So I'm watching the military channel and guess what?

[The Fugitive]

Indefinitely as i understand it

[Gman]

Yes, but again, what does that have to do with anything I said - you still have to be a subscriber to use the "free" custom arenas, so they aren't really free then, are they?

What I've said, several times, is that letting new players withOUT full subscriptions have limited access to a few high ENY planes/gvs, and let them INTO the arenas - which are NOT free, but cost a subscription to be able to enter - would have the effect of both filling up the game arenas, as well as letting new players have more time to both figure out the game, as well as be hooked into buying it monthly based on experiencing it for longer than 2 weeks.

edit - maybe I'm missing something here - Fugitive/HT, are you saying that players with no sub/payed account can set up custom arenas and play indefinitely?  I can't be the only one who didn't know this was possible (cough, manual).  Even if that can be done, it's not the same as what I propose in the MA - the MA is where the game happens, everything else, except maybe events/FSO, is a pretty small sideshow.  Having FTP in the MA wouldn't benefit just the new players either, IMO as I said it would benefit everyone in the MA, more targets, more going on, less "numbers" related problems (map size, etc).

[The Fugitive]

i agree gman, i would love to see a limited plane set in the ma for none paying players.

the custom arenas are set up to allow none paying players now as long as a paying subscriber sets up the arena

[Gman]

Wow, OK, I had NO idea that was possible.  I like that, a lot, but still, as you said, it needs a paying sub at least to set it up, that'd be not a bad way to have a member get friends interested or train as a group prior to them committing to post-2 week subs, but compared to letting FTP players fill up the empty MA slots, it'd have 1/1000th the effect IMO in terms of helping the game grow.

I just spent the last 5 minutes trying to find game info/faq/manual on that custom arena capability, and haven't so far.

[BowHTR]

Wow, OK, I had NO idea that was possible.  I like that, a lot, but still, as you said, it needs a paying sub at least to set it up, that'd be not a bad way to have a member get friends interested or train as a group prior to them committing to post-2 week subs, but compared to letting FTP players fill up the empty MA slots, it'd have 1/1000th the effect IMO in terms of helping the game grow.

I just spent the last 5 minutes trying to find game info/faq/manual on that custom arena capability, and haven't so far.

Considering they are working on all kinds of help content, I'm sure its coming. I have seen HiTech (or maybe Skuzzy?) post a couple times stating that the custom arenas are free to enter, but not to setup.

The customs are pretty easy to run, its just a matter of doing it.

[DmonSlyr]

The custom area are cool in all, but there is a not a custom room that is always open and reliable, then on top that, fun to play in. New players might not even see or recongnize the tab.

I wish there were open FFA and team deathmatch custom arenas, but there is never one that is always open or realibly open at certain times when I know the arena will be open. Thats why I think the furball lake in the DA needs to be completely remodeled. It's not exciting or fun, and thus people don't use it for fast action fighting, which people do want.

I really like the idea about early war planes being free. Having more people fill up the MA for a while in early way planes would encourage players to the learn the game and crave to fly the good ones, which they will pay the subscription for it.

[Ack-Ack]

I wish there were open FFA and team deathmatch custom arenas, but there is never one that is always open or realibly open at certain times when I know the arena will be open. Thats why I think the furball lake in the DA needs to be completely remodeled. It's not exciting or fun, and thus people don't use it for fast action fighting, which people do want.

If you want a FFA/TD custom arena all you have to do is create one. 

[DmonSlyr]

If you want a FFA/TD custom arena all you have to do is create one.

That's true.  But I don't have the time. I don't even get to play the game as much as I wish anymore. Also wish I had time to create maps. I can't really leave my comp running all day either. I wish there were players that hosted rooms like in H2H, where they'd leave the game playing for a while... for some reason you just don't see that consistently in the custom arenas or even at all. if there were rooms that were consistently open, I think it would work out.

[Gman]

I don't want a FTP/Custom arena though, I want the MA, where I and 99% of others spend 99% of their time, to grow, and be back to the "good old days" of the blue/orange split and TT, to return.  A quick way to do that, and also get more players interested in full subs, IMO is to fill the current 50% + of the slots which are empty in the MA with FTP limited accounts (going by a 600 player cap, with 800 like the old TT it's more like 66% empty slots most nights).

I'm sure there are negatives to doing this, I know every "big idea" brought forward by members has holes rapidly punched in them by HTC, as they've got data and experience/time to have considered the negs, but it's a question of do such negatives outweigh the positives.  Worst case scenario, if something like this didn't work, just end it and return to the status quo, of the numbers not increasing, or at least only increasing agonizingly slowly.

[B4Buster]

If AH got back to mid-late-2000s, numbers I would not hesitate to keep a subscription going. I know it's sort of a catch-22 and others have said the same though.

[DmonSlyr]

I don't want a FTP/Custom arena though, I want the MA, where I and 99% of others spend 99% of their time, to grow, and be back to the "good old days" of the blue/orange split and TT, to return.  A quick way to do that, and also get more players interested in full subs, IMO is to fill the current 50% + of the slots which are empty in the MA with FTP limited accounts (going by a 600 player cap, with 800 like the old TT it's more like 66% empty slots most nights).

I'm sure there are negatives to doing this, I know every "big idea" brought forward by members has holes rapidly punched in them by HTC, as they've got data and experience/time to have considered the negs, but it's a question of do such negatives outweigh the positives.  Worst case scenario, if something like this didn't work, just end it and return to the status quo, of the numbers not increasing, or at least only increasing agonizingly slowly.

One of the things about the MA is that is doesn't cover every persons interest in fighter combat. I really do love the MA, but I find it can be slow and time consuming and take a lot of patience, which is tough when I'm trying to fly for a 15-40 minute time span. It's even harder for new players. Especially when action is not condensed on the map. It sucks for a new player to up off a base, realize how far the base distance is in Actuality, then not be able to find action after 30 minutes of flying. I believe the #s will increase as soon as the maps provide quicker access to action, without pushing a TT or FT concept. I'm starting to think some of these fast runner planes need to be perked. 190Ds and La7s specifically. These planes are just too much of a nussance and are ruining the fights with boring pick and run game play.


I think having 1 or 2 FFAs/deathmatch arenas with a 12 - 16 player limit, on a small map would help a lot of new players understand the game better, create an arena for quick non rank fighting.

The problem I see is that the game structure is designed for 1 type of game play, MMO style, which turns away the impatient quick action type of players. When the MMO style gets slow because of a bad map layout, it can turn even more players off, especially new players just looking for action!

[Shuffler]

That's true.  But I don't have the time. I don't even get to play the game as much as I wish anymore. Also wish I had time to create maps. I can't really leave my comp running all day either. I wish there were players that hosted rooms like in H2H, where they'd leave the game playing for a while... for some reason you just don't see that consistently in the custom arenas or even at all. if there were rooms that were consistently open, I think it would work out.

I used to host H2H arenas and keep the room up for days. The problem here is that you have to fly in that arena if you want to fly. You can't have that arena up and fly in the MA. At least I do not believe you can.

[Shuffler]

If AH got back to mid-late-2000s, numbers I would not hesitate to keep a subscription going. I know it's sort of a catch-22 and others have said the same though.

Come on... you know you are just scared of running into me.....




















and following me into the trees again. 

[hitech]

I used to host H2H arenas and keep the room up for days. The problem here is that you have to fly in that arena if you want to fly. You can't have that arena up and fly in the MA. At least I do not believe you can.

Once you start an arena, as long as some one is in it, if you leave it stays open and you can play where you wish.

HiTech

[Shuffler]

Once you start an arena, as long as some one is in it, if you leave it stays open and you can play where you wish.

HiTech

Ahhhh nice touch. I'll have to give that a go.