Aces High Bulletin Board
General Forums => Wishlist => Topic started by: Triton28 on February 07, 2017, 11:46:00 AM
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The current 2 calendar weeks of free trial gameplay isn't a very good deal for working adults or even kids with a decent school workload. A thousand and one things can happen in two weeks to prevent enough gameplay for a person to get properly hooked and subscribe, so I propose we update things to allow a free trial based upon actual time spent in game instead of the calendar. The amount of time needed to properly evaluate the game is of course debatable, but there are a myriad of games out there now that can't be really gone through in under 200 hours. I'd say Aces High is squarely in that category, but to be honest, 50 hours of actual game time is probably better than two calendar weeks for the average working/school age person.
I look forward to an interesting discussion. :cool:
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With the addition of the free arena area, non-subscribers can play as long as they want for free (as long as a subscriber or HTC set up an arena in that area).
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Either change the two week trial to a 30 day trial or keep the two week trial and add 30 day buddy passes.
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With the addition of the free arena area, non-subscribers can play as long as they want for free (as long as a subscriber or HTC set up an arena in that area).
Just saw that addition after I posted. A definite step in the right direction, IMO. I still think the free trial could use some massaging though, especially for those who might be more interested in MA style bombing, base takes, etc.
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Make the Hurr I, Spit I, and HE-111 free to all. They'll become addicted and upgrade to the full subscription. It's worth a shot and it will give the rest of us more people to shoot at!
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Make the Hurr I, Spit I, and HE-111 free to all. They'll become addicted and upgrade to the full subscription. It's worth a shot and it will give the rest of us more people to shoot at!
Yeah, you try flying a Hurri MkI in the melee against all the LateWar monster planes. How long would you stick around when you get blown up over and over while never even being able to fire a shot.
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Yeah, you try flying a Hurri MkI in the melee against all the LateWar monster planes. How long would you stick around when you get blown up over and over while never even being able to fire a shot.
I did it in Brand X.
I'm still around.
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Yeah, you try flying a Hurri MkI in the melee against all the LateWar monster planes. How long would you stick around when you get blown up over and over while never even being able to fire a shot.
I agree. Limiting free trial members to early war planes only in the MA is not a smart way of retaining the new player. Most will give up before the trial is over.
Some of the things that can be done is 1) increase the free trial period from 2 weeks to 30 days or 2) keep the free trial at 2 weeks and also provide "buddy passes" to players that they can give out to friends for a free 30 day trial. Buddy passes have proven to be a way attract new players and retain them after the free period.
You can add incentives for the player base to go out and recruit friends. You can give an existing player a certain amount of perks (or other reward) for every buddy he brings in that ends up subscribing to the game after the 30 day free period.
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increase the free trial period from 2 weeks to 30 days
This is the best idea. It's also not news, having been suggested many times over the past few years. I sense that HTC has opted for the "free arena" approach instead, similar to the old H2H arenas. Could be a good pick. We'll find out.
- oldman
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Don't hand out crackers if you want them addicted to crack. Give them the crack.
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I agree. Limiting free trial members to early war planes only in the MA is not a smart way of retaining the new player. Most will give up before the trial is over.
Some of the things that can be done is 1) increase the free trial period from 2 weeks to 30 days or 2) keep the free trial at 2 weeks and also provide "buddy passes" to players that they can give out to friends for a free 30 day trial. Buddy passes have proven to be a way attract new players and retain them after the free period.
Seems to work for other companies.
It will work better than nothing at all.
Your other ideas have merit. Worth a try.
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How about you let them decide?
30 day free trial for everything ... or...
A 200 player Early War arena with access to all 1939 aircraft. Let them play indefinitely in this arena and if they want to fly something more serious, access to special events arena, and access to the AvA - that's $15 a month.
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What is the player cap limit for the custom arenas? If it is 16, you are only giving them a sniff and a finger dipped taste of 50 year old single malt with all rides enabled. And if HTC keeps a CA open every day in good faith for FTP, abusing it won't be taken kindly. Even 16 vets will get tired of each other after awhile trying to have AH3 for free. One of them will be on the hook to pay for a subscription to let 15 free load. Though some bored vet will figure a way to abuse this as usual to single finger salute Hitech just because, like that invitation only forum in the squads forum some years back.
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What is the player cap limit for the custom arenas? If it is 16, you are only giving them a sniff and a finger dipped taste of 50 year old single malt with all rides enabled. And if HTC keeps a CA open every day in good faith for FTP, abusing it won't be taken kindly. Even 16 vets will get tired of each other after awhile trying to have AH3 for free. One of them will be on the hook to pay for a subscription to let 15 free load. Though some bored vet will figure a way to abuse this as usual to single finger salute Hitech just because, like that invitation only forum in the squads forum some years back.
I've already seen discussions of sharing a common account and using a serive like PAYME to split the cost of the subscriber account and 16 guys playing for $0.90 cents a month each.
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I've already seen discussions of sharing a common account and using a serive like PAYME to split the cost of the subscriber account and 16 guys playing for $0.90 cents a month each.
They better be prepared for that account to be banned if caught.
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They better be prepared for that account to be banned if caught.
Banned for what? Playing by the rules.
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Banned for what? Playing by the rules.
Better check the TOS.
http://www.hitechcreations.com/company-info/support-policies/terms-of-service (http://www.hitechcreations.com/company-info/support-policies/terms-of-service)
1. Use of your Account is expressly limited to you. Your Account may not be transferred to any other party, temporarily or permanently.
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Better check the TOS.
http://www.hitechcreations.com/company-info/support-policies/terms-of-service (http://www.hitechcreations.com/company-info/support-policies/terms-of-service)
one person has the account. 16 of his gaming friends help him pay for the account. They play in his free arena.
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one person has the account. 16 of his gaming friends help him pay for the account. They play in his free arena.
Must have misunderstood you. The way I read it was that they were all going to use the same account. Either way, its just a matter of time before one of them signs up for the MA. Im sure it will be pretty stale before long.
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Must have misunderstood you. The way I read it was that they were all going to use the same account.
Even if more then one used the account, how would HTC know, I played for years while on traveling for my business from different hotels in different cities, every week, what's to say it couldn't have been different people signing on using the same account.
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Even if more then one used the account, how would HTC know, I played for years while on traveling for my business from different hotels in different cities, every week, what's to say it couldn't have been different people signing on using the same account.
Now a days, things are a lot easier to track than what people think. I have quite a bit of experience with administration side of games/servers that run through Steam. You can track a lot of information. It's only a matter of time.
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I've already seen discussions of sharing a common account and using a serive like PAYME to split the cost of the subscriber account and 16 guys playing for $0.90 cents a month each.
Why make the billing process more complicated? What happens if someone doesn't pay their share? Not a good idea.
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There cannot be two instances of the same login active at the same time.
If one person is paying for a subscription, the only way his 15 friends could join him, would be if they each had an account.
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I've already seen discussions of sharing a common account and using a serive like PAYME to split the cost of the subscriber account and 16 guys playing for $0.90 cents a month each.
Wouldn't seem to be worth the headache.
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Either change the two week trial to a 30 day trial or keep the two week trial and add 30 day buddy passes.
Addiction takes time.
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I've already seen discussions of sharing a common account and using a serive like PAYME to split the cost of the subscriber account and 16 guys playing for $0.90 cents a month each.
this is your quote. people are "sharing" an account. that means multiple people have access to the log in id and password. that is against the TOS
semp
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There cannot be two instances of the same login active at the same time.
If one person is paying for a subscription, the only way his 15 friends could join him, would be if they each had an account.
they would each get an account and not pay, but only use the playfor free tab and join their paying friends arena.
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Looks like HTC anticipated this since there are a free WW1 and DA arenas with a player cap at 100 players. You get to seat of your pants piu, piu, piu all night long to get a feel for the addiction. I didn't go into the DA to see if the lake is there. If it is, that would be a master stroke to help newbies support each other and make up their minds for the $14.95 plunge. If any of them try to turn the place into "their little free universe", just send some real DA monsters in to play with them every night for a week.
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this is your quote. people are "sharing" an account. that means multiple people have access to the log in id and password. that is against the TOS
semp
OK and a goup of gamming teens are worried about the TOS, how could it be enforced? I know a few guys that play on an account and their son plays on it also. It's against the TOS, right?
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OK and a goup of gamming teens are worried about the TOS, how could it be enforced? I know a few guys that play on an account and their son plays on it also. It's against the TOS, right?
it is.
semp
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There cannot be two instances of the same login active at the same time.
If one person is paying for a subscription, the only way his 15 friends could join him, would be if they each had an account.
So the two weekers can't play in a free arena after the two weeks?
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So the two weekers can't play in a free arena after the two weeks?
From the way I understand it, there are accounts and there are subscription accounts. A subscription account must make the custom arena, then the free accounts may join that custom arena. The 2 weeks only applies to accounts that don't have subscriptions to the Melee Arena.
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OK and a goup of gamming teens are worried about the TOS, how could it be enforced? I know a few guys that play on an account and their son plays on it also. It's against the TOS, right?
Pretty easily actually. IP 1 from Texas signs on and plays the game then signs off. A hour later IP 2 signs on from Virginia and plays. Flag is sent to HTC due to the time frame between logins associated with the IP address. IP 2 is still logged in and IP 3 attempts to login from California. Flag is again sent to HTC for multiple IPs trying to connect to the account at the same time. If this was being abused between 5-10 people, over time there will be enough information to conclude that the account was being shared.
This is just one simple way, of the many, that it could be done.
Keep in mind that HTC reserves the right to terminate any account at any time. It's up to the account holder read the TOS. After all, they are agreeing to it when they sign up.
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Pretty easily actually. IP 1 from Texas signs on and plays the game then signs off. A hour later IP 2 signs on from Virginia and plays. Flag is sent to HTC due to the time frame between logins associated with the IP address. IP 2 is still logged in and IP 3 attempts to login from California. Flag is again sent to HTC for multiple IPs trying to connect to the account at the same time. If this was being abused between 5-10 people, over time there will be enough information to conclude that the account was being shared.
This is just one simple way, of the many, that it could be done.
Keep in mind that HTC reserves the right to terminate any account at any time. It's up to the account holder read the TOS. After all, they are agreeing to it when they sign up.
Only one person signs on with the paying account all others are free two weekers that now as I understand it can play for free in a subscripters free arena. Besides I played for years while traveling for my business, different cities each week.
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So the two weekers can't play in a free arena after the two weeks?
Did not say that at all.
How hard is this to understand?
Anyone can play in any arena, under the "Free" tab, for as long as they want, with, or without a subscription.
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Free stuff is cool for showing someone the game or for getting players who used to play back to it.
30 day free trial is almost a must these days....check Steam for subscription games, most (which there are very few now) have a 30 day trial period.
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Only one person signs on with the paying account all others are free two weekers that now as I understand it can play for free in a subscripters free arena. Besides I played for years while traveling for my business, different cities each week.
I answered your question regarding the enforcement of the TOS with a very easy to understand example and you still don't understand. Nothing about how the "Free" tab works is complex in any way to understand, as many have provided their input, including Skuzzy.
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How hard is this to understand?
Very hard when there is no Aces High documentation that explains how the arenas will work. Haven't seen anything on the HTC web page and the doucmentation is not even accurate for Aces High 2. That's why it's hard to understand.
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OK and a goup of gamming teens are worried about the TOS, how could it be enforced? I know a few guys that play on an account and their son plays on it also. It's against the TOS, right?
Letter of the law vs. spirit. Hitech is not going to grief you over letting your son use your account.
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Did not say that at all.
How hard is this to understand?
Anyone can play in any arena, under the "Free" tab, for as long as they want, with, or without a subscription.
Where the confusion may be entering:
If I tell my neighbor's kid he can play in a free arena at AH3, how does he accomplish this?
Does he download the game then go online and create the two week account, then access the free tab. And the two week account he created, at the end of the two weeks stays permanent as his login account to get to the free tab? Or has this process been changed and there is now a third account type completely new people see for the first time to choose from?
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Where the confusion may be entering:
If I tell my neighbor's kid he can play in a free arena at AH3, how does he accomplish this?
Does he download the game then go online and create the two week account, then access the free tab. And the two week account he created, at the end of the two weeks stays permanent as his login account to get to the free tab? Or has this process been changed and there is now a third account type completely new people see for the first time to choose from?
Yes he can continue to access the free tab. Im not sure, but I would think the 2 week trial doesn't start counting down until he logs into one of the pay arenas.... TA, WWI, Special, AvA, or the Main, but not sure of that.
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Any account, paid subscriber or not, can now "go online" to the arena selection screen. You will just get an error message if you click on the Melee Arena when you are not a subscriber or a "2weeker".
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Very hard when there is no Aces High documentation that explains how the arenas will work. Haven't seen anything on the HTC web page and the doucmentation is not even accurate for Aces High 2. That's why it's hard to understand.
What do I have to document in order for the following statement to be understood? We are talking in the context of this discussion.
I asked the question:
"How hard is this to understand?" (this being the statement I immediately made after the question)
Anyone can play in any arena, under the "Free" tab, for as long as they want, with, or without a subscription.
So, what about that is still not clear?
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What do I have to document in order for the following statement to be understood? We are talking in the context of this discussion.
I asked the question:
"How hard is this to understand?" (this being the statement I immediately made after the question)
Anyone can play in any arena, under the "Free" tab, for as long as they want, with, or without a subscription.
So, what about that is still not clear?
that's today's offical version, thanks for that info, but that is not what many first understood, there was something about subscriber created arenas only being active as long as the creator was in the arena. That was just another version of the many I've read here and elsewhere on the net. Lacking any offical formal correct documentation from HTC it's not easy to know exactaly what is happening.
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that's today's offical version, thanks for that info, but that is not what many first understood, there was something about subscriber created arenas only being active as long as the creator was in the arena. That was just another version of the many I've read here and elsewhere on the net. Lacking any offical formal correct documentation from HTC it's not easy to know exactaly what is happening.
Go into the arena selection screen and press help.
HiTech
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Go into the arena selection screen and press help.
It says for the dueling arena:
"The Dueling Arena contains a special terrain with separate areas for all types of game play including furballing, tanking, and canyon fighting."
Unfortunatley it seems you can not do that anymore. Everywhere I go, when I try to take off I get "Free flight is disabled during match play". And I see no option to get away from this.
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Go into the arena selection screen and press help.
HiTech
“The Free Arenas can be created by any subscriber for a private game
among friends, squad practice etc. They are 16 player maximum and can
also be used to run staged missions, Free Arenas must be created by a
subscriber, but non subscribers can enjoy them.”
This is what HELP does not answer and the answers can't be found under the offical HTC game documentation.
How long does the non subscribers ID have access to the free arenas? According to skuzzy "Anyone can play in any arena, under the "Free" tab, for as long as they want, with, or without a subscription."
Is there a time limit on the non subscribers ID?
How long does the subscribers created arena exist under the free tab?
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“The Free Arenas can be created by any subscriber for a private game
among friends, squad practice etc. They are 16 player maximum and can
also be used to run staged missions, Free Arenas must be created by a
subscriber, but non subscribers can enjoy them.”
This is what HELP does not answer and the answers can't be found under the offical HTC game documentation.
How long does the non subscribers ID have access to the free arenas? According to skuzzy "Anyone can play in any arena, under the "Free" tab, for as long as they want, with, or without a subscription."
Is there a time limit on the non subscribers ID?
How long does the subscribers created arena exist under the free tab?
Wow :rolleyes:
Some of that type of information would be typically be added to the Create Arena Help Tab. Describe how long someone can play in an arena is completely useless information.
Also: Do you have a question that you wish answered?
Is there a time limit on the non subscribers ID?
How long does the subscribers created arena exist under the free tab?
If these are real questions , answers are
1. As long as they wish.
Things I didn't answer but will not be in the help system. They can not play during a host reset. They can not play during arena resets. They can not play if the player who created the arena shuts it down.
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2. The arena stays open until 5 minutes after being empty.
Unless ,
Things I didn't answer but will not be in the help system.
They can not play during a host reset. They can not play during arena resets. They can not play if the player who created the arena shuts it down.
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HiTech
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I have a suggestion HiTech. Why not set up a test computer at HTC and invite friends of your staff to come in and have a go at AH. Then stand back and see how well they adapt to the game. After the first session, sit down .with them and ask what they thought.
Cheap research i would think.
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Wow :rolleyes:
Some of that type of information would be typically be added to the Create Arena Help Tab. Describe how long someone can play in an arena is completely useless information.
Also: Do you have a question that you wish answered?If these are real questions , answers are
1. As long as they wish.
Things I didn't answer but will not be in the help system. They can not play during a host reset. They can not play during arena resets. They can not play if the player who created the arena shuts it down.
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2. The arena stays open until 5 minutes after being empty.
Unless ,
Things I didn't answer but will not be in the help system.
They can not play during a host reset. They can not play during arena resets. They can not play if the player who created the arena shuts it down.
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HiTech
so if I create an arena for my squad to use, one has to stay in it or it is taken down automatically if empty for 5 minutes and anyone can enter that arena being used for squad training.
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so if I create an arena for my squad to use, one has to stay in it or it is taken down automatically if empty for 5 minutes and anyone can enter that arena being used for squad training.
What do you think?
HiTech
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What do you think?
HiTech
I think you could have said Yes or no but felt it necessary to be you. Perhaps a FAQ section for the web site and up to date information/documentation would help, but you would rather get pissed at a long time paying customer for asking questions that the current documentation provided no answers to on a new feature of the game.
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Perhaps a FAQ section for the web site and up to date information/documentation would help, but you would rather get pissed at a long time paying customer for asking questions that the current documentation provided no answers to on a new feature of the game.
Must be why I asked if people wished to be hired to write new documentation in the last few weeks.
Implemented a full html web viewer in Aces High a few releases back, And now currently have people writing the Documentation which can now become active in game as any piece is written,with the ability to include videos and any other web content we choose.
Traveler: Your obviously being intentionally obtuse in this thread, I have no idea why. But I finally had enough.
In your recent post history, almost every post is some kind of criticism of HTC.
HiTech
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I don't think we want to separate free play from the rest of the world for any reason. No relaxed realism arena. No free to play arena. There should be one world where everyone flies. No us and them mentality. We want to encourage free to play users to join the rest of the community, so we should be welcoming them, not isolating.
I do agree with earlier suggestions that a single aircraft / vehicle be made available for new players. My recommendation would be that free to play accounts be allowed to use one specific model each of fighter, bomber, boat, and vehicle without restriction. They should be mid-war models with broad capabilities that allows them to compete without being unduly over matched, but not use low ENY aircraft/vehicles that would prohibit their use in some cases. I'd recommend the following:
- P-47D11 or P-51B - Both are good fighter/attack aircraft that can reasonably hold their own in the MA.
- B-25H or B-26B - Both are good medium bombers that are useful in the MA without being overpowering.
- PT boat - Only choice currently
- Panzer IV H - A decent tank warfare vehicle.
- Support - It might also be interesting to allow M3 with vehicle supplies or Storch use to provide a support role variation on the theme.
Having the above used for free to play would provide enough usage to experience AH3 in full and still allow some attraction to step up to a paid account to experience a broader perspective. It should also allow free to play users to integrate into existing social groups (squadrons, etc.) without burdening squadrons with too much differential to accommodate. We want / need that ability most of all or the free to play groups will organize themselves and not integrate well into the existing community.
Red Beard
CO 364th C-Hawks
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Traveler: Your obviously being intentionally obtuse in this thread, I have no idea why. But I finally had enough.
In your recent post history, almost every post is some kind of criticism of HTC.
HiTech
If anything I said was not true then you have a point, but I only stated facts, Criticism was of the game in it's current state, not you. The last time I did check the HELP there was a statement stating it was being worked on. But let's face it HTC doucmnetation was not the games strong point, and as you saw, the new documentation for the free arena doesnn't answer all the questions.
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If you only wish to pick at us, then let me state the obvious. We are not done with our documentation.
That said, it does not stop us from answering questions. However, if the only thing that will make you happy is for us to document something, then you are going to have to wait. I say that due to you asking a question I answered twice, and asked if it was not clear or not, but never got a reply.
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Really is quite simple traveler...even an inept press a button to play guy like me can get it...but I do wonder about one thing you bought up...
The simple part
A subscriber makes a custom map...so anyone of the personalities can do that on the paid subscription...once up...leave the pc on of the paid personality and all his other personalities can make free accounts and play with themselves all day/night long.. expect others to enter though unless you keep it full...simple as that...I don't know any teen that reads let alone the terms of a game...these days it's find the glitch and abuse the F out of it..pretty sure that is against most TOS...but hey let's not nit pik..it is the way of the world unfortunately....
The reasonable question
The one thing you did bring up I found a to be a reasonable question is.... how long does a free account last...from what I know if you don't pay you do eventually lose your game id, thus account..has this changed?
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Other alternatives for free to play...
Allow bombers and vehicles to hold as many people as positions they have available. Allow free to play accounts to join those positions (assuming the subscriber accepts). Have "gunner" or "enlisted man" leader boards to show off their skills. Integrate a "Need a gunner board" into the ready room so that free to play (I just want to kill things) gunners can go where it's "hot" rather than flying the whole flight.
A further refinement would be to add a perk point accrual system for free to play that allows them to step out to other things that we already fly without perk points. This provides a progression system for free to play that provides a challenge for them to continue to return, but with enough progression difficulty that you wonder if it would just be worth subscribing.
Another refinement would be to allow a "co-pilot" position in bombers. If a subscriber started a flight and a free to play gunner is present and the pilot is killed. Allow the gunner (or random choice if multiple gunners) to take over from the co-pilot position. This could prove a useful recruitment mechanism if free to play people are (rather randomly and infrequently) given a chance to fly and do damage.
Lastly, a rather extreme free to play scenario would be to integrate a first person shooter game for the troops and allow free to play people to battle it out for base taking. Bailing would drop you into the first person shooter scenario. We sort of have this now when you bail, but the animation for movement, aiming, etc. is not enough for a good FPS. The terrain certainly seems good enough for this now, but integrating a first person shooter could be a bear. Perk points could allow free to play people to take control of field guns and vehicles.
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See Rule #4
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<snip>
The reasonable question
The one thing you did bring up I found a to be a reasonable question is.... how long does a free account last...from what I know if you don't pay you do eventually lose your game id, thus account..has this changed?
There is no such thing as a free account, per se. There are accounts which are subscribed to and account which are not subscribed to. The game ID should remain in the unsubscribed account as long as it is being used.
I believe our pilot handle cleanout time period is 6 months, but I will need to verify that.