Author Topic: My 37yr journey in AW/AH  (Read 2126 times)

Offline Animl-AW

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My 37yr journey in AW/AH
« on: July 09, 2026, 10:55:25 PM »
My 37 year journey from past records.
Probably not many interested, many have the similar history.
Just seems like a few years ago.

First Played Air Warrior 1989 (no way I remember that ID#), slow computer put off regular play. New computer and daily play 1995ish, Player ID: Arrow. Like 6-12 hrs per day every day.
1996 Changed Player ID to Anim,
 
1998 Kesmai
NDA Signed
Title/Function: Game Asistant/Tech Support
Player CPID: Animl
Work CPID: awar_anim
AW3 Mojos
AW3ME Mojos

Electronic Arts purchased Air Warrior in 1999, and became provider of the game.
Flew Aces High 1st beta test

Electronic Arts
NDA Signed
EACampus Completed   
Staff NG Access: 8/7/2000
Player CPID: Animl
Work CPID: EAGuruAniml
Title/Function: Tech Rep
AW3ME Mojos

Air Warrior discontinued in 2001.
 
No wonder most don't remember me from back then. I did more behind the curtain and in game than BBS.

Aces High BBS CPID: FT_Animal
Aces High Player CPID: Animl
BBS Date Registered: October 24, 2001, 12:00:00 AM
Total Time Spent Online: 5 hours and 11 minutes.
Total Posts: 554 posts
Total Topics Started: 50 topics
Last Active: April 07, 2008, 02:49:58 PM

Didn't post on bbs, but was still playing AH. Then my computer got hit by lightning in late 2012ish and insurance replacement couldn't pull AH. Never ended accounts, just didn't log in for a long time. Work hours got insane.

Game CPID:  Animl
BBS CPID: Animl-AW
BBS Date Registered: December 30, 2020, 12:37:53 AM

PC struck by lightning again
Rebuilt a gaming machine
Bank in game December 2022.
« Last Edit: July 10, 2026, 12:02:47 AM by Animl-AW »
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Offline Animl-AW

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Re: My 37yr journey in AW/AH
« Reply #1 on: July 10, 2026, 02:53:07 PM »
Scroller
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Offline Animl-AW

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Re: My 37yr journey in AW/AH
« Reply #2 on: July 10, 2026, 03:55:33 PM »
37 yrs

Now I have a new project, it’s in Tyler TX
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Offline LCADolby

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Re: My 37yr journey in AW/AH
« Reply #3 on: July 10, 2026, 06:30:20 PM »
Spambots are everywhere these days even talking to themselves  :old:
YouTube+Twitch+KICK - 20Dolby10

Offline Traveler

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Re: My 37yr journey in AW/AH
« Reply #4 on: July 11, 2026, 05:58:10 PM »
I don't even count my AW years, and EA destroyed that game. Came to AH as an invite to 113th Lucky Strikes to fly P38's for the Knights over 26 years ago and we are now down to two members. CO is Gunston and XO is Traveler. And yes, it's on the down hill slide, so sit back and enjoy the ride.
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Offline thndregg

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Re: My 37yr journey in AW/AH
« Reply #5 on: July 11, 2026, 06:13:18 PM »
I don't even count my AW years, and EA destroyed that game. Came to AH as an invite to 113th Lucky Strikes to fly P38's for the Knights over 26 years ago and we are now down to two members. CO is Gunston and XO is Traveler. And yes, it's on the down hill slide, so sit back and enjoy the ride.

Agreed, and hence the apt name of my new outfit, The Skeleton Crew.

The strategic bomber aspect of the game has always been a favorite of mine for over 20 years, but today's numbers who appreciate it beyond the weekly squad night (DHBG's routine) are practically nil. Still, I do them - solo, mostly. Still yields some excellent 20-30+ fights with great jug, 163, and Ta152 pilots.
Skeleton Crew is **Selectively Recruiting** B29 Bomber Crews. Contact: thndrEGG-CO or MATAHARI-XO in game via PM.

Offline Mayhem

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Re: My 37yr journey in AW/AH
« Reply #6 on: July 11, 2026, 08:13:49 PM »
I don't even count my AW years, and EA destroyed that game.

I've got to disagree with that.

Sure EA killed Kesmai, Gamestorm, My Job, Legends of Kesmai, Battletech Solaris and a bunch of others. While they did actually shut down Air Warrior Classic (AW4W) and discontinued supporting AWII (Basically AWII was AWIII without the 3d Wrapper and it was only on a few online services like AOL) but they tried to keep Air Warrior Alive with Air Warrior MV.

When EA completed the purchase of Kesmai/Gamestorm, AW Classic was empty and AWIII were already dying and on life support. AWIII on Gamestorm near the end was far DEADER than AH is now.

AWMV was basically AWIII with the Kraits skin chooser integrated onto the game (I hope they got paid for that) EA set it up on their own service and let players play for free, but no one wanted to play any more. Most AWers had already moved over to warbirds WWIIOL and Aces High even with it's $30/ Month price. (According to Damned Max and a few others; You can thank the Damned for getting it down to $15/Month.)

I had an EA AWMV account and tried to play it until AH dropped the subscription fee. AWMV was DEAD! like 5 people in the whole game let alone any one arena.  EA couldn't even give the game away so they decided it wasn't worth keeping the IP alive with a brand new game and shelved it.
« Last Edit: July 11, 2026, 08:16:12 PM by Mayhem »
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Offline Animl-AW

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Re: My 37yr journey in AW/AH
« Reply #7 on: July 12, 2026, 09:38:25 AM »
As soon as I heard Vietnam I was done and moving on.

HTC already had their team and just stuck to personal projects and player. I was so pssed I bought into the hopes of EA that I didn’t take the last flight of AW. My middle finger wasn’t big enough. A waste of my time.

I just converted everything I had for AW into AH. Made golden AH wings for AH tech hangar  site and my sounds worked in AH. HT offered to buy my work, I just donated it. Got a free account for it anyway. He was real cool about it.

For the most part I’ve been here since. Kind of a one horse man. I put everything I can into one choice, instead of spreading too thin.

I don’t remember if TC offered me a spot here. But after all that I needed a break from tech forums and 30-120 emails per day. It didn’t matter. My job had already spiked, barely had time. Doing both was a challenge. The brain never got a rest.

When I picked up AW I was just getting over a GF who was killed. I was going to do something happy. I had a choice on the shelf Fighter Ace or AW, I grabbed AW. AW was my sanctuary to keep my brain on other things.So I went deep. Same when lost my wife and son 2010, took a break then came back for reset. Unfortunately, it’s been a nightmare. I was never sht on like here by half-wit ego man-childs. They can’t top what I already lived. Complete wasted effort. Its damn near funny. The effort just to spin wheels in mud.

For many like AW AH is a sanctuary. It’s a great break from RL. All entertainment is a break.

Been in this world since 89. But 37 years! Damn that went fast. Its not just the game it’s 37 yrs comradery with most of the same people. We all grew “old” together, many didn’t make it this far. I started at 29, which I thought was too old for games, I’m going in 67 now. That’s just bat sht crazy, in a kewl way. Sorta, some here lack all forms of respect and comradery. It’s cut throat hysteria, panicking their ego may get bruised.

Us older ones look back at the newish generation and start with “ya know, when I was your age, we crawled across a desert on our hands and knees, through crushed glass and razor blades, just to get to a functioning PC to play the game… and furthermore…..” :)

Relax





« Last Edit: July 12, 2026, 09:49:07 AM by Animl-AW »
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Online The Fugitive

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Re: My 37yr journey in AW/AH
« Reply #8 on: July 12, 2026, 09:48:22 AM »
I've got to disagree with that.

Sure EA killed Kesmai, Gamestorm, My Job, Legends of Kesmai, Battletech Solaris and a bunch of others. While they did actually shut down Air Warrior Classic (AW4W) and discontinued supporting AWII (Basically AWII was AWIII without the 3d Wrapper and it was only on a few online services like AOL) but they tried to keep Air Warrior Alive with Air Warrior MV.

When EA completed the purchase of Kesmai/Gamestorm, AW Classic was empty and AWIII were already dying and on life support. AWIII on Gamestorm near the end was far DEADER than AH is now.

AWMV was basically AWIII with the Kraits skin chooser integrated onto the game (I hope they got paid for that) EA set it up on their own service and let players play for free, but no one wanted to play any more. Most AWers had already moved over to warbirds WWIIOL and Aces High even with it's $30/ Month price. (According to Damned Max and a few others; You can thank the Damned for getting it down to $15/Month.)

I had an EA AWMV account and tried to play it until AH dropped the subscription fee. AWMV was DEAD! like 5 people in the whole game let alone any one arena.  EA couldn't even give the game away so they decided it wasn't worth keeping the IP alive with a brand new game and shelved it.

The writing was on the wall and everyone knew it. EA was going to shut down Air Warrior so everybody moved on. Between the players being ticked off at EA and EA not doing anything to dispel the rumors of a shutdown or any kind of updates everybody just left. My whole squad (444th Air Mafia) moved to Aces High, 30+ players. Thats why AW was dead. Once they had the "goodbye" last night.... which I attended.... we were done with them.

Offline Ripsnort

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Re: My 37yr journey in AW/AH
« Reply #9 on: July 13, 2026, 08:02:16 PM »
I was Rip1 in Air Warrior.
I'm stilling ripping one at age 66.  :grin:

Offline Eagler

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Re: My 37yr journey in AW/AH
« Reply #10 on: July 14, 2026, 06:15:18 AM »
I was Rip1 in Air Warrior.
I'm stilling ripping one at age 66.  :grin:

Howdy Rip..long time no see  :joystick:

You should jump back into MA for old times sake...many have..

Take care  :aok

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Offline xbrit

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Re: My 37yr journey in AW/AH
« Reply #11 on: July 14, 2026, 09:11:17 PM »
I was Rip1 in Air Warrior.
I'm stilling ripping one at age 66.  :grin:
Hi Rip good to see you around<S>

Online The Fugitive

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Re: My 37yr journey in AW/AH
« Reply #12 on: July 14, 2026, 09:21:33 PM »
Hi Rip good to see you around<S>

Good seeing you around as well xbrit  <S>

Offline Max

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Re: My 37yr journey in AW/AH
« Reply #13 on: July 15, 2026, 07:14:10 AM »
I was Rip1 in Air Warrior.
I'm stilling ripping one at age 66.  :grin:

I recall massive Ripsnort missions back in AHI. Fun times! If memory serves me, there was a Ripsnort mission on Sunday Squad night that involved 200+ folks  :x
Great to cya  :salute

XBrit....great to cya back as well <S>

Offline Brooke

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Re: My 37yr journey in AW/AH
« Reply #14 on: July 15, 2026, 01:10:59 PM »
I flew AW from 1988 to its last flight, Dec. 7th, 2001 (60th anniversary of attack on Pearl Harbor).

Once AW was gone, I looked for where most AW pilots went and where there were still Scenarios, and it was AH.  So I went to AH in 2001.

AH carries on the tradition of Scenarios, which is my favorite part of online flying.  :aok  I think I've flown in close to every scenario from 1992 onward.

The next one will be in October.  Over central Italy, B-24's, P-38's, P-47's, P-51B's vs. 190A-5's, 109G-6's, C.205's.  :aok