I started sim flying in AW in 96, on a PC still running Windows 3.1, AW was hosted on AOL servers. Graphics back then were a major challenge. It took a boat load of tweaking on the common PC, always a struggle keeping the frame rates and internet connection playable.
The typical simmer/gamer held special tweaks close to the chest, to be able to be the "star player". Some of us had a different concept that the game is more fun, and true skills exposed, when everyone can play at the same PC performance level.
Eventually, I became a game staff (tech and arena moderator) for AW/Kesmai. I also did some work on the flight damage model, some graphics (like plane explosions, trailing fire etc.), and sound files. Ran a game tech site called Animal's Toolbox. If I remember right the AH logo was originally one of my designs, and I contributed sound files Dale had asked to use. All of which have been very well updated.
AW was dying, a long story, but due to the owner not wanting to over-haul AW graphics engine and core game coding. It was sold to EA.com, some of us techs went along trying to breath new life back into AW, it was a lost cause. We assumed EA bought it to kill the competition.
When Hitech and Pyro were running the first beta testing of AH, some of us wondered over to see if this could be our replacement sim. It was the very framed core of AH. Easy to spin out, a lot of bouncing, it had a steep learning curve, even compared to AW. But it was no where close to finished. We all saw it as a great idea, but needing so much programming. We all knew how much work had to go into it to make this egg hatch, some of us skeptical if it would go any further at all, programming exhaustion.
AW died and most of us simmers came over to AH, a vast improvement since the last time we flew it. Still some bugs, but very nice looking and playable.
Life will have it's way with you as it pleases. I quit flying in 2009. Recently pulled out the old x52, and got back in the game. It's been 14 yrs since a full attempt. I finally got another great gaming PC, this sim/game runs like melted butter with full detail. I'm still getting things tweaked. Getting a powered USB hub for my X52 made a major improvement. Still programming the stick and and video card for the ultimate eye candy, still getting reacquainted with the sim and flight skills. I die, a lot.
When I'm cruising along to the next fight, sight seeing, thinking back the first time I flew the first beta version,....what is here now is impressive, even with the Pizza Map
. It's probably everything those from AW (and probably War Birds) wished AW would have become.
There will always be the battling concepts, wants and needs, between the simmers and the gamers, we're a needy bunch. There will always be a "Wish List", whines and critiquing, but it seems to have settled into a somewhat civil place.
Main point: Kudos to HiTech, Pyro, Skuzzy and crew, well done.
