Donate Perks to New Players

[Slade]

Gents,

I'd like to be able to to donate perks to legit new players, i.e. players AH says are not owned (billed) as a 2nd account for anyone.

In this way maybe I\we can help new players get over the learning curve and become life-long members of the best game on the Internet. 

Perhaps, related Wishes to this can spawn from this for the same end goal.


Thanks,

X15 

[Mister Fork]

That is a GREAT idea. Heck, forget new players, what if you and a wingman/bud want to up in a plane, but he/she don't have enough perkies? Great way to share them!

[Eagler]

I had the same thought recently

I will never use up the over 30,000 fighter perks I have now

You can tell in ma who could use them

Eagler

[The Fugitive]

I had the same thought recently

I will never use up the over 30,000 fighter perks I have now

You can tell in ma who could use them

Eagler

The only people "who could use them" are really the people who are already pretty good with the non perked planes and are looking for something different to try.

How is seeing someone getting few or no kills in a hog going to be so much better if they fly the Chog? Basically giving perked rides away to those players with out the skills to earn the perks on their own is like letting a bunch of cannon arm HO dweebs loose in the arena.

I dont see how giving newbies perks is going to help anything.

[Eagler]

If it increases a2a ho or otherwise I am all for it

Eagler

[Slade]

I dont see how giving newbies perks is going to help anything.

Perhaps it might help new players become permanent players. 

[The Fugitive]

Perhaps it might help new players become permanent players. 

Yup Im sure newbies will think getting shot down in a perked plane is a lot more fun and stick around longer. 

[Slade]

Yup Im sure newbies will think getting shot down in a perked plane is a lot more fun and stick around longer.

Are you saying new players would not have more of a chance to live in a perk plane?

[Oldman731]

Are you saying new players would not have more of a chance to live in a perk plane?

As compared to Yak-3, Spit 16 or La-7?  I'm having a tough time thinking that any perk plane is better than these three at ensuring survival.

- oldman

[Eagler]

I would think it would as they would think they are getting something only players better than themselves have.

It would help the serious player, not the turd that isn't going to stick around if he can't be an ace in a single sortie within their 2 week  trial

Eagler

[Mano]

-1

I would rather see Mr HiTEch work on other new features for the game that will bring in new players and get them hooked like the rest of us. 

There is nothing wrong with new players earning their perks and finding out what it takes to get them. That is part of the fun. There are so many ways
to earn perks beside combat. You can resupply a field with a m-3, lvt,  or c-47 and earn perks for gv's and bombers AND learn how the game is played in that same exercise. The new auto country switcher can help a player get perks pretty fast for all three categories as well. Shooting down bombers with a non perked fighter can get perks as well. Not all bomber pilots are skilled marksmen with that rear gunner position.      ( I know I am not ).

IMHO

 

[The Fugitive]

Are you saying new players would not have more of a chance to live in a perk plane?

of course they wont, most likely die quicker. Perked planes are perked because they have a guns advantage or a speed advantage. In most cases you need skill to handle that extra advantage. A 262 compresses and is hard to aim, whats a newbi going to do with it?.....LAWNDART! Chog is much heavier and less maneuverable than the other hogs, whats a newbi going to do with it?.... try to turn it get slow and be picked by 12 guys at once "poof".

Newbis already have the chance to fly the easiest plane in the set, the spit16. Turns great, is fast, and has cannons. Its too bad so many "old pros" fly it as well. The kill and name in lights is too much a draw from them to fly something else that they may have to work for a kill.

Plus if you have to option to "donate" perks in the game whats the point of haveing them?

No, for new players to stay long enough to get hooked like the rest of us they will need stuff to make it easy for them. Free planes long enough to get hooked, maybe a lead computing gun site until you hit 100 kills, and dare I say it, double the rounds per flight with out a weight penalty. Get them in the air, show them how to aim, and give them plenty of rounds to miss with for long enough to get hooked and they will subscribe.

[Eagler]

Perk plane bad

Gamey lead computing site good

Lol

I am done here

Eagler

[The Fugitive]

Perk plane bad

Gamey lead computing site good

Lol

I am done here

Eagler

Lets face it, the AH WE fell in love with isnt a game todays players will be looking for, not in the state/availability that it is in now. Proof of that, is easy enough, we have barely over 100 players during prime time on a weekend any more. If it was a top game to todays players we wouldnt be having conversations like this.

So how do you make it more of a game todays players will try, and put some time in to learn? You have to do things that 99% of us who do play would laugh at, free planes in the MA, gamey lead computing sites and stupid amounts of extra ammo. Is it realistic, nope, but this isnt a a scenario setup or FSO we are taking about, its the free-for-all sandbox we play around in where German planes fight German planes and tanks get stopped by trees.

The whole point is to get more players in the air. I seem to remember you saying "If it increases a2a ho or otherwise I am all for it" why not add a few "gamey" things to entice new players to give it a go longer than they do.

Free planes in the MA- half dozen of so of the middle ground planes. Everybody loves free, heck let them earn perk points to to maybe get a Mustang once and a while. Once they get hooked playing and they want other planes they subscribe, or they dont and continue to play with the limited set. Either way we get more players, or they still leave. I really dont see a down side for this.

Gamey lead computing site- We already have it in game, it just needs to be turned on and a bit of code to automatically turn it off after say the first 30 days. One of the hardest things to do in the game is to get hits on a plane. At least with the site on they will have an idea of how much to lead and practice getting those leads more and more EVEN while the site is on. Once off they will KNOW what the lead should be and they will find it much easier after its off. Other than like it is now when they spray and pray, never hit anything (because they think they fire like the lazers in other games) and get frustrated and leave never to be seen again.

Double the rounds with no weight penalty, again gamey, but it helps solve one of the biggest issues for new players, getting hits. This one should also be turned off after a set time.
[/list]

What these things do is make it "easier" for new players to play the game, to work out the kinks, and get to the "fun" of playing the game. None of it would hurt how the game is played now. A good marksman will still be able to knock a newbi out of the sky with a single burst of their Yaks cannons  It wont give the newbi any real advantage because once it becomes an advantage the game will turn it off and they will be back to the same playingfield as the rest of us are.

Standing pat isnt doing anything, numbers are still low and at times looks like they are dropping more. Making changes like this could bring in new players, and as you said  "If it increases a2a ho or otherwise I am all for it"

[Slade]

All,

You have some really good ideas to get new players to become more permanent.  THAT is the purpose of this thread.  Cool new features are great, but if there are no numbers in the game you are flying multiple sectors to see action if you are lucky.

I like the idea of letting new players stay giving them a limited plane set.  Earning perks for better planes. If the game was basically free with a very limited plane set, HiTech's main problem might become how to handle all the new users. 

EDIT: With the appropriate advertising of course.

Adding to the above, non-monthly subscription users could buy perks for more ride options etc. 

X15