Seeing what`s wrong with the MA: Suggestions for differences in CT

[Buzzbait]

S!

I had one of my rare occasions in the MA last night to practice flying the Ki61 for TOD.  (Never flown it, nice plane, good guns, good maneuverability, especially at high speed, but SLOW)

I flew Bish, and as it always seems whenever I go on, they were outnumbered seriously.  When I looked at the numbers, it was approx. 30 Bish, 60 Rook and 35 Knight.  And the other two were gangbanging the Bish.

Spent my whole night defending A3, either base capping in the Ki61, or later when things got desperate, driving a MkIV.

There was a constant swarm of Rooks, the more we shot down, the more arrived.  Finally Bish were down to 1 or 2 bases.

A prime example for me of the unrealism of the setup was when I was driving a vehicle.  Myself and another 4 or 5 Bishops in Mk1V`s and Flak were defending the South side of the base against a constant flow of spawning Rook vehicles.  They were coming out of a outlying spawn point from a Rook field.  Myself and the other Bish vehicles, with help from aircraft managed to fight our way up to near the spawn point and were definitely kicking butt.

But the Rooks kept on spawning out of this point.  At one time I saw through my sight 6 Rook vehicles coming out of the spawn point at the same time.

Fast as we`d knock them out, more would spawn.  Eventually we either ran out of ammo, as in my case, or got knocked out, (me too) by those armour piercing terror`s, `50 cal. rounds.  Historically REALLY effective against MkIV`s!

My Point?

I think Vehicle spawn points, in fact I think airfields too, should have a limitation on the number of aircraft which can be spawned in a given time period.  Say 20 per hour.  Vehicles or Aircraft which successfully return to base increase the number which are available to be spawned by one.

[Apache]

So if I just log on and I just happen to be #21, I'm SOL? No thanks.

[Toad]

No offense, Buzz...

but maybe time would be better spent figuring out why there were ~280 players in the MA and ~30 in the CT.

I doubt the number of vehicles allowed to spawn per hour at a given spawn point is ever a real problem in the CT (as it stands right now).

[SFRT - Frenchy]

Killing the VH would had prevent the spawning.

Hey, when you have ants in your house, do you wait and try to kill them 1 by 1 or you go spray the nest?

(and no, the technique "kill 1 and the others will go to her funerals" doesn't work either).

[Buzzbait]

S!

I`m not talking about changes in the MA.  I am suggesting setups for the CT.

If you are #21 (or whatever number it is set at) in the hour, then you go to another base and spawn there.

Historically each airfield supported a limited number of aircraft, usually a Group or 3-4 Squadrons if it was a large field, or a Squadron or Staffel if was a smaller one.

Usually no more than 3 types of aircraft were  represented at a field.

As far as hitting their VH, absolutely that is the right solution.  However by that time we couldn`t even get off the base for the cloud of vulchers overhead, let alone fly to the enemy base and take out their VH.

I also have a problem with being able to take out a VH with one bomb or rocket, and then that base being unable to spawn a single vehicle.  If the VH is supposed to represent the troops stationed at that base, then taking out a hanger shouldn`t automatically wipeout the entire garrison.  There would still be troops there to protect it.

The tactic now is to take out the VH first of  all, then the Ack, then you can vulch whatever planes take off with ease without having to worry about some M16 or Ostie ruining your day.  Plus the C-47 gets a free run at the Map room with no concerns about a tank sitting in front of it.

[oki]

okidoki

[ 09-14-2001: Message edited by: oki ]

[oki]

sorry for the test posts, i'm new to this HTML stufferoo.

[ 09-14-2001: Message edited by: oki ]

[Lephturn]

[ 09-14-2001: Message edited by: Lephturn ]

[Lephturn]

If you just type the URL in, the BBS will automatically figure out it's a link.
 http://www.redcross.org

That what your looking for?

[Maverick]

my .02$

Historically, dead people don't respawn period.

It's still a game. Deal with it.

Mav

[LePaul]

I haven't spent much time in the Combat Arena since seldom do I see more than 5 people in there.  Just like the Dueling Arena.  The deafening sound of crickets  

That and those in the Combat Arena are just totally anti-bomber.  God forbid you survive fighters, acks and everything else, AND drop bombs.  I'm blasted all over channel one because I closed an airfield.  I thought this arena wanted realism?  Well, you got it.

No, you guys want realism on your own, petty, terms.  Well, not all of you, but you know what I mean.  

I think the numbers speak for themself, the Combat Arena consistently has very low numbers versus the Main.  If the Combat Arena became fun, with better maps, more might wander in.

But hey, that's my <Buff> 2 cents.

[funkedup]

I've flown bombers the last three times I was in the CT and God help me I have no idea what you are talking about BD5.

[Nifty]

Fester (and others) hit it on the head.  It's the lack of impacting strat.  Yeah, you can close a field in the CT.  So what?  If it's an Axis field, there's 2 or 3 more in visual distance!  Just about the same on the other side of the channel.  You can pound some shore batteries, ports and factories as well, but it doesn't impact anything other than your bomber/attack perks.  Base captures aren't the answer either, IMO.  That's what the MA is about.  The CT needs to have a new, innovative way to score strat points if you want numbers in there.  Otherwise, it'll truly be the Combat theater, nothing but a few people dogfighting in historical matchups.  I still find the CT fun, as I enjoy JABOing (now that we've got some good planes for that!) even if it doesn't affect anything.  Daddog and I will go drop some eggs on a field even if it doesn't close it out.  We don't care, it's just fun.  However, I know that it's not much fun to the vast majority of the AH population; the numbers tell me as much.  The new 1.08 items will help this in terms of target variety, especially trains!  However, if there is still no strat/objective scoring system involved people will just blow up the trains in the MA instead.  There's progress in the MA due to your actions, there isn't in the CT.

There have been alternatives brought up to MA strat for use in the CT.  One is having a clear objective for each side given the state of the CT (what planeset we're in, as this corresponds to an actual historical time frame.)  Perhaps one planeset has the Allied objective to hit factories/cities to score points, while the Axis objective is to fly CAP and airfield interdiction (not sure if I'm using right terminology here).  If we get early war AC, perhaps a "frame" of the CT would be a BoB scenario with the Axis bombing the hell out of England, with Spits and Hurris doing their best to stop the Axis onslaught.  Once we get more Pacific (read Japanese) rides we could have a PTO CT for a few weeks with the Phillipines terrain (maybe switching to the Mindinao terrain to focus the action on that one isle).  Perhaps base capture could come into a frame here and there, especially in PTO maps to simulate "island hopping", but it shouldn't ever be the focus of the CT, IMO.

Personally, I think our beloved developers will look into making the CT something more than it is after they get 1.08 out.  They can only put in so many person-hours per day being a small outfit, and with us clamoring for 1.08 as much as we are, improving the CT just probably isn't a priority at this juncture.  After 1.08 is out and running smoothly, I'm sure the CT will be addressed by the HTC gang.  Until then, play in the arena where you have the most fun.  Oh, and do the same even if the CT is improved!  <S>

[airspro]

I liked CT when it was "early war" .With the late war planes it has less to offer over the MA with no strat etc . Just my feeling though .

But wtf do I know    

[ 09-17-2001: Message edited by: airspro ]