An Idea - Campaign Series

[TheBug]

The Early and Mid War arenas are still 3-sided wars that allow access to all planes to all three sides.  I would prefer developing a player-base that is interested in historical matchups and not having to constantly be in late war rides.  Some of the early matchups are by far the most interesting and the most fun.  Even if doing such limits the numbers that fly in the AvA. 

So your idea for the arena would be to just have two sides, with all planes of Axis available to one side and all of the Allied to the other?  Then just setup with base capture and settings like the other arenas?  Just to be sure I'm not misunderstanding.  It may be more popular, I personally don't like it.  But with any setup, till we try  it we will never know.

[captain1ma]

limited planesets is what made it interesting. so you cant have top of the line planes...big deal. like a backyard mechanic, you work with the tools you have. most of the refined players in in the early and mid war arenas. the gamers are in the latewar arena. you might be better off appealing to the refined player base. you can grow it from there.

of course running a setup like this might appeal to certain undesirable elements. beware.... 

[Guppy35]

Why not run an ETO  September 44-May 45 map and limit it to the 9th AF birds ie P38J/L, P51B/D P47D25/40, A20 vs LW birds  109G6/G14/K4  109A8/F8/D9 Ju88s and 110s

No one dominant bird, no overpowering bomber but enough to do some damage, enable Shermans, M3s, M8s M16s for the Allies, Sdkfz, Tiger and Panzer IV for the Axis.  Let the ground pounders try and move the lines while the air guys support it and attack it.


You could do it 2 TAF RAF vs LW too if you took Spit IXs/XVIs, Tiffie's, Temps, Mossies and Bostons vs the LW set.  Might want to enable 262s at a base or two for that one.

Use the Rhine map and fight the end of the war

[TheBug]

The issues at hand aren't so much the planeset as it is generating some type of a "war" format to use as a stage for the action to play out upon.  Some people wish to have the sense they are contributing to a collective goal, while others wish to just participate in the fights those efforts can produce.  But since the arena is prone to milking, porking and low numbers these are the areas where the greatest need for problem solving lies.  In my opinion of course.

Although I really like your planesets Guppy. <S>

[Guppy35]

Is there a way to funnel the fight to certain areas?  Again using late 44-45 maybe you are talking Bastogne and the towns surrounding it.  If there is a focal point of the' war', in particular with the smaller crowd, and you are limiting the bombers to essentially light bombers, it might prevent some of the milking.  Who wants to fly an a20 to Berlin if the war is in Belgium?

With a narrower goal and a central place for combat, it might draw folks together and even bring the airwar down to the tac airwar alts that the 9th and LW were flying at to try and support the armor.  Throw in the lousy weather aspect and it could be interesting.

Imagine lugging a couple of 1000 pounders on  your 38, looking for German armor in the ground fog and mist.  All of a sudden you spot dots high and behind you.  A flight of 190s is coming down.   Fights on!

[TheBug]

Again, all good ideas but you have to consider the things that would be necessary to get people to roll those tanks.  Base capture which is a fundamental aspect of the game already exists, so my idea rolls with that.  But in the AvA with base capture on you run the risk of arena reset, a very bad thing, or an almost equal problem of basically shutting down one side.  So that is the premise behind my suggestions. The idea is to be able to plug in any balanced historical planeset into this basic framework and generate a setup that has something to offer to all interests but without separating them.   I would love to see the scenarios play out as you describe, I think we all do and I honestly think my idea has merit.

Reducing bombers to just lights may help with milking, I doubt it though some of those guys are dedicated to it.  But it also limits the bomber fans, possibly needlessly.

Limited base capture, with strategic objectives, historical planesets....  has to be the answer 

[Guppy35]

I'm agreeing with ya Bug   Limiting base capture to a central area that funnels the opposing teams to each other somehow makes the most sense.  It's almost like it would need to be like the older AW set up where there was a ring of bases that were fought over back and forth but you could only go so far.  There was no 'winning the war' but there was a lot of ongoing combat back and forth as those bases changed hands.  Bombers had their place in that as well.  Anyone milking the arena served no purpose. 

Wishful thinking I know

[Chilli]

Is there a way to funnel the fight to certain areas?  Again using late 44-45 maybe you are talking Bastogne and the towns surrounding it.  If there is a focal point of the' war', in particular with the smaller crowd, and you are limiting the bombers to essentially light bombers, it might prevent some of the milking.  Who wants to fly an a20 to Berlin if the war is in Belgium?

With a narrower goal and a central place for combat, it might draw folks together and even bring the airwar down to the tac airwar alts that the 9th and LW were flying at to try and support the armor.  Throw in the lousy weather aspect and it could be interesting.

Imagine lugging a couple of 1000 pounders on  your 38, looking for German armor in the ground fog and mist.  All of a sudden you spot dots high and behind you.  A flight of 190s is coming down.   Fights on!

I believe there is a way Guppy.  Chemdawg and I are looking into map alternatives that might do just that.  If you or anyone else here has any experience, with Terrain Editor, or would like to try please PM me.

TheBug, your idea has prompted me to look at your North Africa era battles.

[TheBug]

I'm agreeing with ya Bug   Limiting base capture to a central area that funnels the opposing teams to each other somehow makes the most sense.  It's almost like it would need to be like the older AW set up where there was a ring of bases that were fought over back and forth but you could only go so far.  There was no 'winning the war' but there was a lot of ongoing combat back and forth as those bases changed hands.  Bombers had their place in that as well.  Anyone milking the arena served no purpose. 

Wishful thinking I know

Hehe, I knew you were agreeing.  You just weren't digging deep enough for me, try to make you work that brain!   

[TheBug]

I believe there is a way Guppy.  Chemdawg and I are looking into map alternatives that might do just that.  If you or anyone else here has any experience, with Terrain Editor, or would like to try please PM me.

TheBug, your idea has prompted me to look at your North Africa era battles.

Cool Chilli, there is a map team that is usually very busy but I'm sure they can give a couple tips.

[Odee]

I'm thinking, and maybe a little grandly, that this setup once polished and honed would become what the AvA is to be.  Maybe four weeks is too much, cut it back to three??  I'm not sure.  But the idea is to give the fun and well rounded action of the MA, coupled with the historical planesets of the AvA and a strategic flavor lacking in the MA.  So the setup will be fresh every 2-3-4 weeks???  We can fall back on Old school CT planesets, Finland, North Africa, Overlord/Cobra, Italy, etc..  But weave them into this new framework, that would generate a greater interest to support the larger numbers.  I'm not thinking this is to be a setup tried every now and then.  I'm thinking this will be(once polished by player input and actual testing of course) the AvA of the future.

But I've always been a little messed up. 

I don't think it's grand, or bragging at all.  The four week run would be a good choice, and may just generate more interest from the MW/LW crowd.

Looking forward to this one.
Thanks for putting in the effort, Bug.

 

[TheBug]

Will get your P38f in on the second week too. <S>

[kansas2]

I've never flown the AvA arena and this plane set and 4 week campaign sounds like alot of fun.
I will give this a try.   

[ImADot]

I fly EW mostly; but have been to the AvA a couple of times.  I like this idea and will be sure to stop by a little more often.

  for all the sweat-and-tears in thinking this up and implementing it.  I hope for a huge success and more to follow. 

[JVboob]

See Rule #10