I've nothad this problem but it sounds like it could be more of a branding ad than a call to action.
I would want a fixed fee for an ad like that.
slotplayer, I have asked this before and there are people who swear by masking - but equally there are several super affiliates who don't mask links, so I'm not convinced. I think you'd need a huge amount of players for testing to be of any value since there are so many factors in play.
I believe Gooner said that he doesn't open aff links in new windows either - clearly most people use target="_blank", but then I reckon 95% of us make less money than Gooner
Interested in quality, relevant link exchanges and deals, especially with UK sites.