Questions for HTC (HiTech/Pyro)

[Kazaa]

Since my time away from Aces High, I've developed an interest in game development and marketing. News of the new update has me curious enough to pick some brains. Any HTC Staff member reading this should feel free to answer any of the following questions if they fall within your pay grade: Here goes nothing:

Q: What new features will the update bring? What was the main objective for this update?

Q: Is there any ETA on when the new update will be release?

Q: Will this new update be marketed as Aces High III to increase advertising penetration/hype.

Q: Have you ever considered using Steam as a distribution service? Steam's Greenlight system is the perfect stage for independent developers to get their games seen by a substantial portion of the P.C gaming market.

http://store.steampowered.com/stats/      <Concurrent steam users.
http://steamcommunity.com/greenlight/      <Steam Greenlight

Q: Is there any particular reason why you haven't introduced a server side match making system to help nurture the competitive scene within Aces High in a more feasible way?  On a parallel note. With the huge impact streaming services such as Twitch.TV have had on the gaming scene,  games which offer the best structured-competitive format are almost always the ones with the most traffic.  The trend is visible from this screenshot I took last night . The games which I've highlighted in green all offer a structured-competitive format (Arena Environment) as one of their main features. The comparison in viewership numbers is rather drastic.



Q: With the ever growing popularity of free-to-play/micro-transactions monetary model. Have you ever considered moving away from the current subscription only monetary model to attract more customers/income?

Q: Would you agree with the statement that: Aces High doesn't have same reach/popularity as other games in the aviation combat genre or the simulation genre in general? In the other simulation communities which I'm a part of, Aces High feels very much like it's underground in comparison to  every other title in the genre. I personally feel that this isn't a reflection on the game's "fun factor" or simulation model(s) and I'm trying to work out the reason why.

I stumbled on these two links quickly. They reinforce my above statement.

http://hubpages.com/hub/Best-Flight-Simulators
http://www.ranker.com/list/all-combat-flight-simulators-list/reference

That's all I have for now.

<S>

[hitech]

These are not topics I would care to discuss on the general message form.

Hitech

[Kazaa]

#ijustgotrekt.

[wpeters]

#rekt.

Public forumn...
Maybe PM?

[Kazaa]

I doubt HiTech would be willing to share anything "privately" that he wouldn't be willing to share in a public setting. Just because you send people a "personal message" doesn't automatically make it private.

[amp]

I doubt HiTech would be willing to share anything "private" that he wouldn't be willing to share in a public setting.

Just because you send people a "personal message" doesn't automatically make it private.

Being the Aces High royalty that you are, I bet Hitech would talk to you or trade private emails.  Encouraging game development enthusiasts is probably something he would find rewarding if sincere.

  FPH Kazaa

[Kazaa]

Being the Aces High royalty that you are, I bet Hitech would talk to you or trade private emails.  Encouraging game development enthusiasts is probably something he would find rewarding if sincere.

  FPH Kazaa

I tried to word my original post with the up most sincerity. I appreciate the kind words but to consider me "Aces High royalty" is a bit of stretch.

[amp]

I tried to word my original post with the up most sincerity. I appreciate the kind words but to consider me "Aces High royalty" is a bit of stretch.

TOC winner, one of the best fighter pilots here ever, Bruv's self admitted FPH, have videos of you downing 14 virtually by yourself, working the outside of a furball till it was gone, fought you myself a few times and saw how good you were, there is no doubt.  None.

There are dozens of people here that know you are among the very best.  Not making it up or trying to say anything other than the truth.  I'm sure Hitech knows that as well and he would be an awesome person to connect with on this topic.  I wish you the best and if you go down the path of game development, from what little I've seen of your spatial reasoning skills and experience and playing skills, you could make some awesome good games, I believe.

Nuff said.

[Changeup]

TOC winner, one of the best fighter pilots here ever, Bruv's self admitted FPH, have videos of you downing 14 virtually by yourself, working the outside of a furball till it was gone, fought you myself a few times and saw how good you were, there is no doubt.  None.

There are dozens of people here that know you are among the very best.  Not making it up or trying to say anything other than the truth.  I'm sure Hitech knows that as well and he would be an awesome person to connect with on this topic.  I wish you the best and if you go down the path of game development, from what little I've seen of your spatial reasoning skills and experience and playing skills, you could make some awesome good games, I believe.

Nuff said.

Midway is back....anyone need an IP address? 

[Kazaa]

TOC winner, one of the best fighter pilots here ever, Bruv's self admitted FPH, have videos of you downing 14 virtually by yourself, working the outside of a furball till it was gone, fought you myself a few times and saw how good you were, there is no doubt.  None.

There are dozens of people here that know you are among the very best.  Not making it up or trying to say anything other than the truth.  I'm sure Hitech knows that as well and he would be an awesome person to connect with on this topic.  I wish you the best and if you go down the path of game development, from what little I've seen of your spatial reasoning skills and experience and playing skills, you could make some awesome good games, I believe.

Nuff said.

[guncrasher]

I would like to say if ah ever went to free to play bs, I would quit playing ah as it will end up costing me more than 14.95 a month.

I played wot for 2 years and it was around 12 bucks a month if you wanted to play the higher tier tanks, then it was more if you wanted to upgrade faster.  for a fixed 14.95 i can damn play any airplane I want. even if you are in the crappiest  of squads, while in wot you had to belong to the top squad so you can really be free to play and even then you had to suck up to the leadership so they could give you gold.

so no, it isnt free to play, it's suckers who think it's free to play while some who are lucky to belong to some clan that is free to play.


semp

[Changeup]

I would like to say if ah ever went to free to play bs, I would quit playing ah as it will end up costing me more than 14.95 a month.

I played wot for 2 years and it was around 12 bucks a month if you wanted to play the higher tier tanks, then it was more if you wanted to upgrade faster.  for a fixed 14.95 i can damn play any airplane I want. even if you are in the crappiest  of squads, while in wot you had to belong to the top squad so you can really be free to play and even then you had to suck up to the leadership so they could give you gold.

so no, it isnt free to play, it's suckers who think it's free to play while some who are lucky to belong to some clan that is free to play.


semp

WTF??  lol.

Step awaaaaaay from the booze...

[Latrobe]

I would like to say if ah ever went to free to play bs, I would quit playing ah as it will end up costing me more than 14.95 a month.

I played wot for 2 years and it was around 12 bucks a month if you wanted to play the higher tier tanks, then it was more if you wanted to upgrade faster.  for a fixed 14.95 i can damn play any airplane I want. even if you are in the crappiest  of squads, while in wot you had to belong to the top squad so you can really be free to play and even then you had to suck up to the leadership so they could give you gold.

so no, it isnt free to play, it's suckers who think it's free to play while some who are lucky to belong to some clan that is free to play.


semp

I play WoT and I haven't spent a penny on it at all. I haven't spent any money on any of the free to play games I play.

[JVboob]

Im interested in these questions and what the answers would be. And I dont like the idea of Free-to-play. the steam idea is kinda cool.

[Ack-Ack]

There does have to be something else to provide the "hook" for people to stay beyond checking out the game.  The graphic updates alone will not be enough, there has to be changes to the current game play.  That's why I got excited when HiTech hinted at a "Combat Tour Lite" changes to the game. 

It is possible that the set up we have now with the Early, Mid, and Late War arenas will be going away with just a single "Main Arena" in its place, which will be feature the same game play we have now.  With some of the features of Combat Tour that was kept after its initial development, we can have other arenas that feature PvE type game play using the "Staged Mission" system and flying against AI while advancing our pilot with RPG elements.  Other arenas can feature PvP game play with different game modes like Capture The Flag, Team Deathmatch, FFA Deathmatch or even staged PvP missions for those that want quick PvP action outside of the main arena.

The one thing I do hope never happens with the update is that they relax the flight model for any reason.

ack-ack