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General Forums => Aces High General Discussion => Topic started by: Buzzbait on November 03, 2001, 04:31:00 AM

Title: Interview with HT on future of AH
Post by: Buzzbait on November 03, 2001, 04:31:00 AM
http://www.wargamer.com/articles/aces_high_interview_main.asp (http://www.wargamer.com/articles/aces_high_interview_main.asp)
Title: Interview with HT on future of AH
Post by: Tumor on November 03, 2001, 05:08:00 AM
Oh MAN..HiTech opened up a BIG can-0-worms with this one  :). Awesome interview.

Tumor
Title: Interview with HT on future of AH
Post by: Creamo on November 03, 2001, 05:25:00 AM
Fantastic.

Great read, thanks for the link.
Title: Interview with HT on future of AH
Post by: Seeker on November 03, 2001, 06:00:00 AM
Great read.

Your starter for $5....

What will be the first U-boat whine?
Title: Interview with HT on future of AH
Post by: ~Caligula~ on November 03, 2001, 06:18:00 AM
Quote
None of the four people, none of the four aspects want to go fight each other. Vehicles want to fight with vehicles; bombers want to go bomb stuff; fighters don’t want to mess with bombers; bombers don’t want to mess with fighters; and infantry don’t want to mess with anybody…they just want to go fight the other infantry. What you do is provide a mechanism in the game that makes that happen.
 :eek: Hmmmmm...normally I`d understand why bombers don`t wanna mess with fighters,but on the other hand I allways tought fighters were there to shoot down bombers,or to achive airsuperiority so the bombers can do their jobs without getting slaughtered by enemy fighters.
Well obviously in AH the bombers get some kinda special treatment.Turbo laser turrets,hyper accurate bombsights etc.

Other than that,great reading.
AH meets Day of Defeat...exciting stuff  :)
Title: Interview with HT on future of AH
Post by: R4M on November 03, 2001, 07:28:00 AM
Quote
HITECH: It’s got the core features, the skeleton of a strat-system. What I’m trying to do is balance the [strategic] bomber aspects with the JABO [or fighter-bomber] aspects. In the end what I want is to incorporate what bombers did well, which was mass area bombing, and not pinpoint bombing. Today, when you look at the previous strategic system, that was real hard to do. What were doing is starting to incorporate a lot of targets in a close area, so that I can start doing things like each bomber pilot fly’s four buffs all at once versus just one bomber. Then that gets enough ordnance load that I can do dispersion bombing techniques. One guy controlling a force of bombers is much more about game play than about realism. Obviously no one [person] flew four bombers, but at the same time there was never [just] one bomber that went out by itself. So it’s a compromise with realism…I want him to control multiple bombers so when he drops a load of ordnance, I can throw in dispersion. He does hit his target because he has enough ordnance dropping on target to do what real area bombing did.


LOVE THE CONCEPT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

(hope the uberbuff gunnery is turned down into realistic levels when that is done, BTW  :))
Title: Interview with HT on future of AH
Post by: R4M on November 03, 2001, 07:29:00 AM
AND SUBS!!!!!!!! THEY ARE GOING TO MODEL SUBS!!!!!!!!

hehehehehehehehehe starting to love this interview  :D
Title: Interview with HT on future of AH
Post by: pdog_109 on November 03, 2001, 07:52:00 AM
Uh does this mean we get to use depth charges from the cv and bombers?
Title: Interview with HT on future of AH
Post by: Westy MOL on November 03, 2001, 08:02:00 AM
Wow. Great interview. Covers a LOT of gound.

 And the really good part is if anyone can do it that would be HiTech and crew.

 What a good year to look forward to in AH. Then again it's already been like that for the last few.  :)

 Westy
Title: Interview with HT on future of AH
Post by: DanielMcIntyre on November 03, 2001, 08:23:00 AM
awwwwwwwwww YES!!! Submarines!!!   :D

awwwwwwwwww YES!!! Troopers!!!   :D

I Love you Hitech!!!!!!!!


  :D   :D   :D
Title: Interview with HT on future of AH
Post by: DanielMcIntyre on November 03, 2001, 08:31:00 AM
Quote
 

Originally posted by caligula:

Well obviously in AH the bombers get some kinda special treatment.Turbo laser turrets



Thats just totally untrue, you are obviously attacking them incorrectly.  Buff guns are identical to those in fighters.  

With you on the bombsight thing thou but this obviously gonna be fixed.  I think HT was trying to say that buffs, while needing to be killed by fighters, are an undesireable target due to their high altitude and heavy defensive armament.
Title: Interview with HT on future of AH
Post by: Ghosth on November 03, 2001, 08:57:00 AM
Excellent Interview.

I predict interesting times ahead for all AH pilots.   :)

ROCK ON HTC!
Title: Interview with HT on future of AH
Post by: ~Caligula~ on November 03, 2001, 09:02:00 AM
I must disaggree Zygote.
I`ve hit fighters at range 1.6 as a gunner in B17.I`m yet to hit anything over 1.2 in fighter.
Besides in all books I`ve read about the LW fighting bombers over Europe,the LW opens fire from outside the range of the bombers`
machineguns,wich was as all these books state 800 meters.
It`s tuned up in AH ,so all the single bombers can have a chance in the MA.

BTW bombers SHOULD be desirable challenging targets,and fun to hunt ,but not certain death that we fighters have to avoid by all means.
I`ve killed many bombers,but sometimes they get me even if I set up a perfect attack.
Title: Interview with HT on future of AH
Post by: Kieran on November 03, 2001, 09:06:00 AM
Boys, let's stay on target here...

Subs?
Infantry?
Massive bomber formations? (realize if you can get 10 guys to buff that is 40 bombers on target!)
Bunker warfare?

This looks pretty tasty from most viewpoints.
Title: Interview with HT on future of AH
Post by: AKDejaVu on November 03, 2001, 10:38:00 AM
I definately like the aspect of adding the FPS element, but keeping it somewhat separated from the air-war.  I'm very curious to see what that ends up looking like.

AKDejaVu
Title: Interview with HT on future of AH
Post by: Toad on November 03, 2001, 10:48:00 AM
Quote
Originally posted by Seeker:
Great read.

Your starter for $5....

What will be the first U-boat whine?


That the German U-boats are undermodelled, of course.

Too easy.

Just send the $5 to HTC for the office beer fund.

 ;)
Title: Interview with HT on future of AH
Post by: funkedup on November 03, 2001, 11:03:00 AM
Quote
It’s late in the evening…it’s a lot of fun, so I’m doing well.

Is this code for "I'm drunk"?
 :D
Title: Interview with HT on future of AH
Post by: eskimo2 on November 03, 2001, 11:05:00 AM
Read more from Sabre/Rojo on AH gameplay in the BB, General Discussion:

"What to do with alll those targ...I mean trains and trucks"

eskimo43
Title: Interview with HT on future of AH
Post by: funkedup on November 03, 2001, 11:10:00 AM
Quote
Well of course, every customer in the world is glad we let them pay less. But you don’t have to. You’re more than welcome to send us $30 a month even though we’re only charging you $15.

 
Quote
For the next four months, I would wake up at three in the morning, sit down at my computer, nobody around, and work until two in the afternoon. And then I’d go watch the Clinton impeachment hearings.

ROFL

Oh Gawd there are a lot of gems in there.  WTG HTC and Sabre.  I'm thinking about sending in $30.   :D
Title: Interview with HT on future of AH
Post by: LePaul on November 03, 2001, 11:28:00 AM
Quote
Originally posted by Kieran:
Boys, let's stay on target here...

Subs?
Infantry?
Massive bomber formations? (realize if you can get 10 guys to buff that is 40 bombers on target!)
Bunker warfare?

This looks pretty tasty from most viewpoints.

Hmm, help? Cooperation? In buffs?  Surely you do not fly with the Knights   :D

What's 'cooperation' ? Or 'escort' ?

 :D

Did you see the author's credentials?  Degree in Stealth technology?  Where the hell you get one of those?  ITT?  One of those Sally Struthers degree-by-mail catalogs?  Perhaps they phased out the *gun repair* course?   :D
Title: Interview with HT on future of AH
Post by: Mitsu on November 03, 2001, 11:29:00 AM
I have got exclusive submarine screen shot from HT!
 http://www.ah.wakwak.com/~mitsu/244sentai/shots/submarine.jpg (http://www.ah.wakwak.com/~mitsu/244sentai/shots/submarine.jpg)

 :)

Mitsu
Title: Interview with HT on future of AH
Post by: Kieran on November 03, 2001, 11:42:00 AM
'Fraid I missed the point there. I simply mean there will be clouds of bombers if you can get 10 guys at a time to buff. This makes formulating bomber squads more attractive. We also get to see bomb dispersion in the same fell swoop, so there is something for everyone here.

More germaine to the discussion is how the 3 ghost ships will be gunned. Will they be slaved or AI? Either way it will be harder to get in and attack a mass of bombers. This (along with bomb dispersion) will encourage bomber pilots to use more historical altitudes.

Cooperation can come or not come- that is the point I think HT was trying to make when he said "Each of the four parts doesn't want to fight the other parts." The bombers will be far more effective even without cooperation through sheer force of numbers, which btw is more accurate historically anyway.
Title: Interview with HT on future of AH
Post by: Manedew on November 03, 2001, 11:44:00 AM
YeeHaww!   :D
Title: Interview with HT on future of AH
Post by: Rojo on November 03, 2001, 11:47:00 AM
LePaul: The actual degree title is "Low Observables Technology," and the only place in the world to get one is the Air Force Institute of Technology, at Wright-Patterson AFB, OH  ;).

Glad everyone's injoying the article.  There was a bit more to HT's "late in the evening remark, but you had to be at the Con to appreciate them; so I left them out :).  The interview is pretty much word-for-word otherwise.

As regards HiTech's remarks about buffs not wanting to fight fighters, I believe that was a generalization. Obviously there is meant to be some interaction between different aspects, but his goal as I understand it it to make each fun and purposeful in their own right. Yes, there are buff pilots that can't waite to see a fighter or two come into range of his turrets, but for most that's not why they're airborne.  They fly bombers to destroy things on the ground.

HTC's genious is that they're not designing the game...only the engine. You and I, the player community, have by and large channeled gameplay in the direction we as a community would like it to go.  That's why AH is successful, and why WarBirds is struggling to find itself.
Title: Interview with HT on future of AH
Post by: Kieran on November 03, 2001, 11:54:00 AM
I agree Rojo. When I am in a buff I try to avoid the fighters, but there are those that seek fighter interception as a challenge. Still, the point of being a buff is to destroy resources for the most part, and I think most would enjoy going about their business largely unimpeded.   ;)
Title: Interview with HT on future of AH
Post by: oboe on November 03, 2001, 11:57:00 AM
Could be interesting, but the flight sim purist in me says "uh-oh".

I could care less about FPS - if I wanted to do that I could find a Counterstrike game somewhere.  I'm in it for air combat sister, pure and simple.  It does mean development time taken away from introducing more aircraft types, and I find that disappointing.  I'd rather have 100 different A/C than the FPS element.

Maybe you just can't ignore the success of WWIIOnline.
Title: Interview with HT on future of AH
Post by: Sunchaser on November 03, 2001, 11:57:00 AM
I like the bomber stuff. (surprize!)

BUT, I really hope the bombsight, dispersion and blast radius is addressed and I am sure that no matter how HTC does it there will be at least ONE complaint.

Subs, ground troops fighting it out....
Sounds like HTC is taking the slow and deliberate road to WWII Online and that is good.
Title: Interview with HT on future of AH
Post by: mason22 on November 03, 2001, 12:16:00 PM
Excellent!!

if you newbies want to know what AH is all about, this is a must read!

Good Stuff HT!! Love it.
Title: Interview with HT on future of AH
Post by: Keez on November 03, 2001, 12:18:00 PM
Hey HT said that 1.09 would mainly improve the buff systems... Would we finally get multiple crew?
Title: Interview with HT on future of AH
Post by: Hornet on November 03, 2001, 01:05:00 PM
Quote
Could be interesting, but the flight sim purist in me says "uh-oh".

I agree with you oboe, but I find HT's outlook to be positive as far as keeping the quality of the air war intact.

You're right, I don't think AH can ignore the success of ww2ol, but I think that they will learn from its mistakes.

By introducing FPS as bunker-warfare I think you protect the heart of the sim. It sounds like it will be a seperate system - no interaction between A/C and troopers. This is good because there will be no cries of "someone shot down my tempest with a pistol", no necessity for adding ground cover for troopers which tanks the framerate for aircraft etc.

I think HiTech's comment on the 4 different systems rings true. Troopers only want to fight other troopers. I'd say that simple rule is what's causing a majority of the headaches for CRS in ww2ol.
Title: Interview with HT on future of AH
Post by: Westy MOL on November 03, 2001, 02:02:00 PM
"Could be interesting, but the flight sim purist in me says "uh-oh"."

 I hear what your saying Oboe but my take on it is this: Whatever some guys are doing on the ground, be it vehicles, troops or pt boats, is inconsequential to me as long as they're supporting HTC by paying the sub $$$ fee and they blow up nice when my egg or rocket lands on them.

 I'll take a wait-and-see approach to the bomber changes before speaking what I currently think. I'm hoping HTC is going to make bombing more realistic not just by way f bomb dispersion but also having the bombardier position/role being more complex. Starting with the bombsite and adding more realistic steps other than "line up and drop."
 
Westy
Title: Interview with HT on future of AH
Post by: funkedup on November 03, 2001, 02:12:00 PM
I'm only interested in flying.  But you can't have a realistic air war without a realistic ground war.  I don't care if it's AI or human, but you have to have that element.
Title: Interview with HT on future of AH
Post by: Pongo on November 03, 2001, 03:04:00 PM
Nice read Sabre!
Makes me miss being at the con even more.
I like counter strike and return to castle wolfenstein so some hallway clearing sounds fun to me.
Title: Interview with HT on future of AH
Post by: J_A_B on November 03, 2001, 04:04:00 PM
I love that interview.  All of it.

I like flightsims, and I like FPS and eventually AH will have both--all your gaming needs at one place.

No doubt about it, I'm sticking with AH.

J_A_B
Title: Interview with HT on future of AH
Post by: Kodiak2 on November 03, 2001, 05:44:00 PM
HITECH: The basic emphasis for 1.09 will be bomber enhancements; that’s the core aspect of it. What else gets thrown in there, I don’t know yet, but that’s the core piece we’ll be changing.

Wooohoooo!!  *Barks like a dog*...*Pants*  *Drools*   :p

 (http://www.applink.net/thunder/sig/DHBG.jpg)
Title: Interview with HT on future of AH
Post by: Arlo on November 03, 2001, 06:11:00 PM
I agree, it looks quite tasty! I dunno about 40 bombers "on target" though.

"What were doing is starting to incorporate a lot of targets in a close area, so that I can start doing things like each bomber pilot fly’s four buffs all at once versus just one bomber. Then that gets enough ordnance load that I can do dispersion bombing techniques. One guy controlling a force of bombers is much more about game play than about realism. Obviously no one [person] flew four bombers, but at the same time there was never [just] one bomber that went out by itself. So it’s a compromise with realism…I want him to control multiple bombers so when he drops a load of ordnance, I can throw in dispersion. He does hit his target because he has enough ordnance dropping on target to do what real area bombing did."
                      -HiTech

 Still ... sounds even better. Saturation bombing. Fighters ... go for the lead bomber!    ;)

Edit: WHOOPS ... obviously did what I've occasionally chastised others for .... didn't read the whole thread! Sorry, Kieran. I'll go back to sittin' and reading more.

   
Quote
Originally posted by Kieran:
Boys, let's stay on target here...


Massive bomber formations? (realize if you can get 10 guys to buff that is 40 bombers on target!)

[ 11-03-2001: Message edited by: Arlo ]
Title: Interview with HT on future of AH
Post by: Kieran on November 03, 2001, 06:14:00 PM
When I say "on target" I mean attacking a target, not pinpoint accuracy.
Title: Interview with HT on future of AH
Post by: Arlo on November 03, 2001, 06:18:00 PM
*ShruG* "Whoops"  :o
Title: Interview with HT on future of AH
Post by: Rojo on November 04, 2001, 10:20:00 AM
<punt> For those who spent Saturday on the moon  :)
Title: Interview with HT on future of AH
Post by: Blue Mako on November 04, 2001, 05:21:00 PM
Quote
Originally posted by Seeker:
Great read.

Your starter for $5....

What will be the first U-boat whine?

"Waaaah!  I spent 5 hours getting in position to launch my torps and then some P38 skilless dweeb kamikaze'd the cv before I killed it!  Waaah!"
Title: Interview with HT on future of AH
Post by: Seeker on November 04, 2001, 05:40:00 PM
To Blue Mako:

   I.O.U

       $5


 :)