THE FINAL SOLUTIONS

[Arlo]

I still like the idea of a four sided arena for little more than the change of chess pieces to card suits.



Aces High.

(Also .... for those who dream of 2 sides .... 2v2=2 sides .... that can backstab.)

[The Fugitive]

"Free to play" is a dishonest ruse. Dale knows this and seems disgusted by that. FTP games gives you just enough to support a FTP claim but it requires endless 'grinding' to get anywhere, meanwhile it also offers advantages to players who make constant piecemeal purchases that end up costing more than what a subscription would. Some 'FTP' games will even offer the form of a temporary subscription (say, two weeks of 'veteran status') which really offers you very little, in return ... AND ... you're still stuck grinding/purchasing while at a small advantage.

I admire Dale sticking to his honest business plan while other games bait and switch an intellectually immature customer source. The only reason I suggest a 'free plane/vehicle of the week' option is to try to help wean the FTP addicted player off that.

While I agree with this, times change. They have been telling me that for years here while I tried to discuss certain aspect of the game that have changed over the years. Maybe its time HTC changed their business model a bit to fit with the times.

Im not saying go full FTP, but modify that model into something that could work for him. A free plane and GV wont cost him any more in their operating cost, but it could bring in more free loaders...... err targets...... players  . Every one knows "numbers" in the arenas help build the fun and action which in turn brings in more players.

While there are some who may be happy tooling around getting shot down over and over again in a 109F4 most will look to move up to the full subscription to get the list of planes and vehicles eventually. No middle ground, no grinding, either a free plane and gv, or full subscription.

I dont see a down side to it for HTC and plenty of up side. Hopefully they do "something" no matter what it is. The Steam influx has seemed to drop off and it doesn't look like we picked up a lot of subscriptions from it. That right there may be an indiction that HTC business model needs to be updated with the times.

[Vraciu]

Feel free to stop posting.  And good luck with that.

I haven't seen any complaints that the 3 sides all have the same number of players or wishes for a 2 sided 60 vs 30 arena. I expect simple concepts to make more sense. Perhaps something is missing.

Just because YOU don't see them doesn't mean they aren't there.

But then again, there are those who think the Skyraider is a fighter.   

Refusing to debate contrarians is not the same as stopping posting altogether.  Thanks for playing, though.   

[lunatic1]

Because they just do.  If they don't then ENY will crush them.

As it is this is a de facto two-sided war with three chess pieces.

It will never be changed so no use discussing it.   

when the bish out number the Knights - rooks 2 to 1 / 3 to 1. bish eny is at 29%-30% that doesn't stop them even if all they can fly are early war planes, it doesn't stop them they just use their numbers to horde- eny doesn't work at all when they do that.

HiTech said on several occasions that he was not going to do a 2 sided war-he said it won't work.

[BuckShot]

Who said anything about the F4?   

Bring it.  You'll resubscribe in no time.

I wouldn't resub and I hope and doubt Iit will come to that. Again, I brought it up to say it's a bad idea.

I did, the 109f4 is early war.

 I already do just fine in the higher eny early and mid war planes. I never fly the p51d, dont need to. I would have as much fun as I do now even if I had to fly only early war.

[Vraciu]

when the bish out number the Knights - rooks 2 to 1 / 3 to 1. bish eny is at 29%-30% that doesn't stop them even if all they can fly are early war planes, it doesn't stop them they just use their numbers to horde- eny doesn't work at all when they do that.

HiTech said on several occasions that he was not going to do a 2 sided war-he said it won't work.

We balanced in Warbirds all the time.   ALL THE TIME.  It was never an issue.

I frankly don't care if I am outnumbered any way as long as the war is on *MY* front instead of a Bish/Nit pursefight on the other side of the map.  When I'm outnumbered I have more bad guys to kill.   That's ideal.

[Vraciu]

I wouldn't resub and I hope and doubt Iit will come to that. Again, I brought it up to say it's a bad idea.

I did, the 109f4 is early war.

 I already do just fine in the higher eny early and mid war planes. I never fly the p51d, dont need to. I would have as much fun as I do now even if I had to fly only early war.

It's not a bad idea at all.  It's a great idea.  We need new players to stick around.   If we get two guys for your unsubscribing then it's a win.

[FLS]

Just because YOU don't see them doesn't mean they aren't there.

But then again, there are those who think the Skyraider is a fighter.   

Refusing to debate contrarians is not the same as stopping posting altogether.  Thanks for playing, though.   

If you're going to troll the fighter comment you should know you're talking about a decorated attack pilot who flew a WW2 aircraft in a cold war combat environment and got shot up more than once.  He was being funny.  CAS is well versed in the different A-1 models and he can say whatever he likes about them.

If you've seen complaints that all 3 sides have the same numbers please post them.

Funny you see a contrarian. Play the ball.

I still like the idea of a four sided arena for little more than the change of chess pieces to card suits.

Hitech has posted that 3 sides is the best player experience. It's not perfect with 3 but it's worse with 2,4,5 etc.

[StokesAk]

I play a lot of free to play games. This business model is great because it gives the player a taste of the action and they will crave more. Giving a new player a taste of the action will hopefully leave them with a desire to pay to play the better more competitive planes.

The incentives dont have to stop there. Lets say I really like the P38. Maybe I could unlock decals or a "badge of mastery" for my plane as I get more and more kills. A lot of these free to play games offer these incentives so players will have something to strive for in the game.

Many of these games offer in game skins through progressional unlock or for a small payment.

Aces High doesnt really take itself to a free to play model, but adding some small incentives for free-to-play players could help them in becoming full subscribers.

I think if we get decent numbers in the MA, the game will start to become more sustainable in terms of people continuing to play.

I am alot like 49ZERO in which I have an account and could log into to play anytime, but I dont. Maybe its because my desk is to cramped for my joystick and im too lazy to clean it off. Or maybe its because many people aren't on.

I think that finding a way to concentrate fights with the numbers we do have is a good way to become more sustainable, I like the change HTC has done in regards to spawning players at the base with the most action.

Small tweaks like this can make a fight great. What if "objectives" spawned on the map that offered a large perk bonus; possibly a large factory to bomb or a target base that would output more perks for objects killed. Maybe players will even start organized missions to tackle said objectives.

I am not saying a full game model overhaul is necessary, just a few tweaks to promote fighting or giving some incentive to attacking one base before another rather than a spread out front line of multiple bases. You could even make base takes sequential like the old zone system so focus the fight around a certain area even further.

My final thought on the matter is sustainability. We need a way to make the MA have more action with the player base we already have. If we can get the current player base to play the game more it will be reciprocated by having more numbers to draw new and returning customers in.

I dont have any prespective from what its like to run a business, so this may be a pipe dream. Consider what I have said and try not to flame me too hard.
 

EDIT: Many of these free to play games constantly balance the game to promote a better player experience by shaking up the game every once in a while to keep players interested. This goes along with adding new content to the game.

[FLS]

You guys that aren't playing could play together in a custom arena with the settings, ENY, and side balance you want to see in the MA.   

[FLS]

We balanced in Warbirds all the time.   ALL THE TIME.  It was never an issue.

...

How is Warbirds doing these days?

[Vraciu]

Hitech has posted that 3 sides is the best player experience. It's not perfect with 3 but it's worse with 2,4,5 etc.

Things have changed since then.  With a full arena he is probably right.  Having flown both, two-sided is more fun than things are presently IN MY OPINION.   Just an opinion.    It's not changing so I don't know why we are wasting time discussing it.

[TequilaChaser]

Not gonna' debate you on it.  Not worth my time.  It will never change any way.  I stand by my statement.  It's a two-sided war, two against one.  Three sides of  30+30 against 30 is a far cry from two sides of 60 vs 30.   Such a simple concept. 

Of course it is a 2 sided war, 2 against 1 gameplay environment....

Bishops and Knights VS Rooks, Bishops and Rooks VS Knights etc....

Each country (Bishop, Knight, Rook) all 3 have the ability of having to be fighting  2 VS 1 battle regardless if they are part of the 2 or the 1 on the other side of the battle....so it is not nor has nothing to do with being unbalanced.... It is up to the players themselves to "want" balanced numbers against each other.... But don't forget that this is a game that offers air combat and there never is, never have been nor ever will be a thing such as balanced or equal "WAR"....

[FLS]

Things have changed since then.  With a full arena he is probably right.  Having flown both, two-sided is more fun than things are presently IN MY OPINION.   Just an opinion.    It's not changing so I don't know why we are wasting time discussing it.

I was answering Arlo. That's why I quoted him, before my answer to him.

To answer your response. The issue is human nature, and that hasn't changed.

[Vraciu]

I was answering Arlo. That's why I quoted him, before my answer to him.

To answer your response. The issue is human nature, and that hasn't changed.

Human nature is different in Aces High than it was in Warbirds?   Interesting theory.