Just before another discussion bites the dust and I go and practice slingshots at cartoon rats, may I ask a question about numbers?
It seems like the more the arena grows, the more we have differing opinions on what it should be. The same can be said for the main arenas where HTC has complete control over settings and such. As a member of the AvA Development Group (players who discuss goals and values) I can only say that I have seen these very same topics looked over and over, and always end up with the very same conclusion.
The AvA arena is here to provide historically inspired two sided action available 24 hours a day. Beyond that, no one can regulate how each individual / or group of players decide to participate. What the group has been successful with is
providing a balance that should allow all types of players to share the arena. Obviously, the larger the number of players, the larger the number of interests in playing styles, these players bring with them.
Here is the rub.
When you bring in balance, you often curve the ability of playing styles. Otherwise the arena would simply be a mutation of a 2 sided Main Arena. Fly what ever plane, from what ever base from what ever map (up to the max size map > 100 bases). As it is now, and hopefully will continue to grow and yet remain true to its roots, the arena is setup to allow action to occur, regardless of the number of players that are logged in, and keep it confined to historical combatants (with a rare exception for "what if" scenarios).
This means that you should be able to create / find dueling action, furball action, gv action, base capture action, bombing action, etc....... by announcing your intentions or simply doing your thing. Your thing does not have to be my thing, but if doing your thing is what motivates you to log into the AvA arena, the development group had done its job.
What I have seen in the Arena (much more important than what I have seen here on the BBS forum), is folks having fun, saluting one another, with the periodic disruptions because regular players are not accustomed to certain playing styles.
New players come into the arena with no pre conceived expectations. They want to get in the plane they want to fly and kick some butt. If they are straight from the MA they might even look at the numbers and decide they want to be on the "winning" side. Or maybe they didn't take the time to look at the numbers or the dar bar, and simply flew to where they perceived a fight to be.
The bottom line, if we are going to grow the community, it is the players that will have to adjust to the balancing act, not the Arena adjusting to the players (not to say tweaks should be off the table). Otherwise, consistency will be out the window, complaints on the rise, and community on the decline. It's a no brainer for me.
LD and TC you are both equally welcome in the AvA, I am certain that you both do an excellent job of adjusting inside the arena. I think that there will always be times that not all will be satisfied, with the results, but I often find that "the best fight / AH2 experience ever," comes right after a horrible run of bad experiences / cartoon deaths, explosions, collisions, pilot wounds, etc.......
Please, I just ask that everyone that agrees that the arena is a good place, help to keep it that way.
