AH2 MOTD

[Lazerr]

Just a thought.  Not everyone that plays online visits the website here, actually I would bet the majority don't.

Might be easy just to put a blurb in the MA MOTD giving a shout out.  Wouldn't hurt. 

[hitech]

We did once all ready.

HiTech

[bustr]

This seems to be following much the pattern of the last AH2 beta.

I suspect if Hitech put up an MOTD stating AH2 will cease to exist in 2 weeks on some date chiseled in stone, with directions to visit this forum for any questions. There would be a stampede to find out if players PC\laptops will run the new game. And a cadre begging and demanding an AH2 arena be kept online for those who either cannot afford to upgrade or those who would need to wait for a while to upgrade. And for their inconvenience after being such good customers, they would want it free to play.

It took me the last 6 months to get my squad to stop telling me AH3 wouldn't ship until 2025 and to leave them alone. They didn't care about the screen shots I showed them, or anything I told them about how wonderful things were. They only cared about the go live date chiseled in stone and telling me everything they didn't like about what they thought AH3 would be. I suppose to then tell Hitech for them. Half of them figured AH3 would be the end of their Aces High career anyway, because the new graphics would kill their PCs. After getting them to let me see their graphics card specs, it wasn't as bad as they were dooming.

More than anything else which has to be over come is the doom perceptions. Foremost is being unable to meet the new hardware requirements and then, the fear of funky old stale game play mechanisms being carried over from AH2 that is being perceived visa unfounded rumors. Along with the gleeful help from a small cadre of unhappy cranks personal mad at Hitech playing Debbie downers on steroids at every opportunity.

I have heard and seen this kind of doom speculation for the last 18 months out of other wise happy mature players of long standing in response to the vacuume created by the uncertainty of the pending change. None of them found any solace in my standard response. Since august 2014 with the closed alpha, Hitech has told no one what the finished product would look like, play like, or ultimately what new object toys will be shipped with the new game.

I saw the MOTD, and not many have shown up since there is no impending loss of fun in two weeks.

[Lazerr]

Not sure how long you ran it,  but not everyone is able to play on a regular basis.  I guess I dont see how it would hurt. 

Keep the hype up,  you never know what set of eyes you may reach on any given day.  Sort of like facebook,  if you post something today and i log into facebook once a week on friday,  your post wont hit my newsfeed.  (Ive noticed more posts on FB by the way.)

Just trying to be suggestive.  I see new names in the game more often now.

[bustr]

Day 1 august 2014.

[Lazerr]

I guess my question now is, why did it stop?

[bustr]

Self interest as usual. Even you had your moments during the alpha testing.

Hitech is finally doing things that look like AH3 live will be here soon. The FPS test goes to the core of self interest and everyone's happy outcomes versus the ongoing drum beat of arrrgh my PC won't be able to play the new game. No one could tell themselves 2 weeks, even 2 months, and the off and on updates from Hitech for a while garnered unhappy demands for more frequent updates to keep everyone in the loop. Finally people just ignored the alpha as one of those Hitech things.

For 18 months the two questions I was repeatedly asked:
1. - When will AH3 go live?
2. - Will I have to spend money again just to play the new game?

Funny how the majority of the test responders have graphics cards that don't have problems with the beta if they had to start furballing tomorrow. I tested the closed alpha with a 9800 and a 6770. Only this last Christmas did I upgrade my graphics card.

How the community has responded to the last 18 months boils down to self interest and perception influenced by personal projections about an information vacuum. In the absence of information, human nature fills the vacuum with personal information good or bad.

[Lazerr]

I guess my point bustr is this...

It is free and takes minimal time to put a MOTD, just reminding players there is a new game to test.

I guess the more participation the better in my mind.  I am not saying post a release date, just a little reminder when folks log into the current game.

I guess a MOTD of saying "Merry Early Christmas" is better than none at all.

[bustr]

Instead of the MOTD, a permanent notice on the table in the tower saying the open beta is in progress and AH3 is soon to follow. For questions go to the BBS in the open beta forum, and a picture of the Iowa class battleship. Then everyday some other picture takes it's place from the beta.

Otherwise, I suspect many players are somewhat aware AH3 is on the horizon. I'm constantly amazed at the vets who know nothing about the beta. Also how little the beta is discussed on 200 or country channel. Until it directly effects their lives, it is off past the horizon while the next con to shoot at is right now.

Hitech probably has a migration advertisement strategy which like his public advertisement strategy, we are not privy to. The 90% unconcerned about AH3 pending, gives him breathing room to code instead of fielding scared customer questions about their PC specs and the changes AH3 will bring.

I still have problems fathoming why players are going at it in the forums over ENY and other emotional issues from an AH2 centric perspective when they know AH3 is almost here. Very few are dialoging these topics for AH3, instead as though they might get one last concession from Hitech before AH2 is gone.

That kind of defines insanity by it's repetition. 

[Vudak]

Well I don't know much about AH3 but I'm hoping to still have the same gameplay options when it debuts, so in that line I'm assuming, right or wrong, that the main show, as it were, will be somewhat similar to the MA now, with familiar features we all love and hate. So why stop debating them?

[MADe]

In the absence of information, human nature fills the vacuum with personal information good or bad.

so true, the mind abhors a vacuum. guilty as charged........