Player numbers down?

[hgtonyvi]

Numbers are down because of the Buzzsaw map....Get rid of that thing

[nrshida]

Just to explain a few things about this topic and how society itself has changed the game.
...
Don't blame it on the game, you will just keep failing.

Great wisdom in this post. Thank you for tasking the time to write that 

[Lusche]

However the players who register for scenarios now are fewer in number.  More then a 50% drop.  Now getting 80 to register for a scenario is difficult to say the least making it harder to design a successful scenario.  Some of us held on to only participate in scenarios.  The numbers that register at this time for them have fallen to the point more many of us just gave up and went away.

Scenario participation basically scaled with overall player numbers. Those sank, and so did scenario numbers. In fact, the relative participation (average pilots in a frame / total # of MA pilots in that month) had risen slightly even.

For example, the last scenario (Hell over the hinterland) may have struggled to get 80 pilots playing per frame. But the Relative Participation was at about 4.9%, which would have been a very good turnout during the peak days of AH (the original DGS scenario had about 4.9% RP as well)

 

[save]

One problem, Hajo, is also that the game-play have changed dramatically, specially on one map, where planes are far between.

You fly to a field deserted from plane's, 'welcomed' by  least 2 wirbies -  he will get you if he don't reveal his position and you fly low enough, his icon will be seen when you are sitting in your chute.

Capture used to be done in C47's.
They needed some screen protection from fighters, now one guy in a GV can run into a de-ack'ed white flagged town and get it himself if terrain is dense enough

Often the town have been destroyed by rocket-launchers or from GV's in the town, not from bombers / jabo.

[thndregg]

6)  So..we ask ourselves "what has changed?"  Basically the answer is society.  It is proper for everyone to play the game as they wish.  No one should tell someone else how they should play the game.  We live in a different time then we did as little as 15 years ago.  More technology, small computers in our hands to access everything instantaneously, we expect results NOW!  Those of us that are a bit older did quite fine without the new technologies.  We didn't have it so we did not miss it.  We still have patience and the younger crowd has less.  Not their fault that's just how it is.

This was the draw for me back in '04 when I subscribed. There were plenty of more mature, more tolerant folks to enjoy the various facets of this game with that required more patience. Loved it immensely. Learned a lot. Win or lose, we still had fun at it.

[Mister Fork]

If our numbers are down, should we just have smaller maps that make it easier to find fights and easier to win wars just like in AH1?

[SFRT - Frenchy]

Not for me. Small maps usually have a train of fighters attacking one base and that's not my reason for playing Aces High. I play for the dogfights, not the furballs. If that makes sense, slashing at mach2 thru lower cons doing gunery practice and racking up kills is borring.

Incidentally, I dont enjoy the preset start of the DA either. I lile that 1-1, 2-2, 3-3 meet in the air with random starting condition. I understand others are diffenrent.

[AAIK]

See rule #4

[AAIK]

See Rule #4

[AAIK]

See Rule #4

What do you want me to say? I can't extrapolate the issues behind the player numbers and I can't give any positive words.

I am feeling a little abused here, its not nice being ganged upon.

Player numbers is a big issue because the number of players effects the enjoyment of the game for everyone.
- Logistics is used more when fields are downed more often.
- More bombers in the air, leading to more interesting encounters.
- Furballers are satisfied with the level of intensity.
- 1v1s happen more often with more players, so those type of players are satisfied.

How am I supposed to add something constructive to this topic if I can't hold any kind of stance on it?

I am sure there are steps that can be taken to improve player number.

I am afraid of saying anything.

[guncrasher]

you guys ever think that the numbers are down because you keep complaining that the numbers are down?  if you would only stay off the bb and play the game I am pretty sure the numbers would be up.


semp

[bustr]

you guys ever think that the numbers are down because you keep complaining that the numbers are down?  if you would only stay off the bb and play the game I am pretty sure the numbers would be up.


semp

Instant gratification has a brother called angry unhappy complainer.

If you have a venue for instant communication directly to the management of an entertainment company, people eventually use it to instantly vent any and all perceived affronts to their gratification. It's addictive to have the ability to tell off the sumo botcha who "you know" personally holds your happiness in his hands. And if he won't give you what you want, it's addictive to trash his living room as your consolation prize as long as you don't get Skuzzynated. Mix a whole room full of those and it becomes a daily cathartic battle royal with a life of it's own. The only common thread, personal perception of the game past, current and future feeds the daily frenzy which is always a downward spiral. With a stark periodic exception.

How do you prove this, any event, a new ride release, a new terrain, a large scale positive announcement by Hitech. And for several hours or even a few days, everyone is positive and nice including telling cranks to chill while the majority is enjoying the positive experience.

Positive and negative emotions are both reward mechanisms for the brain. Negativity is easier to generate and just as rewarding as positivity. Negativity is addictive because of that. New customers are looking for positivity to justify their risk of becoming involved in the AH3 experience. They are not yet addicted to the negative under current that prevails in the forums. It's proponents will defensively put lipstick on that pig and call it friendly competition. It's still a negative experience for the uninitiated looking for a new game.

These forums have been like this since I can remember....  

[Zener]

... plenty of more mature, more tolerant folks to enjoy the various facets of this game with that required more patience. Loved it immensely. Learned a lot. Win or lose, we still had fun at it.

We certainly did!  Glad to see you still around, Egg.  Flew with you in the BOPs then again when you started up the 91st (I was Cable back in the day).  Those missions were a blast, even when the only thing left of us in the air was small shards of falling metal that used to be a B-24.  I know I learned a lot about various things in the game from the radio chatter on those missions I would never have tried out on my own.  Fun and educational too.

Well, I can't speak to the numbers, but count me back in the game again as Zener this time though  I've forgotten how much I used to know.  Lots of things about the game are "different" even though the mechanics are essentially the same. 

[thndregg]

We certainly did!  Glad to see you still around, Egg.

Thanks, my friend. My time in the game has been minuscule for the past year or so. Real life difficulties have finally settled down to a predictable level, so now, maybe I can have a little fun. Once my stick shows up, I'll be in.

[Shuffler]