How HTC can make a huge leap in AH graphics with no development cost

[Plazus]

Almost two years ago, yes, no exaggeration, Oboe voluntarily asked for one of his skins to be replaced by 'Uncle Cys Angel'. I've realized it may not even by in the game before my 5 month old son starts playing Aces High and maybe only after he graduates high school.

The skins are lagging way behind and they are the best form of advertising Aces High has to offer.

See this HTC? This is what the AH community is missing out. This is a loss for the community. Because of the current skins rotation process, people's hard work and efforts will not come noticed by the majority of the community. I'm sure sooner or later the skinning community will give up trying to make the game more beautiful by rotating older skins. I guess for now we will have to settle for outdated skins with "cookie cutter" quality and mediocre historical research with the current ones in game.

This whole thread receives a HUGE +1 from me.

And Skuzzy, if some one gives you crap about switching out an old skin with a better quality one, tell them to "stick it in their juice box and..." well you know.

[lyric1]

(Image removed from quote.)

(Image removed from quote.)

See this HTC? This is what the AH community is missing out. This is a loss for the community. Because of the current skins rotation process, people's hard work and efforts will not come noticed by the majority of the community. I'm sure sooner or later the skinning community will give up trying to make the game more beautiful by rotating older skins. I guess for now we will have to settle for outdated skins with "cookie cutter" quality and mediocre historical research with the current ones in game.

This whole thread receives a HUGE +1 from me.

And Skuzzy, if some one gives you crap about switching out an old skin with a better quality one, tell them to "stick it in their juice box and..." well you know.

A couple more pictures of the real thing I found that I had.

[oboe]

This is a beauty by Cactuskooler and could replace any of my bare metal '38J skins.   But it makes sense to take out my 80th FS Jandina; it's one of the oldest '38J skins and you'd be replacing an 80th skin with an 80th skin.   

[lulu]

The pink p51 skin has his personality!

+1

[JOACH1M]

REMOVE ALL OLDER SKINS AND REPLACE WITH NEW!!

[Motherland]

A few years ago now I guess I asked that one of my own skins be replaced with another of my own skins, and it never was... (skin packs had come out afterward)
HTC apparently doesn't like to replace skins because people complain when skins they like are taken out (I've come to the conclusion that the average player has absolutely no taste in skins), I'm pretty sure I read that somewhere on the boards or got it in an email.
That would be the only likely explanation I guess, considering the above request and its apparent rejection...

[StokesAk]

To be honest, with all the recent changes that people have been complaining about lately. I think that they could handle it if most of the skins were wiped.

As for squad who want to keep a certain skin, you need to coad a survey for squad COs, that way most of the squad would have input on what skins they would like to see kept. Or they could fill out some kind of form that will serve the same purpose.

[oboe]

I am wondering lately if it wouldn't be a better idea just to forget centralized skin management through HTC and let the individual players create their own skins and use them online, sharing them with everybody at some user-created host site similar to what AH-Skins was, except with .res files not .bmps -- so that people couldn't steal other people's work and build off it.   

I'm sure there are issues with putting skins into the hands of players but at least we could get new skins in the game more frequently, and get rid of the ones we don't care for.    Gives players alot more freedom and choice, which on the face of it should be better for the game.




   

     

[Krusty]

I say no, that's not a good idea.

[FTJR]

I made a suggestion some time ago about creating a new model, i.e. Mustang IV, the suggestion was shot down, but I really cant see why it wouldn't work as an interim solution.

[oboe]

I'd love to see the early P-51D (without the tail fillet) and the original hooded P-51B for the sake of historical fidelity (we've got some very famous P-51 schemes on the wrong model (LOU IV, Shangri-La)) and of course it would double the number of skin slots available for the 51s, but it doesn't solve the problem wrt/ Cactuskooler's P-38J.   

Both the '51 and '38 need to have the excellent new damage model (shows damaged control surfaces rather than just making them disappear) so maybe when they do that they could wipe those skins out and start over fresh).    But there are some excellent 51D skins I'd be sorry to see go.

Krusty, my brain is fixated on the advantages of decentralized skin management - what are the disadvantages you see that outweigh the positives?   Also, isn't this the way other flight sims handle custom skins (not sure myself)?   

[olds442]

this should be moved to wish list +1000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000.9999999999

[JOACH1M]

I am wondering lately if it wouldn't be a better idea just to forget centralized skin management through HTC and let the individual players create their own skins and use them online, sharing them with everybody at some user-created host site similar to what AH-Skins was, except with .res files not .bmps -- so that people couldn't steal other people's work and build off it.   

I'm sure there are issues with putting skins into the hands of players but at least we could get new skins in the game more frequently, and get rid of the ones we don't care for.    Gives players alot more freedom and choice, which on the face of it should be better for the game.




   

     

The millers will all have their special character! Lmao!

[Delirium]

Krusty, my brain is fixated on the advantages of decentralized skin management - what are the disadvantages you see that outweigh the positives?   Also, isn't this the way other flight sims handle custom skins (not sure myself)?   

I'm guessing here, but I can imagine he has the same concern that many would make aircraft/tanks a bright color (particularly for the AvA, scenarios, FSOs) to make them easier to spot. Remember, this is the same community which uses mouse icons as a gunsight.

[oboe]

I'm guessing here, but I can imagine he has the same concern that many would make aircraft/tanks a bright color (particularly for the AvA, scenarios, FSOs) to make them easier to spot. Remember, this is the same community which uses mouse icons as a gunsight.

I'm not sure how the game identifies skins, but I think it would work best if a player cannot be seen in a skin which he has not bothered to download and install.   The principle must be maintained that either you see the other players in the skin they have selected for themselves, or you see them in the default skin.   I'm not sure if the game is capable of this though if the players are given the ability to create their own .res files.

Or, even further off the track:  I was talking to my high schooler the other day about the relative importance of in-game player content creation (e.g. picking your helmet, uniform color, patches, etc in Halo).   He thinks that feature is critical.    Then I started imagining how it might be implemented in AH.   Take for example the P-51D - you go to the hangar, pick a base skin configuration - either natural metal, OD over light grey, or OD on upper surfaces only.   Then choose your FG/sqaudron - and the correct color scheme and fuselage ID letters are applied.   Then chose your relative level of weathering, dirt/grime, and scratches/paintwear.   Finally, choose the aircraft name/noseart from a supplied list- or supply your own through a file layer upload not unlike the squad art .bmp.

I wonder if skins implemented like that would get around the size/space constraints of the skin system?   Maybe it would be 10 times worse!   Certainly though it would give the players a lot more to do in the hangar, and personalize the game quite a bit more...