I have watched this thread progress from the beginning when I initially made only a comment in response to the original poster of the thread.
I would have to make the arugment that quite honestly it boils down for some to feel the need to be in control of how others play the game.
The List would go on and on.... Zone ENY, More uncaputrable bases, No btarding, No Hoing, No vulching, No Hordes Stiffer rules for side switching, etc etc etc whatever impulse a player feels wronged by in game
And so what I ask is this.....if all the above is changed.....what really changes?
Free Will changes...It is easy to forget that basic concept of MA "IS" freewill..ie the ability of 100's of things to take place at any given moment. Regardless of your personal preference of how you feel about certain aspects of things.
The argument is trying to be made that game is somehow so different that it was before it isn't, the above have existed since game rolled out and still exist today and will be here in the future. Logged on yesterday around 4:35 Central and Numbers were close to 400. The only thing I see different is some trying to impose their will of how THEY want game to be on all others players and HTC. In other words penalize players so they can play the game the way they want to. I don't buy it. I get egged in gv's prob two outta every five spawns yet I do not feel the need to cuss that person out via PM, nor do I feel the need to post on BBS about how game need to be changed just so I can GV without being btarded. I also don't buy the fact that good fights cant be found ever.....if you look around map and simply don't see one.....up a plane or tank and go make one. I guarantee you will find action.
I have said it once and will say it again. Game is what you make of it......quite literally. Enjoy it for what it is
I don't really agree with "new ideas making some players wanting others to play how they want to" . ENY has been broken for a while. The only time it happens is during low peak hours, and that's the only time when it's weight is recognized. Normally, with annoyed responses, which is understandable. The problem is, the ENY only is 'absolute' in few numbers, making it useless during primetime.
Things that aren't wanted or are considered 'cheap' have their own punishments. Too many numbers, ENY. Using 'cheap' tactics, community response a.k.a. peer pressure. Tank-town wants no planes here, mountains.
I think we have been wording it wrong, or thinking wrong entirely.
It is a sandbox, it is a tool-shed. While outlaw the bucket because it holds more sand than the small shovel?
I think there should be a 'hint' so to speak, for using un-wanted behavior in certain areas, or in general. In this case, certain areas being tank-town and planes. General being ENY and numbers on sides.
In another thread (we really need to organize these someday), there was a post of a mission limiter, that limited (in their example) 10 fully loaded P38s. If they wanted more, they either bring 2 c47s before the mission launches, wait 5 or more minutes for the ground crew to load more planes, or take off from another base entirely to reach the same objective. (And I add another one, of taking off in a different plane ). This doesn't limit you in the sense of "you can't have it", but guides you to ... most diversity. Gives you an incentive to use the shovel, while they use the bucket. It gives you an incentive to try the "road less traveled by".
Sure, there would be some who take off from another base. Let them, it's a sandbox. There are those who would take another plane, some would wait for roleplay/immersion/whatever reasons. They can, because it's "their 14.95!". The best thing is, (in this example) it wouldn't limit any party to doing what he or she wants. They could still accomplish the same goals as before. It might take them an extra few minutes, but there isn't an "official" limit.
I recall Fester mentioning uncapturable frontline bases in tank-town in his new map. That doesn't hinder, but promote combat. For those who want to capture bases, there are others around those uncapturable bases that can be taken, but it still gives those who want tank-town the ability to play there, even if all the other bases are caught.. because of those uncapturable bases.
As for the planes in tank town, I am unsure as to how to deal with that, without throwing a little mud on one side or the other's shoes.
If you disable bombs, or have them auto-drop at a certain point, that takes the power out of their hands entirely, giving it a "God factor". Even if you pay your subscription you can't "do this in this corner because I own this sandbox". (That would be HiTech by the way
.)
The only thing I can think of right now, is to have a message pop up, just like when you alt-f4 the 1st time, or someone wants to join you. It could warn the pilot that bombs aren't wanted or something, and suggest for them to leave or the bombs would auto-drop. I don't know, it's a touchy subject. Like I said before, if you take the power from the player, the fence gets higher and more intimidating, and people don't like that in a sandbox. What's worse is you alienate those players who are on the 'wrong side' of the fence.
It is very delicate. No doubt about that, but I think there is a way to resolve this. But an "absolute" mentality will get us nowhere (points at all forum users)
. I think a 'suggested' approach is more.. suitable for both us and HTC. This way, it is still possible for those who want to do it, but they don't get any or as much reward for doing it. (I mention again my example with choosing a P51, but the 'punishment' is simply less perks, not limiting you in anyway of playing with the tool). <, This is after the touchy touchy subject, I apologize. This is why I don't work for the newspaper
*Just hit me*
Perhaps less perks earned (with a pop-up warning reminding the player), when in a plane w/ bombs at tank-town?
Also, free will. Touchy touchy subject, so I'm going to try to stick on topic with this.
Simply put. Some things are 'punished' when done. Like if you want to fly a P-51 you can, however, your punishment is less perks if you do any damage/kill someone. For Greebos crater map, the tank-town part is obviously made for mostly tank-on-tank warfare. (Trying to think of a way how to say this, I can see both perspectives here, so I guess I'll say both pieces).
The tank-town has the high mountain 'bowl' effect to keep planes out from bombing the tanks, so the tanks can go about their business (as tank-ace has said) "Unmolested" by planes. This keeps the GV-ers happy and keeps them in the same arena (promoting others to come to this arena, because it is more populated, and also keeping the subscribers together they can still talk and what-not and come and leave the crater as they wish). However, it isolates pilots in a way, because they are 'suggested' not to go there, but aren't limited to it. The suggestion being the mountain around the tank town. It's an obvious "no planes wanted here" billboard staring you in the face, but it will let you pass.
Tank town is where GV-ers can find a good fight easy and quick. In my opinion, they are the longest to find a fight in (in most cases, but fighters do - depending on the map, of course). I hear quite often on both the forums and in-game where people attack the GV-er (or anyone for that matter) and say "If you want to find a fight go here or there". To me, if they wanted to go here or there, they would've already. But they decided to go to tank-town and fight there. I can think of a few reasons now.
#1 No planes (for the most part)
#2 No obligation to capture anything, just there to screw around (on the few occasions that I went, I noticed VOX was alive and well with funny commentary and hilarious stories going about, and the occasional idiot every now and then).
#3 Play with friends (in relation to #2)
I am not really picking a side here, just observing from both sides. I'm not a 'specialist' in any sense, more of a jack-of-all-trades type of guy. So I have perspective. I might have missed something, if so, please list.
I also do not mean to offend or insult anyone in this post. This isn't directed to anyone in particular, more of a general post created to inform and in hopes of giving incentive to brainstorm for ideas that benefit all, rather than a minority.
*I apologize for misspellings also, don't need flames on that too tired and *cough* lazy to go through and check em all, even with spell check*
