Where's all the players?

[warhed]

I mean, I already came...but I will definitely stay longer if you give us the sheep back.

[Slash27]

http://bbs.hitechcreations.com/smf/index.php/topic,362666.15.html

At least get the story right from both sides regardless if history is being rewritten.

#acking has such a sinister sound to it for a game like ours. Accomplishing nothing but waking up sleeping feelings and anger over someone already long gone. While causing casual observers to question having confidence in playing our game. This was resolved privately in the real world by HTC. After all, the person in question will never be able to enjoy our game again as a result of this incident. Isn't that enough?

There are too many vested parties in the drama that erupts over the groups of players and individuals surrounding much of this. Give Skuzzy a break.

Overreact much?

[The Fugitive]

I've been playing off and on since 2000 I think. I check in time to time because thanks to Aces High I've developed a genuine interest WWII and in particular the WWII air combat. But the things that kept me in the game back in the day seem to be a thing of the past now or at least the last time I've played over a year ago. We use to be able to attack a base with a handful of squaddies and meet some decent resistance. Now (please asterisk every time I say now because I have not played recently) because of automatic base defense it seems nearly impossible without a horde of players. And with the extremely large maps, the likely hood of meeting an evenly matched opponent is highly unlikely.

It use to be fun fighting teams like the Ak's, BKs, Bops, MWs, and Hornets for a base or being a able to attack a base with a small group in general. Now it seems that aspect of the game is gone. That coupled with the fact some of my favorite planes have been remodeled (SpitV and CHog) have pretty much kept me away from the game outside of checking the BB's time to time.

I'd like to come back but the maps would need to be smaller and the bases should revert back to early AHII format with strats and all.

It can still happen and does now and then. The difference is that now most players look at the game as a capture is the "win". In the old days the battle was the "win". Sure it was always great to FINALLY capture that base you fought so hard for, but even if you lost it, you knew you did everything you could and fought well and you got ready for the next base because you KNEW they were coming again for the next one in line.

Now, heaven forbid your mission fails to get the capture, and if there is resistance, pack it up and move some place else. Sad, but that is how the game is these days. That is the part that has to be tweaked or all those players that come to check out the new eye candy when they release it aren't going to stick around.

[LePaul]

I'm glad to have posed a good question with a lot of interesting input

Skuzzy:  Don't taz me, bro, I didn't have any control on their hacker talk 

I've managed to kill my X-52 controller, so my game satisfaction will certainly rise some, once I can afford to replace that thing!

Another thing someone else mentioned really hit it on the head.  The Forum / Community is what has really helped make the game what it is for many of us....kind of like an old friend.  I know the O'Club is much different than it was 10 years ago, but despite the "colorful" threads of the past, many of us all got to know each other.  Many of us killed many work hours chiming in on the forums.  Then we spent our home time online, gaming away. 

I have a lot of good memories here, although things seem like a shadow of their former self.  I hope the upcoming game changes DOES draw in those old friends again.  And some new players as well. 

The learning curve is pretty steep and the comments on that are spot on.  I know a couple pilot friends who won't play because it takes too long to get any good at it.  I was surprised to hear that from airline pilots!  So, its not just the new-to-flight-sims guys!  We need to figure out a way to help even the real-life pilots up to speed!

[Butcher]

Another thing someone else mentioned really hit it on the head.  The Forum / Community is what has really helped make the game what it is for many of us....

I wrote 3-4 paragraphs to debate this, then I realized I would probably be PNG just for my criticism and deleted it.

[perdue3]

I mean, I already came...but I will definitely stay longer if you give us the sheep back.

Sheep and 1 hour = My 15 bucks

[SirNuke]

new graphics will get me to have a look. But decent fights will get me to stay. Bring capture lattices back and ban the big maps.

[rvflyer]

Now, heaven forbid your mission fails to get the capture, and if there is resistance, pack it up and move some place else. Sad, but that is how the game is these days. That is the part that has to be tweaked or all those players that come to check out the new eye candy when they release it aren't going to stick around.

So true I don't know how many times I have been at a base where we are defending and the resistance gets strong next thing I know everyone is gone instead of fighting.
People complain about no fights but they seem to only want the easy fights with odds on their side.

I followed a guy in buffs for a sector in a 110 yesterday as I got close he bailed then laughed and said that was the way to play if you want base captures. Got on the tail of his buddies buff and he bailed also and said they didn't care about anything except getting the base captures. That is the kind of game play that will finally make me call it quits.  I say there needs to be penalty for bailing if there is a red guy close by. 

[rvflyer]

The learning curve is pretty steep and the comments on that are spot on.  I know a couple pilot friends who won't play because it takes too long to get any good at it.  I was surprised to hear that from airline pilots!  So, its not just the new-to-flight-sims guys!  We need to figure out a way to help even the real-life pilots up to speed!

I understand what real pilots go through as a flight instructor, i use to find myself trying to fly these as real airplanes fly, doesn't and will not work in this game you need to
develop a technique just for the game. 

[Brooke]

I know a couple pilot friends who won't play because it takes too long to get any good at it.  I was surprised to hear that from airline pilots!  So, its not just the new-to-flight-sims guys!  We need to figure out a way to help even the real-life pilots up to speed!

Airline pilots know how to normally fly but (unless they have some other training) don't know squat about ACM; and ACM takes a lot longer to learn than normal flying.

I went to Air Combat USA with two other guys:  one a person like me who had flown a lot of Air Warrior and was good in Air Warrior but had very little time in real planes (in his case, almost zero), and a pilot with 1000 hours and a commercial rating but no time in Air Warrior.  We creamed the commercial pilot in the dogfights.

It's like a long-time skater thinking it should be easy to play hockey or a long-time truck driver thinking it should be easy to be good at rally racing or a normal commuter motorcyclist thinking that he should be able to hop in and be great at motocross.

[rvflyer]

Airline pilots know how to normally fly but (unless they have some other training) don't know squat about ACM; and ACM takes a lot longer to learn than normal flying.

Many many airline pilots come from a military flying background.

[Wmaker]

Many many airline pilots come from a military flying background.

Doesn't change Brooke's point in any way though.

[Brooke]

Many many airline pilots come from a military flying background.

I did say

unless they have some other training

However, the large majority of military pilots don't know ACM.  That's not part of training to be a cargo pilot, transport pilot, B-52 pilot (as far as I know), recon pilot, sub hunter, etc.

[Arlo]

Many many airline pilots come from a military flying background.

Perhaps still a majority .... but not all of them were/are fighter pilots.

[LePaul]

Perhaps still a majority .... but not all of them were/are fighter pilots.

Correct.  There's a lot of fighter pilots out there...and there's a lot of KC-135, KC-10, C-17, etc etc  =)

My friend flew tankers (KC-135).  He said only a barbarian would fly 8 hours without a latrine