Someone raised up the question why people have left the game during these years AH has existed and explained it with outdated graphics. I'm not saying I wouldn't like to see some improvement in them, but seriously, I wouldn't blame the graphics. People tend to get other things to do. Many who have left the game have got a family, got a job instead of endless studying, anything that real life can bring. If the graphics played such an important role, why do the better looking games last only a few years? How many IL2 pioneers are still playing its later variations, for example? During these years I've been online there's been a bunch of novelties luring fellow AH'ers. What makes them return after half a year or so?
My monthly online hours can nowadays be counted with fingers, but it's not due to graphics, it's because the guys I used to fly with are online equally seldom. Each time we manage to get a bigger part of the "old gang" together, the game is just as fun as it used to be.