New AvA Setup

[Baumer]

It looks like there's a new setup in the AvA arena. Looking at the message boards they want to try and run a more sustained "win the war" strategy. One of the things they are asking for  is to have squads pick a side, post it on the bbs and then only fly for that side. It's going to be running for several weeks and I didn't know if you guys had a preference or were interested.

[Earthdog]

I'd like to try this.  It sounds like an interesting idea -- a long term, goal orientated map outside of FSO or snapshots.  With the typically low numbers in AvA I'm wondering how it will work out.  The fact that you need to take and hold a base for an extended period of time seems very difficult to me.  I would think that a couple of guys in off hours could always take the base back.  Also I noticed the plane set includes planes from both the European and Pacific theatres.  Is this typical of AvA?

[daddog]

Also I noticed the plane set includes planes from both the European and Pacific theatres.  Is this typical of AvA?

No that is not the norm.

Ya I will look in to this. 68Falcon put his guys Allied. He has a pretty big squad. We should go Axis. I will look it over tonight.

Will be gone all day Saturday, but maybe Saturday night we can go in as a squad and cause some damage to the Allied side.

[mrmidi]

I was in there for a little while last night with Easyscor and Oldman, as well as a few others.
I flew on the Allied side.

One note of importance!!!! If you log in as Knight's you will not see the clip board map as
the Knight's are the third country..."Not Used"

and there is a 40 min. side change clock so if you go Allied you can't switch for
40 mins. and visa versa...

I was flying Allied cause they have the Spit in the line up but if we go as a squad I
will fly what the squad decides "When I'm in there" wich won't be much do to
R/L obligations and such...

Midi

[Earthdog]

I went in there for an hour or so last night on the axis side.  Had a good time but from my limited previous experience with the AvA I can imagine that a lot of the regulars might be disappointed.  I'd have to say there was at least as much vulching and ganging as you see in the MA.  The entire time I was there consisted of a vulch/furball between two bases which were virtually on top of each other, with both sides simultaneously trying to get enough of a cap so they could take the other's base.  I don't think any plane ever got above 2K.  And these weren't even target bases.  It seems like if this is going to work they may need to add a little more structure, such as limiting which bases can be captured or upped from, forcing more flight time and coordination.  Of course this is all based on one night's experience and it may change radically day to day.  I really like the idea of a sustained conflict with set goals, but it seems like you might need a lot of numbers and geographical diversity to pull it off.

[Simaril]

Judging from all the tinkering, I'm beginning to wonder if the AvA staff got a "get it going or it's gone" warning from HT.

I loved the concept of the old CT, but they never seemed to get the critical mass it takes to get good game play. It's gotta be hard to get that level of activity, but it wasn't made any easier by the frankly pathologically anti-social behavior of one subset of regulars. It's too bad, because Oldman has always seemed to be one of the true gentlement of the game.

[daddog]

Oldman is a great guy. One of the best IMHO that AH has.

Just got home from work (Saturday). Long day. Will be playing a lot tomorrow.

If I see several of us on lets go Axis in the AvA.

[Baumer]

Well I've flown a couple hours in the AvA arena and I'm enjoying the new setup very much. It's nice to easily find, and engage the enemy. The plane set matches up very well in my opinion and I've enjoyed flying axis from the start. It's been a good place to work on getting used to my new rudder pedals [Thanks Earthdog] and my SA. I have had several 2v1 and 3v1 fights that were very fun and helped my SA quite a bit.

An interesting note, the auto ack is disabled on the "strategic target's" which are airfields 20 & 21 I think. People love to vulch at those fields. But great fun can be had by jumping into the maned ack, and waiting for your shot. I bagged 6 kills earlier today, waited till they were coming down the runway and started shooting when they were 400 out.

They never did figure out which gun I was in.

I'll be flying in the AvA until I get better with the rudder pedals.