none of my business, But

[Vraciu]

I was one of those new players, but I stuck it out.  Took me a good couple weeks of playing offline before I had the stones to enter the main arena again.  And even then, I was basically cannon fodder for a good year or so.  Took me almost a full year before I could shoot down more than one plane in a sortie.

Yeah, but guys like you who are willing to stick it out in the face of being hopelessly lost are less than one percent of the people who try the game.   

[Shuffler]

Many in today's world have no gumption.

[Vraciu]

Many in today's world have no gumption.

True.  However, had I discovered this game at my current age rather than when I was much younger my patience would have worn thin real quick.   

[Arlo]

True.  However, had I discovered this game at my current age rather than when I was much younger my patience would have worn thin real quick.

Funny, from what I've seen in both AW and AH the opposite appears to be the case with most players. Adult air combat and WWII aficionados tend to build their hobbies around interests they spent years building already. Most kids of the internet/instant gratification era tend not to have the 'stick-to-it-ivness' to waste too much time learning and appreciating the intricacies of the game. Those that do are the exception, not the rule.

When I joined the AW community in `96 I was 34. Someone in the community took an unofficial poll in the BigWeek newsgroup to determine the average age of the community and it hit right at my age. I recall someone doing the same, recently, in AH and it seems that average age ages right along with me.

Don't get me wrong. I encourage youth to embrace the same interests and hobbies I have and it's a delight to see such in younger individuals. A very rare delight. But most of them do not have a 'thick and resilient' kind of patience when it comes to sticking with something that requires more effort than point and click.

[Zimme83]

Most games have a learning curve and i dont think AH is extreme in that case, Especially not the ground war part. The problem with AH is that it havent had any influx of new players for several years because almost noone have even heard of the game. And any new player, especially outside US, will find an almost empty arena with nothing going on and quickly come to the conclusion that the game isnt worth the money.

[Lazerr]

And allowing players to bet on the game is going to help the situation how?

[The Fugitive]

Many in today's world have no gumption.

SO either the world must change, or the game must change to attract/keep new players.

Most games have a learning curve and i dont think AH is extreme in that case, Especially not the ground war part. The problem with AH is that it havent had any influx of new players for several years because almost noone have even heard of the game. And any new player, especially outside US, will find an almost empty arena with nothing going on and quickly come to the conclusion that the game isnt worth the money.

Or when they do find a fight they have no clue as to how/what to do and again they leave.

And allowing players to bet on the game is going to help the situation how?

Exactly!

[Shuffler]

Best to make a new game for those that want a trophy even when they have done nothing.

Would be ludicrous to ruin a good game for them.

[Vraciu]

Funny, from what I've seen in both AW and AH the opposite appears to be the case with most players. Adult air combat and WWII aficionados tend to build their hobbies around interests they spent years building already. Most kids of the internet/instant gratification era tend not to have the 'stick-to-it-ivness' to waste too much time learning and appreciating the intricacies of the game. Those that do are the exception, not the rule.

When I joined the AW community in `96 I was 34. Someone in the community took an unofficial poll in the BigWeek newsgroup to determine the average age of the community and it hit right at my age. I recall someone doing the same, recently, in AH and it seems that average age ages right along with me.

Don't get me wrong. I encourage youth to embrace the same interests and hobbies I have and it's a delight to see such in younger individuals. A very rare delight. But most of them do not have a 'thick and resilient' kind of patience when it comes to sticking with something that requires more effort than point and click.

I spent the first part of my life focusing and studying to achieve my goals.   My attention span and patience have worn extremely thin since to the point I grow bored very fast.   

[Max]

I spent the first part of my life focusing and studying to achieve my goals.   My attention span and patience have worn extremely thin since to the point I grow bored very fast.

We never have our morning chats over Maxwell House any more 

[Arlo]

I spent the first part of my life focusing and studying to achieve my goals.   My attention span and patience have worn extremely thin since to the point I grow bored very fast.

That's too bad. Don't get that way in the cockpit.

[Vulcan]

Most games have a learning curve and i dont think AH is extreme in that case, Especially not the ground war part. The problem with AH is that it havent had any influx of new players for several years because almost noone have even heard of the game. And any new player, especially outside US, will find an almost empty arena with nothing going on and quickly come to the conclusion that the game isnt worth the money.

One of my kids is going hard on the game at the moment, he's finding the learning curve steep and gets most of his info from ingame players. He finds the arenas fine (NZ, we are on GMT+12).

[Arlo]

One of my kids is going hard on the game at the moment, he's finding the learning curve steep and gets most of his info from ingame players. He finds the arenas fine (NZ, we are on GMT+12).

How old is that kid? Just curious. It may revive hope in me.

[Vraciu]

That's too bad. Don't get that way in the cockpit.

So far that's the one thing that still keeps me interested.

[Vraciu]

We never have our morning chats over Maxwell House any more 

Yeah.  The Morning Crew is always such fun.  Need to get back to that.