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My opinion on various topics recently emerged in the forum, e.g. fuel and map edges, and on possible future developments of YouPlay Blue Max.
Foreword
I'll write about many ideas, but I'd like to point that, before introducing any change to the standard Blue Max, it should be implemented entirely "as is".
There are a few exceptions on this principle (well, one more if you wish to leave out the blue "pilot Killed").
Standard Blue Max
Fuel
I think that using the optional rule that doubles fuel amount, maybe making it an option at game creation, would be a good idea. It would improve game quality.
On this matter, it has often been stated that it would give Germans an advantage, reducing Allied superior endurance. Let me tell you that, on a simple endurance confrontation, this is not true. Instead, it would give Allied planes more fuel advantage. Let's take a classic example: S.E. 5a vs. Fokker D.VII. Instead of having 52 - 37 = 15 fuel more (that is, at an average speed of 2, 7 moves), the Allied would have 104 - 74 = 30 fuel (15 moves) more.
But the real change, that partly negates this extra advantage, is in the ratio between planes that leave the game for being shot down or for escaping with some section almost at 0 and those who leave because of low or no fuel.More people, apart from those shot down, would run away with a plane full of holes instead of one empty of fuel, and that would make IMO the game more juicy (and bloody  ). Germans wouldn't stick no more to the east side and large maps would be usable. But a stubborn German could still find himself putt-putt-putting in the middle of the map.
In other words, there would be more planes that end the game for reasons other than fuel shortage. At last! 
Target selection and burst length
I'd leave them as they are now, for the simple reason that allowing players to select their targets when possible and to choose between short, medium and long bursts would increase the number of turns (and waits) in a game. Especially in crowded ones, where almost any turn somebody fires at somebody else, would double the number of turns.
Burst lenght wouldn't, IMO, add much to the quality of the game. On the table, people shots mediums most times, longs sometimes to get that extra point they need to have the chance of getting a red, and shorts just when shooting would be useless and they just want to have the "fired at target last turn" bonus on their next turn. That's at last my experience. Not enough to lengthen games to such an amount.
One thing that would be left out in this way would be jams. Without longs you can't jam your gun. That reduces single-gun planes disavantage. But, if you want, jams can creep in from the back door. E.g., any time you shoot you roll: on a 1 you roll a jam die as if you shot a long burst. That would give 1/18 chance of jam, but i could be easily adjusted to, say, 1/9 or 1/36. Or roll 2d6 and jam on a double 1 or double 2 (1/12). And remember that we can use different randomizers, as we aren't using real dice. 
Another factor that risks being left out is jam clearing and Lewis reloading. Sometimes happens that a player has the option of shooting at a target single-gun or clearing/reloading the other gun. These cases being quite rare, maybe the player could be allowed an extra turn to make his choice. Otherwise, it could (e.g.) be set that if the single gun has a chance to hit (fire strength >= 1) the plane automatically fires, otherwise it clears/reloads.
Side thougth: belt-fed guns
In my playing group we used this house rule: belt-fed guns have an ammo limit too. For each gun, a column of Lewis cartridges is simply considered as a single belt, crossing out squares when shooting without need to reload between groups of squares. When all squares are out, "click, click".
I think it would be a nice optional to the game. 
Map edges
Map edges are quite a disturbing feature for many YouPlayers. Apart from the illogicity of the feature (the sky is usually boundless by definition), is the concept of "safety line", cross it and you're safe ath home even with 1/2 points, that doesn't appear to make sense.
In the early days of YouPlay, all borders were imassable, except for one's own home border (east for Germans, west for Allied). But there have been some cases of planes "stuck in a corner", with all possible maneuvers leading out of the map by the wrong side. At first, those games where simply deleted. Then the penalty exit solution was adopted.
Personally, I found the "wresling ring" effect of the closed map edges even worse than how it is now.
A possible solution
I had this idea about it. Simply, enlarge the map  .
1. Use frames on the game screen, splitting it horizontally. On the upper half is the map, on the lower everything else. Frame divisor is mobile, so user can fit map and "control" sections heigth to his tastes. Now the map can be scrolled around indipendently.
2. Keep map width the same as now. Make map heigth BIG, let's say twice the maximum range of a Snipe, assuming planes will start, like it is now, near the vertical centre of this huge map. Make north/south borders impassable. Now the north/south border problem no longer exists. If someone is fool enough to glide to it (because fuel will never last so long), then let him be cornered to his shame and damnation .
3. Assume that if somebody exits from the enemy's side he's deemed shot down (landed behind enemy lines and POW). He gets a death, but nobody gets a kill (this can be discussed of, but I'll stick to the easier option now).
4. The big trouble is now finding where the heck planes are in the map. A self-center routine should be implemented. that is, centering the map on the player's plane every time he enters the page, and centering the map on any possible plane by clicking on the plane bitmap in the lower half of the screen. That is, AFAIK, the only technical difficulty arising.
Of course, all this looks bright and perfect to me , I suppose it isn't  , so any critic and feedback is welcome.
Conclusion (for now)
These are not the only topics of "Standard" Blue Max I wish to discuss with YouPlayers, there is pilot experience and skill, for example. But I think that this is enough for now, I already put, as we say in Italy, "enough meat over the fire".
More will come, both about Blue Max "as is" and about possibilities of making an "advanced Blue Max" with detalied campaign games, better and more of planes, altitude, bank (making Canvas Eagles, after all, but there are some minor points also about it).
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