Dallas, let me address your post as objectively as I can. I am here for the fighter combat experience and understand that others are here for other reasons. I will comment from the perspective of a fighter pilot and I will assume that this pilot is like me and has maybe 2 hours now and again on a week night and 4 hours on a Saturday.
They should see us coming and stop us. If you're not going to defend your strategic targets you have no right to cry about it.
- How long is the HQ flashing to alert of the impending attack?
- I assume from your comment that you make no attempt to hide your attack - or do you feel people should be patrolling the approaches to the HQ in case of attack?
- In your opinion how long do you think the fighter pilot should spend on their patrol? I usually load about 30 mins of gas. Would you think that is long enough?
"When you kill the HQ people quit"
They shouldn't just because they can't see the darbar. Bases still flash when the HQ goes down.
"You can't find the furball when the HQ goes down"
There probably was one before the HQ went down, Why don't you read country chat and find out where the action is, It's not very hard to find a fight. If a base is flashing then you should investigate.
- How many bases flash (with radar up) due to GV activity rather than air contacts?
- Of those bases flashing due to air contacts how many are indicators of a fight rather than a lone hi alt buff?
- Without Dar, how would you suggest the fighter pilot determines the root cause of the base flashing?
"Killing the HQ only negatively effects the game" ALSO "This game isn't about war"[/u][/b]
The HQ is a strategic target, It's literally the same as killing any strat aka strategic target aka ack factory, ord factory, aka city. Killing strategic targets are part of the game. Killing strategic targets positively effects the war effort keeping towns, radars, ords, ect. down for a longer period of time. This game is about war weather we want to admit it or not, The objective of this game is to capture the required number of bases and win the war.
I do not argue that an HQ is a strategic target and in a war environment would be something that should be taken out. I would argue this though:-
To effectively hit such a strategically important target and cause such a widespread negative impact on the opposing forces ability to wage war should be practically impossible. In this game, with such large maps and small player base, finding and engaging the enemy is key to both the practicality of defending bases but also, crucially, to the fun of the player base (or a decent portion of it).
Back to my fighter pilot.......remember he has a couple of hours on some week nights and 4 hours on a Saturday.
Where does he want to spend his time?
- Duke it out with the bad guys
- Fly 4 x combat patrols around the HQ in case someone is going to attack. Remember to grab to 35k in case they are high alt buffs
- look for flashing bases - relocate - take off - look for cons, maybe 10 or 15 minutes - nothing sighted - land and move to next flashing base....should get at least 16 of these fun flights in my time on.
- Take off and head to flashing base - 1/2 way there base stops flashing but see on chat buffer help needed at base xxx. Land quickly. Relocate.....take off and head to the fight...enemy dead.....fly cover in case they come back...maybe 15 minutes.
- A call comes in - base yyy is under attack.....fly 5 mins to land....relocate....lift in time to see the last attacker die to ack....stay in air in case they come back.......another base starts to flash....
- Log off. Go fly MS Flight Simulator - actually more action flying a 737 LA to Vegas - hell, might even get in a Cessna and try to buzz one of the jets!!
I would prefer to fly and fight.
The truth is the dar going down is not what most of the player base want. Sure you can do it but it is not what the majority of the player base want. I think ultimately it comes down to that.
How about we add a GV factory and if it is taken out no GVs can spawn for the designated down time? How many would love that one?