Boot Camp for New Customers

[Traveler]

Originally posted by jtdragon
". HT/Pyro has clearly stated that by HTC's proprietary metrics, customers were either not signing up after 2 weeks


Will make a stab at this, could it have been that alot of them wanted a game they could learn in a hour. they would sign in without reading anything or going to the training area then we would be trying to fight and answer questions from 4 or 5 of then at one time, how do you start engine, what fires my gun, how do I drop bombs. Some of the young people don't understand that this is a hard game to learn to play and they did not want to take the time to do it. It was weeks before I had my first kill in a aircraft. I like the EA for the needies, slow pace where they can learn after beging in the training area for a day.

This is not the only reason for them to leave but I think it played a big part."

As anyone that served knows the military doesn't just take you off the street hand you a weapon and put you in combat.  You first get to go to Boot Camp, then some type of Advanced traing, ie.... flight training, what ever.

I know as part of CT there will be a training period.  Perhaps that idea could be used now.  That part of that free two week period must be spent in training.  

The New player would be required to fly training missions, each misison teaching the new player how to use the clipboard, select aircraft, how to use the tools available to play the game.  

After they complete their "Boot Camp" they get to select any arena they want for the remaining period.  

At that point they would be armed with a basic understanding of how things work in the game.  

It may cut down on the frustration new players feel in an arena.

[sluggish]

Some very interesting points here.

This is not a game for those with a short attention span or those who become easily frustrated.  That being said, I think a required training period would be a great idea. Either a two week training period followed by two weeks in the MA for free or a required set of objectives or training sessions before access to the MA would be allowed. With the second approach, those who are quick learners could get into the MA quicker and those less savvy could take a little longer before being thrown to the lions.  

I'm sure Hitech hates giving away what free gameplay he does now and adding to that wouldn't sit well with him, however, if it led to a proved added player retention he wouldn't mind too much...

One unique aspect of requiring a training period - if done right - would be that we would have noobs in the MA that acually have a greater knowledge base of the game than some veterans...

[Traveler]

It could even be an offline Boot CAMP arena, AH could have scripted missions that must be flown intergrated with training films for basic movers. "How to", fly, bomb, select weapons, use vox. ect. offer AI targets that fight back.  Like those that will be available in the CT.

Doesn't matter how the mission goes, just as long as they complete it.  Then give them one week of online play.  Perhaps two weeks is a better marketing tool.   May save a week of freebees.

[Shifty]

Originally posted by Traveler
Originally posted by jtdragon
". HT/Pyro has clearly stated that by HTC's proprietary metrics, customers were either not signing up after 2 weeks


Will make a stab at this, could it have been that alot of them wanted a game they could learn in a hour. they would sign in without reading anything or going to the training area then we would be trying to fight and answer questions from 4 or 5 of then at one time, how do you start engine, what fires my gun, how do I drop bombs. Some of the young people don't understand that this is a hard game to learn to play and they did not want to take the time to do it. It was weeks before I had my first kill in a aircraft. I like the EA for the needies, slow pace where they can learn after beging in the training area for a day.

This is not the only reason for them to leave but I think it played a big part."

As anyone that served knows the military doesn't just take you off the street hand you a weapon and put you in combat.  You first get to go to Boot Camp, then some type of Advanced traing, ie.... flight training, what ever.

I know as part of CT there will be a training period.  Perhaps that idea could be used now.  That part of that free two week period must be spent in training.  

The New player would be required to fly training missions, each misison teaching the new player how to use the clipboard, select aircraft, how to use the tools available to play the game.  

After they complete their "Boot Camp" they get to select any arena they want for the remaining period.  

At that point they would be armed with a basic understanding of how things work in the game.  

It may cut down on the frustration new players feel in an arena.

I got a better idea. How about boot camp for all you self important cartoon pilots that suggest crap like this for other people.

[Traveler]

Originally posted by Shifty
I got a better idea. How about boot camp for all you self important cartoon pilots that suggest crap like this for other people.

Thank you for that well thought out precise response.  I’m sure you understand that the purpose of  this thread which was established by AH was to provide a place where members could make requests.  Hence the name Wishlist.  I only offered my suggestion as an effort to try to help new players learn the game faster and AH retain a higher percentage of new players.   Now I’ll await what I am sure will be  your very thoughtful and eloquent response.

[Shifty]

You're welcome.

Wishing additions to the game is one thing. Wishing to impose others to something you haven't had to deal with yourself is something quite different.

[Traveler]

Originally posted by Shifty
You're welcome.

Wishing additions to the game is one thing. Wishing to impose others to something you haven't had to deal with yourself is something quite different.

I would impose nothing on anyone, I'm suggesting that  Aces High would.  I just think that someone new to the game might like to lean how to actually play it prior to jumping in and quickly becoming lost( I know that I would have).  

The simple things like setting up views, learning which keys do what and when.  The answer to the many cries of "how do I bomb", "what works the flaps" , "why did my gear fall off", "how do I make my map bigger, smaller?"

It may just help retain some of the new customers. After all something that happens to the new customer during that first two weeks is turning them away from the paying side of the game.  

I'd do it not in a public arena, but in an offline Boot Camp arena where they could test their wings and learn how to drop bombs and fire rockets and learn how to smoke your tail against AI aircraft, prior to starting their two week trial.  

I mean perhaps the two week trial guys that decided not to continue were not turned off by the complexity or the price of the game, perhaps they just wandered into the forms area and saw how poorly members treat each other and decided why bother.

As far as imposing something that the current customer base has not had to deal with.  They can't go back and become new customers all over again, now can they?

This suggestion was not ment as a punishment it was suggested as somehting that may help new players, enjoy the game more.  

I don't believe new customers didn't become paying customers becaue the number of players in an arena was large or even one sided or that they thought the game play was stagnate.

I think they left because they felt the game was to hard to learn.  They were presented with a lot of information about the game and found all of it to be a bit overwhelming and even though they tried, they couldn't understand many of the helpful hits that other players werer trying to tell them.  So they became furstrated and decide that $15.00 a month was to much to pay for being frustrated.

[Shifty]

Originally posted by Traveler
I would impose nothing on anyone, I'm suggesting that  Aces High would.  

Exactly.

Thousands of people have learned this game without a forced training program. There's a training arena already and countless websites with tips for enjoying the game. If they like the game they'll learn it.  It's not rocket science. If you can do it they can too.
Your still suggesting imposing on others.

[Traveler]

Originally posted by Shifty
Exactly.

Thousands of people have learned this game without a forced training program. There's a training arena already and countless websites with tips for enjoying the game. If they like the game they'll learn it.  It's not rocket science. If you can do it they can too.
Your still suggesting imposing on others.

You are missing the point. I’m sure you agree that a business that doesn’t grow and retain market share dies.  AH’s failure to retain two weekers and turn them into paying customers is a problem and that’s the issue.  

I’m only offering a suggestion as to how to make that two week period more enjoyable so that more people trying the game for free for two weeks, decide that the game is fun and become part of the paying customer base.  

The fact that thousands of people have already learned the game doesn’t mean that many more found it frustrating because of a lack of formal training chose to not subscribe.  

Just because someone discovers the Hitech creations web site doesn’t mean that they know where to look on the web to find all the web sites offering help.  

The Help document that AH offers  and the Getting started document don’t cover everything and   we both know that men seldom read and follow the written directions to anything.  

Did you read all the documentation for this game when you first joined, did you go to the training area or did you jump into the MA in a P51 and take off?

If people try the game and pass on it because they feel it is to hard to do or become frustrated because they don’t take the time to learn it.  That’s a problem for AH and eventually for you and me.  

I’m  just offering a suggestion for something that I feel might help AH retain and transform that two week free trial guy or gal into a paying customer.

Do you have a suggestion that might help AH retain and grow it’s customer base?  I understand you have a problem with me, I have no idea why, but  all you have done is criticized me.  What is your suggestion for a way that AH might induce new Trial member into paying members?.

[red26]

 Shifty


But I do think that a offline boot would be nice. Would give people the chance to learn the hard way such as us or go the easy route and fly in the Flight Tranning.

But hey im the squad tard LOL:rofl

[Speed55]

It's probably been suggested before, but maybe in the training arena there could be some kind of tutorial in a bubble, that can be turned on and off.
For example.
It's your first time playing and you have the clipboard on the screen.
A bubble pops up saying. "You are in the tower, above you is a list of available aircraft to fly. Double click one now."  When you do, the next bubble pops up. "Now that you've picked your ride, click on a runway that you'd like to take off from." ----- "Now your on the NW runway, you have the option for auto takeoff, or manual takeoff, at this point lets use auto-takeoff, moving your controller disables, manual takeoff, do not move your controller, but give your aircraft full throttle."

I think alot of people learned by flying offline, shooting down a couple of drones, then jumping into the MA, and getting destroyed. Some skipped the offline practice completely.  Maybe If after you've gone through all the steps of the tutorial, which will explain how to bring up your clipboard, figure out what key does what, and how to change them or map them to your stick, how to use vox, set head positions ect., the last bubble will tell you to quit, and go into an arena to test your skills.

[Shifty]

Originally posted by Traveler


Do you have a suggestion that might help AH retain and grow it’s customer base?  I understand you have a problem with me, I have no idea why, but  all you have done is criticized me.  What is your suggestion for a way that AH might induce new Trial member into paying members?.

I don't have a problem with you Traveler. I just think your idea of a bootcamp is overdoing it. More help tips offline in the program would
be nice.  Adding a bootcamp ,, isn't that a bit dramatic? Just because you have a suggestion means I have to agree with it, or have one too?

You're using terms like require and impose ,when refering to what you want new players to have to do before allowed in your sandbox. You can make all the psuedo noble statements you want about retaining new players. It sounds more like ego stroking . Really what makes you think others that desire to play this game can't figure it out just like you did?

Go away Red I'm trying to make a new friend here.

[Traveler]

Originally posted by Shifty
I got a better idea. How about boot camp for all you self important cartoon pilots that suggest crap like this for other people.

You're using terms like require and impose ,when refering to what you want new players to have to do before allowed in your sandbox. You can make all the psuedo noble statements you want about retaining new players. It sounds more like ego stroking . Really what makes you think others that desire to play this game can't figure it out just like you did?
 

Shifty, this was your original post to my suggestion and part of your last post, it seems more of a personal attack on me then a disagreement over the suggested concept.  I don't expect everyone to agree with my suggestion, but I didn't expect to be attacked just because I offered a suggestion to help AH retain paying customers.

Yes, If I was a game designer and employed by AH to develop a training device.  I would make it an off line Boot Camp and require all the two Week Trial members to complete it prior to allowing them to start the two week free period.  

I believe that it would remove much of the frustration the many feel when attempting to play in an on line arena.

So OK, you don't like my suggestion, you have made that clear, again I'll ask what is your suggestion to help AH retain more of the two weekers?

[Shifty]

Originally posted by Traveler
Shifty, this was your original post to my suggestion and part of your last post, it seems more of a personal attack on me then a disagreement over the suggested concept.  I don't expect everyone to agree with my suggestion, but I didn't expect to be attacked just because I offered a suggestion to help AH retain paying customers.

Yes, If I was a game designer and employed by AH to develop a training device.  I would make it an off line Boot Camp and require all the two Week Trial members to complete it prior to allowing them to start the two week free period.  

I believe that it would remove much of the frustration the many feel when attempting to play in an on line arena.

So OK, you don't like my suggestion, you have made that clear, again I'll ask what is your suggestion to help AH retain more of the two weekers?

I still don't see where you get this personal attack stuff just because I don't like your idea. I don't have an idea to keep two weekers because I don't belive it's some kind of crisis I have to have a solution to. I do think making new people do things you think they should do before being allowed to play on-line will not fix whatever problem you seem to think exsist with two week trial members. It may turn more people off.

How do you know they're frustrated? How many who didn't subscribe told you this?  If all these people told you of this problem , why didn't you help them then? Wheres the proof of this big problem?

Again there you go saying what you think should be required of all new players.

Your not going to bend and niether am I on this. So I'll stay out of it and you and the guys that like the idea can brainstorm.

[Traveler]

Originally posted by Shifty
I still don't see where you get this personal attack stuff just because I don't like your idea. I don't have an idea to keep two weekers because I don't belive it's some kind of crisis I have to have a solution to. I do think making new people do things you think they should do before being allowed to play on-line will not fix whatever problem you seem to think exsist with two week trial members. It may turn more people off.

How do you know they're frustrated? How many who didn't subscribe told you this?  If all these people told you of this problem , why didn't you help them then? Wheres the proof of this big problem?

Again there you go saying what you think should be required of all new players.

Your not going to bend and niether am I on this. So I'll stay out of it and you and the guys that like the idea can brainstorm.

your original post was "Originally posted by Shifty
I got a better idea. How about boot camp for all you self important cartoon pilots that suggest crap like this for other people."

That sounds like a personal attack.  In business when discussing idea's, a good test that we use in written correspondence  to ensure that the direction of the communiqué is not becoming personal, is to review the document and see how many times you used the word "you"

"I do think making new people do things you think they should do before being allowed to play on-line will not fix whatever problem you seem to think exsist with two week trial members. "

The problem of retaining new subscribers is not a problem that I think exists.  It's a problem that Hi Tech said exists.  I never said it was a crisis.  I said that failure to retain new customers  was a business problem.

"How do you know they're frustrated? How many who didn't subscribe told you this?"

 I know of three that decided  not to subscribe because they just couldn't get it.  I felt, after talking with them, that they were overwhelmed by the amount of data available and turned off by the community when in response to a question  or two they received  the answer  to use the Cntl - Alt - Del Key to fix their problem.  

"why didn't you help them then? Wheres the proof of this big problem? "

 I do help when time and situation permits. I always suggest the Training Arena as a good place to try things out.  I am also trying to help by making this suggestion.  I am attempting to help the future two week trial members by suggestion that they would be better prepared for the online arenas following a more formal training session.  As to proof that a problem exists , All I can say is Ask Hi Tech.  

I'm just offering a suggestion and I'm willing to discuss that suggestion on it's merits.  But I won’t submit to personal attacks.  Nor would I expect you to.