Aces High Bulletin Board
General Forums => Aces High General Discussion => Topic started by: N95KF on April 24, 2017, 10:32:02 PM
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Why doesn't HTC invest more in marketing? Most flight simmers, and combat flight simmers have never heard of Aces High. You never see it on any websites, forums, popup ads, or any online marketing anywhere. No e-mail campaigns, spam, etc...
Just wondering, not criticizing business model because I'm not on the inside.
But I think it would generate an increase in subscriptions, references, recognition, word of mouth, etc. Which in turn will give y'all more money to make the game even better.
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Because his data shows it isn't worth the expense.
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Because his data shows it isn't worth the expense.
i came here from an add on the military channel
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i came here from an add on the military channel
I did too
Goat
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i came here from an add on the military channel
Same. :)
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Really? Thats cool, never saw an ad before.
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Really? Thats cool, never saw an ad before.
Was back in 2007
Goat
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I answered the call of duty in the mid 2000's after seeing numerous ads on History or Military.
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Was back in 2007
Goat
I have nothing more then a hunch to back this up, but my gut tells me advertising to the masses in 2007 was a lot easier then 2017. This was pre smart phone, tablet, and all the other fancy electronic devices we enjoy today. In other words, everyone had a desktop that could most likely run AH at a basic level. I don't think the average American home has desktops like they did ten years ago? Maybe I'm totally off.
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Oh look it's this thread again :bhead :bolt:
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The real reason is that he doesn't have time to worry about marketing.
A memo was sent to certain players that explained the situation. I heard this from a waitress who's brother had a former room mate that played this game with a former high school drop out.
Hi-tech is secretly worth just north of 700 million dollars. His interest after taxes actually funds the whole operation. He has hired 4 look a likes to pretend to be him at the office on a rotating schedule.
He is too busy with his lavish lifestyle. His personal 275 foot yacht with four decks and a helicopter pad (he owns a Soviet Hind gunship) cruises all over the world, named the "Check 6".
I could add more but that would be excessive.
Now you know.
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I also came from an add on the History Channel.
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I came from a ad on the history channel.
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I came out of nowhere :noid
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Yeah a tv commercial prompted me to come check out the website here back in early 2008 - can't remember where I saw it, probably either on the history channel or military channel watching Dogfights.
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i came here from an add on the military channel
Same
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
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You should see us again on TV adds very shortly.
HiTech
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I hope you have a decent voiceover this time :devil
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I hope you have a decent voiceover this time :devil
Sean Connery would be perfect: "Are you a hot shtick? Fly Acshesh High!"
On second thought, he would cost more than the ad. How about Qbert?
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I hear ads on Youtube are pretty cheap right now :aok
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You should see us again on TV adds very shortly.
HiTech
If only I watched tv... What channel?
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I'm not much of a TV-watcher anymore either - and perhaps more significantly, neither are my 20-something sons. Ironically, one of the main reasons I rarely watch TV anymore is because there are just too many ads for my taste. Wonder if its possible to sell ads to Netflix for inclusion in military history type programming?
I wonder if any consideration has been given to promotional giveaways - at air shows, for example, or aviation museums? Or working with a flight controller manufacturer (VKB comes to mind) to include a promo game CD in their packaging? Seems like that one would be a win-win combination - the controller manufacturer can offer a bonus to the customer at no cost to them, and AH probably gets at least a two-week trial player.
I think this ad is the best AH copy I have ever seen (IIRC it was the box cover to a European retail outlet version of the game?)
(http://i225.photobucket.com/albums/dd148/tjlaven/198507_front.jpg)
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I'm not much of a TV-watcher anymore either - and perhaps more significantly, neither are my 20-something sons. Ironically, one of the main reasons I rarely watch TV anymore is because there are just too many ads for my taste. Wonder if its possible to sell ads to Netflix for inclusion in military history type programming?
I wonder if any consideration has been given to promotional giveaways - at air shows, for example, or aviation museums? Or working with a flight controller manufacturer (VKB comes to mind) to include a promo game CD in their packaging? Seems like that one would be a win-win combination - the controller manufacturer can offer a bonus to the customer at no cost to them, and AH probably gets at least a two-week trial player.
I think this ad is the best AH copy I have ever seen (IIRC it was the box cover to a European retail outlet version of the game?)
(http://i225.photobucket.com/albums/dd148/tjlaven/198507_front.jpg)
Would be a good idea to get some kind of mention at the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center. There are tons of WWII planes there and HTC could also in turn, promote their museum on AH. Not that they need us, but getting that kind of exposure would be great for the game.
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I wonder if any consideration has been given to promotional giveaways - at air shows, for example, or aviation museums?
AFAIk the air show thing has been tried in the (distant) past.
(IIRC it was the box cover to a European retail outlet version of the game?)
Yes, it was.
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Why no steam?
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Dale,
You are not using your "Bribes" Signature properly. For example: "For coercion to produce promotional ads, send bribe to HTC via UPS, mail or Fed Ex." ;)
P.S. I have had to test each bottle selected to send in as bribe. So far the testing is still under way. As soon as I get a wide enough sample, I may it deem it worthy to transport. (at least that's my story) :cheers:
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Why no steam?
Steam requires you to sell your soul. Warbirds did Steam and apparently was forced to offer a one time sell option instead of a subscription, which is what the game truly is. In short they lied to the customers and pissed a lot of people off. Then again iEN is incredibly inept at those things... maybe HTC can do it better.
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I think STEAM works better for games going the DLC / expansions way instead of monthly subscriptions.
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I think steam would lead to a massive player boost, but then I suppose you would lose the security of the monthly subscriptions from a few hundred.
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Player population isn't big enough to need steam either as far as downloading new patches and such....thats why counter strike needed to go to steam.
I think steam would lead to a massive player boost, but then I suppose you would lose the security of the monthly subscriptions from a few hundred.
plenty of dead games on Steam ;)
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Player population isn't big enough to need steam either as far as downloading new patches and such....thats why counter strike needed to go to steam.
plenty of dead games on Steam ;)
+1
I'm not sure Steam is the way forward either. But getting the word out there is important - the question is, what is the most effective way to market a product that is 'very' niche? Do we put an iPhone app out that is a simple client and allows players to fly via their tablet or smartphone? Or maybe is a wiki for Aces High that give players access to the historical reports, aircraft data...maybe a combo of Gonzo's charts and Aces High Wiki?... Just had an idea....
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Whatever HTC's plans are, it bears repeating what someone in this thread has already pointed out: Since the advent of smartphones, social media/mobile social platforms, etc., people do appear to share or consume information, and make purchasing decisions with input from or via those platforms. This is a different landscape than it was just 10-12 years ago. Check out these figures showing social network advertising spending since 2013 (https://www.emarketer.com/Chart/Social-Network-Ad-Spending-Worldwide-by-Region-2013-2017/168356). Over time, and other factors being constant, this growth will probably continue.
FWIW,
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You should see us again on TV adds very shortly.
HiTech
I'll resubscribe if that's the case. Hope it pays off big for you. Any chance you will put together a small team in the future to travel to airshows and demo the game under a tent?
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I'll resubscribe if that's the case. Hope it pays off big for you. Any chance you will put together a small team in the future to travel to airshows and demo the game under a tent?
Gun shows, too. Similar demo.
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Gun shows, too. Similar demo.
No, been there done that , is not cost effective.
HiTech
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No, been there done that , is not cost effective.
HiTech
it takes a talented individual with a proper understanding of the product and how that kind of marketing works to pull it off. Interest has to be generated whether its a few awesome signs or a few tvs set up showing game film constantly. I used to work car shows with my dad years back selling auto lifts to private buyers. Leads and prospects dont just fall out of the sky by setting up a tent and computer. I sell and market for living in construction. Trust me all you need is the right person to make it work. :cheers:
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No, been there done that , is not cost effective.
HiTech
Oh, well that sucks. :(
I did it to recruit students for a flight school. We used a computer sim to hook them. Worked great but I guess it's a different market.
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No, been there done that , is not cost effective.
HiTech
Im curious when you did this? In 07-07 when things were good, or just after the bubble burst? Or maybe back in the day in the first few years out of the box?
Different times could have caused different issues with the idea.
I still think a social media blitz would help. And like the german blitz in the old days a few tanks taking a few shots isn't going to do it. Those of you on FB know you cant seem to log on and NOT see a post by George Takei, hes all over FB. Thats the kind of coverage HTC needs.
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Ashame this is not an option it is one of the countries Largest World War 2 weekends, I try and go every year and would even be willing to sit in a booth if we had a trailer type set up
http://www.maam.org/maamwwii.html
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You should see us again on TV adds very shortly.
HiTech
Yay!!!
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Kind of wondered if Hitech was having the same problem during the previous 8 years that many businesses were having just staying alive in a government driven negative business climate. In the current climate people will start having more money to spend along with business picking up and hiring more people. Good time to start advertising as people begin to feel hopeful again for the future.
I guess the game will need the new terrain I'm working on after all. Need new for new people. AH3 makes more sense now after all those years doing that testing.
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Ashame this is not an option it is one of the countries Largest World War 2 weekends, I try and go every year and would even be willing to sit in a booth if we had a trailer type set up
http://www.maam.org/maamwwii.html
I have been to this one a few times as well. Met many a player there. Fun time a perfect place to drum up some business
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Player population isn't big enough to need steam either as far as downloading new patches and such....thats why counter strike needed to go to steam.
Huh? Valve owns both Steam and CS. Why wouldn't they put their own game on their own distribution platform?
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I have been to this one a few times as well. Met many a player there. Fun time a perfect place to drum up some business
As an aside, the Chino Planes of Fame show (5/5/17 - 5/6/17) (https://www.everfest.com/e/planes-of-fame-air-show-chino-ca) also gets a lot of visitors.
However, this year the show is in danger of being stopped due to a pending lawsuit. I've been to this show several times, so I understand the plaintiff's position, but I still hope they can work something so that the show goes on. Here's a news report on the case. (http://www.dailybulletin.com/general-news/20170420/judge-bows-out-of-case-seeking-to-stop-chino-air-show-whats-next)
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Chino Case Dropped for now
https://yanksair.org/2017-air-show-chino-airport-will-go-planned-benefit-attendees-vendors-aviation-community/
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It is also important to Target your audience......... do we need more kids & xbox type players.
(https://dm1.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.discountmags.com%2Fshopimages%2Fproducts%2Fnormal%2Fextra%2FMilitary-Heritage.jpg?auto=format&cs=strip&h=509&lossless=1&w=387&s=e784eb45baa86ce98b14652aab0d19b0)
(https://dm1.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.discountmags.com%2Fshopimages%2Fproducts%2Fnormal%2Fwwii-history.jpg?auto=format&cs=strip&h=509&lossless=1&w=387&s=c0c98a7d835015cad0dd8b8ac73a4b09)
(https://mccovers.blob.core.windows.net/covers/143470.jpg)
(https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0903/3066/products/MHQP_New_Cover_1024x1024.jpg?v=1481062757)
(https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0903/3066/products/AVHP-161100-COVER-B_1024x1024.jpg?v=1481062659)
(https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0903/3066/products/WW2P-160800-COVER-B_1024x1024.jpg?v=1481062959)
(http://www.armchairgeneral.com/wordpress/wp-content/acg-logo-2014a.jpg)
(http://shop.strategyandtacticspress.com/v/vspfiles/photos/ST305-2T.jpg)
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Never seen any of those magazines.
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I think steam would lead to a massive player boost, but then I suppose you would lose the security of the monthly subscriptions from a few hundred.
Steam wouldn't necessarily lead to increased numbers but it will involve increased cost on HTC's side as they'd have to make a Steam version of the game and then separate patches for the Steam and non-Steam version of the game. In addition, Steam charges 30% on all purchases (included monthly subscription payments) so putting it on Steam might not generate the players or money many think it would.
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Huh? Valve owns both Steam and CS. Why wouldn't they put their own game on their own distribution platform?
CS wasn't a game at first it was a mod for Half Life that had about 10-20K people playing it....so Valve bought the intellectual rights to it.
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even better why HTC does not start their own brand of sticks, throthless and rudders custom made
I will surely buy one :)
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even better why HTC does not start they own brand of sticks, throthless and rudders custom made
I will surely buy one :)
Skuz, you have plenty of garage space for this, no?
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Skuz, you have plenty of garage space for this, no?
Building two cars right now (third one in the queue). Barely any space to get to the tools, much less add another project.
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Building two cars right now (third one in the queue). Barely any space to get to the tools, much less add another project.
thinking of it , Skuzzy will make really nice brand name for HOTAS
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thinking of it , Skuzzy will make really nice brand name for HOTAS
And they can be programmed to randomly reverse controls to simulate Skuzzy in a drunken stupor.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
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It is also important to Target your audience......... do we need more kids & xbox type players
A youTube ad that targets aviation/military Videos, might be a cost effective way to go.
I remember the AH2 ad watching DogFights, and wouldn't have skipped over it.
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It is also important to Target your audience......... do we need more kids & xbox type players.
Yes. We exactly need more young people.
I don't know what they want to do with the business when their livers fail from excess scotch consumption, but specifically targeting the 40+ age group from the current population exclusively isn't really a viable long-term business strategy.
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Building two cars right now (third one in the queue). Barely any space to get to the tools, much less add another project.
*Record Scratch*
Building TWO cars? :eek: :O
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thinking of it , Skuzzy will make really nice brand name for HOTAS
Skiezzy. Lol
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*Record Scratch*
Building TWO cars? :eek: :O
My new daily driver, a 64 Ranchero, and the Cobra, then the Wife's 62 Corvette.
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My new daily driver, a 64 Ranchero, and the Cobra, then the Wife's 62 Corvette.
Skuzzy, you a Ford guy?
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My new daily driver, a 64 Ranchero, and the Cobra, then the Wife's 62 Corvette.
Wow. Awesome.
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Yes. We exactly need more young people.
I don't know what they want to do with the business when their livers fail from excess scotch consumption, but specifically targeting the 40+ age group from the current population exclusively isn't really a viable long-term business strategy.
I think it would help our cause if "The Mighty Eighth" would get released, and also Riddely Scott's "Battle of Britain" remake. There are SO many compelling stories in WWII air combat to be told, and big budget film reaches our target audience.
I would really like someone to also retell an accurate, unvarnished story of the Flying Tigers, heavy on the air-to-air action, and subplot line of Chennault's struggles against the military brass.
Of course, word needs to get out about AH, otherwise War Thunder or World of Warplanes? might get the bump in members, not us.
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Skuzzy, you a Ford guy?
Ford and guy/man doesn't belong in the same sentence ;)
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It is also important to Target your audience......... do we need more kids & xbox type players.
(https://dm1.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.discountmags.com%2Fshopimages%2Fproducts%2Fnormal%2Fextra%2FMilitary-Heritage.jpg?auto=format&cs=strip&h=509&lossless=1&w=387&s=e784eb45baa86ce98b14652aab0d19b0)
(https://dm1.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.discountmags.com%2Fshopimages%2Fproducts%2Fnormal%2Fwwii-history.jpg?auto=format&cs=strip&h=509&lossless=1&w=387&s=c0c98a7d835015cad0dd8b8ac73a4b09)
(https://mccovers.blob.core.windows.net/covers/143470.jpg)
(https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0903/3066/products/MHQP_New_Cover_1024x1024.jpg?v=1481062757)
(https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0903/3066/products/AVHP-161100-COVER-B_1024x1024.jpg?v=1481062659)
(https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0903/3066/products/WW2P-160800-COVER-B_1024x1024.jpg?v=1481062959)
(http://www.armchairgeneral.com/wordpress/wp-content/acg-logo-2014a.jpg)
(http://shop.strategyandtacticspress.com/v/vspfiles/photos/ST305-2T.jpg)
You are out side of your mind if you think targeting a younger crowd is bad....Bfoot1 is 22-23??? and is one of the more vital members of the community...need more of them, less man gun sitters and m3 runners
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It is also important to Target your audience......... do we need more kids & xbox type players.
Remember how full the MA was when there were all those squeakers around? Remember the fun? The missions? The drama? :old:
Young players are the future. False elitism kills any game.
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Remember how full the MA was when there were all those squeakers around? Remember the fun? The missions? The drama? :old:
Young players are the future. False elitism kills any game.
You mean a 'target rich environment' that was full of squeakers. :D
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You mean a 'target rich environment' that was full of squeakers. :D
:noid
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You mean a 'target rich environment' that was full of squeakers. :D
Who doesn't enjoy clubbing a baby seal now and then?
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Who doesn't enjoy clubbing a baby seal now and then?
:rofl :rofl :rofl :rofl
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CS wasn't a game at first it was a mod for Half Life that had about 10-20K people playing it....so Valve bought the intellectual rights to it.
Exactly, and when Steam is released, CS (as a franchise) goes on it and is now one of the most popular multiplayer games ever.
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Exactly, and when Steam is released, CS (as a franchise) goes on it and is now one of the most popular multiplayer games ever.
That wasn't entirely due to it being on Steam though. It's arguably the most skill based shooter game in the world which drew it's initial base, steam helped the word get out there but theres people playing CS almost or longer then there are people playing AH, hell they have "pro" CS players with 13 years in the Major leagues.....the thing that exploded it into the realm of League and DOTA is the skins.
That competitive side that has kept CS such a big game is why I think it's funny when Aces High players talk like scores and ranks are a bad thing for a game...I agree the MA scores currently create bad gameplay but if you tweaked it a bit to make the better scores the guys who actually kill efficiently and kill more then just baby seals then that wouldn't be the case.
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So having a 15 year old gaming son...here is his perspective.
BORING..... Climb for 10 minutes to dive down and fight a guy who reverses on you and kills you like that. He would roll capped fields because it was instant action and he didn't care if he died...he just wanted the fight.
In a "3 2 1...FIGHTS ON" world of first person shooters, with instant respawn, and a "timed game"....our world is a bit "ho hum" in terms of action. They want it...and they want it NOW!!
Toss in the beating they take learning, and you have a "non-player".
Funny thing is my son was a helluva shot....it wasn't that he didn't like it...he just enjoyed other games more.
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So having a 15 year old gaming son...here is his perspective.
BORING..... Climb for 10 minutes to dive down and fight a guy who reverses on you and kills you like that. He would roll capped fields because it was instant action and he didn't care if he died...he just wanted the fight.
In a "3 2 1...FIGHTS ON" world of first person shooters, with instant respawn, and a "timed game"....our world is a bit "ho hum" in terms of action. They want it...and they want it NOW!!
Toss in the beating they take learning, and you have a "non-player".
Funny thing is my son was a helluva shot....it wasn't that he didn't like it...he just enjoyed other games more.
Does he have a particular interest in WWII aviation? That was the key for me - I stuck it out just because I had never seen anything like it (WarBirds at the time) and was determined to get good. And I keep coming back, still learning, (but still upping from capped fields for the fight). But I occasionally do GVs, run supplies or troops, sometimes up buffs. Lots of ways to spend your time and have fun. Fighter sweeps are still the most fun to me though
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My son was just about the same, Dobs. It was always a choice between other games and friends. He had more than a few run ins with a few players that berated him, and that was the end. Some folk just cant keep their mouths shut. Why put in the time to learn a hard game, just to get textually abused for killing someone :headscratch: Young folk don't have to deal with that in some other games. I understood but still pay his account just in case he decides to give it a go again.
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We tucked him in our squad, and gave him "Mother Hen" protection....but the time "not fighting" vs "time fighting" ratio was too great for his enjoyment level.
My instructions to him were if someone gave him grief on text...to just LOL them. Good chance of making an old geezer get apocalyptic and seize up:) He laughed at that.
Oboe....he enjoys jets....and all the G-Whiz stuff that goes with jets. So WWII aircraft aren't "sexy"..they are like a Chevette is too us old guys:)
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I can almost for certain say that the other games your kids are playing have people 100X worse.....AH is very mello as far as toxic players go.
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I can almost for certain say that the other games your kids are playing have people 100X worse.....AH is very mello as far as toxic players go.
Can confirm.... Worst I've got was into a "bruh" war on 200 with a few players, which I'm learning is partly history from of my squad more than anything, but even the "enemies" will salute you if deservedly so.
AND... I don't hear profanity directed at anyone, more towards the heavens, and the odd Head-On shot that aggravates even the calmest players. But my mother has never been brought into the discussion as with every game on the classic Xbox/PS.....
You know the type.....
"I yell louder and with more profanity than you therefor I win!:" - signed: Every under 25 player console player ever..... :bolt:
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Under 25??? Plenty of 30 year olds saying racial slurs and calling people insane profanity on console and computer games....heck just the other day I heard a "lets kill these fa##ots" out of a 40+ year old on Aces High....You all got to stop thinking your age makes you all saints on the online community because your peers are proving that wrong daily.
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So having a 15 year old gaming son...here is his perspective.
BORING..... Climb for 10 minutes to dive down and fight a guy who reverses on you and kills you like that. He would roll capped fields because it was instant action and he didn't care if he died...he just wanted the fight.
In a "3 2 1...FIGHTS ON" world of first person shooters, with instant respawn, and a "timed game"....our world is a bit "ho hum" in terms of action. They want it...and they want it NOW!!
Toss in the beating they take learning, and you have a "non-player".
Funny thing is my son was a helluva shot....it wasn't that he didn't like it...he just enjoyed other games more.
Quite honestly this is a niche game, it's not going to appeal to the masses and it would be a waste to prioritize the marketing to appeal to the masses instead of focused marketing the the game's demographics.
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Junky,
You need to let it go. If you run around trying to show as many people as possible older guys are dorks and pull their pants down in public to get even with them over something only you have any clue about. One day you will be an older guy who never caught up with himself and became an older man. You can waste your life trying to punish older dorks who never caught up with themselves and it won't affect anyone or anything but yourself in the end.
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Junky,
You need to let it go. If you run around trying to show as many people as possible older guys are dorks and pull their pants down in public to get even with them over something only you have any clue about. One day you will be an older guy who never caught up with himself and became an older man. You can waste your life trying to punish older dorks who never caught up with themselves and it won't affect anyone or anything but yourself in the end.
Bustr you need to go back and look at how many comments there was about console gamers, 25 and under, and xbox generation people then come back to talk to me.....chasing off a younger base is a lot worse for HTC's business then me saying YOU GUYS ARE STUPID for saying they are bad for the game.
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Under 25??? Plenty of 30 year olds saying racial slurs and calling people insane profanity on console and computer games....heck just the other day I heard a "lets kill these fa##ots" out of a 40+ year old on Aces High....You all got to stop thinking your age makes you all saints on the online community because your peers are proving that wrong daily.
I'm pretty sure Waystin is the one to determine what he wants to allow on your squad channel.
:devil
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I'm pretty sure Waystin is the one to determine what he wants to allow on your squad channel.
:devil
18 or older with a mic are welcome to ask to come on squad channel....I was 18 when I joined POTW and we had a 15 and 17 year old on the team before me....both were highly liked by the entire squad.
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Under 25??? Plenty of 30 year olds saying racial slurs and calling people insane profanity on console and computer games....heck just the other day I heard a "lets kill these fa##ots" out of a 40+ year old on Aces High....You all got to stop thinking your age makes you all saints on the online community because your peers are proving that wrong daily.
Umm ok. being a "younger" player here I simply commented on my experience with other games... Dang this is an old farts game... How many ways can you say, "Get off my lawn!"... I get nastier responses on this BBS than I do in game. I'm sorry your experience has been less than... tasteful....
My comment was that this community is MUCH MORE MATURE than what is experienced on "popular" games and their environments....
Quote from: Dobs on Yesterday at 08:58:14 PM
So having a 15 year old gaming son...here is his perspective.
BORING..... <--- Yup. He's not wrong.... :confused:
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Umm ok. being a "younger" player here I simply commented on my experience with other games... Dang this is an old farts game... How many ways can you say, "Get off my lawn!"... I get nastier responses on this BBS than I do in game. I'm sorry your experience has been less than... tasteful....
My comment was that this community is MUCH MORE MATURE than what is experienced on "popular" games and their environments....
Quote from: Dobs on Yesterday at 08:58:14 PM
So having a 15 year old gaming son...here is his perspective.
BORING..... <--- Yup. He's not wrong.... :confused:
New blood young and old is always appreciated by most here. The folks who stay are usually the ones that share a great interest in the time frame of WWII.
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I too came from an ad on the History channel. I don't play anymore but I still lurk in the BBS. I really miss this game sometimes. I guess I just left because I didn't see any growth in players and lost interest. Marketing is everything for a game's survival.
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It wasn't just the PMs and derogatory comments that drove him away. It was the combination of the learning curve and the derogatory. Seemed every time he got a grasp on something, someone would beat him down for it. The other games he played, he was much more competitive with most players and could sluff it off. He still flies a lot offline and staged mission stuff, so it wasn't a lack of interest. He will be back I am sure! He is a lot like me, loves a good challenge. The PS4 is starting to get a bit mundane for him. Now I know how my dad felt when we got Atari...how does he do that crap, hes kicking my arse! I had a super fast thumb- fire rate in Defender and my turn could last hours :neener:
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You should see us again on TV adds very shortly.
HiTech
Hoping it pays off.
I only have time to play occasionally on weekends now. But even on a weekend night for me the numbers are just too low, and I know it's a catch 22 problem (people don't play because the numbers are low, and the numbers are low because people don't play) When I see 100 or less players on the log in screen, I don't even enter the MA anymore because I know I'll just spend 45 minutes looking for a good fight then give up and leave. I can't remember the last time I saw more then 150 in the MA.
I'm nostalgic for the happy days before the split MA, and even after when there was 250+ in 2 arenas, and I always tried to play on Titanic Tuesday.
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Hoping it pays off.
I only have time to play occasionally on weekends now. But even on a weekend night for me the numbers are just too low, and I know it's a catch 22 problem (people don't play because the numbers are low, and the numbers are low because people don't play) When I see 100 or less players on the log in screen, I don't even enter the MA anymore because I know I'll just spend 45 minutes looking for a good fight then give up and leave. I can't remember the last time I saw more then 150 in the MA.
I'm nostalgic for the happy days before the split MA, and even after when there was 250+ in 2 arenas, and I always tried to play on Titanic Tuesday.
Two-sided arena. Boom. Fun. Solved.
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So having a 15 year old gaming son...here is his perspective.
BORING..... Climb for 10 minutes to dive down and fight a guy who reverses on you and kills you like that. He would roll capped fields because it was instant action and he didn't care if he died...he just wanted the fight.
In a "3 2 1...FIGHTS ON" world of first person shooters, with instant respawn, and a "timed game"....our world is a bit "ho hum" in terms of action. They want it...and they want it NOW!! ".
I think bigger numbers help this as well though. I remember when there was one MA with 400+ people in it, (or even split with titanic tuesday) there was always at least one never ending furball, usually between 2 very close bases, with dozens of fighters under 5k, you would take off and climb for just a few minutes and be right in the thick of it, and the strategic-basetaking-mission based players would leave it alone because there was plenty of other players and bases to do what they wanted too. I remember my routine used to be logging in and just straight up furballing for a few sorties, then after a while maybe join up with a mission or two and go stir up trouble elsewhere.
Maybe it's just nostalgia, but that's how I remember it.
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Let the newbies/freebies airstart with reduced fuel and stall-limited planes. Or something like that.
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Let the newbies/freebies airstart with reduced fuel and stall-limited planes. Or something like that.
There are free arenas...
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There are free arenas...
... which are empty almost all of the time.
Not particualrly inviting, if you ask me :)
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My life just has not slowed down enough to get back into the game. Shuffler is right, the link is the passion for the era and the real airplanes of war, before all of that computer nonsense got in the way. I would argue that AH is the most balanced MMO out there. Aside from the perk system, and even then that is a stretch, a ki43 can shoot down U4s.
As for tv advertising, hell, why bother. Facebook, twitter, YouTube, are the real mediums today. Discovery running the wings series was probably the last golden TV era for this games subject. Now, I would hit periscope films and any other host that ran any airplane related series on the net.
The toughest things for a new client to get past are the cost of a capable computer, and the time required to play. These days I mindlessly play WOT Blitz, which is making some horrible profit induced decisions. I play it because I run it on my phone and can have 15 games in the same time it takes loaded 29s to climb to 35k. That is a tough sell. So then, it becomes what do you do in the void. As I have said for years it is the community that will carry the day. I left the xxx because a dual personality guy could not stop being a racist tard. Having to listen to him on vent made me drop and run with another group of guys, who just enjoyed fighting, chatting, and hanging out. I am pleased to call those gentlemen of the GFC friends.
You let a guy go on a idiot rant...someone disconnects. Old players should mentor younger ones. Squad heads should keep their squads policed. If you make the community a good place to spend time, you will keep the players. The community is the weakest link, not the game.
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I agree with what you're saying about Facebook, Twitter and the like but that darn World of ... seems to be everywhere popping up in adds, it has to be having some impact
Think I'll go take a look and compare specs, the PC part requirement can't be that huge of a gap, if the specs are comparable then it comes down to, fun as in playability (looks fun to try), maps (cant stand round maps IMHO they don't match the other aspects of WW2 this game portrays) ,and advertising.
PS Preemptive strike, I don't have the time to build them maps if I played there or here at 63 my priority is retiring, right now I should be loading last months data for Mays reporting instead of typing here.
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I'm really thinking about re-subscribing here within the next couple months. How is the player count during peak hours?
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Its still the heart pounding thrill a minute when your in the middle of a furball
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Its still the heart pounding thrill a minute when your in the middle of a furball
or those palm sweating seconds while troops are running when you drove 100 miles to take a defended base behind enemy lines next to a strat when resup wasn't OP like it is today.
The game has changed "A" lot.
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Remember how full the MA was when there were all those squeakers around? Remember the fun? The missions? The drama? :old:
Young players are the future. False elitism kills any game.
and I remember the senior members of the game cutting the squeakers down telling them to shut up squelching them,giving the squeakers a hard time when all they wanted to do was learn how to play the game.
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Adult males don't go to a sports bar to drink and listen to their neighbor's kid prattle on about anything. The dominant culture in this game then and now is men late 30's to 60's. Most of them have had a crapola day getting crapolaed by someone all day, so in here they are going to crapola on anyone that irritates them to let of the steam from their crapola day. This is really an R rated game because of our crapola adults and their crapola day copeing mechanisms. You will have very little success changing that nature of grown men who work for a living. And tweens, teens and many millenial xBox hero's have no clue about that aspect of life yet.
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Adult males don't go to a sports bar to drink and listen to their neighbor's kid prattle on about anything. The dominant culture in this game then and now is men late 30's to 60's. Most of them have had a crapola day getting crapolaed by someone all day, so in here they are going to crapola on anyone that irritates them to let of the steam from their crapola day. This is really an R rated game because of our crapola adults and their crapola day copeing mechanisms. You will have very little success changing that nature of grown men who work for a living. And tweens, teens and many millenial xBox hero's have no clue about that aspect of life yet.
So...old people cannot control themselves to be polite...
This makes me sad. Sad. Very sad.
- oldman
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Me and LilMak spent 20 minutes trying to help a guy with some radio issues and basic game play but he left before we could get him to tune right. :(
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Me and LilMak spent 20 minutes trying to help a guy with some radio issues and basic game play but he left before we could get him to tune right. :(
Biggest problem with this game. Setup is murder. I flew for weeks not knowing about the ability to look up.
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So...old people cannot control themselves to be polite...
This makes me sad. Sad. Very sad.
- oldman
The game started out in a period before millenials when most people attracted to this game were self starters and had much thicker skin. We are in a sadly different era where millenials and kiddies need their hands held and have no patience for taking lumps to get good at anything. Then throw them in with men from an older generation who have no patience for wusses, it just doesn't work out for the wusses who have been raised with very thin snow flaky skin who want instant action. AH3 needs a kiddy pool for the thin skinned generation to get them up to MA speed. HTC needs the men to keep paying the bills because the wusses will take time to get up to even wanting to pay for a subscription speed. Millenials don't want to pay for anything and the last 8 years has been rife with FPS "Pay to Win" games.
Sanctimony is becoming..... :aok
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I saw this the other day.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2CH_8lDbuLE (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2CH_8lDbuLE)
Me and LilMak spent 20 minutes trying to help a guy with some radio issues and basic game play but he left before we could get him to tune right. :(
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and I remember the senior members of the game cutting the squeakers down telling them to shut up squelching them,giving the squeakers a hard time when all they wanted to do was learn how to play the game.
Not all of us man. Serenity is a testament to how to welcome a squeaker and make him feel part of a community. There are others as well. It can be done, it just needs a squad to scoop a harassed squeaker up and keep his training wings straight.
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and I remember the senior members of the game cutting the squeakers down telling them to shut up squelching them,giving the squeakers a hard time when all they wanted to do was learn how to play the game.
Yes, I remember the ALT+F4 joke people pulled on newcomers. If I remember correctly, HTC had to start putting their foot down on people for doing that.
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Peak time I've been finding numbers in MA north of 100. Now how much of that translates to people flying? :huh
2 country system.. been there with Warbirds let me tell you, it doesn't work well either. People become entrenched in us versus them no matter what so there would be no option for one side after the other starts steam rolling.
Young/old, no need to be an amazinhunk. Period.
You are forgetting that my generation (27) had to find work in a recession. We're more apt to work our butts off than you would think. The digital age allows the snowflakes to be more visible as just as many shut up and work. Maybe I've just spent too much time in Idaho.
Freemium and consoles have garnered a mindset of instant action so if there is an avenue of change it might be in that area. Dueling is a start.
Coming from Warbirds you guys are not even close to the same issues. I'm inclined to say quit squeakin and have fun
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Aren't there two types of people that play this game?
1) WWII fans.
-if you are in this category you will scrape together whatever you can to play this game. if your PC is older and you can't afford a fancy HOTAS, you'll play is low res, with a mouse. The problem with this category is that fans of WWII or disappearing as the people who remember it are getting older and older, and young people are into other things.
2) You're a gamer with trickout PC Gaming rig and you looking for cool games to play.
- If you are this guy and have a nice rig, you still need to go out and invest in a HOTAS because what hot shot gamer is going to play with a mouse. The peripherals in this game are pricy, and are limited to flight simulators. Don't most PC games still use a version of an console controller, or keyboard? I think those set ups will struggle in this game and the players will leave. the view system is not designed for a controller, and working the views with hat switches requires a lot of hat switches, hence you're in a hotas set up. Or you need to buy a separate view controller like a TrackIR.
The VR trend may help because PC games control interfaces will be created with the view system removed from the handheld controller and put in the VR head movement. This will make their PC gamer set up much more compatible with Flight simulators and reduce the amount of needed peripherals. a simple twisty stick, or even a Gaming controller could be effective and fun at low additional cost. Flight sims also provide the perfect gaming environment for VR users, so I expect more flight based games to be written and created for the VR platforms. That work will pave the way for those gamers into AH3.
I would think marketing dollars should be targeted at VR buyers like oculus and the others. There's probably a way for Google and Youtube to know who VR owners are. They could custom deliver AH3 commercials into trailers for Dunkirk, and other air show videos, and WWII content on-line. Then HiTech is only paying to reach the target audience, and the money could be spent more efficiently.
That's the promise of the youtube and Google market models of the world. That's why we let them know all of our business, right? I hope all the spying pays dividends for this game. :salute
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Does the next generation even care about WWII? We are the sons, daughters and grandchildren of the war. We grew up surrounded by millions of vets. New texts were still being written. Younger dudes like serenity are probably the last group of young adults with limited interaction to the surving generation of those that lived through the war.
So does this genre excite the next generation? Is a P51 and a corsair cool, or is it simply not a raptor or JSF so blah!?
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Does the next generation even care about WWII? We are the sons, daughters and grandchildren of the war. We grew up surrounded by millions of vets. New texts were still being written. Younger dudes like serenity are probably the last group of young adults with limited interaction to the surving generation of those that lived through the war.
So does this genre excite the next generation? Is a P51 and a corsair cool, or is it simply not a raptor or JSF so blah!?
maybe not, BUT...let them start with spaceships, Raptors, A10s and whatever else. Once you are into air combat this game with have a draw because WWII was the pinnacle of Air Combat due to it's reliance on ACM and gunnery, and the large variety of different Aircraft attempting to accell at those two things.
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Who knows, they may find making old men cry worth the time to play the game while getting their money's worth in competition. What tween, teen and millenial doesn't harbor petty grudges against grown ups and baby boomers? One small problem, the AH3 lawn they will be stomping on in the virtual world to punk the old men has the drawback of a few angry old men with cannons who will shoot back and talk old man smack while doing it, in the virtual world.
They are not used to getting back just as bad as they dish at old people if you think about it. In the real world old guys have been chained down by PC rules and lawsuits for looking cross eyed at kids, and they are not prepared to face "Old Farts Unleashed" hiding in the virtual world behind anonymity just like they do. Many have very thin skin for so young and being so tough in their internet communities.
AH3 may really need a kiddy pool to help them get up to speed and grow some calluses. It seemed to work when the DA Lake turned into a kiddy pond for a few years way back when. Or at least some trainers on staff in the MA, and a message for two weekers and new subscribers that they are there to help them with everything it takes to get up and going. Bring the mountain to the newbies if that's what it takes to keep them in the game. If the help channel only contacted an anonymous staff like the MODs, and the newbies got direct personal responses, that fits more into their cultural expectations of immediacy.
It's a simple generational problem, I doubt many of today's generation know you can use a rock to drive nails for rough carpentry in a pinch, let alone how to do it with a hammer 12 hours a day putting up framing. You give them services, they know how to press buttons and talk on smart phones, chat on twitter and so forth. But, it all has to be in place, in front of their noses, and they get an immediate response for pressing a button.
This is no different than the problems my wife has at her University interacting with perspective and current students and their expectations of being served for their money. The easier you make it for them to self serve with your processes and the quicker they can get support with resolutions, the better chances of keeping them and their money. They will be tolerant of a few bumps along the way.
It doesn't mean AH has to be turned into WT to attract kiddies. Just support them better for their first dip into the shark tank without alienating the grown ups. In the end we are all here to shootemup red guys who do not have ages or faces on your screen when they go BOOOMMM.. :O
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Judging by the turnout for War Thunder, IL2, Red Tails, any WWII based game/film, yes, the young generation does have an interest in WWII combat aviation. The issue is game presentation/design. Admittedly, most folks I know think WWII planes are pretty, but they have funny ideas about ACM. I could say the same about any age group though :evil
Time is the critical factor. A robust tutorial phase that explained the core details of how the game worked, on top of the basics, like how the radio works, how to tune the bombsight, how to WF a field, important dotcommands etc, would help speed up the learning curve. Have a fly along intro mission or something like it while the game loads in the background; or as they open up a new option or about to do a new action offer a textualized step by step guide. Kinda like the paper clip dude from the old MS Word. Great modern games do an excellent job of laying out the basics of the game within the first mission/level so the player can move on with enjoying the story or gameplay.
Young gamers are looking to get into the action quickly. Design the map and the play style so players get into conflict quickly if you want to attract more.
Great games for the masses are often hard to play, but they are not necessarily hard to learn to get your hands dirty and having fun quickly.
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Judging by the turnout for War Thunder, IL2, Red Tails, any WWII based game/film, yes, the young generation does have an interest in WWII combat aviation. The issue is game presentation/design. Admittedly, most folks I know think WWII planes are pretty, but they have funny ideas about ACM. I could say the same about any age group though :evil
Time is the critical factor. A robust tutorial phase that explained the core details of how the game worked, on top of the basics, like how the radio works, how to tune the bombsight, how to WF a field, important dotcommands etc, would help speed up the learning curve. Have a fly along intro mission or something like it while the game loads in the background; or as they open up a new option or about to do a new action offer a textualized step by step guide. Kinda like the paper clip dude from the old MS Word. Great modern games do an excellent job of laying out the basics of the game within the first mission/level so the player can move on with enjoying the story or gameplay.
Young gamers are looking to get into the action quickly. Design the map and the play style so players get into conflict quickly if you want to attract more.
Great games for the masses are often hard to play, but they are not necessarily hard to learn to get your hands dirty and having fun quickly.
Younger gamers aren't just looking for insta action....if you look at the top games being played and viewed on Twitch they almost on have 1 thing in common....a competitive side to them....Battlegrounds is anything but instant action...if you don't approach fights with strategy and tactics you will certainly end up being blind sided by the guy with patience(I bring up Battlegrounds because it just boomed into the game scene with over a million playing it's early access with very little advertisement done other then them paying big streamers to play their game). CSGO competitive matches are up to 90 minutes long, so players are willing to go the time. Point I'm getting at is that all of these games have things in place which do force action, Aces High does not. Aces High with it's match play aspect and events could easily draw a younger crowd, but they want to be competitive in a bigger community and they want a rank system which is more accurate. A player who has good SA and gunnery can be top ten in fighters very easily just by picking, vulching and farming easy kills...which is why I believe more kill points should be awarded for killing someone of a higher rank/