An interesting observation on the new 'young' generation

[Mister Fork]

My son took off with me for Monday Night Madness in the AvA the other night.  He's 11 years old, and has had a PC for almost 5 years now.  So, technically, he's quite adept in using game software and interfaces.

For Bacon, he was flying non-VR mode (for now), and I have to tell you... it took him 10 minutes to figure out the taking off and not flipping and learning how to counter engine torque.  In the next 10 minutes, he figured out flaps, landing gear, and other elements required to play with a little over the shoulder coaching from me.  And even though he didn't get enough hits to take someone down, and was shot down over 20 times, he had an absolute blast...for him it was fun to figure out what was wrong with his plane and how it reacted without a wing, or an elevator, or a rudder, or what it looks like to have an engine hit, or to loose it completely.

That evening, we then invited his older brother who like me, donned his VR headset, and we headed to the WWI theatre where flying is simple, and it's a lot of fun.

At the end, both boys are like "Can we play again Monday?"

What it made me realise, that with a little coaching, someone watching them, showing them the basics, this game is a blast! I personally recommend that for anyone who wants to play, you need to fly in the WWI arena first to learn the basics in a simple aircraft and then progress to more complex aircraft systems.

In the end, my oldest was successfully learning how to do doing short runway takeoff's with AR-234's and 262's - and that the B-29 is a BIG tube-o-fun with a lot of droppable iron.

And that my youngest is a sharpshooter in that dang AAA fieldgun. 

This game isn't hard, it's just different. The interface is different, fying is different, driving PT boats is different, and others.  He then asked if there were Destroyers, but that started a bit of a rant on my side...but both see the long-term potential. 

Saturday?  It's TANK TIME!  Me in a Panzzer...them in M-8's to start. 

[scott66]

Great post bud! However don't underestimate your son's in the m8 it could turret that panzer in 2 shots plz film and post it

[Puma44]

Very nice!  Your sons have been brought up right and shown a great example.

[Oldman731]

Very nice!  Your sons have been brought up right and shown a great example.

Well duh.  It's Fork, we expect it.

Missed meeting Bacon that night - he'd have had at least one kill if he'd found me.

- oldman

[Vulcan]

My 10 year old has just gone VR in AH and loving it (after almost a year in the flat world version of AH). He flies in FSO too.

[Nefarious]

He flies in FSO too.

He's a smart kid, glad to have him aboard. 

[streakeagle]

I had my son playing Aces High from and early age. He very quickly mastered shooting down a drone B-24 offline using a Spitfire. But his only interest in the game was seeing how the damage model worked by taxiing into buildings to break off the wings, taxiing into the water, diving into the ground, etc. Stars Wars Battlefront 2 (the original version) was the game he really took to. He was playing with a keyboard and mouse from about age 2 1/2. He was good at all forms of infantry combat and had no problem flying X-Wings and TIE fighters. He was really good at zooming into a docking bay with a shuttle and landing to create a spawn point, which takes some skill to make it through the opening without getting shot down, colliding with the entry to the landing bay, or colliding with the ceiling or landing pad. He also loved piloting battlemechs in Mech Warrior 4. But he simply has no interest in flight simulation or air combat despite having displayed an aptitude for it. These days, he plays Fortnite and other similar shooters. But he has no interest in the Operation Flashpoint/ArmA series, which is the only other shooter I will play besides Star Wars Battlefront 2.

When I have visitors with children, I introduce them to flight simulation and now VR. They have fun. But to my knowledge, not one person I have introduced to PC flight and air combat simulation has ever pursued it no matter what their age or sex. PC flight sim fanatics are a rare breed. Air combat sim fanatics are a niche within a niche.

[DaddyAce]

I had my son playing Aces High from and early age. He very quickly mastered shooting down a drone B-24 offline using a Spitfire. But his only interest in the game was seeing how the damage model worked by taxiing into buildings to break off the wings, taxiing into the water, diving into the ground, etc. Stars Wars Battlefront 2 (the original version) was the game he really took to. He was playing with a keyboard and mouse from about age 2 1/2. He was good at all forms of infantry combat and had no problem flying X-Wings and TIE fighters. He was really good at zooming into a docking bay with a shuttle and landing to create a spawn point, which takes some skill to make it through the opening without getting shot down, colliding with the entry to the landing bay, or colliding with the ceiling or landing pad. He also loved piloting battlemechs in Mech Warrior 4. But he simply has no interest in flight simulation or air combat despite having displayed an aptitude for it. These days, he plays Fortnite and other similar shooters. But he has no interest in the Operation Flashpoint/ArmA series, which is the only other shooter I will play besides Star Wars Battlefront 2.

When I have visitors with children, I introduce them to flight simulation and now VR. They have fun. But to my knowledge, not one person I have introduced to PC flight and air combat simulation has ever pursued it no matter what their age or sex. PC flight sim fanatics are a rare breed. Air combat sim fanatics are a niche within a niche.

This is similar to my experience.  I've demonstrated the air combat part of the game to many folks over the years, non-VR, and more recently VR.  They generally are very impressed, but I have not hooked one, other than perhaps many years ago I did have a neighbor that winged with me on Air Warrior, and one coworker that we would fly  head to head Warbirds.  But I keep tryin.....

[8thJinx]

These are strange times on the planet, when humanity would rather play a "free" game and spend close to $700 million per year on clothing outfits and dance moves for their game characters, than spend $14.95 a month on a game of skill.

[Ramesis]

These are strange times on the planet, when humanity would rather play a "free" game and spend close to $700 million per year on clothing outfits and dance moves for their game characters, than spend $14.95 a month on a game of skill.

+1

[Mongoose]

Aces High is for people who really love airplanes.  And I mean people who really love real airplanes. 

Many of the "airplane" or "air combat" games out there are little more than first person shooter games, or bear little difference from "space combat" games.  Aces High is about simulating the flight characteristics of real airplanes.

I have been reading through my father-in-law's collection of old "Flying" magazines from the last 10-15 years.  Several times they mention that there has been a steady decline in the number of General Aviation pilots, meaning there are fewer and fewer non-professional pilots who fly for the fun of it.  Part of the cause is higher cost and stricter, and thus costlier, regulation.  Part of the cause is that the "Oh Wow" factor is wearing off.

Aces High may not have a lot of appeal to a young person who is satisfied with flying a pretend X-Wing, but it will appeal to a young person who looks at an airplane and says, "Oh Wow".