I don't blame AH folks one bit for resenting the influx of AW players, nor because of their lack of awareness of the rich history and traditions of AW, WB, and AH. Fact of the matter is that many players in AW don't know who Jonathan Baron is either. Most players signed up to play the game, not get all wrapped up in history of it. So for these folks I think it best that you ignore posts pertaining to the days of yore.
To all the rest, I must say I'm surprised so many seem unaware of the fine points of AH. Unaware of the rich history of the game... strike that... not the game but the community that sprung up around the game. It was back then, fifteen years ago that AH got its start. When we speak of AW history, we speak also of WB and AH history. They are inseperable.
Our choice for an online game comes complete with a culture and a community. This is true of most games where the players interact with each other on a personal basis, where friendships are made and bonds formed. Even Electronic Arts is aware of this, for in their last quarterly statement they mentioned that a players involvement in massive multiplayer online games can be as little as 10% game playing and 90% related activities.
But there is something else that many AH and AW community members know, that there is no other online game that has managed to create a community structure so strong as ours. One reason for this is folks like Jonathan "BB" Baron. I'll go out on a limb and say that Blue Baron is the world's foremost authority on multiplayer game communities. He has studied community dynamics in detail and is published on the subject. He is recognized for his knowledge by the gaming industry. There are factors that make our community great that many are not aware of. Such as the fact that game play is not predetermined for us, but the company provides the play ground and the players provide the game. Certainly all of you know this, but many don't know the significance of this in building a close community. Another is the concept of shame and glory, only Blue Baron can do this subject justice.
Many of us from AW have the greatest respect for the folks who started the game, worked over the years to make it better, and have enriched it over the years. Blue Baron is one. HiTech is another, as is Pyro. These are all our friends from long before AH went beta.
There are a few things that will draw the tears of these AW players. One is the legacy of Scavenger and the other the greatest generation, our vets, especially the WW2 aviators that we aspire to.
Many of the forefathers of online combat now play in WarBirds, and many of them are here in AcesHigh. But many never left AW until it was shut down and now choose to come here. These players are of strong character (I bet HiTech chuckles at this) and their presence will be felt. This is not to say they will try to take over AH, but just as you can't combine two cups of water without the result taking on the characteristics of each, this influx of AW players will have an affect on AH... I think it will be a positive thing.
grizzly
