meaningful encounters are more worthy than a pigpile of overwhelming numbers where 3+ guys are all squabbling over getting a kill on 1 (increase nbrs proportionally).

CT is has the potential to be a prime and fertile training ground for the various events that HTC provides, from TOD's to Scenarios.

i don't think in a *game* there is much fun to be had for either side when it's too hard or too easy, there needs to be a "challenge" to make the game worthwhile, and it's up to the people who use the arena to make it so.

but if you just wanna use the CT as some kind of less-populated MA, with the typical MA gameplay, well.... yanno?

all it takes is a little communication and cooperation bewteen *both* sides to make the CT something above the normal MA-style, at least on squad nites. of course when nbrs are low, it'll be more of furball central...

an arena is what people make it. as are squads.

keyapaha · « **Reply #2 on:** November 08, 2002, 12:10:11 AM »

The 27 Sentai will no longer be a regular participate(sp) in the CT less it be a PTO set up, we will not be there in squad force.Beside we still dont know how many dedicated members we stil have but it is not many.I personally will still be a regular splitting time between the MA and CT and will most likely only be doing bomber runs in the CT so you guys can have some target practice on me and I can level your cities and airfields.

Arfann · « **Reply #3 on:** November 08, 2002, 10:45:57 AM »

What the. . . . . .What? . . . . . . .WHAT????? Who are you and what have you done with Shane? He was a mouthy little donutwood, but he was one of us! I demand you return him post haste!!!

Eagler · « **Reply #4 on:** November 08, 2002, 11:12:53 AM »

sorry i missed it, rather fly the 109 than spit or hurr anyday

oboe · « **Reply #5 on:** November 08, 2002, 12:43:22 PM »

Yes, 27th Sentai is going through a low period right now. We'll bounce back in time I'm sure.

We took a squad vote and more members wanted to fly Japanese planes wherever we find them, so from now on we'll be in the MA when the CT setting doesn't include Japanese a/c. (on squad nights that is). Non-squad nights will still find many of us frequently in the CT, but not necessarily on the Axis side.

BTW, ~~to Shane on the civil post.~~

ergRTC · « **Reply #6 on:** November 08, 2002, 12:56:58 PM »

Dont know what to say. It was unbalanced, but that is why the vf27 was running bomber missions. 10 of the 20 were in bostons. We do our best to even it up, and you have some valid points shane, but we fly as a squad cause we like flying with each other. We hate splitting the squad up. It may not look like it but we try to be rather organized.

We dont fly in the ct cause the axis have a hard time finding pilots, we fly in the ct for the setups, and the axis vs allied. I suggest you guys that luv the leather undies try to find some friends. We already split our squad in half once trying to get the axis populated. We are not doing it again.

Löwe · « **Reply #7 on:** November 08, 2002, 04:53:59 PM »

Quote

Originally posted by ergRTC

We dont fly in the ct cause the axis have a hard time finding pilots, we fly in the ct for the setups, and the axis vs allied. I suggest you guys that luv the leather undies try to find some friends. We already split our squad in half once trying to get the axis populated. We are not doing it again.

Erg I wasn't intending that VF27 should do anything. Yes we did split the squad up, and for me personally it sucked. If the 27th Sentai wants to fly only Japanese more power to em. Theres guys who like squads and being in them, like you and I. Guys like Shane don't like it, and thats his right and privialge too. There has gotta be a way to skin this cat, however I don't have a clue what it is. All I can do to help is fly the 325th as Japanese
during PTO's.

But thats all I'm willing to do, I had my fill of not flying what I want . So ETO 325th will be Allied, lemming or not.

HiJack · « **Reply #8 on:** November 08, 2002, 04:58:09 PM »

Nice post Shane, I agree with most of what was said, as for being unorganized, that was a last minute mission because the sides were so imbalanced, usually whenever VF27 Hellcats run a mission it has been planned days before and is flown and executed almost perfectly. Example a few maps before we ran a mission in B17s with the 880, it was one of the most fun nights in the ct that alot of pilots commented on in the BB. As for switching sides, well that is a sticky point, we have done that on occasion, some in the squad dont mind others hate it. As CO I dont order any Hellcat pilot to fly Axis, that is not what Im here for. We usually discuss it and if all agree we will switch to even out the sides and to make it a little more fun for all who fly the CT. I do have a suggestion tho Shane, start an Axis squad to copliment the Sentai, if i remember right, and I could be wrong, you like to fly LW, this would be a great place for you to wrangle up some of your MA buddies ( if u have any, just kidding) and make the CT a better place for all. I was glad to see you start flying in the Ct, think you are a great stick and a worthy opponent, little mouthy sometimes, but hey this is America and you can say what you want. Matter of fact you and I used to fly together a little when i first started in AH in the MA, my callsign then was Zipcode, so round up some of the old ma boys and bring em to the CT make a good butt kicking axis squad and even things out a bit. !

eskimo2 · « **Reply #9 on:** November 08, 2002, 05:17:27 PM »

In a slight whisper, muffled by corn stalks...

"Shane, build a mission, and they will fly."

You talk about this concept often. It sounds like fun. So make some missions, even tard lamers like me will probably join.

eskimo

Shane · « **Reply #10 on:** November 08, 2002, 05:53:12 PM »

Quote

Originally posted by HiJack
I do have a suggestion tho Shane, start an Axis squad to copliment the Sentai, if i remember right, and I could be wrong, you like to fly LW, this would be a great place for you to wrangle up some of your MA buddies ( if u have any, just kidding) and make the CT a better place for all.

I'm not a recruiter type of person, and my flying mentality is away from big groups (fps issues). i have no real "preference" one way or another, any plane can be flown fun and effectively, which is part of the appeal of teh CT to me, the various matchups and seeing how planes perform against each other in their "mostly appropriate" milieu's.

i'll fly anything on any side in any setup, i'll generally be found switching to whichever side needs help in balancing out the numbers at the moment. my k/d will reflect all the augers i make to do this.

i'm a freelancer-type of flyer.

it takes a certain type of player to make the CT a regular "home." most in MA prefer MA over CT for whatever reason. it'll be interesting to see how the new mission theatre affects both MA and CT. personally i probably won't fly MT much due to the scripted (apparently) gameplay - but that's just me.

Shane · « **Reply #11 on:** November 08, 2002, 05:57:43 PM »

Quote

Originally posted by eskimo2
In a slight whisper, muffled by corn stalks...

"Shane, build a mission, and they will fly."

You talk about this concept often. It sounds like fun. So make some missions, even tard lamers like me will probably join.

eskimo

missions should not solely rely on the mission planner.... anyone can make a fairly good setup of buffs/escorts from/to with or without the mission planner coming into play... it's the waypoints that are the hassle and time consuming to set up.

but yeah i can throw some missions together fairly easily... in general numbers preclude that (being less than 10 on) and when you see the odd days of high numbers (not squad nites) those are basically MA visitors looking for some nice furball action for a change of pace.

but... i will throw out som emissions occasionally, if that makes people happy.

ergRTC · « **Reply #12 on:** November 08, 2002, 11:02:26 PM »

This may seem sad, but it often helps to alert the other side in the ct what you are up to. If you plan a mission into enemy territory, sometimes you wont be intercepted at all (which sucks) so dont be afraid to let the whole arena know that something is in the works when appropriate. eg when numbers are under 20 and your mission is using 10 of em.