Author Topic: Idea to increase people in AH  (Read 406 times)

Offline Zigrat

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Idea to increase people in AH
« on: May 09, 2000, 08:12:00 PM »
HT is reluctant to add historical arena, partly because we dont have enough people for 2 arenas. So how bout if you pay the 30$ a month, you get access to current arena and hostorical arena, but if you pay say 15 dollars a month you only get into current arena, should increase membership.

Offline MANDOBLE

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Idea to increase people in AH
« Reply #1 on: May 11, 2000, 04:02:00 AM »
I know there are a lot of people just testing their two free weeks and thinking: Ups, what a hard sim, I'm not able to take off, not able to land, not able to fight... ...Too hard for me, bye. Well, what about a "semi-relaxed" MA for those guys? One of two months in that relaxed MA and they'll be able to enter the real world.
As all we know, the level in actual MA is very high, if a player used only to fly jets,  AW, CFS, WWIIF, SDOE, EAW or even WB gets into that hell, he'll be down almost inmediatelly over'n over and this is no fun for him.

Think on two free weeks with a k/d ratio of 2/100 ...

Offline Saintaw

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Idea to increase people in AH
« Reply #2 on: May 11, 2000, 07:05:00 AM »
I resent that !
I am an ex EAW, WWII Fighter Simmer (etc...) and I still manage to get some Kills....secret is Keep dying for a couple of weeks  

AH is my 1st Online Sim (And I thought after finishing EAW, I was going to be "King 'O the Hill" here....NOT)

(Hell, been dying a LOT for the last 6 months...)

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[This message has been edited by Saintaw (edited 05-11-2000).]
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Offline Joc

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Idea to increase people in AH
« Reply #3 on: May 11, 2000, 08:35:00 AM »
I think we should have a relaxed realism arena,I know a lot of guys that have come over to AH from AW3 that have flown a couple of days and not come back becouse of the realism level,this is the reason I fly buffs,I hate the head jerk,it puts me off big time,as for the price,this is another reason these guys dont stay and open an account,and to be honest,Im not sure how long I can afford to stay here.
Joc

Offline Westy

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Idea to increase people in AH
« Reply #4 on: May 11, 2000, 08:37:00 AM »
 My thoughts are if you provide a relaxed arena they'll never leave it.
 Maybe make at least two arenas but ONLY one would be relaxed realism, the rest regular.  Regular paying customers (except trainers) could not visit or fly in the relaxed arena but the "two week" trial folks could. This would help new folks to try out AH on an eaiser setting and at the same time keep AH from becoming another AW - the sim with split personalites (and the RR one is extremely dysfuncitonal!).
 They like AH then they can go pay to play but only in the full realism areanes - and start back up the learning curve.   Just an idea...

  -Westy

Offline JimBear

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Idea to increase people in AH
« Reply #5 on: May 11, 2000, 09:09:00 AM »
quote:
My thoughts are if you provide a relaxed arena they'll never leave it.

I came from one the most relaxed online games around (FA) and I have to agree with that. Everyone has their chance to dip the proverbial toe in the water, AH is the leap into the deep end    
Getting keeled repeatedly and crashing mucho on T/O and Landings is part of the learning curve. The Training Arena allows people the outside views to get a sense of perspective and I think this should be the extent of relaxation, otherwise the chatter about how the AH FM is different from brand X or W or AW or yadda yadda will be suffused with "This isnt how it was in our trial! I want that all the time!"   do we need that split in experience for the community? I dont think so, but hell its just my $.02


[This message has been edited by JimBear (edited 05-11-2000).]

air_spro

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Idea to increase people in AH
« Reply #6 on: May 11, 2000, 05:15:00 PM »
Instead of making it easier in another arena , think of ways to speed game play .

I just had this said to me last week .

Climb for twenty minutes , get shot down . Climb again for twenty minutes , get shot down again . Climb again for another twenty minutes , shot down again . This is "enough" for me . Out he left for FA2 .  Plus he is one of hell of a game player . But I really don't think it was the hardness factor , but how slow this game plays compared to others .  

I know I had that feeling before too , but like JimBear says

"Getting keeled repeatedly and crashing mucho on T/O and Landings is part of the learning curve. "

but if you want more players you better figure out how to make it happen faster IMO .

I did think that adding the M16  can haul Para's to take fields that is coming will speed up the game as you'll have to fly down lower to spot these .

Personaly I like the hard FM , learning lots of new stuff etc , even as I am not flying like I am used too . Getting my bellybutton kicked is no biggie either . Game plays very smooth , to boot . $30 per month is not out of line with level of code being written IMO .

Now if I just had that sound card back , I could fly again .  cu's  spro

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Offline Westy

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Idea to increase people in AH
« Reply #7 on: May 11, 2000, 06:07:00 PM »
"Climb for twenty minutes, get shot down. Climb again for twenty minutes, get shot down again . Climb again for another twenty minutes , shot down again . This is "enough" for me . Out he left for FA2 . Plus he is one of hell of a game player."

 I'm not being mean but this sounds Darwin's theory being proved out. And 'game player' is probably a good description as whoever this was evdiently wanted NO or a minimal learning curve.  Let's say HTC made eveything easy. There will aLWAYS be someone who will not be able to cut it and walk away frustrated.
 I subscribed becaue AH is more of a sim than a game. If I wanted just a game I have other choices like FA II, AW3 or Simguilds sim.
 As far as I can tell HiTech wants something for the conniseuor(sp?), not the common 'dOod'.

  -Westy

Offline Pongo

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Idea to increase people in AH
« Reply #8 on: May 12, 2000, 03:00:00 AM »
Well the game these people want is allready out there...Let them have it. I know that we and HTC of course want to increase the rolls, but changing fundimental things like gaining Alt advantage would be too much of a price to pay I say.
Why not have all fields 25k high...then they could get involved quick..
kinda a drag to land though..but apperently some people dont land anyway.

The Dood

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Idea to increase people in AH
« Reply #9 on: May 12, 2000, 04:26:00 AM »
 
Quote
Originally posted by Westy:
 
 As far as I can tell HiTech wants something for the conniseuor(sp?), not the common 'dOod'.

  -Westy[/B]

 Hey! I resemble that remark. I eat the finest Dorritos and partake in the finest Colonel Sanders has to offer on occasion. I even wear cotton over Rayon on holidays and such  

 But seriously, I agree. A niche has been created here by HTC and plenty of virtual pilots have been looking for a place like this.....It's just a matter of them finding it. The two week trail period is perfect tool for culling some of these folks out of the woodwork. I think this place will fill up. Alot of people will look around at other options for awhile and realize that $30 a month...one dollar a day, is actually pretty thrifty entertainment and eventually hop aboard. Yet $30 a month should keep the "quake-o-phile" you describe at bay.

 The key is getting the word out and sheparding those lost souls over here. Of course folks from other sims are going to hear about AH and give it a whirl. But many of those folks are too set in their ways-many will scoff and go back to where they came while some will stay. The masses who are interested in WWII aviation and aviation in general who have yet to try online sims need to hear of this place too. They don't care too much about the learning curve, they don't know anything else. They haven't been tainted by the FA or AW Relaxed training wheel arenas...This place is what they will see and want.

 "If you build it, they will come". Well, the place is built, it's got the feel of Fenway, the grandieur of Jacob's Field and some of the history of Yankee stadium built in (sorry for the baseball cliches, it's the season you know). The people just need a map to get here. Some word-of-mouth, some advertising and some press is needed to get that map out to them. I can hear them coming. The beating wings of the flock.....long time flight sim dweebs, R/C pilots, guys with P-38 posters hanging in their garages and folks who never miss the Reno air races or air shows....They are circling about out there, they just need to be guided over this way.

 It's good to see you sticking to your guns over here, Westy. you should have picked "disruptor" as your callsign  

 

 Damned Dood

"The Dood abides"


air_spro

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Idea to increase people in AH
« Reply #10 on: May 13, 2000, 10:01:00 PM »
 
Quote
Originally posted by Westy:

    There will aLWAYS be someone who will not be able to cut it and walk away frustrated.
 I subscribed becaue AH is more of a sim than a game. If I wanted just a game I have other choices like FA II, AW3 or Simguilds sim.
 As far as I can tell HiTech wants something for the conniseuor(sp?), not the common 'dOod'.

  -Westy

Of couse you are right , he didn't want to take the time to learn this . As you say there are already plenty of places to fly that way already , really didn't think of it that way .  

Me ? I'm staying , for however damn long it takes . I guess I wished my friend would have too .   .

Then getting to word out to the right people would be the right option then I guess .


Offline Pongo

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Idea to increase people in AH
« Reply #11 on: May 14, 2000, 02:57:00 AM »
Once you get the hang of it you can bring him up to speed way quicker...

Offline Sparks

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Idea to increase people in AH
« Reply #12 on: May 14, 2000, 05:46:00 AM »
Can I reply to this as a newbie...
First what was I looking for in a sim - REALISM
Second what put me off the first time (beta 0.42)- taking off and flying - couldn't even fly the thing offline and didn't know where to get help. Gave up and went to AW3 RR - found a game zoo went to FR arena but couldn't improve - still no viable training.
Third why did I come back - REALISM and the training available.
I think AH should be pitched firmly at those who want to fly a real plane on their PC and as such it should be made clear that it ain't easy. However there should be things in place to hold on to people who want to give it a go and to my mind the trainers are the key.
Just a suggestion - and I know they do it voluntarily - but how about if when someone signs up for the 2 weeks they get assigned to a trainer - gives them a freindly contact from day one to help them, not a faceless help page.
The trainers have been the key to my enjoyment here.

Offline Replicant

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Idea to increase people in AH
« Reply #13 on: May 14, 2000, 07:00:00 AM »
Hi all

Before AH I hadn't really played any online sims at all, apart from the odd MS Combat Sim on a few occasions.

When I first heard of AH I went and downloaded the beta version and for about 2 or 3 months I simply practiced offline.  So, I found that helped no end when I did manage to go online.  At first I couldn't even take off but it just needed practice and hell, I am still learning still as I think most will be when it comes to playing.

I think it really depends on the mindset of the newbie as to what they really want.  If I am recommending AH to anyone then I tell them to practice offline before coming online.  At least they are not struggling with the simplest of things then.

Cyas up  

'Nexx'
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Offline StSanta

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Idea to increase people in AH
« Reply #14 on: May 14, 2000, 08:05:00 AM »
For me, AH was really a mere lucky shot.

Downlaoded it, sort of like the initial feel, but got bored with it being so hard an not having a padlock system.

Then I had some free time, and I decided to try it again, after a buddy declkared "it sucks" because he failed to take off  

I am a WWII nut, so this 50-50 chance that I'd take up Ah sort of tells me what newbies must feel like.



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