Hi there,
I'm working hard to implement all major changes I want for version 4.5. In the process I have to do things by stages.

1) The ranking system should work now. You can check the top players. It's also updated much much faster thanks to Microsoft Azure. You should see the ranking updating practically real time.

2) Many people still abuse the poor noobs that join to play. This is bad, not only because they can get banned but because they provoke that new players give up on joining the game. I've personally seen ranks 1 joining the game for the first time while ranks 30 destroy them over and over until the poor guys just give up and drop out. So, I've decided to divide the game zones by ranking. I may adjust it better, but for now, if you are rank 12 or higher, you'll go into different areas than rank 11 and lower. At least they new pilots will have some room. Depending how it goes, I may move the border to rank 5 instead of 12, since at rank 5 most people already know how to play.

3) Report system. On version 4.4.29 which should be out fairly soon, you will be able to pick any player on the player list and see their info. From there you can also report this person. Meaning, you don't need to come here with a screenshot, you can actually just report abuses from the game and we'll get a notification with the chat and all. This should help make it easy to report abusers. Also, in the near future (4.5 hopefully), on this screen you will be able to add them to your friend list or invite them to your squadron.

4) No more temporary points. You know how you have to parachute to safety, or land and stuff before your experience is actually saved? Well, it was very confusing to many people so I decided to remove it. Now points you get, are points that stay with you.

Hope you like the changes.

Wow! These sound like great additions to the game! Excellent ideas! Thank you!

Wow that sounds awesome!

Zup. What about for coaching the new guys, who will referred them to the forum? I think it is a great Idea but those are my concerns. When I come across with a rookie I try to break the ice by saying hi rookie. Then they open up and have all this questions. Some times they don't even know what to do.

Sounds really good Zup.

Nachoo wrote:

What about for coaching the new guys, who will referred them to the forum?

Do you want a "Tutor Division" who would be allowed to fly with the noobs?

I think level 11's can coach new players with great expertise. Maybe better than 20's, since they still understand what it's like to have been a fresh new player in a low level plane.
M

You need to lower the rank.Lots of noobs ask questions like "what do i do?"they dont understand the maps,how to chute and fire.noobs with noobs will be a disorientated free for all mess of team killing

It would be great to learn things earlier. It took me 7000 kills before i learned what a hanger looked like. I was bombing the buildngs. I just recently found out that you have to land safely in a chute to keep your points.

I think it need sot be a lower ranking separation also. We like to see potential squad recruits as they move up through the ranks. Waiting until tank 12 to play with somebody the first time is too late. But it's a good idea.

The reporting function sounds nice too.

Thanks Z!

zuperman wrote: Hi there,
I'm working hard to implement all major changes I want for version 4.5. In the process I have to do things by stages.

1) The ranking system should work now. You can check the top players. It's also updated much much faster thanks to Microsoft Azure. You should see the ranking updating practically real time.

2) Many people still abuse the poor noobs that join to play. This is bad, not only because they can get banned but because they provoke that new players give up on joining the game. I've personally seen ranks 1 joining the game for the first time while ranks 30 destroy them over and over until the poor guys just give up and drop out. So, I've decided to divide the game zones by ranking. I may adjust it better, but for now, if you are rank 12 or higher, you'll go into different areas than rank 11 and lower. At least they new pilots will have some room. Depending how it goes, I may move the border to rank 5 instead of 12, since at rank 5 most people already know how to play.


We might quibble about which ranks to exclude/include, but great ideas Z. Just a reminder: please try to build in the option to drop the smok/fire graphics that slow down the iPad I so disastrously. Thanks.

Great ideas Zup !

Id like to help coach noobs. Is there a way to allow higher ranks into the rookie server with only blanks? A "coach" could only gain points if their team wins.

McFate wrote: Great ideas Zup !

Id like to help coach noobs. Is there a way to allow higher ranks into the rookie server with only blanks? A "coach" could only gain points if their team wins.

I like this, that's a good idea!!!!

Utah70 wrote:

McFate wrote: Great ideas Zup !

Id like to help coach noobs. Is there a way to allow higher ranks into the rookie server with only blanks? A "coach" could only gain points if their team wins.

I like this, that's a good idea!!!!

That is a super idea!
Manfred

Zup....having a bit of problems with control last couple of weeks....plane stalls and crashes using android tablet toshiba if th at helps.....thanks john

I've been giving aspirant's free kill's lately especially in Dogfight game's.... Problem is I've been told to stop making it easy for them and one individual kept trying to shoot me down and the noob's also......Pissed me off.......You know who you are......

Edit: Hey Zup, Allow me into the lower ranked game's with no ammo....... If that's possible....Give's them bragging right's for shooting down a black and white plane....

I understand that it's a protection measure (pity it needs to come to this), but it may also mean that when players make the jump to the major league they will find it hard to adjust to the new standard (become noobs again).

Maybe it would have been easier for very low level rank pilots to recieve 6 shots to take downs as apposed to the one single shot that takes down the black-n-white what is called the hunt for zebras.

Folks it is a good ideal because there are many here of higher ranks that gang rape these new players on the runway and anywhere else they find them. This is not right or fare, yes we all went thought it to and THATS probably why theres still not that many of us playing the game full time. I've worked with many of them trying to teach them how to land on carriers and even on runways only to have a high ranker join in and shoot them up till they leave and I never see them again. They enjoy this game just as we do but are being run off before they develop a commitment to it. I say yes this is a good ideal and I beleave it will work.

This is a good idea, but now I'm not gonna be able to play with my lower rank friends?

Aaaand dxp..... bad idea, very bad

Thanks for all your work zup. I want you to know that my intention is not to criticise or add to your work load. I have no idea how complicated it is to make changes to the game. I'm only making suggestions that I think might make it more enjoyable to all players.

That said;
There is one practice level where you are supposed to protect a slow cargo plane (or is it a bomber?) Could that plane be flown by veterans and the attackers/defenders be noobs?
That would be a great coaching vantage point. The cargo plane has a fairly high number of hit points.
Maybe give the cargo plane a gun with the abilities of a parachutist rifle? How about turrets that can be targets?

Dang! That could be fun in games open to everyone.

How about a training area where only first 5 rank's can have ammo.... all other's none... I'd join to help out, Lot's of work I guess.... probably a bad Idea....

Two quick notes:
Version 4.4.29 will allow you to hide the smoke/explosions on the graphics setting. So it should fix all those slow ipad 1.

Also, I just added this to the original post:
4) No more temporary points. You know how you have to parachute to safety, or land and stuff before your experience is actually saved? Well, it was very confusing to many people so I decided to remove it. Now points you get, are points that stay with you.

Z, can I get a clarification on the temporary points change? Will you still lose points for being shot down or crashing? I kind of liked the temporary points system, but this is probably better. I still like the idea of a penalty for getting shot down...

Edit: I mean a set number of points per death... 50 I think it is. I understand that you will no longer lose all of your points from the current run.

I started today with over 3000+ to my next level up. After each game I have less points than when I started the previous game. When you fly like I do you can't afford to lose any. I just finished a game I started with 250 points and finished with 201. I 'll be a noob soon if this keeps up.

T.R. wrote: I started today with over 3000+ to my next level up. After each game I have less points than when I started the previous game. When you fly like I do you can't afford to lose any. I just finished a game I started with 250 points and finished with 201. I 'll be a noob soon if this keeps up.

I have never checked it out to see how many deducts there are but gettin shot down I believe subs points. I was in a game with you today. Way to hang in there you have spirit. I like that. Welcome to the forum.

Edit: when I started the game i was 15,000 in the hole at one time.

Thanks Blue Max. It's getting worse every time though. Just jumped into a game that was almost over. Shot down one plane head to head, ans was shot down at the same time by them. Game ended and I had 100 less points.

Zup, please, how hard is to develop an algorythm to make the server define in a more balanced way the distribution of the players on the two teams?
(Geez, this message is geting hard to write, I can't find the correct way to write it in English, so here it goes again: my request aims to avoid unbalanced teams; It is not reasonable to see the server accept players one after another ariving always on one side!!! Last week I was in a game with 7 blues, no reds during the entire mission!!! I bombed 6 hangars, another teammate bombed the other two, and I didn't shot a single bullet!!!!!!!!!).
Sorry, this is a very old request, and I am not the only one that complained, please, consider this in the next update!

harder that it may look like using the current system. I'm working on a better implementation already.

T.R. wrote: I started today with over 3000+ to my next level up. After each game I have less points than when I started the previous game. When you fly like I do you can't afford to lose any. I just finished a game I started with 250 points and finished with 201. I 'll be a noob soon if this keeps up.

When I started, I used to get shot down a LOT (just look at my deads stats), think my worst game was 40+ deads in a single game including 8or9 straight-off spawnkills in a row from a carrier That was very disheartening for me and I nearly packed it in completely!

But even I started to get better. It seems quite tough now, and indeed it is but if it was too easy, would it be such an enjoyable game?

All I can add is hang in there and try and get a few points by hangar bombing (sneaking in around the back is a good one but doesn't always work) and stick with the games until the end if you can as you will win some that way. You just need more practice !

Checked the forum... Saw this.... All great, except #2. Playing with advanced players helps teach them. There should be an OPTION for a beginners server, it shouldn't be mandatory.


See you this summer, miss you all!