loss of members

[tboy1972]

so why in the world are there 13 players on a Saturday night?  I love this game, and have been paying for many years, but I think it is dying.  I remember when I would log on and there would almost always be an update to download.  I couldn't tell you the last time I saw an update to this game, other than the beta for aces high 3, which by the way will never attract enough players to make it worth while.  This is really sad, and I can see the end of this game in site. 

that is sad.

[Lusche]

  I couldn't tell you the last time I saw an update to this game, other than the beta for aces high 3, which by the way will never attract enough players to make it worth while. 

For the record, AH3 beta is about a new graphic engine completely rebuild from scratch, wich is way more work than the usual game updates you are referring to. And the AH development team is quite small. That's why the last update (bringing us the Tu-2) was 29 months ago.

[Max]

It should also be noted that Hitech Creations has not engaged in any paid advertising for some time now. No doubt, that will change when beta goes live.

[FLS]

I saw 191 players Saturday night.

The beta is the AH3 update to Aces High.

[Ratsy]

The darkest hour is always just before dawn.

No more needs be said.

 

[nrshida]

so why in the world are there 13 players on a Saturday night? 

Which time zone are you on (or get to fly on) tboy1972?

[The Fugitive]

It should also be noted that Hitech Creations has not engaged in any paid advertising for some time now. No doubt, that will change when beta goes live.

The darkest hour is always just before dawn.

No more needs be said.

 

I love dreamers 

As a bit of a realist, unless there are some big changes in game play (some Im sure I wont like) this game is going to wallow along only for a short time after the AH3 update.

I saw 191 players Saturday night.

The beta is the AH3 update to Aces High.

You post that like your proud of that number. Just a couple of weeks ago there were over 300 on a Saturday night.

Pretty graphics may bring in new players IF they run the ads MAX is so optimistic about, but what is there that is going to entice them to stay?

Bullys sending PMs?
Large learning curve so that they can barely compete?
Runners and bailers who enjoy AVOIDING combat?
Lack of radar for hours on end?
Huge maps to spread out fronts?
Puffy ack that can kill a maneuvering fighter but cant hit a SET of buffs.
Being part of a horde or dying to one is your main choice of flights?

I haven't been able to spend a lot of time in the Beta tho I do load each update and check to see if the basics work on my computer (updates, loads, starts, roll a plane or two check FR ) but the biggest thing I see right now is the update points to tanking more than anything else. Of course your cant make "air" look all that much better. I just hope it doesn't turn into Aces Low with any new player that come in.

Im sure the VR support HTC is adding will be a big seller with some people, but is that market all that big to support all the time involved in adding and tweaking it? How long has this delayed the release of AH3?

Lots of questions but very few answers. A nice "round table" setup with HTC would be cool for getting answers, but this would delay the release more  Ah well, all we can do is to continue to support HTC by paying our subscriptions and hope for the best.

[LCADolby]

Go ask Alice, I think she'll know. When logic and proportion have fallen sloppy dead. And the White Knight is talking backwards and the Red Queen's off with her head. Remember what the dormouse said; Feed your head
Feed your head!

[Lusche]

Go ask Alice, I think she'll know. When logic and proportion have fallen sloppy dead. And the White Knight is talking backwards and the Red Queen's off with her head. Remember what the dormouse said; Feed your head
Feed your head!

takin the pills today, I see... 

[wil3ur]

[JunkyII]

Blame land grabbers.

Seriously, the good fights we see are spawned from capture attempts, the bad fights we see are either a horde or the hide and seek stuff we see. They make up the majority of the game, if more of the leaders of these capture attempts focused on building a fight instead of ending one, we'd be better off.

That being said, any fighter pilot who is afraid to get their hands dirty and kill a few town buildings to help a capture along is also taking away from the fight. Must remain dynamic.

We can do our part to make others gameplay more enjoyable...give a check 6, not HO, not be the 3rd or 4th in, not drop FHs at the only furball, ask if someone needs help (they may not want it), run some supps...ect ect.

I know when I'm playing, I'm probably more worried about how my enemies death experience is more then my satisfaction over the kill....got plenty of each in all categories against most of the sticks in the game so it really doesn't matter to me...here for a fight and fun banter...and the occasional FUSS when some turd wants to run their mouth 

 

[Easyscor]

I love dreamers 

As a bit of a realist, unless there are some big changes in game play...

The loudest criticism is always about game play. The game play has gone through a few changes since I started playing but the current version is still very much the same as when I started. It's the same game-play that hooked you to begin with. You weren't wrong to enjoy it and new players will like it just as much as you did, so long as they feel welcomed into the arena.

For starters, yes, the new general graphics are superb. I don't like spending time in AH2 anymore because of it.
The new sound system is first class and the ambient sound is really a nice touch if you appreciate that sort of thing.
You touched on VR. The effort put in to VR will pay off simply because early adopters will want to try them in a flight sim.
The high learning curve is actually part of the appeal for midlevel players in AH. There is always something new to learn, a new surprise if you will.

Do I wish Beta was already here? You bet! I would've been happy with the graphics alone but you might have wanted new sound packs or support for the new VR glasses you just spent six hundred dollars to use in the game.

I could go on, but you've been around long enough to know this is the best product in its category and only lacked the better graphics and features needed to be appealing to new users.

Gezz, I sound like a fanboi. Ouch!

 

[Randy1]

Not one mention of the changing economy and the tablet, game-system growth and down-falling of the desktop PC.  it is not the people that have changed nor the game.  Keep in mind intel laid off a large number of employees in the PC chip department.

What complicates our low numbers is the AH players that enjoy a particular part of the game.  As a percentage of the population of AH, these players complaining about lack of play in their style are a low percentage group.  When numbers were up high, a low percentage segment of play still had enough numbers to make it worth while.  Now with the decline, there just isn't enough play to suit their needs.

[The Fugitive]

The loudest criticism is always about game play. The game play has gone through a few changes since I started playing but the current version is still very much the same as when I started. It's the same game-play that hooked you to begin with. You weren't wrong to enjoy it and new players will like it just as much as you did, so long as they feel welcomed into the arena.

For starters, yes, the new general graphics are superb. I don't like spending time in AH2 anymore because of it.
The new sound system is first class and the ambient sound is really a nice touch if you appreciate that sort of thing.
You touched on VR. The effort put in to VR will pay off simply because early adopters will want to try them in a flight sim.
The high learning curve is actually part of the appeal for midlevel players in AH. There is always something new to learn, a new surprise if you will.

Do I wish Beta was already here? You bet! I would've been happy with the graphics alone but you might have wanted new sound packs or support for the new VR glasses you just spent six hundred dollars to use in the game.

I could go on, but you've been around long enough to know this is the best product in its category and only lacked the better graphics and features needed to be appealing to new users.

Gezz, I sound like a fanboi. Ouch!

 

I agree with everything you said except the game play, it has changed drastically from the old days. Believe it or not, Im a fanboi and will gladly continue to hand over money to HTC as long as they have the servers running, just like I did in AW.

Not one mention of the changing economy and the tablet, game-system growth and down-falling of the desktop PC.  it is not the people that have changed nor the game.  Keep in mind intel laid off a large number of employees in the PC chip department.

What complicates our low numbers is the AH players that enjoy a particular part of the game.  As a percentage of the population of AH, these players complaining about lack of play in their style are a low percentage group.  When numbers were up high, a low percentage segment of play still had enough numbers to make it worth while.  Now with the decline, there just isn't enough play to suit their needs.

While those things do seem to have an impact on casual game players, "gamers" still build their own PCs and run right on the edge of technology for the best gaming experience. A perfect example is VR headsets.

While all the new bells and whistles are great and I applaud HTC for all the work they are doing and greatly look forward to them moving into AH3, if things are not tweaked and the bullying continues, the griefing continues, and the general lame game play that turns players off, they will not be able to sustain sufficient numbers to keep it going.

I don't know if any one at HTC plays any more. If they do Im sure they are under shades as I feel sorry for them when they DO step into the MA as they are bombarded with questions. Years ago they would hang out and chat, but back then the numbers were low and things not so hectic. But if they are not playing any more how do they know how things are going? I know there was a huge and drastic change in radar at one point. My thoughts are that someone logged in from HTC and saw a vast majority of the players running NOE avoiding ANY type of fight and they made drastic changes to clear that up. Calmer heads prevailed later an reset the dar, a compromise of DAR that was easy to avoid or one that showed you as soon as you got wheels up, to a middle ground, to what we have today.

These are the kind of changes we need not, nothing drastic, but tweaks. Not to remove options in game play but to adjust things so that players avoid the gamier aspect and try to achieve their ends in a more beneficial way for everyone. Fight for bases instead of stealing them. Fight your way back from your milk run in the buff instead of bail. People still get to do the things they like, but adding the tweaks makes it fun for more players. If this is the place to have fun wouldn't you think they would have more players jumping in to HAVE that fun?

[Brooke]

Pretty graphics may bring in new players IF they run the ads MAX is so optimistic about, but what is there that is going to entice them to stay?

The AWESOMENESS of Scenarios!