Side balancing scheme, idea, theory, suggestion, please read

[Citabria]

in AH maproom or setup
provide the option for the following side selection routine:

(click one box or the other)
Default side selection Sidebalance:
HTC's server automatically routes players who log on to the side with the lowest numbers and continues to balance out new log ons to each side to keep numbers even.
 -> These players have the ability to switch to wichever country has fewest numbers at will. option to switch to country not outnumbered can be used 12 hours after last use (12 hrs after last use of this specific option).

Alternate side selection SameCountry (must be selected by player in setup           ):
the current country patriot hardliner. nothing changes, you stay in the country you were in the last time you logged off and the Host cannot move you to the country with fewest numbers when you log on next time.
->These players also have the ability to switch to wichever country has fewest numbers at will. option to switch to country not outnumbered can be used 12 hours after last use (12 hrs after last use of this specific option).

many people are hardliners who will refuse to switch countries or may be in squads, hence SameCountry login criteria.


HOWEVER. quite a larger number of players would prefer balanced play over specific country affiliation. and with such a default side selection routine being conducted by HTC's login server gameplay would improve for all and the desparity between countries in numbers of players would be much less cripling to the enjoyment factor. hence the Sidebalance login criteria


so in conclusion:
add to the map room the following buttons:
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Aces High Login Country Selection Preference:
-> Sidebalance(default)
-> SameCountry
----------------------
Side Switching options:
-> move to outnumbered country (available at all times)
-> move to specific country (available 12 hrs after last use of this switching option)
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well thats my solution.
it has been proven in sports that uneven sides is not conducive to a fun game.          

[This message has been edited by Citabria (edited 04-01-2001).]

[StSanta]

Default option should be to stay Kniggit, and fly with your squaddies.

Anything else is nonsense!

 

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Baron Claus "StSanta" Von Ribbentroppen
9./JG 54 "Grünherz"
"If you return from a mission with a victory, but without your Rottenflieger, you have lost your battle."
- D. Hrabak, JG 54 "Grünherz"

[Citabria]

seriously stsanta.

would having such a side balancing device improve gameplay for all concerned?

or are things better left to chance and circumstance?

no one in the MA enjoys being outnumbered and gangbanged or as some like to say (our turn in the barrel)

if enough people use the sidebalancing option all sides will have more fun.

[FEX]

It's simple:
PERK POINTS SHOULD STRONGLY DEPENDS ON CURRENT SIDE BALANCE! All you need is sidebalance multiplier.



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BR FEX

[Kirin]

Noone in a squad will use the side-balancing option since it would most pobably seperate people from flying together.

Plus, even with the teams all evened out we'll see gangbanging all over. First, in a 3-sided enviroment it's quite common that 2 countries bash on one (even more important when they equally strong!!). Second, you can't control the numbers locally - if some single pilots flies into an organized strike they will be gangbanged anyway.

Let the system regulate itself. With the perk reward you can't just let the other country win - most of the times the biggest 2 countries battle on their reign before finishing off the beat up one. Sometimes this buys the weak country time to recover - sometimes not.

[lazs]

kirin is right.  I also think that the idiotic perk system causes a lot of the problems.   The gotta win thing for one.  Why reward gangbanging?   The play has gotten a lot more cowardly and mean spirited since the perkies.
lazs

[oboe]

Its an interesting idea, Cit, but I doubt it would work as well as you hope.  I imagine everyone in a squad would quickly change to the SameCountry option, and many of those who aren't in squad but have flown for a country long enough to develop ties with people would also chose it.

I think FEX's idea of a sidebalance multiplier is a gentler "push" (with some real incentives) to get plaers to balance the sides themselves.

[StSanta]

What Kirin said. I am opposed to any mechanism (especially in default mode) that puts me in a country where I don't want to be and possible will force me to fight squaddies.



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Baron Claus "StSanta" Von Ribbentroppen
9./JG 54 "Grünherz"
"If you return from a mission with a victory, but without your Rottenflieger, you have lost your battle."
- D. Hrabak, JG 54 "Grünherz"

[Tac]

Cit's idea would work in a 2 country enviroment.

With a twist:

2 options on setup:

1) Autobalance: Server will check every 60 minutes the #'s in the MA and will switch people to the countries with least numbers. Players in TOWER that have this option enabled in setup will receive a "AUTOBALANCE: Do you wish to be switched to country X? Y/N" message. Y will switch that player, N will leave the player where he is. Perhaps the system could even give out 5 perkies per category if the person agrees to switch? They are after all, helping the system balance the gameplay in the MA. Note: People with this option on will only receive half the perks upon reset IF they have been in the winning country's side for 2 hours, full perks if they have been in it for 4 hours.

2) SameCountry: Like we have it now. Though I recomend reducing the 12 hour limit to 6 hours.

This way people in squads would use the SameCountry option, freelancers would use the Autobalance option.

[This message has been edited by Tac (edited 04-01-2001).]

[anRky]

I like your idea about letting anyone switch to the outnumbered country(ies) without limit, but keeping a 12 hour limit on switching to a country with too many members.

For the rest, the only way I can see anything having an impact would be if the players were forced to fly a particular country (a bad idea for many reasons), or if players were given an incentive to fly for the country with lowest numbers.

As it is, players have the ability to balance numbers (although it is hampered more than a little by the 12 hour defect rule), however they choose not to.

anRky

[hazed-]

Im a knit and ive stayed knit through heavy attacks come hell or high water.

DEATH TO THE BISHES AND ROOKS!

seriously i dont think it will make that much difference..the 2 evenly numbered sides will gangbang,its unavoidable.

p.s Cit if you stayed on one country long enough id take ya more seriously heheh



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Hazed
3./JG2

[Glasses]

The only way this would work is if a new user logs in instead of sending them to the first country that new player is sent to the side in which there are less players later if he decides to change he may due so but cannot get perks in that country for 24hours,be it for reset or for getting kills might be a dterrant for changing sides all the time.

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Glasses---I may have 4 eyes ,but you only have one wing.
Besser tot als rot

[Mox]

Sounds familiar...

Add that it cost perks to switch country's, give perk multipliers or can't move unless there is a spot open.

Mox