Discussion on jet selection system

[iBacon 3]

I'd like to open a discussion on the system which assigns jets. Unless the probabilities have changed since I saw them a few months ago, a pilot must be in something like the top 25% of transporters for it to even be possible to receive a top tier jet. I would link them, but I can't seem to find the page.
I can see why rewarding the diligent team-supporting work of transporting troops should be rewarded, but I would argue that a good number of transport pilots rarely, if ever, fly jets. That means a chunk of that top 25% is occupied by people who don't make use of that reward, pushing everyone else down the list.

And that's before mentioning that for the few hours I am able to play a week, as much as I enjoy transport flying, the role I enjoy most is jets. So no chance of keeping up with the leaderboard, and when I do get a fighter slot then I'm stuck trying to fight off stealth Shikras with a Buzzard. And surely that must be true for other people too.

So what are your thoughts? Could there be an alternative reward for pilots? Could there be better access to higher tier jets for those who only have a short time in which to zoom zoom?

[Tango Yankee 6]

This might be a lot of work for @Fitz but, could implement a system where the transport points are like a store. You transport people to get points then you can buy good/bad jets with those points. Buzzard could be free and the rest all cost, then that way people can get the jets they want.

You could also keep the current transport point scheme just as a leader board so people can still flex how many points they get in a week but, the jets will utilize a different scheme.

[Sterling 87]

Honestly i wish i could just come on and fly CAS because unfortunately these days i dont have alot of time to dedicate to playing this game and i honestly dont want to grind for transport points when i  cant event get the jet or munitions i want so when i do have the time to come on i end up just playing an infantry role even though the team needs effective CAS. And ye honestly the buzzard is not very effective with only 2 AA rockets. Also add a black wasp variant with HARMs   

Maybe rather than having the random requirement of transport score why not have like tiers where if you have like 10 kills on the SPAAG while in CAS or UAV you will use that score to get or buy better jets?

[Turbanator 40]

I think to get better planes for cas, you should get points by taking out planes not transporting people.

[Josh_ua 933]

Here are some of my personal thoughts.

Similar to @Turbanator's suggestion, we could rework the transport points to a more generalised "pilot points". Pilots gain points for transporting players to the AO, stocking the FOB and eliminating targets from any CAS aircraft. I would structure the points something like; 0.5 for lightly armoured vehicles, 1 for heavily armoured vehicles, 1 for helicopters, 1.5 jets.

This would provide those more inclined to the CAS role an opportunity to increase their points from the CAS seat, rather than ferrying players back and forth to the AO. If you're a decent pilot, you could attain 20-30 points even with a Buzzard very quickly. The current arrangement isn't too bad, but I can appreciate where y'all coming from.

Something that could also be tweaked perhaps is how high you have to sit on the leaderboard to get the newer CAS aircraft. A little nerf may go a long way. 

[iBacon 3]

All good suggestions.

In the end I would like to participate in a competitive jet, in the limited time I am able to spend in game. I get that things need to be balanced against other factors, and am very willing to ferry troops for an hour or two to earn my black wasp for the week. But I will never be able to compete with the hardcore transporters, and I don't see what purpose that serves.

How about allocating jets by fixed numbers of pilot points required, instead of by leaderboard position? And maybe more ways to earn those points. They could decay over time.

[Sterling 87]

+1 @Joshua_ Would be a great update

[xGrubx 20]

Why not get rid of CAS altogether? I am yet to see a decent pilot in three years with this server.

Or

Just open it up to anyone regardless of time in the seat or points, cant get any worse. Other than that you are trying to overcomplicate things.

[iBacon 3]

On 10/18/2019 at 7:47 PM, xGrubx said:

Why not get rid of CAS altogether? I am yet to see a decent pilot in three years with this server.

Or

Just open it up to anyone regardless of time in the seat or points, cant get any worse. Other than that you are trying to overcomplicate things.

I can see why you think the system is over-complicated. But striking a good balance between gameplay and team requirements is difficult. I reckon it just wants a few tweaks, just to tone down the competitive aspect. Competing with your own team is never healthy.

Removing CAS would defeat the purpose, don't you think? One quick and dirty solution would be to remove Shikras from enemy CAS - Buzzards have a fighting chance against everything else. Then again, anyone who does get a Black Wasp would go completely unchallenged...

[Matsozetex 89]

On 10/18/2019 at 5:47 PM, xGrubx said:

Why not get rid of CAS altogether? I am yet to see a decent pilot in three years with this server.

Or

Just open it up to anyone regardless of time in the seat or points, cant get any worse. Other than that you are trying to overcomplicate things.

I agree,

The server has been grasping at Helicopter CAS or no CAS + AA jet for a hell of a long time. Currently there is no reason to have CAS, the current enemy setup doesn't support CAS jets being any more effective than a UAV operator. Nor is there any ability for someone who doesn't spend their entire week transporting people to play something other than buzzard.

I'd say to just remove CAS, make the SPAAG spawn more frequent and maybe put some helicopter CAS (guns and rockets) on a time respawn.

That will clarify the roles a bit, UAV operator aims for hard targets, helicopter opts for light vehicles and infantry, the SPAAG aims for aircraft.