This is a question for users who may be more opposed to playing air RB. I find it a bit strange that Ground RB allows for multiple spawns based off of a point system, what if we had a similar system in Air RB? I strongly enjoy the mechanics found within air RB, but often find myself enjoying arcade much more as its very easy to blow 10-15 minutes of flying in arb, just to be killed and sent back to the lobby with nothing. While in arcade, sure I might have a BS death, but I can jump back in and attempt to recoup that loss. How do you guys feel about such changes done? Am I maybe not seeing something about Realistic battles, that this may negatively affect more than the positive effects that could be gained from allowing players multiple spawns?
Yes, I would enjoy and play Air RB more often.
No, I think its fine as it stands.
Nothing could get me to play Air RB, Arcade only for me.
ARB is too small for multiple spawns, spawn camping would become the norm. ARB should remain the single life furball gamemdoe meant for knife fighters. But what is needed is a drop in/out RB EC gamemode with as many respawn as you like. Sim but with RB controls and third person. Would be far better
The main reason why Air RB is popular for dedicated pilots is the “one match - one life” set up. You made a mistake - u are out; it enforces players to learn & to improve if they want to play successful.
This setup prevents (at least in theory) floods of inexperienced & untrained pilots to play a mode they can’t handle and repeat mistakes in (almost) infinite loops without having any relevant impact for their team and the match.
The reality shows that usually 30-50% of players on both teams end up with the 135 points “i got killed” mission score.
The main reason why Air RB is popular within rookie pilots is based on the fact that gaijin transformed Air RB into a pure grinding tool as they created the illusion that learning in order to get better (or to progress) is not necessary - just bomb some bases and you can grind entire tech trees without having any clue of A2A combat.
This multiple spawn idea for Air RB pops up frequently, but from my pov it just creates the illusion that rather inexperienced players (the majority) would have any benefits from that.
Multiple spawns would just create (almost) endless waves of PvE players bombing bases and would provide just more free kills for experienced PvP players…
I don’t want multiple spawns in ARB but it isn’t because I think the mode is fine as it is - It clear as day isn’t. It would simply exacerbate the existing problems.
Multiple spawns would create more issues than it solves, and it would force players to make a lineup.
Some nations would be forced to have a single plane at some BRs, or else they spawn in a lower Br plane for their second spawn. It’ll also make players 1DL often.
Air RB, but with sim EC mechanics and map layout, objective design? I’m down.
Air RB as it currently is, but with arcade style respawn mechanics? No thanks.
My issues that make me not want to play air RB are:
It’s all about whoever can snowball hardest early on and there’s very little space for 1v1/2v2/3v3 duels.
It’s a knife fight in the middle of the map
Playing a more strict BnZ plane is an exercise in frustration as the short match duration and ticket bleed prevent disciplined resets and re-engagements. Furthermore, the snowballing effect excarbarates this (you regularly end up fighting 1vsN where N is greater than 2-3)
Ground RB CAS grind: If I play prop tier USA, I might as well accept that I will be fighting outnumbered as half your team loads their corsairs and jugs with a million bombs and goes base bombing/groundpounding.
The ticket bleed. I don’t mean from players: That’s good, that’s something you’re expected to counter in pvp! I mean the passive one from A.I planes and the like. A.I planes are there to help with stock grinding, you shouldn’t be forced to stop fighting players to avoid a randomly dying to ticket bleed because of ai.
Now, one might think respawning would help with the snowball and CAS grinders since they stay longer in the match. In my experience with ground RB? It would not. The map design/objective does not allow a respawning player to really turn the momentum around. Even in current ARB, if players don’t turn off their “Join match in progress”, they become quickly useless as they fail to apply pressure to the enemy, don’t have time to climb to altitude/position/accelerate to desired speed before their team goes down. The snowballing issue would persist.
What would make me want to play ARB more over just “It gives better rewards than sim so if I want new planes/SL, I play ARB”:
More airfields. Split the 1 big rear airfield into 3-4 airfields spread width-wise along the map. Then enforce a random spawning algorithm that:
Keeps squads together
Otherwise ensures a maximum of 4 planes per airfield (if 3 airfields) or 3 (If 4 airfields)
If there are airspawn planes, try to ensure nobody spawns alone on an airfield and the airspawners are evenly spread out.
Objectives that matter (but don’t get automatically completed) that are spread out evenly across the map to encourage 3vs3 or 4vs4 engagements over a centralized furball.
A lot of prop tier air sim maps aren’t actually much bigger than the classic ARB maps - however, due to the objective design even 16v16 lobbies full of fighters feel far more personal with people more spread out than a giant red/blue blob in the middle of the map. Air supremacy objectives can go crazy and start resembling ARB, but I only noticed this happening if there’s no other objective to lure people away.
What do I mean by objectives that matter? Basically: Winning by groundpounding/destroying precision bomb targets/airfields should be very much a thing and a very real threat. Just… no a.i ticket bleed. Make me lose because of a skilled groundpounder evading interception, not because “oh you ignored a.i to fight enemy players, enjoy your active fight cut short 15 minutes into the match.”
Restrictions on “Fighter-Bombers.” If you queue as a fighter that has a heavy bomb-load, you should only be able to swap to your fighter-bomber role after 10 minutes of match time pass. Corsairs and jugs are amazing ground-strike planes. However, they were never outfitted for such missions before air superiority was achieved. You’re a fighter? Fight! Don’t leave your team in the ditch.
Nation balance based around complementing each other rather than random assignment that can lead to situations of america versus the world and the like. The old historical-like MM (U.S and Britain vs germany & japan/russia) adapted to the new nations should help with improving teamwork: Nations specializing in turnfighting can create space for the bnzers and so forth.
Coincidentally, RB EC would satisfy a lot of that. (yes, EC objectives self-complete but it’s different and also predictable)
I agree that ARB EC would be optimal, but Gaijin for whatever reason seems to be entirely against this as even being something to consider. Honestly the way the game types and objectives are I’d settle for Arcade maps and objectives (and a lineup) with RB controls. Always seemed weird to me that there are two main air modes, one that has multiple objectives and ways to score points to win and requires multiple aircraft roles and thought about where to attack and defend and one that’s just nothing but quick team deathmatch where the map doesn’t even matter and somehow the second one is “realistic.” I dabble in sim but definitely enjoy the fairly sim-lite feel of RB, but I can only play sim or arcade if I want it to be an actual battle with a variety of aircraft represented.