Where's all the players?

[LePaul]

Just got back into the game after a year away....I usually re-join in the winter, play a few weeks and then get busy with my other projects.

One thing that struck me this time around was the player count.  On a the past couple nights, not nearly the huge numbers I recall seeing in the past.  Are we all so old we recall having to pick between two late war arenas?   

Where is everyone?  Where's all those players? 

The game seems to be the same, improving to match the improved graphics available....

I'm curious what people think 

[Lusche]

Where is everyone?  Where's all those players? 

They left for all kind of reasons players have been always leaving for: Losing interest in thsi hobby after XX years, "having seen it all" in AH and now went to other games, grown up and now facing real life, being hit by economical problems, simply just died, and so on...

I think the question is more like "where are the new players to replace them"

[Gman]

See rule #4

[LePaul]

Oh I figure there will be deniers and so on.

I just thought I would inquire.  I've played for a few hours over the weekend.  

One of the first turn offs for me was the ENY, so I couldn't take up anything up I wanted to fly.  I understand that's HTC's way to shove people into trading sides.....but if you are flying with a group of friends, whose going to do that?

But that's one of my gripes.  It seems counter productive to prevent a subscriber from flying what they want.  I'm fine with the Perk Point system, at my rate of kills, I won't have the keys to a 262 until next summer!  It'll be a short ride lol  But all I wanted to fly was a P-51B or a P-38.  Nope.  Please try a different bird.

I'm hardly an Ace by any means and restricting what I can fly based on low arena numbers is an annoyance.  

[Scotch]

Hi LePaul

[-ammo-]

Just got back into the game after a year away....I usually re-join in the winter, play a few weeks and then get busy with my other projects.

One thing that struck me this time around was the player count.  On a the past couple nights, not nearly the huge numbers I recall seeing in the past.  Are we all so old we recall having to pick between two late war arenas?   

Where is everyone?  Where's all those players? 

The game seems to be the same, improving to match the improved graphics available....

I'm curious what people think 

Howdy mate -  hope all is well.

Yes, the population is shrinking; a lot like Detroit.  I remember in 2002 when there were 500+ in the "LW" arena.  Still a good product and I enjoy it immensely.

[Lusche]

 It'll be a short ride lol  But all I wanted to fly was a P-51B or a P-38.  Nope.  Please try a different bird.

The P-38 series is never completely blocked by ENY 

[LePaul]

The P-38 series is never completely blocked by ENY 

Really?  I kept getting the pop up, something about ENY 17 and trying airplane after airplane to go fly.  And, since the ords were all porked, I had to deal with that pop up on everything too!

[DmonSlyr]

1. The amount of fighter based competition has increased (WT,Il2, WOT, ect )

2. The graphics (as of now) don't attract new players.

3. Financial reasons (costs)  as snailman mentioned.

4. Banning of long term players.

5. Eny, side switch times, size of the map in game play.

6. Many children can't handle the complexity of the skill this game takes or the patience.

7. 2 weeks is not long enough for the majority of people trying to figure out how to play this game with the <3 hours they have to play after work/school.

8. Marketing/advertising.

All of these things add up.

Edit: AH is like the Katatonia of the music world. Amazing in almost every aspect of their musicianship and range, yet are not well known and have a small fan base due to their pride of not signing a record label.
 

[Slate]

  Need to improve the ground war. 

  May be improved with the update in 2 weeks. 

  May they return with a Fury. 

[Lusche]

Really?  I kept getting the pop up, something about ENY 17 and trying airplane after airplane to go fly. 

You don't have to "try plane after plane" as all ENY values are stated just in the list you select your plane from. 

At ENY 17, the P-51B (20), P-38J (20) and P-38G (35) are still available. As ENY does max out at 29, the 38G will always be available. And when ENY actually goes that high, actually finding a target to shoot on can be a bigger problem than chosing the right plane for the job 

[Randy1]

The P-38 series is never completely blocked by ENY 

Maybe twice I have had the J blocked but that was after a map change.  The G never as Lusche pointed out

[68ZooM]

Don't play too much anymore been waiting to see how the new graphics look but then again that ain't going to change the way game play is now where HO is the norm.... If the new graphics update will ever happen.

[Monty405]

I re-subbed after being gone for two years and the first impression I got was the same.

I was hoping popular games like Warthunder might actually indirectly make the sim community larger by attracting players who would want to be more and more immersed in the genre but I guess that is not happening how I thought it might. 

[Gman]

Good to see you back despite the state of the union LePaul.  One of the real "good guys" I remember from long ago. 

Despite all the problems, perceived, real, or otherwise, there is still fun to be had, so it's good to see guys like yourself coming back.  Hopefully even more will do so once the beta of the new version is running.