- Short version -
We're all dweebs.
- Long version -
The AvA IMO, is meant to have some kind of basic historicity in its playing style - most notably in the historic matchups of the plane sets according to the time line. However, there is no system governing the operational attitudes of such planes and pilots that is satisfactory enough.
The problem is, most people play AH as a game, and they would love to see some kind of action regularly. Flying long boring patrols leading up to a clandestine meeting of hostile planes is just not anyone's idea of having fun. Since we don't have any kind of basic military structure which runs on regular schedule, it is no wonder that people are tempted to up a plane at any place and do whatever they want to do (which isn't exactly a bad thing) with it. Everybody just mingles around with no direct purpose or objective to their flight. There is no 'mission' to accomplish in the AvA.
So basically, what is given to us in the AvA is that the arena has basically become a 'fighter-town' with historic matchups being the perks over just normal MA gameplay. People neither form squadrons and flights, nor do they patrol regularly an area they are assigned to. Without dar, everybody would be lost as to what to do... with most of the game being upping from a field, flying around for a long time with nothing to do until they meet an enemy plane or two if they're lucky.
So, in this kind of environment, dar readings, is the only thing which gathers people together at a single spot and ensures they have the action they want.
IMO, it would be a good idea if some of the announced features of the Combat Tour, can make its way into the game environmental settings that the CM could tinker with. In that case, the AvA could essentially become a small, ultra-slimmed down version of the Combat Tour, which would be ideal for practicing fighter tactics and such, with a significant amount of historical twist to the game play. A place where people can more or less safely practice various things without having to risk demotion as in the Combat Tour.
For instance, some of the already announced features that I'd also like to see in AH settins would be the ability for the CMs to put up AI units that run on a set schedule. For example, when the AvA is doing a Battle of Britain setting, the CMs could set up AI formations of Ju88s to take off from a base and go to a certain destination, and drop bombs, and return. In Combat Tour, the pilots would be forced to take off as a mission pilot to either intercept these planes or escort them, but in the AvA, they'd just be a side feature which people can choose to interact with, or ignore.
Also, another good feature would be the ability to set up system-created automatic missions in the game. Again, unlike the CT, it would be up to the pilot himself to join it or not. Also, even if a pilot chose to join a mission, it wouldn't be as judgemental about the pilots behavior and attitude in carrying out a successful mission or not. He could just join a mission, and do something else. It would be entirely upto him. However, once such a system becomes available for the CMs to use as an arena setting, then they'd be able to get rid of the dot dar. Then the pilot could either choose to just up from the airfield nearest to the battle front and do whatever he likes, or he could join a system made mission and tag along with all the other AI planes and other human pilots who joined the mission as well. If it was a BoB setting in the AvA, he could perhaps take a 109E-4 and join the mission, cross the channel, have his own kind of fun along the way, either against human or AI, and then come back home whenever he wants, unlike the mission-bound Combat Tour.
IMO, the implementation of those two features would significantly benefit the AvA arena, and help people enjoy it regardless of numbers. The AvA could become a mini-CT. Tired of MA gameplay? Come to the "mini-CT" AvA arena, with some of the fun features available, minus all the negative aspects of being solidly bound to the military code of the CT. Come and up historic planes and fight in historic matchups whenever you want, or join the system-made mission and duke it out over the skies on a much more organized, larger scale than the MA... but not as restricting as the CT.
