Are you trying to tell people how they “should” play the game, what exactly they “should” do to have fun? I’m positive that grinding is loved by many players. It’s not just in WT, mind you. Ever since Ultima Online (the Mother of all MMORPGs), it was discovered that grinding “stats” in a game - can be, and is, good fun for great many people!
This is one more separate problem with this particular rule’s wording, however. “Inactive” word is not clear enough. What exactly is “inactive”? The rule gives just one example of it: being AFK. This is clearly not the case when the player is actively piloting their vehicle in a “running away” manner. Is he inactive when he’s clearly actively steering, using countermeasures, chatting, etc? In my opinion - no, he’s not inactive. In many other player’s opinion - he is. Technically, i.e. by strict meaning of the word? Probably not inactive. Applicably, i.e. how game admins deem it be? Most likely varies from one admin to another (this is my pure guess). In any case, it’s a mess of a rule right here, in this regard.
I did not apply “preconceived circumstances” to it. Those circumstances were given as one actually-happened example to illustrate the general logic, only. There are other, different examples also confirming the logic i used. Which logic, simply put, is this: in general, if someone is avoiding combat for any given length of time - it does not yet mean he’ll keep doing it for the entirety of remaining time in a match, and in many specific kinds of situations, such a temporary combat avoidance - can be, and is often, done to increase the person’s chance to end up winning the match.
That’s why the only undisputable case when “avoiding combat - is wrong” situation - is when someone is doing it from very start of the match, and for the entirety of the match’s duration. Then and only then can we be sure that this person’s goals, ideas and their personal understanding of what is “right” to do in a match - were not involved; that the person simply decided “not to play” the game in any reasonable way.
Let me give you one very different example to illustrate this more. Several weeks ago, i was doing “best squad” wager in air AB, while not being in pre-made squad. Late props BR. In one of games, an AD-2 was assigned to be my squadmate. From the start, he went from spawn point directly to one of enemy bases which was quite far from the middle of the map. I escorted him in my powerful fighter plane, needing to be near him when i get kills, to earn next stage of that “best squad” wager. He then dropped a couple of bombs to that enemy base, which took out less than 20% of that base’ health. And then he remained near that base, doing circles, waiting for his two bombs to respawn on his plane (which is how it works in arcade). He did it again, and again, and again - some 6 or 7 times in total, dropping them onto that base nearly once a minute. Flying circles near it, otherwise. And for all that time, i remained near him, escorting and protecting him. No enemies ever bothered to go after us.
Now, anyone observing this situation from “outside”, not knowing circumstances related to my best squad wager and preferences / skills / abilities / plane modules of that AD-2? Could very easily see us both being inactive near the edge of the map. Partucularly myself - while that AD-2 was bombing, i was literally flying circles 1 km over his head, seemingly “doing nothing” in a fighter.
So you see, such situations and “circumstances” - are all kinds of. Examples i gave - are only provided to explain how it happens in the game in few particular cases, point out relevant details, show involved complexity of it. Not as any “proof”.
Someone above in this discussion offered the option of “let enemies kill you”. How about you stay full open and take THAT option? It keeps you “in combat”, you know. You gotta follow the RULES, you know. No? ;)
In this case, you’re avoiding engagement “now” to possibly achieve other objectives later. May not happen, that “later” - someone else may bomb that base before you can, for example. And then, how do you know that every “running away” guy didn’t plan to do some objectives later, too? Above in this discussion, i described one particular “stratospheric” tactic which does exactly that!
I regularly see people doing stupid things - in life, in WT, in other titles. I mean, all kinds of things - in general. Should i then applaud and support their practical stupidity?
Also, in this specific case, it is actually one revolting thing such players do, when they make such reports. Revolting and insulting. You know why? Because such reports, especially when deemed sound by reviewing personnel, end up limiting “running away guy”‘s freedom to go where they want, when they want, in this game. I mean, take any specific player - anyone - and explain to me, how, exactly, other players’ opinion of that player’s manner of playing should anyhow limit his ability - in however manner and kind of limitation it’d be - to go where that player wants, when he wants it?
Why those other players’ desires are more important that one single player’s desire to “run away”?
Why those other players’ opinion and wish - are respected, but that single guy’s wish - is not?
Nope, this all stinks, to me. Bad logic. Incorrect. And it’s one big part of the problem of that “avoiding combat = inactivity = punishable” logic and system we have in WT, in my very humble opinion.
And how do you know if that “running away” guy had such an intent? Particularly, if he was chased and failed to survive until the point he planned to re-engage? And/or, whether he hoped for a situation when re-engaging could achieve a victory, but that situation never matherialized (for example, he hoped to resume grinding ground units to earn victory by ticket advantage, hoping no enemies would grind any ground units while he’s running away and chatting with them, but some of them did, ruining his hopes and plan for that match)?
There is no telepathy. Sure, quite many “running away” players does not have any such plan - they just avoid combat to stay alive (which by itself is sound strategy to earn RP, to remind you). But equally certain that many “running away” players - have such plans. Some hope to wait until some of chasers go RTB and re-engage remaining ones, then go to enemy air field if they manage to get there and drop the rest. Some hope to win it by “fuel war” - i’ve heard other players using this exact term, mind you. Some rightfully observe their team’s AI strikers are alive and given enough time, could win by ticket lead, if the other team continues to fail to clear those AI strikers. Etc.
So, how do you know what exactly was in that “avoiding combat” player’s head, at the time he did some such avoidance? How do you know what purposes and hopes they had?
Way i see it - you don’t. Nobody can know it with certainty, with just one exception: they avoid combat at all times, all the time, in all matches.
But you just spoke as if it’s possible to know it.
May be you are a telepath. This is no sarcasm - heck, what do i know is only that i am not one. Weird stuff sometimes happens in reality, like quantum theory and such. Maybe telepahy exists, and you’re one of people who can do it. If so, then i would agree that your argument i just quoted - is correct, and my objections to it - are incorrect. But if not so, then i respectfully agree to disagree, if needed.
Cheers.
