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

[Max]

Does anyone recall when H2H was cancelled?

[Lusche]

Does anyone recall when H2H was cancelled?

Yes, I do. 

[TequilaChaser]

There is much in the way of formal training that could have helped this game and that never happened.  HTC decided we didn't need that level of training.  What they have is the training arena and the offline arena.  But adding numbers to all sides would benefit everyone, even the baby seals, safety in numbers.

HTC actually wanted an "Aces High Air Combat Training Academy", even asked for it from the AH Training Corps, but HiTech and Skuzzy couldn't find or get any of them to even try attempting to make it happen....

3+ years later (around 2003/2004), the request was brought back to the  current forefront and only 3 of us, 1 left to be in a Rock N'Roll Band, so 2 of us trying to get it going along with HTC's blessing, but it never came to pass.... All of the ones who was 100% in and thought it should be, are either gone from the game, retired or.... Well, it's been so long ago now, that it seems like a long forgotten attempt, to even bring it up anymore....

Aces High at least needed "Scheduled Informal Training Sessions" held at set times during the day/week and weekend....the same way AW, WB, FA and some others at the time had.... It was very surprising to see AH to not keep with the traditional way of doing/offering Training, not even counting having a fully functional training academy....

Yes, you can make "Check-Ride tutorials", Training Videos, etc.... But who is available to answer a question at the given moment that new player has one to ask, while doing said Check-Ride or watching said Training Video?

[Traveler]

HTC actually wanted an "Aces High Air Combat Training Academy", even asked for it from the AH Training Corps, but HiTech and Skuzzy couldn't find or get any of them to even try attempting to make it happen....

If HTC wanted a training academy, they would have invested in it with paid professionals to develop his training and not been dependent on volentary help.  Looks to me like when HTC couldn't get the labor for free the idea was dropped.

[hitech]

I don't think HTC was untruthful.  A lot of those people probably thought the game was free is all.  (they didn't read the fine print.)

Coogan

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

HiTech

[TequilaChaser]

If HTC wanted a training academy, they would have invested in it with paid professionals to develop his training and not been dependent on volentary help.  Looks to me like when HTC couldn't get the labor for free the idea was dropped.

I'll leave you with your assumptions of what you think HTC might would have done....

And will only say one final thing regarding it....

I never said that HTC wanted "free labor"... I never said nor mentioned that HTC, going in never offered to pay for it/pay anyone involved with it extra money for doing it....but it is not my place to discuss this further (actually discuss any of it) with anyone, outside of those who know anything about it... If HiTech/HTC wants anybody to know, then he/they will tell it..... I've most likely already said more than I should have....my apologies for that!

[CptTrips]

I don't think HTC was untruthful.  A lot of those people probably thought the game was free is all.  (they didn't read the fine print.)

Coogan

You're right.  I think they felt it was a bait and switch.  I don't think that was HTC's intention, but the "Free-to-Play" blurb may have been overly broad.

And nobody ever reads the fine print. 

[100Coogn]

You're right.  I think they felt it was a bait and switch.  I don't think that was HTC's intention, but the "Free-to-Play" blurb may have been overly broad.

And nobody ever reads the fine print. 

Agreed.   

Coogan

[CptTrips]

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

HiTech

Obviously, an accurate statement. 

The problem is, I think the new players, like most of your customers, mistakenly only think of the Main Arena as "The Game".  So they felt like the 2-week trial was a bait-and-switch.

But even with WOP, they will complain they have to pay or grind for the better stuff. 

<shrug>  What are you going to do?  People just don't compile.   

,
CptTrips

[Ciaphas]

Obviously, an accurate statement. 

The problem is, I think the new players, like most of your customers, mistakenly only think of the Main Arena as "The Game".  So they felt like the 2-week trial was a bait-and-switch.

But even with WOP, they will complain they have to pay or grind for the better stuff. 

<shrug>  What are you going to do?  People just don't compile.   

,
CptTrips

I don't imagine that people will complain about the grind.

I foresee a whole new breed of soapbox warrior being born as I type this message.

There is a unique opportunity being placed in front of us, even though it will have been indirect from HItech and crew, that will allow us to possibly blend the two games users into one massive community.

The way I see it is this:

Those insta-action cats will pretty much live in WOP and those that prefer a very loose living campaign game style will be separate for a time and we will most likely have a few players go AFK from AH3 and set up camp in WOP. However, events will most likely get a player boost as players from both camps are offered something from scenarios that neither WOP and AH3 offer.

I imagine it being like that dude who starts playing guitar. he buys his first electric ('el cheapo guitar), learns it and decides that he needs more so he buys his first legit gitfiddle (Fender) after a time he starts eyeballing that old Les Paul and makes the plung headlong in to it. next thing he knows he owns a 4k amplifier and 15k worth of guitar pedals.

It all starts somewhere and I think that somewhere is WOP for the newer gen of gamer.

Just my 2 cents.

 

[DmonSlyr]

HTC actually wanted an "Aces High Air Combat Training Academy", even asked for it from the AH Training Corps, but HiTech and Skuzzy couldn't find or get any of them to even try attempting to make it happen....

3+ years later (around 2003/2004), the request was brought back to the  current forefront and only 3 of us, 1 left to be in a Rock N'Roll Band, so 2 of us trying to get it going along with HTC's blessing, but it never came to pass.... All of the ones who was 100% in and thought it should be, are either gone from the game, retired or.... Well, it's been so long ago now, that it seems like a long forgotten attempt, to even bring it up anymore....

Aces High at least needed "Scheduled Informal Training Sessions" held at set times during the day/week and weekend....the same way AW, WB, FA and some others at the time had.... It was very surprising to see AH to not keep with the traditional way of doing/offering Training, not even counting having a fully functional training academy....

Yes, you can make "Check-Ride tutorials", Training Videos, etc.... But who is available to answer a question at the given moment that new player has one to ask, while doing said Check-Ride or watching said Training Video?

Scheduled training classes would be a great idea.

The arena message needs to be utilized more. It's an easy marketing opportunity for events and training sessions. Not sure why only the forums are used to market....

[TequilaChaser]

Leo preferred the L&G over the Fender...

am surprised you didn't mention an old(or new even) quality made Silvertone ....

As far as WO:P, am I correct in that we don't have to go through Steam, to play it?

I sure hope so... I don't care to have anything to do with Steam nor have it on any of my computers...

[TequilaChaser]

Scheduled training classes would be a great idea.

The arena message needs to be utilized more. It's an easy marketing opportunity for events and training sessions. Not sure why only the forums are used to market....

Wish List forum is your friend!  Make a wish and see how many others agree with you / want it also

[CptTrips]

I imagine it being like that dude who starts playing guitar. he buys his first electric ('el cheapo guitar), learns it and decides that he needs more so he buys his first legit gitfiddle (Fender) after a time he starts eyeballing that old Les Paul and makes the plung headlong in to it.

Or like how ball clubs use the minor leagues to farm players and pick the cream of the crop to transfer to the majors.

And like I said, the genius of basically repackaging a sub-set of AHIII with a slightly different play and pay model means there is very little effort that won't also benefit AHIII.  If damage model improvements are made for WOP, AHIII gets them too.  If a new Pacific war fighter or Japanese bomber is added for WOP, then AHIII gets it too.

Even the little bit of extra menu and pay system coding will be amortized across multiple games in the WO series.  All of those permutations feed revenue to HTC and code improvements and possibly new players back to AHIII.  It could turn out to be a very elegant and efficient system.

It may not catch on, but I see it as a relatively low cost, low impact thing to try.  It gives HTC a venue to try different things without impacting their main meal ticket AHIII.  If it does catch on, I don't see it as anything but beneficial for everyone, including AHIII players.

,
CptTrips



 
 

[Ciaphas]

It bowls down to the needs of the player base.


OJT is needed for most players to get up and running in this game. If you expect a player to embark on a magical quest just to learn how to get off of the ground, you've probably already lost them.

I get that auto-take off is enabled but how many people don't see the message (yes, the color and presentation is poor) and move their mouse either on purpose or on accident?

a pop up should be displayed stating that you are in auto take off and it should require a user input of "Ok", or add two buttons 1: use auto-take off or 2: no disable auto-take off and a secondary message after selection that states "you can enable or disable this feature by going to blah blah blah".


At this point it really comes down to the polishing of the GUI, and connecting all of the dots of the convoluted clipboard menu system. The core of the game is there and works rather well and is hampered by the dated UI and the flow of the UI.