AH Homepage

[DmonSlyr]

I don't think there is anything wrong with the design of the page itself. It is simple and has good colors/looks, and the re-vamp to Joomla gives it a modern feel. The issue is the dated media and info.

Exactly. The layout is great. The front page content is weak. Replace the "update messages" with Videos from FSO/Events that players record, add in event post about upcoming events, put a few awesome pictures in there  a player took that week. Post about how awesome the VR is... There is just so much lost potential. It makes my head explode. 

[The Fugitive]

What ever it is, the money would probably be better spent on development at this point.  Sorry, but I don't think there is any magic bullet of just throwing some ad spend at it.

Because of the decline in conversion rate, advertising is over 10 times more expensive now for HTC than it used to be.

Until you make whatever code/design changes you need to make to increase that conversion rate, the money would be better spent on that rather than advertising.  (Assuming you don't have unlimited funds to throw at both.)

Throwing money at advertising with a 1% conversion rate is like turning your AC on to cool the house while all the doors and windows are open in July. I'm not saying it will have no effect, but I am saying it may not be an effective use of your resources.  You should close the doors and windows first so your AC has a chance to do some good.

There really isnt much wrong with the game. GV dar needs a bit of work, adjustments to spotting GVs may need some work. The biggest issue with game play is the lack of numbers. Bring the numbers back up and everyone will be able to find the game play they are looking for. It has always been a great selling point of this game. I think a few tweaks to the GV game could bring back/in a bunch of players. The icon/square idea really killed the GV side of the game. How many players left because of that.

The attracting people and getting them to stick it out has always been its down fall. They need better ways to ID new players and old players need to help these players out. They can put "stars" next to players names, let friendlies see a question mark for new players for a few months. Building a bigger presence in the social media and an updated webpage with constant "new" features be it videos from FSO/scenarios, or screen shots submitted by players, or VR videos, there needs to be more action on the webpage. Show there is interest from the HTC side by the constant updates will show new players that they "care" and are interested in the game as much as the players are.

[flippz]

But the constant belaboring of the same points on the forums, THAT's really helping.

Wiley.

And the constant “we been here 25yrs leave our game alone” is really stirring up the numbers. Why not make a map where you have to fight to keep a base with side equalling for even numbers? 
First response “you can’t make people fight”. It’s a combat game
Again the inmates been in charge to long and the comfortable 9 mins flights in you 51 and 190 to staggering altitude is not appealing to the younger crowd.
And the current trajectory of the numbers show the creator/owner does not much care. Not one single update nothing to say hey guy the few of you that are left. I care.
Just the same 5 that have the ostrich syndrome that has to chime in on every post with there unicorn rainbow farts and argumentive rebuttals with no financials stake other than look at my post count and cry baby statement of three years ago you vulched me on the run way so you have no right posting here attitude. These seems to be the only folks posting anymore
But I am officially no longer an active player so this is my last post for the game. But you guys enjoy hovering g in that over powered ack hitec created for you and those fuel mileage races in the ma in your super late war plane.

[gflyer]

“HiTech Creations was founded with a simple philosophy, by Dale "HiTech" Addink, in 1999.  It's not to create a large corporation, a vast gaming network, or a line of online games.  It's just to create one game, but one that is better than any other like it.  Contrary to most companies, our goal is to keep the company small.  We know that with a singular focus and an experienced cohesive team that enjoys its work, the production, service, support, and overall level of satisfaction will be unmatched.“

[Max]

And there ya have it...flippz ends his last FUSS tirade with...........

[Mongoose]

  People keep making suggestions for making the game "better".  But those suggestions usually mean changing Aces High into a different game.  We have this big playground full of toys to play with.  There have always been people who want to tell everyone else how to play with the toys.  "They" usually end up suggesting that Hitech change the rules so that everyone plays the game "They" want.

  The game mechanics are fine.  The problem is getting new players over the learning curve.  That's where the weakness is.

[Tripp]

It would look better without old information on it. Replace the old news with the list of features that make AH better than the competition and it won't look neglected.

Good Thought!

[Tripp]

  People keep making suggestions for making the game "better".  But those suggestions usually mean changing Aces High into a different game.  We have this big playground full of toys to play with.  There have always been people who want to tell everyone else how to play with the toys.  "They" usually end up suggesting that Hitech change the rules so that everyone plays the game "They" want.

  The game mechanics are fine.  The problem is getting new players over the learning curve.  That's where the weakness is.

Absolutley correct!

[Tripp]

Exactly. The layout is great. The front page content is weak. Replace the "update messages" with Videos from FSO/Events that players record, add in event post about upcoming events, put a few awesome pictures in there  a player took that week. Post about how awesome the VR is... There is just so much lost potential. It makes my head explode. 

Got it, lost potential is correct...

[Tripp]

[quote author=flippz
Again the inmates been in charge too long and the comfortable 9 mins flights in you 51 and 190 to staggering altitude is not appealing to the younger crowd.
And the current trajectory of the numbers shows the creator/owner does not much care. Not one single update nothing to say hey guy the few of you that are left. I care.
But I am officially no longer an active player so this is my last post for the game.
[/quote]
 
Sorry to see anyone leave the game. Especially someone with that much experience in the game. {thought} if the owner really didn't care this game would be shut down by now. I for one don't think to pursue the "younger crowd" is not all that essential. They don't relate to WW2 in most cases aren't even aware of it. Looking at a more suitable demographic is key, perhaps 35 and up, essentially male, some level of education completed (high school courses in history), etc. Also not expecting a mass exodus to AH but a fair influx of interested people. AH can be well populated without being a dominate factor. Seeing acceptable daily participation levels should be the goal.

[AAIK]

Sad to see flippz go, he was a genuine player.

[horble]

[The Fugitive]

And the constant “we been here 25yrs leave our game alone” is really stirring up the numbers. Why not make a map where you have to fight to keep a base with side equalling for even numbers? 
First response “you can’t make people fight”. It’s a combat game
Again the inmates been in charge to long and the comfortable 9 mins flights in you 51 and 190 to staggering altitude is not appealing to the younger crowd.
And the current trajectory of the numbers show the creator/owner does not much care. Not one single update nothing to say hey guy the few of you that are left. I care.
Just the same 5 that have the ostrich syndrome that has to chime in on every post with there unicorn rainbow farts and argumentive rebuttals with no financials stake other than look at my post count and cry baby statement of three years ago you vulched me on the run way so you have no right posting here attitude. These seems to be the only folks posting anymore
But I am officially no longer an active player so this is my last post for the game. But you guys enjoy hovering g in that over powered ack hitec created for you and those fuel mileage races in the ma in your super late war plane.

Sorry to see you go flippz, honestly.

“HiTech Creations was founded with a simple philosophy, by Dale "HiTech" Addink, in 1999.  It's not to create a large corporation, a vast gaming network, or a line of online games.  It's just to create one game, but one that is better than any other like it.  Contrary to most companies, our goal is to keep the company small.  We know that with a singular focus and an experienced cohesive team that enjoys its work, the production, service, support, and overall level of satisfaction will be unmatched.“

And that company is down to three now right?

  People keep making suggestions for making the game "better".  But those suggestions usually mean changing Aces High into a different game.  We have this big playground full of toys to play with.  There have always been people who want to tell everyone else how to play with the toys.  "They" usually end up suggesting that Hitech change the rules so that everyone plays the game "They" want.

  The game mechanics are fine.  The problem is getting new players over the learning curve.  That's where the weakness is.

Times change, the game needs to change with it to continue to bring in new players. Im not wild about change in the game, but if it doubles, triples the number of players in the game, I learn to live with it.

[bustr]

Could say there is not enough koblamin kaboomin on the front page with too much readie readie to keep anyone younger than 49 engaged.

The Wildcats video could be replaced when the AH3 generation Tempest is rolled out with a video montage that shows a kaboomin clip of each ride doing it's thing. Or some kind of a film montage showing AH3 at it's gory glory best. Kaboomin gory works better for younger viewers with lots of flash and action. They have already been programed to respond to that by the gaming industry. Why you have about 30 seconds to keep them engaged before they loose interest. So you saturate their senses with a gory glory montage video with lots of techno beat. Even the music matters to trigger them to be hooked with the beat timed to the kaboomin gore sequences. Game design college courses in Japan go in depth about this relationship of "hooking" the mind of the player with sound, beat tempo, and visual action. In short, it triggers the brain to generate drugs that cause a feed back addiction to the external stimulus. Part of why the younger demographics have trouble getting into this game.

Wrong kind of stimulus on the front page and it takes too long in the game to become the kaboomin hero their personal fantasy says they are. Breaks the brain trigger cycle they are used to since delayed gratification is not a hallmark of their generation. And why some of our more gamer minded are leaving the game while reaming Hitech for screwing them over on the way out the door by not changing his game to suit their gaming addiction needs. It's some how easier to blame Hitech than their own brain chemistry needs controlling their happiness.

And what will make the game accommodate short attention span instant gratification gamers, War Thunder. So all Hitech has to do is reduce the MA to 15 miles by 15 miles and make it two countries with switching sides at will and no ENY. Make your plane disintegrate if you try to run outside of the 15x15 boundary. Blow your plane down at 15,000ft. Install only air spawns. Remove tanks to their own arena. Make all feilds uncapturable to force everyone to fight only against planes. Remove all auto ack and manned ack in the arena. Make all rides free and disable the ability to HO so real ACM will rule the sky. The MA is 24x7 instead of having to wait for two sides to populate for a match up which should be that much more intense and better than War Thunder. And people don't think we old guys have listened to them for what...25 years now someone recently whined.

For almost 20 years this is what many including flippz have really been saying is wrong with the game and has to be changed to, to bring them back and attract younger players.

[Tripp]

[quote author=bustr

Why you have about 30 seconds to keep them engaged before they lose interest. So you saturate their senses with a gory glory montage video with lots of techno beat. Even the music matters to trigger them to be hooked with the beat timed to the kaboomin gore sequences. Game design college courses in Japan go in depth about this relationship of "hooking" the mind of the player with sound, beat tempo, and visual action. In short, it triggers the brain to generate drugs that cause feedback addiction to the external stimulus. Part of why the younger demographics have trouble getting into this game.

Wrong kind of stimulus on the front page and it takes too long in the game to become the kaboomin hero their personal fantasy says they are. Breaks the brain trigger cycle they are used to since delayed gratification is not a hallmark of their generation.

And what will make the game accommodate short attention span instant gratification gamers? So all Hitech has to do is reduce the MA to 15 miles by 15 miles and make it two countries with switching sides at will and no ENY. Make your plane disintegrate if you try to run outside of the 15x15 boundary. Blow your plane down at 15,000ft. Install only air spawns. Remove tanks to their own arena. Make all fields uncapturable to force everyone to fight only against planes. Remove all auto-ack and manned ack in the arena. Make all rides free and disable the ability to HO so real ACM will rule the sky. The MA is 24x7 instead of having to wait for two sides to populate for a matchup which should be that much more intense and better than War Thunder. And people don't think we old guys have listened to them for what...25 years now someone recently whined.

For almost 20 years this is what many including flippz have really been saying is wrong with the game and has to be changed to, to bring them back and attract younger players.
[/quote]

All interesting,very interesting! Thanks