Last night I loggin on. There were actually enough people playing that there were fur-balls happening during the Gold Surge. I drove a snoopy for most of my session. I gave as good as I got. I think there were some newbies playing, which is good because the last times I have played there was the same old tiring elite. You know, those old timers who do things I cannot understand how they did? Last night, every time I got hit, it was something that made sense happening. And guys, the last incarnation of the the FHL and the instructions came along were simple and worked with no fuss. If the forum admin would go through all the threads and KILL the old ones explaining how to install and JUST leave the one I looked at and followed, then this thing is gone gold. But until the instructions are concrete and there is ONE ring... it isn't. So make it so, dummies, there are too many threads being found in search that explain all the different installation methods. Perhaps even a new website that has nothing to do with this one, with a unique URL and no comments in it. No threads in it, nothing. Just the fucking instructions????? Say URL could be www.onewaytoinstallfhwb.org or something? If I am full of shit, delete this thread, because it will just add to newbie's misdirection. This is a vanilla Windows 7 64 ultimate edition. I got the instructions set and the files and it installed in about five minutes and started. Cockpits and sounds and maps and no errors [except that one on quitting the game] And there are newbs. Which makes me happy, my skills are newb+, but by no means elite and it gets tiring to be zapped again and again and not have the faintest idia what I did wrong. This version, things are more fluid, easier for a guy to play. It feels a lot more like old warbirds FH did. Back in the day. But what d I know. Fuck, last year I recruited two buddies. They farted around in this fh until they discovered there was a th and they left this one, never to return. I think with this new way, that more will find playing possible and rewarding, instead of the way it has been, which is like facing those two or three bastards who forma line of three and say J ne sa pas... and shoot down each comer with a single 7.7 mm and some UFO manuvering. Unstoppable and too, a mystery, like UFOs and heartbreaking for a guy been playing ten years. No UFAs last night, everything was fluid and made perfect sense. Well done. But what do I know? It is new years eve hear, maybe I go score a bag of pot and play? Maybe I will even take the time to get the fucking voip working....
Well said....in to many words. Simplified, make it so any new person coming to this website can find the instructions (preferably the main/front page) to install our beloved game quick and easy without the chance to get confused with previous versions of older launchers. ?????
it would be very nice to have FUN like 6-7 years ago. many squads, furballs, jabo raids...it was nice..
Well, I find it depressing to think that way. When I'm back in here, I'll see who I can shoot down, and who is willing to try again, and again, and again. Simple conversation from another user tells me what they are like. One merge and pass lets me know who is going to win that battle. If they lose miserably, I don't rub it in with a PK, and then vulch. I give them a chance. That's the way I work. It's been 15 years since starting in Air Warrior, working into WarBirds FH, and I'm still here, trying to help keep alive an entertaining medium. People who can't adjust or give up just leave and never return. I myself left because of frustration and lack of interest due to multiple problems and issues. Issues primarily from the previous design team. I fought bitterly and I haven't been banned, yet. It's dis-heartening to see veteran users no longer showing up because of the modeling problems. But, they caused it to happen. However, I still think that a "free" to use combat simulator has some potential. The following items implemented I believe would help bring back interest for everyone: 1. Ease of locating install for any OS: One click, install, load, login, play. Right now it takes too much digging to find instructions and fixes for the new person who has never been here. I would rather not see new people forced to come to this forum for help. Most people won't bother. Especially if there is nothing to combat in the arenas. 2. Ease of game use: There should be an arena, that is set to easy/training mode, much like in the offline version. The arena would have "AI" Computer Controlled Aircraft that pop-up from nowhere that have some difficulty to combat, but NOT impossible because of modeling. If new folks get tired of the easy mode, well, there's the Main Arena. And there's the Testing/Training Arena, where I would likely hang out. We all had training wheels when we started. And these new folks who show up needing training wheels get blasted to kingdom come by experienced/advanced users. I find that annoying. Especially if they keep doing it, and know the new person can't compete. I will retaliate if I'm there and see this happening. Let the new guys shoot you down. We need inspired folks to STAY. These new folks are basically jumping into a Formula 1 race with the driving experience of their mom in a Yugo. I have almost felt like leaving for good after some of these modeling "fixes" because of whining veterans and programmers. Where are they now? Those who caused these problems are gone, for the most part. New people showing up usually don't know what is historically correct for aircraft. There is a version from some time back I remember that was very user friendly but, I have no idea which version. Maybe someone knows. I never kept track of that stuff, I just used what was available, until the last straw....then I quit for a while. A failure of the software design community is what makes me lose complete interest and leave. This happened with Air Warrior. It went from 800+ users to less than 300 in less than a month. WBFH is free, and people won't stay. I am a very competitive person. A failure on my part yields more drive to approach the same situation again, and again, and again, till I achieve something. Not everyone here shares that same ideal, unfortunately. You all know who you are. Some who can't avail, although having been here long enough to know better, start crying "cheat" or "admin cheat". That is just lame. Some people are just more suited for joy riding in a candy coated simulator, watching the sun set, flying through the valley, looking at the pretty trees. Not me. Some people are interested in building a complex strategy to take over the map. Not me. Some people want to roam around the ground, over hills, plinking other targets on their boring flat world. Not me. Omni-directional, 3-Dimensional, Gravity Effects, Blackouts, Redouts, Stalls, Spins, Collision Danger, landing with a dead engine after a heated battle, is where it's at for me. And an arena that shows 0 isn't much interest to me.
But why have this when offline is available? Thats how I learned. I attempted online first. However, when I saw how much I was lacking I used practice offline only until I knew all the mechanics of killing the ace level AI with easy mode flight characteristics turned off. I think the Main Arena and TA are enough.
Guess I'm different. I'm the guy that jumps in the pool to learn how to swim. I learned to dogfight online. I didn't care how many times I got shot down or how badly humiliated the verbal attacks would get. Offline AI opposition was not a challenge and quite boring to be honest. Was nice to have helpful folks at the time. Offline flying feels like console games, which I despise. Human interaction is where it's at. I'm very competitive now and like new challenges which include training new people. The thing we have to keep in mind is that the modeling offline and online are completely different. The idea is to create an easier environment of modeling close enough to what we find in the Main Arena that a transition would be simple.
How is offline and online modelling different? If that is true, then thats a problem because practicing will be most effective if all if the models are the same. That being said, I have not noticed any differences to begin with and I fly offline often
Offline is different in relation to how the aircraft behave. Gravity, aerodynamics and gunnery. Stalls, Spins, Buffeting, Blackouts, Redouts, Ordinance Dispersion, Aircraft Options, Online only Features and more. This has been discussed before. http://forum.wbfree.net/forums/showthread.php?p=358774&highlight=offline+modeling#post358774 http://forum.wbfree.net/forums/showthread.php?p=761765&highlight=offline+modeling#post761765
