Suggestion for low numbers game play

[Ciaphas]

The root cause for low numbers is people leaving.

Just saying... .


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[CptTrips]

The root cause for low numbers is people leaving.

Just saying... .


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Correct, but incomplete, IMHO.

All games have people leaving all the time.  This game did too even when it had 600+ players a night.  It is unreasonable to think that attrition number is ever going to be close to zero.  It might not even be more now than it was at the games peak.

The other term of the equation is how many people are being added.  I'm pretty sure that is not as high as it was at the game's peak.

A more complete statement might be that the root cause of low numbers is not as many people coming in as leaving.

As I said before, I think HTC had a stroke of luck in the early days with the demise of AW and FA.  Ready-made, pre-packages users looking for a replacement sim.  That and a loyal base at Warbirds that were willing to follow him to another sim.  That was winning the lottery for a startup.

Now, it's going to be a much harder slog to replace every player that dies of old age.  That's going to require flexibility and openness to change.  A different generation.  A different market.  Different expectations.

If it were easy, everybody would own a MMOG. 

[Overlag]

Welp ....

There are players that just wanna GV ...

There are players that just wanna fighter joust ...

There are players that just wanna move mud ...

There are players that just wanna move fleets around ...

There are players that just wanna type dung on 200 ...

There are players that just wanna do it all ...


And there are players that just wanna furball (and can't understand players that enjoy any aspect of the game other than that). 

exactly this, you cant ban all other types of gameplay and just have one type to suit a few people.  Its a shame this game ended up this way, i came back a week ago and cant believe how much the mighty has fallen. Was it a gradual process or did a sudden change cause this?

Why do people jump to the "furball" label? Could it be that Fess might enjoy defending a base, as long as the attacker try to stop him? Could it be that Fess might be happy attacking a base as long as defenders try to stop him and his mates?

The game is suppose to be a leader in combat games and yet you seem to find more players than not that want to have nothing to do with COMBAT.

well if the OP wants to ban basetaking what is left in the game?



I cant really offer suggestions since im a freeloader atm and may not stay but somethings i thought might help

1: only small maps, no point having big maps with sub 100 players.
2: bring back a mode Hitech tried many many moons ago (2004?), where only 1 base on EACH front was available to be captured at a time. This put both the furballers and the basetakers next to each other. At the time i hated that, but with so few players it makes sense now.
3: The game has a massive learning curve and needs more to help newbies IMO

[Ciaphas]

Correct, but incomplete, IMHO.

All games have people leaving all the time.  This game did too even when it had 600+ players a night.  It is unreasonable to think that attrition number is ever going to be close to zero.  It might not even be more now than it was at the games peak.

The other term of the equation is how many people are being added.  I'm pretty sure that is not as high as it was at the game's peak.

A more complete statement might be that the root cause of low numbers is not as many people coming in as leaving.

As I said before, I think HTC had a stroke of luck in the early days with the demise of AW and FA.  Ready-made, pre-packages users looking for a replacement sim.  That and a loyal base at Warbirds that were willing to follow him to another sim.  That was winning the lottery for a startup.

Now, it's going to be a much harder slog to replace every player that dies of old age.  That's going to require flexibility and openness to change.  A different generation.  A different market.  Different expectations.

If it were easy, everybody would own a MMOG. 

however people leaving because there are not enough people only perpetuates the issue. That is undeniable.


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[BLINK]

I've been back a couple weeks now....and nothing has changed at all from 3 years ago...nothing...ya game looks way better.....it actually looks awesome....
 other then that, nothing at all has changed...except numbers are lower...

people don't want to fight...people cant handle "losing" and it is sad to me...

obviously not everyone is like that...I dont care if I die every sortie...as long as I had a good fight....thats all that matters....

but most here...I mean you have people that have been playing for years...and still all they do is fly straight at you firing away...then run as soon as they are not in a great position...and then cry when they go to tower....make up any excuse why they are their.... never even contemplating it may be their own damn fault....

that was one thing that drove me crazy before....now its worse because there are a lot less people playing....


the only way to truly get more players is to Advertise....Money and lots of it....

I think this game itself is awesome...obviously its why I keep coming back....

but the majority of the player base....ya not so much.....i was flying in WT the 3 years not here...and they are just as toxic...

it is the internet....people know they can say and do whatever with no consequences....they talk smack and chase off thin skinned people....noobies....

after awhile you get this...a core group of guys who are so stubborn they cant see the rubble around them.....blame everything else but themselves....

[CptTrips]

however people leaving because there are not enough people only perpetuates the issue. That is undeniable.


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I agree.  That can at least be part of the issue.

And social networks don't always decline in a linear mode.  Sometimes you reach an event horizon and things just fall over all at once.  Colony collapse. Just as MySpace.   

I don't think we are at that point yet, HTC has a very loyal customer base that has a very shallow attrition curve.  But population is trending downward.  It can't be ignored or papered over.  But hopefully it can still be reversed.  The shallowness of that attrition trend buys you some room to maneuver.

[Wiley]

I agree.  That can at least be part of the issue.

And social networks don't always decline in a linear mode.  Sometimes you reach an event horizon and things just fall over all at once.  Colony collapse. Just as MySpace.   

I don't think we are at that point yet, HTC has a very loyal customer base that has a very shallow attrition curve.  But population is trending downward.  It can't be ignored or papered over.  But hopefully it can still be reversed.  The shallowness of that attrition trend buys you some room to maneuver.

Orcs.  Dragons.  They will save the game.

I really think a large part of the problem is the new guy experience is just not as polished as pretty much anything else on the market, and that turns off the majority.

Ink, you likely missed the conversation but it's not that people can't find the game, it's that they don't stick around past a few minutes after installing and logging in for the first time.

Wiley.

[Arlo]

I like the game. I liked it before the graphics upgrade. I suspect I'd like the VR aspect, if and when I try it. Any aspect of it that I don't like has options where I don't have to deal with it (Ch. 200? Detune. ENY? Switch sides. Low action on my front? Switch sides. MA burnout? Fly events or FSO.)

The only thing I can't seem to do is convince those that are bound and determined that the game they also liked suddenly became unlikable (often due to dwindling #s) and that they gotta quit it but post about why they quit it and all ... is that they're their own misery though they still seem to like the company of active players on the forum (which is cool and all, man, but .... ).

I wanna suspect it's something in the air or water they consume.

An answer? Everybody seems to have one (or more). They tend to overlook that if they all (the living ones) came back to play then, well, like, look - growing numbers, man.

[CptTrips]

Orcs.  Dragons.  They will save the game.

Orcs are timid runners, and a Yak3 can own a Dragon.

 

[BLINK]

Orcs.  Dragons.  They will save the game.

I really think a large part of the problem is the new guy experience is just not as polished as pretty much anything else on the market, and that turns off the majority.

Ink, you likely missed the conversation but it's not that people can't find the game, it's that they don't stick around past a few minutes after installing and logging in for the first time.

Wiley.

oh I got it...think you missed where I addressed that issue...

100% believe if the main player base were not so toxic,and more willing to treat it like a game....and not a life or death struggle.... players would stay longer....if players stayed longer then the OT would be a non issue.

[Arlo]

Then there's the lack of brothels.

[CptTrips]

Then there's the lack of brothels.

Sorry to disappoint you.

[Wiley]

oh I got it...think you missed where I addressed that issue...

100% believe if the main player base were not so toxic,and more willing to treat it like a game....and not a life or death struggle.... players would stay longer....if players stayed longer then the OT would be a non issue.

I was referring to your statement about advertising saving the game.  It won't if they don't stick around.

How on earth do you get put off by toxicity within a few minutes of logging in?  True, if you come in in the middle of some dolt's rant it could be offputting but they aren't babbling all the time.

Wiley.

[Arlo]

Or water slides.

[DmonSlyr]

I like the idea of a manual for players. I know it's been talked about and probably has been halfway made by someone already, but it's tough to get other guys to work on it and I think the enthusiasm died.

If there are no other changes to gameplay that can be made, really it all just comes down to the maps and how they generate the action. I can almost promise you that the majority of players have left because of the time it takes per sortie. A 15-20 minute sortie is a lot longer than most games and to roll for one con in the sky seems like a waste of time. My generation is not patient at all, which Is why they go to something like WT or IL2. I personally love the open map idea, it just has to funnel players.

Maps should able to bring the tankers, bombers, furballers, and base takers takers to the same area. People of all styles should be in the same area. That's what creates a great atmosphere.

I think some of the new planes like the Yak3 and Spit16,  have deterred more long time subscribers because fighting 5 of them over an over again just gets old.  Players think the only way they can compete is by grabbing the easiest fastest gamiest planes. This has made fights less exciting.

Failure to implement important fixes in a timely manner has resulted in many leaving. A great example is the Match play arena. Not being able to choose teams or choose who you want to fight has been a big issue. The Match play could be great... But it's lacking directions and being able to choose fights. Hitech needs a bigger team for map making and implementation.