So, as I take it the current state of simulated WWII aerial combat is:
AH has not been updated in about 10 years, shows no sign of updates to address player issues, MA numbers show minor fluctuations, and FSO numbers continue to decline.
IL-2 showing no further development in WWII till after a Korea era module coming out, roughly two to three years.
Combat Pilot is five years for single player and probably eight for multi-player.
DCS is working on WWII PTO with release in about a year.
Any others on the horizon?
Pretty planes does not have a large multiplayer arena, which is what this tribe is based on.
Aces High and Pretty Planes is not even really the same market. They are not the same, they don’t draw the same crowds. The core interest is not the same. You guys are trying combine oil and water. You’re selling tea to people who love beer.
The reason people player both us to fill voids the other is missing.
There is no more wrong with this game than any other. AH didn’t lose numbers because it sucks, other sims got on their feet and simply split the horde 4 ways.
In all 4, their best pilots and mist knowledgeable pilots came from here and AW. Including yourselves. This IS the trunk of the tree. The further and the branches grown from the trunk the thinner they are. The core if the art of fun and high adrenaline concept is lost.
What we saw was a weeding process. What is left are the most devoted to this core concept. A good deal of these came out of the beginning of it. The most seasoned if any sim. These people would fly this concept, in these arenas, if it were 1990s graphics. By who the hell would not want to learn and compete with the best.
This is the reason you guys are here, doing what you very well know should not be done, to skim what would make your game feel complete.
There is only one single possible reason that former players, come here, away from their own forums, to have these conversations, … is sales. It can be for this game too, however, players here cannot sell there. Which puts it behind the 8 ball in your favor, and seizing on it.
My point?
Aces High III, without any recent updates, is still good enough to not only withstand this, but to actually add numbers while this is going on. The “Masters of the Air” scenario has had the biggest turnout in at least 5 yrs, at 115 human pilots, in the 1st frame, so far. Noe of the others can even put 115 in a single arena, better yet 160.
“The numbers used to be so much higher”. True enough. I refer to my “4 ways” comment above. However, Critical Mass is 100-120. You can’t have a lot of battle under that. When we add 20 new players we just added two hordes and another full battle. We added 40 in about 7 months in the arena, we now have 3 full battles at once.
Without mentioning 120 planes and vehicles fir the price of a Burger King per month.
Because of PvP servers instead of a MP arena, all the games mentioned above, mathematically cannot even hit bare minimum Critical Mass. So, there is no comparison on the main point we make. That huge population is splintered to dust and hard to find a fight. Nor do you have 100% MP scenarios of any real size, without AI bandaid.
The trunk of the tree is the thickest part to the roots. And we welcome anyone who wants to experience true high adrenaline with us. For our return players, the memories of this sim has had a lasting impact.
More towards the other constant two, it can be a challenge to understand calling people here friends while they crash their party and pee in their grandma’s beer. Their credibility is kinda gone. Its been a failure. MotA is good proof. It’s nonsense by the strangely obsessed. One told me I don’t have the power to stop him. “You can’t stop me” shows intent to cram it down our throats, against our will, until we succumb to him, and he usually rides in on someone elses back.
Our return players, have done so, for some of the best fun of their past in combat flight sims. It wasn’t over-sold to them. Its a preference, like your own, that is different from our own. They aren’t a good match. Ya gave up fun for graphics and cockpits in Pretty Planes. We get it. If thats what we wanted we would have done so years ago. We’re not stupid to like what we like. Stupid is beating on our door every day with bible in hand expecting different results. Evidently, we’re not the ones incapable of learning.
Despite no recent updates,…Banter on 200 has come down. Political talk has come way down. We’ve added numbers to the MA. We have a very successful scenario running. We’re in a better spot. I remember someone predicting this was possible.
