Alert Starts. Faction that controls most of the map at the start gets pushed. Normally NC or TR. 30 minutes in. Territory starts to come closer to even as Main faction gets pushed. 1 Hour in. VS continues to attack while slow side capping a few of 2nd faction bases to get a lead over them if last. Less than 1 hour. VS pulls ahead while other other faction that wasn't winning keeps pushing the other non VS. Mostly the lovely TR outfits (Not pointing fingers) pushing NC. VS wins. Rinse repeat daily. P.S. The RARE occasion NC or TR is happy realizes VS wins too much and go for 2nd place or a draw the VS loses. K thanks bye.
If the Emerald NC or TR don't fight the VS they might as well switch continents and not bother with alerts, if you don't sort out the minor hacks, ditto.
Playing from the CST time zone, I find that the TR / NC typically win during the morning / afternoon hours, and VS cleans up in the 5-6pm+ time slot, once work / school lets out. Last weekend, the VS got stomped into paste, last night, the VS baaaaarely eeked out a win by 1% at the last second. It has a great deal to do with territory control at the start of the alert - whoever has 40%+ is usually going to get stomped on by both factions for at least an hour, after which morale is low, and half the blueshirts have left the continent for less obnoxious odds. From there, the dedicated platoons are left playing frantic defense, while the other two factions complain about other factions teaming up on them.
I remember the TR defending Mekala on Amerish with nearly their full faction pop and crying about "NC only fighting them" (we had the NE warpgate). Before that alert was over VS took both their tech plants and nearly had them warpgated. They never responded to the VS push. That was months ago. Yesterday the VS are pushing NC and TR is already pushed in. TR of course make a B-line to Sungrey amp with NC in the NE. Their biggest pop fight. Esamir alert, TR pushing full enthusiasm at NC's Ymir and thus guaranteed a VS win. I like to pretend I'm all three factions when playing an alert. Thus I know what VS will do, I know what NC will do, and if you bang your head on the desk hard enough and take a shot, you might guess what TR will do. TR and NC are more equal in BR and weapons. And I get that many find it more fun to fight similar opponents. But it just shouldn't be that difficult of a calculation to want to hit the faction that has most of your territory when the other faction is fighting them with enthusiasm too.
You think I should stop what I'm doing just to participate for bragging rights? WHY? For what purpose would I allow the game to dictate where and when I should play? It surely isn't for the many benefits you get for being involved which by the way are almost none. Bragging rights is about it. You may find the value in that. I for one have no interest.
No, I realize there are a large number that could care less (or claim to care less) about alerts and play for whatever other reason they play. I go off and do my own thing at times too. It only annoys me if they are also the same people that complain about their faction's performance in alerts.
Actually I find this very false on Emerald. DaPP and like outfits tend to zerg in the mornings and late nights to ghost cap continents or just outnumber pubs defense. As for daytime alerts, I play all 3 factions and what I explained has been true for such a long time. Here's a fact a lot of people dismiss during alerts. VS isn't always the highest pop, but tend to win the most. Not to strategy. Not to having a super OP arsenal. But to the "special tactics" of a few of TR outfits. I won't excuse a few NC outfits for the same derpiness but they rarely show up to fight in Alerts. They'll go to another continent normally. TR is consistently lowest pop. (or has been for a while). NC usually is tied with VS for pop numbers, but can go either way. So you wonder why VS wins a lot? TR tunnel visions bases on the NC front and tries to constantly attack. I've seen 2 of the biggest TR outfits never leave the NC side for whole alerts while getting stomped by VS. Winning an alert with 40%+ territory should never happen. But it's commonplace for the VS as they push NC off while TR assists. Some of the time NC does push TR a tad hard just like any pub zerg would. But once VS pulls ahead like in my example, the TR ignores VS and keeps pushing NC while the VS reaches 40%+ territory. Sit through a whole alert and watch it happen. Grab popcorn and tab while watching a movie. Just as entertaining.
Seems a lot of people who have responded so far are forgetting the importance of the fun factor. I can't hold it against the Emerald TR or even the Emerald NC for fighting each other more than VS. If VS is constantly taking territory all the while TR are fighting NC more than VS, indeed if they actively IGNORE VS, then that tells you something about their priorities, and likely why. If NC has more people fighting the TR even as TR has almost all their population fighting the NC - a population that is inferior to the NC one most of the time according to some here - then those NC would rather fight TR in the face of VS leading by a massive margin. Ultimately, neither seem very willing to fight VS, and go out of their way to NOT DO SO. Why would that be? Why so many who categorically refuse to even deal with the VS, to the point where they ignore the map? It's all well and good to say that the TR leaders are just to ignorant or touched in the head or whatever to read their maps and see what's happening, that shifts the blame onto them solely. If I know anything about Emerald I know it's an American server. Americans are people to, like me. People like me like to have fun. I find fighting VS to be un-fun, anti-fun, anathema to fun, in many ways, and unless I HAVE TO, I will even try to avoid them. I can't help but notice that there are so many other NC and TR players around who do the same thing. They avoid VS. They don't fight VS. It's all good to have equal pop with the VS, but if half your pop would rather fight the TR because ALL OF THEM are in your base breathing down your neck because they would rather do that than humor the VS zergers and so on, then you only really have half the VS numbers. All this is a self-reinforcing loop, a vicious circle: People don't want to fight VS - VS win more - they gain more - fighting them is even harder - less people want to fight them - they win even more - even less people fight them. End of the day only VS lose from this. The TR and NC clearly have more fun with each other, to the point where they will put aside winning the alert to focus on having fun with each other and flip Vanu the bird, leaving them to gather their hollow victories, ignored and frozen out by the majority of their opponents. The only way to break this? Either all NC and TR have to focus on each other and leave the VS completely alone to rot in solitude, forcing the VS to change or be changed, or all of them have to get to the point where fighting VS is fun again, so they have a reason to do so. That requires mending what makes the VS un-fun to fight. How do we do that?
Because that's where the fights are and ghost capping an empty continent because it's not on alert is boring maybe? Well... for most of us it is anyways. That's why we stick it out on alert cont even if losing. Just want to fight FFS. bonus XP doesn't hurt either... particularly will all those targets to shoot
I don't think it's much of an empire thing honestly. I mean, I know how much a lancer squad sucks... (I do play TR and NC. My TR and VS playtime are almost equal) and there was ZOE of course for several months... but that's about it in my personal experience. LOTS of people complained about PPA, but that wasn't really the heart of the problem. The problem is the players, the outfits, how they operate. I don't know about Connery VS from TR/NC perspective (My VS is Connery, other 2 now on Emerald though they started on diff servers) but on Emerald VS are a PITA to fight. They're really good at controlling the map and moving as large units quickly and efficiently. Taking or holding territory against them is very difficult. The problem has only compounded over time as good TR & NC 'fits and leaders have given up, while yet others jumped ship to join the more coordinated faction. On a per player basis, I see much higher BR's on avg on VS than TR/NC. Sure, TR and NC still have their holdouts, good outfits, and strong players, but they've reduced in size and quantity while the VS have not, or even grew. Connery seems much more even in my experience. Each of the factions have their aces you'll see in various battles, but not a strong concentration. There are near equal zergfits on each faction, and smaller more coordinated ones. On the whole, I feel like Connery is less organized than Emerald, but in some ways... a good way. In any case, I think, or at least HOPE, that this new mercenary black ops "faction" will help balance out population issues... as IMO that's really the heart and core of the problem. Oh, and TR need a couple fixes like Fractures, and what's on PTS for Strikers to hurry up and get pushed through (may need more, but it's a good start)
lol, whine thread number 9000, leave whatever TR/NC ****fit your in and do something to help out in these alerts /rant
Specify "empty"? You assume the other continents are devoid of other players. I can assure you they are not. I haven't had a problem finding fights and ghost capping is not my thing. However, as a player you have to make the choice how best to serve your faction and your friends. I'm not sure an added body count to farm is a productive exercise of my time either. Perhaps it may serve as a clarion call for those who only glory in cert gain but for little ole' me I'm happy and content to find some good small fights far away from the hustle and bustle. If playing the Alerts gives you enjoyment then I wish you well Ronin Oni. May the wind always be at your back.
