I honestly forget exactly when I started playing AH, but I was gone for a long time. I know I was able to remember my original account login info from then, but had to make this new forum account. I know I started playing AH when I was still in High School, I think '98 or '99.
I remember that the game back then was just stepping into vehicles (of the non-aircraft variety) and had the M16 AA vehicle, the M3 (i think) transport and the PT boats... other than ground batteries, those were the only things in the game that you could control and not get altitude with if I remember correctly. I remember that the C-47 only dropped troops for a long time, and that you could only capture fields via troops takeing the map room on the airfield, instead of captureing the neighboring town (like it is now). I remember the addition of Air Field Cargo to the C-47's "ordinance" back then in a patch too, and at the time it was hailed by many as it was the only way for a player to speed up the repair of a base. The only mega-bombers in the game were the Lanc and B-17. I think the 262 wasn't in the game when I first started either, but was added soon after that (I should take one up in the TA, havent flown it since coming back due to this newfangled ENY-perky-pointy-thing that has been added to the game... or did I just not remember that correctly... *shrug*). I definetley don't remember AH having the P-47, P-39 or any other P-38 variant other than the L.
If anyone else remembers those days.... I could really use a quick refresher on all this "new" stuff.