Arena idea FR & RR

[CptTrips]

Can you answer something for me:
What is it about this forum that makes you want to stay? You don't play the game, you clearly don't like the game or the community surrounding the game. Whenever you post it's just about other competitors to AH and/or subtly bashing the game. So what is the endgame for spending all day on a forum for a game that you have zero interest participating in? Why not spend all of that time on a forum for a game in which you enjoy playing?

Because I have an interest in flightsims in general.  Because I have a historical interest in this sim that I was flying for years before you ever showed up.

When I point out where AH is failing, or where I think it might be failing, it is so it can addressed and change failure to success.

Some think the best way of being a friend is blowing constant sunshine up their skirt.  A true friend is one who will tell you when you are screwing up so you have to chance to change course.  Problems are never solved by wishful thinking and putting heads in the sand.  Solving a problem usually takes the courage to look at hard, uncomfortable questions and answering them honestly to find a path forward.

Whether or not I spend my limited money in AH, I still want to see AH reverse it's trend and get back of sustainable footing.  I think it's an import sim in the genre and I think it's current problems are fixable.  But you can't fix a problem you are afraid to look at or fear the social tantrums you will generate by stating unpopular facts.

I can tell you are miffed, not because I am calling you a name, but because I am cornering you into answering questions you'd prefer not to think about.

[CptTrips]

Numbers? On steam charts, DCS dropped from a 2022 peak of 3,300 to 1,200 valley 2023, its still decending, currently at 2020 valley on the charts.

Seems reality has $truck quite a few.
Now makes sense frantically trying to pull AH players. From pot into frying pan. Barrowing from Peter to pay Paul.

No one is listening to you anymore, animl.

[Chris79]

Low numbers beget lesser gameplay which begets lower numbers.
The problems.
1. It’s a difficult game to learn as a noob. 10 years ago when there was 350-400 in the MA, you could find some meaningful action if even if you were new or just plain sucked. There were always missions to participate in or GV action which is infinitely easier to learn then A to A. Now, there are few to no missions which makes the air action more difficult to learn and the GV action is abominable.
2. The maps are to bloody big.
3. Man guns/battleships. Probably ought to cap how many “gun” sorties allowed per hour.
4. It’s damn near more practical to resupply strata than to defend them.
5. Maybe make the free trial longer than 2 weeks and have one dedicated squad per country that all new accounts are assigned to for assistance.

[DmonSlyr]

Only thing that is going to bring more players into the game now that is noticeable is to have another commercial on TV and/or youtube and Rumble. This is simply no marketing at all for this game and I still believe most haven't heard of it. It's a very niche game and the subscription prevents many people from trying the game again in the MA after a couple of months. People just aren't gonna pay $15 if they maybe want to play the game just to try it again where most of the action is.

[Dadtallica]

I’m going to spend time on your yt page.

Well that proves it. You’re a petulant child.

[Dadtallica]

You have a new follower on DCS forums. I wouldn’t want to miss a thing. So excited.

Karma, is a very large pill to swallow

So to be clear… you’re openly threatening to harass another AH board member on a third party forum.

You should be banned from this one today.

[The Fugitive]

Only thing that is going to bring more players into the game now that is noticeable is to have another commercial on TV and/or youtube and Rumble. This is simply no marketing at all for this game and I still believe most haven't heard of it. It's a very niche game and the subscription prevents many people from trying the game again in the MA after a couple of months. People just aren't gonna pay $15 if they maybe want to play the game just to try it again where most of the action is.

Advertising is a lot of money and with out a sure return a big gamble with a one man company.

I would look into a Steam relaunch. Add 6-12 fighters, bombers, and GVs to a "free always in the MA" as the new grab. Add to the relaunch page all the "NEW" maps recently added and coming soon, the amazing VR setup/system/play, and how both a mouse or game controller can be used to play, and rename it "Aces High! Masters of the Air!" and launch it again on Steam.

Im not sure how much coad work it would be to add the free planes in the MA, but all the other stuff is already in game. A relaunch would bring the game to a whole new set of eyes. And with a name that ties into the Hanks/Spielburg movie it could draw a bit more intrest.

[Dadtallica]

Advertising is a lot of money and with out a sure return a big gamble with a one man company.

I would look into a Steam relaunch. Add 6-12 fighters, bombers, and GVs to a "free always in the MA" as the new grab. Add to the relaunch page all the "NEW" maps recently added and coming soon, the amazing VR setup/system/play, and how both a mouse or game controller can be used to play, and rename it "Aces High! Masters of the Air!" and launch it again on Steam.

Im not sure how much coad work it would be to add the free planes in the MA, but all the other stuff is already in game. A relaunch would bring the game to a whole new set of eyes. And with a name that ties into the Hanks/Spielburg movie it could draw a bit more intrest.

Not a bad idea.

[oboe]

@Chris79 - I agree with your point #1.  Points 2-4 seem more like frustrations of more experienced players, who have become familiar with the ins and outs of game play.

Regarding point #5, I dunno, it seems if 75% of new players aren't even lasting 30 minutes in the main arena, I don't know how much difference increasing the two week free period would make.   

But, it still be an interesting experiment - increase the two week free play to 3 months/90 days.   If the length of the free-to-play grace period really is a factor, we should see more players sticking around longer than 30 minutes. 

Could run a temporary special on Steam; e.g., all new accounts created in November will receive 90 days free instead of only 14 days.  Who knows, it might work!   If it results in more players in the MA and a better game experience for everyone because of it, seems like a good idea.   

Also like the idea of having noobs auto-assigned to a trainer squadron, just to be welcomed and to answer questions and help with technical issues...
 

[CptTrips]

Also like the idea of having noobs auto-assigned to a trainer squadron, just to be welcomed and to answer questions and help with technical issues...
 

In a sim I was in a million years ago, they had a specific new user squad.

Their job was to grab them, make them feel immediately part of a team that will show them the ropes. 
The idea is that membership was always temporary.  They got you up to speed and taught you how to work within a squad and wingmen, and then they help find you a permanent squad to join once you were ready to "graduate".  Receiving squads knew you had a base level of training and were essentially "vetted" and vouched for by the training squad.

Of course, I don't know how much use that would be if they are not staying 10 minutes.

[CptTrips]

Only thing that is going to bring more players into the game now that is noticeable is to have another commercial on TV and/or youtube and Rumble. This is simply no marketing at all for this game and I still believe most haven't heard of it. It's a very niche game and the subscription prevents many people from trying the game again in the MA after a couple of months. People just aren't gonna pay $15 if they maybe want to play the game just to try it again where most of the action is.

You're an accounting guy, right?  So you understand ROI.

You can look at your current conversion rate based off your normal organic traffic. Lets be generous and call that a full 1%.  You can then looks at estimates of market size your ad platform might likely give you exposure to, and then look at the ad cost and make a reasonable guess to if that would be a positive or negative ROI. 

If the math suggests there is no possibility of a positive ROI based on any of the data you have, then advertising would be an expensive hobby.

In previous years when he was advertising, he may have had 12% conversion rate.  That may have given him a positive ROI.  He had reason to believe it would turn a profit to make that ad spend.

At 1% the numbers may not work.  I doubt HT has wads of cash to throw at something his data tells him can not be mathematically profitable.  He would only advertise his way into bankruptcy.

You have two obvious choices. 

1. Find cheaper advertising.
2. Improve your organic conversion rate so that you have a reasonable chance to profit from investing in ads.

The discussion of things like how FTP and other option might effect conversion rate is to find a solution to raise the conversion rate so that it is rational to try and throw ad money at it because you will then have data that suggests it will have a positive ROI.

I assure you if he had data that suggested he had high enough conversion rate to make ads profitable, he would move heaven and earth and go sell blood plasma to raise the money to buy ads.  Until he has a better conversion rate, he would be better off burning that cash in his fireplace to at least save on heating bills.

[TheBug]

This game is done, in regards to development, enjoy it as it is or don't.  It's pretty simple.

[CptTrips]

. failed edit.

[Dadtallica]

This game is done, in regards to development, enjoy it as it is or don't.  It's pretty simple.

Yes +1000%

Oh btw sorry Bug… we are screaming into the void. 

[Spikes]

Because I have an interest in flightsims in general.  Because I have a historical interest in this sim that I was flying for years before you ever showed up.

When I point out where AH is failing, or where I think it might be failing, it is so it can addressed and change failure to success.

Some think the best way of being a friend is blowing constant sunshine up their skirt.  A true friend is one who will tell you when you are screwing up so you have to chance to change course.  Problems are never solved by wishful thinking and putting heads in the sand.  Solving a problem usually takes the courage to look at hard, uncomfortable questions and answering them honestly to find a path forward.

Whether or not I spend my limited money in AH, I still want to see AH reverse it's trend and get back of sustainable footing.  I think it's an import sim in the genre and I think it's current problems are fixable.  But you can't fix a problem you are afraid to look at or fear the social tantrums you will generate by stating unpopular facts.

I can tell you are miffed, not because I am calling you a name, but because I am cornering you into answering questions you'd prefer not to think about.

I just don't understand why you keep trying to make something of this that it isn't. If HT downsized his entire operation, does that seem like the move to expand and get the player base back to what it used to be?

HT even stated way back that the game blew up to something that they didn't expect. What makes you think that there is any desire from HT to 'reverse its trend' and 'fix the problems'? If you are so concerned about the game and you want to do something about it you should give him a call, he'll listen and talk to you.