How have we lost so many people to this wonderful game?

[Wiley]

I don't know if console players would be a great target market for us.  I don't know if the AH style gameplay is a great fit for console. 

What I think should be our lowest hanging fruit are IL2 players.  The really interesting question to consider is why have we not captured even a nominal percentage of IL2 players.

Millions and millions of copies of the IL2 franchise have been sold.  If we even captured a sliver of that, we should have 10's of thousands of players. 

Those are high-fidelity WWII combat aviation enthusiasts.   If we can't figure out why we haven't lured over a good percentage of them, I doubt we'd have much luck in converting GTA console players.

$0.02.

Engine management and no icons are two of the things that seem to make it "better" to most people I see talking about it.

Wiley.

[CptTrips]

Engine management and no icons are two of the things that seem to make it "better" to most people I see talking about it.

Do you think those are the core factors making the difference between their millions of copies sold and our current numbers?

[Shuffler]

Do you think those are the core factors making the difference between their millions of copies sold and our current numbers?

I keep hearing that everthing is free... Freee.   FREEEEEEE     

[CptTrips]

I keep hearing that everthing is free... Freee.   FREEEEEEE     

Were the millions and millions of copies of IL2 given away free?

[Wiley]

Do you think those are the core factors making the difference between their millions of copies sold and our current numbers?

That, one time buy (ish) and the fact that the main thrust isn't online pvp. Millions of copies sold. What, a rew hundred online PvP at any given time?  The online ain't why they're there.

Wiley.

[CptTrips]

That, one time buy (ish) and the fact that the main thrust isn't online pvp. Millions of copies sold. What, a rew hundred online PvP at any given time?  The online ain't why they're there.

But would you agree they are probably the closest possible match to our ideal target market?

Other than returning veterans, can you think of a closer fit?

 I’m not counting WB, there are only about 20 guys left there. I’m not counting WWII online, most of those guys are ground pounders.
We probably got all the AW and FA refugees we are ever going to get.

As far as new growth goes, I can’t see any significant population that would be as close to fit. Certainly it should be easier to convert them then general gamers from Call of Duty, etc.

[DmonSlyr]

Engine management and no icons are two of the things that seem to make it "better" to most people I see talking about it.

Wiley.

Probably one aspect to it. I also believe the MA is too hard and too time consuming for them since they have to create their own advantage by taking off and getting alt before the enemy team gains the advantage. Just my opinion.

I tried it one night and only saw about 25 people in a room, so it wasnt really "all that" compared to what I had perceived. 

[toasted]

As far as new growth goes, I can’t see any significant population that would be as close to fit.

not as close to a fit, and probably not practical.
but i bet if it was possible to port a version to the occulus quest, that alone would bring in some new blood.

the slightly older graphics then are not an issue, there are a ton of them in the wild, there are no real adult simulation games. the vr flight sim mechanic would work very well for them.
and it is possible to hook a hotas directly to the quest. so id buy one to go with my rift and i could play anywhere which would be awesome.
would be great if there was some type of single player campaign also.
i think flight sims and vr are a great match and aces high does this well.

the vr marketplace is finally getting some traction. steam reported 1.31 percent of all steam users having a connected vr headset. (almost double the year before)
this doesnt seem like a lot, but works out to something like 1.6 million people. and this is only steam, it doesnt count non steam occulus or other platform users.

even ignoring the quest, just pushing the vr aspect of the game, things like interactable cockpit handles and stuff would be a huge selling point. the headset part of vr and basic hand integration is a great start.very few do it as well as AH does, and i think there is a market there.

and i think people are willing to forgive a little bit of the learning curve if using vr.

but im just spitballing.

[CptTrips]

Probably one aspect to it. I also believe the MA is too hard and too time consuming for them since they have to create their own advantage by taking off and getting alt before the enemy team gains the advantage. Just my opinion.

I tried it one night and only saw about 25 people in a room, so it wasnt really "all that" compared to what I had perceived.

As opposed to our pilots who make a pass and then run to the ack?   

My point isn't to claim IL2 is better.  The question I am asking is there another significant gaming demographic that is a closer fit?  Is there another population of gamers we should have an easier time converting?  If we can't convert them, are our odds better with Fortnite players? 

What are we missing that is failing to seduce IL2 players from coming on over.  I think that is probably our best target market.

[Lazerr]

Do you think those are the core factors making the difference between their millions of copies sold and our current numbers?

  are their numbers any better than ours? I havent played il2, but my understanding is they dont need 200+ players to get the outcome this thread is based on

[Drano]

What little IL2 I've played, one of the servers was almost identical to AH. Had long range icons, auto engine management. So a lot like here. Ya still couldn't run 100% throttle all the time but didn't have to fiddle with everything else. Was axis vs allies setup with GVs. Blow up the red guys. Same ol. Just prettier is all. That server had maybe 20 players. Their full-on expert settings server had maybe 60. So they're not really getting more players than we are IMO. Guess the diff is you buy the game upfront and can do whatever on or offline after that. No sub for online play. That and you gotta have a decent rig for the prettyness and or VR. Oh they don't have anything PTO really. They're discussing it. But like I said before of we could combine it'd be a heckuva sim. Our two little niches would make a larger niche. Either way both games are a micro drop in the ocean of today's online gaming world.

I get the biggest kick out of 10000 people watching some kid play donkey Kong on Twitch. And the kid is making more money than all of us. Ain't right!


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[CptTrips]

  are their numbers any better than ours? I havent played il2, but my understanding is they dont need 200+ players to get the outcome this thread is based on

I'm not getting my point across somehow. 

I'm not saying they are a better online experience than AH.  However millions of people have shown enough interest in high-fidelity WWII combat aviation to give 1C Games $50-60 a  pop version after version  after version.

Of all the significant possible gamer demographics out there, those gamers should probably be the lowest hanging fruit for us to entice.  If only a small sliver of those IL2 gamers decided to subscribe to AH, HTC would be rolling in dough and could fund a full development team and greatly accelerate production.

Somehow we are not making that sell.  I suspect efforts to figure that out would pay higher dividends that trying to figure out how to convince Grand Theft Auto console players.

[puller]

  are their numbers any better than ours? I havent played il2, but my understanding is they dont need 200+ players to get the outcome this thread is based on

No....IL2's numbers aren't better than AH

You've basically got 2 servers that are populated more than 10...Combat Box which has no plane icon on map so you have to navigate by landmarks...Or you have Wings of Liberty, which has the plane icon that will show you where you are at and where you are going...

As a recent IL2 convert...I can tell you that the difference is quite substantial...IL2 and AH3 look about the same to me with EVERYTHING turned on...and i mean everything...with the edge going to IL2...the explosion effects and planes going down are alot better than AH...there are no icons...which to me sucks..but it makes me look forward to trying to learn how to play without icons...i played AH the other night with icons off and it sucked just like IL2...so

Anyway...these people saying that they wont play without 700 people on are nuts...just plain nuts...its a dumb thing to say...dumb

you are not going to fight any more than 1 or 2 at a time without crying that you are getting ganged....why in the holy hell would you want 700 people on....do you want to rage quit when the mega horde of 30 or 35 planes leaving a base find you alone in your spitfire or pony????  I didnt think so...

IL2 has equal or lesser numbers than AH on a typical night...last night i was playing both and AH had more players than IL2 all night...till midnight CDT when I rage quit IL2 for the night 

[toasted]

obviously you can only fight a couple at a time.
i think why they want more people is for more and varied action.

and because off peak when there are only 50 or so total players on there is no action.

the 700 people are not expecting to fight at the same base.
the maps are big, when you spread 700 people over them it leads to great action everywhere, and lots of choices.

when you have 50 over the same number of bases it becomes the exact same fight over and over again , if you can even find a fight to begin with.

i for one do not want to fight the same 25 people over and over.

but obviously while some of us would think it great fun, we are not advocating the 700 person furball.

[Drano]

@puller Yeah the no icons is kind of a pain. First kill I got in IL2 was a mustang, a friendly! But he was shooting at another mustang off my left wing so I barrel rolled and blasted him thinking it was a 109. That was until the mustang parts fluttered past! Oops! Drano has been penalized for shooting a friendly! Hehe

@toasted What was cool about the larger numbers is it made for more variance of game play. There would usually be at least one very large fight and that was fine for people that liked that, but there were always many more smaller fights along all the fronts. Now with so few on at least when I'm on I'm lucky to find any fight at all let alone multiples. Sad really.

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