Well I've looked through several pages of ranting and didn't see this obvious one recently so I would like to bring it up again...
It began way back in the hallowed days of the Big One, WWII - El Alamein. British pilots learned that there was only one AA gun guarding the German main base. Once this weapon was taken out - one could pretty much lay waste to the helpless pilots running like crazed ants trying to find shelter. Yes someone could (and should!) have gotten on a vehicle mounted MG and helped - but usually would just drive off in whatever vehicle they got their mitts on.
The real issue was everyone wanted the damn plane and noone wanted to run all the way to some distant AA weapon and do his unsung duty. Did Ben Affleck get the girl by jumping on an AA gun in Pearl Harbor? No he ran heroically for the plane just like every other player shooting his Tommy gun like an idiot towards the sky.
The worst part of getting on the AA was that your less honorable teammates got rewarded by your sacrifice as they taxied down the runway with scarely a nod in your direction. Then you were at the airbase thinking "hmm... wow there's nothing to shoot at or fly anymore... hmm should I leave? Its a long walk back uh.... hmmmmmm. Here comes one! oh no its friendly... why did I get on this AA gun again? I guess I'll leave now what's that noise? Oh Sh#T"... BOOOOOM!!!
Cut to Vietnam and base raping took on a new dimension with the hated MI-8 that carried a load of paratroopers eager to bail out at a moment's notice and steal America's only true defense at the time - the Huey gunship. Ah the swearing and outright frustration elevated us to new levels of ranting which Dice actually heard and acted on!
They put quad 50 cal guns at the bases - right in the middle of the bases - which of course made them great for snipers looking for an ez kill from the gunner's exposed and fairly stationary melon. Their armor was about nil and soon VC pilots could actually take them out from far far away with a couple rockets - almost as easily as swatting a stoned fly on a marijuana plant.
Fast forward to the present day and the base raping situation is almost worse then ever. Yes this is a team game but who in their right minds uses the AA at it's current state (unless your a sicko like me going for his air defense medal and trying to raise up his team-killing from errant missile fire).
So long story short - DICE, EA (whoever makes these decisions) we need more vulcan defense or mobile AA that can take some abuse (more then one, positioned closer to the aircraft spawns) and players need to be credited and rewarded appropriately for using them. Not just some trinket badge.
AA should have radar to even things up just a tad.
Also there needs to be more incentive for pilots to shoot down enemy jets - I honestly ignore them often as they are only worth two points (the toughest 2 in the game). The true hero of a Daging Oilfields map is the guy in the fighter who dogged the incredibly devastating bomber the whole game - yet never got credit for it.
Oh yeah the whole TKing for planes and spawning system is crazy as well - we need some kind of order to this - maybe some kind of queuing system.
My friends get so pissed off by the raping and other flaws (damn is this a gun battle or a gymnastics event?) that they often just disconnect from the game. They will presently not buy the expansion pack and don't play much anymore. One of my buddies was going to house sit for a friend with no internet, he packed up his computer for the weekend hoping to polish up on his flying skills - only to discover you can't even play single player if your not online. Needless to say he was irate (nothing on the packaging says internet connection required to even play).
Thats my two cents - other then that thanks for this great game and some great memories.
It began way back in the hallowed days of the Big One, WWII - El Alamein. British pilots learned that there was only one AA gun guarding the German main base. Once this weapon was taken out - one could pretty much lay waste to the helpless pilots running like crazed ants trying to find shelter. Yes someone could (and should!) have gotten on a vehicle mounted MG and helped - but usually would just drive off in whatever vehicle they got their mitts on.
The real issue was everyone wanted the damn plane and noone wanted to run all the way to some distant AA weapon and do his unsung duty. Did Ben Affleck get the girl by jumping on an AA gun in Pearl Harbor? No he ran heroically for the plane just like every other player shooting his Tommy gun like an idiot towards the sky.
The worst part of getting on the AA was that your less honorable teammates got rewarded by your sacrifice as they taxied down the runway with scarely a nod in your direction. Then you were at the airbase thinking "hmm... wow there's nothing to shoot at or fly anymore... hmm should I leave? Its a long walk back uh.... hmmmmmm. Here comes one! oh no its friendly... why did I get on this AA gun again? I guess I'll leave now what's that noise? Oh Sh#T"... BOOOOOM!!!
Cut to Vietnam and base raping took on a new dimension with the hated MI-8 that carried a load of paratroopers eager to bail out at a moment's notice and steal America's only true defense at the time - the Huey gunship. Ah the swearing and outright frustration elevated us to new levels of ranting which Dice actually heard and acted on!
They put quad 50 cal guns at the bases - right in the middle of the bases - which of course made them great for snipers looking for an ez kill from the gunner's exposed and fairly stationary melon. Their armor was about nil and soon VC pilots could actually take them out from far far away with a couple rockets - almost as easily as swatting a stoned fly on a marijuana plant.
Fast forward to the present day and the base raping situation is almost worse then ever. Yes this is a team game but who in their right minds uses the AA at it's current state (unless your a sicko like me going for his air defense medal and trying to raise up his team-killing from errant missile fire).
So long story short - DICE, EA (whoever makes these decisions) we need more vulcan defense or mobile AA that can take some abuse (more then one, positioned closer to the aircraft spawns) and players need to be credited and rewarded appropriately for using them. Not just some trinket badge.
AA should have radar to even things up just a tad.
Also there needs to be more incentive for pilots to shoot down enemy jets - I honestly ignore them often as they are only worth two points (the toughest 2 in the game). The true hero of a Daging Oilfields map is the guy in the fighter who dogged the incredibly devastating bomber the whole game - yet never got credit for it.
Oh yeah the whole TKing for planes and spawning system is crazy as well - we need some kind of order to this - maybe some kind of queuing system.
My friends get so pissed off by the raping and other flaws (damn is this a gun battle or a gymnastics event?) that they often just disconnect from the game. They will presently not buy the expansion pack and don't play much anymore. One of my buddies was going to house sit for a friend with no internet, he packed up his computer for the weekend hoping to polish up on his flying skills - only to discover you can't even play single player if your not online. Needless to say he was irate (nothing on the packaging says internet connection required to even play).
Thats my two cents - other then that thanks for this great game and some great memories.