Side balancing.

[popeye]

When I log on and see a 2v1 imbalance, I feel like I should join the underdog, but often want to fly a particular planeset, or join a buddy instead.  OTOH, when I am on the wrong side of a 2v1 (or worse) imbalance, and fights are turning into gang bangs, I am likely to log off.

Anyone think side balancing is an issue worth addressing?  Or, doesn't it matter?

[K West]

"issue worth addressing?"

 Absolutely.  I sadly can't recall ever reading any methods on how to do it well, either here, AW or WB's.  Most suggested ways still end up alienating squaddies, make people fly planes they do not want to and even make them fly for "side" they'd do not want to. The end result being the same in that if folks are not happy they log off or move to the MA.

 (Not to drag another sim into this but the worse imbalance I've ever heard about was in WB III's HA/WW2A last week.  90 Allies vs 12 Axis. Yikes!)

 So how could one keep sides balanced while maintaining squad cohesion and still satisfy the players preferences?  Side balancing is a tough, if not outright impossible, nut to crack.

edited to add:

 Perhaps try and satisfy the players "wants" with the real need for side-balancing by allowing a 25% imbalance before alerting any new arrivals, via host pop-up message, that the sides are imbalanced and they need to choose side XXXX. However allow these people the option to switch later when sides become more even by not holding them to a in-country  time period.

  Westy

[ 01-08-2002: Message edited by: O'Westy ]

[Reschke]

While I agree that I have never seen a perfect or even good solution to this issue I need to say this. To me its not that big of an issue but it is one that needs addressing the in future before it becomes a real problem.

So far in the current setup we have it stays pretty balanced because people tend to make it happen themselves. I have seen and been a part of many switches and swaps in order to maintain or even stimulate balancing among the groups. Several times I have popped into the arena and seen a 15 vs. 6 or even a 20 vs. 5 (Which by the way was Axis vs. Allies advantage.). But in these instances the advantage never stayed that way because some people were moving on and others coming in. The arena does and will always balance itself out but it needs the players to do so for it and to continue doing it till the perfect solution comes along.

[Oldman731]

Originally posted by popeye:
When I log on and see a 2v1 imbalance, I feel like I should join the underdog, but often want to fly a particular planeset, or join a buddy instead.  OTOH, when I am on the wrong side of a 2v1 (or worse) imbalance, and fights are turning into gang bangs, I am likely to log off.

Anyone think side balancing is an issue worth addressing?  Or, doesn't it matter?

Of course it's an issue.  In CT it is going to be the defining issue, I think, because no one wants to fight against overwhelming numbers (for very long, at least).  The solution is really very easy:  get over your desire to fly a particular plane or wing with a particular buddy.  

- Oldman

PS:  Flying new and different planes is always fun, and it is much more satisfying to giggle over Channel One while your buddy spins into the ground than it would have been to say "Thanks for the assist."

[Nifty]

The Mongrels have no problems shooting at each other in the Combat Theater, we do it frequently.    We do prefer to fly on the same side however.

Personally, I don't enjoy switching to LW to even sides because it's really not my style of flying.  I'm sure if I flew those style planes more often I'd be better at it, but that's just not the case.  It's hard for me to curb my aggressive tendencies and I always end up losing too much energy, and I am a sitting duck.    That being said, I'll still hop in those darn 109s and 190s if that's what is needed.    Hell, I flew 190's in Big Week!  

[Eagler]

you can't be half as bad in the GE planes as I am in the Russian crates.

How do you see out of them, you guys sit on pillows or something?  

[Nifty]

I can see high 5,6,7 pretty easy, and that's about all you gotta constantly check with LW planes in the area.    Most of the LW pilots use very good team tactics.  If you latch onto one of them, another will be riding down on your high 6 in no time.  A lot of times, my goal in flying in the CT degrades to just frustrating the higher 109s trying to BnZ me.  Haven't been playing much recently tho.  Will be on Thursday and after the TOD on Friday if the arenas hold up.

[Karnak]

If, after there was an imbalance os, say, 25%, players were sent to the low side with the exception of squad members that already have squaddies on, and all squadies on the same side, getting a choice of going to the side their squad is on or going to the low number side.

That is a run on sentence.  It might work though.