This Rank Thing....

[Arlo]

Hey, Wotan ... did you decide to reactivate one of your accounts? All this dissin' others over quittin' and all.

On ranks:

AHII has sounded like the great experiment to combine a WWII sim with an RPG from the get go. I'm as entrigued as the next guy. But even the online muds have "clans" per say. Which is why I recommend that AHII allow the current squad format to exist with the following provisions:

If it's merely a matter of title and organization, then allow squads to be formed up and ranks and titles distributed within a specific format. Keep ranks O5-. If "game rank" is actually a reflection of game points and determines what "perks" are available to an individual player, keep that as a seperate statistic. As far a missions are concerned, allow squadron c.o.s (or everyone in a squadron of a specific rank) greater latitude in designing and leading missions that involve only squadron members. This, of course, requires an option to create missions that are only open to squadron members.

The rank structure in AHII:TOD has been hinted to go as high as O6. Once a player reaches that level they can create missions that involve multiple squadrons.

So there you go. Squads can still have the fun of participating in missions as a squad ... but for squad individuals to recieve "perks", they need advancement (brownie) points from their success in the game.

Offering up a version of AHII as an RPG (ala "Everquest") does indeed sound interesting in spite of the differences in the natures of the two enviroments. But it's never been a winning formula to excessively restrict players in any manner.

[Batz]

Arlo my accounts been paid even though I dont fly.  I have made posts asking about squad missions. I want squads to a part of ToD as much as anyone. Not only do I want to fly with my buds but I want to fight guys other squads who are organized and fly well together. As for dissing others well thats not accurrate. "Others" is plural any "dissing" I did was to 1 guy who had already made his own attempts at "dissing" me.

Grim where have I said I am opposed to squads?

Here is what I wrote in this thread

We dont know what HT meant by that quote. It could very well mean no squads. But I dont think HT meant that because I am sure he knows what squads mean to some of the players. It may just mean a new format. We shouldnt speculate and wait for a better explanation. I for 1 dont want to fly in a lonewolf arena and know several others who dont want to either.

Thats just in this thread. I can link other threads where this has been discussed so you you can see that everything I have wrote about squads has been consistant.

I wont fly AH2:ToD if I cant do so with my squadmates. But thats a far cry from BHs assumption that this quote

The Squad format of the main arena won’t be a part of ToD

would mean

But now, it seems that AH2 is dead set on destroying the whole community of squads that's been part of flightsim life since the early days of AW.

Exaggerated assumptions based on an ambiguous statement. My replies in this thread have had mostly nothing to do with BH. In my first reply I gathered together quotes and statements from numerous other threads so that if some new guy stumbled in they wouldnt be put off by BH's doom and gloom.

Everything we know about AH2:Tod so far leaves so much out that concluding:

Think about this: You're being led by a power-leveler, who now has the ability to stay in power by shafting his troops after every mission, so as to prevent them from getting rank quickly. Or maybe the guy's just a petty bully. Before in AH1, he used to enjoy ruining people's hops, maybe their whole night. But now, by shafting them on rank, he can ruin their entire "campaign" and "war" of several weeks' duration, by holding them down so they have to keep working for him and all others like him if they keep flying in the ToD.

I see the lack of squads and predict low numbers and chaos. I see the rank system and predict the tyranny of the power-leveling jerks. What I'd like to see is some assurance that these concerns aren't valid.

Im hoping for alot of good things from TOD.. HTC has seldom disappointed me.

You and I agree on that. And if its not something the I find fun then I wont fly it.

[Sakai]

Originally posted by hazed-
From what i understand AH2 will work in this way:

1.While you are of low rank you will have little choice of your plane type, its loadout or your mission.
2. As you gain rank you get to choose your loadouts or get better choices of aircraft perhaps begin to gain rank
 

Hmmm so retired guys who fly all day will get Panthers/G10s while you are in a C47 or Truck because you only fly a couple times a week?

This sounds, errr, problematic to me.

Sakai

[Grimm]

Batz,

I understand your position on this,  But when reading it my impression,  because of taking a differing point with BH,  came across as basic opposition.     I do realise you are Not in opposition.   Its just the impression I got at first.    

In a round about way, your in agreement with points BH has brought up.    At least the overall concept that Squads should be included.    

Im taking this thread as more a Lobby for Squad Inclusion in TOD,  Than an Informative post about AH2.    

When lobbying, its often nessacary to make your case to the extreme side of things to bring your point to light.  I see BH using that.    

Bottom line...  BH, Yourself, Myself  we are all interested in what will help the success of TOD.

[Batz]

Ok Gotcha bud S!

when the first pac theater is run just take it easy on me

[Fariz]

Originally posted by Sakai
Hmmm so retired guys who fly all day will get Panthers/G10s while you are in a C47 or Truck because you only fly a couple times a week?

This sounds, errr, problematic to me.

Sakai

I think all will have equal planeset choise, just pilots with higher ranks will have slightly better planes. For example, if you both will fly 109g10, commanders 109g10 will be faster. It is assumed that command officers has better team of mechanics, and also get new plane, while new pilots fly the one which already were in action, and have some patches etc.

I think this is modeled to give pilots some motivation for staying alive and getting ranks, not due to historic accuracy reasons.

I see people getting quite emotional about TOD, but seems we better just to wait a little bit. We just do not have information enough yet, what we have now is quite old already and probably were already changed during the development.

[Don]

Seems like there is an awful lot of "extreme specualtion" going on here as well.
Batz, if HT or Pyro actually said what they meant about this topic then why would there be such speculation?
There have been some legitimate concerns brought up here, in particular by a few of my squadmates. This was done out of concern, not for completely selfish motives either.
I submit that until HT or a representative of HTC comes out and states exactly what the ToD will entail, we don't know for certain, and therefore the concerns of the players are important.
I for one have seen a similar concept in another sim which, did not work. The rank and file simply went back to their same old ways in the main arena. The same could happen here, although I would hope not. I believe if done wel, it would lend another interesting facet to the game.
I see the would be generals in the MA now, and would not under any circumstances fly with them; my preference would be to fly with those whom I know. If there are slots for squads, then they would probably be limited but, at least there would be some. As of right now, no such thing has been said by HT.
I'd like to hear something more definitive myself.

[Batz]

Don read my posts,

until HT or a representative of HTC comes out and states exactly what the ToD will entail, we don't know for certain

You will see thats exactly what I said. But it doesnt do anybody any good taking things to the extreme either.

it seems that AH2 is dead set on destroying the whole community of squads

The above quote seems pretty extreme to me. All it will do is create hysteria. Pyro has made a statement on the developement of AH2. He has indicated that a new FAQ will be ready eventually. We can all wait for it or take turnms making dire predictions about how bad it will be.

I see the lack of squads and predict low numbers and chaos.

[Grimm]

Originally posted by Batz
All it will do is create hysteria.
 

::Grimm Tosses his hands in the Air and Runs in Circles Screaming::

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

   


Muhahahahahaaaa

[JAZBO1]

I for one fly for the fun of it....the fun being I get to fly with people I have devloped a freindship with thru joining a sqaud. I have been with the same squad for about 3 years now and the one before for about the same....some of the older squadmates have join the one I am in now mainly cuz the old squad does not fly AH. I usually log if I dont see at lest one of  them up or I dont hang around long. So the new AHII format dosent fit this mentallity as I belive lots of others are more or less the same way:) In a nut shell use this analogy....Wholud you rather play basketball on a team that you are fimaliar with and get along with and know their habits or consently change teams to play with different people,stlyes and personalitys:)

[fullback]

I wonder what will happen if the ranking general is a 14 year-old Japanese boy... who doesn't speak English and can't communicate to the English-speaking majority via vox or text?

Since they won't be able to participate within the cocoon of their own group, I think very, very few Japanese will participate in AH2 anyway, so it is highly unlikely to occur.

But, this leads to another point. AH is a superb game, created and managed by a small staff. But, global thinking hasn't made it to the table yet.

IMHO, if the interface and site had a few other languages, new players (and their subscription money) would see a dramatic increase.