anytime I try to get anyone to play this game they're instantly turned off by the outdated subscription model. It's simply too much to commit to for a game they do not know if they will keep playing. While "pay to win" I think is sucky, it's less sucky then having no players.
EDIT: Question for hitech, will we get proper default sounds this update or stick with those honestly terrible sounding defaults from AH2 which also make the game seem dated.
1. Before you make accusations about the game. You should probably play and learn the game better before you express your full opinion. You can download other sounds that fellow players in the community have made. Some people really do a great job with them. You do not have to use the default sounds.
2. While I agree with you that the physical detail level does need to be enhanced for new dedicated subscribers, the pay to win game model is a joke. It is not a fair structure to beginning players as well. It limits skill sets and forces the wallet to be your skill decider. It takes competition out of the game and ruins the game for people who believe winning with even measures is what games are all about.
3. The war base wholelistic atmosphere is the best part of AH. Having the freedom to soar the skies and fight where and whenever you want, bomb any city, tank all over the place. It makes it seem more realistic. Being showed into a room with TD and FFA like WT is fun and all, but too me it is not the game model in AH. Personally, I think HTC's strategy for a full map all out war is awesome. All we need are more people to join the game and you will be blown away by how much action there will be.
4. While I do agree that HTC does have some problems to look into, and strategies to consider with these maps, HQ, strats, maps that promote large fights, and the Training aspect ( which should be free so people can learn thr game, they cant actually down a plane and they will be itching for it), the overall game structure on a large map, nor the flight model should be changed.
5. Again, there are other places in AH2 that you can go to and experience FFAs and team death matches. AH2 has a places where you can create your own custom rooms. All it takes is someone to make a FFA room with a smog 8 map, promote the hell out of it on the BBs, and boom you have a 16-32 base FFA or TDM.
6. I agree that promotion, PR, and recognition need some up lifting. I believe the reason this game wasn't on those links you provided is simply because people haven't heard of this game. Also, a 2 weeks free trial is very difficult to learn and understand the game to be willing enough to pay for it monthly. You have to have a super warbird enthousiest who is willing to stay. Most people have to work, 2 weeks doesn't give them enough attachment time. Olds, my friends say the same thing. They are not as enthusiastic about warbirds, so they don't care to pay for a game monthly that isn't up to graphic standards, realizing they wouldn't play that much anyway. It's a fun for time opportunity cash cost.
7. Learn the game better. When you become better at AH, you become better at getting kills and having longer sorties. You have better fights, you help the team better, you have more successful missions. It took me 8-10 years to get to a good level. Many people who complain are new and don't have the slightest clue what's going on. If they practiced more they would get more kills and stay alive longer.. I hope the learning curve never changes because in AH you really get a sense of how scary warbirds really are in the right hands, and flying ain't easy. If you want to be good and become a good pilot in AH, you have to spend years learning it, instead of paying to have better planes and bullets than everyone else, and that is something special about this game.