Aces High Bulletin Board
General Forums => Aces High General Discussion => Topic started by: LCPD23 on December 06, 2016, 11:33:50 AM
-
Since I have been stalking the BBS waiting until I get everything together for my return. I have noticed a few post in which people are claiming the numbers of players are low. I was wondering if HT or Skuzzy could advise how many people are actually registered to play. Also have ya'll (the players) noticed a drop in players?
-
It's top secret and you need more than one star in game :old:
-
I doubt HT will divulge any data on subscriptions, but from what I see the numbers appear to be up some what. I also believe when everything is finally set, we will see advertising of the new game, and then the numbers will increase even more. :cheers:
-
It's top secret and you need more than one star in game :old:
Because stars are so important lol. If I remember correctly I actually started playing this game before you Zack. I remember your name from the BBS, want to say I've even flown with you.
Thanks Jimmy for your input sir <S>.
-
I personally think numbers are on the rise. The last few nights I've been playing til 8pm NZ time (which is GMT + 12) with decent numbers. 6 months ago this was not so.
-
I personally think numbers are on the rise. The last few nights I've been playing til 8pm NZ time (which is GMT + 12) with decent numbers. 6 months ago this was not so.
You can definately find action during US primetime. Sometimes a switch to the outnumbered country is needed. Flying with different people is usually fun though.
I think the smaller maps being used is a HUGE contributor to this.
-
I can only state from being online for many years I can remember in the Late Ware / Main arena at times we had 350+ people online at one time on many nights. As time progressed and the game got stale those numbers started to drop.
Today the most I have seen online at one time in the Open Melee (Basically main arena) are just over 200 - and that is up from where it was I would say in the past few months where it was closer to 150 or so.
When I'm not traveling and home I am online mostly in the mid afternoon to very late evening my time (Pacific Standard Time / GMT -8) and the numbers vary from 30 or so (very late nights) to 200 or so during prime time.
The numbers will grow and you have to remember that the game is not being heavily advertised at all right now. It has been the existing base continuing to play the new version and also by word of mouth from those playing and HiTech's website. I think once we get to a fairly stable state of the game (which is pretty good at the moment but still things being fixed) the advertising will come and numbers will get better.
I think the thing that has made the game successful in previous years is the camaraderie, the simulation experience vs "gaming" experience, the community of players, and overall HiTech's dedication to constantly tweak and improve the game for all of our benefit.
Give it some time (as I've learned the hard way LOL) - it's getting better daily even though there are some frustrations.
Cheers,
Elec1
-
Thanks everyone for y'alls input. I recall nights where the numbers were not high, however for the majority of the time the numbers were high. I stopped playing due to personal reasons, but I can understand why some have left the game.
-
Thanks everyone for y'alls input. I recall nights where the numbers were not high, however for the majority of the time the numbers were high. I stopped playing due to personal reasons, but I can understand why some have left the game.
Numbers relative to what?
If your comparing the numbers of today with 6 months ago yes they seem to be on the rise, but comparing them to 5 years ago they are horrible.
5 years ago 600-1000 US prime weekends was a normal number, now its more along the lines of 200-250, which IS better than just a few months ago. The new version has brought back a good number of old players to check out what the new stuff looks like. Hopefully they stay and HTC adds some advertising of some sort to get the word out and the numbers continue to grow.
-
Numbers relative to what?
If your comparing the numbers of today with 6 months ago yes they seem to be on the rise, but comparing them to 5 years ago they are horrible.
5 years ago 600-1000 US prime weekends was a normal number, now its more along the lines of 200-250, which IS better than just a few months ago. The new version has brought back a good number of old players to check out what the new stuff looks like. Hopefully they stay and HTC adds some advertising of some sort to get the word out and the numbers continue to grow.
That's a good point Fugitive, and I should've specified. My question should've been a two part question, which your reply would've answered. When I played which was about 7 years ago the numbers would be around 600+ on a US prime weekend. It's crazy that now its around 200-250. Thanks for the answer Fugitive :cheers:.
-
That's a good point Fugitive, and I should've specified. My question should've been a two part question, which your reply would've answered. When I played which was about 7 years ago the numbers would be around 600+ on a US prime weekend. It's crazy that now its around 200-250. Thanks for the answer Fugitive :cheers:.
I wish it was200 to 250, but monitoring the game last Saturday evening between 7 and 11PM EST, it appeared to top out at 180. Not sure if that picked up after I logged at 11PM. The two year period where AH2 languished with no improvements to AH2 while HTC worked on AH3 decimated the player base, my squad went from a healthy member level of seven to just two members remaining. So far none of our prior member is interested in coming back. If advertising is supposed to rescue the game , well, Christmas buying season would seem to be the time to do it, but I haven’t seen anything promoting Aces High.
-
Numbers relative to what?
If your comparing the numbers of today with 6 months ago yes they seem to be on the rise, but comparing them to 5 years ago they are horrible.
5 years ago 600-1000 US prime weekends was a normal number, now its more along the lines of 200-250, which IS better than just a few months ago. The new version has brought back a good number of old players to check out what the new stuff looks like. Hopefully they stay and HTC adds some advertising of some sort to get the word out and the numbers continue to grow.
I've been playing for 3-4 weeks now and there's never been more than 180. Now I have seen 150 in the ma and 150 in the SEA.
-
80 in the game right now at 2 EST...few months ago that was more like 60 so I do think the numbers are coming back up a little bit...but numbers of players isn't the source of gameplay issues you see on the BBS...its the players avoiding combat which is the overall issue...example 80 players on and I see no fights (no dar or flashing bases on one front Rooks vs Knights and Bish) and on the other Bish vs Knights theres one fight with scattered dar in a 3 grid sqaure area...center area is flashing but if its anything like what I see from Knights it's a bunch of tanks scattered around not moving at all.
People don't want to fight and with the current setup they don't really have to if they want to hold bases.
-
I've been playing for 3-4 weeks now and there's never been more than 180. Now I have seen 150 in the ma and 150 in the SEA.
There were 200 in the MA the other night when I logged on.
-
There were 200 in the MA the other night when I logged on.
Awesome.
-
I miss when there was 2 MA's, both with 250+, and during that the DA had 50 players, TA had ~10.
-
I miss when there was 2 MA's, both with 250+, and during that the DA had 50 players, TA had ~10.
I miss when titantic Tuesday had 800 plus lol.
-
I miss when titantic Tuesday had 800 plus lol.
yea I remember thos days.
-
I miss when titantic Tuesday had 800 plus lol.
Those were the reason why POTW has sqaud night on Tuesday till this day....they were epic
-
Those were the reason why POTW has sqaud night on Tuesday till this day....they were epic
Ahhhh nothing like seeing 100 oinks! In the chat.
-
Ahhhh nothing like seeing 100 oinks! In the chat.
lol we used to catch so much crap about it lol...I remember a thread "Squad Squelch" in wishlist because of it lol.
-
HTC brought that to themselves by making gameplay choice errors, blaming the economics is an easy way out.
-
HTC brought that to themselves by making gameplay choice errors, blaming the economics is an easy way out.
More like resting on their laurels. AH3 should have been set in motion years before.
-
HTC brought that to themselves by making gameplay choice errors, blaming the economics is an easy way out.
I agree, admitting your wrong and making changes, is something HTC doesn't seem like something they like to do.
More like resting on their laurels. AH3 should have been set in motion years before.
I dont know all the dates (calling Lusche!), nor the internal workings at HTC, but this is how I see it.
AH2 is released, and you figure 6-12 months of tweaking, fixing bugs, adding those last few things they wanted in but weren't finished for the release. Take a break (very short one), and start looking into a new graphics engine/update. Whether they used their own software, or bought/negotiated a graphics engine the work starts on the update. To get the basic background code down could take a year or so before they even get something they can "fly" in. Then they start fleshing out what they have, cleaning up bugs as they go along. Integrating the new software with the old (server side, scoring, flight mechanics, virtual world and so on).
Now they have something they can go on line with and ask for volunteers to help out with the alpha. Another 6 mouths to a year goes by and the beta is opened for the masses. Another almost year goes by and then AH3 is released.
Resting on their laurels, I don't think so.
-
I agree, admitting your wrong and making changes, is something HTC doesn't seem like something they like to do.
I dont know all the dates (calling Lusche!), nor the internal workings at HTC, but this is how I see it.
AH2 is released, and you figure 6-12 months of tweaking, fixing bugs, adding those last few things they wanted in but weren't finished for the release. Take a break (very short one), and start looking into a new graphics engine/update. Whether they used their own software, or bought/negotiated a graphics engine the work starts on the update. To get the basic background code down could take a year or so before they even get something they can "fly" in. Then they start fleshing out what they have, cleaning up bugs as they go along. Integrating the new software with the old (server side, scoring, flight mechanics, virtual world and so on).
Now they have something they can go on line with and ask for volunteers to help out with the alpha. Another 6 mouths to a year goes by and the beta is opened for the masses. Another almost year goes by and then AH3 is released.
Resting on their laurels, I don't think so.
They didn't break ground on AH3 until late August, 2013. The numbers were rapidly declining well before then. They waited too long. Now we are lucky if 200 people show up in prime time.
-
They didn't break ground on AH3 until late August, 2013. The numbers were rapidly declining well before then. They waited too long. Now we are lucky if 200 people show up in prime time.
3 years ago is when we heard about the start of work on AH3, Im sure they did a lot of work on it before then. Im not sure the date on when the decline in numbers "started", Lusche could probably make a better guess than most, but I agree, the numbers have dropped, and at this point they are a far cry from what we had "back in the day".
I think there was number of things that combined to cause that drop. Economics, game play changes, player game style changes, other games hitting the market and so on. Advertising and getting the "game out there" has never really been an HTC strong suit. I understand they are a small company with limited funds but as creative as this team is, they should be able to find ways to promote the game to KEEP it in the eyes of the consumers.
But all of this is neither here nor there. Whats done is done, and its time to move on. HTC needs to get this game out front to draw more people in. They also need to tweak the game play to make the game fun and engaging to the wider audience to KEEP those new players. NOW is the time to get moving. Time will tell.
-
Im not sure the date on when the decline in numbers "started"
AH peak was late 07/ early 08. 2010 was the first year with a substantial drop.
-
3 years ago is when we heard about the start of work on AH3, Im sure they did a lot of work on it before then. Im not sure the date on when the decline in numbers "started", Lusche could probably make a better guess than most, but I agree, the numbers have dropped, and at this point they are a far cry from what we had "back in the day".
I think there was number of things that combined to cause that drop. Economics, game play changes, player game style changes, other games hitting the market and so on. Advertising and getting the "game out there" has never really been an HTC strong suit. I understand they are a small company with limited funds but as creative as this team is, they should be able to find ways to promote the game to KEEP it in the eyes of the consumers.
But all of this is neither here nor there. Whats done is done, and its time to move on. HTC needs to get this game out front to draw more people in. They also need to tweak the game play to make the game fun and engaging to the wider audience to KEEP those new players. NOW is the time to get moving. Time will tell.
(http://i343.photobucket.com/albums/o460/caldera_08/newterrain.jpg~original) (http://s343.photobucket.com/user/caldera_08/media/newterrain.jpg.html)
AH peak was late 07/ early 08. 2010 was the first year with a substantial drop.
IMO, they started AH3 three years after it was obvious that something needed to be done. Hopefully they figure out a way to spread the word. The only "fix" really needed is more players.
-
I still say when the 8th Eighth based on the Band of Brothers HBO series is aired, you will see a resurgence in the interest of the WWII genre.
The real question is will they come here instead of the other online WWII sims? It is going to take a focused advertising strategy to reach the masses without breaking the budget.
-
I still say when the 8th Eighth based on the Band of Brothers HBO series is aired, you will see a resurgence in the interest of the WWII genre.
The real question is will they come here instead of the other online WWII sims? It is going to take a focused advertising strategy to reach the masses without breaking the budget.
Agreed, though when is that coming out? If I remember correctly its schedule for 2018. I know some of us geeks will be lingering by then but...
Update: This article says early 2017, which is just around the corner. Could it be...?
http://710keel.com/new-spielberg-hanks-wwii-series-coming-to-hbo-video/
boo
-
I agree, admitting your wrong and making changes, is something HTC doesn't seem like something they like to do.
agreed
-
Ten plus years ago when I first started playing Aces High it was because I had my desktop computer leftover from college. That thing is long gone and since then I've owned two MacBooks, a couple iPads and iPhones. The desktop is not nearly as common as it was in the early 2000's and regardless of advertising I have to think that is a major reason player count is down. I'd like to comeback but that would require buying or building a computer that I would only use for gaming and I'm just not sure I want to do that.
Anyways I sure hope the game returns to the old numbers.