Give the new players something productive to do

[derammo]

Disclaimer:

 

I realize this could be construed as a comment on MARKETING, which I realize is both disgusting and not very applicable to anything DCS/ED related :music_whistling:

 

That said, here is my proposal:

 

1) Change (or add) the free airplane that comes with DCS World to be the MIG-29A

2) Limit this to only "game mode" when FC3 is not installed

3) Adjust lethality of that specific aircraft in game mode in case it ends up overpowered

4) Create multiplayer option to allow this "gimped newbie fighter" in a server running only simulation mode otherwise, on by default

5) Have the plane warm start automatically even if the mission says cold start

 

People who download the game (recently derisively and ignorantly called 'Steamers' by the veterans) could immediately jump into something they understand. The fact is new players DO go online and then they flail around not being able to start the 25T. Then they leave in frustration, which is hardly their fault. I am sure nobody would claim that plane is newbie-friendly.

 

The intended effect is that our multiplayer servers would be filled with newbies in a fighter role who, en masse, would still constitute better air cover than our servers have now. And yes, our veterans would slaughter them, but only 4:1 or so :pilotfly:

 

Then the newbies may decide it is time to go buy FC3 and get even. We get new players and ED makes a little money. Everybody wins.

[joey45]

ED do not own the Mig... That belongs to Ubisoft which owns Lock On hence why you need Lock On to install FC1/2/3 and that is why they [ED] are releasing the Lock On plane singly.

[derammo]

ED do not own the Mig... That belongs to Ubisoft which owns Lock On hence why you need Lock On to install FC1/2/3 and that is why they [ED] are releasing the Lock On plane singly.

 

Good point there, I missed that problem. Probably there is nobody left at Ubisoft to negotiate a deal to allow a demo version of the plane in DCS:World? If that is the case, perhaps they can get one of the other fighters.

 

My point is not about the specific plane, but about the fact that newbies cannot be expected to do SEAD with a hard to use plane their first day. If they were already into study sims, they would already have DCS...

[Hunden Ynk]

I'm a (fairly) new player, but most of the time I just fly around, practice maneuvers, play with the avionics etc in the Su-25/T or Ka-50. That's great fun for me, sure I shoot stuff as well, but you could remove it, and I would still fly. Point being, I'm sure not all newbies are the same.

 

If they were already into study sims, they would already have DCS...

So, you have never tasted strawberries, hence you must dislike their taste, because if you like them, you would already be eating them. Mind blown.

[Tetra]

Personally think gimping the free option that comes with DCS world would be pointless. The entire premise is to draw in new potential simmers and not give the false illusion that the game only plays out similar to something such as HAWX, which game mode kind of feels like.

 

The huge influx of steam users was only to be expected, the product is free, everybody is going to try it just for the sake of it as they have nothing to loose. However I would bet out of all the users who "tried" it only a certain percentage stuck to it, learned the SU-25T and enjoyed it and will potentially purchase more modules because of it. Those people are the actual customer base that it was aimed at, the rest will just drop away after a while when they realize flight simming is not something they enjoy or have the patience for.

[tarracta]

I came to DCS via Lock-On and I never put much time in flying any Russian aircraft except the Mig-29 (because it's the only German plane :D)

 

In the western culture you only see Russian aircraft as hard, but not very good described enemies, while you have much more relationship to any western jetfighter like the F-15, F-16, F/A-18, A-10 because you see them in movies, news and other Flight-Sim-Games.

 

And the feeling about a sim comes much more better when you think "huh, I can now fly a cool jetgfighter I've already much heard of" instead of "hmm what a brute and ancient Russian airframe, how can this scrap heap even get airborne"...

 

So I have to admit that the SU-25T is a very bad teaser for new players over here. A F-16 or Mig-29 would be much more appreciated.

[shagrat]

Well, whatever you personally think is "good" to lure in HAWX and Battlefield players, in the end the Servers run Missions mostly designed by more or less hardcore simmers! Even "if" you give the newbies an easy fighter jet with game mode, you will find virtually no server hosting a mission that features it.

The idea is to attract people to study sims like DCS titles or FC titles which already are "easy". Personally, I find a clickable cockpit "easier" than remembering weird key combos, but even Lock On FC 3 jets are manageable with a bit of dedication...

People who realize that it is fun (for them) to just fly complex aircrafts and enjoy beating the sometimes steep learning curve, are what we're looking for.

 

I guess if I would suggest to change the planes from HAWX or Battlefield to DCS level on their forums, I'll get some "interesting" feedback!:D

[derammo]

... So, you have never tasted strawberries, hence you must dislike their taste, because if you like them, you would already be eating them. Mind blown.

 

Strawberries market themselves by their attractive color and the vaguely sexual shape. They have a very low barrier of entry and have no problems attracting new customers, who then grow to love strawberries and also buy cherries and raspberries.

[derammo]

Well, whatever you personally think is "good" to lure in HAWX and Battlefield players, in the end the Servers run Missions mostly designed by more or less hardcore simmers! Even "if" you give the newbies an easy fighter jet with game mode, you will find virtually no server hosting a mission that features it.

The idea is to attract people to study sims like DCS titles or FC titles which already are "easy". Personally, I find a clickable cockpit "easier" than remembering weird key combos, but even Lock On FC 3 jets are manageable with a bit of dedication...

People who realize that it is fun (for them) to just fly complex aircrafts and enjoy beating the sometimes steep learning curve, are what we're looking for.

 

I guess if I would suggest to change the planes from HAWX or Battlefield to DCS level on their forums, I'll get some "interesting" feedback!:D

 

You missed the part where I am suggesting that the newbie planes should be enabled by default in the missions being hosted (i.e. from any airfield that has fighters), to fill the skies with targets... errr... I mean with welcome new players who are being helped along ;)

 

If the hard core people don't want them, they can turn off this option I suggested. Then we can see if everyone is of the mindset of "us versus those Battlefield kids" or if maybe we can play together and have more fun as a result. There will always be hard core people who are not into the gaming aspect as much as the realism, that's clear.

 

I believe that right now, the new players are not succeeding with the 25T and the servers are as empty as ever. I doubt we will get better AI, so maybe it would be good to have more humans, even if they aren't all hard core. That was my point about already having DCS, don't you think the hard core group may be fished out (and aging out?) <==== SORRY forgot to mark that as troll bait :)

 

Seriously though, I completely agree with you that the objective is to find those that find deep sims fun and just don't know it yet. I just want to stress that last part more, that they don't know it yet and therefore need to be given vaguely sexual strawberries.

Edited September 14, 2013 by derammo

[Hunden Ynk]

Strawberries market themselves by their attractive color and the vaguely sexual shape. They have a very low barrier of entry and have no problems attracting new customers, who then grow to love strawberries and also buy cherries and raspberries.

I need a parent... ;)

 

To add another angle, DCS isn't all about PvP multiplayer.

[Scarecrow]

Bottom line is that it comes down to ED owning the Su25T distribution rights.

Dumbing them down is available in Game Mode and should stay there, filling the online sim skies with "Gamed" Mig29s isn't going to enhance the online experience for simmers. ;)

 

Sure there are better aircraft to demo in DCS world but either Ubi owns them or they are too valuable to give away for free. I'm not even sure that the 3d Su25T pit will be free; none of this stuff is cheap or easy to make.

 

Let the kids go back to Hawx and they might decide 3-4 years down the line that they would like to learn a real flight sim.

 

As a boy I liked flight games, even flight sims in those days were more akin to Hawx than they are to DCS . Later in life I rediscovered flight sims but it was flight games like Top Gun, 1941 and Afterburner that started it all.

 

Steamers:lol:

Edited September 19, 2013 by Scarecrow

[JackDant]

People who download the game (recently derisively and ignorantly called 'Steamers' by the veterans) could immediately jump into something they understand. The fact is new players DO go online and then they flail around not being able to start the 25T. Then they leave in frustration, which is hardly their fault. I am sure nobody would claim that plane is newbie-friendly.

An easy, quick, way to fix this: Create an autostart sequence for the SU-25T (I'm not sure it has one at the moment), and allow it to be run from the radio menu. Easy to find for new players.

[Fishbreath]

An easy, quick, way to fix this: Create an autostart sequence for the SU-25T (I'm not sure it has one at the moment), and allow it to be run from the radio menu. Easy to find for new players.

 

An autostart sequence would literally compress three key-presses to one, or two if it's in the radio menu. Much better would be distributing one of the various quickstart guides from these forums with the Steam download.