I feel I'm watching the decline of Warbirds all over again. As the numbers reduce, there remains a player base that contains a few very venomous and toxic players. In the environment the game exists in at present, we need every new player we can get. The game needs an environment that will let the new players learn and adapt. I would suggest a few changes that would provide this kind of environment, and could be placed into the game in a test series as the last RADAR tests were done.
For the Main arena, I suggest the following changes
1. Remove the channel 200 option, (same country communication only, and no PM).
2. Remove the message that tells you who killed you, or who you killed. All kills and deaths are anonymous, (include the scoring system).
3. Remove aircraft identification icons until 500 feet of distance, just range displayed until that, with the distance for range set to the same distance as now in the main.
4. Make the RADAR icons dots, with no other information.
Two ideas I think may generate funding
1. Make the skins of aircraft be linked to different airfields.
2. Allow players to purchase custom skins linked to them and flyable from any base for a recurring cost.
Create a fur ball arena with the following characteristics
1. All seeing RADAR of all vehicles, air, land, or sea.
2. Any kill is seen by all players, who died, and who was the killer.
3. Air starts for a limited portion of the arena.
4. Channel 200, PM's, and country channels.
I think this would give the fur balling crowd a good option, and people that want to play a more tactics based game more opportunity. This would also give an arena that would allow people to play the game without the chest thumping, and hurt ego complaining. Just a few thoughts on how to create a gaming environment that would keep newer players.
ULDieter