2022 and Forward

[AKKuya]

This is Dale’s game.  One day, he might sell this game and an end of an era.  Until then …

Do we want to play Aces High for 20 more years?  What can we do to keep Aces High going? 

Important questions.  Time for some important discussion.  Time for some important answers.

Current observations:
Dwindling player base
Significant decrease in new additions
New players discouraged

What can the Aces High player base do?  I believe there is enough of talented players working together be able to make this game a reason to play and bring old friends back and new players to the scene. 

Are there any marketing professionals out there as an Aces High player?
Are there any social networking players?
Are there any video editing players?
Are there any editorial writing players?
Are there any on camera players?
Are there any computer graphics players?
Are there any finance players?
Are you one of them?  Do you have the free time to contribute?  Do you have the passion?

There are so many online games out there.  Many have millions of players.  Aces High should be one of them. 

Or, just let it ride.

[100Coogn]

It takes more than one Admiral to run a ship.
This one is sinking fast.

Coogan

[The Fugitive]

We could all band together and create a team to bring in and keep more and more players. Unfortunately it doesn't seem like HTC is willing to work on the game any more. If some of the more blatant issues aren't fixed/adjusted we will continue to lose players faster than they can be brought in.

[Mongoose]

The toxic environment in the forum isn't helping any.

Based on observations and what Hitech has said, there are two parts to getting a new pilot to join the game:

1.  Getting a new person to try the game.
2.  Getting the new pilot off the ground. 

The first is advertising.  Not my forte. 
The second should be solved by a quick tutorial when a person first launches.  I have done some work as a technical trainer, I might be able to help with that.  Hitech said some time ago that he was working on something similar.  Might inquire if some of us could be of assistance there.

Most discussions like this quickly devolve into three types of comments, none of which are helpful:

A. Posts that are critical of Hitech, and blame everything on what he has done or hasn't done.
B. Suggestions to change Aces High into a completely different game.
C. Suggestions on how to force players to play the way you want them to.

I respectfully suggest that we keep these things in mind.

[RotBaron]

For every post I see about the sky falling on Ch 200 or here on the boards, there is usually several members/players to point out why it is not.

I doubt many really know much about HT’s plans except the man himself.

Numbers are down and many updates aren’t happening, the reason why - any of our guesses.

But the sky isn’t falling IMO.

Just my .02

 

[mERv]

For every post I see about the sky falling on Ch 200 or here on the boards, there is usually several members/players to point out why it is not.

I doubt many really know much about HT’s plans except the man himself.

Numbers are down and many updates aren’t happening, the reason why - any of our guesses.

But the sky isn’t falling IMO.

Just my .02

 

Do hope the game is around for a few more years. I'm far from done with her. Be nice if one day a switch got flipped and things started to grow again but that's a fools hope. All I can do is pay for 2 accounts and keep throwing meat into the grinder for y'all to shoot at

[Volron]

The toxic environment in the forum isn't helping any.

If I were new to AH and went to the forum first, I'd more or less see it as this:

- You use a bomber, you are pleb.
- You use a ground vehicle, you are stupid pleb.
- You use man-gun, you are a <bleep> <bleep> <bleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep> <bleep> and should catch <insert deadly disease of your choice here>.
- You try "win the war", you are <bleep>.
- You use real world tactics, you are complete <bleep> and should punch your mother.


And honestly, that is sorta the impression I had back when I first joined the forum.  Fortunately I had went into the game and played it a good bit before hand, and met some awesome folks, cause oh boy I'd have buggered off otherwise.

[Lazerr]

Put large maps on hold for now would be the easiest first fix to the game.  Bottle of the action a little bit

Even if a new player trys the game, and gets off the ground,  he will likely leave if the game board doesn't show activity.  Why would they invest any time trying to learn a game with poor graphics and no sort of findable combat?  For $15 a month?  Not likely.

The open world sandbox thing is really the only major benefit this game has on others of this genre.  If the sand box is so diluted finding fights is like pulling teeth, you've shot yourself in the foot.

I could go on about people gaming the game with resupply, and hiding in manned guns with no penalty for death, both of which dwindle down the actual fight for a base, but what's the point? 

I try to help new guys when the opportunity arises.  Unfortunately if they are on the other country, I can no longer PM them because someone's feelings got hurt.  Instead of dealing with a handful of repeat offenders and dealing out serious penalties for their antics,. We canned the ability to communicate.

[Eagler]

Smaller maps, more action,  less flying or driving to find it

That is why MNM and KOTH offer the best AH these days for my $15

This game is tough on the newbie and the last thing I would want is to spent at least 5 to 10 minutes  between fights..

Face it, to learn this game you have to die alot ..

The more that is dragged out the more boring it is..smaller maps with bases close together would help IMO

Eagler

[Meatwad]

New instant action arena.....

Small map, 15K air spawn. Spawns are very close together. No captures, no ack to run and hide in. Just spawn in and be in the middle of the action.

Bring back AH1 or 2 for the players that cannot handle the graphics of AH3. How many were lost from the transition from 2 to 3?

Free limited select few of aircraft and vehicles to play for free just to increase numbers. Only stuff that is high eny/early war. These players could have a special icon next to their name to make them stand out that they are a ftp player so the other green guys might be more open to help them out.

Through advanced email notices, have select weekends (fri, sat, sun) open for free play for all non perked aircraft, maybe once every 3 months.

[The Fugitive]

The toxic environment in the forum isn't helping any.

Based on observations and what Hitech has said, there are two parts to getting a new pilot to join the game:

1.  Getting a new person to try the game.
2.  Getting the new pilot off the ground. 

<snip>

The toxic environment, yes we have a bit of a one, but from what many others say this isnt as bad as many other games. Both here and in the game, tho the game is less toxic these days. Its up to players to mod themselves now adays.

Hitechs fixes,

As Lazer and Eagler said we need to get rid of the big maps, an easy fix for Hitech. It would compress the fighting a bit more even it did run through the maps quicker. In the old days we only HAD a few maps and we didnt bail just because they rotated through too quick.

I dont think I have ever heard Hitech comment on a limited free group of planes/vehicles for the MA instead of the free 2 weeks. 4 or 5 planes, a bomber, goon and a couple vehicles available free in the main arena would give the new player a taste of the action with no cost to them other than time. Dying alot is a given in this game, but so to "Call of Duty" and they dont seem to mind dying there as long as it doesnt cost them anything. With smaller maps they get back into the action quicker. Whats the downside with a setup like this?

This game has lasted longer than most. Its players like most of us that have been here for years and years that have kept it going. Our love of this game is what kept it going, not the updates or new material that has been added, because there hasnt been any added in a long time. Yes the "sky is falling" but it is a slow process as each of us die, literally. I hope Hitech gives it one more push. Get rid of half the tree count, bring GV guys back! Use only the smaller maps to compress the action! Give a few free planes for an unlimited time in the MA and announce the new format on steam or any other outlets to bring a bit of interest back and get some newbs to come back and try it again. A couple days of work, whats the down side?

[decoy]

Just the observations of an Aces High rookie, although I have played a number of online games...

I started with Warbirds in 1999, and by some standards, that made me a Johnny come lately.  No problem, but when I went back to flight sims, it was Warbirds I wanted.  That was July of 2020.  The game itself had improved, although some of he 'improvements' were, imho, a step backwards.  I won't bother with a list, because my days there are done, I believe.

What caused me to leave was not the gameplay, or the dwindling player population, it was the character of 'that percentage' of players who 'ruined' the game for the rest of us.  Pay attention to the quotes, because the the definitions will vary from to player to player.

What do I like about AH that will keep me here?  Okay, it's a fun flight model, that's number one.  Flying takes a certain finesse in AH.  In WBs, you launch, hit the start engine key, firewall the throttle and take off.  You cannot do that in AH.  Oh, some may be able to, but I can't.

What's next?  People, both in the game and in this forum, want to help.  They are eager to help.  If I ask a question ingame, there's someone to answer, politely, I might add.  When I seek advice here, I am overwhelmed with ideas.

I'll take the word of established players that the player base is shrinking.  As for maps... I'm getting there, both in interpreting what I see and how it affects me as a player in the game.  My fighter ops are pathetic and my bomber ops skills base is building, so I'm happy. 

It may be a case of ignorance yielding bliss, but I'm happy.

Decoy, old but not jaded.

[Max]

The toxic environment, yes we have a bit of a one, but from what many others say this isnt as bad as many other games. Both here and in the game, tho the game is less toxic these days. Its up to players to mod themselves now adays.

Hitechs fixes,
<SNIP>
A couple days of work, whats the down side?

The downside appears to be that aside from keeping power running to the servers, and processing credit card payments, empirical evidence suggests Hitech has washed his hands of the game and future development. Aces High is on auto pilot and at some point the tank will run empty. Easy fixes don't amount to a hill of beans if there's no one there to do the fixing.

[decoy]

The downside appears to be that aside from keeping power running to the servers, and processing credit card payments, empirical evidence suggests Hitech has washed his hands of the game and future development. Aces High is on auto pilot and at some point the tank will run empty. Easy fixes don't amount to a hill of beans if there's no one there to do the fixing.

I disagree, and hear me out.  When I first set up my account, I was having trouble mapping my controller.  I sent an email to support, I got a reply the next day.  It was Dale.  He gave me a few suggestions but said, 'Here's my number, give me a call if I need to walk you through it.'  I called him and he took the time to walk me through it.  I found out later that he's the CEO.  That, imo, is not the actions of someone who has 'washed his hands' of a project.

I could be wrong.  I just don't believe that if all I was, or all any individual player was, to Dale is a $15/month subscription, I'd have been treated like that.  And, yeah, there's an IRMV disclaimer, there.

Decoy

[guncrasher]

I disagree, and hear me out.  When I first set up my account, I was having trouble mapping my controller.  I sent an email to support, I got a reply the next day.  It was Dale.  He gave me a few suggestions but said, 'Here's my number, give me a call if I need to walk you through it.'  I called him and he took the time to walk me through it.  I found out later that he's the CEO.  That, imo, is not the actions of someone who has 'washed his hands' of a project.

I could be wrong.  I just don't believe that if all I was, or all any individual player was, to Dale is a $15/month subscription, I'd have been treated like that.  And, yeah, there's an IRMV disclaimer, there.

Decoy

been here for many years.  for the last 8 or 10 been hearing that hitech dont care about the game anymore. I just dont pay attention to that anymore.


semp