Aces High Bulletin Board
General Forums => Aces High General Discussion => Topic started by: beet1e on January 13, 2003, 04:38:26 AM
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I follow all the various boards on this BBS, and was dismayed when I came down this morning to find no fewer than six locked threads in General Discussion alone. :( On closer inspection, I see that there have been many complaints to HTC, and then complaints about how those complaints have been processed. Seems some people are never satisfied.
I am reminded of a situation many years ago in Scotland, when I was on holiday with my brother and parents. One Sunday Dad, being Dad, thought we should all go to Church. I think it might have been a Scottish Presbyterian – I don’t really recall. But I do remember the sermon. The minister began by holding up a piece of white paper about two foot square, on which a large black spot had been drawn with a marker pen. The spot was about 3 inches in diameter. And the minister asked everyone, starting with the younger members of the congregation, what they saw as he held up this paper. Each and every one of us said “a big black dot”. ”Does any one of you see anything else?”, asked the minister. Nope, we looked harder but all we could see was the black dot. And the minister went on to say that every time he preached that sermon and held that paper up, nobody could not see anything but the big black dot. We looked harder still, but the only thing on that paper was the black dot. And then the point of this exercise was made...
”All of you see the big black dot, but can none of you sees the white piece of paper”!, bellowed the minister. And then we all felt a bit silly. Of course – the two foot square piece of white paper had a black dot, but that black dot occupied only about 1% of the total area of the white piece of paper. And yet it was the black dot that had caught our attention, not the white piece of paper. The point of the sermon became one of counting one’s blessings one by one, instead of focussing on life’s problems.
Ever since I’ve been playing online sims, I have been in awe of the ingenuity of same. To produce a flight simulation of just one plane was once regarded as an achievement, but here in AH we have many different types of plane to choose from, and arenas where people from every country can meet and fly against eachother in an online environment. If all the whiners would just stop to think for a moment about what goes into making a game like AH... there’s the modelling of the individual planes, the artwork for the cockpits, the different performance values for each plane, the gunnery, damage models etc. Then we have all the terrains, the strategic targets, the effects like smoke and fire, flight models for partially damaged aircraft, and then the packaging of all this to make it into an online game. Then there’s all the game strategy (should you wish to use it – I know many do not), and ships, PT boats, GVs... I used to be a programmer in an earlier era (mainframe COBOL – lol) and based on my experience there, I can only imagine the complexity of the code for Aces High. :eek:
After 14 years as a programmer I moved into Database Admin. And it is my experience there that makes me realise what Hitech, Skuzzy and the other boys and girls are up against. What they are doing is basically a thankless job. They’re doing their level best with the resources available to make AH a quality WW2 flight sim that will set the standard for other sims to follow. And what thanks do they get? “Waaaaaah, one of my deaths was unfair – terrain rollover etc.” “Waaaaaah, my tank blew up when I ran over a shrub”. “Waaaah, perk this, perk that. Unperk this, unperk that. Waaaah-waaah-waaaah-server lag-waaah-waaah-waaah”. The request for reinstatement of a life that was ended by terrain rollover (if I understand it correctly) was a classic, and gives an insight into how obsessed some people can become. Very sad. What a pathetic bunch of ungrateful, self-indulgent whiners :(
I bet the only thanks that Hitech gets when something goes right is when the phone falls silent, or the BBS dries up. I know that’s how it used to be for me. Never a word of thanks for getting something right.
I very rarely complain about this game/sim. (That’s not the same as having no issues with the gameplay! But gameplay is a wide issue with the participants, not the game itself) I have posted a couple of issues in the Bugs forum, but that is all. If I see server lag, I know it’s only temporary, and that HTC probably knows about it – or perhaps the problem is at my end. I’ve had GVs blow up when I’ve run over an obstacle, but do I whine? I do not. It was frustrating to roll an M3 into town and get blown up for rolling over debris the first time, but now I know – it won’t happen again.
When I look at AH, and the great strides forward that it has made in the year or so that I have been here, it is clear that HTC has a team of expert programmers, fully utilising their expertise. For those who have never programmed, what may seem like a minor change to you might actually involve many man hours of coding effort, and may overlap other game issues. It’s not a simple matter of tweaking a parameter or pressing a button. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again now: AH is a brilliant game! Forget about silly issues like one particular kill not being registered – we’ve all seen that, but stop and think how much game time that incident took up as a proportion of the length of time you spend online.
After that Church service in Scotland, Dad was saying he recalled how, when he had been the organist at a performance of Handel’s Messiah or other similar oratorio, someone came to him afterwards to complain of his playing three wrong notes in the course of the evening. Actually Dad was flattered, considering that the entire performance had entailed the playing of about 40,000 notes. But... some people can only see the black dot. :(
So I say to all AH BBS whiners – get over your black dot fixation. Move your head away from the frame so that instead of seeing a few brush strokes/pixels/whatever, you can see the whole picture. So what if one particular kill didn’t register, or one death seemed unfair, or someone warped when the server was stretched to capacity? AH is a work in progress, but is still a masterpiece. Many people derive many, many hours of enjoyment from Aces High, for only $14.95 a month. The HTC guys/gals deserve more thanks than they’ve been getting.
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beetle, that was a very good post.
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my sentiments exactly beetle
you guys from the UK actually make sense sometime?
crazy world.
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Very well said.
You didn't even mention 'ungs' once (the word is scrambled to protect the innocent).
;)
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Excellent post,
sir for putting it into a perspective that anyone should be able to understand.
So many things are "right" about AH, yet probably 90% of the thread are about what is "wrong". Sad, but true.
But it in no way reflects on just AH players.......seems society has conditioned people to look for the bad or flawed and ignore the good things.
As for me, my hat is off to all the staff at HTC. How they take all the complex components required to make this game work.........it leaves me in awe.
I can't even get PaintShop Pro to do what I want, and the objects I am working on are not animated.
Me thinks some folks ought to just chill and enjoy the game, or move on.
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Well said, beetle. Last night I was thinking we needed a thread like this, but I didn't know what to say or how to say it.
Thanks beetle, htc, and everybody else that makes this such an enjoyable place to spend my time.
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Very well said :)
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Excellent post, Beetle!
:)
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Even beetle can be a straight shooter sometimes!
(It's terrible I know) ;)
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Great post Beet1e but don't ya think it was a tad long? :p
Ack-Ack
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Excellent post beetle.
At US$14.95 per month, AH is an excellent value.
I think some people take the "I'm a paying customer and I demand service..." argument too far. Do the math and you'll see that hitech and the HTC staff aren't becoming millionaires from the business.
After salaries, rent, marketing, commissions, servers, bandwidth, office equipment, utilities and phone and the dreaded taxes, there can't be too much left for retained earnings for future investment.
There has to be some true dedication blended into this mix to keep the product moving forward with so few people. Go ahead and spin some polys yourself and see how long it takes and how hard it is to create (then animate) 3d objects as complex as aircraft.
to hitech and the whole crew.
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Excellent post
!
AKDejaVu
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Beetle!
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Well Done, Beetle.
Welcome to the Fanboi club. There'll be someone along to highlight all of our memberships shortly. ;)
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Thanks Beet1e.
HiTech
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slackers (all of you) who have such time to read that wall of text during office hours !
bettle, any chance for you going on reader's digest one of these days. Can't comment on the content yet, I might have the time to read all that on my next vacation :)
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“Waaaaaah, my tank blew up when I ran over a shrub”
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I think Beet1e should be considered for Good conduct medal, ;)
Good post sir, thanks for taking the time to type it all.
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Thanks Beetle, not only have I come to grips with my own phanboi nature, but I think I'm going to convert to Scottish Presbyterianism.
-Sik
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Wow...
What exactly was wrong with my post in this thread to warrent it's deletion?
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Hail Beetle! Well said indeed!
And THANK YOU HTC!
Give me the pom poms & call me a cheerleader!
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First and foremost.This really is anh outstanding game.From the price cut,unheard of in online history,to the free multiplayer yuou really have to admire the HT existance.Where else do you see the owners/programers online not only playing but looking for problems? Not being any sort of a programmer I have no idea of whats involved in creating a game such as this.It must be a serious chore tho. The boards lately have seemed like a repetive droneing of the exact same things.The same issue over and over.diffrent people,same subject.From lag,inherant to a game of this size at times,to I want a death taken away.
It would see some are peeved because the post they made wasnt answered personaly.I would rather see the staff fix problems.Not surf the boards looking for complaignts.Others just dont get it.HT is aware of the problems.Leave it at that.They have impressed the toejam out of me with there fixing whats wrong in the past and I assume that hasnt changed.Even tho I dropped my account last month I still look at Aces High as "wow.Look at the big white square,whats that insignigant black thing in the middle?" Its been fixed before,It will be fixed again. I DO fear that the bonus money thing will create a bigger flock of score potatos tho :confused: who will hang out a squadie before taking a chance of not landing there precious perk points. I just picture scrooge McDuck sitting in a pile of perk saying "Oh precious perks.Oh glorious perks." Great game HT
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Hear, Hear, Beetle!
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LOL Dowding!
Now, at first I thought someone had stolen Beetle's account, but then I noticed it's length and realized it is Beetle and then I also realized I concur with his post and thought it a good commentary!
I'm now going to re-stock my supplies in the bomb shelter as the end is surely near! :eek:
Cobra
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Bravo -- it's all about perspective.
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wise words Beet1e!
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Being a programmer myself, I am fully aware of the amount of effort required to put together a complete software package. It requires many man hours of research, design and code. Once completed, implementing changes also requires the same kind of effort. Rarely, if ever, is a change as simple as flipping a parameter value, or re-writing a single line of code. Almost always, changes are required to many objects, thus impacting the entire codebase. These changes must then be tested in order to see how they co-exist with the current code. Repeat this process until such time that you feel your product is ready for release.
It is at this point of release that the cacophony of voices from the customer base is heard. Occasionally one voice stands out above the others and notices the white paper instead of the dot. However, most voices are exactly what beet1e describes. "Howcome I died?" and "Why did my plane blow up for no reason?" and "That shrub caused my tank to flip over and explode!" ad nauseum.
What these voices do address, however, are the results of the myriad of tests performed by the customer base. The team at HTC cannot possibly perform every single test in every single situation. They don't have the manpower to do so. By having these concerns addressed by the customer base, especially multiple times, and in multiple ways, the staff at HTC can say, "Perhaps we should re-evaluate the object collision code for ground vehicles to see if something can be done."
Again the cycle of researching, designing, coding and testing repeats. Things will not always work out as planned along the way. A seeminly simple change may produce widespread effects that could not be forseen. It is a good company that takes advantage of these mistakes, and makes it a point to correct them. HTC is one such company. They analyze the needs of the customers, and make the decision to implement the most pertinent of the changes.
Imagine how many of us would still be here if HTC ignored our requests. Imagine how many would care about Aces High, if it were evident that the staff that produced the game did not. We are a lucky group. We are able to play the most complete massive multiplayer World War II vehicular combat simulation available. We have a great community of people, who are exceptionally knowledgable. In short, how many guys and girls would any of you have met, and been enriched by, were it not for this game?
HTC to a job exceptionally done.
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Nice job Beetle.
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anti-whiner whiner :p
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Nice post beet1e.
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Since the beginning of November, I've paid $34.85 to HTC
to play Aces High. During this time I have been logged on
almost 73 hours in the MA, spent a guestimate of 20 hours
in the SEA and more than a few in the CT. So for somewhere
around $0.35 an hour, I get to fly a top notch flight sim with,
generally speaking, a good bunch of guys and some great
friends.
In contrast to this, I spend $0.50 a day, $3.50 on Sundays for
a rag of a newspaper (Syracuse Post-Standard); ~$80 a month
for cable/roadrunner; probably $120 on phone bill; etc.
I think AH is a great value. For someone to say "I pay my
$14.95 a month" so they get to not only complain, but be abusive
about it is quite silly.
My $0.02 worth
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Great Job HT.
Great post Beetle1
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Nice post beet1e and thanks.
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I tried to get a thread like this started a bit ago... I guess I don't write as eloquently as beet1e :p
HTC, absolutely awesome job!
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Originally posted by Saintaw
slackers (all of you) who have such time to read that wall of text during office hours !
I read it while I was home for lunch! :p
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AH even WB when hitech and crew were there has given me hours upon hours of enjoyment over the years. The on time I have ever gotten angry or upset is when I should have split essed instead of break turned.
HTC
Can't wait to meet you guys at the con.
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Originally posted by sourkraut
...I think AH is a great value. For someone to say "I pay my
$14.95 a month" so they get to not only complain, but be abusive
about it is quite silly.
My $0.02 worth
Sourkraut, I whole-heartedly agree with your two cents' worth.:)
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Originally posted by beet1e
The HTC guys/gals deserve more thanks than they’ve been getting.
Beet1e... you I admire. Thank you HiTech, etal.
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great post beet1e
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See my sig, many thanks to HTC for all the fun from a long time loyal customer --> me.
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Good post beetle. I share a lot of the same sentiments.
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Beetle,
Well it looks like all of those speeches to your pets paid off! :)
All kidding aside, this is one of the all time best posts I’ve ever read. It’s kind of funny that threads with a positive theme are usually passed over, while the Jerry-Springer-trailer-trash threads usually get all of the attention. I guess that’s partially your point.
Thanks for saying what needed to be said, and saying it so well (for a limey :) ).
eskimo
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eskimo, please shorten your sig.
HiTech
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That's his sig? I thought it was a testimony!
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Originally posted by hitech
eskimo, please shorten your sig.
HiTech
im sorry to quote you again .. but you are making the board so fun to read... very lighthearted post quick and to the point.
<--- keeps looking for HiTech to pop up in all the threads :D
again .. keep up the good work!
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Good point, wished more could see.
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Beetle
great set of statements. From a programmer who knows.
I < S > you give Beetle a Medal of Honor
DarkHawk
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First night I can remember reading the BBS without having to flip through whines, rantings, etc. Very refreshing.
HTC.
bowser
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Good post beet1e
Though as usual a tad bit long winded :D
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As usual I started to drift about half way through your post....but well said anyhow..... :)
Tronsky
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Good post:)
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I got as far as "I am reminded of a situation years ago....."
did he admit that U.S. programers and flight sims were better than british ones?
lazs
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AHMEN TO THAT
only 1 problem i have...wont mention it...need to keep my "freeloader account" up...or maybe ill put the 25 bucks in a envelope and mail it down...
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Great post Beet1e
<>
DEMAN