A Modest Proposal to Fix Gameplay

[Arlo]

Wife said I don't play enough. Twilight zone?

P.S. I don't play enough.

[Wiley]

When I first logged in today, we had less than that in the LWMA. For quite some time.

True...  But I wouldn't want it limited to that.

If I were Hitech, my standard response would be, 'Show me a custom arena with your settings that hits the cap every night for a week and I'll bump it.'

Wiley.

[EagleDNY]

I would guess that for every good idea there are at least 99 bad ideas presented, so now we try out 99 bad ideas (that make players angry ) just to implement 1 good idea.

Hmm there may be a slight problem with this?

Or are you saying only try the good ideas?

But wait , I already do implement the good and doable ideas.

HiTech

You know what HT - this is your game, you do what you like.  I'm pointing out that you can go back thru the postings on this board for years and see players posting about problems with the gameplay.  How many people have you had complain about 1 set of Lancs wasting HQ and defenders not having enough warning to get up and defend it?   Plenty of simple solutions to that problem have been suggested, easily doable, might be good ones too -- but we will never know what the effect of them is will we? 
I've seen other online games that actually put up a test server for people to try out proposed changes and give feedback.   Apparently that is not necessary for AH because you already know all the good ideas.  I just wish you would get around to implementing them because I seem to be flying with fewer and fewer people these days.

[Arlo]

Wife said I don't play enough. Twilight zone?

P.S. I don't play enough.

[Chilli]

-- plenty of good ideas out there that could be tried for a week or two and then see if the player base likes it.

I would guess that for every good idea there are at least 99 bad ideas presented, so now we try out 99 bad ideas (that make players angry ) just to implement 1 good idea.

Hmm there may be a slight problem with this?

Or are you saying only try the good ideas?

But wait , I already do implement the good and doable ideas.


HiTech

I say the AvA could use it's own Titanic Tuesday, except on another day like maybe Mixed Up Monday.  Encourage folks to change sides, add new or just funky settings to get folks flying just to have fun and not deal with the war for just one day.  Of course, no points for either side and then reset map for current war afterwards.

 

I think it will be a good Advertising tool to get good numbers and an excuse to get to know enemy as countrymen (but just for one day  )

Then, we can go back to name calling next day 

This sounded similar to something floated for the AvA about 8 years ago, to give the week long scenario set-ups an intermission.  Bringing this up to date and into the MA, would mean predictable chaos, but if done properly, could be chaotic fun  :

Shorten the MA "event" to take place during off peak hours, just shouldering prime time allowing some a chance to check it out without damaging planned squad events for most.  1 AM EST to 5:30 PM EST

I don't see it so much of a test of new ideas, like I said, Dale has a pretty good handle on things (even if he chooses to swing only at "his" pitch), but more of an added feature, or even mini contest to show awards on the front page every week instead of monthly. Example:  ChiLLi was awarded 1st place in this weeks "Got Milk" challenge, for setting the most structures ablaze.


P.S.  Eagle,  Dale explained the HQ change and reset problem, that I am sure none of us Monday morning QBs had a clue about, so let's not take it there.  I applaud HTC for thinking outside of the box, in the first place, and I can totally understand the need to maintain a stable platform above all.

[Interceptor]

"Step 2. Players contribute money to ownership of game server. Every dollar a player contributes is reflected on voting percentage. For Example, server costs say $500,000 and player contributes $10,000 then said player receives 2% voting power".
+
"Step 5. Owners become management of server and implement their way of game should be played."
=

U dont have as much money as player X ? (or players X+Y+Z got enough money to force the game the way they want) Too bad for u, his(their) money makes him(them) far more smart(no?) and he(they)'ll decide how the game mechanics are gonna be for rest of poor players. Hail to the king(s), all bend u peasants ! 

No, thank you.

[MrRiplEy[H]]

How about a voluntary donation to HTC. For 10 bucks you get to fly a C202 as a badge of honor  Of course such a plane would be off limits to noobs or cheapskates.

Seriously, instead of rewarding old players with easymode perk planes, why not offer only them the more demanding early birds. So if you saw a harder plane that would strike fear to you as it would be an ace flying it. I've always found it extremely counter productive that players who play the most and have the best skill only have access to also the easiest planes.

My way of thinking here is, if a player wants to look like a noob he takes a D-pony or tempest etc. If he wants to look like a pro he flies a P40 or the like.

[hitech]

You know what HT - this is your game, you do what you like.  I'm pointing out that you can go back thru the postings on this board for years and see players posting about problems with the gameplay.  How many people have you had complain about 1 set of Lancs wasting HQ and defenders not having enough warning to get up and defend it?   Plenty of simple solutions to that problem have been suggested, easily doable, might be good ones too -- but we will never know what the effect of them is will we? 

I would have made changes long ago but The code was frozen long ago current AH release. And hence what would be a simple change under normal conditions now is not doable.

HiTech

[Gman]

I would have made changes long ago but The code was frozen long ago current AH release. And hence what would be a simple change under normal conditions now is not doable.

I think this is the most important point, which I've seen HT bring up just once before in a recent "change the damage/hardness of the HQ to keep the dar up" thread.  I'll admit that it surprised me, as like most everyone else, figured that if players/CMs could change things in the SEA so easily, it must be a snap for HTC to do so in the MA, and HT is just resistant for reasons xy and z to bother changing it.  Then HT responded (at last) and said that if it was an easy fix, he would absolutely have done it already.

This is what many I believe didn't and still don't understand - I was certainly in this group as well - that assuming ANY kind of change to the game is simple and fast.  Apparently it isn't. 

So, IMO it becomes a choice now, do you want HTC taking time away from new initiatives to fix the old game, or not.  Pretty easy choice to me.  I really think any complaints about the gameplay are pointless now, and have been since the announcement of 2 things - the new alpha being worked on, and HT saying that it's a hard time consuming fix to change little things that he himself has said he agrees with and WOULD change, if they were easy.



As for the OP idea - That is pretty much what the AvA is.  It still amazes me the AvA is so dead, if there is one thing I would get motivated to still play, it would be a daily arena set up in some historical scenario in an MA type style with just 2 sides.  Yet it never, NEVER happens, I've not once since it's inception seen MA numbers in there.  And that sucks, and I don't know why.  I just wish it would be populated is all, I don't have any ideas or answers either.

I do agree that a test server and open forum associated with it isn't a bad idea, other large successful sub games have had this sort of thing, either one or the other or even both, but again back to the original point, I'd rather wait until the new game is up, running, and established before starting any campaign to get HTC to work on something like that.

[Randy1]

What we have here pretty slick when you look at the total package.  The only enemy we have is ourselves.

The further we get away from a simulation by gaming the game the more damage we do to the future of AH.

I still think channel 200 is making the cost of winning too high.

[MrRiplEy[H]]

AVAs problem is that it has low to no players. It's a catch 22 - an empty arena doesn't attract players. So it never can become popular unless MA shuts down.

When MA was down in the past, AVA became hot

[ImADot]

I think this is the most important point, which I've seen HT bring up just once before in a recent "change the damage/hardness of the HQ to keep the dar up" thread.  I'll admit that it surprised me, as like most everyone else, figured that if players/CMs could change things in the SEA so easily, it must be a snap for HTC to do so in the MA, and HT is just resistant for reasons xy and z to bother changing it.  Then HT responded (at last) and said that if it was an easy fix, he would absolutely have done it already.

Not to hijack the thread (although it is a ridiculous proposal which is just another "I want to force everyone to play MY way" rant)...

I think the issue with changing hardness, although simple and quick, is only for the current arena session. Once the arena is reset by a "win", all the settings are reset back to default. Someone would have to physically be there to once again change the settings after the arena comes back up.

[shppr01]

All of us at the AvA are trying hard to make it a fun and Flyable place.. We have asked for ideas, No one answered. We have set up several setups we thought people would come into , No one came . We do try to make somewhat historical sets, We also try to make different sets, such as Tank night , monday night bombing raids. Last Monday we had 18 show up for a great night .

  You all say that AvA is dead and should be gone, so help us out .Just pm one of the staff and give us some ideas! The arena has always been a 2 side war. We have no enemy icons and We DO accommodate a players wish by adding a plane or a night. Jaeger has done his best to make the AvA a good place to come in. You just needed to come in !! 

[Interceptor]

While we all understand that changing anything in this current version is almost impossible, we also hope the next version is coming fast : players are right on that point : changes must be done if we want Aces High to go full cap again...

I would have made changes long ago but The code was frozen long ago current AH release. And hence what would be a simple change under normal conditions now is not doable.

HiTech

[Gman]

I think the issue with changing hardness, although simple and quick, is only for the current arena session. Once the arena is reset by a "win", all the settings are reset back to default. Someone would have to physically be there to once again change the settings after the arena comes back up.

Funny that, it's how I visualized it as well.  Skuzzy getting a page on a beeper to come in and manually adjust the HQ strength with every map change.  Ha ha. 

edit - I haven't heard anyone say the AvA should be gone, just that it's dead.  I've read many threads about possible solutions, and organized efforts to make it be populated - they obviously haven't worked, and for the 2nd time, I have no idea why, nor any suggestions on what could work.  I just think it would be a fantastic arena to play in every day if it had MA numbers is all.