I used to love this game

[vectorforfood]

I'll tell you some reasons why I don't care for it as it is right now, if you don't care then that's fine, but I feel the need to vent.

1.) Game worlds are too large, since it is close to impossible to have a successful small airline, and the only way to really be a success is to make a large airline, there generally are few big names who managed to get into the key cities first.

Request Make the game worlds 250-300 players MAXIMUM
AND Make small airlines a real possibility.

2.) Smaller game worlds would mean MORE game worlds, possibility to play in multiples.

3.) I've been waiting for a month now to join a new game world, joining a game past 50% is first off a waste of time since you don't have time to grow, and second every single viable base/route is saturated.

Please fix this game Sami, when the games were smaller they were MUCH more fun.

[swiftus27]

Wow, you start off with a flame title.  That's just awesome.

Smaller game worlds do NOT mean more game worlds.   Every time a game rolls over, the server still has to do many calculations.  Don't just assume that it doesn't.

You last post was in May of this year.  And those from April were all about you complaining about not getting emails that new game worlds were opening.   All you needed to do was check in every week just once to see if new worlds were going to open.  

Concerning small airlines, there have been changes made and some progress has come about.  

The "I Used to love this game" to me is a joke when your posts are completely non constructive.

[JumboShrimp]

Despite the title, I have to agree with 2 points:
- more frequent game starts
- 300 playres seems to be enough for the game world.  550 seems a little excessive.

[vectorforfood]

Wow, you start off with a flame title.  That's just awesome.

Smaller game worlds do NOT mean more game worlds.   Every time a game rolls over, the server still has to do many calculations.  Don't just assume that it doesn't.

You last post was in May of this year.  And those from April were all about you complaining about not getting emails that new game worlds were opening.   All you needed to do was check in every week just once to see if new worlds were going to open.  

Concerning small airlines, there have been changes made and some progress has come about.  

The "I Used to love this game" to me is a joke when your posts are completely non constructive.

So posting a truthful fact, especially one about only myself is a "flame post".

Perhaps you should go look up the meaning of what a "flame post" is. I made a statement of fact, not an insult or an attack on someone else.

[schro]

3.) I've been waiting for a month now to join a new game world, joining a game past 50% is first off a waste of time since you don't have time to grow, and second every single viable base/route is saturated.

I joined ATB past the 50% mark and I now have one of the biggest airlines in the game. Based in ORD and doing quite well.  Its not impossible...

[JumboShrimp]

I don't know if it is still possible to join ATB but LAX is empty.

[JonesyUK]

I'll tell you some reasons why I don't care for it as it is right now, if you don't care then that's fine, but I feel the need to vent.

1.) Game worlds are too large, since it is close to impossible to have a successful small airline, and the only way to really be a success is to make a large airline, there generally are few big names who managed to get into the key cities first.

Request Make the game worlds 250-300 players MAXIMUM
AND Make small airlines a real possibility.

2.) Smaller game worlds would mean MORE game worlds, possibility to play in multiples.

3.) I've been waiting for a month now to join a new game world, joining a game past 50% is first off a waste of time since you don't have time to grow, and second every single viable base/route is saturated.

Please fix this game Sami, when the games were smaller they were MUCH more fun.

1. It is easy to make a succesful small airline.... as long as you don't choose to base in a major airport and you still to a single fleet type. You won't make mega money but what small airline(/company) does? Large profits generally come  with large economies of scale.

2. It is very easy to make money in this game. There is no need to make game worlds smaller as there are plenty of uncontested routes from the smaller airports if you want to create a small airline.

3. I know it's frustrating to have to wait for new worlds to start. This is partly due to the development cycle of the game and partly to stop existing game worlds emptying when new worlds open. (I was in Jet Age when the first V1.2 game started. It ruined that game as it was pretty much abandoned)

4. joining a game past 50% is first off a waste of time - This a know issue. If you search the forum you'll find topics about this trying to find a solution

[JumboShrimp]

3. I know it's frustrating to have to wait for new worlds to start. This is partly due to the development cycle of the game and partly to stop existing game worlds emptying when new worlds open. (I was in Jet Age when the first V1.2 game started. It ruined that game as it was pretty much abandoned)

New version is an unusual situation, but since the game is most fun the first 5 to 10 years, wouldn't it be better to just let players have their fun, abandon the game (because of too much or too little success) and have fun in the new game world?

Maybe AWS should have a hall of fame, encouraging players to stick to the end and get some recognition.  But there should be more opportunities to start fresh, within first 1/3 of the game world.  Right now, there are none, which is why original poster (vectorforfood) is a little frustrated.

[swiftus27]

I asked before for a mentor/mentee program.  Id love to be able to see what one is doing and offer direct advice. 

[JonesyUK]

New version is an unusual situation, but since the game is most fun the first 5 to 10 years, wouldn't it be better to just let players have their fun, abandon the game (because of too much or too little success) and have fun in the new game world?

Maybe AWS should have a hall of fame, encouraging players to stick to the end and get some recognition.  But there should be more opportunities to start fresh, within first 1/3 of the game world.  Right now, there are none, which is why original poster (vectorforfood) is a little frustrated.

But where do you draw the line? If you halve the length of the game world, then people will probably loose interest half way through the half length game because if they're not 'winning' half way through then they're still not gonna 'win' the game. It's a vicious circle!

Also, you'd take most of the challenge out of the game by not having to plan long term.

[Sami]

You fail to see the big picture here regarding player numbers; couple of points that I thought:

- Although an individual player may like having only 200 players when he starts his airline, it is ultimately very bad for the game world as a whole. It leads to even more rapid expansion, lack of competition and just unlimited growth. Seen it.

- "starting a new airline when game world is more than 50% cannot work" is a myth (also, you shouldn't look at the %'s but the actual time remaining.). It is natural that when starting later there is a more limited choice of aiports and slots, but this is just something that the player must consider when choosing his base. Past halfway mark there are dozens and dozens airports and routes wide open still and it does not take that much to find a market share. The idea is not that each player can fly in empty skies and disregard the competition. And on the other hand (plus side for starting later) the startup money is higher (inflation adjusted every month to grow), and also the availability of used aircraft is much better generally than in the first months of a new game world. And actually players should be mentally prepared that I am going to make the start of an airline in a new game world much harder in the future so that it also corresponds to the startup in later stage of the game (routes and slots; ref. AI airlines).

[JumboShrimp]

But where do you draw the line? If you halve the length of the game world, then people will probably loose interest half way through the half length game because if they're not 'winning' half way through then they're still not gonna 'win' the game. It's a vicious circle!

Also, you'd take most of the challenge out of the game by not having to plan long term.

I am not saying I would halve the game world.  I like the long range planning, reaping benefits from it, or consequences of mistakes.

But a way to encourage sticking to the end of the game is by improving long term playability of the sim, not by imprisoning players in the game worlds by lack of new game worlds.  There are always more opportunities open to players in a new game world.  It takes different strategy to plan to survive in shadow or a large airline - possibly outlasting him and outsmarting him - then to start in a wide open game world.

[Daemus]

Past halfway mark there are dozens and dozens airports and routes wide open still and it does not take that much to find a market share.

I wanted another game to play with my Beginner's World game so I just started MT2. Took 5 minutes of looking to find KPHX looking nice and open for a new company, with only two other airlines that hadn't been through a full financial quarter yet. That would be a comfortable starting situation in only a mid-size airport, much less a top 10 US airport.

Saw the same thing with Beginner's World game when I started my current company in that world, setting up in KDTW with plenty of open routes available to me. So far my experience has been fine with getting into a nice airport, as a starting company, with games over 50% complete upon joining.

While I agree with sami so far about there being space left in these matured games, I am eagerly awaiting a new world to open so I can get the chance to start from the beginning. I am happy right now but definitely am looking forward to going toe-to-toe with some of you in year 1 of a new game, grasping for routes, slots and used planes - all with huge dreams and hopes that will likely be crushed by the boots of the pro's... you can crush my hopes and dreams though, I got plenty more where they came from.

PS. Waiting now for a big company to put a hub at KPHX and make me cry.

[ucfknightryan]

PS. Waiting now for a big company to put a hub at KPHX and make me cry.

Don't have to worry, KPHX is large enough that secondary hubs can not be opened there.

I can't remember which is largest off the top of my head, but the three largest US airports you can open hubs at are KMSP, KEWR, and KDTW.

[ICEcoldair881]

I can't remember which is largest off the top of my head, but the three largest US airports you can open hubs at are KMSP, KEWR, and KDTW.

MIA, SFO, BOS, DCA, PHL, EWR, DTW and MSP are the biggest that allow a base to be opened at.

[ArcherII]

MIA, SFO, BOS, DCA, PHL, EWR, DTW and MSP are the biggest that allow a base to be opened at.

If you add SEA, MCO and HNL you have a wide range of possibilities!

[JJP]

Started at SLC in Jet Age 2 past 50% with 2 competitors.  Chose one plane type: BAC-111.  I took over the hub.  Every major route was saturated.  I took the small routes that nobody had at first, got a good base of income, then started competing on the major routes.  I took over ORD, DFW, PHX, LAS, and other major routes in a relatively short time period. 

I'm not saying this can happen all the time, but. . .  and, besides, I knew I would not become a major.  I made a personal goal.  I achieved that goal and had fun doing it.  I think in this AirwaySim game, the key is to choose a personal goal and get the joy out of achieving that goal.  Each game, up the ante for yourself.  To me, this has made the most fun of all.

Don't give up, there are a lot of opportunities to get better. Please, don't hesitate to ask questions.  There a a lot of people willing to help here!  Join allianes in the games.  A lot of the players are way more than willing to help you out! 

Good luck and keep truckin' . . . er, flying.