Open Letter as sent to Hitech (from me, a Bishop)

[mars01]

I find it funny how just after the Rooks reset with the Eny thing and the numbers people are still crying about it being too hard to play offensively.

I didn't care about the hordes, I don't care about this ENY thing, and I could care less if it took more bombs to kill things.  All these things mean that there is going to be more fighting, more bombing and more chances to mix it up.  You guys talk of skill and then cry when HTC makes this game more challenging.  I don't get that.

It seems to me many people want a game with easy base captures and little fighting with a big race to the reset.  zZZZZZZzzzz.

I think anything that HTC does to put the emphasis on the fight is much needed, there are too many timid players as it is.

And you guys writing the novels zzZZZZzz you must love to hear yourself talk lol.

[KurtVW]

Originally posted by Dead Man Flying
I can't speak for HTC, but if this were my company and someone posted what KurtVW just did, I'd find it insulting and condescending.

Just saying.

-- Todd/Leviathn

Last response from me, I gotta go to work...

The truth is insulting?  People make their own decision to be insulted.  You can't ram it down their throats.  I am sure that HiTech is mature enough to read my thoughts at face value.

Condescending?  As in - It appears I am talking down to him?  I'm afraid you've simply read it in the wrong tone.  I have the utmost respect.  But the cold hard reality is that changes like those are going to erode the purity of the game.

I don't candy coat my thoughts much, ask my squadies... Ask my boss.  I'm a technical person, not a salesman (similar to HT I suspect).  I know that I respond to facts, not candy coated sweet-talk.  And I deliver facts, not candy coated sweet-talk.

Sorry you were offended Todd.  But you're not the recipient anyhow.

[Edbert]

Originally posted by SCDR
Ahh yes, to be 16 with no wife or kids AND no bills.
You still live with your parent(s), you have no bills. Think it
thru.
Dude, ya gotta look at the big picture not just a few pixles.

Cut the kid some slack will ya. When I was 16 it was all I could do with my $3.35/hour job to afford to put gas in my car and take my girl out for a movie and fast food. I was even supplementing my income by mowing lawns. All, as you say, without bills. I cannot imagine having been able to scrape up a grand for some computer game. Although now that I think about it I probably put that many quarters into the Ateroids machine

[Redd]

Originally posted by mars01
I find it funny how just after the Rooks reset with the Eny thing and the numbers people are still crying about it being too hard to play offensively.

I didn't care about the hordes, I don't care about this ENY thing, and I could care less if it took more bombs to kill things.  All these things mean that there is going to be more fighting, more bombing and more chances to mix it up.  You guys talk of skill and then cry when HTC makes this game more challenging.  I don't get that.

It seems to me many people want a game with easy base captures and little fighting with a big race to the reset.  zZZZZZZzzzz.

I think anything that HTC does to put the emphasis on the fight is much needed, there are too many timid players as it is.

And you guys writing the novels zzZZZZzz you must love to hear yourself talk lol.

there's only 2 things that bug me in the game right now

lack of plane variety , and the heavy usage of the same 4 late war planes

too much overall timidness/lack of fighting in the arenas

I don't blame HTC for either of them, it's the player base that makes those choices

[SlapShot]

I love how people assume that HiTech buckles under pressure.

How long has HT and Pyro been doing this ? Does anybody else that participates in this forum have the skill and experience that these (HTC) guys have in the Air Sim MMOG business ? If not, then what makes you think that you can advise these guys on what is best for their game and their business.

I too am a software developer and I wouldn't, for a second, be presumptious enough to tell HiTech how or what to do with his code/game. If he was writing a web-based java Expense Reporting System, then I would probably have some good input, but just because I too write code, does not make me an expert in writing a game.

Have any of you ever met HiTech ? I did at last years con, and I had the pleasure of talking with him for an extended period of time on multiple occasions.

What I took from these conversations is that HiTech has the perfect character makeup for this business. His coding abilities speak for themselves but at the same time, he is confident, arrogant, and at the same time "all ears".

I don't think for one second that HiTech and HTC make any changes on a "whim" or bend over to appease the so-called "whiners". If anything, I would think that "whiners" turn HiTech off. I believe, if HiTech makes a change, then he himself has to be really convinced that the change is needed.

Now, HiTech can, and maybe back out this ENY disabler, but that too would only come about if he is totally convinced that it needs to be changed. It won't be because the "whiners" against the ENY disabler have swayed him. It will be because he thinks it's right.

I am with Oct and Arlo ... the orginal post is condecending, insulting, and smacks of "I know your business better than you".

[KurtVW]

Originally posted by SlapShot
How long has HT and Pyro been doing this ? Does anybody else that participates in this forum have the skill and experience that these (HTC) guys have in the Air Sim MMOG business ? If not, then what makes you think that you can advise these guys on what is best for their game and their business.

Dang it, one more..

Look, they are successful because their ears and eyes are open.  They clearly do listen to the customers opinion.

Sorry YOU don't like my tone of voice.  Its my thoughts submitted for all to have a look at.  

"Telling them how to run their business"?

Telling them my thoughts on it.  Nothing more.

[AWCHKRS]

Deleted for flame.

[flakbait]

Excellent posts kurt and MOIL!

MOIL,
I find myself thinking the same thing repeatedly as I stare at a nearly-complete pile of new computer parts. AH2, from a playability stand-point, is almost not playable. The processor load is far too high, and the graphics aren't any better than the original. Many moons ago HT spoke of full-blown particle effects, bridges, searchlights, flares, dynamic lighting, and many other "neat stuff" features we would eventually be playing with. "Eventually" being the key word. With Il-2, OFP, UT2k4, and many others readily surpassing AH2 in the visuals and load departments, it makes one wonder. The AH processor load didn't blow up until AH2 came along. I remember many Betas where it was unplayable because even guys on hot-rod rigs were getting 2FPS. It hasn't improved much since then.

Thus far my new computer investment totals some $1,700 with another couple hundred left to spend. This is for a completely new rig from the mouse up. And it won't be seeing AH2. AH, as a game, is very stagnet. The gameplay and graphics have hardly changed in the past six years. Most of the concepts and gameplay extras like strat haven't changed in functionality since WB 2. The only things new AH2 has is the interface, prettier planes, and an FR in the basement from a terrible CPU load. Neither AH nor AH2 are all that hard on graphics cards. What's worse, it's over a year behind schedule. There are definite advantages to having a small shop, but there are also signs when it needs to expand. Adding a second programmer would speed things up considerably. Three years ago, AH was small enough that a sole programmer (HT) could handle and implement everything in a semi-timely manner. With ToD on the "what if" list, a slew of additions that are (still) not implemented yet, and the sheer size AH2 has grown to, more attention is needed than a single person can give it.



-----------------------
Flakbait [Delta6]

[Zazen13]

Originally posted by Redd
lol , least I found my cure for insomnia , got 1/4 the way through that

There is some great medication out there that treats Adult Onset of Attention Deficit Disorder. Talk to your physician about it.

Zazen

[scott123]

I just want to say I agree with everything Kurt says,well done Kurt.

[Zazen13]

Originally posted by ghostdancer
Also stop and think for a second. The bishops and knights are able to field 15-170 pilots at times on weeknights. On sunday they don't .. on monday they do. Its a conscious decision to avoid sundays. Programming code will not change this in a major way. You are dealing with human behavior here and can not program people to behave differently.

You can however, keep putting things in place that will end up driving people away from the game.

Exactly Ghost, this is the core of the truth of it. How this is not plainly obvious to HTC is incomprehensible.

Zazen

[ROC]

Nice post Kurt.

[Chortle]

Exactly Ghost, this is the core of the truth of it. How this is not plainly obvious to HTC is incomprehensible.

Zazen, I must admit to having a grudging respect for you but replies like that dont do you any favours. You seem to relish in the English language yet make clearly antagonistic remarks directed at HT, in support of whatever point your making at the time.

Those of us without Zen like inner calm are likely to interpret this post simply as HTC are idiots.

Anyway, my advice is give it time. The fact that bish/nits are not showing up on Sundays to be willing targets is to me the most damning example of un-even sides ruining peoples fun. If nothing were changed, maybe these same bish/nits would eventually cancel their accounts. That cant be good.

[peterg2]

Originally posted by SlapShot
I am with Oct and Arlo ... the orginal post is condecending, insulting, and smacks of "I know your business better than you".

Kurt is just stating the facts as he sees it. Just about everyone on this thread agrees with those facts.

How you read "condescending... I know your business better than you" from the original post is your added interpretation. The author of the original post did not write any of those words.

[Flayed1]

I have no heart for the guys who computers cant handle it. Hey I paid money why cant you. And I am 16!. Still going to school.

I know this was pretty far back in the thread but IMOP that was a pretty ignerant thing to say Jetb.
 I did manage to scrape togeather the money to upgrade enuf to be able to play AH2 but I do feel for the guys who have trouble geting the cash. I have a wife and 4 kids the oldest is in 1st grade and the second just started school, so theres the money out for their school things and not to mention the other bills that come with being an adult .
  I'm shure I've said some dumb things when I was a teen, well hell I've said some  things I'm not proud of even after I moved out on my own as I'm shure we all have from time to time.
 I guess what it all comes down to is think about things some befor you say them or type them as the case may be and maybe when you get a wife and kids and the responsibilities that come with them you will find your heart.
  Jet I think your a good guy, Ive flown with you from time to time so I hope you don't take this as a flame I'm just trying to give some advice so no hard fealings I hope.

 Well sorry guys I wasn't trying to hijack the thread I just felt strongly about this and had to unload.

  See ya in the air.