squad system idea

[5PointOh]

The TFC has 32 members (some not active) We are spread across all 4 time zones and still manage to fly together.  115 members and 13 wings are not required, or more than AH squad channel. 

But some love the horde...

[GhostCDB]

81st Has a mega-squad, LCA has a mega-squad. Oh, lets not forget the CLAM HUMPERS. SUPER-MEGA-GIGANTIC-SQUAD.

[RufusLeaking]

There is a natural maximum in squad size.  I have been tracking Claim Jumper active membership for a while now.  In the last 14 tours, CJs active in a given tour ranged from 86 to 106.  To maintain such a mass, there has been a lot of new guys, and a lot of turnover.  There have been something like 300 people active for at least one tour.  Only 19 have been active in each of the last 14 tours.  I agree that we can consolidate down to fewer wings, but it doesn't really affect anything, gamewise.

In my opinion, the natural upper limits to a squad size are the limited number of 'serious' players who will stick with the game, the diminishing access to the squad frequency as more guys log on, the inevitability of internal conflicts, and the inability to develop good wingman tactics.  Of all the CJs, I can count on maybe three to be reliable wingmen.

Large squads are not the best answer.  A good tight squad is a better force multiplier.

With all of this said, I am a CJ as long as the squad exists.  I chafe at the arrogance and clique-ishness of many of the squads out there. 

[Soulyss]

There is a natural maximum in squad size.  I have been tracking Claim Jumper active membership for a while now.  In the last 14 tours, CJs active in a given tour ranged from 86 to 106.  To maintain such a mass, there has been a lot of new guys, and a lot of turnover.  There have been something like 300 people active for at least one tour.  Only 19 have been active in each of the last 14 tours.  I agree that we can consolidate down to fewer wings, but it doesn't really affect anything, gamewise.

In my opinion, the natural upper limits to a squad size are the limited number of 'serious' players who will stick with the game, the diminishing access to the squad frequency as more guys log on, the inevitability of internal conflicts, and the inability to develop good wingman tactics.  Of all the CJs, I can count on maybe three to be reliable wingmen.

Large squads are not the best answer.  A good tight squad is a better force multiplier.

With all of this said, I am a CJ as long as the squad exists.  I chafe at the arrogance and clique-ishness of many of the squads out there. 

I guess my question after reading this is, and I'm not mocking anyone when I ask "Why have that many people then?"

To me, the reason for a squad (and this seems to be backed up by the responses in this thread http://bbs.hitechcreations.com/smf/index.php/topic,261234.0.html) is the friendships and relationships that develop and improve the game experience.  After all it is the human components both protagonists and antagonists that keeps people coming back for more. 

With that in mind I think there get's to be a critical mass in a squad where that begins to fall apart.  Which can be caused by a number of factors, time zones differences, play time, or sheer numbers, at some point a group get's to be so big that one person simply can't develop that relationship with everyone in the group based on one or all of these factors.

Once that starts to happen what is the point in adding more people to the mix? 

 

[RufusLeaking]

I guess my question after reading this is, and I'm not mocking anyone when I ask "Why have that many people then?"

To me, the reason for a squad (and this seems to be backed up by the responses in this thread http://bbs.hitechcreations.com/smf/index.php/topic,261234.0.html) is the friendships and relationships that develop and improve the game experience.  After all it is the human components both protagonists and antagonists that keeps people coming back for more. 

With that in mind I think there get's to be a critical mass in a squad where that begins to fall apart.  Which can be caused by a number of factors, time zones differences, play time, or sheer numbers, at some point a group get's to be so big that one person simply can't develop that relationship with everyone in the group based on one or all of these factors.

Once that starts to happen what is the point in adding more people to the mix? 

 

Soulyss for the reasoned response.

The direct answer to "what is the point" is that it is the founder's prerogative.  An unsatisfying answer, I know.

From my own experience in a so called "mega" squad, there are parallels to the replacement system in the US Army in WW2.  When first encountering a new guy, one wonders how long he will last.

[gyrene81]

If this were an FPS or RPG game, I could understand a large squad...40 - 60 people in a clan isn't unusual for some FPS or RPG games...even then unless you all live in the same trailer park, having more than say 10 on at the same time doesn't generally happen...even when school is out. If you're thinking about voice comms, everyone can kick in together and get a dedicated teamspeak server.

[321BAR]

werent most squads in WWII composed of 4 to 8 max?

[ink]

  Its the huge squads like CJ and BOPS ect ect, that give the new guys the complete wrong idea, that its cool to dogpile a single con with 5-10 crap even more then that, its straight up lame, hurts game play and killz fun for those who actually like to fight.
  you get it in your heads, that because we have so many we are deadly    wrong  you are a horde nothing more.  being in one of those "type" squads makes you a worse player.
   




my $.02 cents

don't like it...... 

 

[jimson]

I'm not in the ClaimJumpers because they are huge.

They are good guys and fun.

I am also in there because I am not on in primetime and when I do fly there are always a few guys to fly with.

I don't care about the huge missions but  any 25 to 30 member squad could do the same and like someone else said, anyone could do the same by posting a mission.

In the furball I haven't noticed any worse ganging behavior with my guys than anyone else.

You fly alone into 10 enemy cons you should probably expect to be attacked by 10 enemy cons, whether they are all from the same squad or not.

As far as the OP's wish, doesn't seem like it is necessary or be of much benefit, IMO.

[Delirium]

My newest quote, I just wish I had room in my sig for it.

As long as (the horde squads) are willing to recruit anyone with a CPID and a hardpoint underneath each wing, the game will continue to deteriorate.

[mechanic]

 My squad has somewhere around 60 members and I know each of them as individuals, they are all good friends. It has taken over 6 years to grow that size. At first there was only a small group of us, about 10. Then slowly we found new members who fit in well and got to know them all. As it stands now the average members online is between 4-6 and sometimes reaches as high as 10-15 at one time. All we ever really do is fly fighters with the occasional bomber formation or jabo mission. Not interested in taking bases at all. We much prefer to hold air superiority of a sector away from the bases if we have a good turn out at the weekends. Just in it for the fun and to laugh with some buddies when we play AH.

Each and every one of them is a class act and I would never want to change a thing about it. I could count on every single one of them to stick it out with me to the death in any dogfight..

The size of the squad roster does not automaticaly make the horde. It's the mentality of the players that make a horde.
 

[RufusLeaking]

Back to the OP, the 32 member limit has been worked around. 

On the topic of hordes, they are going to happen, with or without 'mega squads.'

On the topic of the Claim Jumpers, it is not a monolith.  If one would take the time to observe carefully, it is not often that 10 CJs operate together on a mission.  People have left the squad because we hanven't horded enough.  Having 5-10 red guys on one's tail does not mean they are all in a large squad.  It means one guy got himself in trouble, and 4-9 guys are trying to steal a kill.

On the topic of civility, I am not going to be baited by flamers anymore.  It is not fear.  It is an attempt at reason.

[jimson]

I have an idea.

Anyone can check the roster to see how many ClaimJumpers are on.

Even an NOE raid flashes a base crossing the dar ring.

A small percentage of the time spent complaining on the forum could be put to use developing a counter-horde, anti-ClaimJumper strategy.

A few guys take turns scouting flashing bases for horde raids.

You need very little climbing time to meet an NOE force, if you are willing to fight without a huge alt advantage.

With so many like minded CJ haters, it should be easy to marshal a large force against them.

It could arguably be a more realistic strategy game of one side trying to figure where the other was going to strike next and trying to deploy quickly enough to stop them, and lead to some epic co-alt clashes.

There ya go!

[caldera]

I have an idea.

Anyone can check the roster to see how many ClaimJumpers are on.

Even an NOE raid flashes a base crossing the dar ring.

A small percentage of the time spent complaining on the forum could be put to use developing a counter-horde, anti-ClaimJumper strategy.

A few guys take turns scouting flashing bases for horde raids.

You need very little climbing time to meet an NOE force, if you are willing to fight without a huge alt advantage.

With so many like minded CJ haters, it should be easy to marshal a large force against them.

It could arguably be a more realistic strategy game of one side trying to figure where the other was going to strike next and trying to deploy quickly enough to stop them, and lead to some epic co-alt clashes.

There ya go!

Wouldn't "marshaling a large force" constitute becoming a Borg - err Claim Jumpers-like horde?  Not falling for that one. 

[jimson]

Wouldn't "marshaling a large force" constitute becoming a Borg - err Claim Jumpers-like horde?  Not falling for that one.  

Depends on how you look at it.

Could be just getting a group together to quickly defend an airfield.

You probably have enough available just from the bbs "Flame the ClaimJumpers Horde." LOL