How to increase Revenue in A/H

[lazs]

just goes to show that seawoofie and I CAN agree on something.   Besides both being such poor pilots we both hate axis vs allied.   It was one of the major reasons I left WB.   They even slashed prices.  Going axis vs allied didn't stop the growth they would have gotten from such a cut rate plan.... it merely slowed it down.

No... it's not that WB doesn't have a big enough planeset to support a fun axis vs allied.... it's that WWII didn't.
lazs

[AKDejaVu]

 

In theory, it's a great idea, but in reality, they just don't have the planeset to pull it off.

Planeset has ZERO to do with why a "Historical" environment does not mix well with an "Arena" environment.  The main things are lack of structure, lack of discipline, lack of training, lack of purpose, lack of patriotism or basically lack of anything that spells "historical" except for the planes.

AKDejaVu

[AKSeaWulfe]

 

Originally posted by lazs:
just goes to show that seawoofie and I CAN agree on something

It must be a cold day in hell.... ;-)

-SW

[Duckwing6]

regardig the scenarios... i see so many folks complaining about wanting no dar, historic matchup etc. etc. and then a sceario is held that offers all of that and how many attend ? 40 or so.. and some of the loudest folks from the "historical" bunch have never been seen in there, while they're flying in the MA at the same time ...

talk about hypocrit (sp? ... ahhww whatever)

[Jekyll]

I don't necessarily agree that a historical arena is the way to increase HTC's revenues.

In my opinion, there is only ONE way in which HTC can increase its revenues in the medium term.  They simply have to add a First Person Shooter layer to the game.

We have aircraft, we have ships, we have armour .... but we have no infantry.  Incorporate a decent FPS layer into the game and try to attract the Quake, CS etc players into the game.

Unfortunately, HTC would not be the first to market with such an idea.

I don't know whether the MMOG flight sim groupies out there have sufficient numbers to support all the offerings on show.  Aces High, Warbirds, Target Korea, Air Warrior, Fighter Ace, CFS2, IL2, World War 2 Online .... the competition is bloody fierce!

Like it or not, price is gonna be a major factor in the success or failure of these enterprises.  Is a 'great' game worth 3 times as much as a 'good' simulation?  I sure as hell don't know (although I'm dying to find out)  

But what I DO know is that over the past few months I am seeing less and less 'long-timers' in the arena during the evening, and more and more guys whose names seem to fade away at the end of two weeks.

Aces High raised the bar substantially in a number of areas.  I hope it comes out on top, but like I said, the competition is fierce.

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When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things.
Chapter 13, verse 11

[freaky]

In reply to Funked

As I said to you last nite funked, as a squad we are still learning how to perform as a squad in AH. The tatics required and flight models are very different to Warbirds and we have not sufficently worked them out yet to be an effective squad.

Our pilots prefer to fly scenarios and historic missions but we are unlikley to fly in any until we finish testing as a squad.

I would add however that Marcof is correct in suggesting that a two sided smaller map with allied v Axis is a much better setup.

I hate shooting down spits or being killed by A mustang, it just doesn't feel right

Freaky
XO 249 RAF Tangmere CHQ

[Dowding]

I think historical campaigns and scenarios are soon going to be the main attraction in AH. There were 200 participants for AK, and that was before 1.05 and the influx of new players.

Just need a fleshed out planeset (give HTC a year).

And a more user friendly mission planner (minus the bugs).

BTW, I really want to fly the la5 or Il-2 in a campaign!  

[Vermillion]

While I am one of the biggest scenario nuts around, I do NOT think a Axis vs Allied arena like the WB's format is the way to go for your full time flying affair.

I'm sure if your a die hard Allied pilot (only flying Allied) its great for you and alot of fun. You get to "win" the war over and over.

If you like to fly all flavors of planes, or Axis. Well, lets say its not too pleasent.

First you get the uberitis side switchers, who flip flop back and forth to whichever side has the best plane.

Then you have the totally dominate Allied gangbang from the time the Spit V comes out to the "end of the war". Flying 2:1 up too 3:1 odds just isn't fun for most people.

Aircraft technology and Mud moving capability is also a major problem.  True to life, after 1942 the Axis just can not compete in Jabo or Bomber capability. Not even close. Even if you inlcuded alot of "what if" or low production aircraft, the Axis just can't compete on an even basis.

These are just a few of the problems with a WWII arena, not to even go into the "social" problems that it causes within the community.

Sorry, history is for Scenarios and Special Events (which are great, don't get me wrong), while the emphasis on the MA should retain a "fun factor".

Just say No to a WWII Arena !!  



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Vermillion
**MOL**, Men of Leisure

[lazs]

yep... the more you narrow it down.... the more you narrow it down.  I left WB because I got tired of the same ol variety impaired 109,190 fights over and over.  Add some micro warps and you have the same planes doing the same thing every single time.  

I think the answer is to allow the most chice and variety.   AG was on the right track with the huge mid war plane set and no silly and limiting Axis vs allied but I'm afraid that the idiotic perk sytem is a step toward taking the fun out of it for a majority.   It is a step away from parity and variety.  

Much as I like early war planes I realize that and RPS would leave a lot of people cold during early war times.  Be nice to just have some early war fields in the canyons tho.
lazs

[Lephturn]

Personally, I think HTC is more qualified to run their business than we are.  

I'll respect their judgement.

Remember, the goal is not simply to increase the number of folks or the number of revenues.  HTC must grow at a steady and manageable rate that will ensure profitability and stability.  Growing too fast would kill them more quickly than a lack of growth would.

Luckily, this isn't a democracy.  

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Lephturn - Aces High Chief Trainer
A member of The Flying Pigs  http://www.flyingpigs.com
 
Check out Lephturn's Aerodrome!

"Nothing is so firmly believed as that which we least know." - Michel Eyquem, seigneur de Montaigne. (1533–1592)

[JG5_Jerry]

Hmm - personally, I still don't see why some of you guys think that a hard FM is a realistic FM. This is often said about AH, but I for one am not convinced by it's 'realism'. I don't think people will flock to AH from other sims because of the FM. Don't get me wrong, the FM is the most important thing in any flightsim worth it's salt, but whether AH has this right compared to any future sim is a moot point. If any people here have applied to Beta test IL-2 and get the chance to fly it, we'll see what they say. But please don't think that AH's FM is the be all and end all of FMs.

Aside from that, AH does need some other arenas, and if they're based on RPS, so much the better. The MA IMHO is not much fun because there are certain planes that seem to rule the roost, and it's just too much like WB too. I also think it's turning into more of a Pacific-based sim too. Some variety would be nice  

[This message has been edited by JG5_Jerry (edited 02-26-2001).]

[Jekyll]

 

Originally posted by JG5_Jerry:
Hmm - personally, I still don't see why some of you guys think that a hard FM is a realistic FM.

Well, put it this way Jerry.  There are at least two 5 year olds who fly Aces High and get kills in it.

So I hardly think this would qualify as a 'hard' FM  


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When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things.
Chapter 13, verse 11

[Buzzbait]

S! all

Someone made mention that RED BARON only has a handful of players now.  Wrong.  The Sierra corporate servers only have a few flyers because few people like the corporate Flight Model.  There have been several other FM's created, which do away with much of the unrealistic aspects of the original FM.  Plus there are improved graphics, additional planes, 2 seaters with rear firing guns, Balloons, tanks etc.  And of course you have the option to personalize your aircraft in whatever colour you prefer.  Most of the community flys these FM's in larger scale wars which last six months at a time.  The last one I was in had 60+ people on the server at a time, and would have had more except the servers can't take more.

If you like upclose and personal dogfighting, RB is still tough to beat.  And you don't pay $30.00 a month.  (By the way, if you are interested in trying out the Sim, don't buy a copy of RED BARON II and think you will be able to patch it.  You used to be able to do that, but the latest versions put out by Sierra are non-upgradable)

For more info, as well as all the patches and graphics upgrades, go to the 'Wings of Honour' site at:
 http://www.wingsofhonor.com/index.shtml

[funked]

Sounds Highly Illegal.

[senna]

I always have liked the way WB released planes out in order of first introduced in WWII. I myself wish AH did that also. My two cents, cling, ping.

-- senna