Mouse-Pilot Safe-Space Arena

[CptTrips]

Consider the following:

In the last 100 days aprox 40,000 people have installed Aces High, 20,000 new people have created accounts and entered an arena. Of the people entering the arena 65% are gone and do never reenter by the 10 minute mark of being in the arena. 75% are gone after 30 Minutes.

only about 15% of people who try AH have Joy Sticks.

https://bbs.hitechcreations.com/smf/index.php?action=post;quote=5188631;topic=390589.45;last_msg=5189435

Don't make me do math on a Friday, but would it be fair to assume over that over that 100 day period you had over 10,000 mouse-only players that didn't stay longer than 30 minutes?  ( 12k, but lets say some where probably VR controller.)

I don't think I blame them.  Feeding mouse-pilots into our hyper-predator Melee arena is like throwing a penguin into a Velociraptor containment pen.  That can't possible lead to positive user experience.  Apparently not since they didn't stay more than 30 minutes.

Imagine what it could lead to if you only got those mouse-pilots to complete a full 2-week trial?  Think of the possibilities.    They might even go out and buy a joystick!!!  How would 3,000 additional customers a month opening an account rock your world?



Suggestion:

Upon startup you recognize they do not have a joystick, just a mouse and you popup a messagebox:

"Welcome to Aces High!

We are not detecting a flight-controller. 
The Aces High Melee Arena is a very challenging environment and we HIGHLY recommend the use of a joystick.

If you would like to fly with mouse only, we suggest you first tryout our Mouse-Pilot Arena. 
There you can fly against AI and other Mouse-Pilots until you get some experience.

Would you like to go there now?
[Yes] [No] "


If they chose "Yes", they are taken to an arena that is divided into 3 areas.  A Euro area, a Pacific Islands area, and a WWI area. 

Initially, for the first flight, I suggest you spawn them on the runway in the WWI area in a Camel.  Even in WWII, student pilots started with biplanes.
No gear to raise, no flaps, no WEP, trim, no primary/secondary guns, etc.  A good choice for first flight.

Each area of the arena have 3 fields and AI flying around like in WW1WF, on patrols, having dogfights.  However the AI is toned WAY, WAY down so that a new Mouse-Pilot would have a chance to get some kills.

Anyone can go into the Mouse-Pilot Arena, but only mouse control works there.  You'd have to make sure a griefer doesn't unplug his joystick, enter, and then plug it back in.

3,000 Mouse-Pilots a month sounds like there would be plenty to populate it and either way there is still easy-mode AI for them to shoot.  Get them past that first 30 minutes without quitting, and they might decide to try the Melee too, but can always go back to Mouseland if it seems too unfair.

$0.02.

[FLS]

Call it War Online Pacific or something.   

[CptTrips]

Call it War Online Pacific or something.   

Does WO:P have a mouse-only area?

Do the 40,000 players trying AHIII know about WO:P?

[FLS]

Is WOP mouse friendlier than AH?  Easier to fly and shoot?

Do you think 40,000 people try AH but nobody tries WOP?

[CptTrips]

Is WOP mouse friendlier than AH?  Easier to fly and shoot?

Do you think 40,000 people try AH but nobody tries WOP?

I think mouse-pilots can not realistically compete again joystick pilots in either environment. 

I think when they are trying AH you should try and capture them in AH before they get way.




 

[Vraciu]

I think mouse-pilots can not realistically compete again joystick pilots in either environment. 

I think when they are trying AH you should try and capture them in AH before they get way.




 

Lazer seems to do okay. 

[CptTrips]

Lazer seems to do okay.

He flies in the Melee all the time with a mouse?

Wow.  I'm impressed.

I expect that is more of a rare exception, than the rule.

[pembquist]

Yes, I hope he is donating his brain to science.

[CptTrips]

Yes, I hope he is donating his brain to science.

Wasn't it a running gag back in the AW day? 

Someone would congratulate you after a hard fight and you'd tell them "Thanks.  I'm still trying to get hang of flying with this mouse."

You could just sense them drooping with humiliation. 

[Shuffler]

Yes, I hope he is donating his brain to science.

We already checked it out. It is very small and has a tail. We originally tried to do a CAT scan but it ran.

 

[bustr]

Lazor aside due to his "years" of mouse flying experience in the game.

During the AH3 alpha\beta I had to setup mouse flying to understand it versus the mouse commander mode Hitech introduced for AH3. Even setting up the mouse to emulate the x, y control axis in our game is involved, especially if you don't really understand the why of how those two axis effect flight long before you try ACM and gunnery. Then there is that pesky rudder which is needed to control your nose inside on deflection shooting let alone ever figuring out AH3 fixed gunnery. And there both hands are busy and you cannot really see anything but out your default view from the cockpit. At least WT solved this with F3 as the default view mode.

I've talked to WT players who's experience is that game is optimized to remove the need to understand real flying principles while you squirrel your mouse around or roll your thumb ball. So, if you want to keep mouse using game boy, playstation and xbox generation newbies in the game, they need an "arcade boy" easy mouse flying mode. Nothing about AH3 when you first get in the tower as a two week newbie beats you over the head with it's reality. It's programmed as a real life flight simulator engine that you will need the ability to control the x,y and rudder just like in a real airplane to be competitive in a shark tank. All due respect to Lazor.

Give the mouse generation the equivalent to "programing does it all flight mode with a mouse" to giving the rest of us the lead computing gunsight in the MA. Then we are WT or like a console game and they might stay around. And our game is supposed to be more user friendly than DCS which infers itself as only for the elite of realism need apply.

[CptTrips]

So, if you want to keep mouse using game boy, playstation and xbox generation newbies in the game, they need an "arcade boy" easy mouse flying mode.

I don't care if they eat avocado toast. 

If there are 3000 of them a month, and their money is green,  I think there should be an arena optimized for their enjoyment to try and get them to stay.   3000 x $14.95 per month would fund a lot of development for all of AH, not just the mouseketeers.

They aren't forced in there, but it would be provided so they could have a more level playing field.  If they want to try the Melee, great!  If they stay long enough to eventually decide to buy a joystick, even better!

There is a reason there are different divisions for welterweight vs heavyweight.  Rare exceptions aside, it is simply more sporting.

[Lazerr]

I would think over the years i have hundreds of thousands of hours of playing with a mouse.  It isnt for everyone.  How the mouse is configured for new players with a fresh install is something ive always wondered about.

I recall 5 plus years ago after buying a new PC, i was shaking my head in dissapointment as to the amount of settings I had to change to get a functional mouse profile to stay even somewhat competitive.  The settings to switch between the clipboard interaction and flight control were also a mess.  I think a combination or these two things, and getting slaughtered as any new people will with any controller setup, probably contribute heavily to why these folks are here long.  They came to play a game, not dig thru layers of sht to get to a functioning controller setup.

Not to sound like a know it all, but i would copy my controller setup, and use it for as a default setup.  Things are still wonky, like i need to triple the sensitivty on my mouse with a button any time i tank, or the turret movement is severely wonky.

With all that said, i havent done a fresh install in a longgg time, and things could be different now... or they may be the same.

I figured i would chime in being one of a few, if any, cartoon mouse pilot.

[DmonSlyr]

I would think over the years i have hundreds of thousands of hours of playing with a mouse.  It isnt for everyone.  How the mouse is configured for new players with a fresh install is something ive always wondered about.

I recall 5 plus years ago after buying a new PC, i was shaking my head in dissapointment as to the amount of settings I had to change to get a functional mouse profile to stay even somewhat competitive.  The settings to switch between the clipboard interaction and flight control were also a mess.  I think a combination or these two things, and getting slaughtered as any new people will with any controller setup, probably contribute heavily to why these folks are here long.  They came to play a game, not dig thru layers of sht to get to a functioning controller setup.

Not to sound like a know it all, but i would copy my controller setup, and use it for as a default setup.  Things are still wonky, like i need to triple the sensitivty on my mouse with a button any time i tank, or the turret movement is severely wonky.

With all that said, i havent done a fresh install in a longgg time, and things could be different now... or they may be the same.

I figured i would chime in being one of a few, if any, cartoon mouse pilot.

+1. I have no clue about anything mouse but I do respect your ability to fight and duel only using a mouse. If anything, I believe that players would be more advantaged if they used the same layout that the best Mouse player in the game uses. As always, controller configuration is the most important concept to actually being able to play the game. I believe that you pretty much should buy a Joystick anyway for AH, and Lazer is just an exception. I do believe mouse Layout should be easy enough for a player to take off and fly around to understand the game. I wouldn't want the game to be more gamey by compensating to mouse players, but the layout should be the best layout possible to allow them to understand the game. I think using Lazers setup might be beneficial.

[bustr]

I vote I don't test it this time around....................