Player Manual Thread

[8thJinx]

This is the first post of a (hopefully) community-generated player manual for the new folks.  This was discussed in another thread, and I thought a separate thread made sense.  The idea is basically "divide and conquer" and crowd source it, then roll it up in one document, then one guy - ONE GUY - makes the first edit to get uniformity in language, sentence length, etc.  Then each member takes a copy and edits the first edit.  But it starts with a table of contents, then divide on conquer, etc etc.

So this is the new thread with a first-pass table of contents.  Next we pick the sections we want to do.  Then the first edit.  Since I write for a living (engineering reports, manuals, and fiction), and I've written manuals before for the chemical manufacturing industry, I'll throw it out there that I'll volunteer to do the first edit. 

When you pick a chapter from the first two sections below, please note the chapter has to be short.  Anywhere between a paragraph to a page or two.  If it goes more than that, that chapter needs to be split up.  Bulleted lists don't count in that paragraph/page count.  The idea is to limit the body of text to just the bare essentials, and not make it boring.  For the advanced concept chapters, they can be as long as necessary.

Here's the first pass table of contents:

i       Welcome to the Aces High Experience (one or two short paragraphs)
1.   System requirements
2.   Downloading the game files for the first time
3.   Game launch and initial settings
4.   The game interface
5.   Graphics settings
6.   The game environment
7.   The clipboard map
8.   The radio
9.   Your controllers and settings
10.   Keyboard and Dot commands
11.   Perk points
12.   Manning a gun
13.   Joining an active sortie
14.   Launching a vehicle
15.   Launching a PT Boat
16.   Launching a plane
17.   Landing safely

Basic Concepts
18.   The war effort
19.   Basic manned gunnery
20.   Basic vehicle operations
21.   Basic tanking
22.   Basic fighter engagement
23.   Basic bombing
24.   Basic PT boat operations
25.   Basic carrier fleet and battleship fleet operations

Advanced Concepts
26.   Team strategy
27.   Advanced gunnery
28.   Dogfighting (ACM)
29.   Dive bombing
30.   Level bombing
31.   Attacking ground vehicles with plane-mounted cannon
32.   Strat factories
33.   Avoiding the vulch
34.   Setting up the vulch

[8thJinx]

I'm going to volunteer to do "i" through 5, and try to keep the total page count to 3 or 4 pages.

[Easyscor]

I don't know if this is something you would want to tackle, but the AH Wiki has such a section that's out of date and needs update attention. It might be quicker to edit. In a quick review, I didn't see a keyboard mapping section.

http://www.hitechcreations.com/wiki/index.php/Main_Page

[Ciaphas]

I would like to try my hand at basic concepts 23 and advanced concepts 30


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Dundee]

This is the first post of a (hopefully) community-generated player manual for the new folks.  This was discussed in another thread, and I thought a separate thread made sense.  The idea is basically "divide and conquer" and crowd source it, then roll it up in one document, then one guy - ONE GUY - makes the first edit to get uniformity in language, sentence length, etc.  Then each member takes a copy and edits the first edit.  But it starts with a table of contents, then divide on conquer, etc etc.

So this is the new thread with a first-pass table of contents.  Next we pick the sections we want to do.  Then the first edit.  Since I write for a living (engineering reports, manuals, and fiction), and I've written manuals before for the chemical manufacturing industry, I'll throw it out there that I'll volunteer to do the first edit. 

When you pick a chapter from the first two sections below, please note the chapter has to be short.  Anywhere between a paragraph to a page or two.  If it goes more than that, that chapter needs to be split up.  Bulleted lists don't count in that paragraph/page count.  The idea is to limit the body of text to just the bare essentials, and not make it boring.  For the advanced concept chapters, they can be as long as necessary.

Here's the first pass table of contents:

i       Welcome to the Aces High Experience (one or two short paragraphs)
1.   System requirements
2.   Downloading the game files for the first time
3.   Game launch and initial settings
4.   The game interface
5.   Graphics settings
6.   The game environment
7.   The clipboard map
8.   The radio
9.   Your controllers and settings
10.   Keyboard and Dot commands
11.   Perk points
12.   Manning a gun
13.   Joining an active sortie
14.   Launching a vehicle
15.   Launching a PT Boat
16.   Launching a plane
17.   Landing safely

Basic Concepts
18.   The war effort
19.   Basic manned gunnery
20.   Basic vehicle operations
21.   Basic tanking
22.   Basic fighter engagement
23.   Basic bombing
24.   Basic PT boat operations
25.   Basic carrier fleet and battleship fleet operations

Advanced Concepts
26.   Team strategy
27.   Advanced gunnery
28.   Dogfighting (ACM)
29.   Dive bombing
30.   Level bombing
31.   Attacking ground vehicles with plane-mounted cannon
32.   Strat factories
33.   Avoiding the vulch
34.   Setting up the vulch

What concept has the dot commands and what they do........? plus the list of hardness for objects like the CV, the new Battle ship...it's not in where you find the hardness for most things in the game........and another thing where are the convoy's and trains in the game....how do the newer player rack those achievements.
 

[8thJinx]

Looks like we need to add:

Basic Concepts:
Object hardness
Achievements

And good point, the wiki has most of this stuff, but needs updating.

[19zac]

I like this idea. There were several people making this sort of suggestion in that other thread, so I was going to make a similar (but much less thought out) post. So props to you Jinx.

[pembquist]

My 2 cents before you get too far along is that what would most useful is a really good index so that you could look up the minutia easily. For example where do I find how many Osti rounds does it take to bring down a hanger or town building? A lot of stuff I only know because somehow Lusche knows and answered on the BBS. Like where is it written down that damage to an undestroyed object like a hanger lasts for 1/2 unadjusted down time? Also arena settings could use a lot of explication.

[Delirium]

It is very gracious of you gents to make a manual, but you may want to ask HTC what format they would like it in. If this is going to be a book found in the tower (like Oboe had highlight in another thread), it may affect how content would be displayed.

[APDrone]

Yeah, make sure Hitech checks all the spellings....

 

[Dundee]

Looks like we need to add:

Basic Concepts:
Object hardness
Achievements

And good point, the wiki has most of this stuff, but needs updating.

I think looking at what the Steam clients have said about the game and why they wouldn't recommend this game would be a good start at fixing some of the problems NEW PlAYERS are having and not so much with the old timers have. Here is one of the comments posted in Steam about AH III, and he was a paid customer in AH II the complete thread on Steam's review of AH III can be found here http://store.steampowered.com/app/651090/Aces_High_III/


Bang Ding Ow ☑
389 products in account
2 reviews
Not Recommended
52.9 hrs on record
Posted: November 10
As much as I love this game and have put many hours into it (mostly the non-steam version) i just cannot justify the monthly fee's and would not recommend the title for others unless they are into hardcore flight sims, have plenty of excess income, and are willing to invest in VR and flight-sim equipment.
My personal experience with the game is largely positive, i really enjoy pretty much all aspects of the game from high-altitude bombing runs to using rocket strikes to disable naval carriers. The world is open, the teams are mostly friendly, and things feel more or less balanced ( a few questionable planes [jets] aside and a single negative interaction with the support staff which was likely a fluke ). Anyone can hop into a fighter and take down a wing of bombers as they enter friendly radar range, which is great!
However, after you start getting your bearings in the game you start to feel the real weight of the learning curve, as you start getting your first confirmed kills, you start to notice certain specific pilots whome seem to be able to track your movements wherever you are, who'se planes just go faster than yours, who'se able to order the whole naval fleet to support them and hop into a jet thats barred behind earned "perk points" and wreck 5 fighters on your team while totally surrounded.
Thats when it sinks in and you realize your 30$ joystick with a hatswitch for moving your head around in flight just doesn't do what you need it to. Sure you can put up a fight, and you can even win sometimes, but you always feel the disadvantage.
Now, to be fair, for a game i love, i would definitely slowly build up peripherals to stay competetive, it could be worth the investment even though my computer can't handle VR yet and its going to cost a ton of money to get up to par and just enhance the fun in genaral, and was planning to do so for this title even, but, then it smacked me.

...my 2 week trial was up again and it wants me to pay 15 bucks a month to keep playing. A game with under 200 people on it at any time. I thought when it came to steam with all the indicators of it being Free meant i was going to be able to at least enjoy what i could of the game while i slowly became competetive even supporting the apparent in-app purchases that were indicated by the store page assuming it meant i could use the paid-skins or even pay for the afore mentioned perk points to use the advanced vehicles, but i was simply mistaken as those were not options provided and as far as i can tell what they mean by saying its free to play with in-app purchases is that it is not free to play and is subscription based.
its worth mentioning here i actually was a paid subscriber to Aces High 2 for some 8 months to a year but stopped when player numbers dwindled and am a returning customer.

TL;DR
i'm just not willing to pay $180 bucks a year plus invest as much as i would need to in hardware/peripherals to be competetive, especially in a game where during peak-hours on a weekend there might be only 'up-to' 175 people and i feel mislead by the store page. I'd have rather skipped over the title to begin with as i would have had it been upfront about its subscription requirements instead of feeling disappointed and leaving a negative review.
my solution would be a paid version of the game without the 15$ monthly subscription fee as i would invest in that without hesitation.

[Wraith_TMS]

It is very gracious of you gents to make a manual, but you may want to ask HTC what format they would like it in. If this is going to be a book found in the tower (like Oboe had highlight in another thread), it may affect how content would be displayed.

Del makes a good point.  As have those who've mentioned that the AH Wiki is already in place and just needs updating.  If another method--ideally one that is collaborative, online, and mobile-friendly--needs consideration, perhaps a true FAQ management system needs to be evaluated, preferably with input from HTC.  I imagine cost is a consideration, so here are two free, open-source FAQ management systems:

http://www.phpmyfaq.de/features

and

http://ktreefaq.com/

FWIW,

 

[Dundee]

I was here over 2 years before I even knew there was a AH Wiki is already in place....the problem is the information is here but most of the folks can't easily find it and access the information. It's like my work shop, stuffs all over the place. The best way to fix this is to have some type of feedback from new players...and a proactive read on what problems or information information the player base is looking for.....maybe a real help line via email will give some direction on how to steer people with links to what there looking for.....took me almost a year and a half to find the COMPLETE dot commands....and I'm still looking for the hardness for the Naval stuff in the game along with the shore batteries. It's hard for older player to share their knowledge and tricks as they want to keep that edge, and really it's not their job, it's the folks collecting the fees to make sure their customers have the information to make their in game experience a good one....

Del makes a good point.  As have those who've mentioned that the AH Wiki is already in place and just needs updating.  If another method--ideally one that is collaborative, online, and mobile-friendly--needs consideration, perhaps a true FAQ management system needs to be evaluated, preferably with input from HTC.  I imagine cost is a consideration, so here are two free, open-source FAQ management systems:

http://www.phpmyfaq.de/features

and

http://ktreefaq.com/

 

FWIW,

[M1A1]

Don't know if this ha been suggested but after updating the WIKI how about puttting a link to it on the clipboard that can be accessed while in the tower??  That way ll the useful info it contains will be right there for everyone??

[buddyshamrock]

Great idea ...