Support Aces High

[Nwbie]

All I remember is that open eyed stare that my wife ... fiance at the time... lol....  was giving me after she opened the Visa card bill after the second month of Air Warrior .... the first month snuck through because the billing hadn't caught up yet.  
Needless to say, flying times were greatly curtailed until AOL came out with the "included fee" play service.

Fun days - hard to say what the difference is, mostly I think the "newness" of the whole online multi-player game thing, I was a year or two late to the game compared to a lot of the players like Dok, Gonzo, Fidel, HiTech,  .. etc.    But you still felt the -newness- of the whole experience. The ability to share that experience and feel like you were part of something...
(How many here can say they were in the ONLY squad to ever close the one base in Air Warrior that was impossible to close?   I had joined The Black Widows Squad - 2 weeks or so before.. Simple online game experience, still a huge memory...)

Today's new players can't have that experience, they have been playing computer games since they were just out of the crib.
This game is fun, incredible when you think of how people from around the world are literally sitting right next to you -talking, laughing and talking about personal things in each of our lives. I have been "friends" with people from the Philippines, Australia, England, Germany, Italy...etc..How cool is that?.....What a great experience it has been over the years, one I could or would not ever trade.
The only problem, as HiTech and the gang at HQ know, real life enters the equation, some can manage both- many-me included, can't juggle both. It isn't the money - even though updating a computer is sometimes daunting financially, I still think that eventually I will be back in my Spit 1 of death... lol

The only hope for them and for the players who want to continue this game, is if the current players are welcoming, are willing to drag new people to training for simple moves that may keep them alive long enough to say- hey that was fun- . But mostly you need players that everyone wants to strive to be as good at it as they are, and have a personality in game that everyone likes and appreciates.

There will always be the jerks who annoy everyone, chain pullers- they have always been part of the game - the ones who do it to have fun- they are great for the game, RuAmL comes to mind- he really was a funny guy, - the ones who do it to be mean- no one needs bullies and crybabies- even a simple online game -
My 2 cents

NwBie

[mthrockmor]

When it comes to cost, price structure is very important. People are looking at value differently and $14.95 is likely behind the curve. QE alone has hammered inflation, and $14.95 today is more like $10 5 years ago.

boo

[DmonSlyr]

When it comes to cost, price structure is very important. People are looking at value differently and $14.95 is likely behind the curve. QE alone has hammered inflation, and $14.95 today is more like $10 5 years ago.

boo

IMO, $15 month is only psychologically expensive, unless you are out of a decent paying job. The key is to initially get new players to spend what sounds like a lot of money for a game per month. BF4 is $60 one time sign up, that's 4 months of AH ( not to mention new $60 download packs for the same game that you have to download). The key is to get people to pay that $15 per month and forget about it.

The only way that will happen on a larger scale is to convince players that there is a reason to initially sign up. That Is where the H2H and what I've offered in the past post bring up.

People think it is expensive at first because it Is a game they don't understand.

Open H2H, offer incentives like more plane choices, ord, and ranks in the MA a, use H2H as a marketing incentive to attract new players. And after a month or 2 they will feel comfortable to pay the $15 without being forced, which will then make them seem like the bill isn't big. They will get hooked and continue to pay the $15 per month.

This will bring higher margins and feed new players into the MA every month.

[kvuo75]

Before it was $6/hour, I think it was $6/hour for base GEnie access, then a premium for some of the multiplayer games (like Air Warrior, Isle of Kesmai, the mech battle thing, etc.) that took it to $10/hour or more.  My memory of those days is far from perfect, though.

it was something like that... I know I couldn't afford it as a 18 yr old punk kid.  I was only able to play the trial "10 free hours!" or whatever it was (~1994-95)

[Tracers]

I have been supporting HTC since 2000, and will continue until they close the doors most likely, when ever that may be.

I agree that this is a nitch market game. I also agree that it doesn't translate to "mobile" gaming as well, However, I still believe that it can continue and maybe even grow, but there has got to be a lot done.

The games that thrive at this point are those with quick action. My son "the gamer" can't be bothered by this game only due to the time it takes to find a fight. The 12 hour rule needs to be relaxed, and the loss of dar issue needs to be addressed. These two things alone slow the action more than anything else.

The learning curve issue. Do you know why it's such an issue? Because the game is setup and played to make it very easy to hide/runaway from combat..... and this in a combat simulation game   Forcing the action to happen quicker will force players to fight. If you fight one fight a night you don't learn much. If your forced to fight 20 fights a night I think your going to learn a lot faster. Smaller maps with closer bases can accomplish this. Again, quicker action.

Prettier graphics. Sure this is going to help bring in new players..... as long as HTC lets the world know it has a new release. If they don't, nothing will change. They have begun a "word of mouth" campaign using social media. When was the last announcement on "facebook", October 9th.  Hell I'm an old guy with mostly family following and I post more often than that! As a company that deals WITH their customers, HTC is top notch. I called once with a question about my account and Dale answered the phone (He said everyone else had gone out for pizza   ), but as a company that is looking to expand it's player base..... you need a map and a magic compass to find any info on them.

I don't know how much longer until the new update comes out, tho I expect it is still months away, they should be posting everyday if not a couple times a day. It only takes a few seconds. A quick screen capture over a town in the update, post. a screen capture of a GV rolling through the new countryside, post. And so on and so on. Even if you post a dozen shots of GVs in a week people will hunt for anything that is in the background, generating "buzz" about the update. The more "buzz" the more likely search engines will pick up the info and get it out there. If you post daily, imagine the "buzz" you could build in a couple of months.... about the time of a possible new release maybe  

Typing "WWII flight sims" in Google doesn't bring up Aces High on the first page. It was on the second page, but how many people bother looking at a second page? HTC needs a PR person/group. They need to get info out there NOW to get things rolling for LATER. Flight/Combat sims are a smaller nitch market, but even  then, why is HTC so low on google? Not enough buzz! Using social media to build buzz only works if you post, wheres the posts?

Yes I support HTC, for years and years, and I hope to support them for many years to come, but if they continue to turn a blind eye to the ever changing dynamics of the game and ever changing dynamics of the gamers world they will end up on the losing end as the game world rolls on by.    

Agreed. All these years and you finaly spout something intellegent instead of the rubbish you usually crap on about.

[Tracers]

Any of the hundreds of customer suggestions to increase player base / business have basically gone ignored.

That would be because HTC are too arrogant to listen to the people who pay their bills. They are too busy listening to the handfull of sycophants  that blo
w wind up their arses rather than fix the rubbish in game

[The Fugitive]

Agreed. All these years and you finaly spout something intellegent instead of the rubbish you usually crap on about.

I can't wait until tomorrow!






















.....when your PNG starts   

[warhed]

That would be because HTC are too arrogant to listen to the people who pay their bills. They are too busy listening to the handfull of sycophants  that blo
w wind up their arses rather than fix the rubbish in game

I've seen many games die because the developers have listened too much to their customers.   If you turned this into a democracy, defending bases would be illegal, combat would disappear altogether, and we'd get 10,000 perks for winning the war.

[Tilt]

That would be because HTC are too arrogant "..........

I was once arrogant........ now I am perfect!   

[ghi]

  This forum is bad for collecting quality feedback and suggestions for game owners, just polluted with spam from a small dozen of endless posters ; there are 1000s of paying customers  never visiting this BB;
HTC team could come to MA during evenings are ask people what they want, run some  polls;  

imop,  people behave different in groups vs solo ; can't motivate your platoon, regiment  rewarding one soldier, he will start shooting his buddies to eliminate the competition and get the prize, ignoring the group mission.
 
Same in game now, i noticed players from same team even same sqd, arguing over some worthless bombing  tgt middle of towns, obsessed with # of kills fighting over a cheap vulch , best camping spot, picking landing planes or racing to get first a base capture. This game want to have groups and massive multiplayers style rewarding individuals not groups, kind of MMO with first person shooter rewarding style; I see players avoiding the risks behind the computer screens, avoiding fight, filtering every action through score ranking system blended with some ego ;

For a new player, checking AH, this is what is going to see first;  nothing personal to any names here, but this is my opinion;
 



This should look like, or atleast add the team results and pay 100 -200 perks for map won;  20 perks after 10 years ?!   doesn't cover inflation cost;





Some people love personal achievements but imop most of the core, including myself, still paying for this game are team oriented, I don't care about score, I want my team to win, ;  ; If this game resets to 2001-2004, was more rewarding for team oriented players, maybe why we had double the numbers in MA;

I would change the map reset formula  ,reducing % of bases captured needed  and add strats HQ damage, eliminate large maps from rotation until the # are higher, reduce maps autoreset time to 36-48 hours  and why not let people move change sides every 2-3 hours;  towns were made too huge , lots of flack, Vbases from 1 to 4vhs+fh; bases more difficult to capture, and largeeee maps with 7 days auto-reset time;
  
  

[xPoisonx]

B.S.?? It has my name on it how could it be BS 

[Lazerr]

  ghi

[The Fugitive]

 This forum is bad for collecting quality feedback and suggestions for game owners, just polluted with spam from a small dozen of endless posters ; there are 1000s of paying customers  never visiting this BB;
HTC team could come to MA during evenings are ask people what they want, run some  polls;  

imop,  people behave different in groups vs solo ; can't motivate your platoon, regiment  rewarding one soldier, he will start shooting his buddies to eliminate the competition and get the prize, ignoring the group mission.
 
Same in game now, i noticed players from same team even same sqd, arguing over some worthless bombing  tgt middle of towns, obsessed with # of kills fighting over a cheap vulch , best camping spot, picking landing planes or racing to get first a base capture. This game want to have groups and massive multiplayers style rewarding individuals not groups, kind of MMO with first person shooter rewarding style; I see players avoiding the risks behind the computer screens, avoiding fight, filtering every action through score ranking system blended with some ego ;

For a new player, checking AH, this is what is going to see first;  nothing personal to any names here, but this is my opinion;
 
(Image removed from quote.)


This should look like, or atleast add the team results and pay 100 -200 perks for map won;  20 perks after 10 years ?!   doesn't cover inflation cost;

(Image removed from quote.)



Some people love personal achievements but imop most of the core, including myself, still paying for this game are team oriented, I don't care about score, I want my team to win, ;  ; If this game resets to 2001-2004, was more rewarding for team oriented players, maybe why we had double the numbers in MA;

I would change the map reset formula  ,reducing % of bases captured needed  and add strats HQ damage, eliminate large maps from rotation until the # are higher, reduce maps autoreset time to 36-48 hours  and why not let people move change sides every 2-3 hours;  towns were made too huge , lots of flack, Vbases from 1 to 4vhs+fh; bases more difficult to capture, and largeeee maps with 7 days auto-reset time;
  
  

SO how would you fix the issue of a player who comes in and kills ord, and radar, then bails from a perfectly good plane instead of fighting his way back to friendly territory? To me and many others thats isn't how you should play the game. I think that "death" should count toward the players team as well. After all this is a game of combat and you must fight to win the war, or are you looking to avoid all combat and win the war by rolling bases with hordes?

If seen you and many of your bishlings do this in the "team play" you seem to enjoy. 

[Max]

ghi put down the lipstick, walk away with your hands in the air, and no one gets hurt 

[Changeup]

ghi just photobombed this thread. lol. He's still mad they took away F3 in IL-2's.