Chatgpt on the games decline

[CptTrips]

it was reported to me that ge encouraged ykw in discord to cause as much havoc as possible.

And you are lying again.

I have never had a conversation with Skyyr on Discord.  I don't even know his id.

[AKIron]

It's his favorite trick.

And yet no one has bothered to do the same to his music thread.

Let's not get that closed. It keeps him occupied. Somewhat.

[Meatwad]

Until you mention DCS

[The Fugitive]

Until you mention DCS

Ya know, it is so discouraging these days. A number of us are doing everything we can to promote the game as a good, fun game even if the graphics are a bit old. Yet the boards are full of this crap like this thread which Im sure shines such a beautiful light on our community, and it is always the same 4-5 guys.

When will it be time for you guys to grow up, and thanks for helping out around here.

[AKIron]

Until you mention DCS

He mentions it more than anyone here. I don't start threads on it. Don't feel like I should have to avoid commenting though even if some hate it.

[Meatwad]

A developmently dead game with  a very outdated subscription system isnt going to attract anybody. When there is no hope for anything ever to be done again for the game to attract new players, people are going to  look elsewhere. Its not rocket science. The only thing that keeps this game going is the memories of how it used to be when there was 500 to 800 people online.

A limited FTP planeset will attract new players so they can learn on their own and not be kicked out after 2 weeks WILL help numbers. But you have to make that change and then readvertise that there is a new FTP aspect of the game. Call it AH 3.1. But since the owner doesnt care about even remotely trying to increase the player base, what do you expect to happen to the game? It will wither and die. If you dont adapt or change to how things are done now, you are left in the dust while others prosper which is what is happening right now between this game and the other competition.

[AKIron]

When I started playing AH more than 25 years ago I enjoyed it a lot. For me it was always about having fun with friends. I never cared much about score and as Shane likes to point out my scoring was mediocre. Since I had no delusions of grandeur or imagined I was or could be somehow equivalent to the great pilots of WWII this didn't and doesn't bother me at all. I have flown several different single engine light planes and so I do know the difference between this computer game and real life. There used to be more friendly faces here. Now, not so much.

[Skyguns MKII]

A developmently dead game with  a very outdated subscription system isnt going to attract anybody. When there is no hope for anything ever to be done again for the game to attract new players, people are going to  look elsewhere. Its not rocket science. The only thing that keeps this game going is the memories of how it used to be when there was 500 to 800 people online.

A limited FTP planeset will attract new players so they can learn on their own and not be kicked out after 2 weeks WILL help numbers. But you have to make that change and then readvertise that there is a new FTP aspect of the game. Call it AH 3.1. But since the owner doesnt care about even remotely trying to increase the player base, what do you expect to happen to the game? It will wither and die. If you dont adapt or change to how things are done now, you are left in the dust while others prosper which is what is happening right now between this game and the other competition.

I dont understand how the die hards dont understand this concept. At the end of the day its a business and nobody cares if you treat it like your social club. If the business wishes to shut its doors so be it but dont pretend its up to the player base to keep it alive unless you make drastic changes...

[uptown]

DCS isn't all it's cracked up to be. Aces High is more fun and wayyyyyy less expensive. If a person can get pass all the player generated drama here, this is a great game....in my opinion.

[CptTrips]

I dont understand how the die hards dont understand this concept. At the end of the day its a business and nobody cares if you treat it like your social club. If the business wishes to shut its doors so be it but dont pretend its up to the player base to keep it alive unless you make drastic changes...

I agree with a slight refinement.

I believe it would take significant changes to attract any material number of new players and we all know that is not going to happen so that fantasy should just be let go.
Anything customers can do won't make any real impact on that. 

I don't expect AH to close it's doors anytime soon.  I think the current state is stable as long as HT wants to run it in his closet and population will continue to decline but only at demographic mortality rates which you can't do anything about.

I think it would be possible to pull in former players with a concerted, organized, email outreach to former account holders with maybe a 3-month welcome back free trial offer to former customers (who have been gone at least 6 months).  That wouldn't be spam because they are former customers not random internet email spamming. 

I get them all the time from WWIIOL, Netflix, NR, etc.  They always offer some special sweetener to come back.  Fair enough, but no thanks.  There is an unsubscribe link at the bottom.

But new customers?  I don't see it.  Even if there is a mutiny of WWII players annoyed at 1C moving away from WWII dev, I don't think AH would get them.

[Skyguns MKII]

Ya know, it is so discouraging these days. A number of us are doing everything we can to promote the game as a good, fun game even if the graphics are a bit old. Yet the boards are full of this crap like this thread which Im sure shines such a beautiful light on our community, and it is always the same 4-5 guys.

When will it be time for you guys to grow up, and thanks for helping out around here.

More than 4-5 people and im not for bashing on the game in a unconstructive way but again... Why is it the customers job to keep the game alive you pay monthly for? Suggestions, wishes, options fall on deaf ears to keep this game alive. Why would a gamer want to invest in a game that doesnt invest back? Also, old graphics is just one factor nowadays if you can appeal in different ways. There are games that do well with graphics that dont come close to AH. Aces high is not being killed by its own player base, Its being left to die while the player base is trying to keep it alive. At the end of day its a business first, not some hobby/social club with its regulars as some people treat it. That business has the right to close its doors. I still think aces high has huge potential but that is what it will remain as, potential...

[hazmatt]

There used to be more friendly faces here. Now, not so much.

Agreed. Seems what's left is mostly toxic and bitter.

[hazmatt]

DCS isn't all it's cracked up to be. Aces High is more fun and wayyyyyy less expensive. If a person can get pass all the player generated drama here, this is a great game....in my opinion.

The forum is FTP and might be more entertaining then the game these days.

[hazmatt]

I believe it would take significant changes to attract any material number of new players

I disagree here. I think a FTP plane set would bring back older players and bring in newer players. One of the most common complaints on steam was that it's not really "free to play" and that pretty blocks out any younger players that don't have a credit card or access to one. I know I don't give my kids a credit card number for robux or whatever they want to buy in a free to play online game. They do keep playing it though even thought I don't give them the CC number.

[uptown]

Agreed. Seems what's left is mostly toxic and bitter.

I've been back a week, and my side thinks I'm a spy and I haven't switched countries once. Maybe 2 players have responded to me on vox, and chat questions go unanswered. If I were a new player, I'd of given up by now. It's pretty silly behavior from what's supposed to be grown men.