Warbirds III

[DipStick]

CT is a rolling planeset / historical matchup arena and it's always empty or close to it. Why don't all you guys fly there all the time???

Flew WB a few years ago for a couple of months. Was not impressed.

[uberhun]

Thank you all for your responses.
It sounds like "TOD" will meet the criterias that are currently lacking in AHII
and emmulate the ones that were existent in warbirdsII.

[Slash27]

Originally posted by gatt

Its strange how many players feel like fishes out of the water without their late war monsters. Many of those players dont like 1940-43 scenarios for the same reasons. And those scenarios are the most interesting becouse they are *balanced*. But they require skills. At least on the allied side.

Do you honestly believe that if I  beat you in a late war ride that I cant hand you your bellybutton in an early war ride?  What makes you think you have real "skills" because you fly 1940-43 rides? Why does it take less "skill" to fly Axis than Allied? Let me put my boots on before you answer.

[daddog]

Well looks like your question was answered, and then some.

I just want to say how much respect I have for the event CM’s over in WB’s. When I was running events over here I emulated much of what they did. Certainly there are some significant differences between the S3’s and our Squad Operations, but they, (IMHO) are differences that cater to the community. I loved the Scenario Lites they put on, but the Snapshots we have here are quite similar.

I personally enjoyed the rolling plane set they had in WB, but when it comes to service  WB can’t hold a candle to Aces High. Ultimately it is the service and my squad that has kept me here with Aces High. Can you just pick up the phone and call someone in WB (or in WWIIOL for that matter) and expect immediate service/help? No, but in Aces High you can.

[Treize69]

For one thing, CT is usually an arena-specific RPS, while the WWII arena was worldwide. If the plane you want is from the right time frame, but wrong theater, you're stuck.

Second, CT is usually just a theater-specific furball. Fun for a while, but it gets old.

Third, its unfortunately always the same 10-15 guys in there, and even if you like them, it gets boring killing and being killed by the same people over and over again. If theres someone in there you don't like to fly with/against, it gets downright miserable in a hurry. Can't just go to a different part of the map like you can in the MA.

I'll pop in there a few times a week, but usually get bored and leave within an hour.

The WB HA was much the same way, but most of the guys I liked to fly with were in there, so it was much more bearable for me.

[eh]

It sounds like "TOD" will meet the criterias that are currently lacking in AHII

Don't hold your breath. Two and a half years ago, I thought that the gameplay in  the AH main arena was getting a bit stale, and I was tired of waiting (over a year) for the TOD to come in AH, so I opened a Warbirds account (snofox) and it was my premier flight sim for two years. I just loved the rolling plane set in the WW2 arena. My experiences there are the same as treize.

What killed WB for me was the invention of the too-silly-for-words Main Arena in WB. Most of the "players" are drones, and in some parts of the map there are air starts (you can kill a guy and have him respawn above you). That devasted the player base in the WW2 Arena, which iEN has neglected badly. So, even though I still have a WB account, and belong to a squadron, I don't play there much anymore.

No one does an arcade style arena better than Aces High, and the technical excellence and service in Aces High is superb. So, I am back in AH almost full time, anxiously awaiting the TOD arena. I hear it's coming in two weeks.  

eh

[gatt]

Originally posted by Slash27
Do you honestly believe that if I  beat you in a late war ride that I cant hand you your bellybutton in an early war ride?  What makes you think you have real "skills" because you fly 1940-43 rides? Why does it take less "skill" to fly Axis than Allied? Let me put my boots on before you answer.

The truth is that many players (*) dont like the RPS becouse they dont like to ride 1940-43 allied planes (mainly). This was the main reason in WB I and II. And probably from a commercial point of view, i.e. to attract more casual players, is better to have a MA hangar always full of late war monsters. This means no RPS, more efforts in modelling 1944-45 planes, less early-mid war scenarios and, *IMO*, a less interesting Main.
 
(*) Dont put your boots on, at least if you are not one of them. And if you are, better to wear a pink pijama  

[Slash27]

Well, rereading my first post it comes across a bit snippy so sorry about that. Cutting my teeth on this game in the hey day of the CT makes me a big fan of early to mid war rides. I hope ToD will provide that atmosphere again. Until then Ill enjoy the occasional good night in the CT and the fine work done by our CM Staffers in the SEA. Thats some of the best fun in this game.

 I did fly a La7 tonight however, guess I have too break out the pink pj's:(

[gatt]

Slash

frankly, I've been a little ass*ole talking about allied planes and skills in that way. Lets say, provocative. Anyway, judging from your excellent stats I'm happy you arent going to wear your boots and chase me

[Citabria]

I came from Warbirds II when Aces High Beta started.
at the time warbirds II was still more attractive but was rediculously expensive with its pay per hour/minute cell phone ripoff billing mantra. ah was free and I was a poor college kid and AH was new and fun.

warbirds went downhill in stagnation and horrible graphics of wbIII it just was horrible colors and graphics and never really improved despite being technologically more advanced than wbII. they even followed AH's lead of monthly subsribtions but with variable rates and strange fees and charges. unfortunately warbirds is also managed by a businessman with a reputation for corruption and fraud which makes giving them your credit card numbers a very disconcerting proposition.

AH had a mass influx in its player base due to lowered subscribtion rates from 30 bucks to 15 bucks and also when Air Warrior was disolved by the soul crushing buracracy known as EA Games most AW players chose AH over WB and it seems many that chose WB ended up at AH anyway.

what is really impressive about HTC is they don't have to use double doors to get there heads inside their office sure they have ego's but so does everyone else. They however are able to stay relatively grounded and in tune with the community that has formed around Aces High.

the level of interaction between this team and its customers leaves all other games in the dust. name one other game company that would "waste" its time listening to what players want or don't want or want changed or want changed back. naturally many ideas and gripes fielded by players are bad ideas some are good though. the fact that this team has more online experience than anyone else seems to make them able to filter through it.

HTC has been unprecidented in its support for player contributions to the game. first with  the players that organize scenarios and events, then the Terrain Team that makes all the maps for the scenarios and more recently with AHII HTC has become a new alternative to those who enjoy building plastic models with its incoorporation of player made skins into the game.

I haven't built a plastic model since AH started accepting player skins. I think I am not the only one in the skinning community who has found the level of enjoyment and realism offered by making skins for the whole community is much more rewarding than its plastic counterparts could ever be.

well I am rambling on and reminiscing about what I have seen over the years of following Aces high...

bottom line is:

 if you want to find the best online WW2 flight sim this is it. and if you think you can contribute somthing to it that you think will improve the game for yourself and others...

HTC will let you step up to the plate and take a swing at it.