Snailman's scary graph

[titanic3]

I don't think we need a newbie only arena. What we need is an arena with features that are designed for newbies.

Interesting..an arena that has:

No blackouts
No red-out
No stall
Auto rudder
Lead computing gunsight
Air spawns
1/2 weapon lethality (How much can a newb learn if he dies in half a second? On the other hand, more bullets required means more time on target required = practicing ACM)

[Stellaris]

There absolutely needs to be better training and the opportunity to learn without being a target.  I suggested a handicapping system awhile ago and was predictably shot down.

[Butcher]

There absolutely needs to be better training and the opportunity to learn without being a target.  I suggested a handicapping system awhile ago and was predictably shot down.

Problem is not enough people seek help, when I first started flying here I came from Fighter Aces, Falcon 4 and Janes ATF Gold - I had an intermediate understanding yet I still begged to fly with trainers for a few months. Many people don't ask for help, they simply are a target until they get fed up.

Many squads don't have trainers, or take advantage of other players to help and guide them into learning.

[Myg]

The game itself does not need to be dumbed down for more people to enjoy it, only the gui in bits.

People just need to be able to fly and learn from others, easily, that's why the Free TA (firing blanks) and the removal of all the other arena's except the LWA and TA idea would go a long way to making the game feel more solid and accessible. Look it up on the wishlist forum, it should be on page 2 or three by now.

1. People would know where to look for a fight.
2. People would know where to look for help.

That's all the normal/casual crowd want, custom arenas can be easily enumerated and identified on the same page and be used for events.

[Tilt]

re Newbs

A more dynamic, proactive interface with the stall limiter settings may assist an introductory period.

Actually a more proactive training package may help folk gain confidence and keep playing/paying generally.

A general observation would be that its far easier to "learn" the GV part of the game than the AC part of the game.

[Arlo]

Ah, I remember relaxed realism in AW.

Not thinking a persistent RR would do
much but divide the populace with no
real motivation to improve and go FR.

Such was the case when KWRR went
KWFR in AW.

[pembquist]

My fantasy TA would be the same as the current TA except that at different airspawns there would be drones with ai that you could kill but would respawn.  The only relaxed realism would be that you couldn't die and you couldn't kill another player and you would have the option of the lead computing gunsight.  No easy mode flight model, retain black and red out, stall limiter as in main game, fuel burn and ammo as in TA. I don't think you would divide the player base with this kind of arena as you can't kill anybody and the terrain would never change. Make it online so that there is something worth paying for in the realm of practice, (if you have offline missions that you fly offline you don't have to pay for them and they offer more practice than being in the TA with the crickets at 2AM.)

[bustr]

All of the players asking for a training wheels arena already play full time in the MA or used to. All of you are willing to tell HTC what's wrong with the MA and TA in graphic gory detail. None of you are swamping the TA all hours of the clock looking for newbies to make sure they can or want to become full time MA players like yourselves.

What impresses a person more since this is a people business like selling cars?

1.- An impersonal but, killer series of accessible documents and masterful graphical interfaces saying please come to the TA we have everything to help you. XXXXOOOO We Luv New Players!!!

2.- Vets from the game hanging out in the TA in numbers. And personally in the game constantly offering to right then go into the TA with obviously floundering players and giving up some of their precious vulching and score building time. Choose to forgo the addictive mind cocaine session you login for now, to help grow a future crop to feed your need a few times a week. Push your chair away from the buffet so to say, to make sure you didn't just eat your last breeding stock heifer.

What will a real human being deciding to make an emotional purchase of a "community" respond to better?

Yeah just follow the signs to the second fork in the road and, oh yeah, look out for alligators. Or, hey we see you are interested in our community. Hop on and we will help you get settled in.

The 900lb gorilla in the road, is, no one wants to get their hands dirty for the future of the game. Many of you want to show Hitech your game development savvy or your business acumen instead. Very few people like or want to expend the effort it takes to being a car salesman person to person.

The old saying of the customer is always right has nothing to do with the customer. It has to do with no matter what kind of person the customer presents himself to you as, that's your pay check, so earn it. Or in this game's case. Our future.

[pembquist]

I don't think it either or Bustr. The game could use both. Speaking for myself, if I was to teach someone air combat they would have a very short career.

[bustr]

The "Big Brothers, Big Sisters" organization hears the exact same thing pembquist. From their much longer experience than AH has existed, its the gesture and not being the equivalent of Fester in a 262 that makes the greater positive emotional impact.

It's the initial positive association with the game that helps the new player. Super Hero's are a symptom of fantasy cartoon games they will get used to.

Getting anyone to buy a situation is no different than selling a car, a house, or in the case of Aces High. A way of life if they are going to commit to longer than 2 weeks or then a few months.

How many of you with kids want them to grow up to be like player(????) ..... well think about some of our forum denizens and fill in the blank. Then consider if player(????) even cares beyond fulfilling their own short term desires.

Selling Aces High as a community follows the same rules of positive or negative input as any kind of sales environment. Granted a small percentage of players are only attracted to joining those players I asked if you wanted your child to grow up and be like. Some people are attracted to others pain visa "Cyber Bullying" which the uninformed about combat sims could misconstrue has been symptomatic in our forum for years. And not as our community knows from experience, natural virtual fist fights related to high emotions in the arenas. First impressions are all you get before fingers tell their personal impressions to others online.

So pembquist, I've watched how you interact with our community. As the first friendly hand up to a new player, you are ideal in the long process of helping them want to stay in our community. They can aspire to be a game Super Hero over time like everyone else. This is why Morfeind is so good as a game ambassador in his position as a trainer.

Pembquist, betcha a bottle of IPA this response gets the anti mushiness censorship brigade up in full sail............

[LCADolby]

What a load of pure tosh. 

[projoe]

Why just a 2 week free trial? Why not 4 or 6?  I think the difference a new player would learn could be huge in an extra couple of weeks of free game time.
Thoughts??