Where is the History?

[BaldEagl]

If I'm logging in for 30 minutes to an hour I want to get some action, be it in the air or on the ground.  I don't want to waste time in the tower waiting for my historically accurate two hour-long mission to take off and then have to take orders from some dweeb as to when, whom and how I can engage.

[Clifra Jones]

Let's just think about the job of a real fighter pilots in WWII.

Long hours of abject boredom followed by seconds of stark terror!

Doesn't sound like a whole lot of fun to me.

[SlapShot]

The "history" is in the planes ... the planes are modeled to performs as close as possible to the real "historic" planes.

Everything outside of that (in the MAs - EW/MW/LW) is modeled to cause conflict in which these simulated "historic" planes can fight.

As other have pointed out, what you are looking for are in Snapshots/SEA/Combat Tour.

In the MAs ... feel free to create your own squad of pilots that want to fly in the same "historic" manner as you ... but putting that "historic" requirement on the current MAs ... HTC would go out of business and last I knew ... HT and company like to eat.

[Whisky58]

Originally posted by hubsonfire
Purely historical action makes for really lousy gameplay. While this game does offer some events more closely aligned with the spirit of WW2 combat, by and large, most players wouldn't be intested if they only got a kill every 10 sorties, flew for several days without encountering any enemies, or couldn't play for 6 months to a year after being shot down.

"Realism" is a mixed bag.

Yeah ok, but I could cope with the smart uniforms and some "realistic" WAAFs.

VonKost, I think time is a problem.  If I get an hour on line it's a treat. Not enough for a realistic mission.  Maybe many others are in the same boat.

Regards,

[Rich46yo]

I'd like to see a specific forum room where WW-ll history can be discussed specifically by gentlemen. I believe the war was the most important single event in human history, besides the time that one bloody ape who thought walking upright had potential.

                              The bigger connection to the war in AH the better in my opinion. For many of us its the biggest reason we are here.

[BaldEagl]

Originally posted by Rich46yo
I'd like to see a specific forum room where WW-ll history can be discussed specifically by gentlemen.

Good luck with that.  Not with getting the forum.  With the "where WW-ll history can be discussed specifically by gentlemen" part.  You mean by those who post here?

[Rich46yo]

Well, I already asked for it in the wishlist forum. I think it would be a fine addition to AH. And for the ones who like busting up threads with nonsense??? Thats what the ignore feature is for I guess. .

[Shuffler]

DGS

[toonces3]

The absolute absence of participation in the AvA most nights speaks volumes about the desire of the community to fly in any way 'historically'.

Just my opinion.

I don't really care for the MA's like they are, but they're the best thing going so far.

[StuB]

To me, the MA's are just a place to work on my skills (or lack thereof) in preparation for scenarios.

If you get a chance, come on as a walkon this Saturday at 3pm EST and fly in DGS.  You can fly Axis or,  if you don't mind getting shot down, as Allied

In all seriousness, the scenario has been great....sometimes boring, sometimes frustrating and sometimes thrilling.  Most of the time you experience all three emotions.  The Allies are trying everything they can to get their bombers through.  The Axis are doing the same to try and save their homeland.  

Try it...you won't be dissapointed, no matter what side you choose.

[FiLtH]

Things that are most fun like scenarios, fso, and snapshots are that way for one reason. The human element. It takes someone, or a group of people many hours of work preparing the event...rules, historical setting, arena setup, recruitment etc. The MA is plug and play.

   If you could hire a team to daily, provide players with the kind of gameplay events have, Im sure there would be people willing to do it. Unfortunately the sub cost would be more than 15 bucks a month.

[zarkov]

I think you're mistaking AH for what it's not.

It's a game, not a vehicle for re-enacting WWII battles.

It CAN be used to re-enact WWII battles.  But that requires more time, discipline, etc. than most people are willing to put up with.

You ever see Civil War re-enactors?  Sure, it may be interesting to re-enact what it must've been fighting a battle back in those days and you might be able to find a market for people willing to pay good money to do this.  Throw in having to march to and from the battle field, having to eat crappy army rations or whatever you could scrounge or steal, being bit by mosquitos, sleeping in lousy tents and waking up to a piping hot cup of ersatz coffee not to mention the prospect of getting wounded and having to be ministered to in what passed for a field hospital back in those days and that market gets smaller and smaller.  The more realistic you make something, the smaller the market.  Small markets make for bad business.

[Simaril]

Originally posted by VonKost
...I enjoy these more than anything, but it's not enough. These events are so great, why aren't the other arenas modeled with this in mind?

Thanks for the responses so far.

It's been built, but they haven't come.

This game's designer has been involved in sims for almost 2 decades, and he's tried (or seen others try) just about everything. The "historical planes then add variants with time" appraoch, called a Rolling Planeset, has been tried before -- and even though it appeals to some, the majority of players don't like it.

As to "do more of it" -- remember that AH is a customer driven game SERVICE. It gives people the environment they want, and when allowed to choose the majority choose what we call the Main Arena. If HT tried to force them to play his way, they would likely find something else to play, becuase they like the freedom of things as they are.

I'ds suggest you change the perspectibve a little, and instead of saying "this game almost get it right, why can't they...." -- be thankful that in a world driven by the market, there is a corner that fits your paticular minority interest.

[zarkov]

I'ds suggest you change the perspectibve a little, and instead of saying "this game almost get it right, why can't they...." -- be thankful that in a world driven by the market, there is a corner that fits your paticular minority interest. [/B]

My thoughts exactly.

Multi-player on-line WWII flight simulations are a niche market.  The markets for geriatric porn, vomit porn and bestiality porn are probably bigger AND more profitable for the vendor.

We actually have it pretty good.

The only way things could get better is if something happened to fuel the interest of the general public in realistic WWII flight simulations AND ween them off the cult of instant gratification that the more popular video games seem to cater to AND give everyone more free time in which to spend recreating hour long WWII missions.

This would help fuel demand for game companies to on-line WWII simulations with more realistic game experiences.

In other words, until a real market develops for this, it's not going tohappen.  It's the same in every other business and it's the same for on-line video games.

[NoBaddy]

Been in the military. I didn't find it entertaining.

In real life, I'm responsible for organizing and managing 8 other people (and dealing with 5 other managers doing the same), day to day. I don't find this entertaining either.

I'm generally not interested in having my entertainment "organized and managed" in a historical manner. On occasion, I will join a scenario to see old friends. As far as I am concerned, if you want to be part of history, join the Marines. I understand they have immediate openings for a few good men.