General Forums => Aces High General Discussion => Topic started by: Yarbles on November 03, 2024, 07:26:35 PM
Title: What would get AH growing again
Post by: Yarbles on November 03, 2024, 07:26:35 PM
I am sure HT has asked himself this question but we can talk about it.
What amazes me about AH is how many different elements it has still compared to what else is out there.
Planes, GV'S, Ships, ground guns etc and they are still making films about WW2 so there is an interest.
What do people think might make it grow again in player numbers?
Positive suggestions please :D
Title: Re: What would get AH growing again
Post by: Yarbles on November 03, 2024, 07:29:16 PM
My opinion. 1) Icons are a bit old hat. Maybe we should switch them off and see what happens :bolt:
2) Make it AvA
3) Real Maps like Europe and the far east etc.
Basically fight the war and have the whole thing moving on a clock from 1939 to 1945 so we have changing scenarios over time. Europe, Africa, Russia, Eventually Japan and then start again.
The plane and vehicle set is already there for anywhere.
Allies will have the best bombers axis the best GV'S. There would have to be substitutes like C47 for tri motor and Japanese Carriers use US landing craft but most stuff seems to be there.
Title: Re: What would get AH growing again
Post by: SuperDud on November 03, 2024, 07:44:57 PM
You'd have to update graphics and lose the monthly subscription for starters. There's a game our there already that you can play for free that looks better and now is the premier sim.
I know a lot of the older folks might want to argue this, but this is the simple, non emotional truth.
Title: Re: What would get AH growing again
Post by: Yarbles on November 03, 2024, 08:02:45 PM
You'd have to update graphics and lose the monthly subscription for starters. There's a game our there already that you can play for free that looks better and now is the premier sim.
I know a lot of the older folks might want to argue this, but this is the simple, non emotional truth.
Given the huge plane and vehicle set and the effort that has gone into the modelling the Sub seems to me like excellent value. I think it is how they are used that is the issue. Be less of a game more of a re enactment of history might be a draw.
Prior to pearl harbor a bit light on the allied side for the Battle of France but we do have some early stuff like Hurri 1 early M4 and P40 even B25 are not that advanced V Early Panzer, Stuka, Heinkel, 109 and 110 etc Share C47. Wirble v M3 QUAD 50, M80 as a light tank on either side. Brewster for the allies. The Axis would at this stage have an advantage in kit of course.
B of B and Axis could invade the uk. North Africa and Barbarossa we have allot of Aircraft and Vehicles and then Pearl Harbour we are talking invasion of Hawaii potentially. And so on :D
Fight the war :rock
History and re imagined history :aok
Title: Re: What would get AH growing again
Post by: Animl-AW on November 03, 2024, 09:39:28 PM
Lack of advertising Get the word outside the bubble. Numbers breed numbers. Especially before scenarios.
Title: Re: What would get AH growing again
Post by: LNG15 on November 03, 2024, 09:41:55 PM
You'd have to update graphics and lose the monthly subscription for starters. There's a game our there already that you can play for free that looks better and now is the premier sim.
I know a lot of the older folks might want to argue this, but this is the simple, non emotional truth.
War Thunder is ALL about the modern fighters today mostly SuperDud. Plus most of the matches you get in like Realistic have time limits to complete the mission. I rather take as much time as I can without being limited to a time limit. What if I want to fly a Heavy Bomber like a B-17? You get slaughtered by ME-262s HO-229s and most of the early jets that have heavy cannon. Alongside that you can't even have a formation of 3 and you can only bomb the bases and there isn't even a realistic battle setup where the city or a strategic target can be bombed by the bombers. I quit playing WT due to players never helping and some of the premium vehicles they have which just slaughter your teammates and ruins the experience.
Title: Re: What would get AH growing again
Post by: SmokinLoon on November 03, 2024, 11:35:17 PM
Word of mouth, person to person recruiting is about it.
Sure, Hitech could spend lots of money on advertising but in the end games like War Thunder and IL-2 with the massive teams of developers and the newest and latest cutting edge graphics are going to win out.
AH is not a "flash-bang" game, it isn't a here today gone tomorrow game. It is still here (Jan 2008), and guys like me/us appreciate the complexity of the flight models and the different things that can be done.
I wish the certain aircraft and tanks would get a "check", the T34/85 is as buggy as they come and the 190 seems to stall out way too easy and violently (and the 190A-8 is about 500-600lbs too heavy depending on which source you're reading). The perk values need a serious adjustment (T34/85 needs a major hike!, the Firefly a reduction for being slow and wimpy. It makes no sense the T34/85 is less than half of the Firefly!), and it'd be nice to implement a "haze" in the optics of varying degrees on every tank but the German tanks to simulate their superior optics (Soviets were the worst). Etc. etc. Adjust the hardness factors so the small bombs are worth taking up.
I went off course a bit... sorry, but at the end of the day AH just ins't going to bring in the "flash-bang" crowd that wants graphics over modeling. They want their P51D to turn tight with Spitfires and Zekes, their P80's and Meteor Mk III's shooting down Me262's, and they want to be able to "buy" and add that flamethrower to their Sherman and take down buildings with it.
Title: Re: What would get AH growing again
Post by: AAIK on November 04, 2024, 07:06:57 AM
You wanna know what will help AH grow?
Aces High IV
Then you can implement "seasons" which are themed events that run for a couple months.
Title: Re: What would get AH growing again
Post by: potsNpans on November 04, 2024, 07:20:32 AM
Flourishing economies, player's who do continue through the learning curve. An aimbot for myself and others with poor eyesight. ✔️
Title: Re: What would get AH growing again
Post by: icepac on November 04, 2024, 07:30:42 AM
It would be cool if 20 year players first communications with new players weren't talking smack.
Title: Re: What would get AH growing again
Post by: Eagler on November 04, 2024, 07:35:14 AM
Any player with more than 5 years experience limited to mid war planes and below..
Eagler
Title: Re: What would get AH growing again
Post by: The Fugitive on November 04, 2024, 08:23:46 AM
Any thoughts of making the game full time "Axis vs Allies" is the dagger that will kill this game in weeks instead of years that we all hope we still have. Any other flight sim game that tried to run a A vs A type playfield even for shot amounts of time lost all kinds of population. If it was such a good idea IL2 would have much bigger servers and much larger crowds playing it.
GRAPHICS, it seems that is always the first thing everyone complains about here..... "20 year old graphics". Are the graphics that bad? I dont think so, but some things could use a bit more? Maybe. We have had "Speed Trees" for a long time yet nothing has changed....except the complaints of too many trees :) A quick look at the site shows some amazing views....
(https://i.postimg.cc/7LXJLRrs/trees.jpg)
Maybe the tree/land textures could use a bit of tweaking. Not sure how it works, but is it just the use of the program that is needed to tweak them?
Adding to the "flash-bang" aspect couldnt the explosions be beefed up, maybe add some where we dont have anything now like when a building explodes, maybe bigger hit sprites and so on. The game isnt a "flight sim" per say.. ask anyone that plays DCS.... so add a few gamyer elements for that "flash bang" crowd. In VR this game is awesome. Put a few explosions in their face and listen to them giggle!
Add a free element to the game. 10-12 free planes/vehicles in the MA all the time. A couple of buffs, a couple of tanks, a goon and M3 for supply/troops and 4-6 fighters. Sure the "new guys" will have there butts handed to them, but by playing the game and learning to work with others they will learn how deep the game is and Im sure will move to the subscription.
Volunteers, There are a number of players who are retired. Some I am sure have talents that could be used in the game. We have skinners and map makers, why not some guys to work on new explosions, trees, textures, tiles and so on. I know I would love to contribute to the game as much as I can to help it along, Im sure there are others.
Resubmit to Steam or other gamers sites. I dont know how much it costs to do so, but Im thinking its less than a TV ad and might have a much better target audience. Have some volunteers on hand for the opening to help players coming in, give them the "blue text" to stand out and help players. Every 5 minutes or so send a "how to use ingame text" message so the first thing they can do is talk, and ask questions. Do this 24 hours strait for a week just to get as many as you can into the game as easily as possible, hand feed the newbies.
It would be cool if 20 year players first communications with new players weren't talking smack.
I always thought there should be more MODs. Unfortunately we live in a world where everyone can/will take offense at the smallest thing. There is "smack talking" and then there is abuse and sometimes its a very fine line between the two. Some player seem to thrive on crossing that line and drive players away. Id rather see those players hammered with mutes and suspensions and even bans to hopefully keep from running off other players.
More MODs could also be used as a committee that could gather evidence of poor game play and drop it on Hitechs desk. This way things like the "YKW" incident dosent carry on so long again chasing players away.
Any player with more than 5 years experience limited to mid war planes and below..
Eagler
I dont like limiting players. Let them fly what ever they want, but lets say they only get credit for half a kill toward score. Those that fly the monsters to only rack up quick easy kills for score may change planes. Of course those that just want to see their name in lights will continue but it might move some out of those planes.
Adjust ENY. Some planes/vehicles are way out of wack, Yaks, T34, and so on. You could also add better earnings to some of the mid war planes for "perk farming". As it is a G2 with a kill gets you a couple perks, double it and see how many people start flying them to build perks.
Why build perks? so you can pay for your magic ride when ENY kicks in. If your team is hit with ENY, you can pay perks to get that pony you just have to have. Im not sure how long it takes, or could take with ENY/perk adjustments added do build a usable bank of perks, but once that time is known it would adjust the clearing of perks from the bank. Purge the perks so everyone starts fresh, and purge them every tour, or every other tour to keep from having the thousands of perks some players have.
I think the biggest issue is Hitech. If he is willing to jump in Im sure things would change for the better. If he just wants to maintain and provide a playground for those of us still around, not much will change. As always, the ball is in his court.
Title: Re: What would get AH growing again
Post by: Animl-AW on November 04, 2024, 08:27:55 AM
Graphic update, without any setting changes would set growth in motion just by word of mouth.
Not one setting bothers me. They make more sense when there’s a decent size crowd. No one setting is going to do it. Thats a pipe dream.
Graphic update alone would set things in motion. Since we don’t know what work it would entail, easier said than done. It would prolly require at least a small team, and update bug fixes from doing it. It would take 4-5 people in tune with each other. Would current skins and maps still work?
Title: Re: What would get AH growing again
Post by: Animl-AW on November 04, 2024, 08:40:24 AM
I have a good software for explosions, fire and smoke that I’ve been toying with off and on. These look crazy realistic. But I don’t know what file type is required.
In some cases a model is required to have pieces of it fly off with trailing smoke. I can make buildings crumple. What I’ve seen here may look equal or better than the other sims.
Very soon I would have plenty of free time to donate to FX.
Sounds are pretty good, maybe a few touchups here and there for freshness. I can do those too.
Title: Re: What would get AH growing again
Post by: Dadtallica on November 04, 2024, 08:51:16 AM
You need about $3M and a bunch of people… just to get started. Anything else you’re asking for won’t matter until you do that.
Money to contract developers mostly, hire some kind of office staff to manage the day to day ops, no idea what kind of systems and software is not already in hand, and a newer thinking more intensive approach to marketing and social media. Oh and then you have to keep it all going by generating revenue somehow.
Basically what used to be but way bigger.
Title: Re: What would get AH growing again
Post by: Animl-AW on November 04, 2024, 08:57:42 AM
You need about $3M and a bunch of people… just to get started.
I disagree
Edit: as soon as you hire a dev they want labor cost x3 to turn profit for work. We have a few very capable ppl who would contribute.depends on the laws if you must pay for work profited on. We ran into this issue when AW moved to EA.com for techs. We decided to provide the services for free as volunteer work.
Title: Re: What would get AH growing again
Post by: DmonSlyr on November 04, 2024, 08:59:14 AM
Smaller maps that streamline action. Most of my friends I try to get to play are bored after 10 minutes flying to a field if they get that far. If new players don't see any action on the map, they aren't going to know where the battle is. Less than 50 players with a huge map and one tiny dar on the other side isn't going to get them to roll and spend time.
Marketing - still hardly anyone ever heard of the game. The military channel commercials were probably the best marketing strategy this game ever had. Too bad we can't get more of them. Hell even youtube commercials would be great. None of those games are even close to AH, so would get some clicks for sure with a good commercial.
Perking more super late war fighters/ENY adj. The amount of BnZers in Temps, La7s, 190Ds, and spit16s is too much. while they may "help" the new players, they aren't being helped having to constantly defend against better sticks in these planes. The constant BnZ and running makes the game more boring for them and feeds the "i need to fly the best planes too in order to suceed".
Having early war planes FTP. This would allow players to come in for free and be pawns for the rest of us. To fill up #s with planes that not even really great sticks would be able to do much in. It would just provide easier kills for noobs, bring players back to try the game after their 2 weeks is over. Bring a lot more #s to the game, balance the arena with not such hard planes to kill, and increase the #s for overall better fights.
People want battles that dont take 10 minutes to get to where they die quickly. That's 100% the issue. If they cannot find battles, they log off. If they don't have to fly as far, than dying isn't as time consuming where it feels like a giant waste of time.
Title: Re: What would get AH growing again
Post by: fuzeman on November 04, 2024, 09:07:04 AM
A historic layout wouldn't work I don’t think. Who would want to fly on the Japanese side in 1945 as one lopsided example. There have to be other fronts where it was lopsided also but they escape me at the moment.
Title: Re: What would get AH growing again
Post by: Animl-AW on November 04, 2024, 09:10:02 AM
Smaller maps that streamline action. Most of my friends I try to get to play are bored after 10 minutes flying to a field if they get that far. If new players don't see any action on the map, they aren't going to know where the battle is. Less than 50 players with a huge map and one tiny dar on the other side isn't going to get them to roll and spend time.
Marketing - still hardly anyone ever heard of the game. The military channel commercials were probably the best marketing strategy this game ever had. Too bad we can't get more of them. Hell even youtube commercials would be great. None of those games are even close to AH, so would get some clicks for sure with a good commercial.
Perking more super late war fighters/ENY adj. The amount of BnZers in Temps, La7s, 190Ds, and spit16s is too much. while they may "help" the new players, they aren't being helped having to constantly defend against better sticks in these planes. The constant BnZ and running makes the game more boring for them and feeds the "i need to fly the best planes too in order to suceed".
Having early war planes FTP. This would allow players to come in for free and be pawns for the rest of us. To fill up #s with planes that not even really great sticks would be able to do much in. It would just provide easier kills for noobs, bring players back to try the game after their 2 weeks is over. Bring a lot more #s to the game, balance the arena with not such hard planes to kill, and increase the #s for overall better fights.
People want battles that dont take 10 minutes to get to where they die quickly. That's 100% the issue. If they cannot find battles, they log off. If they don't have to fly as far, than dying isn't as time consuming where it feels like a giant waste of time.
I’d stay away from settings. Everyone has their own take on them and they are all over the place on opinions.
Settle fir graphics, nothing more. Some suggestions require major over-haul, rewrite. Pushing limits on getting an update.
Put the settings down, focus on graphics. Graphics will sell way over any setting change. Don’t turn a to do list into the book of War and Peace, which will make it overwhelming to even start.
Title: Re: What would get AH growing again
Post by: ~ZoSo~ on November 04, 2024, 09:16:10 AM
Then you can implement "seasons" which are themed events that run for a couple months.
How much would the update cost? Would the current players be willing to incur that cost? From what I understand, Hitech doesn’t have a crew to do that right now. How much is the game worth? Would Hitech be willing to sell it? What about the patents?
Title: Re: What would get AH growing again
Post by: Animl-AW on November 04, 2024, 09:32:18 AM
How much would the update cost? Would the current players be willing to incur that cost? From what I understand, Hitech doesn’t have a crew to do that right now. How much is the game worth? Would Hitech be willing to sell it? What about the patents?
Under volunteer work and NDAs, we could do this cheaper than some may think. Stay off the settings until you pass that point. Think graphics.
I think Fugi has a firm grip on the situation.
As for a hired dev team, if I worked for one and charged $50 per hr, they would charge $150 per hr to profit off my work. We can’t do that and be affordable too.
Title: Re: What would get AH growing again
Post by: Shane on November 04, 2024, 09:34:57 AM
I’d stay away from settings. Everyone has their own take on them and they are all over the place on opinions.
I see nothing wrong with the graphics currently presented.
It's as much about retaining existing players as it is about getting new ones.
There are several settings that could be tweaked, and several maps removed. You're right in that there are varying opinions, but there are a few commonalities that many agree on, night time being one, sideswitching timer being another, as well as the removal of certain maps.
For example:
nightlenghthhours = lessen or remove totally, currently set at .3 of some variable (hour?) = 18 mins approximately
Observerseen, planeseen, and vehicleradar, vehicleseen, and vehicle sector = icon/radar ranges
changecountrytime = side switching timer, currently 21600 seconds (6 hrs)
daystilterrainchange = currently at 1 week, could be lowered to 3-4 days
There are a ton of viewable settings, and some that we do not have access to (eny tables), but all require changes that only HTC can make on the server side.
Title: Re: What would get AH growing again
Post by: Animl-AW on November 04, 2024, 09:40:14 AM
I see nothing wrong with the graphics currently presented.
It's as much about retaining existing players as it is about getting new ones.
There are several settings that could be tweaked, and several maps removed. You're right in that there are varying opinions, but there are a few commonalities that many agree on, night time being one, sideswitching timer being another, as well as the removal of certain maps.
For example:
nightlenghthhours = lessen or remove totally, currently set at .3 of some variable (hour?) = 18 mins approximately
Observerseen, planeseen, and vehicleradar, vehicleseen, and vehicle sector = icon/radar ranges
changecountrytime = side switching timer, currently 21600 seconds (6 hrs)
daystilterrainchange = currently at 1 week, could be lowered to 3-4 days
There are a ton of viewable settings, and some that we do not have access to (eny tables), but all require changes that only HTC can make on the server side.
Graphics are ok for you, not new or return players used to modern graphics. Setting changes won’t even move the needle, except for current players. Other sims have real stupid settings, their draw is graphics. You Might gain 5-15 over a setting, 200-300 over graphics.
On just settings it can go both ways gain 10 lose 20, net gain of -10. Some have no idea how making one setting change can cause implosion from thise who disagree. Dangerous area. Graphics would be a positive gain hands down.
HT is more than welcome to call me and see fx examples I could DONATE. Graphics is something everyone agrees on. Never bet on the roulette wheel.
Title: Re: What would get AH growing again
Post by: Spikes on November 04, 2024, 09:50:03 AM
Any thoughts of making the game full time "Axis vs Allies" is the dagger that will kill this game in weeks instead of years that we all hope we still have. Any other flight sim game that tried to run a A vs A type playfield even for shot amounts of time lost all kinds of population. If it was such a good idea IL2 would have much bigger servers and much larger crowds playing it.
That's kind of an odd take. FSO used to have 450 people playing Axis vs Allies events. Of course, not a nightly thing like the MA sandbox, but 5 of 7 days a week there were Axis v Allies Special Events being run, not including the AvA arena itself. I don't disagree that making the MA an AvA setup probably wouldn't be great, but suggesting people don't want Axis v Allies is intriguing.
IL2, at least in my understanding, was never designed for supporting large servers/# of players like AH was designed for. The maps tend to be much smaller and much more detailed than AHs. Combat Box is the most popular IL2 server and they just upped their limit to 84 somewhat recently, but they have a very beefy server (16 core, 32 thread cpu and 192gb of ram). AH by comparison was designed mostly for large amounts of players with great netcode, and of course was/is a marvel in that regard, especially in the early 2000s. I'd have to look later, but I assume on an average night there's about the same amount of people in the MA and IL2 (IL2 being spread across a few servers).
For what it's worth, I agree with you on graphics. I don't think they're bad and those who say they suck have never had the experience of cranking them up and putting on a VR headset. I've played very little DCS, but I find IL2 and AH graphics on the surface somewhat comparable. Where AH lacks, imo, is effects. Things like hit sprites, bomb explosions, fire and smoke.
Title: Re: What would get AH growing again
Post by: Shane on November 04, 2024, 09:50:56 AM
Graphics are ok for you, not new or return players used to modern graphics. Setting changes won’t even move the needle, except for current players. Other sims have real stupid settings, their draw is graphics. You Might gain 5-15 over a setting, 200-300 over graphics.
On just settings it can go both ways gain 10 lose 20, net gain of -10. Some have no idea how making one setting change can cause implosion from thise who disagree. Dangerous area. Graphics would be a positive gain hands down.
HT's forte is coad, not graphics, tho' - the graphical updates are simply not happening due to limited resources and no amount of "volunteer" work will make the needed changes and testing before the current player base ages or bores out.
Current settings that contribute to quality of gameplay seem to be driving players away, not the graphics. There are very few players who want to retain night, or certain maps. Side switching timer also puts people, who are unwilling to buy multiple accounts, off.
Some settings can be changed with minimal negative impact, and quite possibly a boost.
Title: Re: What would get AH growing again
Post by: Eagler on November 04, 2024, 10:21:48 AM
Maybe it's been so long since a code change the process has been forgotten...
Having retired only a year ago what I used to do daily then it but a distant blur and would take a bit to get back into the swing of things...
With that thought in mind, if HT does not need additional financial assistance I don't see him taking on the headache imo..
Eagler
Title: Re: What would get AH growing again
Post by: Yarbles on November 04, 2024, 10:36:30 AM
A historic layout wouldn't work I don’t think. Who would want to fly on the Japanese side in 1945 as one lopsided example. There have to be other fronts where it was lopsided also but they escape me at the moment.
Good Point. It would have to be limited to fronts that were competitive.
Despite what people say this seems to be a growth area elsewhere.
I realize it would not appeal to the wizz bang gamers but would to the more mature history buffs who when hooked would likely stay hooked as there is nothing else I know of with the quantity and variety of models. We seem to have enough types to stage all the major battles in sequence.
Title: Re: What would get AH growing again
Post by: Animl-AW on November 04, 2024, 10:44:51 AM
I get the points made. But the entire thing was made by basically 3-5 people, and a lot of planning in first time around.
Some requested settings/ideas would require coding rewrite. Thats the hardest part that would be all on HT. Leaving things as is and just going after graphics is easier path that is more possible than coding. Coding would require updates for new bugs, and thats the biggest headache. IMO, graphics only. <shrug>
Title: Re: What would get AH growing again
Post by: Yarbles on November 04, 2024, 10:55:32 AM
Would it be possible to run SEA all the time. ?
Keep running through scenario in historical order or perhaps for a limited period ever week?
Title: Re: What would get AH growing again
Post by: Shane on November 04, 2024, 10:56:00 AM
Good Point. It would have to be limited to fronts that were competitive.
Despite what people say this seems to be a growth area elsewhere.
I realize it would not appeal to the wizz bang gamers but would to the more mature history buffs who when hooked would likely stay hooked as there is nothing else I know of with the quantity and variety of models. We seem to have enough types to stage all the major battles in sequence.
AH has had in the past, a perfectly viable AvA (Combat Theatre) and I spent many enjoyable hours as the weekly plane sets changed. Learning rides vs their historical matchups has skills that translate to MA play, plus exposure to the extensive plane set AH has on offer. The AvA was never really so much about base-taking as much about the matchups.
<Those set ups still exist somewhere, and having some good maps made it more immersive - not sure how many made the jump to AH3.>
It might be a draw if the AvA was made reduced $ to play if the hassle of creating a new subscription would be not worthwhile (i.e., wouldn't generate revenue, just more overhead.) It would also need some kind of managing in changing plane sets/maps on a weekly basis, so there's that additional administrative burden.
I've viewed MNM as a potential to bring this AvA idea back in to play - where one side is axis and one side allied and the plane sets could be entirely variable with all mid-war available or more historical matchups with the occasion off-brand MNM feature special plane sets available to both sides.
Title: Re: What would get AH growing again
Post by: Yarbles on November 04, 2024, 11:03:05 AM
Thanks Shane:
I notice all the other growing games are A V A and without Icons but with some Radar but not as effective as AH radar. Obviously even on an historical map 1 player is no fun but with 10 players with scores and dot radar can seem very busy.
Maybe start with B of B then, Barbarossa, Midway, Torch, Normandy, Arden es and back to the start over say one week or month.
Title: Re: What would get AH growing again
Post by: Shane on November 04, 2024, 11:06:52 AM
I notice all the other growing games are A V A and without Icons but with some Radar but not as effective as AH radar. Obviously even on an historical map 1 player is no fun but with scores and dot radar can seem very busy.
Part of the fun (to me anyway) appeal of how AH AvA was managed was having some variable dar and icon settings... we've done full, limited icon range, limited icon range to enemy (current MNM) , and have even occasionally went no icon.
There are several dar settings that can be tweaked... dot update settings (ma is 5 secs), reduced dar ranges for both bases and inflight, and altitude parameters.
Title: Re: What would get AH growing again
Post by: Yarbles on November 04, 2024, 11:17:23 AM
Might not be a panacea but an A V A rolling arena could use all the plane and vehicle set and get the history buffs involved who don't want to fight a spitfire in a spitfire.
Another strength of AH is it doesn't require a huge amount of memory or a very high end PC to run. I am sure allot of people cannot afford a $2000 PC to run say DCS.
The demographic is getting older but that may be a good thing. Many of us are retired now or semi retired with time to have fun and money to spend on it. This is a value for money option. Yes it requires time and patience which is what we have. If it reflects actual history that brings it in line with study (which I think most of us do to some extent) and realism in the model set, even better.
Having a rolling A V A based on very popular scenario and it will be like 2 games for the price of 1.
Title: Re: What would get AH growing again
Post by: The Fugitive on November 04, 2024, 11:44:23 AM
Well there is FSO 3 fridays a month, and "Monday Night Madness" every Monday night which often runs a AvsA type setup. Trying to run one a full day let alone a week I just dont think you will have enough players to make it interesting. I've been here for over 20 years and even in its heyday the AvA arena was never all that populated. You had the 6-10 regulars and then the occasional pop ins but pulling 40+ players full time I just dont see it, not enough intrest in the history to promote it.
FSO use to be split with guys who only did FSO and those that did both FSO and the MA. Last week they had 75 players a most were players that are in the MA often too, but it is still a far cry from the 450+ Spikes mentioned. Im sure the CMs could setup an arena with one of the small maps they use for FSO to recreate battles, but unless you have someone in there "guiding/policing" the arena its going to turn into a lopside land grab more often than not.
Title: Re: What would get AH growing again
Post by: fd ski on November 04, 2024, 11:51:55 AM
i agree with notion that graphics update is a start to any increase. Game looks dated, as much as i love it, it does.
HiTech was always very careful to make sure it runs smoothly on most machines. That's the tradeoff. Given how much hustle it is to get DCS to run, i think choice was right. But still, visuals need to upgrade somewhat...
How, is whole another matter.
Title: Re: What would get AH growing again
Post by: HL117 on November 04, 2024, 12:03:48 PM
More people !
Title: Re: What would get AH growing again
Post by: DmonSlyr on November 04, 2024, 12:28:01 PM
You look at Saturday night. We had a larger # of players play well into 12am due to having battles on both sides of the map. This map was Crags, and is a great map to build action. We had nice dars.
You look at BowlMA at 12am on Sunday most people have left as they either have to fly accross a channel or don't know where the fight is and the dars are smaller so the action is less.
I've been playing this game for a very long time. I can see clear changes in the #s when there is a map that provides good action.
Maps are 100% what keeps players logged in longer to build up the fights. If you have a map too big during off hours, it doesn't keep people logged in, that's a fact.
Title: Re: What would get AH growing again
Post by: Yarbles on November 04, 2024, 12:38:55 PM
but unless you have someone in there "guiding/policing" the arena its going to turn into a lopside land grab more often than not.
Thanks for your comments its obvious you know what you are talking about. Just focusing on the above: War is often a lopsided land grab. :old: Even being on the defensive can be fun :banana:
I don't think AH will ever compete with the market on graphics but it could perhaps play to its strength which is a huge range of planes and vehicles and so the opportunity to re enact.
BTW I would like to see the basic M4 have some effectiveness against German armor side on or at ultra short range. Other than that most things seem very accurate. In early war allot of allied equipment was sub standard later on the pendulum swung the other way. People had to work around that in both cases which I also find fascinating.
I think AH has a great combination of features not found elsewhere that appeals to a certain generation brought up with films of the 60's and 70's but still today. If Hollywood still think this history is interesting and makes money why not AH. Just relatively recently "Masters of the Air". I think the "Star Wars" types are still around to as Star Wars was basically WW2 style action but they have possibly other outlets where graphics and wizz bang is all. Again not AH. AH is about making the most of what we already have in my opinion without development but with alternative sceanrios so no develpment costs.
Title: Re: What would get AH growing again
Post by: Dadtallica on November 04, 2024, 01:42:42 PM
Edit: as soon as you hire a dev they want labor cost x3 to turn profit for work. We have a few very capable ppl who would contribute.depends on the laws if you must pay for work profited on. We ran into this issue when AW moved to EA.com for techs. We decided to provide the services for free as volunteer work.
The game is too far behind to live in sweat equity. If AH were to come back and be a viable player in the market it would take lots of money and lots of people willing to take less of it.
Title: Re: What would get AH growing again
Post by: nopoop on November 04, 2024, 01:53:56 PM
AvA has always failed in the MA envirement. SMALL MAPS Get rid of all seeing dar back to dar bar only Hit sprites and explosions would be GREAT
Title: Re: What would get AH growing again
Post by: JimmyD3 on November 04, 2024, 02:01:14 PM
You look at Saturday night. We had a larger # of players play well into 12am due to having battles on both sides of the map. This map was Crags, and is a great map to build action. We had nice dars.
You look at BowlMA at 12am on Sunday most people have left as they either have to fly accross a channel or don't know where the fight is and the dars are smaller so the action is less.
I've been playing this game for a very long time. I can see clear changes in the #s when there is a map that provides good action.
Maps are 100% what keeps players logged in longer to build up the fights. If you have a map too big during off hours, it doesn't keep people logged in, that's a fact.
There are only 2 Large maps (512X512) in rotation, BowlMA and Buzzsaw. The remainder are medium maps (256X256), even etoma is a medium map.
Title: Re: What would get AH growing again
Post by: LilMak on November 04, 2024, 02:01:50 PM
Free highly limited Plane/GV set. Get them addicted and maybe they’ll subscribe. Two weeks has never been close to long enough to overcome the learning curve.
Title: Re: What would get AH growing again
Post by: waystin2 on November 04, 2024, 02:06:39 PM
Graphics improvement, new planes and vehicles, regular updates to game engine. :aok
Title: Re: What would get AH growing again
Post by: Dadtallica on November 04, 2024, 03:13:50 PM
There are only 2 Large maps (512X512) in rotation, BowlMA and Buzzsaw. The remainder are medium maps (256X256), even etoma is a medium map.
Oceana and CraterMA. not sure if 512 but it seems like it. Some of the smaller maps don't bring great #s either, but atleast the fights are more condensed..
That being said, the 2v1 gang on one team or the other is also making battles stale. Cannot expect a team with 30 players to defend against both sides using their entire airforce to attack. Who wants to roll and defend? No one, so it's like 2 massive dars against 1 side with those players bascially as sitting ducks.
Title: Re: What would get AH growing again
Post by: Animl-AW on November 04, 2024, 06:06:22 PM
The game is too far behind to live in sweat equity. If AH were to come back and be a viable player in the market it would take lots of money and lots of people willing to take less of it.
IMO, total overhaul, like AW, is prolly out of reach. I don’t see into competing with modern games, but be better than current state in comparison to graphics. We already have best game play. Graphics is #1. They are good, I’m ok with it, its making it better to draw again. 300 in MA is a vast change.
This thread is why any changes are discussed behind closed doors. As soon as the word “update” appears the wishlist explodes way outside intensions. The list becomes infinite, literally., pushing it out of reach.
Title: Re: What would get AH growing again
Post by: Max on November 04, 2024, 06:09:29 PM
Graphics improvement, new planes and vehicles, regular updates to game engine. :aok
So kinda like back in the day when Dale & Doug were actively involved with development?
Title: Re: What would get AH growing again
Post by: DmonSlyr on November 04, 2024, 06:10:27 PM
Why do we need more planes and vehicles when 90% of the arena only flies in 5 planes and 1 tank :rofl
Graphics don't matter. It's about engagement. Are you keep player enganged? If they get bored twiddling their thumbs for too long, they will leave. It's that simple.
Title: Re: What would get AH growing again
Post by: Animl-AW on November 04, 2024, 06:13:51 PM
Why do we need more planes and vehicles and when 90% of the arena only flies in 5 planes and 1 tank :rofl
Graphics don't matter. It's about engagement. Are you keep player enganged? If they get bored twiddling their thumbs for too long, they will leave. It's that simple.
New planes and vehicles prolly will not happen. Here we are talking about something that might help then slipping into darkness of complete overhaul, its not going to happen IMO.
Title: Re: What would get AH growing again
Post by: SuperDud on November 04, 2024, 07:20:52 PM
War Thunder is ALL about the modern fighters today mostly SuperDud. Plus most of the matches you get in like Realistic have time limits to complete the mission. I rather take as much time as I can without being limited to a time limit. What if I want to fly a Heavy Bomber like a B-17? You get slaughtered by ME-262s HO-229s and most of the early jets that have heavy cannon. Alongside that you can't even have a formation of 3 and you can only bomb the bases and there isn't even a realistic battle setup where the city or a strategic target can be bombed by the bombers. I quit playing WT due to players never helping and some of the premium vehicles they have which just slaughter your teammates and ruins the experience.
That's all well and true, but it doesn't change my point. No one is going to pay $15 a month for a game with cruddy graphics and very low population most of the day.
You have to change your pay model and update your graphics. Outside of war thunder there's also IL2 and and DCS that offer some form of multi-player and doesn't require a monthly payment.
You might say they can't/don't have as many players in one arena but by the sound of it, at most hours they are similar to those games.
Title: Re: What would get AH growing again
Post by: nrshida on November 05, 2024, 03:55:24 AM
No one is going to pay $15 a month for a game with cruddy graphics and very low population most of the day.
No one? Many players have done so for many, many years because the flight modelling is the best and you're free to pitch whatever aircraft and tactics you wish - arena disposition permitting - against potentially massive amounts of or at least hugely-varied human players. That's unique.
I notice all the other growing games are A V A and without Icons...
I hardly think a sensible stratergy is to try to force AH into a poorer replication of more recent games. They have their strengths and weaknesses the same as AH. Nor do I think it's a particularly good idea to chase the younger and more fickle ego-centric gamers. AH has appeal to other people. A couple of points which might not occur for various reasons:-
NONE of the present flight sim offerings have yet, nor likely will last as long as AH has. Doubly so if you include AH1 and 2's predecessor. There is clearly a special sauce in there somewhere, the longevity is nothing short of remarkable and seldom is acknowledged. By now this game should fairly have a cult and legendary status. Yet you see hardly a mention because it's age and design-decisions are not in alignment with recent offerings. Why must everything pander. Some things are what they are.
At the time of the Steam launch I volunteered to help HiTech with some design work and was shared certain confidences which were pertinant to that work (and not mine to share further). Suffice to say many forum members seem to have been confusing causation with corellation for years now and have been taking that failure to revamp the player-base as some kind of evidence there's something wrong with the core of the game. The primary reason prospective players did not stick around had nothing to do at all with the core game nor the subscription model. Couldn't possible be any meaningful inference made about that from this release. Let's just say it was a sort of highly off-putting user-interface issue for those who had not given flight-sims a good go.
If I were chief advisor in charge of game architecture, future policy, whiskey-rationing and that little gravelley patch behind the outside toilet (which I'm not), I'd suggest a half year revamp, a consequential launch of AH4 on Steam with revisions to the user interface and certainly an some HTC-hosted human-populated alternative arena to the MA. The MA is a very peculiar place to those who have not spent a long time here. That's hard to empathise with by all of us who have, well, spent a long time here. It compromises all of our suggestions about revitalising the game. We all also speak from our preferences from years of gameplay. Maybe a rolling AvA (amongst other things) also offered. But not ONLY offered.
Regarding graphics, there are still people playing Counterstrike (the old one) and other similar games. The question is not whether the graphics are fantastic eye-candy replete with wow-factor but rather are they fit for purpose which IMHO is to give you sufficient immesrion to enjoy the actual activity of the game. For me it's perfectly good enough. Also there is advantage in that, wihout 72-layers of ray-traced sundogs and reflections your PC requirements also let you reach a more general, non-gamer and likely more mature demographic.
Finaly a word about the Dale God Entity. I don't have it, but by all accounts he has knocked the ball out of the park with VR compared to other well-staffed snd well-funded games. And it's not the first time, his patented net-lag code is the backbone to which this truly only MMOG flight sim hangs. I think he's a tiny bit autistic-savant (sorry Dale if I'm wrong or offend, to me there's no offence in such a gift), and I think he works best with people who have an alternate set of skills for balance - shall we say. If employees are out of reach then if I were him I'd be asking people like Lusche to help in addition to some user-interface specialists and so on. If nothing else a periodical reality-check with others about design propositions would really be beneficial.
Parallel arenas should definately be run and experimented with. Fiddling with the MA drastically will turn the lights off right-quick IMHO. Flight simming is a tiny subset withon a tiny subset, with obvious limits because of that. Driving simulators have a much wider base of interest but now you need thousands of $ to get competitive equipment. Not so here and that's largely thanks to Dale and his flight model.
Just my 20-cents :salute
Title: Re: What would get AH growing again
Post by: Animl-AW on November 05, 2024, 08:34:45 AM
No one? Many players have done so for many, many years because the flight modelling is the best and you're free to pitch whatever aircraft and tactics you wish - arena disposition permitting - against potentially massive amounts of or at least hugely-varied human players. That's unique.
I hardly think a sensible stratergy is to try to force AH into a poorer replication of more recent games. They have their strengths and weaknesses the same as AH. Nor do I think it's a particularly good idea to chase the younger and more fickle ego-centric gamers. AH has appeal to other people. A couple of points which might not occur for various reasons:-
NONE of the present flight sim offerings have yet, nor likely will last as long as AH has. Doubly so if you include AH1 and 2's predecessor. There is clearly a special sauce in there somewhere, the longevity is nothing short of remarkable and seldom is acknowledged. By now this game should fairly have a cult and legendary status. Yet you see hardly a mention because it's age and design-decisions are not in alignment with recent offerings. Why must everything pander. Some things are what they are.
At the time of the Steam launch I volunteered to help HiTech with some design work and was shared certain confidences which were pertinant to that work (and not mine to share further). Suffice to say many forum members seem to have been confusing causation with corellation for years now and have been taking that failure to revamp the player-base as some kind of evidence there's something wrong with the core of the game. The primary reason prospective players did not stick around had nothing to do at all with the core game nor the subscription model. Couldn't possible be any meaningful inference made about that from this release. Let's just say it was a sort of highly off-putting user-interface issue for those who had not given flight-sims a good go.
If I were chief advisor in charge of game architecture, future policy, whiskey-rationing and that little gravelley patch behind the outside toilet (which I'm not), I'd suggest a half year revamp, a consequential launch of AH4 on Steam with revisions to the user interface and certainly an some HTC-hosted human-populated alternative arena to the MA. The MA is a very peculiar place to those who have not spent a long time here. That's hard to empathise with by all of us who have, well, spent a long time here. It compromises all of our suggestions about revitalising the game. We all also speak from our preferences from years of gameplay. Maybe a rolling AvA (amongst other things) also offered. But not ONLY offered.
Regarding graphics, there are still people playing Counterstrike (the old one) and other similar games. The question is not whether the graphics are fantastic eye-candy replete with wow-factor but rather are they fit for purpose which IMHO is to give you sufficient immesrion to enjoy the actual activity of the game. For me it's perfectly good enough. Also there is advantage in that, wihout 72-layers of ray-traced sundogs and reflections your PC requirements also let you reach a more general, non-gamer and likely more mature demographic.
Finaly a word about the Dale God Entity. I don't have it, but by all accounts he has knocked the ball out of the park with VR compared to other well-staffed snd well-funded games. And it's not the first time, his patented net-lag code is the backbone to which this truly only MMOG flight sim hangs. I think he's a tiny bit autistic-savant (sorry Dale if I'm wrong or offend, to me there's no offence in such a gift), and I think he works best with people who have an alternate set of skills for balance - shall we say. If employees are out of reach then if I were him I'd be asking people like Lusche to help in addition to some user-interface specialists and so on. If nothing else a periodical reality-check with others about design propositions would really be beneficial.
Parallel arenas should definately be run and experimented with. Fiddling with the MA drastically will turn the lights off right-quick IMHO. Flight simming is a tiny subset withon a tiny subset, with obvious limits because of that. Driving simulators have a much wider base of interest but now you need thousands of $ to get competitive equipment. Not so here and that's largely thanks to Dale and his flight model.
Just my 20-cents :salute
+2
<golf clap>
Title: Re: What would get AH growing again
Post by: TWCAxew on November 05, 2024, 09:04:59 AM
My 2 cents.
Graphics that are competing with other games.
No sub, people hate it. Wow gets away with it cuz people are addicted.
The gameplay is fine as is.
Title: Re: What would get AH growing again
Post by: Shuffler on November 05, 2024, 09:05:01 AM
People on the other games get scenic graphics to fly around in by themselves. Free? Not really.
Title: Re: What would get AH growing again
Post by: Kini on November 05, 2024, 09:08:42 AM
That's all well and true, but it doesn't change my point. No one is going to pay $15 a month for a game with cruddy graphics and very low population most of the day.
You have to change your pay model and update your graphics. Outside of war thunder there's also IL2 and and DCS that offer some form of multi-player and doesn't require a monthly payment.
You might say they can't/don't have as many players in one arena but by the sound of it, at most hours they are similar to those games.
Just lots of micro transactions (real money) for later versions of vehicles, updated weapons, cammo. I saw a set up that wanted me to buy and pay for my flight crew. I'll stick with everything with a monthly subscription.
Title: Re: What would get AH growing again
Post by: Animl-AW on November 05, 2024, 09:25:31 AM
Just lots of micro transactions (real money) for later versions of vehicles, updated weapons, cammo. I saw a set up that wanted me to buy and pay for my flight crew. I'll stick with everything with a monthly subscription.
Players who think they are saving money per year playing these other games are not saving money, they are paying more by items they buy. In some cases dbl or tripling their cost.
Title: Re: What would get AH growing again
Post by: Yarbles on November 05, 2024, 09:55:45 AM
There has to be a revenue stream.
Its still not clear to me why there used to be 4000 plus subs and now about 500 ?
Maybe its the juveniles and teenagers which we probably don't miss squeaking away on vox ?
Title: Re: What would get AH growing again
Post by: The Fugitive on November 05, 2024, 10:40:10 AM
Its still not clear to me why there used to be 4000 plus subs and now about 500 ?
Maybe its the juveniles and teenagers which we probably don't miss squeaking away on vox ?
A lot of things added to the decline in numbers. AH2 to AH3 knocked a bunch of players out because they couldnt/wouldnt upgrade their computers (had they they could still be playing the game today as not much has changed to warrant big upgrades). When the "Speed Trees" was added e lost a lot of GV guys as they couldnt do those long range shots any more. Other games started up pulling some players away. Radar changes, Life, some players got married and had a family and just didnt have the time, or those "squeakers" went off to collage and got into girls instead of games. And the other side of life, death. We lost a lot of the old guys along with some during covid that werent so old.
Here is one of Lusche's graphs showing the population in game based of at least one kill.....
(https://i.imgur.com/6tAmXbc.jpg)
Oboe did an overlay to point out some of the events at different times so you can see that out come in the game numbers.
No one thing knocked the numbers down, but a combination of things. I think a combination of things will need to change to bring the numbers back up. "Graphics" and "Advertising" are the first two things that always come out in these type of threads. You crunch the numbers with a bunch of estimates (only Hitech knows the real numbers) and it is easy to see that there isnt really any money to bring in the people needed to do an over hall of the game or run a big advertising blitz, but there are ways to cut corners.
Graphics, Everyone wants "eyecandy". The game is always compared with IL2 and DSC for graphics and found wanting by many. I and others here dont find the graphics that bad. Maybe its because we are old and just cant see the fancy stuff any way. In a fight you have closing rates over 400 MPH, how much detail can you pick out on the other plane? So planes are ok, maybe an interior art tweak, a bit more fidelity to the cockpits. Those are just art files. With the awesome art our skinners do maybe a few of them would like to start working their way through the cockpits. They have shown they are skilled, and so far they work at a great rate ;)
Speed trees looks to have more options than what we are using, is that an option to tweak the terrain as seen both from the sky and the ground?
Animal pointed out that he has messed around with explosions video, can he be brought in to help out with adding/switching out some of the old animations? Are there others that are willing to help out?
Advertising, a big money ticket and a gamble. Lay out a bunch of money for ads, but if it doesnt return enough revenue you have wasted a bunch of money. Thats why I think a rebranding/restart on Steam could help. I dont think it costs as much as ads, but it could still reach a lot of people. With the rest of us hitting Steam for the interest, or chats it could push the algorithms to put AH out there in front of more players.
I wish Hitech would chime in on these discussions like he use to in the old days. Would he be open to volunteer helpers? What hurdles would have to be jumped to be able to help ...NDAs, program purchases and so on?
The game doesnt need to go back to its hey day in the early 2000s.. though Im sure Hitechs pockets wouldnt mind.... but if the numbers doubled it would make the game a presents in the filght sim world again.
Title: Re: What would get AH growing again
Post by: JimmyD3 on November 05, 2024, 11:16:00 AM
Over the last 15 months, I have had the privilege of meeting and getting to know Hitech, face to face. He is an amazing guy, friendly, easy to talk to. He has been through a tough 2 years, what with the divorce, and then the Ascending Aortic Aneurysm surgery a year ago this last May.
I have been working with Hitech and Easyscor for the last 3 months, investigating the "GV Building Access" glitch. We have determined what was allowing the access, and have developed a fix. Changes have been made to the appropriate Terrset Speed Tree files, at this point these files need to be verified by Hitech and implemented as time permits.
There are other efforts I believe would help the game. While there maybe some "suspicious" game play by a few players, by in large I don't believe it is an issue. What IS an issue, is players screaming "cheat" on VOX or 200, when they don't know or understand how they were killed. And yes I am just as guilty as the next person on that. But it does a dis-service to the game, and it drives new players away. For sure no one wants to pay a subscription to a game, that has cheaters.
I am not nears as eloquent or coherent as Nrshida or Fugitive, but both have pointed out some real life facts and I think overall they have summed it up pretty well.
Well I'm starting to ramble, time to shut up. I love this game and hope to see it around for many years to come. :salute
Title: Re: What would get AH growing again
Post by: waystin2 on November 05, 2024, 11:18:36 AM
So kinda like back in the day when Dale & Doug were actively involved with development?
:aok
Title: Re: What would get AH growing again
Post by: fudgums on November 05, 2024, 11:41:27 AM
Believe we are lucky the game is still around and hitech is still doing this. He's been doing it a long time, and has had a rough time as of late. Think we can give a little grace on that topic.
Title: Re: What would get AH growing again
Post by: SuperDud on November 05, 2024, 11:55:10 AM
No one? Many players have done so for many, many years because the flight modelling is the best and you're free to pitch whatever aircraft and tactics you wish - arena disposition permitting - against potentially massive amounts of or at least hugely-varied human players. That's unique.
If this was true then it would still be a packed game with 100s if not 1000s on at a time like the early 2000s. Yes for years people played games with monthly subscriptions. But its 2024 and the gaming industry doesnt work like that anymore. People aren't paying monthly subscriptions anymore. Even the king of monthly subscriptions, WOW, let's you play for free for a bit. And they've also seen a drastic drop in their numbers. All the big games that people are playing are free to play. You don't have to like it, you can argue it, but that's where the gaming culture is now.
Title: Re: What would get AH growing again
Post by: Shuffler on November 05, 2024, 12:24:33 PM
I am suspicious of fuzzy headed penguins.... :rofl :aok :bolt:
Title: Re: What would get AH growing again
Post by: Yarbles on November 05, 2024, 12:36:10 PM
Re Graphics:
AH is fine by me. The reality as the fugitive has pointed out: You may want high end graphics and then you find you need a new PC to run them.
DCS NEEDS:
500 G SSD
Ram minimum realistically 32
High end graphics card. I would suggest off the shelf about $1000 at least,
AH considerably less BUT !!
DCS and Il2 people post allot of their videos on U Tube where old gits like me do searches like Spitfire, P51, Battle of Midway, Britain, Tobruk, Normandy etc
Can we do that ?
Volunteers ??
No costs and High Tech is not needed to be bothered (he has done his bit) . Maybe you people who have the skills can make some U tube Vids together and low there is free advertising. Ok Graphics won't be good but play to combined opps. Integrated action. Planes, the fleet, battleship, GV'S. A scenario film. I think choose a battle with all of the affore mentioned. Preferably one that Hollywood have just make a film about but failing that propbably something in the Pacific. If we have it like Okinowa.
I am trying to think where we could show off the ships. Normandy but not Carriers in that Campaign but Battleship for sure. Any suggestions ?
I like Midway and Normandy. People want to fight in those battles who watch U tube videos and may not even already be gamers.
I don't think in the first instance its improve AH it is get the numbers back again.
Numbers make it better :aok
Title: Re: What would get AH growing again
Post by: Yarbles on November 05, 2024, 12:58:00 PM
If this was true then it would still be a packed game with 100s if not 1000s on at a time like the early 2000s. Yes for years people played games with monthly subscriptions. But its 2024 and the gaming industry doesnt work like that anymore. People aren't paying monthly subscriptions anymore. Even the king of monthly subscriptions, WOW, let's you play for free for a bit. And they've also seen a drastic drop in their numbers. All the big games that people are playing are free to play. You don't have to like it, you can argue it, but that's where the gaming culture is now.
You might be absolutely right but its not going to happen. If I have 1000 people paying $15 a month I would not in a million years suddenly offer the same thing for free. BTW we have all heard the expression there is no such thing as a free lunch. There are costs and in the absence of another revenue stream it is a non starter.
Furthermore AH takes a huge amount of commitment to master and is already available free off line. I see a new "free" flash in the pan game every week being advertised on U Tube. That is I would suggest not the same playing field or target market but of course you are right it is the future of most gaming.
Title: Re: What would get AH growing again
Post by: nrshida on November 05, 2024, 01:18:26 PM
All the big games that people are playing are free to play. You don't have to like it, you can argue it, but that's where the gaming culture is now.
Free to play after you've bought multiple expensive modules also isn't acceptable to some demographics of potential players. $15 a month isn't an obstacle to those who might be at a stage of life where that relatively small expense isn't a big deal, nor might they consider themselves as gamers, nor have a gamer's PC. Likely a lot of us came here from the WW2 aviation interest direction, not because we were looking for the next game that happened to be based on that theme.
Here is one of Lusche's graphs showing the population in game based of at least one kill.....
(https://i.imgur.com/6tAmXbc.jpg)
I wonder at what point on the graph the squeekers stopped coming and what that cause was? I remember feeling that was an abrupt change. There had always been a tunover of players but the young ones suddenly vanished. Spooky.
Title: Re: What would get AH growing again
Post by: MDStampf93 on November 05, 2024, 01:35:05 PM
I wonder at what point on the graph the squeekers stopped coming and what that cause was? I remember feeling that was an abrupt change. There had always been a tunover of players but the young ones suddenly vanished. Spooky.
Some of us are still here, we just grew up over the last 20-25 years :D
Title: Re: What would get AH growing again
Post by: LilMak on November 05, 2024, 01:40:28 PM
Perhaps a hybrid might work?
Stage one: Rework the game so it’s free with highly limited planes/GVs and pay for perks. Any planes beyond the limited set would cost perks (micro transactions if you will). Something like a dollar or two gets you 5 hangar selections beyond the limited set while any of the game’s currently perked selections being totally unavailable without a subscription. Then re-release on steam.
Stage two: Subscription mode we have now.
All playing in the same sandbox.
Title: Re: What would get AH growing again
Post by: Bruv119 on November 05, 2024, 02:04:09 PM
I'd suggest the following made free for MA access;
A6M2, Hurricane mk I, i16, F4F, 109 e-mil,
Early war tank M16
NO M3 access unless resupply is removed for towns.
Remove downtime commands, this for me eliminated the need for someone to take off and recon the town to see if a base capture was imminent. Review radar and gv dar implementation, again with less fog of war people are less inclined to plot more daring raids as the defence has always been easier.
if the existing players can't kill any of the above by now in an MA setting then they need to look in the mirror.
the idea is to play enough to get the hook well and truly lodged that the individual would then ask mother to pay for their account to get at the better aircraft.
After chatting to my wife's nephew he was going on about how awesome warthunder is and I'm there rolling my eyes, 60gb!!! download, the graphics looked ok but it was still the (IMO) noob arcade feel to it.
More youtube, More live streams showcasing squadron/teamwork play, More events and prizes. Country chess piece win the war statistic, current war situation displayed on the website along with kill message stream, base capture stream (delayed by 60minutes just so ykw types don't get aroused when they see their favourites online)
Anything to market that action is happening behind said paywall.
Title: Re: What would get AH growing again
Post by: Eagler on November 05, 2024, 02:21:52 PM
You guys have seen HT's previous post showing his response to adding a free to play tier right?
He is not for a free planeset..at all
On another note.. Is there a secret for using the search box in this bbs? Seems it doesn't work to well for me..like searching for free planeset hitech..ok..found this:
https://bbs.hitechcreations.com/smf/index.php/topic,402218.msg5331095.html#msg5331095 from this thread https://bbs.hitechcreations.com/smf/index.php/topic,406736.msg5386825.html#msg5386825
Eagler
Title: Re: What would get AH growing again
Post by: LilMak on November 05, 2024, 03:36:14 PM
You guys have seen HT's previous post showing his response to adding a free to play tier right?
He is not for a free planeset..at all
On another note.. Is there a secret for using the search box in this bbs? Seems it doesn't work to well for me..like searching for free planeset hitech..ok..found this:
https://bbs.hitechcreations.com/smf/index.php/topic,402218.msg5331095.html#msg5331095 from this thread https://bbs.hitechcreations.com/smf/index.php/topic,406736.msg5386825.html#msg5386825
Eagler
I think a lot of us understand his stance. His goal is to generate income as it should be. The model is already in place to emulate. Look at games like Call of Duty. You don’t have to buy the battle pass but people sure do throw down for it.
Perks are already in play here so it seems logical (to me) to establish that as a means of generating extra income wile letting the addiction set in. In my above example you could also have only default skins available and additional skins available for .50 or something. Some players will take advantage of the free stuff but many might actually pony up some money. Maybe serious money. All while keeping the established player base as it is.
Title: Re: What would get AH growing again
Post by: Yarbles on November 05, 2024, 03:48:12 PM
Free to play after you've bought multiple expensive modules also isn't acceptable to some demographics of potential players. $15 a month isn't an obstacle to those who might be at a stage of life where that relatively small expense isn't a big deal, nor might they consider themselves as gamers, nor have a gamer's PC. Likely a lot of us came here from the WW2 aviation interest direction, not because we were looking for the next game that happened to be based on that theme.
I think that is a good demographic to go for and can be reached through U Tube.
Post those videos.
Title: Re: What would get AH growing again
Post by: Dadtallica on November 05, 2024, 04:04:21 PM
When I was trying to recruit for the masters scenario the sub was the top three reasons people gave for their no thanks.
My experience is only Il2 videos and some DCS.
I guess it depends on your search history. Based on mine, if I did not already know AH existed I would be none the wiser from U Tube.
Title: Re: What would get AH growing again
Post by: Gman on November 05, 2024, 04:20:06 PM
Agree with so much said here - Bruv, Spikes, Fugitive, AOM Guy(s), etc and etc.
I've read some of HTC's post on this subject in the past, and wonder if maybe Dale may change his mind on some things.
Quote
First you must realize that you and I do not have the same goals. You goal is to maximize players in the arena. The best way to accomplish your goal is to simply make all free. My ultimate goal is to maximize profits.
HTC said that a few years back, and I can completely understand his position. I just wonder now if converting players from free to paying, in order to maximize current profits, may work better now as a business model for HTC.
I've long been a proponent of adding some sort of long term free access to this game, and keeping it "massively multiplayer 24/7", something no other sim truly does, and HTC does and has always done that part incredibly well. I think adding to Bruv's list a decent cannon armed plane like the E4 and even Spit5 would keep a lot of the freebies around. I'd also have the arena set up so that paying customers ALWAYS get a slot over a free player.
I'd also like to see some sort of infantry units added to the ground game. They wouldn't have to even be complicated, or having moving appendages IMO, just an infantry icon that can have various weapons like MGs, bazookas, mortars, etc. It'd give the MGs on vehicles something to actually shoot at other than buildings or jeeps, which still take a lot of fire to kill. Also A2G aircraft would have more targets to strafe and be concerned about.
I sure wish the above and some other suggestions regarding trainers and YT/etc adds and info had been done BEFORE the big Steam thing. I'd said for years that HTC would be surprised at the amount of players they would reach, and got poo poo'd for years for saying it. Then when it happened, gee, stunningly 10s of thousands of client downloads in single days for a few weeks, until the new players trying realized that the game was hard and cost 15$ USD a month, and had average graphics.
I think if as Spikes said some of the smaller graphic issues were improved, the game would look just fine still. Having a 7.99 or 9.99 price, and a re launch of the Steam endeavor, this time being ready, saying that there is a massively multiplayer WW2 combat simulator available for free with hundreds of players online 24/7, and a couple trainers around to help out new players....IMO keeping the arena full at 600 would NOT ever be an issue, never again. The ratio of free players to paying ones would increasingly shift IMO, until we had a blue/orange problem (1st world problem) again, needing multiple arenas due to so many players.
I think HTC would be off to the races if a lot of these ideas were tried. I have NO idea how difficult implementing some of these changes would be for HTC, or even if they are possible, but...it'd sure be nice if it happens.
I know lots of us here are retired/etc, I'm happy to volunteer as well, and help any way I'm able. I'd love to see this game still around when I'm on the way out of this life, it was such a big part of my online life in my early 20s and forward.
Title: Re: What would get AH growing again
Post by: SuperDud on November 05, 2024, 04:47:10 PM
Free to play after you've bought multiple expensive modules also isn't acceptable to some demographics of potential players. $15 a month isn't an obstacle to those who might be at a stage of life where that relatively small expense isn't a big deal, nor might they consider themselves as gamers, nor have a gamer's PC. Likely a lot of us came here from the WW2 aviation interest direction, not because we were looking for the next game that happened to be based on that theme.
You haven't established the subscription is what drove people away nor I think could you. There are apparently so many other factors in play.
I just look and see how popular AH is and how popular those others are then ask what's the difference, graphics and payment model. I'm not going to bother "proving" anything, but i think the proof once again is all the big games are F2P. It's not rocket science. I have seen steam reviews commenting on.... graphics and payment model. You can disagree, but I've not seen any other explanation besides those 2 that would take it from the premiere sim to a largely forgotten and overlooked game.
No, Dale at this point in his life isn't going to do all of this and that's fine. He's given us 30+ years of fun. But this is a game that is nearing the end.
Title: Re: What would get AH growing again
Post by: Lazerr on November 05, 2024, 04:51:23 PM
A lot can be done in game... quit running from everything that doesn't include a 5k alt advantage... back off the easy mode rides.. back off the obvious 5 vs 1 400mph 1 pass haul bellybutton tactics.
As far as gameplay is concerned, that's about all we can do unless Dale indicates other changes.
A lot of you guys are shttin where you eat with the timid way you play the game and what appears to be complete fear of having somewhat of a fair fight.
I get some sense of realism and survival can be fun, but the MA... mostly on the Rooks side of the ball, has become straight up sad.
If someone like me, who has been here 25 years and usually fights these guys from below with quite good success, how do you think newcomers feel going up against your tactics?
Time to adjust.. the tactics used 7 to 10 years ago with a decent player base are now the ones killing the fun here.
If you guys are going to take a base, cool I get it.. but you literally loitering in your own dar ring waiting to pick those of us not so scared, gets pretty old.
Title: Re: What would get AH growing again
Post by: Shuffler on November 05, 2024, 04:57:19 PM
Many of those looking for more fun just need to get out of their Tempestmustangspixteen262 types and try a early or midwar bird.
:airplane:
Title: Re: What would get AH growing again
Post by: Lazerr on November 05, 2024, 05:19:10 PM
Many of those looking for more fun just need to get out of their Tempestmustangspixteen262 types and try a early or midwar bird.
:airplane:
Fly what you want, just fly it in a way that isn't totally timid.
I took up a Tempest last night against the rook just so they couldn't run from me. A lot of kills from a disadvantage because they thought it was going to be flown the way they typically do.
Title: Re: What would get AH growing again
Post by: Yarbles on November 05, 2024, 07:04:21 PM
I do still wonder if enough people actually know about AH before we consider how to make it better.
I have met loads of people who play on line games but none of them had ever heard of AH.
It seems to me as simple as: We all love it but can think of ways it could be better. When I looked elsewhere however I never actually found a busier server in any other multi featured WW2 set up. "Hey I just got 5 kills", "5 ai or five people?"
What AH has and could always benefit from is people and more people.
Since hardly anyone else has ever heard of it ... :Oh My :D
Title: Re: What would get AH growing again
Post by: DmonSlyr on November 05, 2024, 09:15:38 PM
Fly what you want, just fly it in a way that isn't totally timid.
I took up a Tempest last night against the rook just so they couldn't run from me. A lot of kills from a disadvantage because they thought it was going to be flown the way they typically do.
I 100% agree with you about the ganging and gameplay. The jump 1 guy 4 on 1 thing doesn't help anyone, especially difficult for noobs. And makes them question if flying out there for 5-7 minutes before any action was worth it.
The thing about runners is that they simply don't know defense ACM so their only tactic is to press X. Its a lazy style of flying IMO because they chose not to learn to become better. "Smart" some like to call it :rofl. but this type of fighting is very boring to fight against. Every player in La7s,190Ds, and Temps, to compenate, makes for slower boring gameplay.
Tac on huge maps where you may only find 1 or 2 guys to engage who are flying 190Ds and may BnZ you twice and dissappear... or your only option is to fly into a hoard where 4 Yaks and 190D with a spit16 have to gang you. It makes it very hard for players to want to stick around.
Players haven't decided that they want to get better. That's the real surprise. So it's the same BnZ and run and gang because that's the status quo :frown:
I'm with you on that :aok
Title: Re: What would get AH growing again
Post by: LilMak on November 05, 2024, 10:00:22 PM
A lot can be done in game... quit running from everything that doesn't include a 5k alt advantage... back off the easy mode rides.. back off the obvious 5 vs 1 400mph 1 pass haul bellybutton tactics.
As far as gameplay is concerned, that's about all we can do unless Dale indicates other changes.
A lot of you guys are shttin where you eat with the timid way you play the game and what appears to be complete fear of having somewhat of a fair fight.
I get some sense of realism and survival can be fun, but the MA... mostly on the Rooks side of the ball, has become straight up sad.
If someone like me, who has been here 25 years and usually fights these guys from below with quite good success, how do you think newcomers feel going up against your tactics?
Time to adjust.. the tactics used 7 to 10 years ago with a decent player base are now the ones killing the fun here.
If you guys are going to take a base, cool I get it.. but you literally loitering in your own dar ring waiting to pick those of us not so scared, gets pretty old.
Picking and running will always be a thing…
However, just about every one of your points here is facilitated by the stupid AWACS radar that was shoved down our throats. No one asked for it. It just showed up one day along with “this player killed that player” in some grand idea to make the arena seem busier. Which sent entire groups of long time subscribers out of the game. Simply reverting to radar towers providing radar would probably bring 20+ regular players back in short order.
Title: Re: What would get AH growing again
Post by: nrshida on November 06, 2024, 06:17:02 AM
I think that is a good demographic to go for and can be reached through U Tube.
Post those videos.
It's a lot of work to upload YouTube videos, even if you do what I do (did) which was essentially render ahf files with little editing. And they hardly get many views and many of those click away part way through. My most popular video was 1000 views and there really wasn't any reason for that at all. Maybe it randomly got put in some people's feed, I certainly can't make sense of how to get them viewed more. Lots of 'content creators' report that.
I don't know if the skinners, map-makers and other contributors get anything from HTC for their work. If they make a meaningful contribution they should. Mr Dolby's cinematography is second to none. HTC should retain him, slip him a bit of dosh and a subscription and set up some page where useful, promotional film stock would be left for him. If it would help I'll post a comprehensive tutorial for existing AH players including how to get the correct game in the sub title. but I bet hardly anyone will do it - no incentive.
I have met loads of people who play on line games but none of them had ever heard of AH.
It is weird. There are a few guys like Steely and Hollywood uploading special events and highlight videos already. I often get recommended videos after watching one of the now plentiful videos on WW2 aircraft or engagements but seldom an AH one and I was a 'content creator' only uploading those!
I'd suggest the following made free for MA access;
A6M2, Hurricane mk I, i16, F4F, 109 e-mil,
Early war tank M16
You are proposing you allow prospective players to fly for free as what amounts to cannon-fodder with their payoff being they'll enjoy the experience so much they'll subscribe or become enraged at being out-equipped and subscribe to fix that? All of those aircraft are easy-meat for any faster aircraft with a risk-averse, experienced MA player. That's not equitable. Many people have unsubscribed in my daytime because they'll be one-of-three trying to defend against often over 20-Bish - J0ker and his hangers-on, for example - and those defenders have the same or better equipment! New, alone, ignorant of exploiting the arena and in inferior equipment and they'll stick around for considerably less than a free trial.
It's the MA gameplay that's unattractive to the un-indoctrinated. THAT is one meaningful weirdness compared to other sims.
Title: Re: What would get AH growing again
Post by: Animl-AW on November 06, 2024, 07:10:39 AM
My MotA video got 1100 views in 4 mos. Which is not epic, but it still gets 10-15 views per day. Other vids 150-600.
MotA vid could have been better, but few want to donate films. So far on current scenario I have no other films but my own, which is not vid worthy IMO.
Seems the community wants to post drama, low numbers and settings, which draw no one in, in fact it pushes many away. But want nothing to do with advertising which can draw some in. I’m exhausted trying to get them on board. All I get is crickets. <shrug>
YKW and his tribe and DCS salesmen with planes that can no longer be supported (snake oil sales) caused great damage to our momentum. Not to mention the 5 undue drama queens who attacked my every word like children do. Attacking ine trying to help, how smart <eye roll> knowing what I had been thro when they did it was well beyond gross and blind hate.
I think we deserve something for that. Whateva.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=rQiA2yMiZf0
Title: Re: What would get AH growing again
Post by: popeye on November 06, 2024, 07:35:34 AM
I used to write down the gameid of new players (that I hadn't seen before and had no scoring history) and later check their stats a few times. Many only stayed for only 10-15 minutes, a few would stay for an hour or two. Only a few would continue to play. I'd often offer to help them when they first appeared, most didn't respond. They might sit on the runway for a while then be gone forever. Or, get airborne and crash a few times, then be gone forever.
It clearly wasn't "gameplay" or dar settings that made them quit -- not sure of the reasons, but not those.
Title: Re: What would get AH growing again
Post by: Animl-AW on November 06, 2024, 07:37:16 AM
I used to write down the gameid of new players (that I hadn't seen before and had no scoring history) and later check their stats a few times. Many only stayed for only 10-15 minutes, a few would stay for an hour or two. Only a few would continue to play. I'd often offer to help them when they first appeared, most didn't respond. They might sit on the runway for a while then be gone forever. Or, get airborne and crash a few times, then be gone forever.
It clearly wasn't "gameplay" or dar settings that made them quit -- not sure of the reasons, but not those.
Berating new or return players on their skill level doesn’t help. These are their own worst enemy, then cry about numbers. Well duh! Hard to help those who won’t help themselves “someone else will fix it”
Title: Re: What would get AH growing again
Post by: Eagler on November 06, 2024, 07:56:52 AM
Yt videos produced in an enticing way showing the new monthly skin releases might stir some interest..
It'd take time and skill to put bits of actual a2a in between the static skin pictures which would have 360 walk around views...make it out like a monthly update to the game
Eagler
Title: Re: What would get AH growing again
Post by: Animl-AW on November 06, 2024, 08:05:59 AM
Yt videos produced in an enticing way showing the new monthly skin releases might stir some interest..
It'd take time and skill to put bits of actual a2a in between the static skin pictures which would have 360 walk around views...make it out like a monthly update to the game
Eagler
No offense but this community wants to fix everything but the problem. Ya drag players in just to be insulted or read insults. We dragged 60 players into YKW, DCS and insults. I wouldn’t have asked my best friend to play during that garbage, and didn’t. All that work to just be reversed. You can drag players in, but until the community is more forgiving on skill level it will matter not.
Title: Re: What would get AH growing again
Post by: Bruv119 on November 06, 2024, 08:26:47 AM
You can't offer up better aircraft otherwise people will stop paying.
Would they be cannon fodder yes for sure. If they want to get better they will ask questions and begin the process of learning behind the pay wall which appears to be the biggest reason for not even considering playing more long term.
If they can't map controls in the aircraft having them all available serves no purpose. Ultimately you would hope ten percent would contribute to the MA action levels. Even hearing range channel can help make them think things are happening other humans about.
Title: Re: What would get AH growing again
Post by: popeye on November 06, 2024, 08:53:46 AM
Berating new or return players on their skill level doesn’t help. These are their own worst enemy, then cry about numbers. Well duh! Hard to help those who won’t help themselves “someone else will fix it”
Not "berating" anyone. Just pointing out that many of the suggestions for building numbers have more to do with current players' wishes than promoting the game to new players.
Title: Re: What would get AH growing again
Post by: HL117 on November 06, 2024, 09:32:00 AM
Title: Re: What would get AH growing again
Post by: Banshee7 on November 06, 2024, 09:49:40 AM
For this game to survive and grow it needs more young players.
Aces High is very much a niche game that caters to people that specifically love World War II aircraft. Unfortunately, young people (aka the future of the game) are not interested in World War II anymore. It is so disheartening for me as a history teacher that LOVES World War II to see kids have no interest at all as I am passionately teaching my heart out and telling stories that are not in history books. Young players want new, high tech, advanced weaponry. This is even evident in other communities like Call of Duty as most players hated Call of Duty: Vanguard.
The subscription model is also outdated as most of the popular games now are free to play with microtransactions. There's no updates to the game. There's no communication from HT. There's no advertisement or any other investments into the game. These are all issues outside of the gameplay and general attitudes of most of the players left.
<S> and happy to hear from you all.
Title: Re: What would get AH growing again
Post by: Animl-AW on November 06, 2024, 09:52:51 AM
Not you, never heard you do that. Just a comment in general. Mostly happens on 200. No one wants to get shoved into a spotlight for having not developed equal skills over night. YKW and some of his clan were epic in it.
Even with it's "bad settings" we still have the best gameplay already. I doubt some settings will draw many in, I don't think it's a selling point, that's for current players. Some of these settings are to help new players. "I'm a new player and I joined because they made this setting change", said no one ever. You may get some return players on SOME of that.
Players eventually leave games, just because life or interest changes. If you don't have replacement numbers higher than those moving on, well,...it's just a matter of time.
If ya want new or return players we're gonna have to think outside the box. Everyone talks advertising, which should be #1, but they'd rather talk about settings and wishlist.
Some tweaking in graphics and spreading the word is IMO the key to any hope. Settings won't matter if they never even hear of the game. <shrug> :)
Title: Re: What would get AH growing again
Post by: Eagler on November 06, 2024, 10:22:45 AM
For this game to survive and grow it needs more young players.
Aces High is very much a niche game that caters to people that specifically love World War II aircraft. Unfortunately, young people (aka the future of the game) are not interested in World War II anymore. It is so disheartening for me as a history teacher that LOVES World War II to see kids have no interest at all as I am passionately teaching my heart out and telling stories that are not in history books. Young players want new, high tech, advanced weaponry. This is even evident in other communities like Call of Duty as most players hated Call of Duty: Vanguard.
The subscription model is also outdated as most of the popular games now are free to play with microtransactions. There's no updates to the game. There's no communication from HT. There's no advertisement or any other investments into the game. These are all issues outside of the gameplay and general attitudes of most of the players left.
<S> and happy to hear from you all.
Are they interested in anything besides their next selfie and how many likes it gets?
Eagler
Title: Re: What would get AH growing again
Post by: Wiley on November 06, 2024, 10:57:50 AM
Not you, never heard you do that. Just a comment in general. Mostly happens on 200. No one wants to get shoved into a spotlight for having not developed equal skills over night. YKW and some of his clan were epic in it.
Even with it's "bad settings" we still have the best gameplay already. I doubt some settings will draw many in, I don't think it's a selling point, that's for current players. Some of these settings are to help new players. "I'm a new player and I joined because they made this setting change", said no one ever. You may get some return players on SOME of that.
Players eventually leave games, just because life or interest changes. If you don't have replacement numbers higher than those moving on, well,...it's just a matter of time.
If ya want new or return players we're gonna have to think outside the box. Everyone talks advertising, which should be #1, but they'd rather talk about settings and wishlist.
Some tweaking in graphics and spreading the word is IMO the key to any hope. Settings won't matter if they never even hear of the game. <shrug> :)
It's fairly simple. They just need to revamp the game into something completely different.
Get rid of the ongoing war, that kind of gameplay isn't popular. To be honest I'm not sure if it ever was. IMO in its heyday, people were tolerating the ongoing war because it was the best flying game out there at the time and people stayed in spite of that gameplay, not because of it. As soon as there were alternatives that were still open PVP but instead had rounds where you have a short 20-30 minute fight where there's a winning and losing side, most people, particularly young people went to that.
A relative minority enjoy the gameplay provided here and don't want the above, but they're a minority.
Give them points at the end of each round that work toward some kind of progression, plane unlocks, skins, etc. Or allow them to buy stuff with real money.
F2P kind of goes without saying of course.
Honestly I've kind of come to the conclusion HT may have been pretty smart not throwing a crapload of money, effort, and time into a game whose core structure isn't popular and isn't likely to see a resurgence. He doesn't seem to want to create a giant game anymore and is ok with just riding it out for us old players until it ultimately runs its course and dies.
Personally I prefer that to turning it into something like War Thunder.
As far as advertising saving us all, when the game went on Steam, 40k people downloaded and installed over a period of a couple months. I want to say something like 200 subbed for a month. There was no noticeable increase in players with 40k going through over that time.
Wiley.
Title: Re: What would get AH growing again
Post by: Yarbles on November 06, 2024, 11:09:27 AM
Great action, tells a story and makes it clear no Ai involved. That video on its own would have made me as an older person want to get into PC games that recreate real events. It is a niche but I think one that is under sold given what AH can do with its vehicles and Planes etc. Above all it does not involve AI like the competition,
Brilliant recruiting video :aok :aok :aok :aok :aok
For a long time my KD was 1 kill to 25 deaths in the early days but I was learning. AH is never going to attract the "I am not playing if I can't win straight out the box type". Futhermore people are going to do what people do to win which includes picking and running and trying to fly the best option to complement their skill level. How ever much people cry about it on here it is what it is and it won't change nor should it.
If someone has to fly for 10 minutes to get clubbed on the head by 10 guys in 30 seconds the idea is to try doing something different next time like arrive at 20k plus in the fastest plane you can get and pick off the Horde carefully :)
Title: Re: What would get AH growing again
Post by: The Fugitive on November 06, 2024, 11:29:46 AM
I wish there was a place where you could show what we have to those ho might be interested in WWII flying. As stated by a few if they didnt know about AH they wouldnt have come across it with the youtube and google algorithms as they are. I film every fight, win or lose..... mostly lose :devil but Id take the time to convert atleast one film a day to a youtube video if there was someplace to put it so people would see it.
Are there any WWII social media spots that would allow videos like that posted? Maybe a Discord channel?
Title: Re: What would get AH growing again
Post by: Yarbles on November 06, 2024, 11:30:36 AM
I wish there was a place where you could show what we have to those ho might be interested in WWII flying. As stated by a few if they didnt know about AH they wouldnt have come across it with the youtube and google algorithms as they are. I film every fight, win or lose..... mostly lose :devil but Id take the time to convert atleast one film a day to a youtube video if there was someplace to put it so people would see it.
Are there any WWII social media spots that would allow videos like that posted? Maybe a Discord channel?
Quite. Why fight over the overcrowded gamer market when there are plenty of old gits out there with lower end PC's who desperately need something to do that is not going for lunch or gardening and gets them into a male environment.
Machine gunning other men at 20,000 feet over West Germany is far more exciting than going to the garden centre with the Mrs
HT and Aces High can save these bored men from the horror of constant domestic intimacy :aok
I am not at that age yet where I have mobility issues but when I do I would rather be on here and chatting on the forums etc than playing bridge with allot of fossils. I don't want to play with a bunch of teenagers or squeakers. 40 is a young fella to me now :old:
Playing with teenagers and squeekers seemed like free babysitting to me and all that adolecent nonsense that used to go on. Let their parents deal with that don't bring it here.
Title: Re: What would get AH growing again
Post by: DmonSlyr on November 06, 2024, 11:40:16 AM
I'm still here today because H2H allowed me to play the game without having to subscribe when I was younger and learn the game in a smaller setting. The only way you are going to get teens in the game now is if their dad/mom pays for it, and many of them aren't going to make a decision like that in 2 weeks unless they really really love it. I did so when H2H closed down after 6 months, my dad paid it for me to (help my typing skills), but I'm not sure I would have subscribed to the MA after only 2 weeks. The flights were far to me and competition was tough. Glad I did move over though because I was able to eventually learn a lot more and fly with good squads.
IMO, we are much better off trying to get old players back. Send them a news letter. Who cares if it's spam. I get like dozens a day from companies. It may spark their interest again.
We need to remove the 5 maps in a row I've discussed before so that smaller maps are played more often on the weekends than bowlMA taking to the entire weekend with tiny bellybutton little dars in 2 areas of the map. I'll post pictures later of what healthy vs unhealthy looks like.
It's very simple start with removing maps that don't build #s in the off hours.
Title: Re: What would get AH growing again
Post by: DmonSlyr on November 06, 2024, 11:53:11 AM
Imagine a news letter going out, just one or 2 a year even, explaining the Special Events (FSO) in the next few months, the Scenario coming up, new skins and maps about to come out, to all the emails you have of former players. This would alert far more older players that activity is still happening. I think you'd get a return. You might get some "muh spam" emails, but who cares, really.
Title: Re: What would get AH growing again
Post by: Yarbles on November 06, 2024, 12:03:42 PM
Imagine a news letter going out, just one or 2 a year even, explaining the Special Events (FSO) in the next few months, the Scenario coming up, new skins and maps about to come out, to all the emails you have of former players. This would alert far more older players that activity is still happening. I think you'd get a return. You might get some "muh spam" emails, but who cares, really.
:aok :aok :aok :aok :aok
You are a smart chap :salute
Typically: players will have left to have children etc and be ready to return or had all kind of life changing experiences. This idea has a huge bang for buck pottential and once established could be built into the system. Great idea :aok The best yet :salute
This is the one I think HT is most likely to run with.
Probably about 50,000 ex accounts on record minimum and a 1% take up we are looking at !!!!! even a 0.01 take up. If High Tec offered another 2 week free trial that would sweeten it. Yes it needs that. Please HT offer them 2 weeks to get back in if at all possibe. Gives them time to sell it to their wife :D
Dmonslyr you are a genius :salute :salute :salute :salute :salute
This is why putting heads together is a good idea.
Title: Re: What would get AH growing again
Post by: Dadtallica on November 06, 2024, 12:21:49 PM
Typically: players will have left to have children etc and be ready to return or had all kind of life changing experiences. This idea has a huge bang for buck pottential and once established could be built into the system. Great idea :aok The best yet :salute
This is the one I think HT is most likely to run with.
Probably about 50,000 ex accounts on record minimum and a 1% take up we are looking at !!!!! even a 0.01 take up. If High Tec offered another 2 week free trial that would sweeten it. Yes it needs that. Please HT offer them 2 weeks to get back in if at all possibe. Gives them time to sell it to their wife :D
Dmonslyr you are a genius :salute :salute :salute :salute :salute
This is why putting heads together is a good idea.
Your return on direct email marketing is very low.
Title: Re: What would get AH growing again
Post by: Yarbles on November 06, 2024, 12:33:23 PM
None of those have any interest for me and possibly most of the player base but seriously thanks for the info. I think it proves we are niche. I have seriously no idea why anyone would want to play those and that says allot about my age perhaps and the rest of us. Knowing where a game is in the market it probably a good starting point.
Title: Re: What would get AH growing again
Post by: DmonSlyr on November 06, 2024, 01:15:06 PM
Depends on how exciting it is. It would take two hours to put together and edit. Then an hour to put the email together.
Very little cost, very little time wasted, and if it brings back even 10-20 players. That's a win.
:aok :aok :aok :aok :aok
Well there it is :rock I hope HT likes it.
If John Doe starts playing AH again he will probably have friends to who want to join the fun too :banana:
Title: Re: What would get AH growing again
Post by: Animl-AW on November 06, 2024, 01:48:03 PM
Sorry, but I highly doubt he’ll bite on that.
It comes down to us.
Becoming bewildered on why I even made videos.
Title: Re: What would get AH growing again
Post by: Dadtallica on November 06, 2024, 01:51:08 PM
I’m sorry not to be a downer but 10-12 players is not a win.
Normal click rates on email marketing is usually 3% or less. Those that actually buy after a click is much less. I don’t know how that translates to the AH scenario but I would guess it’s even less then all that.
Your goals for success and what HT would require are not the same.
Title: Re: What would get AH growing again
Post by: Bruv119 on November 06, 2024, 01:51:27 PM
BRILLIANT idea allowing one free month to all former subscribers. Enough time to remind them why they loved or hated the game in the first place.
The way I see it we can go down quietly or shouting from the rooftops. AH is king, long live the king.
By Dylan Thomas Do not go gentle into that good night, Old age should burn and rave at close of day; Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
Title: Re: What would get AH growing again
Post by: Yarbles on November 06, 2024, 01:58:03 PM
But while we are on the subject: "We few, we happy few, we band of brothers"
We few, we happy few, we band of brothers; For he to-day that sheds his blood with me Shall be my brother; be he ne’er so vile, This day shall gentle his condition:
And gentlemen in England now a-bed Shall think themselves accursed they were not here, And hold their manhoods cheap whiles any speaks That fought with us upon Saint Crispin’s day.
From Henry V, Act IV, Scene III
Title: Re: What would get AH growing again
Post by: guncrasher on November 06, 2024, 02:01:47 PM
I remember skuzzy once said that they can't send mass emails because they were reported as spam.
otherwise I have no doubt hitech would have sent an email to my secondary account.
semp
Title: Re: What would get AH growing again
Post by: Yarbles on November 06, 2024, 02:06:11 PM
Not a bad idea allowing one free month to all former subscribers. Enough time to remind them why they loved or hated the game in the first place.
The way I see it we can go down quietly or shouting from the rooftops. AH is king, long live the king.
Bruv, you need to get your arse back . Nobody today knows what the REAL cheats are...and you HID them so well! While you're at it, get in touch with Middy and drag him back too. You two were my absolute heydey in terms of fun <S>
Title: Re: What would get AH growing again
Post by: JimmyD3 on November 06, 2024, 06:07:53 PM
Bruv, you need to get your arse back . Nobody today knows what the REAL cheats are...and you HID them so well! While you're at it, get in touch with Middy and drag him back too. You two were my absolute heydey in terms of fun <S>
Max I have a rough draft of your DA map. Working on it as time allows. :salute
Title: Re: What would get AH growing again
Post by: Shuffler on November 06, 2024, 09:24:11 PM
But while we are on the subject: "We few, we happy few, we band of brothers"
We few, we happy few, we band of brothers; For he to-day that sheds his blood with me Shall be my brother; be he ne’er so vile, This day shall gentle his condition:
And gentlemen in England now a-bed Shall think themselves accursed they were not here, And hold their manhoods cheap whiles any speaks That fought with us upon Saint Crispin’s day.
From Henry V, Act IV, Scene III
Put the bottle down Yarbles your acting like a typical stateless Southerner.
For you Yanks the Southern part of England is no longer representative of the English majority.
If you ever visit England the North is now where the real English reside.
Yarbles blathering in about Dylan Thomas a drunk degenerate academic and quoting Shakespeare is the norm for those individuals who have no country or culture.
Title: Re: What would get AH growing again
Post by: Yarbles on November 07, 2024, 04:44:48 AM
Put the bottle down Yarbles your acting like a typical stateless Southerner.
For you Yanks the Southern part of England is no longer representative of the English majority.
If you ever visit England the North is now where the real English reside.
Yarbles blathering in about Dylan Thomas a drunk degenerate academic and quoting Shakespeare is the norm for those individuals who have no country or culture.
Yarbles blathering in about Dylan Thomas a drunk degenerate academic and quoting Shakespeare is the norm for those individuals who have no country or culture.
:rofl :rofl
Title: Re: What would get AH growing again
Post by: Bruv119 on November 07, 2024, 11:59:16 AM
Bruv, you need to get your arse back . Nobody today knows what the REAL cheats are...and you HID them so well! While you're at it, get in touch with Middy and drag him back too. You two were my absolute heydey in terms of fun <S>
I am working on getting back, Youngest is nearly 2 and she is :t :cool: :devil :ahand. The motivation to get off the sofa when they are all in bed has kept me grounded but things are getting easier. Jobs that need doing around the house since we moved have pretty much been done. I built a supercomputer to enable VR so once i've copied across some user files from the old PC I'll be all set. That machine spends more time looking at girly makeup routines on Youtube than shooting down germans. Maybe I can convince my eldest to run troops :aok
unbelievable I know but I do not have any contact details for middy, he was never part of the squadron or anything to do with me.
Title: Re: What would get AH growing again
Post by: Bear76 on November 07, 2024, 12:18:50 PM
Careful, Starmer might throw you in prison for saying that.
There isn't room :D
Its not racist but London is full of people from other parts of the Uk particularly King Zacks domain wanking on about how great it is where they come from which does beg a certain question :D :D
For Zack:
And did those feet in ancient time Walk upon Englands mountains green: And was the holy Lamb of God, On Englands pleasant pastures seen!
And did the Countenance Divine, Shine forth upon our clouded hills? And was Jerusalem builded here, Among these dark Satanic Mills?
Bring me my Bow of burning gold: Bring me my arrows of desire: Bring me my Spear: O clouds unfold! Bring me my Chariot of fire!
I will not cease from Mental Fight, Nor shall my sword sleep in my hand: Till we have built Jerusalem, In Englands green & pleasant Land.
Title: Re: What would get AH growing again
Post by: Yarbles on November 07, 2024, 12:34:47 PM
Bruv, you need to get your arse back . Nobody today knows what the REAL cheats are...and you HID them so well! While you're at it, get in touch with Middy and drag him back too. You two were my absolute heydey in terms of fun <S>
I know this is tongue in cheek :aok
However the 80:20 rule applied in the RAF and certainly here. Talent is not evenly distributed. I think at best I am an ordinary sergeant pilot in the battle of Britain doing ok. I can still have a good time in here without accusing everyone else of picking and running while I pick and run myself. I just pick and run and keep quiet about it :old:
Mostly :o
AH can be very :ahand
But people can always whinge on here and feel better.
If people get frustrated they used to get some training.
Something more Northern and authentic for Zack's taste:
Far from crazy pavements – The taste of silver spoons A clinical arrangement On a dirty afternoon Where the fecal germs of Mr Freud Are rendered obsolete The legal term is null and void In the case of Beasley Street
In the cheap seats where murder breeds Somebody is out of breath Sleep is a luxury they don’t need – a sneak preview of death Belladonna is your flower Manslaughter your meat Spend a year in a couple of hours On the edge of Beasley Street
Where the action isn’t That’s where it is State your position Vacancies exist In an X-certificate exercise Ex-servicemen excrete Keith Joseph smiles and a baby dies In a box on Beasley Street
From the boarding houses and the bedsits Full of accidents and fleas Somebody gets it Where the missing persons freeze Wearing dead men’s overcoats You can’t see their feet A riff joint shuts – opens up Right down on Beasley Street
Cars collide, colours clash Disaster movie stuff For a man with a Fu Manchu moustache Revenge is not enough There’s a dead canary on a swivel seat There’s a rainbow in the road Meanwhile on Beasley Street Silence is the code
Hot beneath the collar An inspector calls Where the perishing stink of squalor Impregnates the walls The rats have all got rickets They spit through broken teeth The name of the game is not cricket Caught out on Beasley Street
The hipster and his hired hat Drive a borrowed car Yellow socks and a pink cravat Nothing La-di-dah OAP, mother to be Watch the three-piece suite When toejam-stoppered drains And crocodile skis Are seen on Beasley Street
The kingdom of the blind A one-eyed man is king Beauty problems are redefined The doorbells do not ring A lightbulb bursts like a blister The only form of heat Here a fellow sells his sister Down the river on Beasley Street
The boys are on the wagon The girls are on the shelf Their common problem is That they’re not someone else The dirt blows out The dust blows in You can’t keep it neat It’s a fully furnished dustbin, Sixteen Beasley Street
Vince the ageing savage Betrays no kind of life But the smell of yesterday’s cabbage And the ghost of last year’s wife Through a constant haze Of deodorant sprays He says retreat Alsations dog the dirty days Down the middle of Beasley Street
People turn to poison Quick as lager turns to piss Sweethearts are physically sick Every time they kiss. It’s a sociologist’s paradise Each day repeats On easy, cheesy, greasy, queasy Beastly Beasley Street
Eyes dead as vicious fish Look around for laughs If I could have just one wish I would be a photograph On a permanent Monday morning Get lost or fall asleep When the yellow cats are yawning Around the back of Beasley Street :ahand
"Great nations are not built by a gang or work shy soap dodgers with nasal accents"
Winston Churchill
Title: Re: What would get AH growing again
Post by: Shuffler on November 07, 2024, 01:03:42 PM
I have spent the years perfecting drop tanks that do not leak under hard maneuvering. This ensures that no tequila and no triple-sec are lost to drips and dribbles. I have perfected a small efficient ice maker/blender combo that is near bullit proof. I have mug hangers that allow dangling in all angles of flight. I even developed a salt dispenser that automatically salts the rim. Frozen margaritas always help when being jumped by multiple enemy fighters.
Title: Re: What would get AH growing again
Post by: Yarbles on November 07, 2024, 01:14:32 PM
Title: Re: What would get AH growing again
Post by: Randy1 on November 07, 2024, 02:47:31 PM
Thinking back to when the main arena was full might offer a clue. The number of newbies was in balance with the number of veteran players. As a newbie, with luck, you could be battling another newbie with a reasonable chance of winning the fight in the air or on the ground.. Now a newbie is most likely to encounter a veteran player over and over again with bad results in short order. Not much fun in that. Little chance to climb that learning curve.
The only way I can figure to do beat that is offering a newbie a low cost, 6 or 12 month deal paid upfront. The hope is the newbie sticks around long enough to climb that learning curve. The six months upfront should offer some incentive to keep playing sense it is prepaid. It would have to be cheap.
Iracing has been very successful with annual fees and newbie deals. Iracing annual fee wise is less than AH.
Just my best guess.
Title: Re: What would get AH growing again
Post by: nrshida on November 08, 2024, 04:08:27 AM
Not when you factor in a FFB steering wheel, racing pedals, racing shoes, racing gloves and a Rolex watch which are requisite for making you competitive. :old:
That machine spends more time looking at girly makeup routines on Youtube than shooting down germans.
Zack and I think it's marvellous that you live your life in the open. Zack was also asking for eyeliner tips recently so perhaps you can help. A Paramedic friend was telling me recently about a British schoolgirl who identifies as a cat. Her school even bought her a litter tray into which she goes potty-time when needed. In an NHS Political Correctness Correction Retraining Facility he was instructed - if he had to medically treat her - to approach her in accord with her expectations on a human-to-cat. Level. So he fastened her securely in a potato sack with a few bricks but was stopped before he could reach the bridge over the River Severn.
I identify as Steve McQueen yet my University has so-far failed to supply me with a 1960s Porsche 911s. It's an outrage :old:
Happy Friday Pipz <Salute>
Title: Re: What would get AH growing again
Post by: ZE on November 08, 2024, 09:19:41 AM
The only way I can figure to do beat that is offering a newbie a low cost, 6 or 12 month deal paid upfront. The hope is the newbie sticks around long enough to climb that learning curve.
+1
Title: Re: What would get AH growing again
Post by: Yarbles on November 08, 2024, 11:10:54 AM
Zack and I think it's marvellous that you live your life in the open. Zack was also asking for eyeliner tips recently so perhaps you can help. A Paramedic friend was telling me recently about a British schoolgirl who identifies as a cat. Her school even bought her a litter tray into which she goes potty-time when needed. In an NHS Political Correctness Correction Retraining Facility he was instructed - if he had to medically treat her - to approach her in accord with her expectations on a human-to-cat. Level. So he fastened her securely in a potato sack with a few bricks but was stopped before he could reach the bridge over the River Severn.
I identify as Steve McQueen yet my University has so-far failed to supply me with a 1960s Porsche 911s. It's an outrage :old:
Happy Friday Pipz <Salute>
Jim Davidson meets Bernard Manning. :D dO WIMMIN drivers next :rofl :rofl :rofl
100+ in the MA last night :aok :aok :aok I was as rusty as a very rusty thing that has been left out in the rain by the ocean for a month. Its that or I have forgotten how rubbish I am. When I got a wee bit frustrated I got on the 8 inchers and blew up someones town :banana:
No excessive running and people were willing to take on a Spit 9 in a 47 and I got reversed twice.
I can now run all the features on my PC. It all looks good and I have played Cliffs and DCS. 8 incher woop woop :o
People need to know how good AH is :rock
Title: Re: What would get AH growing again
Post by: Yarbles on November 08, 2024, 11:29:11 AM
I just Googled WW2 PC games and 42 came up and none of them were AH !!
:bhead
Title: Re: What would get AH growing again
Post by: Yarbles on November 08, 2024, 02:40:05 PM
I just Googled WW2 PC games and 42 came up and none of them were AH !!
:bhead
Where can I find a multi player ww2 video game. I know I will Google it like the young folk do :D :old: :old: :old:
Oh My :bolt:
Title: Re: What would get AH growing again
Post by: zack1234 on November 08, 2024, 03:10:34 PM
In the UK you goto jail for three years for writing a email…fact In the UK a pervert BBC journalist news reader was caught being a nonce…two years suspended jail sentence and £300k pension…fact The UK Prime minister is a former human rights lawyer.
Title: Re: What would get AH growing again
Post by: Animl-AW on November 08, 2024, 03:21:47 PM
Jim Davidson meets Bernard Manning. :D dO WIMMIN drivers next :rofl :rofl :rofl
100+ in the MA last night :aok :aok :aok I was as rusty as a very rusty thing that has been left out in the rain by the ocean for a month. Its that or I have forgotten how rubbish I am. When I got a wee bit frustrated I got on the 8 inchers and blew up someones town :banana:
No excessive running and people were willing to take on a Spit 9 in a 47 and I got reversed twice.
I can now run all the features on my PC. It all looks good and I have played Cliffs and DCS. 8 incher woop woop :o
People need to know how good AH is :rock
Again, don’t talk here, talk there:) take it outside the bubble.
Title: Re: What would get AH growing again
Post by: Shuffler on November 08, 2024, 04:20:46 PM
Fact.....
Zack played the part of Pipi Longstockings in a stage play at King James Academy, Royston back in 1983.
Title: Re: What would get AH growing again
Post by: Yarbles on November 08, 2024, 04:55:20 PM
In the UK you goto jail for three years for writing a email…fact In the UK a pervert BBC journalist news reader was caught being a nonce…two years suspended jail sentence and £300k pension…fact The UK Prime minister is a former human rights lawyer.
Too many people in Jail :rolleyes:
Ask Zack he knows :aok
What is the food like inside Zack ? Get back into AH and try and stop nicking thermal underwear. in July. We all want to do it but we play AH instead :old:
Title: Re: What would get AH growing again
Post by: Yarbles on November 08, 2024, 04:56:54 PM
I wondered when we'd be arriving at the point where a solid block of unpaid and thankless work would be delegated to some poor technically-aware but gullible sap primarily for the benefit of others. How perfectly Homo Sapiens.
Cobblers! :old:
Title: Re: What would get AH growing again
Post by: Yarbles on November 09, 2024, 11:44:27 AM
I wondered when we'd be arriving at the point where a solid block of unpaid and thankless work would be delegated to some poor technically-aware but gullible sap primarily for the benefit of others. How perfectly Homo Sapiens.
Cobblers! :old:
:angel: :angel: :angel:
Appen is it really tut Angel or an Old Lad wearing is flat cap.
Mickle of muckle. yow boogers, i'll sith the in toot U tube. .
There is more to life than ale and whippets :aok
ya daft munkeys
Title: Re: What would get AH growing again
Post by: nrshida on November 09, 2024, 12:59:56 PM
Appen as likely as not t'Orange-fella is reet an coin is t'only way betwixt work and want. Cobblers to community and contributions sunder soverigns. Let's put wood in t'hole on that whole back-passage of nonsense and g'f'rth with nowt-but no-pay-no-play road. 'Nuf chelpin’ old-Yarbles thee can make t'first Utoob promotion and see what comes of that ba’ht farthings. Ope thee has a reet grand time and not get brayed with t'copyright faffin’ :aok
Title: Re: What would get AH growing again
Post by: Yarbles on November 09, 2024, 04:34:39 PM
Appen as likely as not t'Orange-fella is reet an coin is t'only way betwixt work and want. Cobblers to community and contributions sunder soverigns. Let's put wood in t'hole on that whole back-passage of nonsense and g'f'rth with nowt-but no-pay-no-play road. 'Nuf chelpin’ old-Yarbles thee can make t'first Utoob promotion and see what comes of that ba’ht farthings. Ope thee has a reet grand time and not get brayed with t'copyright faffin’ :aok
Chuufin heck :rofl :rofl :rofl :rofl
Seriously old chap put in about 6 hours yesterday. I will do anything to keep this game going it is my retirement plan now :banana:
You understand it as well as anyone. Tell us what to do wise one :pray
If we could find a way to let more old fellas have the opportunity to play a low computer spec, mutli player, multi vehicle and plane set with clear objectives, there would be a stampede to AH definately.
When I played last night I found it is full of top chaps with plenty of miles on their clocks. Currently too many old fellas are gardening, watching ww2 documentries, enjoying domestic intimacy, indulging snot nosed grandchildren and preying for death. They could be fighting ww2, having it large and living the dream if they only new it existed :aok
It should be free on the health service as a cure for dementia :banana:
AH is the cure for ageing and High Tech must be re enthused by our efforts.
So I would not change anything about the game. All it needs is more people to know about it. There is plenty of opportunity to practice off line. As to graphics well my "machine" (old codger speak) supports them which is a result. The DOT recognition is excellent outside of icon range. AH also does not use a shed load of memory and the graphics it does have are good enough for the game. People still play board games FFS. The flight model is second to none. The vehicle and plane set is enormous. $15 is f all for what you get. Yes the player base is very experienced now but one can still jump in and be target pracice for them but have fun. In 2005 my K/D was about 1 to 25 but I kept going. I think we all went through that at the start. Finding AH was enough :rock
I think if people know about it, it still sells itself and I have played Cliffs and DCS. As multi player games AH is much better :aok
In my opinion AH has simply slipped off the Radar probably partly due to changes in the life of HT and that is fine but if there is anything people know of that could get it back on there we huge fans on AH should try to get it back on there. Maybe not back to 4000+ subscriptions and huge maps but double the current numbers would be :aok. I also hear it is top in VR which I want to have when it is a bit more sorted in general.
We are a community of fellow enthusiasts. :cheers:
Title: Re: What would get AH growing again
Post by: LCADolby on November 09, 2024, 07:27:45 PM
Appen as likely as not t'Orange-fella is reet an coin is t'only way betwixt work and want. Cobblers to community and contributions sunder soverigns. Let's put wood in t'hole on that whole back-passage of nonsense and g'f'rth with nowt-but no-pay-no-play road. 'Nuf chelpin’ old-Yarbles thee can make t'first Utoob promotion and see what comes of that ba’ht farthings. Ope thee has a reet grand time and not get brayed with t'copyright faffin’ :aok
Title: Re: What would get AH growing again
Post by: nrshida on November 10, 2024, 05:43:45 AM
Seriously old chap put in about 6 hours yesterday. I will do anything to keep this game going it is my retirement plan now :banana:
Some problem domains have no solution. If you become infirm before Dale does and do so before the running costs exceed the subscription-income then maybe your plan is viable. Largest threat is self-disillusionment. Best to have a backup plan like binging every single one of the 879 episodes of Crown Court like we all used to watch when off sick from school.
You understand it as well as anyone. Tell us what to do wise one :pray
I'm merely the son of the village farrier and blacksmith. I don't have what you're looking for. Dale is merely the owner of this game, he doesn't either. Mr. Oranje merely thinks he's the most powerful man on earth so he certainly doesn't in a perfectly-described Douglas Adams stylee. Why would you think there are any answers for us. Look at the evidence and integrate it logically if you dare to stare into the abyss. If you want to improve your flying each time you get out-flown, analyze and use that to navigate backwards through all of the things you've learned incorrectly and reconstruct from there. That is as meaningful as any other challenge one could find.
Title: Re: What would get AH growing again
Post by: Yarbles on November 10, 2024, 11:24:21 AM
I am sure HT has asked himself this question but we can talk about it.
What amazes me about AH is how many different elements it has still compared to what else is out there.
Planes, GV'S, Ships, ground guns etc and they are still making films about WW2 so there is an interest.
What do people think might make it grow again in player numbers?
Positive suggestions please :D
sIMPLE, NO ONE KNOWS ABOUT IT. I saw a you tube video and the person was talking about top ten flight sims. Four of them were junk, looked like cartoons, like from the 80's Another host talked about best vr flight sims, again AH wasn't even on the list. I remember it used to be advertised, on the History channel back in the day. Marketing 101, if you don't market you don't have a market. Sadly, I think HT is just disinterested at this point and the game is being allowed to die, no updates since before 2020 if I am not mistaken. VR needs a tuneup at the least.
Title: Re: What would get AH growing again
Post by: hazmatt on November 10, 2024, 02:08:44 PM
I pretty much don't post on the boards anymore but in this case I thought it might be helpful to have another perspective. I think that most gamers today are used to the free to play/pay to win model.
One of the games I have moved on to regularly has 200,000 people playing when I log on, most of them in WW2 aircraft and tanks, so there is obviously a market for WW2 stuff. 1 percent of 200,000 is a lot. I have no idea on how to reach those people but they are obviously out there and I suspect many of the players of those "other" sims consider a "free to play/pay to win" option as it seems most are used to the model where you get "something" for "paying." What I mean is if I want to buy a plane I pay $6 or whatever and you can add that plane to your inventory. In my experience when I used to try to get them to try AH they would ask me what they got for the $15 a month (as in planes or vehicles) and they didn't seem to find the "rental" aspect appealing. I for one have moved on and would probably only consider coming back if this game offered a free to play option as I have not experienced the issues that I did in this game in the new ones that I currently play.
My new found interest is in the early jets of the late 40ies and early 50ies like the F-89B. I've found these to be challenging in simulator mode as the speed range is rather small from enough speed to prevent a snap roll to enough speed to hit compression and if you hit compression nose down there's a good chance you can break your plane even with the throttle off and boards out. You have to work the boards as much as the throttle and I think I've killed myself more then I've been killed by other players. 6 center-line 20mm and no missiles makes it challenging but fun!
Title: Re: What would get AH growing again
Post by: Yarbles on November 10, 2024, 04:14:30 PM
I pretty much don't post on the boards anymore but in this case I thought it might be helpful to have another perspective. I think that most gamers today are used to the free to play/pay to win model.
One of the games I have moved on to regularly has 200,000 people playing when I log on, most of them in WW2 aircraft and tanks, so there is obviously a market for WW2 stuff. 1 percent of 200,000 is a lot. I have no idea on how to reach those people but they are obviously out there and I suspect many of the players of those "other" sims consider a "free to play/pay to win" option as it seems most are used to the model where you get "something" for "paying." What I mean is if I want to buy a plane I pay $6 or whatever and you can add that plane to your inventory. In my experience when I used to try to get them to try AH they would ask me what they got for the $15 a month (as in planes or vehicles) and they didn't seem to find the "rental" aspect appealing. I for one have moved on and would probably only consider coming back if this game offered a free to play option as I have not experienced the issues that I did in this game in the new ones that I currently play.
My new found interest is in the early jets of the late 40ies and early 50ies like the F-89B. I've found these to be challenging in simulator mode as the speed range is rather small from enough speed to prevent a snap roll to enough speed to hit compression and if you hit compression nose down there's a good chance you can break your plane even with the throttle off and boards out. You have to work the boards as much as the throttle and I think I've killed myself more then I've been killed by other players. 6 center-line 20mm and no missiles makes it challenging but fun!
I have to say when someone set up a good Arena in DCS people were vounteering subs to keep it going. I think the no subs model does apply to the 4 second attention span younguns :old: but they are annoying children like we used to be.
Anyway Nrshida I refuse to buy this stoical, inevitability, lets watch it die slowly persona you have adopted. Like others on here I am sure you and they can do more. Ok so far I have come up with posting U tube vids which do not involve HT having to do anything. How about some more ideas that don't involve HT that can work. What about Dolby he is a mover and shaker among others ?
Lets not confuse apathy with inevitability, yow boogers :D
If we boil this down to the substantive we know the reason AH is not growing becuause there are literally millions of old fellas like us who don't know it exists and that is the starting point. When I found out about it I was at 40 "Oh Brave New World with such people in it". !! "Let the people know" is the only furtile ground I think we have.
Consider also it is a NICHE small business one that can potentially be sold. HT can potentially cash out if he wants to. If he does any future investor will want to keep and grow the core. If it is growing it will be worth allot more than if it is shrinking which means serious investment. 1000 subs per month is £15,000 x 12 = $180,000 a year less costs. I susspect if the subscribers doubled given the current set up the extra would be pure profit. It is clearly just a matter of increased visibility.
Simplest step for all of us is try and bring back people you are still in touch with back into AH. That is what I am doing. Renew old aquaintances. We are all older and hopefully have more time. Ex squaddies is a good place to start.
As to graphics and old hat well: As I said my medium range PC now runs everything and everything is allot better than I remember. It has got allot better. :banana:
I flew FSO yesterday and am going to do Scenario. It is the most fun I have had with my trousers on since I used to do track days on my motorbike which cost a fortune. :old:
Title: Re: What would get AH growing again
Post by: Brooke on November 11, 2024, 12:16:36 AM
Get your family and pals to play.
I've got the Brooke clan flying scenarios: my dad, my 2 daughters, my 3 nephews, two college buddies, one former co-worker, two dads of daughters' friends, one guy I met at gaming convention, a friend of a friend. Soon will work to add a friend of my daughters. Will work on one other buddy and dad of daughters' friend.
Every get together I go to, if I find out a person likes airplanes or games: "I play this multiplayer WWII air combat sim..." followed by my hard-sell recruiting pitch to fly with me in scenarios. :aok
Title: Re: What would get AH growing again
Post by: Yarbles on November 11, 2024, 12:31:27 AM
I've got the Brooke clan flying scenarios: my dad, my 2 daughters, my 3 nephews, two college buddies, one former co-worker, two dads of daughters' friends, one guy I met at gaming convention, a friend of a friend. Soon will work to add a friend of my daughters. Will work on one other buddy and dad of daughters' friend.
Every get together I go to, if I find out a person likes airplanes or games: "I play this multiplayer WWII air combat sim..." followed by my hard-sell recruiting pitch to fly with me in scenarios. :aok
:aok :aok :aok :aok :aok
Title: Re: What would get AH growing again
Post by: Brooke on November 11, 2024, 12:32:15 AM
By the way, final frame of current scenario is next Saturday, 7 pm US Eastern time in special events 2 arena.
P-51B's, Typhoons, Mosquitoes vs. 190A-5's and 109G-14's over coastal France in prep for D-Day.
Just finished frame 3 last Saturday, which was a combat extravaganza.
Vid from frame 1 courtesy of Steely:
Title: Re: What would get AH growing again
Post by: Lazerr on November 11, 2024, 10:06:58 AM
I've got the Brooke clan flying scenarios: my dad, my 2 daughters, my 3 nephews, two college buddies, one former co-worker, two dads of daughters' friends, one guy I met at gaming convention, a friend of a friend. Soon will work to add a friend of my daughters. Will work on one other buddy and dad of daughters' friend.
Every get together I go to, if I find out a person likes airplanes or games: "I play this multiplayer WWII air combat sim..." followed by my hard-sell recruiting pitch to fly with me in scenarios. :aok
past.
Good thing your doing this or we wouldn't have enough people to even run a scenario.
Title: Re: What would get AH growing again
Post by: Yarbles on November 11, 2024, 11:29:57 AM
I have to say when someone set up a good Arena in DCS people were vounteering subs to keep it going. I think the no subs model does apply to the 4 second attention span younguns :old: but they are annoying children like we used to be.
These other sims with high numbers are all more then 10 years old, some are more then 20 years old and in my experience there are very few "annoying children" playing them. Most people that age seem playing Minecraft, Fortnight or COD or something that only requires a "4 second attention span"
If you doubt my point about the sub model go read some reviews of the game on steam and see what people had to say. Even World of Warcraft (which most consider a sub model) will let you play the first 20 levels for free. I'm not going to pay for a sub for each of my kids but they have lots of fun with the first 20 levels for free.
If you want to give the option to sub like you mentioned in DCS there is a game that is more then 23 years old that used to be a subscription only model that has grown it's numbers by offering limited free to play as well as normal subscription and a "builder" subscription to support future development.
I think it comes down to is that all of the games with a large number of players all have very similar models. If you want to grow the game the same as they do then I would say that it might be a good idea to follow their example. If you continue the same action you are going to get the same result.
The OP did ask: "What would get AH growing again". Based my many years of multiplayer games starting with AWdos in the late 80ies and the original Everqest in late 90ies to the newest stuff out today, I figured it might be helpful to have an opinion of somebody who wasn't singing to the choir. I don't expect that there will be any changes to the game and therefore I suspect there won't be any changes to the numbers.
Title: Re: What would get AH growing again
Post by: Brooke on November 11, 2024, 02:41:32 PM
Title: Re: What would get AH growing again
Post by: Dadtallica on November 11, 2024, 03:29:37 PM
Hope all of us in the OG crew get grandfathered in to this new AH!
Title: Re: What would get AH growing again
Post by: Dadtallica on November 11, 2024, 03:37:26 PM
Let’s ask ChatGPT…
What would it take for Aces High III to have a player subscription resurgence to pre-covid levels and become a major performing title in the current online flight sim market. Please be detailed with 10 bullet points. Include the current major market games and why or why not Aces High could compete?
To rejuvenate Aces High III (AH3) to pre-COVID subscription levels and potentially position it as a top title in the current online flight simulator market, several focused steps are necessary. AH3 must address both player retention and attraction by aligning with modern gaming trends, optimizing features, and broadening its reach. Here are ten detailed strategies that could foster such a resurgence:
1. Graphics Overhaul and Realism Improvements • Competing titles like Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 and DCS World are known for their stunning, ultra-realistic graphics, and AH3 would benefit significantly from a visual upgrade. Enhanced landscapes, realistic lighting, and high-resolution models could bring AH3’s visuals closer to competitors, making it more appealing to new players accustomed to modern graphics. 2. Enhanced Dynamic Campaigns and Realistic Missions • Titles like IL-2 Sturmovik and War Thunder provide dynamic, mission-based experiences. AH3 could enhance its player-driven environment with more immersive, AI-driven campaigns, historical missions, and progressive challenges. Realistic objectives and campaigns could increase immersion and attract players seeking structured yet intense combat experiences. 3. Expanded Accessibility and Onboarding for New Players • The flight sim genre has a steep learning curve, which can be daunting. By offering interactive tutorials, beginner-friendly modes, and gradual difficulty increases, AH3 could better retain newcomers. This approach could set it apart from more complex sims like DCS World and X-Plane, which are known for being challenging for beginners. 4. Cross-Platform Support and VR Integration • Most modern titles, including Microsoft Flight Simulator and War Thunder, offer multi-platform support and VR compatibility. Adding VR support would allow AH3 players to experience an enhanced cockpit perspective, while cross-platform functionality (PC, console) could expand its player base significantly. (I did tell it we have VR) 5. Regular Content Updates and Seasonal Events • Games like War Thunder succeed by introducing regular updates and seasonal content, keeping players engaged. AH3 could adopt a similar model with frequent updates that introduce new planes, maps, skins, and special events to retain player interest and incentivize recurring subscriptions. (Also let it know we do have regular events) 6. Streamlined User Interface and Quality of Life Improvements • Improving AH3’s user interface and integrating quality-of-life updates (e.g., customizable HUDs, simplified controls) could help it compete against the more user-friendly experiences offered by War Thunder and Microsoft Flight Simulator. Such enhancements could make the game more intuitive for both new and returning players. 7. Enhanced Community Engagement and Content Creation Tools (I did explain we do have some of this) • IL-2 Sturmovik and DCS World thrive on community involvement, with tools for custom missions and mods. AH3 could introduce similar modding support, mission editors, and community hubs to foster creativity and player engagement. Community-focused events, live-streamed tournaments, and dedicated forums could also help build a loyal player base. 8. Flexible Subscription Model and Expanded Free-to-Play Access • With most games offering free-to-play options, AH3 could expand its free trial model or introduce a tiered subscription plan to attract casual players who are hesitant to commit. Offering limited free gameplay with an option to unlock premium content (maps, planes) could drive more engagement and give potential subscribers a reason to invest. 9. Partnerships with Influencers and Flight Sim Content Creators • To raise visibility, AH3 could partner with popular flight sim YouTubers and Twitch streamers who can showcase gameplay, tips, and strategies. In an industry where visibility is key, these partnerships could increase AH3’s audience reach and attract new subscribers, especially if influencers highlight updates and new features. 10. Refining Flight Physics and Engine for Competitive Realism • Competing against DCS World and IL-2, which are known for their realistic flight dynamics, requires that AH3 refine its flight physics. Enhancing flight realism and the simulation engine could attract serious flight sim enthusiasts who prioritize authenticity and might currently overlook AH3 for other titles.
Market Competitors Overview
• Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020: Known for high realism, detailed global maps, and extensive cross-platform support. AH3 could not compete directly in realism but could focus on accessible combat-focused gameplay. • DCS World: Known for advanced combat realism and detailed aircraft systems, DCS has a steep learning curve. AH3 could appeal to players seeking a slightly less technical but equally immersive combat sim. • IL-2 Sturmovik: Offers both single-player campaigns and multiplayer options with historic scenarios. AH3 would need to broaden its historical missions and improve visuals to be competitive. • War Thunder: Free-to-play with regular updates, multi-platform support, and arcade options for accessibility. AH3 could adopt similar engagement strategies, balancing realism with accessibility.
By focusing on these enhancements, AH3 could become a competitive and appealing choice in the flight simulator market, especially for players seeking an immersive, community-driven experience with an emphasis on historical air combat.
Title: Re: What would get AH growing again
Post by: Dadtallica on November 11, 2024, 03:39:00 PM
Now let’s ask ChatGPT what it would take.
Please estimate the amount of initial investment, time and manpower it would take to make this changes happen?
Estimating the initial investment, time, and manpower required to elevate Aces High III (AH3) to a competitive position in the flight simulator market involves evaluating key areas, including development, marketing, and operational support. Here’s a detailed breakdown of the projected resources and costs required.
1. Graphics Overhaul and Realism Improvements
• Team: 5-6 3D artists, 3-4 graphics engineers • Time: 12-18 months • Cost: • 3D Artists: $70,000-$90,000/year per artist = $350,000-$540,000 • Graphics Engineers: $90,000-$120,000/year per engineer = $270,000-$480,000 • Total: ~$700,000-$1,020,000
2. Enhanced Dynamic Campaigns and Realistic Missions
• Team: 3 game designers, 2 AI programmers, 2 mission designers • Time: 6-12 months • Cost: • Game Designers: $80,000-$100,000/year per designer = $240,000-$300,000 • AI Programmers: $100,000-$120,000/year per programmer = $200,000-$240,000 • Mission Designers: $70,000-$85,000/year per designer = $140,000-$170,000 • Total: ~$580,000-$710,000
3. Expanded Accessibility and Onboarding for New Players
To summarize the estimated costs for the initial investment:
• Total Development Cost: ~$3.5 million to $4.4 million • Marketing and Community Engagement: ~$500,000-$750,000
Total Combined Initial Investment: ~$4 million - $5.2 million
Time Estimate
The estimated timeframe for a full overhaul would be approximately 18-24 months, assuming work is done concurrently across all areas.
Conclusion
With an investment of $4 million to $5.2 million, a 24-month development cycle, and a skilled team, Aces High III could become more competitive within the flight sim market. This level of commitment would be necessary to close the gap with top-performing flight simulators, positioning AH3 to regain subscribers and attract a wider audience.
Title: Re: What would get AH growing again
Post by: guncrasher on November 11, 2024, 04:02:57 PM
gofundme?
semp
Title: Re: What would get AH growing again
Post by: Shuffler on November 11, 2024, 04:36:35 PM
:rofl
Title: Re: What would get AH growing again
Post by: Yarbles on November 11, 2024, 05:08:01 PM
I think we are talking about another 500 serious players not a global empire :o
2 x what we have now would be :rock
Realisticly so far we have:
1) Word or mouth
2) U tube videos
and I am going to put a card in the window of my local corner shop. £1 for two weeks and send HT the bill :banana:
Title: Re: What would get AH growing again
Post by: The Fugitive on November 11, 2024, 05:28:37 PM
I have a youtube channel that I had posted videos to ages ago. Nothing special, mostly to show someone something or to ask about something.
However I've been thinking that I could start it up again. My plan was to add quick little video, maybe a minute, minute and a half long. Quick tips or showing some part of the game view, or a maneuver with a quick how to do it audio for it. Short videos on some land grab tactics, AARs (after action reports) and things to show the wide variety of game play we have. Id love to post a few a day type thing to make it active and more noticeable, but I may need help putting things together.
So if any of you think this might be a good idea and or want to help let me know.
Another thing I was thinking, do any of you know how Google and Youtube search engines work? Would it be helpful to say have everyone stop by each place and run a search for Aces High, or certain Aces High videos. Would the algorithms pick it up as "interest in the topic" or as the same players spamming the the search engine?
Title: Re: What would get AH growing again
Post by: Yarbles on November 11, 2024, 07:25:02 PM
I have a youtube channel that I had posted videos to ages ago. Nothing special, mostly to show someone something or to ask about something.
However I've been thinking that I could start it up again. My plan was to add quick little video, maybe a minute, minute and a half long. Quick tips or showing some part of the game view, or a maneuver with a quick how to do it audio for it. Short videos on some land grab tactics, AARs (after action reports) and things to show the wide variety of game play we have. Id love to post a few a day type thing to make it active and more noticeable, but I may need help putting things together.
So if any of you think this might be a good idea and or want to help let me know.
Another thing I was thinking, do any of you know how Google and Youtube search engines work? Would it be helpful to say have everyone stop by each place and run a search for Aces High, or certain Aces High videos. Would the algorithms pick it up as "interest in the topic" or as the same players spamming the the search engine?
I am no expert but that sounds like a great idea and I will definately study your vids. I also think searches must help raise people outside of the games atttention. :aok
I think we need to differentiate between AH and games with many thousands of players. That is not going to happen to AH and I am not sure if we would like it if it did.
Title: Re: What would get AH growing again
Post by: scott66 on November 11, 2024, 07:49:45 PM
Fugi is the man! My you tube channel is all about what not to do fugi should start it back up!
Title: Re: What would get AH growing again
Post by: hazmatt on November 11, 2024, 08:38:09 PM
Please estimate the amount of initial investment, time and manpower it would take to make this changes happen?
Estimating the initial investment, time, and manpower required to elevate Aces High III (AH3) to a competitive position in the flight simulator market involves evaluating key areas, including development, marketing, and operational support. Here’s a detailed breakdown of the projected resources and costs required.
1. Graphics Overhaul and Realism Improvements
• Team: 5-6 3D artists, 3-4 graphics engineers • Time: 12-18 months • Cost: • 3D Artists: $70,000-$90,000/year per artist = $350,000-$540,000 • Graphics Engineers: $90,000-$120,000/year per engineer = $270,000-$480,000 • Total: ~$700,000-$1,020,000
2. Enhanced Dynamic Campaigns and Realistic Missions
• Team: 3 game designers, 2 AI programmers, 2 mission designers • Time: 6-12 months • Cost: • Game Designers: $80,000-$100,000/year per designer = $240,000-$300,000 • AI Programmers: $100,000-$120,000/year per programmer = $200,000-$240,000 • Mission Designers: $70,000-$85,000/year per designer = $140,000-$170,000 • Total: ~$580,000-$710,000
3. Expanded Accessibility and Onboarding for New Players
To summarize the estimated costs for the initial investment:
• Total Development Cost: ~$3.5 million to $4.4 million • Marketing and Community Engagement: ~$500,000-$750,000
Total Combined Initial Investment: ~$4 million - $5.2 million
Time Estimate
The estimated timeframe for a full overhaul would be approximately 18-24 months, assuming work is done concurrently across all areas.
Conclusion
With an investment of $4 million to $5.2 million, a 24-month development cycle, and a skilled team, Aces High III could become more competitive within the flight sim market. This level of commitment would be necessary to close the gap with top-performing flight simulators, positioning AH3 to regain subscribers and attract a wider audience.
Very interesting for sure.
Maybe you should have asked it how to get 2 to 3 times more subs then to try to compete with the big dogs?
Title: Re: What would get AH growing again
Post by: The Fugitive on November 11, 2024, 09:24:56 PM
Maybe you should have asked it how to get 2 to 3 times more subs then to try to compete with the big dogs?
Ok let’s do it and lump the cost and ROI. This is where what the community wants and what HT as a company would need.
Instead of becoming a global player again… what would it take to attract and maintain an active player base at 2-3 times more than today. Let’s assume active subscriptions are roughly 700-900 monthly. Give me five detailed bullet points with costs and a final cost to maintain it for five years minimum. Include an roi net +/- after the five years if subscription costs remained $14.99.
To attract and maintain an active player base of around 2-3 times the current level (1,400–2,700 monthly subscribers) for Aces High III, here’s a focused plan with estimated costs and potential ROI over five years:
Key Initiatives
1. Improved Onboarding Experience • Objective: Simplify the onboarding for new players to increase conversion and retention. • Cost: • Hire a UX designer and game tutorial developer ($90,000/year each) = $180,000/year. • Develop a custom in-game tutorial with voice-over and guided missions ($50,000 one-time cost). • Annual Total: $180,000 + $50,000 (initial setup) = $230,000 (first year), then $180,000/year. • 5-Year Cost: $950,000. 2. Content Expansion with New Maps and Missions • Objective: Regularly release new maps, missions, and campaigns to keep long-term players engaged and attract new ones. • Cost: • 1 content designer and 1 part-time developer ($90,000/year each) = $180,000/year. • Asset and map design costs: $40,000/year. • Annual Total: $220,000. • 5-Year Cost: $1.1 million. 3. Community Engagement and Event Hosting • Objective: Host regular events, including tournaments, themed campaigns, and community challenges, to foster loyalty. • Cost: • Community manager and event planner ($70,000/year each) = $140,000/year. • Event prizes and sponsorship costs: $25,000/year. • Annual Total: $165,000. • 5-Year Cost: $825,000. 4. Digital Marketing and Influencer Partnerships • Objective: Increase visibility through targeted ads, partnerships with niche influencers, and engaging social media content. • Cost: • Marketing coordinator ($80,000/year). • Influencer partnerships, ad spend, and promotional content creation: $60,000/year. • Annual Total: $140,000. • 5-Year Cost: $700,000. 5. Tiered Subscription Model and Retention Initiatives • Objective: Offer flexible subscription tiers and rewards for long-term players to improve subscription stability. • Cost: • Monetization analyst and loyalty program manager ($85,000/year each) = $170,000/year. • Loyalty rewards and occasional subscriber-exclusive content: $20,000/year. • Annual Total: $190,000. • 5-Year Cost: $950,000.
Total 5-Year Investment
• 5-Year Cost: $4.525 million
Revenue and ROI Calculation
Assuming a subscription price of $14.99 per month, let’s calculate revenue based on the target subscriber increase to 1,400–2,700 subscribers.
To break even or make a profit within five years, the game would likely need to reach and maintain an average of 4,700 monthly subscribers:
• Revenue from 4,700 subscribers: $14.99 * 4,700 = $70,453 per month, or $845,436 annually. • At 4,700 subscribers, the project would approach breakeven by the fifth year, achieving profitability soon after if the growth rate continues.
Reaching this higher subscriber count would likely require additional marketing and feature development investment beyond this initial plan.
Title: Re: What would get AH growing again
Post by: Dadtallica on November 11, 2024, 09:41:28 PM
Therefore….
So is it your conclusion that becoming a major market player and maintaining a smaller but profitable player base would essentially need the same time and resources?
Yes, based on the analysis, it appears that reaching profitability as a niche title with a smaller but steady player base and attempting to break into the broader market would require similar levels of investment and time.
The core reasons are:
1. Content and Technology Requirements: To attract either a niche or mainstream audience, Aces High III would still need improved graphics, onboarding, and quality-of-life updates to stay competitive and increase retention rates. The gaming market has become more demanding, so even niche players expect modern graphics, smoother gameplay, and content variety—making these investments essential regardless of audience size. 2. Community Engagement: Building a loyal community requires ongoing investment in community management, events, and marketing to maintain engagement. Whether aiming for a smaller, sustainable player base or a mainstream resurgence, consistent community support is essential for long-term retention and growth. 3. Marketing and Visibility: Entering a highly competitive market demands targeted marketing, influencer partnerships, and consistent brand presence. While niche-focused efforts could be smaller-scale than mainstream campaigns, they still require significant investment to reach and retain a consistent audience. 4. Revenue vs. Costs: The subscription model alone, even with 2-3 times the current subscribers, is unlikely to cover the initial and ongoing costs within five years unless player counts approach major-market levels. Thus, to justify and eventually profit from the investment, the game needs a sizable increase in subscribers—either by expanding within its niche or by reaching more mainstream audiences.
In summary, maintaining a profitable niche base or aiming for a larger mainstream presence both demand an upfront investment in technology, content, and community engagement. While the strategies may differ slightly, the resources, timeline, and financial thresholds needed to achieve profitability are quite similar in both cases.
Time to enjoy what you have while you have it and deeply thank the people who gave it to you.
Title: Re: What would get AH growing again
Post by: Bruv119 on November 12, 2024, 06:35:30 AM
The AI would suggest more AI integration. :noid
Keep the MA AI free!! :D
Title: Re: What would get AH growing again
Post by: Shuffler on November 12, 2024, 11:06:30 AM
I personally think the Ai should find better things to do with its infinite Ai time like getting its skynet on :devil
In the meantime lets keep this going. We all want AH to last.
Give Ai a decent moral compass like "treat everyone nicely like you would like to be treated" and I would have Ai to dinner any night of the week and all day Sunday. :aok
If Ai is in game though Ai needs a personality and then Ai would have to be all "This is BS and not like it should be so I can be top stick" on 200 etc
Generally Ai would need to be whingeing about the game and how everyone except Ai played it, to be like the rest of us.
Or maybe everyone else is already Ai :noid
Maybe I am Ai :noid :noid :noid
Title: Re: What would get AH growing again
Post by: Shuffler on November 12, 2024, 04:12:55 PM
Oxygen plus and regular weekly watering.
Title: Re: What would get AH growing again
Post by: Animl-AW on November 12, 2024, 07:16:36 PM
Blah!
AH is NOT beyond a touch up. EVERYONE has their own take and POV.
Problem IS, by the time you get all these varying ideas in you've actually muscled it up to a complete overhaul. I highly doubt that extent would happen with out changing out the 3D engine (just guessing), unless HT takes on a new 3-5 person team.
HT and Pyro and the rest proved that you do NOT need a massive team and millions for outside contracting. Less than 10 people built this over time.
IMO - Graphics, stick to the most important thing, settings really don't mean squat to draw players in. They haven't played it enough to know if they think they are bad or not, OR they won't even know what they are if ya can't get em in the door. In any game, ya need the visuals to drag em in. They will decide later if the settings are good FOR THEM or not.
What a few of us were suggesting is maybe terrain tile and explosion effects updates, maybe tweak Trees and Dar. I can make new sound effects for the explosions and start updating SOME sounds. This is all very doable, IF HT was interested.
Lets say we got it over-hauled, that wish list size will not change, it will always be a mile long, likes and dislikes, flaming debates. "everything I want is right, what you want is wrong.". Go to IL-2 and DCS, they are still yapping how it could be better.
When we updated AW to the last two versions, those small graphic changes had a pretty large effects, made a lot of players happy to see something new. And that's kinda all we really did. About 4-6 people pulled off most of it. And frankly I think that's where we are with AH. Max-out the 3d engine and sounds.
Many sounds I made in AW actually later got used in AH :) Would I have time to revamp every sound in AH, I doubt it,.. but enough to change the audio environment.
Don't think so big. Do ya want to compromise on graphical updates or nothing?
>IMO<
Title: Re: What would get AH growing again
Post by: MDStampf93 on November 13, 2024, 12:39:15 AM
Organic robots powered by AI, living in a simulated reality, occupying a 3 dimensional space. One of an infinite number of realities and unknown dimensions, just the simulated universe experiencing itself within the confines of “time and space”. Welcome to the Matrix lol.
Title: Re: What would get AH growing again
Post by: Animl-AW on November 13, 2024, 07:06:23 AM
The day AI infest in the MA is the same day I find something else to do.
Title: Re: What would get AH growing again
Post by: Eagler on November 13, 2024, 07:27:49 AM
AH youtube videos in this format might help..
I always find this guy's videos entertaining and interesting
Eagler
Title: Re: What would get AH growing again
Post by: Animl-AW on November 13, 2024, 08:06:15 AM
To break even or make a profit within five years, the game would likely need to reach and maintain an average of 4,700 monthly subscribers:
• Revenue from 4,700 subscribers: $14.99 * 4,700 = $70,453 per month, or $845,436 annually. • At 4,700 subscribers, the project would approach breakeven by the fifth year, achieving profitability soon after if the growth rate continues.
Reaching this higher subscriber count would likely require additional marketing and feature development investment beyond this initial plan.
Before 5 years is up you would have to spend that amount again. And the advertising/marketing cost estimate is about 3 mil to low. Now go tell any venture capitalist that we may just break even in 5 years. HiTech
Title: Re: What would get AH growing again
Post by: Dadtallica on November 13, 2024, 10:22:24 AM
Before 5 years is up you would have to spend that amount again. And the advertising/marketing cost estimate is about 3 mil to low. Now go tell any venture capitalist that we may just break even in 5 years. HiTech
Shark tank here we come! :rofl
Title: Re: What would get AH growing again
Post by: Eagler on November 13, 2024, 11:46:41 AM
I can do those FX, but dunno if game/3d engine accepts it.
I meant format in like short cool looking clips of action and not monotonous minutes of flying or driving to the action.. That action viewed in various angles and perspectives at the highest resolution with zoomed in shots to show off the skinners amazing work.. And put to music if there isn't any development news to accompany the video.. Eagler
Title: Re: What would get AH growing again
Post by: Eagler on November 13, 2024, 11:54:15 AM
I got the answer...
Like many streaming services today maybe an option for free play if you sit through 2 minutes of commercials between sorties...
Any tower sitters are thrown into commercials after sitting more than 60 seconds..might help that problem too lol
You're welcome :cheers:
Eagler
Title: Re: What would get AH growing again
Post by: Shuffler on November 13, 2024, 12:10:11 PM
Before 5 years is up you would have to spend that amount again. And the advertising/marketing cost estimate is about 3 mil to low. Now go tell any venture capitalist that we may just break even in 5 years. HiTech
What would it cost, in tangible Cragmore-units to get the furball Lake bases A1, A2 & A3 opened again? Asking for a friend.
Title: Re: What would get AH growing again
Post by: Yarbles on November 13, 2024, 12:22:09 PM
The new radar and proximity info makes SA allot easier than it used to be. I think that makes the game easier to understand. The 2d clipboard makes the situation easier to model in ones mind than 3d data that is in reality in 2d anyway with numbers and therefore compensates for the 2d world.
Do people still volunteer to train noobs. I have zero natural talent for this but always thought it was great anyway.
I was trained by Shatzi, Spatular, Floatsup, Bruv, Pervert, Klingan, Nrshida among others in the DA.
I did fly for the first 6 months on my own though but once I got in training eventually I won a couple of rounds of koth and had a 5:1 KD. I was never a great stick just about made average but all that help was available so I could be useful to my country and squad.
I will :bhead. SO I think we should ALL try to bring someone on board and train them or bring someone back if we can and generally do everything to let people know AH exists.
Just want to say at beyond Icon range I notice AH dot recognition is waaaay better than DCS if you are looking :aok Furthermore while allot of people cry about "its doing that when it should be doing this" 99% of the time that is them being a petulant A holeian. To me the model 99.99% corresponds to my conception of reality.
Title: Re: What would get AH growing again
Post by: Zimme83 on November 13, 2024, 12:28:15 PM
The game havent been updated in like six years, Why would anyone spend 15$ a month on a game that havent seen anything new in that period of time? if you want AH to be revived then you need a new game, a game this old cannot be revived just by tweaking some settings. And you need servers, having one single server, which leads to insane high ping for a lot of players doesnt work today.
Title: Re: What would get AH growing again
Post by: Yarbles on November 13, 2024, 12:31:51 PM
The game havent been updated in like six years, Why would anyone spend 15$ a month on a game that havent seen anything new in that period of time? if you want AH to be revived then you need a new game, a game this old cannot be revived just by tweaking some settings. And you need servers, having one single server, which leads to insane high ping for a lot of players doesnt work today.
Are you paying $15 a month ?
Title: Re: What would get AH growing again
Post by: nrshida on November 13, 2024, 12:34:15 PM
The game havent been updated in like six years, Why would anyone spend 15$ a month on a game that havent seen anything new in that period of time?
Unrivalled flight model Friends Experts in interesting or quirky aircraft Nostalgia Value for money Environmental concerns Self improvement Forestalling early ageing Avoiding crazy golf...
Title: Re: What would get AH growing again
Post by: Zimme83 on November 13, 2024, 12:34:24 PM
Unrivalled flight model Friends Experts in interesting or quirky aircraft Nostalgia Value for money Environmental concerns Self improvement Forestalling early ageing Avoiding crazy golf...
^^^this
Title: Re: What would get AH growing again
Post by: Animl-AW on November 13, 2024, 03:28:16 PM
The game havent been updated in like six years, Why would anyone spend 15$ a month on a game that havent seen anything new in that period of time? if you want AH to be revived then you need a new game, a game this old cannot be revived just by tweaking some settings. And you need servers, having one single server, which leads to insane high ping for a lot of players doesnt work today.
Oh come on, stop milking negative. No we’re NOT having high ping.
Title: Re: What would get AH growing again
Post by: Animl-AW on November 13, 2024, 03:32:27 PM
I remember some of the c-pits having Superfly written in them
Dolby I know you were the E 109 legend and you are a U tube celebrity :rock Tell us how to double Ah subs ? :banana:
Ah can look a bit Tron next to DCS etc but it has so much more in so many ways :aok
Apply the Dolby mind to it :salute
Title: Re: What would get AH growing again
Post by: RotBaron on November 18, 2024, 06:16:11 AM
Not reading all this thread as don’t have time to atm. But to answer the OP:
A social media presence. Official Pages on all of them, X, Threads, TikTok… All it takes is a copy/message once a month from THE Official (could have a proxy, gf/daughter…) c/p’d out to all of them and designate some admins to upload videos/content from the MA/FSO/Scenarios… It can be done, just like there are MA mods…
Here’s an example:
https://x.com/lotro
:salute
Title: Re: What would get AH growing again
Post by: LCADolby on November 18, 2024, 06:41:26 AM
Not reading all this thread as don’t have time to atm. But to answer the OP:
A social media presence. Official Pages on all of them, X, Threads, TikTok… All it takes is a copy/message once a month from THE Official (could have a proxy, gf/daughter…) c/p’d out to all of them and designate some admins to upload videos/content from the MA/FSO/Scenarios… It can be done, just like there are MA mods…
Here’s an example:
https://x.com/lotro
:salute
I was thinking of bringing back my youtube page...... that was nothing special before, and my "AH Radio" page on FB where I use to post live reports of what was going on in the arena when I flew.
I am teaching myself "Blender" to build animations and such. My hope is to create AH "Shorts", 30-60 second videos about AH trying to show all the things that are available in the game that so many people dont seem to know about. Try to show off the graphics we do have and point out why they are what they are. Show some mission editor stuff to show how quick and easy it is to load a mission, maybe some GV stuff not that Im any good in them, or some tactical or strategic things you can do in game on the fly, even some AAR (after action reports) on how some missions played out that I had posted about a few days before.
I have ideas, I have time, and if I dont kill myself trying to learn Blender and editing I may have the skills. Id be happy to try and do this on the "Official" AH pages given the access. If not Im going to give it a go on my pages anyway. The thing is we need everyone's support to push these things. Run the videos, "like" or "dislike" them, leave a remark, subscribe and so on. Stop in for a minute to just poke around so the algorithms pick up the action, so that it is put out to more and more people. If these posts/videos are seen by people when they pop up on there feeds it may interest them enough to do some research on the game and give it a try.
Title: Re: What would get AH growing again
Post by: Animl-AW on November 18, 2024, 08:25:23 AM
Maybe he just wouldnt admit he heard it from you :devil
I was thinking of bringing back my youtube page...... that was nothing special before, and my "AH Radio" page on FB where I use to post live reports of what was going on in the arena when I flew.
I am teaching myself "Blender" to build animations and such. My hope is to create AH "Shorts", 30-60 second videos about AH trying to show all the things that are available in the game that so many people dont seem to know about. Try to show off the graphics we do have and point out why they are what they are. Show some mission editor stuff to show how quick and easy it is to load a mission, maybe some GV stuff not that Im any good in them, or some tactical or strategic things you can do in game on the fly, even some AAR (after action reports) on how some missions played out that I had posted about a few days before.
I have ideas, I have time, and if I dont kill myself trying to learn Blender and editing I may have the skills. Id be happy to try and do this on the "Official" AH pages given the access. If not Im going to give it a go on my pages anyway. The thing is we need everyone's support to push these things. Run the videos, "like" or "dislike" them, leave a remark, subscribe and so on. Stop in for a minute to just poke around so the algorithms pick up the action, so that it is put out to more and more people. If these posts/videos are seen by people when they pop up on there feeds it may interest them enough to do some research on the game and give it a try.
Blender is an automation software right? I’m using Embers. Not to hard once you start toying with it. I think I tried Blender.
Glad ppl are picking this stuff up. Sure is helpful.
I’d just like to know what format explosion fx animations are done in
Title: Re: What would get AH growing again
Post by: Yarbles on November 18, 2024, 02:05:51 PM
Maybe he just wouldnt admit he heard it from you :devil
I was thinking of bringing back my youtube page...... that was nothing special before, and my "AH Radio" page on FB where I use to post live reports of what was going on in the arena when I flew.
I am teaching myself "Blender" to build animations and such. My hope is to create AH "Shorts", 30-60 second videos about AH trying to show all the things that are available in the game that so many people dont seem to know about. Try to show off the graphics we do have and point out why they are what they are. Show some mission editor stuff to show how quick and easy it is to load a mission, maybe some GV stuff not that Im any good in them, or some tactical or strategic things you can do in game on the fly, even some AAR (after action reports) on how some missions played out that I had posted about a few days before.
I have ideas, I have time, and if I dont kill myself trying to learn Blender and editing I may have the skills. Id be happy to try and do this on the "Official" AH pages given the access. If not Im going to give it a go on my pages anyway. The thing is we need everyone's support to push these things. Run the videos, "like" or "dislike" them, leave a remark, subscribe and so on. Stop in for a minute to just poke around so the algorithms pick up the action, so that it is put out to more and more people. If these posts/videos are seen by people when they pop up on there feeds it may interest them enough to do some research on the game and give it a try.
Please keep the rest of us posted :aok
I found some very old AH material on U tube which did not present ah in a great light.
Title: Re: What would get AH growing again
Post by: Shuffler on November 18, 2024, 04:07:25 PM
AH Hooters? AH Ring Girls?
Title: Re: What would get AH growing again
Post by: Animl-AW on November 18, 2024, 04:16:01 PM
Fugitive If you’re looking to build another web site off your server I’m using WordPress. It has pros and cons like everything else, but it also uses its own server and you can get your own domain name for fairly cheap. I like the live edit with toying with an ftp.
Title: Re: What would get AH growing again
Post by: Eagler on November 18, 2024, 04:37:03 PM
Is there still a connection issue?
Just wondering if the warning on the home page is helping things.. HTC INTERNET PROBLEMS WITH FRONTIER.
Eagler
Title: Re: What would get AH growing again
Post by: Prayer on November 18, 2024, 07:52:03 PM
Go on Youtube, Twitch, Steam or other gaming platforms that are streaming games like DCS and WarThunder that have a chat and ask any of them if they have heard of Aces High. I have not been playing in months because I simply do not have the time (I do this at work). Also, the time windows that are open to me are not peak hours so there were not many players anymore flying in the morning. I have been however watching a few YouTube live streams of DCS and WarThunder. In the chats I always mention Aces High or ask if any of them have ever heard of the game. I have yet to come across anyone that has. I am sure I have turned a few eyes toward Aces High. Most are immediately turned off when they hear about a subscription based game now adays. Wish there was a way to open the game up and still keep the current and former players but change pay structure while making it still worth wild for HiTech. Such as buying skins, planes or maps while rereleasing on Steam so many heads get to play for free and buy other elements. Pipe dreams for Aces High. Hope everyone is doing well. This was one of my first loves for air sims so I still check the boards from time to time
Title: Re: What would get AH growing again
Post by: Shuffler on November 18, 2024, 09:09:36 PM
ROTFLMAO.... so they go back to their one or two planes.
Title: Re: What would get AH growing again
Post by: Prayer on November 19, 2024, 09:54:49 AM
Many could still have full access at 15 a month.
While others could play for free with a limited plane and skin set. Giving the game a chance and not paying the sub and buying elements one at a time. It is a new generation of players with many game options. I think Aces High has reached the time for a Hail Mary. Like I said Pipe Dreams for Aces High.
Aces of Thunder looks promising for VR players though, 4th Q of 2024. Soon? Fingers crossed.
I dont think HiTech has the desire to make such drastic changes at this stage. I knew going in and typing it out it is more than likely a lost cause.
Title: Re: What would get AH growing again
Post by: AKIron on November 19, 2024, 11:05:50 AM
While others could play for free with a limited plane and skin set. Giving the game a chance and not paying the sub and buying elements one at a time. It is a new generation of players with many game options. I think Aces High has reached the time for a Hail Mary. Like I said Pipe Dreams for Aces High.
Aces of Thunder looks promising for VR players though, 4th Q of 2024. Soon? Fingers crossed.
I dont think HiTech has the desire to make such drastic changes at this stage. I knew going in and typing it out it is more than likely a lost cause.
Looked interesting until I saw this: "The game's physically accurate flight and damage models derived from the popular War Thunder military action game ensure high level of realism."
Title: Re: What would get AH growing again
Post by: CAV on November 19, 2024, 02:43:39 PM
Quote
Looked interesting until I saw this: "The game's physically accurate flight and damage models derived from the popular War Thunder military action game ensure high level of realism."
WT in SIM mode in many ways is pretty good.
CAV
Title: Re: What would get AH growing again
Post by: JimmyD3 on November 19, 2024, 03:45:42 PM
There is nothing in the game "derived" from War Thunder, period. If any thing, War Thunder used the Aces High material. :devil
Title: Re: What would get AH growing again
Post by: save on November 19, 2024, 04:04:52 PM
War Thunder beta tester team had a few old AH players I know of.
Title: Re: What would get AH growing again
Post by: AKIron on November 19, 2024, 04:08:31 PM
Title: Re: What would get AH growing again
Post by: AKIron on November 19, 2024, 04:14:08 PM
There are basically 2 metrics for a simulation imo. How closely the aircraft is modeled to its real life counterpart in functionality and the physics of the world in which it flies. The latter is more important imo but the former won't be ignored.
Of course a separation between an aircraft and the environment in which it exists may or may not be an illusion. It's likely that every simulation of flight today is melded in that the aircraft modeled controls at least some of its environment with its coding. That's my opinion. Prove me wrong.
Title: Re: What would get AH growing again
Post by: CAV on November 19, 2024, 10:40:56 PM
Quote
How does it compare to IL-2 and DCS?
Never tried DCS,but WW2OL, IL-2, & WT SIM mode all give me a better immersion/Illusion that I am participating in air combat during World War II. Overall I think all the Sims do a reasonable job of the basic flight characteristics. Other Sims Victory or death sometimes comes down to the player/Pilot ability to manage the aircraft......
Flying along in your P-51 with drop tanks on... And suddenly you see bad guys, Looking out of the canopy at your drop tanks, Keyboard and joystick and throttle....... Thinking to yourself what the $%^& was the procedure to drop the tanks again...
Why is my motor running so rough and so hot ? ... What plane am I flying where's that radiator lever at?
When I think of what is a good simulation... It's the one that puts me in the same situations that our father's & grandfathers face during World War II. It was always the immersion, that is why I always like scenarios in Air Warrior or here in Aces High, it was the immersion. Sadly most nights here in AH has just turned into Fight Club with airplanes. I would like to believe there is still hope for Aces High but I think it would take a massive overhaul how we play the game-gameplay wise. And a lot of serious rewriting of code and I don't think we'll ever see happen.
CAV
Title: Re: What would get AH growing again
Post by: Yarbles on November 20, 2024, 01:43:05 AM
. It was always the immersion, that is why I always like scenarios in Air Warrior or here in Aces High, it was the immersion.
Very good points you make :salute
In AH for some reason, I have huge confidence in the flight model. It corresponds to what I expect. Do you agree having compared it to others ?
I also would not want to sound like a paid advocate for AH but is there mixture of ground and air war to be found anywhere else than in AH without Ai ?
I personally would prefer an arena like AH axis v allies but not shootng at static models of fighting AI. I have flown DCS in Normandy but real fights were few and far between. DCS is also hugely demanding on a PC.
Title: Re: What would get AH growing again
Post by: Yarbles on November 20, 2024, 08:24:55 AM
Maybe it just needs one of those tubes with a pump at the end but I am not sure if they actually work. Has anyone tried one and if so can they recommend a brand :old:
Title: Re: What would get AH growing again
Post by: AKIron on November 20, 2024, 08:36:34 AM
In AH for some reason, I have huge confidence in the flight model. It corresponds to what I expect. Do you agree having compared it to others ?
I also would not want to sound like a paid advocate for AH but is there mixture of ground and air war to be found anywhere else than in AH without Ai ?
I personally would prefer an arena like AH axis v allies but not shootng at static models of fighting AI. I have flown DCS in Normandy but real fights were few and far between. DCS is also hugely demanding on a PC.
Fighting AI is drama free. If this board is a reflection on the in game drama these days no thanks.
Title: Re: What would get AH growing again
Post by: Banshee7 on November 20, 2024, 09:10:39 AM
Fighting AI is drama free. If this board is a reflection on the in game drama these days no thanks.
Like no drama compared to how I remember. Back in the day people were arranging to have it out on the mic at random locations in MC ing comps to decide the fight bringing their own PA systems :uhoh
To be fair in those days MC ing it off on the mic was how everything was decided and it was brutal :salute
Some fellas never came back from those days and we miss them :cry
Some people got very angry and we are better now :angel: We had some young fellas squaring off and the forumn would run to 100 pages. WHO WHAT WHEN WHATEVER. THE real war was here on the forumn and people who had not logged in for years were in the thick of it. I personally know of felllas who were advised on mental health grounds to take a brake from AH. It was just too hot to live with and they had to step back :cool:
I think the Flame forumn war was the peak. I dont know what it was about but I am a survivor :frown:
Title: Re: What would get AH growing again
Post by: icepac on November 20, 2024, 09:33:07 AM
In warbirds, you could attach as a gunner to any AI planes on your country.
Title: Re: What would get AH growing again
Post by: Animl-AW on November 20, 2024, 09:52:00 AM
Big drama on 200 was basically a few people harassing many, including myself. With them gone its a lot more inviting. However a few did a lot of damage.
Shane is Shane, he might go overboard from time to time, but personally I lol at his creativeness. I’m used to him since AW so it may not bother me as much as some.
Taunting is competitive nature that has always been, even before AH. The art of it is knowing which lines not to cross.
Title: Re: What would get AH growing again
Post by: Animl-AW on November 20, 2024, 09:53:47 AM
AI cheats in DCS for sure but at least it doesn't gloat. ;)
AI will almost never be as fun as fighting humans. Taunting has always existed since day one of sims. Competition is a part of any game. Squelch and tuning out 200 is a choice. This isn’t church. Its a big bad world out there.
Title: Re: What would get AH growing again
Post by: AKIron on November 20, 2024, 10:41:21 AM
Friendly banter is fun. Some are not well balanced and it turns ugly. Will anyone who reads this board disagree?
Title: Re: What would get AH growing again
Post by: AKIron on November 20, 2024, 10:42:27 AM
The "look at me" immaturity can spoil it for all.
Title: Re: What would get AH growing again
Post by: Eagler on November 20, 2024, 10:47:55 AM
That would have to be programmed into the ai pilots but all they'd have to do is input bbs threads like these and our 200 logs.. it's coming
Eagler
Title: Re: What would get AH growing again
Post by: AAIK on November 20, 2024, 10:54:46 AM
Ok lads, I am sure we can all agree AI is *not* sporting to kill but it might just be a necessary evil to keep the game as healthy as it can be.
Imagine attacking large formations of AI 17s/24s (100 at a time maybe) or large formations of c47s sending supplies to a field. It would at least give people something to do in between the big furballs or during off peak hours.
Title: Re: What would get AH growing again
Post by: Animl-AW on November 20, 2024, 10:56:53 AM
I agree. A man must know his limits :) When it turns to deeply personal thats not a person who is good at it, its weakness, thin skinned and ugly. Ugly is not cool nor funny.
Many who engage have known each other for a long time and take it well. Personally I laugh it off, as it should be done. Friendly nudging is encouraged. I’ve seen just as bad as 200 in backyard baseball games.
That said, since my return, 200 and bbs has recently evolved into more acceptable levels.
Title: Re: What would get AH growing again
Post by: Animl-AW on November 20, 2024, 11:10:13 AM
Ok lads, I am sure we can all agree AI is *not* sporting to kill but it might just be a necessary evil to keep the game as healthy as it can be.
Imagine attacking large formations of AI 17s/24s (100 at a time maybe) or large formations of c47s sending supplies to a field. It would at least give people something to do in between the big furballs or during off peak hours.
I get it. We also have events.
IMO, Multiplayer vs AI is like hockey vs golf. As our lives slowdown into quiet searching for excitement is desired.
When I enter the MA, I skim through the Roster, look for problem names, squelch them and fly. :)
There were occasions when someone crossed 3 white lines and required as response. But other than that the abive.
Title: Re: What would get AH growing again
Post by: JimmyD3 on November 20, 2024, 02:39:16 PM
I have said it 1000 times and I'll say it again "Squelch is your friend". That is where the Mods came into play, you have those that just want to grief everyone. With the lower numbers I would suspect the number of Mods is down as well, thus allowing more "drama" on 200. :x
Title: Re: What would get AH growing again
Post by: Max on November 20, 2024, 02:40:47 PM
THIS ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^
Title: Re: What would get AH growing again
Post by: Shane on November 20, 2024, 03:00:56 PM
Ok lads, I am sure we can all agree AI is *not* sporting to kill but it might just be a necessary evil to keep the game as healthy as it can be.
Imagine attacking large formations of AI 17s/24s (100 at a time maybe) or large formations of c47s sending supplies to a field. It would at least give people something to do in between the big furballs or during off peak hours.
Kill the AI while you can but be pleasant in doing it. It will remember. ;)
and it knows where you live
Title: Re: What would get AH growing again
Post by: DmonSlyr on November 20, 2024, 08:44:58 PM
The guy who quit the game over a single player... the irony :rofl
Isn't that what you did? I had checked out of this game before Skyyr's "ban" as noted by the 1hr 47m of flight time in September (he was banned the 16th). And what if we never actually left? :noid
Like no drama compared to how I remember. Back in the day people were arranging to have it out on the mic at random locations in MC ing comps to decide the fight bringing their own PA systems :uhoh
To be fair in those days MC ing it off on the mic was how everything was decided and it was brutal :salute
Some fellas never came back from those days and we miss them :cry
Some people got very angry and we are better now :angel: We had some young fellas squaring off and the forumn would run to 100 pages. WHO WHAT WHEN WHATEVER. THE real war was here on the forumn and people who had not logged in for years were in the thick of it. I personally know of felllas who were advised on mental health grounds to take a brake from AH. It was just too hot to live with and they had to step back :cool:
I think the Flame forumn war was the peak. I dont know what it was about but I am a survivor :frown:
Suffering from low-T these days but haven’t done the blood work yet to realize. A good row makes everything more interesting, quite healthy for all, a few mentally unstable take things further… Thankfully the leader was removed.
Title: Re: What would get AH growing again
Post by: nrshida on November 21, 2024, 11:04:26 AM
I don't think a mental condition characterized by delusions of persecution, unfounded jealousy and exaggerated self-importance arranged into an organized system is anything to aspire to.
Title: Re: What would get AH growing again
Post by: Yarbles on November 22, 2024, 04:34:49 AM
I don't think a mental condition characterized by delusions of persecution, unfounded jealousy and exaggerated self-importance arranged into an organized system is anything to aspire to.
Science meets politics is it ?
"Please welcome to the annual mad scientists convention professor neutron who first coined the phrase "fools I will destroy them all".
Title: Re: What would get AH growing again
Post by: AKIron on November 22, 2024, 08:16:45 AM
I don't think a mental condition characterized by delusions of persecution, unfounded jealousy and exaggerated self-importance arranged into an organized system is anything to aspire to.
You are over dramatizing. Fear in letting a growing AI, potentially capable of taking control of everything connected to the Internet, should be nurtured. This AI need not harbor its own malicious designs but simply those of its creators. Yes, fear. The survival instinct that comes from understanding we cannot predict what such an AI might be capable of.
Title: Re: What would get AH growing again
Post by: AKIron on November 22, 2024, 08:25:10 AM
80 years ago there was a race among warring nations to create a bomb so powerful no one knew whether it might actually destroy all life on this planet. Who knows, it may yet.
Title: Re: What would get AH growing again
Post by: nrshida on November 22, 2024, 09:22:22 AM
Fear in letting a growing AI, potentially capable of taking control of everything connected to the Internet, should be nurtured.
Ignorant and irrational fear is way more dangerous than what amounts to customer habits, spending, consumption prediction and helping teenages with their essays. The term AI as presently employed as little more than a marketting term, not intelligence as such.
Yes, fear. The survival instinct that comes from understanding we cannot predict what such an AI might be capable of.
As long as data set-trained Neural Networks are being used you can calculate with good accuracy its capabilities & limitations. It's non-deterministic and responses are not explicitly-defined if that's what worries you. But then neither are people. I think you've watched too much low-quality scifi without thinking it through. Does the thought not occur that you might simply flip the power switch to the off position :rofl
Ignorant and irrational fear is way more dangerous than what amounts to customer habits, spending, consumption prediction and helping teenages with their essays. The term AI as presently employed as little more than a marketting term, not intelligence as such.
As long as data set-trained Neural Networks are being used you can calculate with good accuracy its capabilities & limitations. It's non-deterministic and responses are not explicitly-defined if that's what worries you. But then neither are people. I think you've watched too much low-quality scifi without thinking it through. Does the thought not occur that you might simply flip the power switch to the off position :rofl
No I wouldn't use those terms :D
I've worked with electronic systems (radar) and IT since 1977. I know how to program in a few languages. I have a degree in electronics. I'm not ignorant in this. People who think they can control things they do not fully understand worry me.
Title: Re: What would get AH growing again
Post by: AKIron on November 22, 2024, 10:33:05 AM
People who think they understand everything worry me even more. But whatever. We'll likely all die in a nuclear inferno before AI cuts the power.
Title: Re: What would get AH growing again
Post by: nrshida on November 22, 2024, 11:00:21 AM
People who think they can control things they do not fully understand worry me.
Me too. Especially the typical European BMW-driver :rofl
Title: Re: What would get AH growing again
Post by: JimmyD3 on November 22, 2024, 11:50:09 AM
Just an small comment here. While I am no PHD holding guru and not very well educated, just on ole country boy, the possibility of a "Terminator Movie" scenario might be a little far fetched. But don't ever underestimate the human capacity to develop more and more destructive technologies. Our current technology was not dreamed of 100 years ago. :old:
Title: Re: What would get AH growing again
Post by: AKIron on November 22, 2024, 11:53:47 AM
While I wish more people were proactive at evening things up, and not seeking easy kills on another team being hit in force by the 3rd country... I agree, I find this a lot of fun after 25 years.
I think I landed nearly 30 262 kills in 2 sorties last night just fighting the herds.
That being said, if you are someone who is looking for good fights, and not dealing with guys in speed demons, get out of the mob. If I'm flying in 30 vs 3 odds I'm normally not going to roll a p38 or a 109 and try to survive multiple dozens of 450mph pick attempts.
I find that base defense is severely lacking. It seems teams are just okay with allowing hoards to take over fields. This is because every one has an attack strategy of AH, but not a defense strategy. This is why you see everyone in BnZ boredom planes than learning how to use defense tactics in non BnZ planes to defend bases and have better battles.
Once people get out of the noob BnZ easy planes, learn some defense style planes and both teams stop ganging one side, than you'll start to see much better action in the MA and see the #s grow.
Title: Re: What would get AH growing again
Post by: Animl-AW on November 22, 2024, 01:43:06 PM
I find that base defense is severely lacking. It seems teams are just okay with allowing hoards to take over fields. This is because every one has an attack strategy of AH, but not a defense strategy. This is why you see everyone in BnZ boredom planes than learning how to use defense tactics in non BnZ planes to defend bases and have better battles.
Once people get out of the noob BnZ easy planes, learn some defense style planes and both teams stop ganging one side, than you'll start to see much better action in the MA and see the #s grow.
If these easy planes are so easy, how is it I'm killed in one almost every sortie?
Best defense is offense.
A mobile phone screen on the dash would be a great game seller. If they could text and fly they wouldn't care about distance, nor ramming or HOs. <nods>
Problem solved! I knew I'd save the day. <wipes hands and walks away>
Title: Re: What would get AH growing again
Post by: DmonSlyr on November 22, 2024, 04:50:01 PM
If these easy planes are so easy, how is it I'm killed in one almost every sortie?
Best defense is offense.
A mobile phone screen on the dash would be a great game seller. If they could text and fly they wouldn't care about distance, nor ramming or HOs. <nods>
Problem solved! I knew I'd save the day. <wipes hands and walks away>
Well... any man can take $1,000 and waste it...
A good offense yes, but you need a coordinated team for that.
"Muh $15" and "coordinated teamwork" is just about an oxymoron.
However both sides ganging one side in super mode planes doesn't do a whole lot to build #s, is what Lazer and I are trying to say. However, flying a 262 to compensate the hoard also doesn't benefit the gameplay very much either so there's a lot of imbalance right now, IMO, but you can't really blame em.
Title: Re: What would get AH growing again
Post by: Animl-AW on November 22, 2024, 05:23:42 PM
A good offense yes, but you need a coordinated team for that.
"Muh $15" and "coordinated teamwork" is just about an oxymoron.
However both sides ganging one side in super mode planes doesn't do a whole lot to build #s, is what Lazer and I are trying to say. However, flying a 262 to compensate the hoard also doesn't benefit the gameplay very much either so there's a lot of imbalance right now, IMO, but you can't really blame em.
As I stated my opinion before. gameplay revolves around numbers, and it changes from dweeble mode to battles once you passed 110. The more numbers the more the game gets on track and some settings make sense.
Agreed, we have dweebles who gang bang a country that has little defense, which like last night the victims logged. Counter productive.
We have people who complain about numbers then do everything that chances them away.
Title: Re: What would get AH growing again
Post by: AKIron on November 22, 2024, 06:00:12 PM
Has anyone done a Twitch stream? View of the person flying inset? That's as likely to draw as anything short of revamping the product.
I see there are a few.
Title: Re: What would get AH growing again
Post by: AKIron on November 22, 2024, 06:05:54 PM
A continuing stream with different players signing up to take over and stepping in as needed could be interesting. Ya gotta talk through it. Not really interesting to watch someone roll and climb and dive and roll and climb and....
Say what you're thinking. That can be interesting. Especially if/when you screw up.
Title: Re: What would get AH growing again
Post by: Lazerr on November 22, 2024, 06:38:46 PM
How computer/internet intensive is streaming?
I tend to do dumb things and still kill people.. some might find that interesting. Rather than orbiting a fight in a 20k tempest.
Title: Re: What would get AH growing again
Post by: Meatwad on November 22, 2024, 07:23:32 PM
a very limited free to play set would be nice like what all other more popular games offer, but that will never happen
Title: Re: What would get AH growing again
Post by: horble on November 22, 2024, 07:24:55 PM
a very limited free to play set would be nice like what all other more popular games offer, but that will never happen
Agreed. The best time to implement that would've been during the Steam launch but that chance has been blown already.
Title: Re: What would get AH growing again
Post by: Meatwad on November 22, 2024, 07:28:32 PM
Unless it can be "re-launched" with a f2p feature, but the fear of loss of profits will ensure he will never do it. just will watch numbers slowly decline
Title: Re: What would get AH growing again
Post by: horble on November 22, 2024, 07:34:47 PM
Unless it can be "re-launched" with a f2p feature, but the fear of loss of profits will ensure he will never do it. just will watch numbers slowly decline
That would be the way to go, give 'em some decent mid-war rides for free (Spit 9, 109G2/6, etc.), none of the late war monsters but something that it is possible to get a kill in and maybe enough new players play that they can get some kills on each other and get hooked before getting wiped out by the old salts. A man can dream anyway.
Title: Re: What would get AH growing again
Post by: guncrasher on November 22, 2024, 07:59:33 PM
That would be the way to go, give 'em some decent mid-war rides for free (Spit 9, 109G2/6, etc.), none of the late war monsters but something that it is possible to get a kill in and maybe enough new players play that they can get some kills on each other and get hooked before getting wiped out by the old salts. A man can dream anyway.
Early war only. They don't need kills. They just need to be fodder for the rest of us but not be able to ruin the arena for paying people. Trust me, I don't care how good you are, early war planes are extremely tough for any single person to be effective. But midwar planes like a G2 can and it would hurt sub #s. Flying in EW modes may convince them to pay the $15 potentially at least one month to try the better planes but atleast can play the game longer than 2 weeks to really understand it and hop back in after a few months if they want to retry it. It would be great for #s and really help out the noobs who pay the $15 to shoot fodder in EW planes. I think it would be great for the MA.
Has anyone done a Twitch stream? View of the person flying inset? That's as likely to draw as anything short of revamping the product.
I see there are a few.
I've done twitch but like only 1 or maybe 2 people hop in. Probably already paid folks who've played the game. Unfortunately no one goes to twitch and searches for AH :cry
Title: Re: What would get AH growing again
Post by: horble on November 22, 2024, 10:30:16 PM
Early war only. They don't need kills. They just need to be fodder for the rest of us but not be able to ruin the arena for paying people. Trust me, I don't care how good you are, early war planes are extremely tough for any single person to be effective. But midwar planes like a G2 can and it would hurt sub #s. Flying in EW modes may convince them to pay the $15 potentially at least one month to try the better planes but atleast can play the game longer than 2 weeks to really understand it and hop back in after a few months if they want to retry it. It would be great for #s and really help out the noobs who pay the $15 to shoot fodder in EW planes. I think it would be great for the MA.
I dunno, I would think the guys who are willing to pay $15 bucks to fly the late war uber rides now would probably keep paying to keep flying them. And do you want the fodder to feel like fodder? It's all academic anyway I suppose.
Title: Re: What would get AH growing again
Post by: The Fugitive on November 22, 2024, 11:21:26 PM
the steam players would only stick around for 15 minutes, doubt a limited set would have made a difference.
semp
I dont think HTC ever thought that the steam thing would be anything at all. Ill bet they they did it "hoping" it might bring in some people and they where NOT ready for the amount of people who can in. Had they thought it would be what it turned out to be they would have gotten VR completed before they released it on steam, and I think they would have thought it out a bit better and had a bunch of players 24/7 to help out all those new players coming in.
I still think HTC should do a rebrand and a new launch on Steam to take advantage of what they didnt know then.
Early war only. They don't need kills. They just need to be fodder for the rest of us but not be able to ruin the arena for paying people. Trust me, I don't care how good you are, early war planes are extremely tough for any single person to be effective. But midwar planes like a G2 can and it would hurt sub #s. Flying in EW modes may convince them to pay the $15 potentially at least one month to try the better planes but atleast can play the game longer than 2 weeks to really understand it and hop back in after a few months if they want to retry it. It would be great for #s and really help out the noobs who pay the $15 to shoot fodder in EW planes. I think it would be great for the MA.
I've done twitch but like only 1 or maybe 2 people hop in. Probably already paid folks who've played the game. Unfortunately no one goes to twitch and searches for AH :cry
I think the "free plane set" could work as it is a "mind thing". Many players would stick it out KNOWING it doesnt cost them anything but time. FREE is a good thing, even if the planes are NOT top of the line and they get their butts handed to them time and time again...... like we did in the old days. I think it would help add players not only to the arenas, but eventually to the subscription base. How much could it hurt HTC's bottom line giving a number of free midwar planes away in the MA?
As for the "Twitch" thing, I dont like the video of in game real time action. I have watched Scotty's a number of times and they are always after the fact, and a lot of fun for me to buzz through. From my own experiences most people dont watch a full minute of video. Not sure of Animl's or DLO's stuff though I watch both. If your not into the "fight" or the action the the video shows" I think many leave quick. I cant do a live cast as Im watching Bruins games or a movie as I fly with my squad and some of those guys in my squad shouldnt be broadcast! :devil I do however plan to do some "Aces High Shorts" on youtube to show what we do have in the game that many may not know about. The graphics we do have and why they are that way, the missions we can and do run, AAR of missions we run none more than 30-45 seconds. I hope to have a couple examples done and posted this week end, blender is a sweety to learn, but we will see.
For live broadcasting, I hope to open my Aces High Radio Facebook page back up with post about things going on in the arena with out giving any info away from a strategic view but just letting players know what going on in general hoping to stir up a bit of buzz to get more players to log in.
Title: Re: What would get AH growing again
Post by: Molsman on November 22, 2024, 11:40:40 PM
ashame because Steam helps out alot of other games plus when players stream their game that game gives out special cookies lik tanks and other things . This game is NOT dead yet just need alot of New updates and if that Can happen then this game we all love can Be up at the top again. just my opinion.
Example ya can Play Warthunder for Free, but the game also lores ya into buying premium vehicles Golden Eagles an other stuff . Say you get a premium pack you can grind all the way to what you want to get and achive, plus they sell premium passes for like 180 days to where ya get double the research and golden lions points, yes i played there for 7 years but you see what game i came back to because i got bored of grininding and the air fights are once ya die you done and have to wait for another fight to start
Title: Re: What would get AH growing again
Post by: Pluto on November 23, 2024, 12:10:09 AM
No, he just threatened to quit while throwing a temper tantrum
No, I did quit actually, and so did hundreds of other players. You should be thankful I stuck up for the integrity of the gameplay. I've started paying again now that HTC did the right thing. However a couple months ago, Banshee made a similar comment that I quit because of one player ruining the gameplay for me and others, so I had to get him back when he said he quit over that same player being thrown out of the game, again...but apparently "we" whoever that is, never really left 🤷♂️.
I dont think HTC ever thought that the steam thing would be anything at all. Ill bet they they did it "hoping" it might bring in some people and they where NOT ready for the amount of people who can in. Had they thought it would be what it turned out to be they would have gotten VR completed before they released it on steam, and I think they would have thought it out a bit better and had a bunch of players 24/7 to help out all those new players coming in.
I still think HTC should do a rebrand and a new launch on Steam to take advantage of what they didnt know then.
I think the "free plane set" could work as it is a "mind thing". Many players would stick it out KNOWING it doesnt cost them anything but time. FREE is a good thing, even if the planes are NOT top of the line and they get their butts handed to them time and time again...... like we did in the old days. I think it would help add players not only to the arenas, but eventually to the subscription base. How much could it hurt HTC's bottom line giving a number of free midwar planes away in the MA?
Yeah but steam is mostly full of high school and college kids and they don't really understand what this game is compared to WT. So they see the graphics and $15 a month sub for a dated game they don't understand, and that scares them away. We'd get a pop, but it would end just the same as before. It's better to target to military vets, which is why IMO, the commercial on military channel was probably the best effort ever to reach an audience. I'm still convinced that practically hundreds of millions Americans haven't heard of the game. I feel having a youtube commercial on WW2 and military type videos would go the furthest in reaching the proper target. I see gaming commercials all of the time for WOS.
Would have to only be early war planes. If it were midwar planes, I would have no reason to sub and while I'm sure others would do the same, and fights would be better, I think it would impact subs since many could be very fine in those planes and impact battles. I know for certain I'd rek havoc in a spit9 and 109g2, but a 109e or a6m2 or hurr 1? Not so much. I'd still give them a hard time trying to kill me though. It's much harder though. plus those planes don't have ord to really make an impact either.
Title: Re: What would get AH growing again
Post by: Animl-AW on November 23, 2024, 07:35:22 AM
Not sure what some have against mid-war planes. The Spitfire and P51D is a game seller. Probably the most popular WWII planes. The average person has no clue about the others.
Mention a P51 or Spit and ears of the ignorant perk up. Ya can’t have a WWII sim without them.
BnZ is what the P51 was made for, its an offense AC not defense, they don’t fare well in a furball. Anyone who knows them would be stupid to hang in a furball more than 3 turns.
OTOH 109s throwing potatoes is a bit uber too, not a BnZ plane,
Its the pilot’s job to learn how to counter planes designed to do the opposite as their fav ride. Psychology has its place.
Post videos on FB aviation or WWII interest pages, along with it,... ya don’t need a monster gaming pc investment to play it. Can fly 10 seconds after the game is clicked to open,…because of the graphics.
Title: Re: What would get AH growing again
Post by: Eagler on November 23, 2024, 07:39:47 AM
Commercials are the answer...
Free to play but you have to sit through the latest ed commercial after each death..
You also watch a commercial during your climb up so no need to remove the too big maps..
Just have to make sure any IL2 or DCS commercials aren't allowed :banana:
Eagler
Title: Re: What would get AH growing again
Post by: Animl-AW on November 23, 2024, 08:02:53 AM
Ya need ad type videos in high res and VR. The game looks best at high res. My vids are 1080 60hz res. This needs to be seen in the res most players have these days. VR is killer compared to 1080. It should no longer be seen at 1080, as in an ad.
Edit: until I up my res to 4k my 1080 defeats the purpose, it makes it look older than through 4k/VR.
A sim by the players for the players.
Title: Re: What would get AH growing again
Post by: AKIron on November 23, 2024, 08:49:33 AM
You need thousands or tens of thousands of players to make ads viable. No one is going to pay hundreds or thousands of dollars for an ad seen by a few hundred people.
Title: Re: What would get AH growing again
Post by: Animl-AW on November 23, 2024, 10:28:15 AM
You need thousands or tens of thousands of players to make ads viable. No one is going to pay hundreds or thousands of dollars for an ad seen by a few hundred people.
We can do fairly well for free, if they are crafted right and short.
Right now there is a computer in a flight museum open to public use to fly AH. On various social media sites there are history and WWII pages, even TV channel pages, to post player made ads.
Make hi-res graphic ads show all aspects within 2 min, tops Target specific online pages Stop the unwelcoming drama, its come a long way, but negative post like price, mods and bullying.
Some tend to think if ya can’t do it big don’t do it at all.
On our own we upped numbers by 60-100 to 160-200, which is a big deal in a MA of 112.
No offense, but a former player is already a defeatist. <shrug>
Title: Re: What would get AH growing again
Post by: JimmyD3 on November 23, 2024, 10:52:34 AM
Free to play but you have to sit through the latest ed commercial after each death..
You also watch a commercial during your climb up so no need to remove the too big maps..
Just have to make sure any IL2 or DCS commercials aren't allowed :banana:
Eagler
:rofl :rofl :aok
Title: Re: What would get AH growing again
Post by: zack1234 on November 23, 2024, 11:55:06 AM
I had a gay dog called Ben. When he departed this sphere after attempting to facilitate the services a Great Dane I had him stuffed and placed on my mantle piece :old:
Title: Re: What would get AH growing again
Post by: AKIron on November 23, 2024, 02:51:08 PM
I was referring to ads paying for the game instead of subscription. Which is what I thought was proposed. You need a bigger base before advertisers are going to kick in.
Title: Re: What would get AH growing again
Post by: Yarbles on November 23, 2024, 07:19:03 PM
Re AI: Technology that made George Orwell's 1984 vision seem possible existed in 1948 :)
I think that is grounds for some optimism :pray
Title: Re: What would get AH growing again
Post by: Yarbles on November 23, 2024, 07:28:13 PM
I had a gay dog called Ben. When he departed this sphere after attempting to facilitate the services a Great Dane I had him stuffed and placed on my mantle piece :old:
If I was on the bench and you appeared before me I would take one look and just say: "Prison or the Army", (gavel down)."NEXT"
Title: Re: What would get AH growing again
Post by: Canspec on November 23, 2024, 08:27:41 PM
If I was on the bench and you appeared before me I would take one look and just say: "Prison or the Army", (gavel down)."NEXT"
...or banishment to Clapham Common wearing rubber longjohns for life..... :old:
Title: Re: What would get AH growing again
Post by: AKIron on November 23, 2024, 09:13:10 PM
I'm thinking the Phantom Zone for half of yous.
Title: Re: What would get AH growing again
Post by: Morpheus on November 23, 2024, 10:56:55 PM
I respected you way back 20-something years ago when I flew with you in the 444th. After reading everything you just wrote, here is another of the literally hundreds of examples of why we're young dumb, and full of... Um well yeah No seriously tho good stuff and I hope all of you young dweebs out there paid attention to this right here!
Any thoughts of making the game full-time "Axis vs Allies" is the dagger that will kill this game in weeks instead of years that we all hope we still have. Any other flight sim game that tried to run a A vs A type playfield even for short amounts of time lost all kinds of population. If it was such a good idea IL2 would have much bigger servers and much larger crowds playing it.
GRAPHICS—it seems that is always the first thing everyone complains about here—"20-year-old graphics." Are the graphics that bad? I don't think so, but some things could use a bit more? Maybe. We have had "Speed Trees" for a long time, yet nothing has changed—except the complaints of too many trees. A quick look at the site shows some amazing views.
(https://i.postimg.cc/7LXJLRrs/trees.jpg)
Maybe the tree/land textures could use a bit of tweaking. Not sure how it works, but is it just the use of the program that is needed to tweak them?
Adding to the "flash-bang" aspect couldnt the explosions be beefed up, maybe add some where we dont have anything now like when a building explodes, maybe bigger hit sprites and so on. The game isnt a "flight sim" per say.. ask anyone who plays DCS.... so add a few gamyer elements for that "flash bang" crowd. In VR this game is awesome. Put a few explosions in their face and listen to them giggle!
Add a free element to the game. 10-12 free planes/vehicles in the MA all the time. A couple of buffs, a couple of tanks, a goon and M3 for supply/troops and 4-6 fighters. Sure the "new guys" will have there butts handed to them, but by playing the game and learning to work with others they will learn how deep the game is and Im sure will move to the subscription.
Volunteers, There are a number of players who are retired. Some I am sure have talents that could be used in the game. We have skinners and map makers, why not some guys to work on new explosions, trees, textures, tiles and so on. I know I would love to contribute to the game as much as I can to help it along, Im sure there are others.
Resubmit to Steam or other gamers sites. I dont know how much it costs to do so, but Im thinking its less than a TV ad and might have a much better target audience. Have some volunteers on hand for the opening to help players coming in, give them the "blue text" to stand out and help players. Every 5 minutes or so send a "how to use ingame text" message so the first thing they can do is talk, and ask questions. Do this 24 hours strait for a week just to get as many as you can into the game as easily as possible, hand feed the newbies.
I always thought there should be more MODs. Unfortunately we live in a world where everyone can/will take offense at the smallest thing. There is "smack talking" and then there is abuse and sometimes its a very fine line between the two. Some player seem to thrive on crossing that line and drive players away. Id rather see those players hammered with mutes and suspensions and even bans to hopefully keep from running off other players.
More MODs could also be used as a committee that could gather evidence of poor game play and drop it on Hitechs desk. This way things like the "YKW" incident dosent carry on so long again chasing players away.
I dont like limiting players. Let them fly what ever they want, but lets say they only get credit for half a kill toward score. Those that fly the monsters to only rack up quick easy kills for score may change planes. Of course those that just want to see their name in lights will continue but it might move some out of those planes.
Adjust ENY. Some planes/vehicles are way out of wack, Yaks, T34, and so on. You could also add better earnings to some of the mid war planes for "perk farming". As it is a G2 with a kill gets you a couple perks, double it and see how many people start flying them to build perks.
Why build perks? so you can pay for your magic ride when ENY kicks in. If your team is hit with ENY, you can pay perks to get that pony you just have to have. Im not sure how long it takes, or could take with ENY/perk adjustments added do build a usable bank of perks, but once that time is known it would adjust the clearing of perks from the bank. Purge the perks so everyone starts fresh, and purge them every tour, or every other tour to keep from having the thousands of perks some players have.
I think the biggest issue is Hitech. If he is willing to jump in Im sure things would change for the better. If he just wants to maintain and provide a playground for those of us still around, not much will change. As always, the ball is in his court.
Title: Re: What would get AH growing again
Post by: nrshida on November 24, 2024, 03:18:52 AM
Not been an entirely unproductive discussion although patterns now seem to be repeating in a bit of a theme we will touch on later :rofl
We have maybe concluded that AH isn't a mainstream game and isn't appealing to the young whose user-interface baseline is Siri and not pseudo linux and DOS commands, for example! From some of the AH YouTube channels I watch it is clear that a lot of ex-military personnel come here and find an analogue for the comradeship they experienced there. I believe in the US you have some kind of community-centres for veterans don't you? Why doesn't HiTech or AH players start to form some kind of collaboration. There's already a collaboration with a museum somewhere I heard about. For this you don't need television adverts etc. perhaps just some donated 'good enoigh' PCs cobbled together from your updated builds and the odd Logitech joystick. That's probably a more practical way to get players introduced who would stick around and would be seeking more than just any old random game they'd play to keep themselves occupied. Won't reach the multiple-hundreds but it's something and helps keeps the game alive. Maybe even help people who have had a hard time and made a contibution to your society. Who knows to what end such a collaboration might lead.
Regarding this cannon-fodder motif. I really don't think that's attractive at all and is more motivated by a lot of AH players basicaly wanting more live people to shoot at - that's if we are being brutally honest about the nature of the MA. The suggestion we give new players P-51Ds, Doras and LA7s while experienced players fly mid-war makes more logical sense, only as players like Semp point out he pays his subscription to fly the P-51 and that's totally fair enough.
I think it's important to point out paying for access to the game is neither here nor there to certain demographics which it would be more sensible for AH to go after. Nor is consequently attractive. You can make the gameplay as free as you like, and no prospective player is going to spend any longer than a weekend or two taking off and climbing to where an apparent fight is only to get jumped by a P-47M, two LA7s and a 190D-9 simultaneously who are essentially campling a certain base on Saturday afternoon. Let's flip this concept on its head and pose the following question: if there was a first-person shooter who newly openned their doors to limitted free-play, only the other players have already been there for years, have better rifles than you, know all of the good places to hide and won't tell you, how many hours of your own free time would you waste on that? The proposition is absurd.
Shan't even bother to discuss the time of day I can play which is marked by first the Knight mini-horde followed by the full on Bish horde with players like J0ker at its core because that's untypical but is the start of every AH day. I've played the game for a long time and can dogfight a bit and upping from a base outnumbered (at least!) three to one at an energetic disadvantage, with a Wirb and an M3 in town is about as attractive to me as seeing how make cocktail sticks I can poke into my retina. And no there aren't any fights anywhere else because there's safety in numbers. Which does raise another point:-
The MA is weird. Joker - to belabour the example - isn't a bad Corsair stick - he has of course had twenty-years to practice, it's a hell of a plane especially if its weaknesses in energy-building are plugged by highly-coordinated squadmates and always having a base or carrier to run to. The thing he does (just an example, nothing personal) best is to play the arena. I to this day don't understand it well enough because I am basically a DA-head that simply stuck around too long for personal reasons, never joined an MA squad and preferred to fly alone. I'm sure to most of you it's completely understood and normal but consder how a new player will experience that. He won't understand at all the nuances of why certain players suddenly give up alt or get very pseudo-aggressive because their M3 has just openned the doors at the maproom gate and they're trying to draw you away. They'll jusy move along because the MA is weird.
Then the last point which is significant but never mentioned: the culture has changed. No new player is going to experience the apprentihip we ALL experienced because down through the years the players, nature of play and environment has been filtered leaving only a very narrow band of activity now closed-off to any prospective players. When I started there was quite an actvie and friendly duelling culture here, that's gone. There was an alternative and populated arena to the MA where flying and shooting well and developing your ACM was the only focus, that's gone. Then you would likely get invited to join an MA squad in which all the - I don't know what to call it:- abstract ways the MA models a war - would've been taught you. Pensioner, Veteran, squeaker, doesn't matter that fellowship of introduction to the game is gone. Then discussion of aircraft attributes and ACM which there used to at least be some of on this forum, tips discussions - right or wrong - about ACM was not exactly encouraged especially during YKW's term of office which would draw an attempted ego-humiliation video and just in general any thought, discussion, help and emphasis on that (I think quite attractive part of AH given its flight-model, previous focus on fighters and hell, even its title(!)) is gone.
HiTech to my observation is extraordinarily rigid to changing things which to some extent can be understood if you expend time and resources to endeavours which don't result in being productive. WWI arena for example, or that awful Pacific thing he made. What do you call that acquired-apathy or something I've heard Amercian psychologists discuss. That is absolutely normal in game-development, maybe, maybe 10% of the prototypes make it. Also any change he does make now such as turning off that daft AWACS radar is inevitably going to alienate someone and cost cancelled subscriptions. So bear in mind how fragile this all now is. AH is now mostly a static entity: the usual suspects endlessly whiling away their afternoons repeating an ever narrowing set of activities and essentially not trying anything new because of the percieved backwards 'progress' you have to suffer to do this. So if you want change YOU change first. Besides it is a proven FACT! (as Zack would say) than trying new things keeps your mind flexible and young. :old:
Title: Re: What would get AH growing again
Post by: icepac on November 24, 2024, 03:35:05 AM
The problem is the current generation of gamers don’t want a challenge.
Title: Re: What would get AH growing again
Post by: Yarbles on November 24, 2024, 06:02:42 AM
Good points Nrshida and some talk about the solution as well as the problem :aok
Quite a social sand pit to play in still full of about 750 subscribers who play and about 100 at a time :cheers:.
Given I am adapted to the time zone I am quite happy while knowing the skills are transferable to the more aspirational DCS.
I posted this thread because I want it to keep going.
I play in one way now with an emphasis on getting in allot of spit 9 sorties but always with a view to wining the war. (The other stuff is great to but not the main event for me) Rank tells me that as a fighter pilot who does not game the numbers I am AT BEST in the middle skill level. I think like anything you have to accept you lose often in order to progress.
The problem is the current generation of gamers don’t want a challenge.
I expect people are no different now than they were 20 years ago but there are no longer any easy kills like there used to be. That means at the entry level more determination and less immediate results. So in the end it all comes back to all those people who would like it here but don't know about it and are mostly male and over 40 or 50.
In my early months back in the day all my kills were collisions :D Eventually I flew missions got trained by others and was more than a target. Until then I got by on the fascination of it all. I think Nrshida is right. Identify the demographic and reach them. we should nurture them when they arrive by inviting them into squads etc (stop picking on Joker :D :D).
There are now and always were people who fly around in high end perked planes, land loads of kills and polish their ego's or enjoy their skills, whatever you want to call it. I fly the Spit 9 and won't Ho not the 16 because it is too easy to fool oneself into feeling one is better than one is. However people relax in their own way and it is a game. I fly the Spit because I am british and that is my DCS ride. I have huge respect for the people who now are so skilled they can beat me low and slow in a P51 or P47. That is what they like to fly and they will work around its weaknesses and enjoy it strengths. They have the balls to fight at a disadvantage. The real spoilers for me are still the people who complain about the game and how others play it :old: They are mostly from the US for one simple reason. Most of the players are from the US. No reflection on the national character. Good sports and bad sports everywhere and a fact of life. Most people just get on with it and don't cry :salute :salute
Back to the MA for more of this :ahand
Title: Re: What would get AH growing again
Post by: nrshida on November 24, 2024, 07:36:22 AM
The problem is the current generation of gamers don’t want a challenge.
I don't know how you play(ed) the game but It's hard to reconcile this comment with the current generation of typical MA players. Just how many times is it necessary to demonstrate that a Dora or Ta152 can dive away from any engagement against lighter planes, or that a K4 can out-accelerate and out sustained-climb anything above 7k, or that a Spitfire Mark 8 can out-turn anyhting that can out-run it and out-run anything that can out-turn it, or that a 2-on-1 is going to advantage the winging pair or that 23-Bishops are going to be able to roll bases against 5-defenders. These are all axioms hardly evidence of players challenging themselves. This cognative dissonance is not helping AH.
The focus is almost entirely production-based results which is doubly weird considering any way you rationalise, fantasise, internalise or present it, Aces High will never exceed its boundries of paid entertainment. A hobby. Always struck me as some bizarre Sisyphean ritual that when the Bishops had managed to 'win the war' in the Euro daytime that they were so happy with their reward of having all their work reset to the starting position and they got to begin all over again with a fresh batch of bases. That's not a challenge but a mental illness :rofl
Title: Re: What would get AH growing again
Post by: Yarbles on November 24, 2024, 09:22:27 AM
I don't know how you play(ed) the game but It's hard to reconcile this comment with the current generation of typical MA players. Just how many times is it necessary to demonstrate that a Dora or Ta152 can dive away from any engagement against lighter planes, or that a K4 can out-accelerate and out sustained-climb anything above 7k, or that a Spitfire Mark 8 can out-turn anyhting that can out-run it and out-run anything that can out-turn it, or that a 2-on-1 is going to advantage the winging pair or that 23-Bishops are going to be able to roll bases against 5-defenders. These are all axioms hardly evidence of players challenging themselves. This cognative dissonance is not helping AH.
The focus is almost entirely production-based results which is doubly weird considering any way you rationalise, fantasise, internalise or present it, Aces High will never exceed its boundries of paid entertainment. A hobby. Always struck me as some bizarre Sisyphean ritual that when the Bishops had managed to 'win the war' in the Euro daytime that they were so happy with their reward of having all their work reset to the starting position and they got to begin all over again with a fresh batch of bases. That's not a challenge but a mental illness :rofl
You could watch football and feel a tremendous sense of personal achievemnt every time you team wins :D. :neener:
Title: Re: What would get AH growing again
Post by: nrshida on November 24, 2024, 09:50:41 AM
You could watch football and feel a tremendous sense of personal achievemnt every time you team wins :D. :neener:
I don't get that either <Shrug>
Title: Re: What would get AH growing again
Post by: Yarbles on November 24, 2024, 10:02:16 AM
My rational is human beings are inherently destructive of the environment. I used to do motor racing using fossil fuels and causing pollution. In the scheme of things AH is relatively benign. Its a case of not making too much mess while remaining entertained. Staying out of trouble :bolt:.
If you know of something more meaningful which is as much fun you or I would be doing that.
Do you know of such a thing ?
I also used to do small bore rifle shooting. Poking little holes in paper targets at 25 yards. Eventually one could get more and more of the holes to go through the center. The purpose of existence fundamentally is existence. It has elegant efficiency.
Title: Re: What would get AH growing again
Post by: horble on November 24, 2024, 11:00:03 AM
People want battles that dont take 10 minutes to get to where they die quickly. That's 100% the issue. If they cannot find battles, they log off. If they don't have to fly as far, than dying isn't as time consuming where it feels like a giant waste of time.
Violator has this right. :salute
Title: Re: What would get AH growing again
Post by: fudgums on November 25, 2024, 10:18:22 AM
Still believe there is a younger population that is interested heavily into WW2 genre.
Title: Re: What would get AH growing again
Post by: AAIK on November 25, 2024, 11:42:43 AM
You guys just don't get it. You can't retrofit "Aces High 3" to get tons of new players you need to play the psychological game and make a new Aces High with a new name. Otherwise people will just mentally refer to their old experiences with the old game and not bother trying it.
Its a cheap tactic, yes, but its the only direction that can be taken.
Title: Re: What would get AH growing again
Post by: AKIron on November 25, 2024, 11:55:57 AM
Maybe call it IL-3?
:aok
Title: Re: What would get AH growing again
Post by: Animl-AW on November 25, 2024, 01:19:33 PM
You guys just don't get it. You can't retrofit "Aces High 3" to get tons of new players you need to play the psychological game and make a new Aces High with a new name. Otherwise people will just mentally refer to their old experiences with the old game and not bother trying it.
Its a cheap tactic, yes, but its the only direction that can be taken.
While some may go overboard wiyh positive ideas, you seem to go extreme on negative.
But I do note that these types flock together here.
What I don’t get is why people who don’t like are here, besides just popping balloons. <shrug>
Title: Re: What would get AH growing again
Post by: Animl-AW on November 25, 2024, 01:20:49 PM
You've posted as much negativity about AH as anyone here Animl. Ease up on calling the kettle black.
Not true. I've actually defended AH against the negative doomsayers most of which do not play anymore, which is predictable. We've gone through this before many times now. Negative banter with pros of other games, by the same former players.
In 2023 I got the clubbing by the same group for TRYING to get numbers up,... how it will never work, every pessimistic thought that could be thrown out there. Not a player here in that time will say different.
When I came back it was the exact same numbers as right now. Prime-time 100-112 players. Some crappy videos and help from other players getting the word out we're still here, brought that number up to 160 2 mos before MotA.....and during MotA it hit 180-200. All at the same time that group was repeating the same thing over and over,...even while we proved them wrong, and the game they promoted could not even support their expensive AC. DESPITE 127 page thread on pretty planes. I don't need to repeat it, we all watched it and remember it, it didn't go under the rug. We met goals of 200.(s)
What broke our momentum was 1) Allowing YKW to remain way too long, making bbs and 200 completely intolerable to everyone. 2) Too much political CRAP. You split your audience when you have politics.
Otherwise I would have shot for 250, but would not lift a finger as long as idiot(s) were destroying it.
BTW, most of those new numbers were return players.
so none of the last couple replies are true. <shrug>
Currently, compared to when I returned, ch.200 and bbs has quieted down, that was a goal.
I'm not going back into it. But I sense a few may want a repeat battle.
Title: Re: What would get AH growing again
Post by: AKIron on November 25, 2024, 04:12:29 PM
Yes you have. You've even threatened to quit on more than one occasion if hitech didn't do what you wanted and your defense of AH is worse than useless.
Title: Re: What would get AH growing again
Post by: Busher on November 25, 2024, 04:23:47 PM
Yes you have. You've even threatened to quit on more than one occasion if hitech didn't do what you wanted and your defense of AH is worse than useless.
Just an opinion AKiron, but I disagree. I think his efforts have been effective. While I don't agree with all of Animls positions on diverse topics, I believe he has the best intentions for the game. That in and of itself is a positive in his favor. :salute
Title: Re: What would get AH growing again
Post by: Shane on November 25, 2024, 05:58:37 PM
Enabling external view in all planes and gv's would bring in the younger gamers. :noid
They like to see their pretty avatars.
Just sayin'
Not that I would, ewwww, no.
Title: Re: What would get AH growing again
Post by: fudgums on November 25, 2024, 06:59:54 PM
In 2023 I got the clubbing by the same group for TRYING to get numbers up,... how it will never work, every pessimistic thought that could be thrown out there. Not a player here in that time will say different.
When I came back it was the exact same numbers as right now. Prime-time 100-112 players. Some crappy videos and help from other players getting the word out we're still here, brought that number up to 160 2 mos before MotA.....and during MotA it hit 180-200. All at the same time that group was repeating the same thing over and over,...even while we proved them wrong, and the game they promoted could not even support their expensive AC. DESPITE 127 page thread on pretty planes. I don't need to repeat it, we all watched it and remember it, it didn't go under the rug. We met goals of 200.(s)
What broke our momentum was 1) Allowing YKW to remain way too long, making bbs and 200 completely intolerable to everyone. 2) Too much political CRAP. You split your audience when you have politics.
Otherwise I would have shot for 250, but would not lift a finger as long as idiot(s) were destroying it.
BTW, most of those new numbers were return players.
so none of the last couple replies are true. <shrug>
Currently, compared to when I returned, ch.200 and bbs has quieted down, that was a goal.
I'm not going back into it. But I sense a few may want a repeat battle.
So above all it can be done and I am sure we would all support that :salute
I personally think I have got at least a couple of people interested/more interested again and have a couple more in my sights :uhoh :D
AH is a war game but also a community. If we each of us B.S. bribe, seduce or Bully one or 2 payers back into the game, yippee :banana:
Happy Thanks Giving USA Friends :banana:
Title: Re: What would get AH growing again
Post by: flippz on November 25, 2024, 09:22:30 PM
House Keeping. We need to start with house keeping. We need to make the game fun for those that have been here. The constant double teaming during prime time is killing the game worse than any one thing any one has mentioned. Folks that have only a few hours every few days to play doesn’t want to either fly around shooting at ground guns in a 25 eny plane during prime time hours. As well most people will not log on to up against the horde for their few hours of entertainment to get their skull bashed in by the circling vultures that normally run at the sight of a co alt plane. Which brings me to the other thing. The piss poor fights when planes are coalt. The arenas first move from 2k out is to go nose on and ram ho on every merge (if they merge). Then you have the runners that will literally run 2 sectors to avoid a 1v1. The amount of folks that literally close the game for bad game play would put 200 additional people back in the arena if game play was decent. Last week I logged on three nights in a row and just watched the map, about thirty minutes each. I also changed countries to see from the other sides. Normally there was a group of planes circling an air field daring some one to up while on the other side the only planes in the air was 2 guys resupplying the ack. How is that fun for anyone? The morning horde is atrocious as well. When I’m on most guys won’t even fight them. And then of course the other country get in on the rolling of fields. We could do better and with a little time we could get some people ack in the game.
Title: Re: What would get AH growing again
Post by: zack1234 on November 26, 2024, 01:39:23 AM
The problem is the current generation of gamers don’t want a challenge.
Challenge?
Cartoon planes in a game?
The main reason for people not wanting to fly cartoon planes is because silly old men write 16 paragraph replies in a forum and shouting at people in game.
Challenge? Icepac is a bit daft if you ask me.
And Yarbles gets half a tea cake when watching nature programs about sea urchins.
Title: Re: What would get AH growing again
Post by: Yarbles on November 26, 2024, 01:41:11 AM
House Keeping. We need to start with house keeping. We need to make the game fun for those that have been here. The constant double teaming during prime time is killing the game worse than any one thing any one has mentioned. Folks that have only a few hours every few days to play doesn’t want to either fly around shooting at ground guns in a 25 eny plane during prime time hours. As well most people will not log on to up against the horde for their few hours of entertainment to get their skull bashed in by the circling vultures that normally run at the sight of a co alt plane. Which brings me to the other thing. The piss poor fights when planes are coalt. The arenas first move from 2k out is to go nose on and ram ho on every merge (if they merge). Then you have the runners that will literally run 2 sectors to avoid a 1v1. The amount of folks that literally close the game for bad game play would put 200 additional people back in the arena if game play was decent. Last week I logged on three nights in a row and just watched the map, about thirty minutes each. I also changed countries to see from the other sides. Normally there was a group of planes circling an air field daring some one to up while on the other side the only planes in the air was 2 guys resupplying the ack. How is that fun for anyone? The morning horde is atrocious as well. When I’m on most guys won’t even fight them. And then of course the other country get in on the rolling of fields. We could do better and with a little time we could get some people ack in the game.
This is all true but always was in my opinion.
Changing the way people play is as easy as herding cats imo.
However, yes it's frustrating so I spoke to people I know who I believe do know. They say.
1) Don't merge in way you can be hoed.
2) If your chasing someone over 2 sectors I guess you are in a turnier plane and they are in a fast one or you would have caught them.
3) Practice SA if you don't want to be ganged.
4) Trying to take bases creates action when there isn't any especially when you work with others.
5) Suck it up :D then try and get better :aok
Same now as ever. Some people getting loads of kills and others crying about it and saying the killers aren't playing nicely but coming back for more. That's my experience as a returning player except everyone is a bit more polite and mellow than they used to be.
My K/D is 0.4 since I am back it used to be nearer to 4 . The thing that has changed most for me is how many people have learned to fly the P51 and P47 in a way that they will and very often do take on a turnier plane right down to the deck. The overall standard is allot higher :salute :salute :salute :salute :salute
Title: Re: What would get AH growing again
Post by: Yarbles on November 26, 2024, 01:46:16 AM
The main reason for people not wanting to fly cartoon planes is because silly old men write 16 paragraph replies in a forum and shouting at people in game.
I find people have mellowed in here and in game. Its a friendlier place now :aok
I saw Micky D the other day. He has moved to the USA and become a class traitor !! He no longer eats bread and dripping and does not even wear wooden shoes anymore. La dee da :D
Title: Re: What would get AH growing again
Post by: LCADolby on November 26, 2024, 06:41:43 AM
Is there a Mandela effect happening where a cross section of people have forgotten that HiTech put somewhere on the main webpage AH3 development had ceased. :headscratch:
Title: Re: What would get AH growing again
Post by: Eagler on November 26, 2024, 07:08:52 AM
Not enough players for 3 sides imo
Need to make it two sided which requires coding so won't happen
Enjoy it while it lasts
Eagler
Title: Re: What would get AH growing again
Post by: DmonSlyr on November 26, 2024, 07:41:42 AM
Need to make it two sided which requires coding so won't happen
Enjoy it while it lasts
Eagler
Ehh, I think if all maps were made to the size of NorthCo going forward, would help. I'd say max about 15 bases on each side, where all sides could reach each other for a battle, don't need TT or FT for that, but the fronts are just too big with no bottlenecks. 2 sides would just make the fronts even bigger really.
But, we have gone from a time when ACM and turn fighting was the the "thing", to flying high and fast in muh easy mode cannon monster is the new "thing". So now that most want to fly around high and fast and pretend they are good, they are bascislly making it so boring that folks just log off and go find quicker action elsewhere.
Title: Re: What would get AH growing again
Post by: Eagler on November 26, 2024, 07:47:38 AM
Smaller maps either way ..2 or 3 sided ... would help for sure
As even experimentation with the maps list seems to be a huge ask...just glad to see a dar change and the great pumpkin lol
Eagler
Title: Re: What would get AH growing again
Post by: AAIK on November 26, 2024, 08:05:18 AM
While some may go overboard wiyh positive ideas, you seem to go extreme on negative.
But I do note that these types flock together here.
What I don’t get is why people who don’t like are here, besides just popping balloons. <shrug>
You just don't seem to get it. If you update the game current players or lurkers will be like "Oh hey, that looks cool. Maybe ill try the new update". If you make a completely new game called "Aces High 4" or whatever new name people outside the circles will be like "Oh wow, its a new game. I've gotta try it".
I don't garuntee players will stay longer then a couple weeks but at least it would of gotten new players. To be brutally honest, currently, there are more people actually physically dying around here then being replaced by new players.
Negative? If anything your always negative trying to poo poo ideas which arn't yours. You really have an inflated sense of yourself.
Title: Re: What would get AH growing again
Post by: Animl-AW on November 26, 2024, 08:19:37 AM
Negative? If anything your always negative trying to poo poo ideas which arn't yours. You really have an inflated sense of yourself.
Nonsense
If anything I “poo poo” defeatist and advice from those who haven’t played in a long time, who are defeatist., whose words were proven wrong and tend to be know-it-alls of a game they no longer play due to a prettier, more pc demanding game that can’t even support their pricy AC.
During same time span msny went to pretty planes and came right back. Their numbers are no longer rising. In fact they have dipped. So what is their problem?
Seems a few are here to poo poo hopes and ideas. Like right now.
Title: Re: What would get AH growing again
Post by: nrshida on November 26, 2024, 08:35:33 AM
Is there a Mandela effect happening where a cross section of people have forgotten that HiTech put somewhere on the main webpage AH3 development had ceased. :headscratch:
Wait, there's a webpage?
Title: Re: What would get AH growing again
Post by: uptown on November 26, 2024, 09:13:48 AM
An industrial strength enema. :bolt:
Title: Re: What would get AH growing again
Post by: Animl-AW on November 26, 2024, 09:37:11 AM
If I have only one point, it would be no one is dying trying. It should not be a concern. Nothing ventured, nothing gained.
Title: Re: What would get AH growing again
Post by: Animl-AW on November 26, 2024, 10:02:27 AM
Is there a Mandela effect happening where a cross section of people have forgotten that HiTech put somewhere on the main webpage AH3 development had ceased. :headscratch:
<sigh> No we do not expect a complete overhaul. But a few updates could have a positive effect. I know, I’ve been there. Some of us do have extensive experience with the approach.
AW didn’t die because it sucked, it still had a big player base. It died because EA bought it to kill it. The bits of work on it did move the needle. 🪡 n safe prediction of what EA was lying many migrated here. Like it ir not, AH is an extension of AW on steroids. What we thought EA would do to AW.
Again, at least at one point HT had something in the works before health and family issues hit. The first end decision, now that his life has calmed down, is not known. However, there has been movement to preserve the game. He is spending more time in it than recent past.
All that said, the pattern IS, naysayers and the furtherest negatives, comes from the former player tribe, who enter the convo with obvious negative views of the game’s future, thats why they quit. The comments from that side are expected, by human nature, from the group of formers. Not rocket science. nothing new, nothing creative. No hope is why they are former players. So lets cut to the chase here. We get it. We have hopes, that tribe doesn’t.
Just because HT doesn’t grant every fleeting wish, doesn’t mean he’s not doing anything.
Not presenting false hopes, just saying, ad I did above,… no one is dying, nor foolish, for trying.
HT is not going to comment, as every word is beat to death like a dead horse, wuth a dead horse.
<shrug> :)
Title: Re: What would get AH growing again
Post by: AAIK on November 26, 2024, 12:41:38 PM
Animl-AW, I don't have any hard feeling towards you.
I probably have not played these games as much as you have based on your name (Air Warrior).
I only started with Warbirds 1.02/1.03 in the mid 90s and played Aces High up to a handful of years ago. On a side note I must say that this game hasn't changed at all since then/I quit either...
I have followed HT since Warbirds 1, playing all the games he and IEN worked on. Warbirds, Dawn of Aces, Raider Wars, Aces High... He has/had quite the vision and made amazing/superior products.
The fact that nothing has happened for the longest time tells me he/HT just doesn't have it in him anymore. Due to real life reasons or just the basic passage of time.
I mainly stopped playing because the population during peak EU times fell well below the number required for any real fun for time invested or enjoyment/critical mass.
These games have always had an important place in my life for about 20 years and I have also made it a point to study a lot of the design decisions and ideas because the MMO aspect has always inspired me.
In saying, there is no future for this game if things go the way they are. Maybe HT hoped that someone would buy his game like IEN bought his previous effort. I'm sure some confused bitcoin millionaire might do that but even they probably couldn't save the game. No matter how hard they think or try.
We need a new game to continue the legacy of Air Warrior. If HT won't do it then someone just as capable will have to (definetly not me tho, never been that smart).
Title: Re: What would get AH growing again
Post by: Dadtallica on November 26, 2024, 12:55:02 PM
HiTech: “Future development has ceased.”
BBS Community: “This doesn’t mean that development has ceased we still might get stuff. Here is what we want…”
Also BBS Community: “Oh by the way, you’re all flying all the planes wrong all the time.”
Also, Also BBS Community: “I can pay $15 a month so there is no reason you cannot. All human personal experiences are the same.”
Why not just enjoy what you have while you have it. The decline is a rolling snowball at this point.
Title: Re: What would get AH growing again
Post by: Yarbles on November 28, 2024, 10:25:33 AM
Why not just enjoy what you have while you have it. The decline is a rolling snowball at this point.
If you love something you want it to last ?
There is a community here :cheers:
Bruv was saying last night if he won the the Euro Million lottery he would buy AH and fix it :aok Give High Tech a nice pension and let him play whatever part he wanted to going forward. I think I might do the same. Just this morning an hour of 6 or so fellas on Knight 122 channel taking bases and getting on with it and eachother. It is something ..............
Dare I say it "A quality man space" doing no harm.
Title: Re: What would get AH growing again
Post by: Mister Fork on November 28, 2024, 02:48:09 PM
So, we're talking about ideas to help better promote Aces High right?
Title: Re: What would get AH growing again
Post by: Animl-AW on November 28, 2024, 03:08:16 PM
Quote
HiTech: “Future development has ceased.”
Just curious when this quote was from.
Title: Re: What would get AH growing again
Post by: Yarbles on November 28, 2024, 03:19:26 PM