Snailman's scary graph

[SirNuke]

What do you guys think? Causes and possible fixes? Are tanks killing the game?

[Gixer]

Interesting graph however I think it reflects the drop in player numbers over kill stats by type

Three main reasons imho

1. Graphics are killing the game they are now very dated especially terrain,light,shadows and effects.
2. Price now is expensive for a online game needs to be $9.95 or lower (especially considering reason 1).
3. Pace of development has been slow to non existent since AH2 released. And AH2 basically has the same look,feel and gameplay as AH1


<S>...-Gixer

[Gixer]

One more thing, Arena Split almost killed squads over night.


<S>...-Gixer

[RedBull1]

Interesting graph however I think it reflects the drop in player numbers over kill stats by type

Three main reasons imho

1. Graphics are killing the game they are now very dated especially terrain,light,shadows and effects.
2. Price now is expensive for a online game needs to be $9.95 or lower (especially considering reason 1).
3. Pace of development has been slow to non existent since AH2 released. And AH2 basically has the same look,feel and gameplay as AH1


<S>...-Gixer

Can't really disagree.

Amazing how A/A kills alone have dropped off by what appears to be over 100,000 since roughly February?

[bustr]

The two ends of this graph are in economic downturns. Yes vehicles do draw players away from the complications and ego bruising of air combat. You wouldn't jump to this conclusion if it were at the 2006 - 2007 spike in both. There would be more players to shoot at and no one would be focusing on coincidental numbers.

Until the economy turns up it might be a better direction to reduce the numbers of large maps so players are condensed a bit more. Tonight in the AvA we had about 20 players concentrated in 2 sectors. We furballed the heck out of each other for several hours. It was all the old tales from our elder vets who constantly bemoan the current gamey worthless style of combat. Regardless of economic conditions. Closer environs create combat. Larger maps disperse players and kill competition\combat.

300 guys across 10x10 sectors and Hitech will have to ban ch200 and half of us in the forums the next day. Because we will have gotten so PO'd at each other from having no breathing space to hide in. Very few of us run to the biggest dar bar and dive in. Most humans are risk avers unless forced into a death match. At which point cornered like a rat, they become ruthless survivors and killers who never want to experience that again.

Currently we don't have the numbers to support our large maps. But, they are comfortable for the larger number who are risk avers. I stopped understanding if players want in your face combat, or a game they can play comfortably from their computer chair with little to no risk. From reading the blogs over at War Thunder, it seems many players would gravitate to that kind of arcade risk avers game at the moment. But, after awhile, probably come back here.

[MrRiplEy[H]]

The two ends of this graph are in economic downturns. Yes vehicles do draw players away from the complications and ego bruising of air combat. You wouldn't jump to this conclusion if it were at the 2006 - 2007 spike in both. There would be more players to shoot at and no one would be focusing on coincidental numbers.

Until the economy turns up it might be a better direction to reduce the numbers of large maps so players are condensed a bit more. Tonight in the AvA we had about 20 players concentrated in 2 sectors. We furballed the heck out of each other for several hours. It was all the old tales from our elder vets who constantly bemoan the current gamey worthless style of combat. Regardless of economic conditions. Closer environs create combat. Larger maps disperse players and kill competition\combat.

300 guys across 10x10 sectors and Hitech will have to ban ch200 and half of us in the forums the next day. Because we will have gotten so PO'd at each other from having no breathing space to hide in. Very few of us run to the biggest dar bar and dive in. Most humans are risk avers unless forced into a death match. At which point cornered like a rat, they become ruthless survivors and killers who never want to experience that again.

Currently we don't have the numbers to support our large maps. But, they are comfortable for the larger number who are risk avers. I stopped understanding if players want in your face combat, or a game they can play comfortably from their computer chair with little to no risk. From reading the blogs over at War Thunder, it seems many players would gravitate to that kind of arcade risk avers game at the moment. But, after awhile, probably come back here.

The numbers are not the problem. Imbalance is. Whenever any country has a lot more players than another, seal clubbing happens. Especially when bish are typically the largest country and they start hording. Whenever I end up having to fight 20:1 hordes I just quit in disgust and do something else instead. It's just not fun.

[Myg]

Stop analysing and play!

This is why graphs and statistics are dangerous, it can get you too caught up in reasons to enjoy what's infront of you.

Sure, there are some issues out there, that need addressing; but the wishlist is the best place to discuss possible ways to deal with them, right?

[The Fury]

Whats the point? nothing is going to get done about it, its going to die eventually if the game isn't updated even the hardcore players who have been around for years wont be able to save it unless HTC improves it somehow. 3 years ago there was easy 400+ people on at night time in uk now there is about 150 people at night in uk you do the maths its obvious its on the decline.....bugs me to see it go like this I thought ah2 would be around forever but I have my doubts these days.....

[Randy1]

One thing I have noticed is a growth in the number of players learning then using the flight model limitations pushing AH further away from a simulation.  If AH would add a better momentum and G model to reduce direction change that would help.  As players become more educated about the limits of AH simulation and how to take advantage of that, the more AH becomes a game and less like a simulation.  I saw a P51 last night do things that were beyond the limits of both plane and man.

Small things too like tracers being off.  I have noticed the number of players with tracers off is rising quickly.  It was a real world option but in a simulation like AH where skill levels vary dramatically, a tracer stream might give a less skilled player a small break. The best don't need this but most do. This reduces the simulation but it a way to offer a small balance to skill levels.

Discontinue ch 200.




 

[Fud]

After staring at the graph for a few minutes and turn to look at a white surface....I think I saw Elvis? 

[Lusche]

This is the original post, which contains also some very important disclaimer & explanation, which were unfortunately skipped here. I think I see already starting to jump to quick conclusions which this kill stats chart doesn't really provide the necessary data.

Whats the point?

I can answer that limited to this very chart itself: It's just information. It's just a different, condensed representation of the plane and vehicle kill stats I'm posting for years. This time just putting all the scattered data into one big graph: Kill stats by category.
For myself, the most interesting thing is how A2A and G2G kill stats are moving indepently from each other at various times. You can see it's not just "less plane kills because there are more GV kills", which occasionally has been claimed.
Or that the new GV icon settings gave Gv, and especially Wirbels a huge advantage. You can now see there is not much of a difference in A2G vs G2A kills.


And if you find this graph scary, you might suffer from chartophobia  

[Rich46yo]

What it looks like to me is that it became easier to find ground action, and faster, and players who play both tend to more ground now. At least thats what the arena appears like to me and is whats supported on this graph.

Economic downturns? I bet 9 out of 10 who left paid $$ to buy and play another game. Or numerous games. This isnt the 3rd world....yet and gamers usually cut their games out only if they are totally broke. Having "free" games out there certainly didnt help either.

[save]

We don't want maps with more fields than players.
small/medium maps only please, specially with summer coming up, 90% want fights, big enemy radar bars etc.

Unfortunately for HTC, many players find other games in same genre or maybe another genre, with flashy graphics etc.

I guess HTC have to let them users with old computers / notebooks with mediocre graphics card, that many are currently running AH on, go/force them to switch  to a little more modern computers.
This is unfortunately the only way to go forward, so we can have better graphics/environments in AH(3).

The other option is what Warbirds did, supporting old platforms like mac's, and old computers, trusting player base will stay there 4-ever.
I was a happy camper there 1997-2011, but decided finally to move away.

[The Fury]

 your graphs are great I appreciate the time and effort you put into them.  

I also agree with others we need smaller maps as the action is far to sparse.

[Slate]

   One thing not delved into is the fact we have many long term players and thier skill level has been rising. Where you could easily achieve a 10 kill streak in the past many are landing only 2 or 3 kills. I credit this to the players working on thier air combat skills. Either you all are getting better or I'm getting worse.