Had some free time to read this thread this evening......can't argue too much, as everyone has their own opinions, but do want to address the topic of some Steam users feeling like they were misled about the game being free to play:
On the HiTech Creations home page, it says "Free download. Free 2 week trial. No credit card required for free trial."
Where does that say free to play, or to be more specific, free to play forever?
Seems some Steam users lack reading comprehension skills, or have selective skills.
You get what you pay for, and the $14.95 fee we currently pay to subscribe is a bargain for what you get in my opinion. I remember when I first started in AH, the monthly rate was $29.95, and I was glad to pay it because I loved the game play, and felt it was worth it, much more so than the rate for Warbirds II, which is the game I was involved in before migrating over here.
The rest of the stuff, side balancing, etc.......the sides have never been truly balanced since I've been in this game. One country or another eventually has a huge advantage in numbers at some point. Human nature I suppose, people like to be on the side that is winning, no matter what the country is. Some players have a devotion to playing as Bish, Rook, Knight, and will not change sides no matter what. My first squad flew Rooks forever, then we switched to the Knights, back to Rooks, then to Bishops.....it became a monthly deal to switch countries and get to know other players. It's just part of the game that you either accept and go ahead and play and have some fun, or you don't. Every country, since I have been playing this game, has seen it's share of time in the barrel, getting hammered by the other countries. If you wait awhile, things change and the momentum swings your way.
Free planes/rides.............on the surface it looks like it might keep some new players in the arenas past the two week free trial (no one ever said it was a free forever game), maybe some of them will find the desire to learn the game and how to be successful and have fun. Some won't. It took me a long time to feel confident, and become competent in the virtual skies of AH. I got shot down a lot, and I mean a LOT. Had to ask a lot of questions, from my squaddies and others in the game, most of the time players who were repeatedly killing me over and over, to figure out how to get better.
Those who want and expect to just download the game, get in the arenas, and become instantly successful don't have a clear grasp of the many intricacies HiTech coded into the game, the flight models, etc. Back when I started in WB's, they had the relaxed realism arena, which was free, and almost arcade like. Jumping into full realism even in WB was a shocker. I suspect many of the Steam users who try Aces High are expecting arcade like flight models, and the learning curve, admittedly steep if you have never done a flight combat sim, drives them away. They expect an arcade type game, and get their bubbles burst ,so they leave, post a negative feedback on the Steam page, and don't come back.
Just my thoughts...........
