Aces High Bulletin Board
General Forums => Aces High General Discussion => Topic started by: jetb123 on September 08, 2004, 04:02:46 AM
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I wonder If this buisness will still be going on in the next 2 years. Its not looking very good right now with all this complaing.:( What do you guys think?
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I think we've seen a few dozen stamp their feet, and complain a LOT on the BBS, but they are such a small fraction of the subscribers to AH that it will have little or no affect. HTC will be alive and well 2yrs down the road.
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To complain to suit our wants is just natural. You can`t hit em if you don`t swing at em.
As long as there is dweebs like us HTC will be doing fine.
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Don't worry, jet123b, the vocal minority aren't going to affect this brilliant game's survival. I believe HiTech mentioned 200 new accounts a day following every airing of their commercial at last year's Con? That and many more people returning to AH after a break as well as those of us who continue playing whatever happens, means HTC will be around for a long time to come. :)
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These games have constant turnover JetB123 , folks get burnout and leave , some of them get burnout and like to whine before they leave, others get burnout , leave , come back. It's no biggie.
Fresh folks seem to keep coming along to replace the burntout folks, that's all that matters. Worry when fresh folks aren't coming along , not when some are whining and leaving.
Anyway , few less pony pilots , is that such a bad thing ? ;)
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Originally posted by jetb123
I wonder If this buisness will still be going on in the next 2 years. Its not looking very good right now with all this complaing.:( What do you guys think?
There will always be people leaving, and more arriving. I would guess that HTC is seeing a steady increase in subscribers rather than decline.
I would guess that there are around 4,000 subscribers currently, so, income around $60,000 per month.
I would say things look pretty good for HTC and all the luck in the world to them.
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dont worryHTC could stand losing a few members (not that they want too) they cant please all the people all of the time.
when i started playing this game you were lucky to get 100-150 people playing at prime time. the game has steadily grown over the years, i can't see it suddenly stopping because of a few moans..
i dont always understand or agree with HTC changes but im aware it is there product and i pay to play. my only options are to play or cancel. i love the game to much to cancel.
I do like the new ENY system by the way
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Well, we will just have to wait and see what happens when HT fires Pyro and hires one of the many self proclaimed kick-ass game designers we now have on the BBS.
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The question really is where do you think the game of AH will be in 2 years?
Judging by the very slow development cycle since the announcement of AHII - over 2 years ago, and the still non-existant "TOD" arena that is still a long way off, I would guess that AH will still be in version 2.x.
At the very least, this means we will be looking at heavily dated graphics and perhaps still listening to only mediocre sounds.
Hopefully, we would have some better gameplay features to keep things interesting, above the level of which country to fly for so you can fly the aircraft you want.
If the above statement is correct, how many new subscribers would there be? As a reference, ask yourself, Would you subscribe to AHII today, if it used the same graphics that were in AWIII or WBII?
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Originally posted by Midnight
perhaps still listening to only mediocre sounds.
?
weve got the ki84, mitsus back. we never have to listen to mediocre sounds again.
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I think 1000s of people are not subscibed that were. I think that HTC is responding. I think they will find success.
I think AH2 is getting ironed out nicely and its now a better game then AH1 was at its zenith.
Those who dare win. These guys dare.
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This is not a whinge. I am a great supporter of HTC and AH.
But ive probably played once in the last month and then for a short period of time. Im bored.
You know the reasons why. No need to repeat them. The game needs to cater for more than the arcade furballing crowd if it wants to reach its full potential.
My 0.02 cents Aus.
Other than that, I love the flight sim itself and hope I dont put money sense before my enjoyment.
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...it's a mad, mad, mad world :eek:
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I played Air Warrior for years and the graphics suck! There were all kinds of promises...2 weeks.. but it didn't matter to me. I fly for the fun of the fight, thats it. I don't care if the "sun doesn't shine right", or the "blue of the sky is off by two shades" Its a game, and a great game built by some people who happen to like the game, not the money numbers.... well ok HT has to pay for his plane :) but they build it becuase they like it!
I'll be here a long time.... of course its going to take that long to get good at it !
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Let me just say, I am very vocal on these boards. I hold HTC to exacting standards and am not afraid to hang 'it' out there publicly if I feel crucial mistakes are being made. I pay for two acccounts, mine and my wife's. I pay them 6 months in advance and feel totally secure doing so, if that tells you anything about where I think HTC is going. ;)
Zazen
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HTC will prolly do fine as long as the crew stays onboard and they enjoy their work. The day they start getting really fed up with it or maybe sells the business it will be in trouble.
my 0.02$
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the only thing i can see happening to HTC is EA coming in and buying them out or some other major software monster
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Originally posted by simshell
the only thing i can see happening to HTC is EA coming in and buying them out or some other major software monster
There's no buyers without sellers. HTC is not a publicly traded company. It is privately owned, HiTech would have to voluntarily sell it.
Zazen
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In the end its not the graphics or even the flight model that make this sim. It's the community.
The community is in a lot worse shape than the graphics, flight model or connect issues. The AH community has changed. Its meaner, vulgar and petty.
If we want AH to survive 2 more years we should put some talent into training leaders about chivalry, honor and courtesy. Otherwise we have Quake.
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Originally posted by Zazen13
Let me just say, I am very vocal on these boards. I hold HTC to exacting standards and am not afraid to hang 'it' out there publicly if I feel crucial mistakes are being made. I pay for two acccounts, mine and my wife's. I pay them 6 months in advance and feel totally secure doing so, if that tells you anything about where I think HTC is going. ;)
Zazen
Somethings wrong here,
You and I are in agreement ENTIRELY too much as of late:D
AH isnt going anywhere in the forseeable future.
Are there problems and flaws? yes But There is also effort to resolve them.
The only way AH is going anywhere is if HTC does something incredibly stupid.
Like selling the game to EA
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Originally posted by simshell
the only thing i can see happening to HTC is EA coming in and buying them out or some other major software monster
LOL ya beat me to it
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HTC future rest of the shoulds of the (judge or 12 jury people?) that the lawsuit against warbirds thing. if HTC loses that may spell the end, but if they win they will absorbe warbird. just my .02 cents.
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Exceptionaly well said killjoy, thanks.
kbman
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Originally posted by B17Skull12
HTC future rest of the shoulds of the (judge or 12 jury people?) that the lawsuit against warbirds thing. if HTC loses that may spell the end, but if they win they will absorbe warbird. just my .02 cents.
You must be using funny money for your .02 cents.........and that fortune teller is feeding you the biggest line of BS anyone has ever seen on this earth...........
Got Your Homework done? :D
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no i do it later in the after. courts ARE BS. the amount of money you have to pay for court stuff is just insane. you to pay filing charges, lawers. the list goes on and on. you have 2 companies net worth going into this case just about.
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I think we've seen a few dozen stamp their feet, and complain a LOT on the BBS, but they are such a small fraction of the subscribers to AH that it will have little or no affect. HTC will be alive and well 2yrs down the road.
And yet this small fraction is what HT based his ENY theory on.
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yeah courts and lawyers do feed of the companys and individuals......
as for homework...I would always request my kids do their home work with in 30 minutes of getting home from school....take a quick break, get a snack then hit the books....the days lesson is fresh in their minds....and then they would not be up past 10pm or so still trying to get the homework done.....
if they got it done and still had time left ( daylight time ) they could then go out and play etc....er wait only after they did their daily chores, etc........
I guess in this day and age stuff ike this doesn't happen anymore
I am uncertian though why you would say it may spell the end of HTC if they lose in court over the WB issue........
I do not see where the 2 are tied together ...without going into a very big drawn out detail reply maybe you just know so much more than the rest of us......good deal Skull :aok
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Don't think you would get 200 more accounts the day after advertising for AH2. Only in AH1 because you could run it on almost any type of system, without having to pay $100+ to upgrade.
Maybe I'm on crack... :D
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I am not worried about it.
There will always be people leaving, and more arriving. I would guess that HTC is seeing a steady increase in subscribers rather than decline.
but I bet they have seen little increase in the past year vs 3 years ago. The work they put into AHII and the wait involved caused quite a few to move on till they get the ball rolling again with regular updates.
I have not seen 700 plus in the MA for a very long time.
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Nah i normally read email check a few thread then do homework. but today i stoped off at the samwhich stop and got a pastrami sandwhich:D ;) . i was hungery. my "luck" got me first lunch. 10:30 i eat lunch :sad:
as for the case do a search. i believe dago posted the last on it. if AH wins warbirds net value going down the toilet and will be absorbed by someone. if AH loses AH goes down the toilet and Warbirds will take over.
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Originally posted by B17Skull12
Nah i normally read email check a few thread then do homework. but today i stoped off at the samwhich stop and got a pastrami sandwhich:D ;) . i was hungery. my "luck" got me first lunch. 10:30 i eat lunch :sad:
as for the case do a search. i believe dago posted the last on it. if AH wins warbirds net value going down the toilet and will be absorbed by someone. if AH loses AH goes down the toilet and Warbirds will take over.
Odds are in HT's favor since the code the suit is about is not even used in AH. Actually, it appears to be a fund raising ploy by Wild Bill (not for the first time, from what I understand).
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Originally posted by Killjoy2
In the end its not the graphics or even the flight model that make this sim. It's the community.
The community is in a lot worse shape than the graphics, flight model or connect issues. The AH community has changed. Its meaner, vulgar and petty.
If we want AH to survive 2 more years we should put some talent into training leaders about chivalry, honor and courtesy. Otherwise we have Quake.
AMEN!!! If people REALLY cared what happens to HTC and AH, then they'd want to do all they can to clean up the community. I had my buddy almost ready to commit, when we ran into a bad night of BS in the MA, he decided to 'wait' before starting to dish out the monthly fee.
Haha, kinda funny , in a sad way, while watching the arguing on the 'green' chanell, he looked at me puzzled and said.."the green chanell are our guys , right?".
...no close.
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The law suit came to an end last june. Please don't ask any questions about how it ended.
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Originally posted by hitech
The law suit came to an end last june. Please don't ask any questions about how it ended.
Fair nuff,
How did it go before it ended?
We'll fill in the blanks on our own :D
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Sorry for asking, - what law suit?
Anyone?
(Don't want HT to answer, bloody lawsuits are tough enough)
Anyway, HTC has IMHO done a very good job on AH2, and I'll stick to it being the finest WW2 aircraft simulator around.
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Originally posted by Angus
Sorry for asking, - what law suit?
Anyone?
(Don't want HT to answer, bloody lawsuits are tough enough)
Anyway, HTC has IMHO done a very good job on AH2, and I'll stick to it being the finest WW2 aircraft simulator around.
there was a lawsuit by another game developer regarding net code smoothing for online games, and the way to overcome "lag"
i believe thats about all that needs to be said.
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Originally posted by flyingaround
I think we've seen a few dozen stamp their feet, and complain a LOT on the BBS, but they are such a small fraction of the subscribers to AH that it will have little or no affect. HTC will be alive and well 2yrs down the road.
I agree 100% Our constant shouting is only a sign that we are rabid fans.
When this BBS goes silent... Then you can worry about what will happen at HTC. Till then the bills are paid I'm sure.
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I cant stand the suspense .....
How dare ya torcher youre loyal investers like this....
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Originally posted by KurtVW
I agree 100% Our constant shouting is only a sign that we are rabid fans.
When this BBS goes silent... Then you can worry about what will happen at HTC. Till then the bills are paid I'm sure.
Yup, exactly, if we didn't care about and love AH we sure as hell would not spend the time and energy we do posting our concerns and opinions. Whether HiTech ever admits it or not feedback from your customers is ALWAYS a good thing, positive or negative. Without feedback the only barometer HTC has to measure whether its design and business plans for the game are effective is by retrospectively counting the number of subscriptions lost and gained the prior month. That's not a great way to run a service oriented company.
Zazen
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Originally posted by Zazen13
Yup, exactly,
Zazen
Zazen, if you are going to go around agreeing with me, then I'm going to have to ask that you stop shooting me down... Either join Bish or cease fire. :rofl :rofl
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Originally posted by KurtVW
Zazen, if you are going to go around agreeing with me, then I'm going to have to ask that you stop shooting me down... Either join Bish or cease fire. :rofl :rofl
Sorry, there's two things I won't do in Aces High...
1) Ever fly an Lgay7
2) Ever fly for Bishops (except to collect film on a premier pilot)
Zazen
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Originally posted by Zazen13
Sorry, there's two things I won't do in Aces High...
1) Ever fly an Lgay7
2) Ever fly for Bishops (except to collect film on a premier pilot)
Zazen
I would never ask anyone to fly an LA7 against their will (lord knows I don't fly em often)... And I'm no premier pilot, so I assume you're talking about someone else.
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Originally posted by KurtVW
I would never ask anyone to fly an LA7 against their will (lord knows I don't fly em often)... And I'm no premier pilot, so I assume you're talking about someone else.
No offense to you or any other Bishop, but I learned this game during the Dark Ages of Rookland. I was the Bishop horde's personal chew-toy for 6 months before I finally surmounted the learning-curve that felt more like summiting Mt. Everest under those conditions. Antipathy toward Bishops became permanently burned into my psyche.
Zazen
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Originally posted by vorticon
weve got the ki84, mitsus back. we never have to listen to mediocre sounds again.
Player's custom sounds are a nice addition, yes, but I am refferring to the lack of sound possibilities, such as damaged engine sounds, ambient and environmental sounds from various sources, vox radio that works properly and is loud enough so you don't have to "turn down" other sounds so you can hear it.
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Originally posted by Zazen13
Antipathy toward Bishops became permanently burned into my psyche.
Zazen
I have the same aversion to rooks.
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Originally posted by MaddogJoe
I played Air Warrior for years and the graphics suck! There were all kinds of promises...2 weeks.. but it didn't matter to me. I fly for the fun of the fight, thats it. I don't care if the "sun doesn't shine right", or the "blue of the sky is off by two shades" Its a game, and a great game built by some people who happen to like the game, not the money numbers.... well ok HT has to pay for his plane :) but they build it becuase they like it!
I'll be here a long time.... of course its going to take that long to get good at it !
I think people like you are the exception here, MaddogJoe. What I mean is, how many NEW subcribers will there be if the current AHII technology remains the same 2 years from now.
Imagine it is 2 years into the future. Think about if you had never really tried a WWII combat simulator and you came across AH, and it's graphics looked exactly as they do today... would you honestly want to dive in and try it, or just move along to MS Combat Sim (maybe version version 4 or 5 by then) or IL2 (whatever battles) that have leading edge graphics technology?
I am saying that the AH vets will probably stay for a while, but when no new subscribers start coming in, what is HTC to do once the vets start loosing interest?
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Thnx guys for the not so harsh replys. I thought I was going to get creamed for posting that.
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Originally posted by Killjoy2
In the end its not the graphics or even the flight model that make this sim. It's the community.
The community is in a lot worse shape than the graphics, flight model or connect issues. The AH community has changed. Its meaner, vulgar and petty.
If we want AH to survive 2 more years we should put some talent into training leaders about chivalry, honor and courtesy. Otherwise we have Quake.
Indeed, the players are the game. But don't discount how the game affects the player's behavior.
While terrain changes weekly, the arena environment itself (modulo ENY) does not change at all. Same planes, same activities, same techniques. When players just do the same things over and over they get bored and settle into bad behavior - and then have time to whine. Having the plane set change some weeks (not a RPS, but maybe a "1942 week" once in a while for a change of pace), or maybe one week just remove all GV's so you have to defend fields from the air. Just try weird crap to keep players on their toes. This isn't to say AH doesn't have depth, but there's no actual reason for players to explore the various planes and different techniques unless they're curious themselves.
Also, the usual trend is for player numbers to surge when new versions, new planes, or new features are added. So going months without some kind of new stuff is not good for the bottom line either.
And as long as the game system allows dweebish pork-based stunts to work more effectively than real tactics, players will gravitate towards them because they have the most effect for the least effort. Things such as barracks porking and Lanc/B17 dive-boming are two prime examples. For people who want to play AH in the spirit it was intended, seeing this crap over and over tarnishes the experience a lot; and that contributes to the overall bad mood over the MA.
Again, this isn't a knock on HTC. Just that players absorb and optimize to the game much faster than even HT can write code. The problem arises when these tactics start to dominate the arena and make "proper" play pointless.
-DoK
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Originally posted by NoBaddy
Odds are in HT's favor since the code the suit is about is not even used in AH. Actually, it appears to be a fund raising ploy by Wild Bill (not for the first time, from what I understand).
Not only is the code not used in AH but the patent I believe is also under Dale's name. Didn't Wild Billy's suit against the USAAF get thrown out recently?
ack-ack