Attracting more players in the main arena or what ever it's called today.

[DmonSlyr]

The fact is HTC cannot please everyone and it is actually hopeless to try.  In fact it is folly to try.  He will end up like a pinball bouncing all over the place.

My personal take on the game is going to be different from many and the same as many.  My $0.02 for what it is worth.

• There are enough planes and GV’s.  Adding more is a bonus not a requirement
• The graphics are ok.  Sure there are better out there but they are fine.
• The flight model is ok.  It is point and shoot and middle of the road to learn.  Others need more engine management, others are more basic.  AH has a good balance for fun.  Easier to fly when drunk as well .
• Learning curve is steep.  No more steep than others to be honest, even the ‘basic’ games you all scoff at have steep learning curves.  Don’t believe me?  Go fly in those games that you hate so much with their ‘simple’ flight model and top the charts.  Truth is you will struggle.  You will blame it on a crap flight model etc etc etc, but the fact is you are just not used to it and unwilling to go through the learning curve to get good at it.
• The maps are not great.  They seem to take a lot of effort to create and there are many in rotation that suck balls.  Well, certainly from a fighter pilots perspective.
• What is it with the invisible ground vehicles?  That one confuses the crap out of me.
• The game IMO has become lost in trying to cater for everyone and has ended up being the bridesmaid instead of the stunning bride it should be.
• The scoring system promotes combat avoidance.  Your name in lights means nothing IMO if it took you 2 hours and 20 high speed passes to get those 2 kills. They gain points for this.  Others however, work hard and fight aggressively to land hits on 5 enemy but are shot down without getting a kill and are rewarded with no points at all. I prefer the World of Warships model.
• AH has become more about the outcome than the fight.  Take the base, get the kill, score the points all while avoiding the fight.  The fight avoiders will come up with many reasons as to why their way is justified etc.  I am sure they believe it.  For me, 1 high speed pass, a loop and then run to ack or a wirb is not fun.
• I left the game after a tirade of abuse from a player just because he took exception at my country of birth and if this sort of stuff is aimed at new players no wonder they do not stay.

The running and people not wanting to fight is more indicative of the abundance of the easy planes. Players who feel like they have to fly far to a base will take the fastest plane they can and stay alive as long as possible. It's not the scoring. You have to realize that most people don't want to die in a war game. That's just the nature. Being able to escape the the fight is the #1 greatest advantage. It's not the score that creates this, it's the easy access of super planes by anyone. The more people flying in P51Ds. The more people who have to fly P51Ds just to compete to catch them. This means more players in timod planes. For some reason, it's just too big of a deal to put a tiny perk on more planes that are eating up 90% of the kills in AH. Flying timidly is actually worse for your rank in AH. It's more about getting kills every sortie than it is about dying. The game starts people off in a disadvantage on the runway. That makes it hard for most people.

Its an online game. Don't quit just because someone says something mean. No one can stop anyone from being mean. Report them and call then out. Don't let these players get away with it. There will always be dingbats in online gaming.

This discussion has become derailed, here is what I originally said:

Evidently the STEAM free to play aces High game is not attracting the flood of players that everyone was hoping for.  Taking a look around at other subscription based games that also altered their models to attract new members by offering a free to play account appear to be doing a bit better.  The difference as far as I can see is that they allow new free to play accounts to be in the mix with the others subscribers, thus adding much needed numbers to their sandbox.   WWII Online is a good example.   The free to play accounts are basic riflemen and can be nothing else.  While the subscribers have two levels of subscriptions a monthly 14.99 and a monthly 7.99.   The 7.99 has fewer game options available, with the 14.99 account having everything available.  Bottom inline they allowed the free to play account in their main arena to bolster numbers.  Perhaps HTC might consider doing the same for AH3.  Created different levels of subscriptions.   Basic first generation fighters for the free to play account and an unlimited selection for subscriptions.  Just a thought.


The discussion should be about bring in additional numbers by allowing the free to play accounts access to the MA in a limited plane/vehicle set.  Something that if done now, today, would increase numbers, today, the discussion is not about training or lack there of, not about maps or map size or design. 

I too wish for a tierd system. Unfortunately from what I gather in recent threads, the cost per player just wouldnt cut it.

[Traveler]

I too wish for a tierd system. Unfortunately from what I gather in recent threads, the cost per player just wouldnt cut it.

Wouldn't cut what?  They already allow free accounts, they just don't grant them access to the MA so the subscribers don't benefit from any of the increased numbers.

[molybdenum]

WWI, Match Play , Mission Play, Steal the sheep, Custom user arenas all are 100% free.

HiTech

Yeah, but the Main Arena is where the people and fun are. I can understand that potential new recruits feel deceived. Better to be more forthright. You might get more new people to try the game out your way, but many leave with a bad taste in their mouth and communicate it to others.
It reminds me a little of letters I receive in the mail which look important, but once they've gotten you to open them up and read what they have to say, you find out that they were deceiving you just to get you to open that letter up. I would never do business with someone like that. Maybe some of these Steam guys feel the same.

[bustr]

New potential customers have the 2 week free trial(24 hours x 14 days) with all rides available in the MA. They are not kept out of it during those 14 days. So far the problem has been them leaving before the first 30 minutes of their very first of 14 free days is reached. A tiered system is not addressing anything at this point since there are few new potential customers to be attracted by it. It's the first 30 minutes that have to be cracked in the MA. If players want Hitech to scrap the MA as the open world capture the flag model it's been since 1999, you have the Wish List or contacting him privately to present him with an alternative that he can buy into to keep his doors open.

Outside of USA 4pm est to 12:00pm est there is less than 50 players on at each end of that time spectrum with up to 170 at the peak of the window. At peak time with any MA terrain in rotation you can find fights, the capture the flag side of the game dominates most players attention for their $14.95. They are not interested in being fighter pilots and the whole game culture that goes with it. Aces High is not Fighter Ace and I've met transplants from when FA closed it's doors who have never been happy with the MA capture the flag dominate culture. They have never had much nice to say about AH since AH is not FA, and that is what they longed for and didn't get out of AH. The only thing I could do for them and the AH ACM players was produce terrains with the majority of airfields laid out at the minimum distance from each other Hitech would allow me to do. Other wise, you need to present Hitech with a new MA model that will support all of his customers play preferences that will not drive away his core base. Sadly most are long on criticism and short on doing anything themselves to try and help Hitech achieve that.

I was born in Morocco on a US Military installation, not telling people that tiny fact after 9\11 has been interesting at times. Who cares about rants and naughty names on the Internet. I've had almost 20 years of nasty from these forums and in the game becasue the Internet is anonymous and full of people looking to take offense so they can burn people with their huge manly key boards. These forums get more like 4chan every year with all the overly sensitive grown men in here.

[Ciaphas]

Its the presentation of any help information and the lcm of a quick hands on tutorial prior to being turned lose in the MA.


This much is apparent. Why something tangible hasn't been created yet is beyond me and rests with HitechCreations.



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Shuffler]

New potential customers have the 2 week free trial(24 hours x 14 days) with all rides available in the MA. They are not kept out of it during those 14 days. So far the problem has been them leaving before the first 30 minutes of their very first of 14 free days is reached. A tiered system is not addressing anything at this point since there are few new potential customers to be attracted by it. It's the first 30 minutes that have to be cracked in the MA. If players want Hitech to scrap the MA as the open world capture the flag model it's been since 1999, you have the Wish List or contacting him privately to present him with an alternative that he can buy into to keep his doors open.

Outside of USA 4pm est to 12:00pm est there is less than 50 players on at each end of that time spectrum with up to 170 at the peak of the window. At peak time with any MA terrain in rotation you can find fights, the capture the flag side of the game dominates most players attention for their $14.95. They are not interested in being fighter pilots and the whole game culture that goes with it. Aces High is not Fighter Ace and I've met transplants from when FA closed it's doors who have never been happy with the MA capture the flag dominate culture. They have never had much nice to say about AH since AH is not FA, and that is what they longed for and didn't get out of AH. The only thing I could do for them and the AH ACM players was produce terrains with the majority of airfields laid out at the minimum distance from each other Hitech would allow me to do. Other wise, you need to present Hitech with a new MA model that will support all of his customers play preferences that will not drive away his core base. Sadly most are long on criticism and short on doing anything themselves to try and help Hitech achieve that.

I was born in Morocco on a US Military installation, not telling people that tiny fact after 9\11 has been interesting at times. Who cares about rants and naughty names on the Internet. I've had almost 20 years of nasty from these forums and in the game becasue the Internet is anonymous and full of people looking to take offense so they can burn people with their huge manly key boards. These forums get more like 4chan every year with all the overly sensitive grown men in here.

Ya dweeb.   

[Medic18]

The downfall of AH is the chest thumping ego maniacs. Plain and simple.

[Oldman731]

The downfall of AH is the chest thumping ego maniacs. Plain and simple.

They don't add much, it's true.

- oldman

[bozon]

The downfall of AH is the chest thumping ego maniacs. Plain and simple.

Because that is unique to AH and does not exist in any other Online PvP game.
 

[zack1234]

They don't add much, it's true.

- oldman

How dare you!

If i was in charge i would envoke rule #123.45

[Shuffler]

The downfall of AH is the chest thumping ego maniacs. Plain and simple.

Most chest thumpers chest would cave in at the slightest hint of a fight.   

[Traveler]

New potential customers have the 2 week free trial(24 hours x 14 days) with all rides available in the MA. They are not kept out of it during those 14 days. So far the problem has been them leaving before the first 30 minutes of their very first of 14 free days is reached.

The problem with the 2 week free trial is the player knows that at the end of the two weeks if they wish to continue to play they must pay 14.99 a month and that stops many dead in their tracks.   

Outside of USA 4pm est to 12:00pm est there is less than 50 players on at each end of that time spectrum with up to 170 at the peak of the window. At peak time with any MA terrain in rotation you can find fights, the capture the flag side of the game dominates most players attention for their $14.95.

Again I'm talking about increasing numbers by allowing the already free to play accounts that HTC offers it's customer base access to the MA with a limited plane set.  That does three things, 1. removes the limited time frame in which new players must learn the game, which everyone admits has a steep learning cure.  2. removes the stigma associated with Aces High that the developer is not truthful in the use of the term "Free to Play".  3. Adds additional players to the MA, which everyone that has left my squad stated was the lack of numbers that lead to their decision to leave the game.

[DmonSlyr]

The problem with the 2 week free trial is the player knows that at the end of the two weeks if they wish to continue to play they must pay 14.99 a month and that stops many dead in their tracks.   



Again I'm talking about increasing numbers by allowing the already free to play accounts that HTC offers it's customer base access to the MA with a limited plane set.  That does three things, 1. removes the limited time frame in which new players must learn the game, which everyone admits has a steep learning cure.  2. removes the stigma associated with Aces High that the developer is not truthful in the use of the term "Free to Play".  3. Adds additional players to the MA, which everyone that has left my squad stated was the lack of numbers that lead to their decision to leave the game.

It wouldn't hurt. Having 2 or 3 free planes would really allow players have some time to learn the MA. They would be early-mid late war planes that would make for better fights in the MA. It would attract a lot more subscriptions in the long run because eventually they would want to try that P51D. That's how many games work. It would attract a lot more players and keep them in the door rather than kicking them out. I know people like me for example who A. Didnt know the MA well enough to want to subscribe after 2 weeks (thank goodness for H2H), B. Only get to play on the weekends, thus really only having 2 weekends If lucky to try the 2 week trial. So really id only have 2-3 days to try AH if I were to start the game today. Unfortunately, match play doesn't mimic H2H very well, and no one it seems can make a decent FFA that can stay up all day like there was in the old H2H. TA makes his, but that's at 1am on a Saturday. We seriously need more custom arenas, but I guess no one really has the time or know how to open them.

[Shuffler]

If some deadbeat does not want to pay for anything that is their problem. I do not want to pay for their insurance either.

[Traveler]

If some deadbeat does not want to pay for anything that is their problem. I do not want to pay for their insurance either.

You are already paying for the free accounts and now for the development of War Online: Pacific.  None of the subscribers gain any benefit.  We all agree that increased subscriber members is the only way to save Aces High X.  By allowing the free accounts into the MA,  they may enjoy the game get addicted and become a subscriber.  The way it is right now, the subscriber base gets no benefit from the free accounts.