This Game Dies Because

[Softail]

Storches suck?!?!?!

I LOVE seeing Storchies..... Hell....its the reason I take M8's to bases (that and to frustrate the guys in the Tiggers trying to kill me without leaving the pad).

I kill those little suckers all the time with my single .50 cal.   Hell, an M8 can roll almost as fast as they can fly!!!!

The only part that sucks is when I run outta .50 cal.    Then I have to use my cannon or Co-Ax gun.   

Bring on the Storchies.....as many as you can up at once would be very nice.

Softy.

[Vinkman]

With all due respect Killroy, leave the Storches alone, they're not the problem.   

It's clear after 23 years of playing that the game has no designed purpose.  It is a lab that has lots of ways to play, and lots of ways grade yourself.
Really, how many people jump on everyday to help their side win the war? Very few. They may want to help take a base if asked, or if that's where the action happens to be, but most players are setting their own agenda, which makes the outcomes of any marco game stat chaotic.  If the Bish are winning all the maps, it's because the Jokers are currently unchallenged at base taking. That is their personal squad goal. The game play numbers have fallen to where one good sized squad can dominate the macro metrics...winning the war. It's not because of some conspiracy or fundamental flaw in the 3-sided war concept.

Next, you have to stop blaming the reducing numbers on game play, or lack of change. A rules change is not going to make players enjoy the game more and play longer, and sign up their friends. players are leaving because we are all getting old. I'll wager this game has the highest average age of any MMO in the world today, and each year the median age goes up by one year. eventually age catches up with everyone, for various reasons, death, health, income...etc. 

The numbers are reducing because:
1)  WWII is now 70 year old event, and as such it is fading the hearts of each successive younger generation. so they aren't drawn to it like most of the 50+ year olds who play are/were. the Player base is aging, because younger players are not as interested in this genre as we were. Older players are...on the clock. Everyone will quit at some point.

2) This game is hard to learn. The view system alone is tough to master, then there's flying a plane. It's a simulator, not a button smashing video game. Then you have to learn ACM and Gunnery before you're effective.  This means you need to come with a passion to wan't to be a great WWII fighter pilot/bomber/tanker or you won't stick it out. (SEE point #1)

3) It takes a high end PC with some decent peripherals to play, making it a significant investment.  With $400 PS4's out there that have a million multi-player games the competition is growing every year.  And to date they can't play in AH3

4) highly skilled players are what's left. But some are higher than others. The ones that have plateaued are tired of running up YUCCA's kill streak. So they run. The others have figured out that working in groups makes for great success (ganging,hording, picking). The fix for this is not rules change of a new map or a new plane, or a two sided war...it's more people.

So what o do about it? GET MORE PEOPLE here and RETAIN them. Here's How:

1) Make the AH3 Arena's accessible to Game console players.  Make a version that runs on X-Box, and PS4 that you can play with a game controller. It needs to become a mixed platform MMO because it needs to tap that humongous pool of gamers.
2) Develop an offline story mode with training. like many MMOs first you play through the story mode and it teaches you how to do what you'll need in the game. use the view system, set up controls, fly, gunnery, ACM, how to: take a base, bomb, etc...Completed the Stroy mode unlocks the $$Arenas (where you still have to pay the monthly fee). LEt's face it, there aren;t enough people putting the time in the Training arena anymore. You need to be able to train yourself. Story mode is how the rest of the successful MMOs do it.

3) Monetize achievements. If you earn achievement you earn a $1 or two credit off next month's bill. Then design the achievements to promote better game play. Many of them already are. The new generation loves that. (NOT ACHIEVEMENTS: winning the war, winning the tour, or any of the current scoreboard categories)

5) Make Skins and other customization earned.  Lock all but default skins for beginners, then you unlock skins by earning achievements in the various planes. The new generation loves that stuff. The skins you paint your plane with tell everyone the level of things you've accomplished in that plane.

6) Drop death stats. Just count stuff you've killed or destroyed. Now how many times you've died doing it, or how many bullets missed their mark while trying.

Happy New Year. 

[Shuffler]

With all due respect Killroy, leave the Storches alone, they're not the problem.   

It's clear after 23 years of playing that the game has no designed purpose.  It is a lab that has lots of ways to play, and lots of ways grade yourself.
Really, how many people jump on everyday to help their side win the war? Very few. They may want to help take a base if asked, or if that's where the action happens to be, but most players are setting their own agenda, which makes the outcomes of any marco game stat chaotic.  If the Bish are winning all the maps, it's because the Jokers are currently unchallenged at base taking. That is their personal squad goal. The game play numbers have fallen to where one good sized squad can dominate the macro metrics...winning the war. It's not because of some conspiracy or fundamental flaw in the 3-sided war concept.

Next, you have to stop blaming the reducing numbers on game play, or lack of change. A rules change is not going to make players enjoy the game more and play longer, and sign up their friends. players are leaving because we are all getting old. I'll wager this game has the highest average age of any MMO in the world today, and each year the median age goes up by one year. eventually age catches up with everyone, for various reasons, death, health, income...etc. 

The numbers are reducing because:
1)  WWII is now 70 year old event, and as such it is fading the hearts of each successive younger generation. so they aren't drawn to it like most of the 50+ year olds who play are/were. the Player base is aging, because younger players are not as interested in this genre as we were. Older players are...on the clock. Everyone will quit at some point.

2) This game is hard to learn. The view system alone is tough to master, then there's flying a plane. It's a simulator, not a button smashing video game. Then you have to learn ACM and Gunnery before you're effective.  This means you need to come with a passion to wan't to be a great WWII fighter pilot/bomber/tanker or you won't stick it out. (SEE point #1)

3) It takes a high end PC with some decent peripherals to play, making it a significant investment.  With $400 PS4's out there that have a million multi-player games the competition is growing every year.  And to date they can't play in AH3

4) highly skilled players are what's left. But some are higher than others. The ones that have plateaued are tired of running up YUCCA's kill streak. So they run. The others have figured out that working in groups makes for great success (ganging,hording, picking). The fix for this is not rules change of a new map or a new plane, or a two sided war...it's more people.

So what o do about it? GET MORE PEOPLE here and RETAIN them. Here's How:

1) Make the AH3 Arena's accessible to Game console players.  Make a version that runs on X-Box, and PS4 that you can play with a game controller. It needs to become a mixed platform MMO because it needs to tap that humongous pool of gamers.
2) Develop an offline story mode with training. like many MMOs first you play through the story mode and it teaches you how to do what you'll need in the game. use the view system, set up controls, fly, gunnery, ACM, how to: take a base, bomb, etc...Completed the Stroy mode unlocks the $$Arenas (where you still have to pay the monthly fee). LEt's face it, there aren;t enough people putting the time in the Training arena anymore. You need to be able to train yourself. Story mode is how the rest of the successful MMOs do it.

3) Monetize achievements. If you earn achievement you earn a $1 or two credit off next month's bill. Then design the achievements to promote better game play. Many of them already are. The new generation loves that. (NOT ACHIEVEMENTS: winning the war, winning the tour, or any of the current scoreboard categories)

5) Make Skins and other customization earned.  Lock all but default skins for beginners, then you unlock skins by earning achievements in the various planes. The new generation loves that stuff. The skins you paint your plane with tell everyone the level of things you've accomplished in that plane.

6) Drop death stats. Just count stuff you've killed or destroyed. Now how many times you've died doing it, or how many bullets missed their mark while trying.

Happy New Year. 

Here you go.... not just saying something is not exactly working right but also offering ideas on a fix. Food for thought.  HMMMmmmm
Distinct possibilities. 

Happy New Year Vinkman <S>

[whiteman]

Excellent post Vinkman, you nailed today’s gamers.

Added: might consider adding perk bounus for completing achievements or in game missions set by hitech. Like bomb towns for 5 perks, bomb a fuel strat for 8 perks shoot down 5 planes in early war plane for 10 perks. Have them rotate every 24 hours.

[Vraciu]

With all due respect Killroy, leave the Storches alone, they're not the problem.   

It's clear after 23 years of playing that the game has no designed purpose.  It is a lab that has lots of ways to play, and lots of ways grade yourself.
Really, how many people jump on everyday to help their side win the war? Very few. They may want to help take a base if asked, or if that's where the action happens to be, but most players are setting their own agenda, which makes the outcomes of any marco game stat chaotic.  If the Bish are winning all the maps, it's because the Jokers are currently unchallenged at base taking. That is their personal squad goal. The game play numbers have fallen to where one good sized squad can dominate the macro metrics...winning the war. It's not because of some conspiracy or fundamental flaw in the 3-sided war concept.

Next, you have to stop blaming the reducing numbers on game play, or lack of change. A rules change is not going to make players enjoy the game more and play longer, and sign up their friends. players are leaving because we are all getting old. I'll wager this game has the highest average age of any MMO in the world today, and each year the median age goes up by one year. eventually age catches up with everyone, for various reasons, death, health, income...etc. 

The numbers are reducing because:
1)  WWII is now 70 year old event, and as such it is fading the hearts of each successive younger generation. so they aren't drawn to it like most of the 50+ year olds who play are/were. the Player base is aging, because younger players are not as interested in this genre as we were. Older players are...on the clock. Everyone will quit at some point.

*SCREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEECH!!!*

Stop right there.

WT et al. are wildly popular.   

6) Drop death stats. Just count stuff you've killed or destroyed. Now how many times you've died doing it, or how many bullets missed their mark while trying.

Happy New Year. 

Bingo.

[puller]

+1 on vinkmans post

[CptTrips]

The numbers are reducing because:
1)  WWII is now 70 year old event, and as such it is fading the hearts of each successive younger generation. so they aren't drawn to it like most of the 50+ year olds who play are/were. the Player base is aging, because younger players are not as interested in this genre as we were. Older players are...on the clock. Everyone will quit at some point.

People keep making that assertion, but I have never seen any compelling evidence. 

Millions of copies of IL2 BoX get sold every release. 
COD: WWII sold something like 20 million copies.
Battlefield 5 was eagerly anticipated and even with it's technical and design problems sold 7 million copies in the first month after release.

I see no evidence that well made and smartly marketed WWII themed products have any particular hurdle with today's market.  I doubt it ever will.  It is an ideal combat genre that uses reasonably modern weapons without crossing over to the complexities of radar/lasers/electronics.

It kinda seems like excuse making to me.  Like there is no point in trying to improve the game because these lazy youngsters nowadays won't care about WWII anyway.

2) This game is hard to learn. The view system alone is tough to master, then there's flying a plane. It's a simulator, not a button smashing video game. Then you have to learn ACM and Gunnery before you're effective.  This means you need to come with a passion to wan't to be a great WWII fighter pilot/bomber/tanker or you won't stick it out. (SEE point #1)

IL2: BoX series is quite complex and sells millions.
DCS is very complex and does not seem to have a problem making sales.
There are many other games out there with quite large learning curves.  The skill set may not be ACM, but that doesn't make them non-complex.

If the game blew peoples socks off, they would stick it out and learn to play it.  If the game is designed right, even dying can be a blast.  But revenge is always better. 

3) It takes a high end PC with some decent peripherals to play, making it a significant investment.  With $400 PS4's out there that have a million multi-player games the competition is growing every year.  And to date they can't play in AH3

I don't think the hardware is a huge problem unless you are doing VR.  $1000 desktop rocks this game like a boss.
Nothing is this game performance wise would prevent the millions and millions of PC players of IL2, DCS, Battlefield, COD form playing AH, if they wanted to.

1) Make the AH3 Arena's accessible to Game console players.  Make a version that runs on X-Box, and PS4 that you can play with a game controller. It needs to become a mixed platform MMO because it needs to tap that humongous pool of gamers.

There is certainly a large console market. I just don't know someone playing on a XBox with controller would compete against Eagler with his VR and Thrustmaster HOTAS. You think that would feel like a fair gaming environment for console players?

2) Develop an offline story mode with training. like many MMOs first you play through the story mode and it teaches you how to do what you'll need in the game. use the view system, set up controls, fly, gunnery, ACM, how to: take a base, bomb, etc...Completed the Stroy mode unlocks the $$Arenas (where you still have to pay the monthly fee). LEt's face it, there aren;t enough people putting the time in the Training arena anymore. You need to be able to train yourself. Story mode is how the rest of the successful MMOs do it.

IL2 has slightly better graphics, but not anything out of the realm of what HTC might could do. 
IL2's FM and DM are not that different from AH.
The big reason I believe that millions of people have played IL2 and almost no one has ever heard of AH is because IL2 has an offline campaign mode.

Happy New Year. 

And to you.

 

[Vraciu]

People keep making that assertion, but I have never seen any compelling evidence. 

Millions of copies of IL2 Box get sold every release. 
COD: WWII sold something like 20 million copies.
Battlefield 5 was eagerly anticipated and even with it's technical and design problems sold 7 million copies in the first month after release.

Not to mention Hitech himself said that he gets tens of thousands of people checking out the game on a monthly basis.

Popularity/Time-Passed-Since-WWII is not the issue.

[hitech]

Not to mention Hitech himself said that he gets tens of thousands of people checking out the game on a monthly basis.

I never stated this.

HiTech

[ccvi]

Then you have to learn ACM and Gunnery before you're effective.

It depends on goals. Rarely are fields captured by bringing great ACM or gunnery to the battle. They do provide additional options, but more often than not the most important skill is to predict what kind of plane or GV is going to be needed where, when, and with which load-out. And to do the right thing, which many people fail to (afraid of score, of dieing, not understanding what's going on, or unable to see hidden GVs, etc.).

Yes, the game is hard. But it's even harder when there's no reason die for. And no low-hanging fruits to pick.

[CptTrips]

I never stated this.

HiTech

He is might be referring to a quote of yours I have re-posted several times lately.  Maybe this was during the Steam surge and is not representative of your current numbers.

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.
[...]
The release a few weeks ago was a huge change to how the mouse system works, in an attempt to improve the 75% leaving before 30 minutes of play.

So were the new training video systems. Also not only about 15% of people who try AH have Joy Sticks. Right now Aces Highs biggest issues is conversion rates of players trying the game to players subscribing. For some reason I am not setting the hook quickly enough that a player is having fun when first trying the game.

We used to run between a 10 to 12% conversion rate from entering an arena to subscriber. My goal currently is to substantially raise my current conversion rate which is around 1%.

[DmonSlyr]

Il2 has more gamers because of A. Graphics and B. It's a one time buy. Ie, no 2 week trial, you to buy it to try it. I tried IL-2 for a night. I was one of those who tried to play for 30 min and left. The main reason was because I was tired of trying to set up the Joystick and rudder peddles, my views were not working correctly, and I couldn't figure out how to enter the online portion and actually fly. There were only like 30 people online when I tried.  I realised that being a 'newb' all over again wasn't as fun as I thought it was going to be.

I personally love the open map concept of AH, where you have to plan and strategize on how to go gain the advantage over the other planes.

I think having a story mode that vinkman recommended  was a great idea. Xbox and Ps4 ain't gonna happen.

I think a lot of people are interested in aviation and WW2, but the biggest issue with AH is the time it takes to enter the fight and shoot someone. 2 weeks just doesn't give them enough time to understand the game. Nor have they paid a dime yet. Unlike Il2.

I can tell you from my IL2 experience that setting up controllers is such a giant pain in the ass. I can see the same happening for AH.

I hated War thunder. Lasted about 10 minutes there. Every plane felt the same to me. views sucked.

AH is the best one honestly, unfortunately it just has to small of a workforce to show enthusiasm for quick updates.  and I'm pretty sure that Hitech is just about getting too old for this crap.

Players who don't have the patience aren't going to stick around. It's part of the ADHD generation.

That's why I've offered ideas like fighter bowls, FFA, teamdeath match to replace the match play, shorter bases and more maps. Just anything to get players into faster action.

[Saxman]

The big reason I believe that millions of people have played IL2 and almost no one has ever heard of AH is because IL2 has an offline campaign mode.

However Offline Campaign =/= Offline You Have To Complete This Tutorial Before We Let You Play In the Big Sandbox At All

[Vraciu]

I never stated this.

HiTech

Don't mean to jump on ya but on this rare occasion I want to point out how mistaken almost all people on this board are about the dynamics of AH.

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.HiTech

By my math that's 12,400 a month.

Has that changed?

I'm not nitpicking the numbers, in any case, as the point was simply that there are lots of potential customers out there.

He is might be referring to a quote of yours I have re-posted several times lately.  Maybe this was during the Steam surge and is not representative of your current numbers.

If it wasn't that quote it may have been another, but it will definitely do.   

[CptTrips]

However Offline Campaign =/= Offline You Have To Complete This Tutorial Before We Let You Play In the Big Sandbox At All

That was Vinkman's assertion, not mine. 

You could do it that way though. 

Millions have bought copies of IL2: BoX, yet everyone says online servers are usually sparsely populated.  You can tell from Youtube the games are being actively played.  That suggests to me that the market for guys who like to fly offline missions/campaign and blow stuff up is much larger than the guys who want to play competitively online.  Either way, 1C Games gets their money up front.

Someday, I'd love to see HTC package it's tech into an offline stand-alone game like IL2 with missions/campaign to generate revenue, and each game includes a 1 month trial code for their online combat game, Aces High.

1C Games started their franchise with the IL2 ground attack aircraft; I'm thinking HTC should go with Stuka Pilot!