Subscription...a suggestion

[-luny-]

Well, my free 2 weeks are up. I loved every minute of it. The more I played, the more I liked the flight model of AH - there are nasty spins and quirks in AH that practically don't exist in WB.

Then I looked at the subscription page. There's only a per-month flat rate available. I understand there are people who have time to play worth that money every month, but I'm not one of them. The most I can find time for is maybe 3-4 hours per week.

At least half of that time goes to WB because many of my trusty squadmates are there, and because AH is still lacking stuff that I really like (such as force feedback and scenarios with proper historical opponents).

So, at least for me it makes no sense to pay the AH flat rate on a monthly basis for maybe 5 hours online. Once AH develops to a stage where it beats WB in every aspect, I'll drop my WB account and move to AH altogether, but until then I really would like to keep up with AH online, an hour here and there, without having to pay an astronomical price for those few hours.

Until then, if the present subscription scheme continues to be the only one available, HTC won't be getting $$$ from me, and I can't play AH online as much as I'd like to.

Here's the suggestion: how about an optional subscription scheme that allows you to buy
credit at HTC online, say a minimum of $30 at a time, and then use it up on a fixed charge-per-minute basis (maybe $2 per hour like in WB) for as long as it lasts? In this scheme, there would not be any fixed basic monthly charge at all.

This would be the perfect solution for all those of us who only occasionally have time for online simming but would love to keep up with the best games.

This scheme would be safe for HTC too - I would be using online minutes I have already paid for. It would require a secure WWW page for buying credit at HTC. The host could be programmed to warn me at login when my credit has dropped below 5 hours worth so that I would remember to buy more before the next time. How does this sound, HTC folks?

Luny

[Maniac]

Hi Luny!

Hope you will be back someday, as for HTC changing its pricing structure/options i wouldnt count on it bud  

Cyas!



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AH : Maniac
WB : -nr-1-


   
http://www.rsaf.org/osf/

[Badger]

Hi luny....

Glad you enjoyed your time.  I think it has a great future as well.

Your idea has merit.  I'm not sure why there couldn't be a $2.00/hour (or whatever figure) rate that stopped when one had reached the flate rate maximum.

I suppose it's simply a matter of accounting and administration costs as much as anything else.  If there's a good tracking and capture database for handling larges amounts of people, that also can perform automatic billings, then it is very doable.

Regards,
Badger

[Citabria]

HTC already has an alternate payment plan:

It's called 8player h2h.
It costs $0.00

[Maniac]

And how do i get in to the main arena from the H2H Citabra?

<G>



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AH : Maniac
WB : -nr-1-


   
http://www.rsaf.org/osf/

[danish]

Luny:
darn didnt meet you :=(

danish

[lasse]

I actually argee with luny`s point, and think it is an good idea  

Personally I would keep my current 30$ a month\unlimited play, but for those with not so much time\money on their hands this would be great, I think.

I dont know how much work it is to implent, but it sounds doable.

But if this was a bet, I`d put my money on maniac`s answere  


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The Wild Vikings
Commanding Officer
lasse-

[This message has been edited by lasse (edited 06-07-2000).]

[Vermillion]

Unfortunately, the reason a flat rate "works" is that some people play a little, and some play alot.

Basically the people that play a little subsidize the people that play alot.

Thats the whole concept of a flat rate.

So if you start to let the people that play only a little, pay less, you no longer are making enough money to support those that play alot. Thereby, defeating the whole concept.

Sorry Luny   , I wouldn't expect to see them offer an additional hourly rate.

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Vermillion
**MOL**, Men of Leisure
"Real Men fly Radials, Nancy Boys fly Spitfires"

[miko2d]

 The following are just my private speculations:

 The primary reason there is a flat rate is that it does not cost company anything, and does not require any personnel.
 The billing is probably outsourced to some financial firm. There is no code to meter the usage, no code to check/modify the accounts, no database to keep track of it, no people to administer the database, no customer support people to handle customer complaints about billing. There is no bad will due to real or perceived accounting errors.
 Remember, HTC is only 6 people. Adding a single employee is a big deal for them.

 That is true that the people flying a little are subcidising those flying a lot. But those people enjoying "free" lunch are serving an important role - they are populating the arena! If you fly only 5 hours a month, you would not want to be in the empty arena, even if you pay the fair $2/hour.
 With too few people in the arena and hourly rate players would log off to save their money and the game would be dead outside the peak hours in US. With a flat rate there is a much greated chance someone would grab a plane at any time and may be even stay in the empty arena waiting for more players.

 Also, once somebody spends $30, he/she will be more inclined to go online to "recoup" that money and lower the amount per hour.  That is why many people maintain $10/mo account with WB but fly herre. The HTC, and even more, we - the players need not only customers' money to feed their children and improve the game, we need those people to actually fill the arenas!

miko--

[Ripsnort]

Hmm, reminds me of a bitter post about how us "boys" are too 'cheap' to fly Warbirds. (G,D,R  )

Quote:MG (aka Macboy)
Its soooo damn obvious whats going on. The people who are moving over to AH are moving because of their pocket books, plain and simple. If AH were charging the same rates, how many would fill the PC ONLY (more                  ineptness on the part of AH) AH arenas?

The only reason these boys (yes boys, how many grown men type out a silly goodbye to make a silly point of how disgruntled they are, I'll bet none who post goodbyes are over 30, and if they are, shame on ya) are leaving
is pure and simple; they no longer can afford it. Forget flight models, plane selections, customer service, ilz's, and the like, because none of these hold water, its all because they wanna try and slap in the face the big ol' money vacuum that has had these poor addicted souls in their grips for so long.

HS has had to deal with a coding nightmare left over, and now being resumed over there at AH. And of course, we won't even go into the discussion as to why HT is so cheap not to build a mac version. Really good HT, cut
out the mac folk, thats innovative of ya.

Its all about $$$$$$$. So all of you exodusors, say goodbye to your squads on 110, say goodbye to your pals not in your squad and your friendly enemies by private email, get some maturity and don't embarrass yourselves by revealing that you can't afford a premium flight sim such is Warbirds.

MG (aka MacBoy)

[Soda]

What'cha bet that if HT put in a $2/hr (or some number) payment scheme that auto-debited your creditcard at the end of the month that half of these people who want hourly play, or more, would end up with a bill for more than the $30.

Someone should track how much time they actually put in during their 2 week period, then double that, because that's how much you'll want to play after your a member.

Get'm hooked, then they'll sell their body organs for more hours to play.  Good thing E-Bay banned that sort of auction    My wife bought my organs... only one, though... I won't say which.




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Soda
The Wrecking Crew

[Ripsnort]

 

Originally posted by Soda:
 My wife bought my organs... only one, though... I won't say which.

ROTFLOL!

Soda?! Same soda from WB's?  Hiya Bud! -rip1- here.

[Pyro]

Actually, billing is done in-house.  

We do realize your concern Luny, but there are a lot of different factors involved that we must weigh carefully, most of which we won't discuss publicly, but it's something we always have to think about.  Thanks for the feedback.



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Doug "Pyro" Balmos
HiTech Creations

In theory, there is no difference between theory and practice. In practice there is.

[Soda]

Nope Ripsnort.. different Soda, although I hear every once and a while about the one from WB... never played WB.  Strange that we have the same nickname... I wouldn't have thought it would happen.

Hey Pyro, I understand where you're coming from.  Just think though, get'em in the door for the 2 weeks, get $2/hr after that.  You'd probably end up making more than the $30 in the last two weeks    Bait'em with the $2/hr... you'll get $30 outta them in the end anyway.  Then they'll all be crying for flat rate again....



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Soda
The Wrecking Crew