Aces High Bulletin Board
General Forums => Aces High General Discussion => Topic started by: DoKtor GonZo on March 16, 2001, 12:52:00 PM
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Well, I've been involved in these games since 1987 - as player, events creator, consultant, and scourge. Started in Air Warrior. On a Mac SE. At 300 baud. Using a mouse. So I've pretty much seen it all. I guess I've known HiTech since the early 90's. So you can take my comments for whatever you feel they're worth.
Anyway ... I have to say I'm impressed as hell with Aces High. Not just because they built such a great product, but that they did it so damn fast. Here's what impressed me:
- Gorgeous visuals. One of the few flight sims I've seen to really use the 3D hardware the right way. Haze, e-maps, all that is done right. The "world" we fly in looks as we expect. Terrain has undulations even. Love it. 3D cockpit textures need some work, but who cares.
- Predictable gunnery and flight models. One of the most important things in any interface is predictability. If I do this, it does that. WarBirds still leaves enough doubt as to what to expect for every control input to be a pain. The AH gunnery seems to have fewer of those "how'd he fly through that wall of tracers" instances. And the planes don't bounce around so annoyingly (auto-combat trim - love it).
- Best tracers in the business. Not just the look, but the behavior as well.
- Clouds that work. This is new to 1.06, and there's still glitches, but clouds are as important as the sun in air combat. The ramifications of being able to program storm fronts for scenario play are yet to be explored (imagine having to time a bomber strike for a hole in the cloud layer over the target).
- Great view system. Locking preferred head positions for each view is great. The zoom key too - much less eye strain.
- A fun and pretty balanced plane set. I've heard some grumblings about AH only having the uber-rides, but who cares? Just about all the late war planes seem to at least be competetive. Odds are a La-7 will beat a Me109F ... but the 109F at least has a chance here.
- Return of the 3-country format. The best thing about 3-countries is that it's self-policing. "He who lives by the horde, dies by the horde." The WB WW2 arena could work as a 2-country arena if the plane set weren't so hopelessly unbalanced for it. Maybe a similar set up would work here - who knows?
- Solid in-close performance. I see some warpage at D15-30, but once you're in firing position things are solid. I still get more disco's than I should on a DSL line, but I'm sure that'll go away in time.
- The game is fun. I haven't had serious fun in a flight sim for years. And that means a lot - the balance between simulation and entertainment is hard to pull off.
- Good technology. Auto-installer for maps and updates. Check.
Anyway ... well done HT and Pyro.
About the only negative comment I have to make (other than the disco's) is that having a loose conduct policy has its drawbacks. At least once a night I have to hear someone making racial slurs on channel 1. There is a difference between being vulgar and being an a-hole. This isn't a ding on the game, and hopefully this will be self-policed as well because it isn't called for.
-DoK
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Good post Dok, seen your name in a buffer from 1989 >>> (AW DOS/CK/WB/now AH) and always see your view as valid. Please post an AAR of WBIII one day when they get alittle closer to production..always interested in your views.
Edit: you can squelch ch 1 or any particular player Dok.
[This message has been edited by Ripsnort (edited 03-16-2001).]
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The ramifications of being able to program storm fronts for scenario play are yet to be explored
You sure about that? (http://bbs.hitechcreations.com/smf/Smileys/default/wink.gif)
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Dok!
Good to cyas up finally. This sim is the most fun I've had since AWDOS. Have a great time!
From one old phart to another...<S>!
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Ice
13thTAS
It's not the Big that kill the Small, but the Fast that kill the Slow!
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You want to see cool, Dok, check out the mission planner. The possabilites are mind boggling for events.
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heee he he. Now if I could find a way to get "Dead Duck" to take the "Ever Queen" garb off and pop in.
Really nice to "see" your post here DoK.
And a pretty fair appraisal imo. Course I happen to like thier work also.
-Westy
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Dead Duck. I dropped by the AW Con' in Dallas a couple years back and was amazed by how people revered DD as this uber-ace. If they only knew him in his humble "Dead Dweeb" beginnings.
I've been amazed by how many ex-AW players are here.
-DoK
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lol. What you just wrote is why I'd enjoy an appearance (http://bbs.hitechcreations.com/smf/Smileys/default/wink.gif)
He's a nice guy. Even met em once in '99. But that's "real life" and here is, well__ "here" is just much more fun with the personas and perceptions.
Btw, really have a nice, new site there DoK.
And as for ex-oldAW's, there are more whom you possibly would recall if they'd used thier tail numbers or even old handles. Some forged new identities.
-Westy
[This message has been edited by Westy (edited 03-16-2001).]
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Originally posted by DoKtor GonZo:
Dead Duck. I dropped by the AW Con' in Dallas a couple years back and was amazed by how people revered DD as this uber-ace. If they only knew him in his humble "Dead Dweeb" beginnings.
-DoK
DD an uber-ace? <guffaw>
A lot has changed since DOS AW. (http://bbs.hitechcreations.com/smf/Smileys/default/smile.gif)
-- Todd/DMF/Calamari
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Damm Dok,
a very long time, nice to see you are still around,
Cheers
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!!! Heater !!!
(http://members1.chello.nl/k.determan/heater1.jpg)
Shit Happens All The Time
Programming today is a race between software engineers striving to build bigger and better idiot-proof programs, and the Universe trying to produce bigger and better idiots. So far, the Universe is winning.
[This message has been edited by Heater (edited 03-16-2001).]
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Originally posted by Dead Man Flying:
-- Todd/DMF/Calamari
And suddenly, it all became clear!
<smacks forehead>
- Bessy
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*emerges from hell wearing a parka and ski's*
WTF?!?! I was trying to get a tan. Ya poodle pumping @#$% puddle!!! (tm)
Get back in your hole before all these little upstarts realize who you are and start beating you with your own cane...
DoK...got a question...is the hate here yet? If it is...I'll sign up for an account now, but I've been eagerly awaiting the arrival of the one true master (coughbaitercough).
Good to see you again...
TopGunz Rool!!!
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Hey Dok, if you wanna experience a-holes, try practicing in the training room. Somedays, I even get my landing gear retracted before some looser vulches me.
There isn't any policing around here and its sorely needed. For a pay service, I would hope they invent or implement some soon.
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Paul J. Busiere
Aces High Arena handle: BD5Pilot
http://bd5.checksix.net (http://bd5.checksix.net)
BD-5 "T" (TurboProp) 90% complete, first flight in 2001 (We hope!)
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Don't say a-holes...Homer will show up.
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Originally posted by Brat:
Don't say a-holes...Homer will show up.
SOMEBODY CALL?
(http://Ripsnort60.tripod.com/homero011.jpg)
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"You can kill bigweek, but you can't take bigweek outta us."
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Originally posted by Dead Man Flying:
DD an uber-ace? <guffaw>
A lot has changed since DOS AW. (http://bbs.hitechcreations.com/smf/Smileys/default/smile.gif)
-- Todd/DMF/Calamari
snork! Heya Todd...how's married life? HA HA HA HA!!!
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Westy must die !
(http://bbs.hitechcreations.com/smf/Smileys/default/wink.gif)
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Hate isn't fully enagaged here yet, but I see great potential.
Interesting to see that the TopGoatz are still around. I would have though that the obvious effects of several generations of incest would have taken their toll by now.
-DoK
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Jeez, don't they keep the door locked around here???
First DoK shows up, and now we gotta put up with Brat too?
The Inhumanity!! (http://bbs.hitechcreations.com/smf/Smileys/default/smile.gif)
Now if Gypsy Baron, RocketMan, and DD show up, I'm definitely leaving (http://bbs.hitechcreations.com/smf/Smileys/default/tongue.gif)
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Vermillion
**MOL**, Men of Leisure
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"Topgoatz" lol. Now there's something to bring a wicked smile to one's face. DoK you do know the scoop behind them don't you? BB had to have told you in Dallas back in 99.......didn't he?
Thirdup! (http://bbs.hitechcreations.com/smf/Smileys/default/biggrin.gif) I swear every time I take off in a Ju-88 here I recall our "encounters" in Afrika'42 ;-) You KNOW you want to try it here. Toss off the magic wand and those Peter pan outfits from that game you play and take a test ride here.
Damn this topic got off track.
-Westy
[This message has been edited by Westy (edited 03-16-2001).]
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Damn.
Looks like I'm gonna hafta
start flyin here.
Hiya Dok. Long time.
dh
(LongHorn 4495)
Yeeehaw!
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"Hail hail, the gang's all here"
That's it, I'm moving to WarpBirds III (http://bbs.hitechcreations.com/smf/Smileys/default/smile.gif)
~Lemur
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Who are all you people?
-moggy
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What? Did they install computers in all the Nursing Homes this week?
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I see dead people..... (http://bbs.hitechcreations.com/smf/Smileys/default/wink.gif)
Damn, its time to move on when Moggy shows up. Hey Moggs when you coming over to drive my Vette? Just finishing a tune up.
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Vermillion
**MOL**, Men of Leisure
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Longhorn ... wowzers ... I finally re-established email contact with Tango Circus this week. Gotta find out what he's up to.
And if Moggy's here, I better give BlueBaron a shout out in the murky depths of Seattle ... or wherever up there he am be at. All we need now is Grape Beagle.
-DoK
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GB!
He'll drive Laz nuts! Don't try and wake 'em up, please. But for once I gotta agree with dOk, this is the finest MMOL sim to date.
Cya up...4018, er...Braz
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I'm getting flashbacks, I think i need a doctor
NUTTZ
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Originally posted by DoKtor GonZo:
Hate isn't fully enagaged here yet, but I see great potential.
Interesting to see that the TopGoatz are still around. I would have though that the obvious effects of several generations of incest would have taken their toll by now.
-DoK
you miss the unveiling?
Tex