Hitech- about last night...

[hubsonfire]

Greeting HT,
I may not have phrased my suggestion well the other night on ch1. I don't mean to suggest that you 'order' all the newbs into the TA. What I was trying to suggest, was that an explanation of the TA and what its for might be, I dunno, emailed to the new accounts. With so many people new to the game, the country and open channels are, at times, filled with questions, some of which are answered, many of which get responses like "Alt F4". I have, at times, answered a string of questions, one right after the other. Some questions are easily handled, some not so. I too ask questions in game, but I try to figure out the answer myself when able. I was new to this game once, and was fortunate enough to have a fellow AH-er as a roommate, so I had all the help I could get in the evenings. I also read the help files, readme's, FAQs, and printed out dot commands. This made my life in AH much easier. Maybe I'm just a freak...
 What I'm experiencing now, and I guess what's frustrating me, is that lots of these new folks(or maybe just a few of the same people repeatedly?)ask a lot of the basic questions, over and over, and start typing in all caps, things like "WHY CANT I FLY?????" or "I'M NEW, HELP ME!!!!!!" I have seen many people offer to take them to the TA, or politely suggest they request a trainer, the standard response is "I want to fly now, i don't want to go to the stupid training arena." Very few people are reading the read-mes, faqs, bbs, or help files. No one checks the setup to get the key commands. The suggestion that I take them to the TA is not going to work for the folks who refuse to go (and I'm admittedly only now starting to fly with any sort of skill.)

To end this rant, would it be feasible to include the links to the printable list of dot commands, or links to the training section of the bbs, or the link (which I can't find at the moment, or I'd paste it in here) I've seen in here for requesting/contacting trainers, and/or other things like that, in the initial email y'all send out?. I think if the info were a little easier to get at(ie, right in their laps at sign-on), the 'newbs' would know a little more, and it'd make life easier for all in the MA.

Anyway, HT, still love the game, and to all those helping, or trying to help the newer folks.

Blue skies,
hub

ps: i've attached a zip of a bitmap(sorry, can't get photoshop working atm, pc's all messed up) of the type of newbs I find really frustrating. I don't think its even worth a separate post- in fact, it prolly requires no explanation at all.

[Flossy]

Originally posted by hubsonfire
To end this rant, would it be feasible to include the links to the printable list of dot commands,

Links to all the Help files are available from the clipboard..... clicking on Help, takes you to another menu, pictured below, and clicking on each of those topics takes you to the Help files.  

[najdorf]

One of the things I like about AH is that it is not an instant gratification game.  You can't just turn it on and start shooting and blowing crap up.  There is one hell of a learning curve.  Once you can fly the planes well enough to perform basic maneuvers and land it in one piece, you're still several hours of experience away from being able to engage an nme and get a kill.

It is that characteristic of the game that makes the community what it is.  All the 5 second attention span people go elsewhere.  I would say that those trying the game and have the attitude that they are too good for the TA and want to go furballing now in the deep waters of the MA are not those to whom this type of gaming experience will appeal to anyway.

This game takes some effort, that's what makes it great.  If you are not willing to put in the effort, Pac-Man is for you.

[Fridaddy]

New players are the lifeblood of any game/sport. Yes we all get tired of newbies stupid questions sometimes. But new players should be shown to the training area or refered to the online handbook, not dissed and forced off (by telling them Alt-f4)



To those that have helped like hubsonfire mentioned he has . To those that answer Alt-f4 @#$%^&*
 

Just my $0.02

[SunKing]

Personally I'm tired of hearing  all the "Vets" using the same ole  "Alt-F4" joke over and over. You aren't funny. Especially the thousandth time hearing it. Add "alt-f4" to the foul word list and mute them.

[tapakeg]

Would be nice if there was a mandatory cadet training course you had to complete before entering the MA.  You have a cadet name assigned to you.  I'm not talking about a semister of homework here, but you will demonstrate the ability to.......

*engine start
*shift gears
*switch weapons
*landing gear
*calibrate a bombsight
*open doors
*go to different gunner positions
*join a mission
*switch radio channels (and know the difference between them all)
*vox


would be nice to have a trainer help in the TA,  then have a graduating simple flying test. should be a simple program.

you would be sitting on the runway in an acft.

computer voice:  START ENGINE

cadet starts engine

BING!!

computer voice: TAKE OFF AND RAISE LANDING GEAR

BING!!
(and so on)

no acm, nothing too in depth, just the basics

simple tests that are computer graded and will not let them into the MA until they complete these simple tasks.  Once they graduate, they can pick their callsign for the MA.  Until then, the MA is locked.

Sound unfair?

How many people do you think will never look at the game again because they couldn't figure it out, and when they asked a question they got hounded, and told ALT+F4 was the answer to everything.  

there goes another potential subscriber lost who could have given HTC the money to improve the game for us all.

I was fortunate, the first time I flew the game i was in a squad with a bunch of people who would help.  Would have taken forever to figure out everything on my own.

just an idea.


to the DHBG and the graveyard bish crew!!!

Tapakeg

[X2Lee]

Originally posted by najdorf
It I would say that those trying the game and have the attitude that they are too good for the TA and want to go furballing now in the deep waters of the MA are not those to whom this type of gaming experience will appeal to anyway.

This game takes some effort, that's what makes it great.  If you are not willing to put in the effort, Pac-Man is for you.

I ventured into the TA when I came to AH. Its easier to get vulched and discouraged there than the MA. New guys would do themselfs a favor by completly disregarding the TA.
You can get vulched in the MA just as well and I think you get more help in the MA as opposed to the TA.

TA rules and rule enforcers are a joke and a blight to newbies
and the game. It sure left a bad taste in my mouth.
Bring your huddled masses  to the MA , many will help newbies there on private channels.

[Charon]

Good concept tapakeg. You could make it part of offline mode and include popup windows explaining how to proceed to the next step. If the developer resources were availiable you could even produce modules to cover a wide range of actions, such as bombing and landing on a carrier.

Charon

[Sixpence]

Originally posted by SunKing
Personally I'm tired of hearing  all the "Vets" using the same ole  "Alt-F4" joke over and over. You aren't funny. Especially the thousandth time hearing it. Add "alt-f4" to the foul word list and mute them.

Why?, they learn what alt+4 is, we are teaching them something:p

In all seriousness, I learned in the training arena because I couldn't get answers in the MA. That's what the TA is for. And I don't want to hear all the lame excuses not to go in the TA.Put the ego aside and go in.

[najdorf]

That was my point.  Also, vulching is no longer a problem in the TA because the lethality is so low.

If you are new, it's the best place to go and get some answers to the really basic questions.  It took me a week to find out that I kept getting outmaneuvered and killed all the time because I left the stall limiter enabled.

Also, I maintain my position that those not willing to put in a little effort on their own to learn, will not be the types to enjoy this game anyway.  I understand and agree with the need to constantly bring in new people, but I don't think we should worry about trying to keep those that think they should be able to have a positive K/D after 30 minutes in the game.

And, once again, the learning curve creates the community.  The difficulty of  the game and the demand for a willingness to take time to learn limits the number of morons that would otherwise populate this game.

I have only been on AH for a month, but I love the game and find most of the people that play on a regular basis to the kind of people I would enjoy kicking back for a beer with.

The nature of the game will determine those that stay.  However, I agree that those running around answering every question with alt F4 are ridiculous.