Snailman's scary graph

[Lusche]

one thing I've noticed though is the numbers of kills being landed is often 2-3 instead of 5-10 like it used to be and the frequency of landed kills in the text bar is way down inlanded kills but the bomber sorties are showing up a lot.

The average number of kills per fighter sortie didn't change in the past 7-8 years. The k/h is somewhat lower than it had been in 05/06, but that has been a very gradual change over many years and not that massive at all.

this sudden drop in kills. did it start about the time acheivements were added to the game that encouraged players to man the bombers? if  large portion of the ah population is now spending time climbing to altitude in bombers you have a big chunk of misleading data that does not show what is actually going on.

There has been no significant sudden increase in bomber time. There has been a minor one, but that has also been a gradual rise over the years with a minor bump when the strats were fixed. But again, this is very minor.

Oh, and the latest sudden drop in kills started in April, long after the achievements were introduced (that actually started lasty ear). Coincidentally right after WT opened the US server. Of course I can't say if it really was the sole cause, nor do I know if players fully transitioned or are just testing different waters

(At this point I got to emphazise again that the chart does NOT show overall player or subscriber numbers. Just combat activity in terms of kills by category)

[MrRiplEy[H]]

I would probably never have started my virtual piloting hobby if it wasn't for warbirds offline mode and the free arena.

I practiced against the bots until I could hold my own against them and only then I even went to the free arena. I became a paying subscriber only after the free arena started to feel too limited.

To put the story short - if I only had 2 weeks of MA to get accustomed to the game with, I probably would have quit after the first few games. Just because the skill level would have been way too demanding when you had learning to do just with the controls and the flight model.

[Midway]

Being nicer to noobs is probably a better for game.

The amount of people who abuse them by saying go to to training arena and keep away from our game is appalling

 

Zack1234, obviously a man of great wisdom and insight.

[bozon]

Oh, and the latest sudden drop in kills started in April, long after the achievements were introduced (that actually started lasty ear). Coincidentally right after WT opened the US server. Of course I can't say if it really was the sole cause, nor do I know if players fully transitioned or are just testing different waters

War thunder indeed sucked quite a few players out of AH. I tried that game and it sure sucks.

[5PointOh]

Last night I played about ten rounds of World of Tanks.  At the beginning I simple asking "If anyone had heard of Aces High or played it?" The majority of the players that answered had never heard of it, a couple had played a long time ago, one person said graphics were poor, and one person said it was very hard.  

While this is not scientific data, but I think many of you are right, if they don't know about it, they are not going to play it.  Next time I ask I'll write down the actual results on how many answer and what they say.

[icepac]

There will always be an audience for "true realism" in a game and challenge.

For aces high, the promotions would have to be geared toward letting people know that the sim's adherence to realism is second to none and challenge them to see if they have what it takes.

Otherwise, the solution is to go the Xbox route and make all planes simply turn when you yank the stick..........and lose the current core audience.

[titanic3]

IMO..AH is perfect as it is except for two things.

1. Need more players
2. Better graphics

More players = more fights = make the map as large/extensive as you want because fights will be everywhere.

As for the graphics argument..well, there's a whole thread in the OClub about it...For me, I really think if AH somehow magically used CryEngine/Frostbite and all its features, along with all the attention that comes with it, AH would be racking in a hell of a lot more players.

[pembquist]

I am hoping that the staged missions gets better.  There is a lack of clear cut enjoyable self training tools for players. The game is based on interaction between players which is the point when it comes to aircombat but maybe holds back skill development as if you want to practice you need another player. The staged missions offer the potential for skill improvement but they are a little cumbersome.  An arena like the TA but perpetually populated by AI drones divvied up by sub area for different planes would be an example of something simple and fun to work on maneuvering and aim without needing other players or trial and error to find out what staged missions are what.

[68ZooM]

But what does it all mean basil......

[MrRiplEy[H]]

The learning curve is too steep IMO. HT should add an offline mode with drones to let interested players first practice offline before subscribing to the live arena.

[zack1234]

Zack1234, obviously a man of great wisdom and insight.

Cheers Midway

Your awesome

[bj229r]

The learning curve is too steep IMO. HT should add an offline mode with drones to let interested players first practice offline before subscribing to the live arena.

+1.....I've found a great way to practice new planes, practice gunnery (offline mode allows computer-aided pipper) The drones display more skill than a lot of people in the game......having missions for every plane-type would be a huge +. So many folks DL the game, imMEDIATELY launch a plane (in the hangar, of course) and are raped over and over......difficult to get a hand on air to air combat in two weeks. Getting some immersion in offline furballs would help

[Latrobe]

The learning curve is too steep IMO. HT should add an offline mode with drones to let interested players first practice offline before subscribing to the live arena.

I think adding Vudu's YouTube channel to the front page of the website would be a good start. 

[Myg]

I think adding Vudu's YouTube channel to the front page of the website would be a good start.  

I don't agree. While Vudu has done plenty of videos, he still has a very very long way to go till his presentation is up to something like that, and even if he did put a lot of effort into that aspect; there is no garuntee that it would be good enough on its own.

I would suggest that HTC do it instead, for the time being.

+1.....I've found a great way to practice new planes, practice gunnery (offline mode allows computer-aided pipper) The drones display more skill than a lot of people in the game......having missions for every plane-type would be a huge +. So many folks DL the game, imMEDIATELY launch a plane (in the hangar, of course) and are raped over and over......difficult to get a hand on air to air combat in two weeks. Getting some immersion in offline furballs would help

Look up my "f2p TA" wish in the wishlist forum and support it if you think its good. It would go a very long way to cultivate the kind of basis for people to enter the LWA/MA. Of course, supports alone wont get ideas in, HT has to like it as well.

[Big Rat]

One thing many are probably over looking here as far as the numbers go.  Many of us old vets don't fly in the MA's much anymore.  We spend our time in FSO, Scenarios,or practicing for such events.  This is the game to us, and what we enjoy.  Nothing against the guys who enjoy the MA, I did for about the first 3-4 years.  But I think it's possible there is an ever increasing part of the aces high population that is now playing like I do.  If the subscriber numbers are about the same but the MA numbers are down, I think this is a likely explanation.

 
BigRat