Being slowly weedled out

[nrshida]

Presently not able to play (without rare exception) outside of my daytimes. MA often something as low as 14 players online at that time. If that's anything like the last days of AHII, I imagine that's something like 7 players bombing undefined bases. 6 sitting in tanks and Cybro sitting in his white Chevy surveillance van making notes.

Can now go several days sitting all day in the MPA or Training Arena and not see another soul. What was once a hive of activity of a hobby is now becoming two dozen matches at the weekend if I'm lucky. Even the forum seems quiet.

Yellow skies over London, hurricane over Ireland, weird-coloured sunset over Europe. Is this the beginning of the end? 

[cav58d]

In fairness, there are 62 people in the MA right now just before 1PM on a Tuesday.  That's double what there was before steam.

[Wiley]

I feel bad for people who aren't in North America.  The numbers just aren't there.  Hope it gets better for you, I can imagine how I'd feel in your shoes.

Wiley.

[Lusche]

In fairness, there are 62 people in the MA right now just before 1PM on a Tuesday.  That's double what there was before steam.

That's roughly about the pre Steam numbers.

[nrshida]

Hope it gets better for you, I can imagine how I'd feel in your shoes.

Thanks brother. I don't know I can do. I used to fly my Ki-84 around in circles skimming my wingtip in the water or beating up the airfield like a world-class barnstormer. I can fly backwards at will, land on a train and do a true & swift hammerhead in a Mosquito at less than 30-m.p.h. but even that gets boring eventually.

I think it's just dawned on me how hopeless it is for me right now. AH is just not a single player game.

[cav58d]

That's roughly about the pre Steam numbers.

Pre Steam numbers at 1PM east was about 18-40.  I was on disability and on every day at the time, I am confident of that.

[Lusche]

Pre Steam numbers at 1PM east was about 18-40.  I was on disability and on every day at the time, I am confident of that.

It's the beginning of my evening prime time. You would have gotten low numbers like 18 only after an arena reset. Numbers like that have been more common during noon to afternoon. Beginning of prime time were between 50-75.
There's no doubling of those numbers at all. In fact, twice the number of players would have been a grand success that everybody would be talking about here.
I would have been ecstatic, and HT probably too 

[Wiley]

Thanks brother. I don't know I can do. I used to fly my Ki-84 around in circles skimming my wingtip in the water or beating up the airfield like a world-class barnstormer. I can fly backwards at will, land on a train and do a true & swift hammerhead in a Mosquito at less than 30-m.p.h. but even that gets boring eventually.

I think it's just dawned on me how hopeless it is for me right now. AH is just not a single player game.

I've pretty much backed off to FSO, Scenarios, and squad night for the most part.  When the mood strikes, I check in on the MA during NA primetime but even then if it's not looking good for plane fights after a sortie or two I don't stick around.  I generally log on Tuesdays too because it's squad night for a couple squads that fly.

I don't know what to do about it.  People keep talking about the gabillions of people out there just waiting to play this game, but I honestly don't think they exist.  People who are looking for this enough to stick around are a subset of a subset of a subset.  Most ideas I see to make the game more attractive to people turn it into something I'm not terribly interested in playing.

For me, this is what I want when I want to play a flying game.  I've tried free DCS, it's ok but not really my scene.  I tried IL2 ClOD and it really didn't grab me.  WT... just no.

It's a tough spot to be.  One quote from HT from a good while ago that has always stuck in my mind is "The one thing you do not want to be is the last one standing in a shrinking market."  And here we are.

Wiley.

[Lusche]

One quote from HT from a good while ago that has always stuck in my mind is "The one thing you do not want to be is the last one standing in a shrinking market." 

And I was thinking I might be the only one remembering that exact quote   

[Wiley]

And I was thinking I might be the only one remembering that exact quote   

I never really thought the market was shrinking until I realized that it's not the "Airplane game" market that's shrinking, it's the "Airplane game that is MMO, open world, all PvP, steep learning curve" market that is shrinking.

Wiley.

[Blinky]

Very sad to hear... Sometimes I sit in the MPA just waiting... I'll idle off and do something else.
Where are you located, and what times do you sit around in there? I'm always looking for 1v1's.
I work everyday but I might be able to work it in there.
<S>

[nrshida]

it's the "Airplane game that is MMO, open world, all PvP, steep learning curve" market that is shrinking.

And in a way you're saying as the numbers shrank away...

Very sad to hear... Sometimes I sit in the MPA just waiting... I'll idle off and do something else.

Same here. I work and just occasionally look at the waiting list.

Where are you located, and what times do you sit around in there? I'm always looking for 1v1's.

Presently live in the Netherlands bud. I'm on CET - 6 hours ahead of Alabama, but additionally the daytime thing is problematic.

[Blinky]

And in a way you're saying as the numbers shrank away...


Same here. I work and just occasionally look at the waiting list.


Presently live in the Netherlands bud. I'm on CET - 6 hours ahead of Alabama, but additionally the daytime thing is problematic.

Ahh. even by the time I got off work ready to play it'd be 11-12 your time. Perhaps on the weekends, if you'd like to set some playtime up let me know. 

[zack1234]

I rarely play during the week, you should either being doing your homework or fast asleep in front of TV after working for the man

[Canspec]

I rarely play during the week, you should either being doing your homework or fast asleep in front of TV after working for the man

You told me you were fast asleep even when working for the man.....