Side balancing?

[indy007]

24 vs 10 for 3 hours isn't very fun. I'd speculate that it probably even causes more people on the small side to continue logging off.

It's one thing to play outnumbered by a few people, but it's another when one side can split into 2 groups, still outnumber your entire side on any front, and still have spares.

It turns it into the lame land-grab that is the main arenas.

Is this going to continue, or is some sort of solution being proposed? It needs an auto-balancing mechanism, badly.

[waystin2]

Hello Indy,
I do not think that the scenario and it's awards allow for this to happen.  My squad came over under the impression that a side was to be chosen, and stuck with for the duration.  Your concern is appreciated, but the request is without merit under the established circumstances.  Bear in mind, it can't get more real than getting your butt kicked on occassion!  A good desperate fight is good for the soul, not to mention your ACM, SA & tactics.  I was worried about this too at first, but as time goes by I have found that it swings back and forth in numbers  which more than equalizes out in terms of land-grabbing.  

Oink

[indy007]

Then what makes this different than any other arena other than a rolling plane-set? Digital "atta-boys"? That's a joke.

Game balance is not 2 sides taking turns wailing on a pinata. That's simply bad design and lack of forethought. I know this is what's going on, because I always switch to the lowest numbered side. I can even show you extensive videos of how the rolling plane-set converted pilots from guys more than happy to work reversals into a bunch of hardcore cherry-pickers (curse you F4F/190s!)

They'd be better off closing the arena, setting a specific time for it to be open (matched to participants squadnights), and running it with as even numbers as possible. Then maybe the paper medals would actually have some sort of meaning, because right now they're about as valuable as a lwa top 20 spot.

[Easyscor]

Sunday's numbers did get out of hand, no doubt, but to offset that is the Spit9 and the P38. Even numbers would likely drive the Axis out of the arena with those in there, and yes, the Allied won those planes fair and square.

[waystin2]

Originally posted by indy007

They'd be better off closing the arena, setting a specific time for it to be open [/B]

Now this actually seems like a good idea Indy.

Oink

[kozhedub]

I haven't logged into this "war" yet without one side having twice as many than the other.

I logged in allied initially. A few "WTGs!" later from players capping bases against the one Axis player who was apparently AFK made me go back to the Main arenas.

[hrdhrd]

I remember Churchill calling Hitler and saying "We're going to bomb Berlin tonight and we have 25 bombers. How many fighters you sending up?"
Yeah right!

There were many times when the Brits were way out numbered in the south of England. It's called WAR!
Get over it and play!!

[Larry]

LMAO the first night in the WAR when axis have the numbers and people start whining. We've been out numbered two to one most of the time so heres a suggestion.........deal with it.

[indy007]

hrdhrd, it's not a war, it's a game with cartoon airplanes, handing out cartoon "medals". Last I checked, Hitler wasn't an AH2 subscriber. Seeing as its a game, a game should be balanced and fun for everybody, not just for the people whacking the pinata of the day.

Larry, arguement doesn't work on me. I fly both sides. Specifically, I fly on the outnumbered side. That, in & of itself, isn't bad. It's more fun for me... right until the numbers are so lopsided there's no point even upping.

God forbid people give up their pathetic toolshedding and actually work to accomplish something.

[Larry]

Originally posted by indy007
God forbid people give up their pathetic toolshedding and actually work to accomplish something.

Like winning the war?

[Shifty]

Our squad has flown both sides regularly to try and even the balance. In fact last night we spent half our time on Axis, and the second half on Allied. I've seen JG-54 guys attempting the same thing. Sometimes it's just out of whack. It seems to even out after a while though.

It's not like people aren't trying. Sometimes like anything else you have to be patient. There's no hidden agenda to keep the sides unbalanced.

[Chilli]

Originally posted by indy007
It turns it into the lame land-grab that is the main arenas.

I don't agree that there is anything wrong with the setup.  It is relatively new.  It will take some  time for players to get used to different style of play.  I suggest that we monitor the players more closely.  

My only bad experience so far, was with a slightly abusive player whom will remain nameless.  After the same player vulched me several times with far superior numbers (vulch was almost entirely him -- first occured while sitting on re-arm pad --nothing said ) and only after the 3rd or 4th vulch did I voice my opinion on channel 200.  I quote, "...... there is no need to vulch in this arena unless you are trying to capture a field."  The abuse began and I was consistently called names, and this went on for more than 10 minutes.  

I also, pointed to the fact that we we seriously outnumbered.  One or more of their better sticks did switch sides in an attempt to even it out.

Finally, and unfortunately I lost my temper and called him an idiot and there should be an IQ test for AH2 subscribers and reminded him there were no perk points awarded in this arena (so, I am not blameless for dirtying the channel 200 airwaves).

On that night, I logged off only because I take less abuse than that in the MA and have a better chance of actually dogfighting or strafing a ground vehicle target.

[bustr]

I want both sides to read this.

KUDOS to JG54 for using the FW190A5 to it's strenght and flying historicly correct for an exccellent object lesson on why allies have to fly smart, not furball and loosy goosy and individual squad objectives. I noticed the axis paid the allies the courtecy of not SkyRocking the salt in the wound on ch200 during the object lesson.

This must have been how the british spitV pilots felt encountering the FW for the first time. Wasen't that the reason for introducing the spitIX? We aliies got our heads rightfully handed to us, and we didnt adapt. The first night, everywhere and any alt I went to I was swarmed by hit and running FW in groups.

No allie got the point. Now with high performance planes and heavier armement we can't win the war of TWO SIDES by flying like the MA. TrueKill beat us to the punch on that reality with historicaly accurate tactics for his plane set.

Allies have some hard choices now. The 190 can range at SPEED with impunity at alts 15k to the deck. Allies have yet to mount a major bomber push to A7 above 15k where the spit and 38's performance gets more equitable to the 190's. TruKills swarms have been taking bases from us at will while a hand full of axis pilots keep our allied egos engaged in the north with a meaningless furball.

While we furball and get insulted by a handfull of JG54 over ch200, TrueKill will mount a massive high alt Ju88 strike to his objective while diverting our energies with the channel furballs and jabbo stikes to our southern airfeilds. We allies don't even mount large scale 15k fighters sweeps behind A1 and A3. We just furball and grouse about being jumped by high alt FW running luftweenies. To take A7 we will have to get C47 with troops into TrueKills backfeild while protecting our own backfeild from him getting troops there.

Who is setting who up not to fly historicly?

[Oldman731]

Originally posted by Chilli
I don't agree that there is anything wrong with the setup.  It is relatively new.  

An excellent observation.  Let's all work on this.  We'd like to do a bit better than the MAs, and it seems to me that there's every reason to believe we can.  I see the commanders and players on both sides consulting with one another; I see Bustr's insightful comment (above); I even see some role-playing here (which I guarantee you won't get in an MA environment).

Having said that, Indy has a very good point.  The best way to win the war is not to drive the opponents out of the arena in disgust.

- oldman

[bustr]

In deference to Oldman's wisdom (wish he sold it in a bottle).

Last night I got blue text moderated. I attempeted to get players from the other side to stop changing a squad mates ID spelling to that of a human orifice while my squad mate was verbaly sparing with them on ch200. I reminded the person using the vulgar spelling like this would be moderated in the MA.  

The AvA moderator was right it blue text telling me to drop it. The moderator eventualy had to ask the verbal combatants, my squad mates included if they needed moderating and squelching. After the moderator called it a night, well.....

I have spoken with my parties involved. My real concern is to the potential Im seeing in this setup for something that can grow and forge many newbies and average players into excellent combat pilots by virtue of the historicaly realistic no holds barred combat like what happened over europe until 1944. The verbal is a bit over the top due to the intensity.

We need to tone it down abit to keep this setup viable.