General Forums => Aces High General Discussion => Topic started by: CaptMaddox on November 04, 2023, 09:12:08 PM
Title: old timers
Post by: CaptMaddox on November 04, 2023, 09:12:08 PM
Anybody around here play Fighter Ace? I flew with the FC Squadron (The Flying Circus) from the late '90's until they killed it in 2009 or so, and left us high and dry. I FC_Graywolf back then and flew with and against some of the best guys I've known in gaming. Anybody that old in here?
Title: Re: old timers
Post by: Animl-AW on November 04, 2023, 09:20:24 PM
Anybody around here play Fighter Ace? I flew with the FC Squadron (The Flying Circus) from the late '90's until they killed it in 2009 or so, and left us high and dry. I FC_Graywolf back then and flew with and against some of the best guys I've known in gaming. Anybody that old in here?
Yep, flew it, Janes, WB, but stayed in AW. I do remember a squad named Flying Circus.
Title: Re: old timers
Post by: Eagler on November 05, 2023, 05:59:13 AM
Yes I was with Fighter Ace from the original until it was sold off about the time Aces High started getting going.
I was in Musketeers Escadrille back then with Cobra, ninez, higgins, Dukemskt, nethawk, happ, thorns.
We came over to AH about 23 years ago..back when I was a youngster of only 41
Still a blast imo!
:cheers:
Eagler
Title: Re: old timers
Post by: Shuffler on November 05, 2023, 09:01:53 AM
I was with FA for some time. Left not long before it stopped when I came over here. I was Qwikthink over there.
Title: Re: old timers
Post by: WxMan on November 05, 2023, 08:18:19 PM
I flew with the Devil Dogs in Fighter Ace from the beginning to 2002 as WxMan_DD.
Title: Re: old timers
Post by: nopoop on November 06, 2023, 12:27:31 PM
WB here. Easy Targpets followed by JG2. Moved here. 332nd Mongrels followed by the BK's.
Title: Re: old timers
Post by: Prayer on November 06, 2023, 12:33:22 PM
I flew fighter ace. I also flew the version Free Chinese version called Air Attack before f/a had its lift off. I was apart of a few squads and had different names. LP_LiquidIce or Liquid are the only names coming to mind but I had a few. I started SIMs very young at 14, with Falcon. Found a forum back then where we would connect on Roger Wilco or ICQ then connect 56k to each others IPs, the squad I found were retired Blue Angel and Air Force pilots. Been hooked since, Fighter Ace was my introduction to fighting up close guns only WW2. 39 now, time :airplane:
Title: Re: old timers
Post by: GasTeddy on November 06, 2023, 12:38:39 PM
I'm from way back, but I flew Air Warrior, not Fighter Ace.
I flew in Air Warrior from 1988 until it closed down. Then came on over to Aces High.
Read about it back then in one of the popular computer magazines while in the AF on Okinawa. Was anxious to get back stateside to try it and did '90-'92. GEnie at $6/hr.
Title: Re: old timers
Post by: Eagler on November 08, 2023, 06:38:16 AM
Read about it back then in one of the popular computer magazines while in the AF on Okinawa. Was anxious to get back stateside to try it and did '90-'92. GEnie at $6/hr.
I think it was an article in pc magazine that pointed me to AH
Eagler
Title: Re: old timers
Post by: lutrel on November 08, 2023, 10:25:01 AM
I started flying Warbirds in 1998, flew with the Drifters, then with the Avengers. We made the move to AceHigh as a squad back in 2007 and have been active in here ever since.
Title: Re: old timers
Post by: SIK1 on November 08, 2023, 12:15:49 PM
I came here from Air Warrior with my squad 444th Air Mafia. Flew with a couple different squads here after the Mafia disbanded ended up sticking with VF-17. Been here since 2001. Used the same name through out.
:salute Sik
Title: Re: old timers
Post by: oboe on November 08, 2023, 12:32:55 PM
I came here from Air Warrior with my squad 444th Air Mafia. Flew with a couple different squads here after the Mafia disbanded ended up sticking with VF-17. Been here since 2001. Used the same name through out.
:salute Sik
the 444th had a great squad logo, IIRC.
Title: Re: old timers
Post by: The Fugitive on November 08, 2023, 02:58:17 PM
I wish I could say I drew that one but I think it was "KKANE" who started the Mafia web site and made up a lot of the art for it.
I did the same route as SIK. I did spend a bit of time in Fighter Ace and Warbirds with "TRIX!" when AW was closing down. We did a couple months in both trying them out before sticking with Aces High. Thats when I brought the Mafia over.
Title: Re: old timers
Post by: oboe on November 08, 2023, 03:18:34 PM
That's it!
Title: Re: old timers
Post by: Kini on November 08, 2023, 03:30:48 PM
I played Warbirds (VF-101) from it's open beta to the split into Aces High and WWII Online. Played both for a while until settling on AH for a couple of years before quitting altogether, coming back almost 20 years later. Can I claim Old Timer status?
Title: Re: old timers
Post by: Captain Virgil Hilts on November 08, 2023, 05:46:14 PM
Read about it back then in one of the popular computer magazines while in the AF on Okinawa. Was anxious to get back stateside to try it and did '90-'92. GEnie at $6/hr.
Man, I can remember people making $6 an hour back then. Not me fortunately.
I bought Air Warrior on a CD ROM, around 1994 I think. I had it and a hard copy manual for at least 20 years. I think that I actually had 2-3 of the CD's.They probably got lost during the deevorce about 6-7 years ago.
Only played Warbirds for a very short time. Was a closed beta tester for WIIOL, WoT, and WoW. Was also in the closed beta for the AH Tour of Duty. I was really sad about that dying, I had really high hopes for it.
I think I still have Silent Hunter III (U.S. subs) and Over Flanders Fields.
Wow, I have burned a ton of time gaming.
Title: Re: old timers
Post by: Dadtallica on November 08, 2023, 06:03:29 PM
Man, I can remember people making $6 an hour back then. Not me fortunately.
I bought Air Warrior on a CD ROM, around 1994 I think. I had it and a hard copy manual for at least 20 years. I think that I actually had 2-3 of the CD's.They probably got lost during the deevorce about 6-7 years ago.
Only played Warbirds for a very short time. Was a closed beta tester for WIIOL, WoT, and WoW. Was also in the closed beta for the AH Tour of Duty. I was really sad about that dying, I had really high hopes for it.
I think I still have Silent Hunter III (U.S. subs) and Over Flanders Fields.
Wow, I have burned a ton of time gaming.
I would have liked to come back to the tour of duty. Can you share how fare it got and some of what you liked about it. It all happened during my absence.
Title: Re: old timers
Post by: Fencer51 on November 08, 2023, 08:52:23 PM
Read about it back then in one of the popular computer magazines while in the AF on Okinawa. Was anxious to get back stateside to try it and did '90-'92. GEnie at $6/hr.
Computer Gaming World #67 January 1990, page 14, Lost in the Ozone again - "Air Warrior" on GEnie by Dale Archibald
I just feel like, overall, pilots today lack the enthusiasm they had back them, when the computer world was shiny and new.
I've still got that enthusiasm, though, these 35 years later! :aok
Back then, there weren’t a lot of quality choices. First time I logged into AW in 89 and saw what appeared to be a furball, that was true eye candy for me, that hook set in my mouth. All of hose planes are humans? Thats bada—. What made it bad, my current pc couldn’t pull the game. I think I had 12 fps. Which made me to become tech-ish to solve my own problems. Tried and tried, barely got there. Tried other sims, but they just didn’t hit the mark. About the same time AOL hosted the game I got a used 386 (wow, lol) I was finally in full time. FPS troubles is where a tech was born.
I stayed AW until the end too. Boom boom out go the lights, and here I is.
True, attitudes are different. They have a lot more choices.
Title: Re: old timers
Post by: Yeager on November 10, 2023, 08:31:23 PM
I was absolutely mesmerized by that early gameplay and the graphics... Not sure why, maybe it was the newness of it, the pure excitement, but I have more memories of epic A2A combat encouters with early versions of Warbirds than I ever did with AcesHigh. Its odd, I cannot pinpoint why...
Title: Re: old timers
Post by: Dadtallica on November 10, 2023, 09:02:20 PM
Don’t forget we are a couple generations further removed from WWII. It’s taught less in schools as we grow older and new history emerges. Our current youth does not have the same romance with the period that us Boomer and Gen Xer’s do.
Title: Re: old timers
Post by: Shuffler on November 11, 2023, 11:55:00 AM
I was watching a piece the other day. They asked some college age folks questions... when was the attack on Pearl Harbor? One answer, in the 1980s. Where is Pearl Harbor? Answer, somewhere in Florida.
Yes many people are uneducated in todays world. They may graduate, but they wasted their time doing things other than learning.
Title: Re: old timers
Post by: GasTeddy on November 11, 2023, 12:11:59 PM
I was watching a piece the other day. They asked some college age folks questions... when was the attack on Pearl Harbor? One answer, in the 1980s. Where is Pearl Harbor? Answer, somewhere in Florida.
Yes many people are uneducated in todays world. They may graduate, but they wasted their time doing things other than learning.
Very true. Schools and universities are not teaching people how to live or be civilized. Pressure is to make another brick in the wall, which competes with other bricks in earnings and show off items.
Also folks have a tendency to mix education with intelligence. Even totally uneducated person can have high IQ and well educated one be dumb as a dumpster.
Title: Re: old timers
Post by: Fencer51 on November 11, 2023, 12:15:28 PM
Heyyy, page 17, M1 Tank Platoon! That's the first game I ever played and I still have it in original box somewhere in dungeons.
I played the heck out of M1 Tank Platoon. Clancy's book Red Storm Rising and Team Yankee drove it.
Title: Re: old timers
Post by: Duckwing6 on November 22, 2023, 06:45:16 PM
Flying Circus (Duckwing Squad !) was my first MMOG :D then AW until they closed, went into AH when it came out into open Beta testing. dabbled a bit in WB but dunno prefered AH. Then became a Professional Pilot in real life, found a Girl and stopped simming (or any other gaming) for a loong long time. AH has been on my Laptop always and out of nostalgia i started it up today and it`s been patching ever since :rolleyes:
Title: Re: old timers
Post by: Tracerfi on November 22, 2023, 07:33:55 PM
Flying Circus (Duckwing Squad !) was my first MMOG :D then AW until they closed, went into AH when it came out into open Beta testing. dabbled a bit in WB but dunno prefered AH. Then became a Professional Pilot in real life, found a Girl and stopped simming (or any other gaming) for a loong long time. AH has been on my Laptop always and out of nostalgia i started it up today and it`s been patching ever since :rolleyes:
AHII ended awhile ago so you will not be able to connect AHIII is the newest version and might not run on your current Laptop if you have AHII then it is pretty dated I would assume
Title: Re: old timers
Post by: oboe on November 22, 2023, 08:01:17 PM
AHII ended awhile ago so you will not be able to connect AHIII is the newest version and might not run on your current Laptop if you have AHII then it is pretty dated I would assume
It's worth the upgrade! I'm surprised AHII would still be able to pull patches down from the AH server? So maybe he's getting AH III patches?
Title: Re: old timers
Post by: PopJanko on November 23, 2023, 10:48:02 PM
Anybody around here play Fighter Ace? I flew with the FC Squadron (The Flying Circus) from the late '90's until they killed it in 2009 or so, and left us high and dry. I FC_Graywolf back then and flew with and against some of the best guys I've known in gaming. Anybody that old in here?
I may have, but don't recall.
I did fly "Air Warrior" and "Hellcats over the Pacific" many years ago and was one of the "Hellcats/Leyte Gulf FAQ" for the game.
So, I may qualify as an old timer, but doesn't make me an expert at anything other than being an old guy. :old:
Title: Re: old timers
Post by: PopJanko on November 27, 2023, 05:39:39 PM
I'm from way back, but I flew Air Warrior, not Fighter Ace.
I flew in Air Warrior from 1988 until it closed down. Then came on over to Aces High.
(I thought Air Warrior was good until 1998?)
This brings up something I'm curious about. Too bad you can't fly old version of the game in compatibility mode in Winderz to hosted servers for a "legacy" subscription. Example; Air Warrior and earlier versions of Aces High. :angel: :cheers:
Pop
Title: Re: old timers
Post by: Brooke on November 27, 2023, 05:44:52 PM
Air Warrior's last day was December 7, 2001 -- the 60th anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor.
A bunch of folks got together in Air Warrior on that last day and made a group event of it. Flying together in it that one last time. In the air until the shutdown.
Title: Re: old timers
Post by: PopJanko on November 27, 2023, 06:08:41 PM
Air Warrior's last day was December 7, 2001 -- the 60th anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor.
A bunch of folks got together in Air Warrior on that last day and made a group event of it. Flying together in it that one last time. In the air until the shutdown.
:aok
I used to fly AW with a satellite internet connection (sucked) as I was using all borrowed equipment before 1997. Then, 33.6K baud, then 56K V.90 baud.
I honestly don't recall the last day.
I do know I picked up the game of Aces High, shortly after it came out and it was a natural fit as a lot of the keyboard commands (that I recall) were exactly the same.
I used the "Way Back Machine" to download copies of some older game versions. I was barely successful in getting them to run in some cases, but in others, worked quite well!
And, many compliments to every single participant in making Aces High what it is today. It's amazing what we have today.
I do recall a version of the game where on a map where we could run GV's under the surface of the ground while seeing other GV's on top. I recall when water was just "blue" And we had very limited choices of aircraft....
and so much more
So, bringing them back, even in a wrapped exe capable of running on more recent operating systems, or emulated operating systems, using current servers to provide legacy arenas, for an additional cost of course, would be just so cool.
I'd pay double my current subscription to do that in addition to my current subscription, but to make it more realistic, access to version x would be $5 a month, access to version y (includes x) would be $10 a month, and access to version x, y, z, etc.
Not sure if that's realistic, or an idea many would like, but retro games are the "thing" the past couple of years and it's only stronger with being able to buy a "modern" version of an Atari from 1977.
Just some hair-brained thoughts this old guy has
Pop
Title: Re: old timers
Post by: Shuffler on November 28, 2023, 09:17:55 AM
ASTEROIDS FTW.
:devil
Title: Re: old timers
Post by: Icer on November 28, 2023, 12:19:55 PM
Anybody around here play Fighter Ace? I flew with the FC Squadron (The Flying Circus) from the late '90's until they killed it in 2009 or so, and left us high and dry. I FC_Graywolf back then and flew with and against some of the best guys I've known in gaming. Anybody that old in here?
Confirmed Kill, Warbirds, and anything else I could get my hands on, ending with AH I/II/III in various squads (BK's were the last here IIRC. Now it's IL-2 WWI/WWII, DCS, and BMS 4.37.3...
Title: Re: old timers
Post by: Captain Virgil Hilts on November 29, 2023, 07:43:44 PM
Air Warrior's last day was December 7, 2001 -- the 60th anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor.
A bunch of folks got together in Air Warrior on that last day and made a group event of it. Flying together in it that one last time. In the air until the shutdown.
I was out of town for business when it happened. Never forgave EA for that.
Title: Re: old timers
Post by: Animl-AW on November 29, 2023, 10:39:08 PM
I was out of town for business when it happened. Never forgave EA for that.
At first we were happy a big programming company was taking over AW, thinking they would make it great. AW had a large player base. Pretty sure AW had a larger player base when it was killed than AH does now. A huge portion of AH base is/was AWers. But as soon as we found out any further updates would require it had to be rewritten from scratch, and large corp mentality of "buy the competition to kill it", we were skeptical. But a lot of us went over to tech the game for EA anyway, in case we were wrong. Our gut feeling came true, they trashed it several months later.
Some should be careful what they wish for when suggesting someone buy AH to move it along.
They should also be careful in doing reckless things that hurt the numbers. Many never lived through the end of AW, they tend to take for granted the existence of AH to be forever. Since there is no proper policing, ya can't just sit quite and let it go on, because they (mostly former players) are taking advantage of that to walk around here scorn free and kicking trash cans over and pushing other sims just under the rules of it not being in a title, which is stupid. Ya only allow this if you want a biz to die.
They think it's funny, they have zero stock in the game and are allowed to come here and do this while they behave properly in their own sim forums, where their behavior is not permitted. They say a few kind or interesting things to keep ya listening, but wait for it,... the used car salesman slip in power of negative suggestion and their sales pitch for another sim once they have you listening again. They have worked out a passive aggressive wording system.
These people who want your sim to die are not your friends, they are cockroaches.
Title: Re: old timers
Post by: Icer on November 30, 2023, 08:23:57 AM
They should also be careful in doing reckless things that hurt the numbers. Many never lived through the end of AW, they tend to take for granted the existence of AH to be forever. Since there is no proper policing, ya can't just sit quite and let it go on, because they (mostly former players) are taking advantage of that to walk around here scorn free and kicking trash cans over and pushing other sims just under the rules of it not being in a title, which is stupid. Ya only allow this if you want a biz to die.
They think it's funny, they have zero stock in the game and are allowed to come here and do this while they behave properly in their own sim forums, where their behavior is not permitted. They say a few kind or interesting things to keep ya listening, but wait for it,... the used car salesman slip in power of negative suggestion and their sales pitch for another sim once they have you listening again. They have worked out a passive aggressive wording system.
These people who want your sim to die are not your friends, they are cockroaches.
:rolleyes:... you must be a blast at parties!
Title: Re: old timers
Post by: Max on November 30, 2023, 08:27:49 AM
At first we were happy a big programming company was taking over AW, thinking they would make it great. AW had a large player base. Pretty sure AW had a larger player base when it was killed than AH does now. A huge portion of AH base is/was AWers. But as soon as we found out any further updates would require it had to be rewritten from scratch, and large corp mentality of "buy the competition to kill it", we were skeptical. But a lot of us went over to tech the game for EA anyway, in case we were wrong. Our gut feeling came true, they trashed it several months later.
Some should be careful what they wish for when suggesting someone buy AH to move it along.
They should also be careful in doing reckless things that hurt the numbers. Many never lived through the end of AW, they tend to take for granted the existence of AH to be forever. Since there is no proper policing, ya can't just sit quite and let it go on, because they (mostly former players) are taking advantage of that to walk around here scorn free and kicking trash cans over and pushing other sims just under the rules of it not being in a title, which is stupid. Ya only allow this if you want a biz to die.
They think it's funny, they have zero stock in the game and are allowed to come here and do this while they behave properly in their own sim forums, where their behavior is not permitted. They say a few kind or interesting things to keep ya listening, but wait for it,... the used car salesman slip in power of negative suggestion and their sales pitch for another sim once they have you listening again. They have worked out a passive aggressive wording system.
These people who want your sim to die are not your friends, they are cockroaches.
:headscratch:
Title: Re: old timers
Post by: save on December 01, 2023, 06:41:03 PM
Flew in WB from -96 and then AH some 7-8 years later, now in IL2.
Title: Re: old timers
Post by: Eagler on December 02, 2023, 06:02:28 AM
Is there a way in IL2 to turn off the German voices screeching at you during game play?
Eagler
Not to de-rail this thread any further than has already been attempted, but I believe if you go into your x:\IL-2 Sturmovik Great Battles\data\Audio\ folder and rename "radio" to "-radio" you will no longer get voices in the cockpit..
Title: Re: old timers
Post by: fd ski on December 02, 2023, 07:08:36 AM
started with fighter duel (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=72hE1IgGGsQ) back in 95 with dial up modems, challenge system where you called the person up, oh old times. Matchmaking was on Kali/Khan - those who played fighter duel would have fd- before their nick, and it stuck. Went to WB in 98 nicks fd-ski and ==fd==, played AH since closed Alpha. i guess that makes me an old timer ;)
Title: Re: old timers
Post by: Wildin on December 02, 2023, 08:52:21 AM
Happy to be here, happy to be alive. WB 90's till 2005. Enjoying VR in AH now at 79. :old:
Title: Re: old timers
Post by: Icer on December 02, 2023, 08:59:44 AM
Anybody around here play Fighter Ace? I flew with the FC Squadron (The Flying Circus) from the late '90's until they killed it in 2009 or so, and left us high and dry. I FC_Graywolf back then and flew with and against some of the best guys I've known in gaming. Anybody that old in here?
Was thinking of the first multiplayer flight sim I played, was in DOS, had to Telnet in via command line from Compuserve on a 2400 baud modem. The planes took off from a base up on a flat Mesa that was surrounded by canyons, which is where a lot of the fighting occurred. I "remember" it as "Confirmed Kill" but as it was well over ~30 years ago, not sure (and from searches CK was a box game). Anyone remember this game?
Title: Re: old timers
Post by: Eagler on December 02, 2023, 09:11:30 AM
Attack sub 688 was the 1st online game I tried with a coworker over our dial up modems..
Fighter ace was the first fight sim
Thanks to affordable high speed (cable tv) internet that got us off modems and has enabled the web to be what it has become..for better or worse
Eagler
Title: Re: old timers
Post by: Max on December 02, 2023, 09:14:12 AM
Was thinking of the first multiplayer flight sim I played, was in DOS, had to Telnet in via command line from Compuserve on a 2400 baud modem. The planes took off from a base up on a flat Mesa that was surrounded by canyons, which is where a lot of the fighting occurred. I "remember" it as "Confirmed Kill" but as it was well over ~30 years ago, not sure (and from searches CK was a box game). Anyone remember this game?
I believe Hitech wrote the code for Confirmed Kill, no?
Title: Re: old timers
Post by: Icer on December 02, 2023, 09:18:16 AM
I believe Hitech wrote the code for Confirmed Kill, no?
I thought it was related, but my memory of what/when/where back then is fuzzy. I was also quite active in Warbirds when it first came out, was in the "Dweebs of Death" squad and our C\O was one of the developers of Roger Wilco, the first VOIP comms program.. Days of Gunship, IAF, EF2000, Falcon 3, and (to wife #2s dismay) I bought anything I could get my hands on.. :D. The pinnacle of my AH days was around the time of the (IIRC) 2nd Con in Texas, drinking beers with Skuzzy and the guys, and being dragged from thh bar to take a position with my bestie Slapshot in the 2 vs. 2 ladder, using someone's HOTAS with (to me) a reversed throttle. We ended up going for the championship when he convinced me to trade my A6M for a Spit, and we lost..
Title: Re: old timers
Post by: Dadtallica on December 02, 2023, 09:38:13 AM
Was thinking of the first multiplayer flight sim I played, was in DOS, had to Telnet in via command line from Compuserve on a 2400 baud modem. The planes took off from a base up on a flat Mesa that was surrounded by canyons, which is where a lot of the fighting occurred. I "remember" it as "Confirmed Kill" but as it was well over ~30 years ago, not sure (and from searches CK was a box game). Anyone remember this game?
Almost sounds like Chuck Yeagers sim lol. I crashed into a lot of orange triangle mountains and flat mesas.
Title: Re: old timers
Post by: xanax on December 03, 2023, 08:42:34 PM
I remember this dude, Troy, lived directly across from me in the dorms at ISU (Idaho State) in 1990. I walked past his open door one day and saw him playing a flight sim. It was amazing-especially after he told me the other planes were actual humans from around the world! He let me try it out and we took turns. He had been at it a couple more days than me so he was a pro. I remember he had a Genie account and we jumped through a bunch of computer nerd fires to get into the game each time. The game was Air Warrior. Everyone always says it was $6 an hour to play back then but I distinctly remember him telling me it was $5 as I ended up splitting the bill for a couple of months during the Spring semester of that year. I remember my stomach sinking as I wrote him a check for $80 at one point. That really hurt back then as I was making $4.60/hr working in the biology lab 20 hours a week taking care of cadavers and cleaning test tubes. I wish I could remember our callsign and nick. I know it started with a 4 and our nick had something to do with cowboys. We were awful. We did get some kills sometimes and I remember a player called Eyeballs and I remember that Fencer guy too, I think. There was a CapnTrips in there too if I recall correctly. Troy left for grad school in Utah I think and I saw nothing of AW until 1994 I think on Earthspring (?) and later AOL. I remember it was pay to play again but cheaper-maybe $2 or $3 an hour. I always used prescription drug names as ID's- so Xanax, Paxil, NSAID and a few others as I skipped between services that hosted AW. I think it was '96 when AOL and Gamestorm went "all you can eat" for AW and I was in like Flynn! Countless hours winging with BD, Ptero, Mutant, ASF (Altitude Super Freak) and even Infidel (Nobaddy) was around to save my bellybutton a bunch. Eventually, BD and Ptero took me aside in the radio room and offered me a spot in The Damned. Hell Yes, I took it! Was very proud to be included with them. I played Warbirds quite a bit starting in 98, I think, and it was fun too. I still preferred AW but yup, still fun over there. In 1999, I went to the AW Con in SF and had a blast meeting fellow nerds....great times. In 1999, Dale put me on the alpha testing group and I had a blast testing AH. Luckily, nobody listened to my observations on the flight model and here we are today. Marriage and mountain bike riding and racing got in the way of my PC gaming soon after and now here I am. Broken from bike riding and maybe looking at getting back into pc planes. It'd be great to recapture some of that thrill of "I go diving down."
Title: Re: old timers
Post by: hazmatt on December 03, 2023, 09:22:20 PM
I remember this dude, Troy, lived directly across from me in the dorms at ISU (Idaho State) in 1990. I walked past his open door one day and saw him playing a flight sim. It was amazing-especially after he told me the other planes were actual humans from around the world! He let me try it out and we took turns. He had been at it a couple more days than me so he was a pro. I remember he had a Genie account and we jumped through a bunch of computer nerd fires to get into the game each time. The game was Air Warrior. Everyone always says it was $6 an hour to play back then but I distinctly remember him telling me it was $5 as I ended up splitting the bill for a couple of months during the Spring semester of that year. I remember my stomach sinking as I wrote him a check for $80 at one point. That really hurt back then as I was making $4.60/hr working in the biology lab 20 hours a week taking care of cadavers and cleaning test tubes. I wish I could remember our callsign and nick. I know it started with a 4 and our nick had something to do with cowboys. We were awful. We did get some kills sometimes and I remember a player called Eyeballs and I remember that Fencer guy too, I think. There was a CapnTrips in there too if I recall correctly. Troy left for grad school in Utah I think and I saw nothing of AW until 1994 I think on Earthspring (?) and later AOL. I remember it was pay to play again but cheaper-maybe $2 or $3 an hour. I always used prescription drug names as ID's- so Xanax, Paxil, NSAID and a few others as I skipped between services that hosted AW. I think it was '96 when AOL and Gamestorm went "all you can eat" for AW and I was in like Flynn! Countless hours winging with BD, Ptero, Mutant, ASF (Altitude Super Freak) and even Infidel (Nobaddy) was around to save my bellybutton a bunch. Eventually, BD and Ptero took me aside in the radio room and offered me a spot in The Damned. Hell Yes, I took it! Was very proud to be included with them. I played Warbirds quite a bit starting in 98, I think, and it was fun too. I still preferred AW but yup, still fun over there. In 1999, I went to the AW Con in SF and had a blast meeting fellow nerds....great times. In 1999, Dale put me on the alpha testing group and I had a blast testing AH. Luckily, nobody listened to my observations on the flight model and here we are today. Marriage and mountain bike riding and racing got in the way of my PC gaming soon after and now here I am. Broken from bike riding and maybe looking at getting back into pc planes. It'd be great to recapture some of that thrill of "I go diving down."
Nice walk down memory lane. Thanks for sharing. I started playing on an Amiga 500 around the same time. I recently found my AW dos and GEnie manuals. I remember 300 a month bills for the hourly play. It was more then my rent at the time! I upgraded to a 486/25 cause the Amiga wasn't giving me enough frame rates. I remember 4 number "tail numbers" at the time, not call signs.
Something interesting is that there's another thread titled Airwarrior that is currently showing that I first posted here in 1999. Almost 25 years ago now. Wow!
Title: Re: old timers
Post by: Dadtallica on December 03, 2023, 09:51:46 PM
Great story Xanax!
Title: Re: old timers
Post by: xanax on December 03, 2023, 10:22:04 PM
Nice walk down memory lane. Thanks for sharing. I started playing on an Amiga 500 around the same time. I recently found my AW dos and GEnie manuals. I remember 300 a month bills for the hourly play. It was more then my rent at the time! I upgraded to a 486/25 cause the Amiga wasn't giving me enough frame rates. I remember 4 number "tail numbers" at the time, not call signs.
Something interesting is that there's another thread titled Airwarrior that is currently showing that I first posted here in 1999. Almost 25 years ago now. Wow!
That's right, tail numbers. I remember seeing handles in the standings and whatnot in GEnie pages or bulletins...whatever they were. I do remember being amazed you could be a gunner on a bomber. An actual dude would be flying the plane and other dudes would be manning the guns. We could type to each other as well. You'd type a command to hop on board and you were in.
Hey, Troy! If you are out there and seeing this, drop me a pm. We lived on first floor, Nichols Hall if that helps. I was the dude who'd bring full-strength beer from Nevada. I gotta say my pathophysiology paper could have been much better if it wasn't for that damn game.
Title: Re: old timers
Post by: xanax on December 03, 2023, 10:24:33 PM
That's right, tail numbers. I remember seeing handles in the standings and whatnot in GEnie pages or bulletins...whatever they were. I do remember being amazed you could be a gunner on a bomber. An actual dude would be flying the plane and other dudes would be manning the guns. We could type to each other as well. You'd type a command to hop on board and you were in.
Hey, Troy! If you are out there and seeing this, drop me a pm. We lived on first floor, Nichols Hall if that helps. I was the dude who'd bring full-strength beer from Nevada. I gotta say my pathophysiology paper could have been much better if it wasn't for that damn game.
Thanks! I'm sure my memories are full of holes. I'm hoping Troy still plays and will see this post. After waking up from fainting, sends me a PM.
Title: Re: old timers
Post by: hazmatt on December 03, 2023, 11:19:45 PM
I remember dueling c47s with manned door gunners...
Title: Re: old timers
Post by: Brooke on December 03, 2023, 11:59:56 PM
Nice! Those were the days, eh? Thanks for posting. :aok
Also, nice reference to Scav's "I go diving down". :aok
If you want something of the golden days, come fly with us in the next Scenario in March. We still run Scenarios like we did with DoK starting in the early 1990's in Air Warrior.
This one is going to be an 8th AF campaign themed on (and running during) the "Masters of the Air" TV series.
this dude, Troy, lived directly across from me in the dorms at ISU (Idaho State) in 1990. I walked past his open door one day and saw him playing a flight sim. It was amazing-especially after he told me the other planes were actual humans from around the world! He let me try it out and we took turns. He had been at it a couple more days than me so he was a pro. I remember he had a Genie account and we jumped through a bunch of computer nerd fires to get into the game each time. The game was Air Warrior. Everyone always says it was $6 an hour to play back then but I distinctly remember him telling me it was $5 as I ended up splitting the bill for a couple of months during the Spring semester of that year. I remember my stomach sinking as I wrote him a check for $80 at one point. That really hurt back then as I was making $4.60/hr working in the biology lab 20 hours a week taking care of cadavers and cleaning test tubes. I wish I could remember our callsign and nick. I know it started with a 4 and our nick had something to do with cowboys. We were awful. We did get some kills sometimes and I remember a player called Eyeballs and I remember that Fencer guy too, I think. There was a CapnTrips in there too if I recall correctly. Troy left for grad school in Utah I think and I saw nothing of AW until 1994 I think on Earthspring (?) and later AOL. I remember it was pay to play again but cheaper-maybe $2 or $3 an hour. I always used prescription drug names as ID's- so Xanax, Paxil, NSAID and a few others as I skipped between services that hosted AW. I think it was '96 when AOL and Gamestorm went "all you can eat" for AW and I was in like Flynn! Countless hours winging with BD, Ptero, Mutant, ASF (Altitude Super Freak) and even Infidel (Nobaddy) was around to save my bellybutton a bunch. Eventually, BD and Ptero took me aside in the radio room and offered me a spot in The Damned. Hell Yes, I took it! Was very proud to be included with them. I played Warbirds quite a bit starting in 98, I think, and it was fun too. I still preferred AW but yup, still fun over there. In 1999, I went to the AW Con in SF and had a blast meeting fellow nerds....great times. In 1999, Dale put me on the alpha testing group and I had a blast testing AH. Luckily, nobody listened to my observations on the flight model and here we are today. Marriage and mountain bike riding and racing got in the way of my PC gaming soon after and now here I am. Broken from bike riding and maybe looking at getting back into pc planes. It'd be great to recapture some of that thrill of "I go diving down." [/quote]
Title: Re: old timers
Post by: xanax on December 04, 2023, 01:24:53 AM
Nice! Those were the days, eh? Thanks for posting. :aok
Also, nice reference to Scav's "I go diving down". :aok
If you want something of the golden days, come fly with us in the next Scenario in March. We still run Scenarios like we did with DoK starting in the early 1990's in Air Warrior.
This one is going to be an 8th AF campaign themed on (and running during) the "Masters of the Air" TV series.
Thanks, Brooke! Yet another name from the glorious AW past. I printed your AW guide with a dot matrix printer back in the day. I may even have that, The Tao of DoK and Scav's musings stowed somewhere in the attic.
I loved scenarios and I will certainly try to be in the one scheduled in March at some capacity as I found my Logitech stick in box just tonight after visiting here. I actually flourished in scenarios, if I recall correctly. I think it was "The day the Betty's died" scenario where I winged with Homer of AOL board admin fame. We ended up with the scalps of many an AW luminary that night as we brought down DD, GE, the aforementioned eb, and maybe 4 others in a wild and gnarly fight on the deck near Rabaul? I distinctly remember exploding GE's zeke with a minuscule burst as he slid onto Homer's 6. It was absolute bedlam after that as I simply followed Homer and slayed anyone who tried to line him up. at the end, it was just him and I flying out of that bloodbath. Glorious. I remember DoK came over here early on and was starting to get his juju back there for a while in 2000-2001-ish. He must have went back to Grand Prix Legends or WB after that.
Yeah, I'll be there, the juices are flowing. I'll need some better readers and a coaster for my coffee mug situated near my joystick.
Title: Re: old timers
Post by: Brooke on December 04, 2023, 04:19:36 AM
Wow, yeah, your stories make me smile, Xanax! :aok
DoK was here long ago. He did the Rangoon '42 scenario in 2004. But I haven't seen him around since those days.
If folks had told me back in the early 1990's that something like Air Warrior would be available, but with far better graphics, better flight modelling, over 100 aircraft, all the historical terrains, and VR (if you want it), for $25/month for unlimited flying any time of day -- and yet that a world of gamers would be apathetic about that rather than storming in to play it all day -- I wouldn't have believed it.
Title: Re: old timers
Post by: Kermit de frog on December 04, 2023, 08:49:35 AM
Wow, yeah, your stories make me smile, Xanax! :aok
DoK was here long ago. He did the Rangoon '42 scenario in 2004. But I haven't seen him around since those days.
If folks had told me back in the early 1990's that something like Air Warrior would be available, but with far better graphics, better flight modelling, over 100 aircraft, all the historical terrains, and VR (if you want it), for $25/month for unlimited flying any time of day -- and yet that a world of gamers would be apathetic about that rather than storming in to play it all day -- I wouldn't have believed it.
Here DoK's film about that event:
His website still has a file you mentioned: https://gonzoville.com/2004/04/14/the-tao-of-dok.html (https://gonzoville.com/2004/04/14/the-tao-of-dok.html)
Title: Re: old timers
Post by: Brooke on December 04, 2023, 11:48:37 AM
Thanks, Kermit! :aok
Title: Re: old timers
Post by: xanax on December 04, 2023, 02:11:10 PM
His website still has a file you mentioned: https://gonzoville.com/2004/04/14/the-tao-of-dok.html (https://gonzoville.com/2004/04/14/the-tao-of-dok.html)
Wow, thanks! Now I don't need to go up in the attic again until another long lost hobby or activity needs revisiting. My jiu-Jitsu gi is still up there next to the guitar and baseball card collection.
Title: Re: old timers
Post by: Frodo on December 04, 2023, 04:49:05 PM
Started Warbirds in 1995 and came to Aces High in 2000. Been here ever since. I remember a lot of the people in this thread. :old: :cheers:
Title: Re: old timers
Post by: Cohibadad1 on December 06, 2023, 06:51:07 PM
wow,I created a account just to say hello to all you old timers.Talk about a long time ago!! I flew wayyy... back in the day as ICOM. I cant even remember my squad.... JG26 maybe?. it was definitely early to mid 90's. I'm getting too old and its been so long ago. I think when I started it was 1.99$ an hour? Anyone remember the conventions in Houston and Dallas around 95 maybe 94? Anyone go to those? I guess it was warbirds back them... at least I think that was the name?. I met Dale and Pyro at those. It was such a fun time. I was even lucky enough to win something, it was a free trip to a Boeing plant and I was able to fly a real commercial pilot simulator, what a blast from the past. I do remember Frodo and Kermit icons from the past. I hope both of you are doing fantastic. Happy hunting to everyone here.
Title: Re: old timers
Post by: -pjk-- on December 07, 2023, 03:04:38 AM
I started late 1995 playing WB. (-pjk-- and =pjk==) AH from open beta and later mostly summertimes with various callsigns. 2005 and on only AH (puujiko and -pjk--). Last 5 years not daily playing, but still have active account. I also played WW2ol few years.
Title: Re: old timers
Post by: GasTeddy on December 07, 2023, 05:15:08 AM
^ Stop spilling beer, as it's misuse. Sauna, viina, puukko ja tietysti Perkele!
Title: Re: old timers
Post by: OverSire on December 07, 2023, 07:00:48 AM
1995 Warbirds FA AH 3 Vent_DD Froggie@FA OverSire
Title: Re: old timers
Post by: Bear76 on December 07, 2023, 04:09:20 PM
His website still has a file you mentioned: https://gonzoville.com/2004/04/14/the-tao-of-dok.html (https://gonzoville.com/2004/04/14/the-tao-of-dok.html)
:aok :aok :aok
Title: Re: old timers
Post by: Kini on June 09, 2024, 08:54:24 AM