I discovered Aces High in 2017 (thanks to DubDubz), when I got my Oculus Rift. Been flying with my Touch Controllers since my first day in Aces High also. 5 years later and still using them. But this post is not about using touch controllers to fly. This is about something deeper, something that I just can't find an acceptable answer for and something that has been a huge disappointment for me for the past 5 years.
Ever since I can remember as a young boy the Hawker Tempest has been my all time favorite warbird of WWII. To me its like the musclecar of fighter/attackers.. If the Tempest was a 70's car, it would surely be the 70 Chevelle SS 454 LS6.. Its looks, it's engine, it's weapons.. They all just scream badazzzzzz. God, I love that friggen plane!!
Naturally, it was the first plane I wanted to fly when I got in Aces High and I couldn't wait till I made the perk points to fly it. It took me about a month to learn and earn enough to choose it. I was super excited and that day came when I chose the tempest in the hanger and launched on Runway North...
All of a sudden I found myself sitting on the runway staring and looking all over the cockpit for my flight controls, only to be dumbfounded to realize that there was no flight stick or throttle in the cockpit.. I was really confused and bummed out by this. I was sure it was just a glitch or something with my downloaded planes. Figured, "heck, I'll just send a support request to HT and get it squared away in no time.
For the first year I sent an email to HT about once a month asking about the Tempest flight stick and throttle and never got a response.
Also during the first year I learned that HOTAS, Xbox Controller/Mouse controller users could fly the tempest without issue and only those handful of players like me using Touch Controllers to fly were being excluded from the ability to fly the Tempest. At that point it made sense to me why HT had not received tons of support requests about it because litterally it only effected less than 5 players.
Anyway, finally after about 15 months of asking HT about it, he finally replied to told me it was a carryover from AHI or II and hadn't been remodled with the flight stick and throttle. That was it, thats all he said so I assumed that soon it would be included in an update and problem solved.
Another year went by, then 2 years and still no updated tempest cockpit. 3 years, then 4 years since I started playing and still not flight stick or throttle in the Tempest. Got FW190 skin updates though which is cool I guess, but no flight controls for my all time favorite plane.
It's now been 5 years since I started playing Aces High and guess what, the Tempest is still the same AH-I carryover without any flight controls. That was 5 years ago. WHY?
Why haven't you updated the Tempest? In 5 years you couldn't find the time or resources to finish building Aces High III so all players have a complete version of the game to play? Literally every single other plane in the game has flight controls, What is the problem with the Tempest that prevents you from putting controls in it? I'm not a programmer but seriously? you couldnt add a flight stick and throttle to 1 plane in the game over the past 5 years?
Im invested enough to be willing to hire a programmer/modeler to do it for you if thats what it takes. You have never given me an explanation for why it was not done or why you refuse to do it. It just makes no sense to me at all why any company would put an incomplete product to market and make no effort whatsoever to update it.
I may be one of less than 5 players using touch that is excluded from the Tempest but that doesn't make it acceptable and it certainly doesn't allow for fair play in the game. If you offer touch controller support then it must be available for every plane/vehicle/boat in the game. If it doesn't, then it gives an unfair advantage to all other players.
After 5 years, I have just 2 simple requests and ask that you kindly choose one and implement it.
1.) Preferably, Update the Tempest with flight stick and throttle or provide me the tools to update it myself so I can fly the same planes as everybody else thus making the game fair for all..
OR
2.) Remove the Tempest from the hanger list of planes until such a time that is available for all players utilizing any or all of the optional supported controller methods.
If not everybody can equally fly the Tempest, then nobody should be able to fly the tempest. Its only fair.
Thank you for your time in reading this.
Buzz "SAAMIAM" Lightyear
