I have spoken via PM and via telephone lately to a number of folks that play the game. Almost all of these folks won't skip a fight no matter the planes involved or the advantage or disadvantage. They're typically categorized as old timers I guess. Yes, there are plenty of newer folks that will fight, no doubt. Plenty of GV fights...Lordy Lordy those guys get it on, seriously. But regarding the air, we wanted to ask the community.
Here is our multiple choice question for the community:
Why don't more players stay in an aerial fight during gameplay in any aerial situation?
A. Fighting to the death isn't as fun as landing kills of any kind
B. They don't really have the personal time to learn enough ACM to get themselves out of pickles of any size but still love flying and competing
C. Too much ego-bashing and bullying on 200 the times they DID stay and fight but lost and then had to hear about it for an hour
D. Love to have a great score. This is a reason BTW and it really shouldn't be harassed. If it wasn't, there wouldn't be scoring in the first place
E. This is how they learned the game from the start. Hittum and forget um
There are other reasons obviously but these came up so I thought I'd ask you. In an attempt and changing some gameplay and maybe even some attitudes about the fight to help keep people we already have and to keep new folks interested in getting better.
A. I don't think fighting to the death is the issue for most, they seem to eagerly die by the grundle when part of a base capture. Of course landing many kills is great fun for the masses!!
B. Most don't care about learning ACM, in fact the game encourages precise reaction rather than a great understanding of ACM. The best "chess match" ACM abundant fights I ever had were 262 vs 262, the reason being the speeds started so high that it essentially slowed down the thought process and allowed the fight to morph into an energy, angles, risk, reward chess match. Fighting the horde, or fighting with the more abundant slower rides requires more "reactionary memory and stick precision" than thinking and actual application of ACM.
C. I can't say ego bashing was ever that big of a deal, the bashing usually was brought on by an instigation of mouth slippage rather than someone "outwardly gloating over a victory". Of course if you've developed a rival who every time you know if you lose to, they are beaming on the inside and if you win, you are beaming on the inside" than the tension will be acute and victory all the sweeter, and defeat---agony. But these rivals are to be cherished and sought after.
D. Great score for the majority is only a fleeting interest. The time and effort required to be in the top 10 is exhausting and hardly worth the effort cause it takes so much "gamey style" play to achieve it. I tried for 2 tours many years ago and came to this conclusion---> "F#CK TH*T"
E. Everyone learns this from the start, getting consistent kills early in your AH career can be frustrating, and there is something to be said for surviving when you have limited or "early career" skills. When you are new to say "mid experience" in your AH life than sometimes surviving and extricating yourself from the grasp of say Levi, Grizz, Skyrock, Bruv, etc etc is most certainly a small win and honestly should be treated as such. I know before I took my break, if I had you in my grasp, odds were not good for you, if you managed to get away then <S> you and shame on me, it was my loss.
When you are learning, survival is very important. The longer you survive "in the current moment" the more you learn in that moment. Going up against Grizz every couple minutes and being slaughtered in 1-2 turns over and over again will teach you nothing but frustration. Going against Grizz every couple minutes and Grizz holding his fire will teach you enormously.
When I finally made the transition from caring to much, to not caring at all my skill level went thru the roof.
To finally answer the question, I think most folks "if not all" experience "thru an AH career" all of the examples on the list to some varying degree. Some get thru them quicker than others and some may skip a couple. but we all follow a similar path.
Changeup, you have become a skilled and capable player over the years, and your ideas and thoughts are miles away from where they were in the beginning, as are mine. People will progress as they will, some more competitive than others but they are all progressing every minute they are on the game.
The game itself should encourage intense interaction, but I remember the system is geared towards newer folks and a more "less intense" approach, not the Precise and efficient killing styles of grizzled vets. The vets are now out in the cold so to speak, and must find "LIKE" challenges on their own, you will never ever get it from the masses except in disproportionate #s. Hence this is why my style evolved to JUGgling on the deck, in inferior rides basically being the mole in the AH equivalent of "WHACK-A-MOLE" <-- this is definitely a challenge and I believe being the only challenge most nights, burned me out!
Maybe eliminating the messages about who you've killed would allow some folks to unburden their pride a little and get ALL IN. Leaving the messages of "who killed you" should stay for inspiration
JUGgler
