Exodus?

[Fatty]

An increase in total players, resulting in an increase in the percentage of online players above a static arbitrary rank, would be the norm even if no one ever left.

At any rate, I don't see any reason for people to stay when they don't want to, it does more harm than good.  I'd prefer if the most vocal of the unhappy went ahead and found something they enjoy instead.

If they find competition not as good as expected then they may come back happy to have AH.  If they don't, well at least we won't have to listen to them anymore.

Finally, Hang is a pansy and is singlehandedly responsible for the ruined reputation of a once proud and belligerant group.  My god even New Zealand mocks us now.

[Jekyll]

Churn is good for any organisation - it provides excellent feedback to developers and helps identify opportunities for the future.  It will always be normal for people to leave:  often they will tend to leave shortly after a new release.

If all AW customers had been satisfied, there would have been no Warbirds.  If all Warbirds customers had been satisfied, there would have been no Aces High.  If all AH customers had been satisfied, there would have been no WW2OL or Target Korea\Target Rabaul.

There is a natural progression between 'game' and 'simulation', and (all other things being equal) players tend towards the 'simulation' end of the spectrum.  The good thing about that is that it drags, kicking and screaming, the 'game' end along with it.

In 2 years you will not recognise Aces High.  All the things that have been posted about ad nauseam (icons, planesets, gunnery) will probably have changed dramatically.  That can only be a good thing, and will always be a necessary response as the simulation 'bar' is raised higher and higher by competitors.

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Jekyll
"Anything else is just a game"

[MANDOBLE]

IMO, AH could be one of two things:
A flight sim of WWII era planes or a WWII flight sim. These two concepts are radically different. For new people (just learing for two or three weeks) and people with very little time to play, the first concept is more than enought, you enter the game, pick up a Spit, have some fast dogfights and log off. But for the hardcore WWII aerial war fans that is not enough at all, as time pases, they'll get bored.
Actually, the MA is just like a multiplayer Quake game: you long into the game and you do whatever you want, mainly look for enemies to shoot down, and fly or drive whatever you want. Obviously, this system doesnt create a real and inmersive WWII atmosphere. Organization, coordination and limitations are key factors to achieve this goal, and the players alone are not going to handle well those factors.

[StSanta]

Hm, well, my squad has had three veterans leave in very short order; Jekyll, Kirin and Habicht.

For an historic squad like 9./JG 54, Aces High hasn't really been a suitable sim. It doesn't provide (more than scenarios and snapshots) the WWII feeling. N1k's and Spitfires flying with and against other N1k's and Spits, with a few odd german planes thrown in.

Not to be too harsh, but it does seem to be Quake All vs All, but with a very high fidelity flight model.

I.e, the basic concept, the MA, is almost identical to what one can find on most team oriented quake servers. The difference being that you fly instead of run, and that the BFG is called "Hispano" here.

So, you got excellent flight models, good graphics and all the basics for a very cool sim. And it is that. but for a squad full of people who're interested in the *historical* aspect of WWII air war, it is sorely lacking. That's why I think we see the migration of experienced sticks from Aces High (that and normal burnout).

Aces High will have to adapt to meet the new competition; if WWIIOL falls down dead, there's still target korea, and it's similar to Aces high except it'll have historical sides vs each other and offer more extensive damage modelling, engine management and so forth. I'm sure that AH *will* adapt, and when it does, some of the old sticks will return again to wreck havoc.

Unless, of course, AH will be in the Quake Furball all vs all niche, and have "specialization" as a basic business philosophy - i.e "since the others provide history, we provide furballin'".

We'll see. I do hope the competition HTC is facing will make them take steps that are more in line with MY PERSONAL likings  .

To each his own  .

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Von Santa
Staffelkapitän 9./JG 54 "Grünherz"
"If you return from a mission with a victory, but without your Rottenflieger, you have lost your battle."
- D. Hrabak, JG 54 "Grünherz"

[Ripsnort]

I think Funked said it best about online flight sims in general, to the song "Hotel California":
"You can check out anytime you'd like, but you can never leave..."

[AKDejaVu]

 http://bbs.hitechcreations.com/smf/Smileys/default/Forum1/HTML/003556.html  

LOL! Check out the date on the post.

This is the typical month of May in on-line sims.

AKDejaVu

[This message has been edited by AKDejaVu (edited 05-31-2001).]

[Staga]

DejaVu this time there will be serious competition with little different game structure which could be more interesting for some players. Last summer there were no noticeable competitors so ppl still came back to AH.
Lets see what happens this summer  

[Nash]

Zactly Deja... Like clockwork.

[Jochen]

Staga, there is only more competition and choices if one wish to spend whole summer as beta tester collecting logs and reporting bugs  

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jochen / Gefechtsverband Kowalewski

Units: I. and II./KG 51, II. and III./KG 76, NSGr 1, NSGr 2, NSGr 20.
Planes: Do 17Z, Ju 87D, Ju 88A, He 111H, Ar 234A, Me 410A, Me 262A, Fw 190A, Fw 190F, Fw 190G.

Sieg oder bolschevismus!

[MadBirdCZ]

Talking about boredom in my case is irelevant. I play AH for about a year now (although actively I do play only for a few months) and probably because of that I still find AH very thrilling and exciting to play. Probably I wont get bored until a becoma an 'ace' pilot (and trust me I have stil a loooooong way to go  ). To becoma an ace is my goal because I have  some unfinished unfinished bussiness with those nits and rooks LW guys    (I dont know why but everytime I take off.. zillions of red (nit or rook) dots appear all around me (all is of course just LW metal) and they start to chase me a big time... Those guys must really fear of our spits when they need 10+ LW planes to hunt down one lonely spit 5 or 9  )


 

Originally posted by Nomde:


..Death to the Luftwabble hords..  

  yes kill them All... Let god sort them out  


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MBirdCZ
CO of Sudden Death Squadron

[Mighty1]

I quit about a month ago(not that anyone has noticed) not because of AH or the people but because it's summer and I need to get out and enjoy it.

I didn't make a big deal out of it because I knew I would be back. Just don't know when.

I think there are a lot of guys like me that will be back in the fall when things start cooling off and the girls start wearing cloths again.

[Wlfgng]

The game is "STAGNATING" ???!!!!!

uh.. yeah right.
Show me another sim that updates half as often as AH.  

Some people are getting pretty spoiled if you ask me.  They'll be back.

[lazs]

Well... been doing this for a few years now and i gotta say that every spring the numbers online drop.   It seems odd to me that they don't drop more than they do!

mandoble and stsanta...I also find it fun that the LW guys turn everything into "we need historical fights or no one will fly our planes including us" They are of course right.  If you are so ridgid that you fly only LW planes you will never enjoy a WWII ac simulation.   the LW planes are not that fun.   Fighting them is not much fun.   They will do in a pinch but variety and ACM go right into the toilet.  You can sneak up or you can climb/accelerate away and thats about it in the MA.   With "historical" sets the strength of "swarms" of good climbing planes become apparent.   They can also usually outrun the enemy.   Add the pacific planes and you have planes that will outturn and run down the runners.   Look at WB WWII arena for a lesson in the sheer mind numbing boredom and predictability of such a setup.  With only a few planes to come up against and only a few to aide the fight... very little skill in plane tactics is needed.  you can settle ino the comfortable predictability of only having to identify a couple of FM's and act accordingly.   Any slight FM bug is magnified 10 fold and is much more frustrating in an "historic" arena.
lazs

[This message has been edited by lazs (edited 05-31-2001).]

[Sunchaser]

Thanks all.

First for keeping the topic civil and second for giving me, and perhaps others something to think about.

My problem may be that, unlike many who play online games, I am one dimensional.

WWII aircraft and specifically Strategic Bombing is a hobby for me rather than a sometime diversion so I expect too much too soon I guess.

My statement regarding stagnation was not directed at the progress or quality of additions but more to the slow development of strategic options in the main arena.

If Aces High remains my primary online focus I will just find about a dozen or so guys who log in to fly 95% US bombers and become the scourge of the FDB homeland.

Hangtime, you are right about the people being a part of the interest, wondering just what those FDBs will do next is worth part of the fee.

Pyro, Thank You.




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When did they put this thing in here and WTF is it for?

[Pollock]

Sun,

You must rate with the creator to get him to reply on your post.  I truly miss flying with ya bud.  I agree the game tempo is changing to more of gaming feel vs a true WW2 simulation.  A salvation for me has been my squad "56th fighter group" We keep our tactics fun and try to be strategic.  If you come back in make a mikssion with the Mad Bombers if they still exist, we will escort ya anytime.