This is very much in the "for what it's worth category." Since I've just completed my two week trial it seems appropriate for me to toss in my two cents (or less). This thread has generated many reactions for me. I'll just try to address a few of them.
I had to chuckle a little and also check the dates on the thread to see it if was 2019, 2009, or even 1999 as I have seen these types of threads across that period. I'm not meaning to criticize as I think it's healthy for everybody to discuss how to make the game better for everyone and how to invite new players. I've been gone for over ten years and am amazed to find AH still hanging in where Air Warrior, Warbirds, and a WW1 MMOLG (that I can't for the life of me remember the name of) have disappeared (as far as I know). HTC is obviously doing something right even if subscriptions have dropped off.
This is a difficult game to get into. I am trying to imagine if these last two weeks had been my first exposure to AH. I feel quite certain that I would probably have given up in frustration by now. For starters, is it a WW2 simulator (why are P51s fighting P51s?)? A dogfighting game? A tank and vehicle game? A sea battle game? Think about it, this is truly a remarkable game as it is ALL of that; and more! On top of all that, there is virtually no documentation; just a bunch of mostly ancient help documents here and there that I've been seeing for twenty years. Then there's the Training Arena. This is a really well designed place where people can come to learn/practice dogfighting, dive and level bombing, etc. Trouble is, those new to the game will find it pretty much empty and even if it's not, they would find it difficult to make any sense of what's going on in there. I don't mean for this to come across as negative as it might sound. I point these things out because there is no getting around it, this is a very complex game that requires huge commitment. One of the primary reasons I quit playing ten years ago was because it became obvious that if I was ever going to get any better I was going to have to invest huge amounts of time. I was not willing to do that because I had a career, family, etc. I just retired so I now have the time. That's why I'm back. What saddens me the most concerning a new player is they will likely leave without ever finding out what fantastic people there are here who are willing to spend gobs of time helping anyone who asks.
There are lots of complaints that the size of the community as dropped off so much. Understandable. Since AH began, we've had an entire generation come up that didn't grow up watching WW2 footage on tv and shows glorifying the war. I'm 66 years old, I've known what a P51 looks like since I was eight years old and spent most of my childhood building Revel models of them and all the other WW2 planes. That world is gone. Frankly, it is remarkable that AH still attracts so many people. That's a testament to the excellent work of HTC. It truly is a remarkable thing. I would love to know the demographic for this game. I would guess that the population under about 40 is pretty small indeed.
But, the purpose of this thread is on how to attract more players. From my recent experience, here are a few ideas I've thought about: some up-to-date documentation like maybe a series of Youtube videos about what the game is about, the incredible knowledge the community has, how accessible the players are, etc. The TA is key. Maybe a Basic Training that a new player would "enlist in such that they choose a "military career": fighter pilot, tank driver, heavy bomber, etc. Maybe they watch the appropriate videos and schedule appointments with volunteers who might want to recruit them into their squad. By the time they enter the MA, they at least have some idea what is going on and they'll be flying with squad members they've met and have been training with already. I don't know, maybe this is pie in the sky.
Like I said, for what it's worth.
-hb
