Author Topic: Custom Arena For New Pilots  (Read 1865 times)

Offline Mongoose

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Custom Arena For New Pilots
« on: January 01, 2018, 12:20:24 PM »
I made this wish before, but I have had some time to flesh it out.

We should have planned training sessions for new pilots.  We can set up a custom arena to take new pilots in hand and show them the ropes of Aces High. Hitech stated that we get lots of people trying out the game, but we only retain a small number.  A new player has a pretty steep learning curve.  If we can get a group of new players together with a veteran, we have a chance to teach the new players the basics, and get them connected.

This should be an advertised, organized event.  Maybe once a night, and/or two or three times on weekends, there would be a volunteer available to spend an hour or two teaching the basics.  Get really basic.  How to take off, shoot the guns, read the map, etc.  Make sure the new player knows how to find the training page.  Have a list of basic items to cover, so we are consistent.

These trainers would need some instructions available for how to use a mouse or game controller, so they could assist players who don't have joysticks yet.

Once we have covered the basics, set up a game of tag with the new players, so they can get a chance to do a little dogfighting before they go into the Melee Arena. 

I'm not nearly good enough to qualify as a regular trainer, but I would gladly volunteer to be introduce rookies to the game.
My Aces High training site:
www.kentwoodstation.com

Offline 100Coogn

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Re: Custom Arena For New Pilots
« Reply #1 on: January 01, 2018, 12:30:26 PM »
Kinda like a Training Arena..   :bolt:

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Offline morfiend

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Re: Custom Arena For New Pilots
« Reply #2 on: January 01, 2018, 12:59:45 PM »
Kinda like a Training Arena..   :bolt:

Coogan



  Yup and surprise surprise there's usually a trainer in the arena most week nights!

  It's a case of leading a horse to water!


  The idea has merit but you cant force a player,new or old to seek training. There are plenty of "old" players who dont have a clue about BFM/ACM but that doesnt stop them from having fun!

 Personally I think the players need to treat new guys better,sort of a treat someone they way you would like to be treated. Calling players out for their flying only serves to chase them away,instead of calling them out maybe offer to help them or offer to take them to the TA and assist them or just play target till they ask "how did you do that!"


  YMMV!

    :salute

Offline Arlo

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Re: Custom Arena For New Pilots
« Reply #3 on: January 01, 2018, 01:11:21 PM »


  Yup and surprise surprise there's usually a trainer in the arena most week nights!

  It's a case of leading a horse to water!


  The idea has merit but you cant force a player,new or old to seek training. There are plenty of "old" players who dont have a clue about BFM/ACM but that doesnt stop them from having fun!

 Personally I think the players need to treat new guys better,sort of a treat someone they way you would like to be treated. Calling players out for their flying only serves to chase them away,instead of calling them out maybe offer to help them or offer to take them to the TA and assist them or just play target till they ask "how did you do that!"


  YMMV!

    :salute

 :aok :salute :cheers: :rock

Online Oldman731

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Re: Custom Arena For New Pilots
« Reply #4 on: January 01, 2018, 02:29:36 PM »
Personally I think the players need to treat new guys better,sort of a treat someone they way you would like to be treated. Calling players out for their flying only serves to chase them away


Agreed.

- oldman

Offline Mongoose

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Re: Custom Arena For New Pilots
« Reply #5 on: January 01, 2018, 06:32:05 PM »
Kinda like a Training Arena..   :bolt:

Coogan

Yes, I see the sarcasm there. 

I am suggesting something a little more targeted.  An announcement that there will be a "New Player's Class" at such and such a time.  Not just a training arena but a specific event targeted at new players.  And all us veterans need to talk it up whenever we have the chance.  It's not the arena that matters, it's the event.

I am also very aware of the frustration of having a non-mandatory training class that everyone needs, but very few attend.
My Aces High training site:
www.kentwoodstation.com

Offline FLS

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Re: Custom Arena For New Pilots
« Reply #6 on: January 02, 2018, 09:46:54 AM »
Nothing stopping you.   :aok

Offline bustr

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Re: Custom Arena For New Pilots
« Reply #7 on: January 02, 2018, 04:47:30 PM »
If I thought this would really go anywhere, I would bang you one out in about one day and give you all the source files after I uploaded it to the HOST for you.

You want the equivalent of the central island from my Oceania terrain and you will need tiny islands off to the sides of the tiny map with an HQ for each country. I would setup an air spawn for each field to 7,000ft just off shore for fighters and 10,000ft for bombers. That way you can practice level bombing and get everyone into the air learning ACM faster. Or you can create a custom arena with my terrain "gunnery" and turn off kill shooter along with protect all objects. Then they all meet at A1 and go from there.

On gunnery:

7,000ft air spawn for fighters over A1.
12,000ft air spawn over water to jabo task forces.
15,000ft air spawn for level bombing pratice against a large visible target of hangers.
5,000ft air spawn over A1 for bombers to attack taks groups.
1,250ft air spawns  over water to practice bomber torpedo and B25H 75mm against task groups.
1 GV spawn over A1 on a mesa to practice wirbel as close as 800 to drones. And a 37mm and 88mm.
1 4 mile long tank gunnery range filed with tanks and a 17lb and 88 on the firing line.
1 4,000yd calibrated gunnery range for tanks and a 17lb and 88mm.
2 CV task groups and 2 BB task groups sailing an intercept course for gunnery. You need to unprotect all  objects from the arena setup.
1 CV task group sailing in tight circles for bombing practice.
PT spawns into the task group paths to practice torpedo runs.
200+ static tanks set out on ranges, in a tank town, and in and around a town to spawn out and practice seeing tanks hidden.
Shore batteries to practice against the task groups. You need to unprotect all objects from the arena setup. Wonder why the trainers don't tell anyone this gunnery training terrain is available from the custom arena HOST??.... :cool:

You will need to set just about everything in the objects list to be down 5 minutes, unprotect all objects, and all the static tanks cannot be destroyed with AP shells but give off a very visible sprite when you hit them. This is a Hitech setting that he won't change. HE rounds and bombs will destroy them. Static tanks are dumb objects so have no armor equivalent to active tanks. They are there to learn your GV optics and how AP and HE round trajectories are different. With killshooter off, your students can spawn tanks and shoot each other. The best way to use the tank gunnery ranges is to set the random spawn circle in the arena setup to "0".

I didn't think to create a script to set the arena setup to what I use offline for the CM. Right now I don't even remember how to write one.

The level bombing target is made up of bomber\fighter hangers and fuel bunkers set to the standard MA hardness so you have to drop the correct tonnage to destroy them. They are in the shape of a large target, very hard to miss seeing even from 30,000ft at the end of the 4 mile gunnery range in a large open space. Set their down time to 5 minutes and your students can air spawn to 15,000ft, and level bomb all night long. Still wonder why the trainers don't tell anyone about this. Players have wish listed for exactly this for about 15 years now. This will help new customers get the feel for everything that goes boom in our game. And they can keep using it alone offline.

This terrain should work fine since you can teach them everything in the game about shooting and blowing things up including each other.
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Offline Arlo

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Re: Custom Arena For New Pilots
« Reply #8 on: January 02, 2018, 05:00:39 PM »
Bustr for prez (of AH).  :salute :cheers:



(No, really. I like this training map. :) a lot. :) )

Offline Mongoose

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Re: Custom Arena For New Pilots
« Reply #9 on: January 03, 2018, 09:14:08 PM »
Nothing stopping you.   :aok

I don't have access to broadcast in the arena that there is a New Pilot class going to start, or post to the Steam page for Aces High, or on a schedule posted on the web page, etc.

I would also need a comprehensive set of instructions for using a mouse or game controller. Do we have those online?
My Aces High training site:
www.kentwoodstation.com

Offline Arlo

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Re: Custom Arena For New Pilots
« Reply #10 on: January 04, 2018, 01:52:54 AM »

Offline JimmyC

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Re: Custom Arena For New Pilots
« Reply #11 on: January 04, 2018, 01:54:52 AM »
How about new player missions...
Only available to 3 months or less..
Select mission..eg.bomb vh
Ords and plane suggested in hanger..
Way point on take off set to nearest base.. flashing icon around vh on arrival at 10k..even a breif flashingaproach run..
Might show em how to and where to deliver ords..maybe 5 times and the option ceases..same with ords..radar etc..
Shooting from the top pf the dome here..
Plenty of holes in the plan ..but a little virtual guidance now we dont have the numbers to take the noobs under our wings...dunno...might help
Or is it to gamey for our 'sim'
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Offline DaddyAce

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Re: Custom Arena For New Pilots
« Reply #12 on: January 04, 2018, 10:14:21 AM »
......

 Personally I think the players need to treat new guys better,sort of a treat someone they way you would like to be treated. Calling players out for their flying only serves to chase them away,instead of calling them out maybe offer to help them or offer to take them to the TA and assist them or just play target till they ask "how did you do that!"

..

 :aok

And yes, I would vote for BUSTR!

Offline FLS

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Re: Custom Arena For New Pilots
« Reply #13 on: January 04, 2018, 04:20:13 PM »
I don't have access to broadcast in the arena that there is a New Pilot class going to start, or post to the Steam page for Aces High, or on a schedule posted on the web page, etc.

I would also need a comprehensive set of instructions for using a mouse or game controller. Do we have those online?

Just anounce on 200 and country channels and ask other people on 200 to announce on their country channel.

Most people will not be using the touch controllers. Anyone trying to fly without a joystick will still benefit from what you know.

Even with expert instruction, mouse flying and touch controller flying require more practice for  basic flight than a joystick so those players will need more time before they are ready for melee.

Offline Mongoose

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Re: Custom Arena For New Pilots
« Reply #14 on: January 05, 2018, 11:33:07 AM »
If I thought this would really go anywhere, I would bang you one out in about one day and give you all the source files after I uploaded it to the HOST for you.

  Bustr, I want to thank you for all of the thought you put into that post. It really would be magnificent.  But that is far more involved that what I had in mind.  As I said before, it is more about the event than the specific arena.  I am proposing a set time to take new players and get them "over the hump" and hooked on the game.

  When it comes to a new map, I would like to see a big canyon to fight in.  We used to have a play who would organize "Canyon Fights".  There is a section in the Training Arena where this is a long canyon.  Two teams would jump into the canyon and fight it out. It was a lot of fun.

  I am envisioning a 5000 foot plateau with a large round canyon in the middle. Kind of like a volcano with a flat top.  The canyon would be five miles across, and have a small lake and a small hill, about 1K high.  There would be an airfield on the north and south side of the canyon.  Turn killshooter off and turn smoke on.  If I can ever figure out how to get the terrain editor to work for me, this is what I will make.

  Take a half dozen rookies, cover some of the basics of the game, and then take them into the canyon and play tag.  This gives them a chance to have fun and figure out how the game works.
My Aces High training site:
www.kentwoodstation.com