Ideas for Expanding Player Base

[Porkins]

I love the new IL-2, but I am concerned regarding the relatively low number of players. Some of this is out of anyone's control, as flight sims tend to be niche titles to begin with, but I feel like there are things that can be done for the franchise that would dramatically increase the player base for future games without sacrificing the game's complexity. Here are my thoughts, and remember, these suggestions are made out of love!!!

 

1. A tutorial. BoS offers absolutely no help to players new to the game or new to sims, making the learning curve much harder than it needs to be. Lower the barrier to entry. 
2. Cheaper DLC. Now that I've played BoS for 40 hours, I think $20 per plane is reasonable. Problem is, that price point turns off a ton of potential consumers who won't even give the game a chance when they see that there are 8 planes total, and you can get an extra one or two for $20 each. I just don't think that price point is a good business model because it turns people off from trying the game. I was one of those people, I only bought BoS when it was on a steep sale. 
3. Change of theater. I think the Med would sell better than any other theater. I actually would prefer the Pacific, but for the sake of getting sales, I think the Med offers a location that would best appeal to a majority of consumers due to the potential mission variety and plane selection. 
4. Co-op.
5. A proper campaign. I actually don't mind the current campaign in BoS, but it is easily one of the top 3 complaints I read from others about the game. A more structured campaign would also help address point #1. 
6. Increased plane count. I don't think this was a reasonable request when BoS came out, but now that they have a couple of dozen planes modeled, it'd be nice if they leveraged those assets to bring more content into future games to make the franchise more appealing to consumers.
7. Get rid of unlocks. Again, I actually don't mind this too much, but it is probably the number one complaint I read about the game, and it surely would be easy to do away with. 

[Danziger]

I think if they wanted more sales they would be working on Call of Duty or some Madden sports games instead of a high quality flight sim.

[BraveSirRobin]

It's like you took the 7 most likely non-FM related topics that will result in a locked thread and grouped them all together.

[Jupp]

~S~ Porkins,

 

I'll take the bullet.

 

1. False. There has as of now been released a Players Guide, A Mission Editor Guide (End User Produced albeit), and this very Forum. Absolutely.

 

2. Selling better hooch has a price point. Deal.

 

3. This one is the Greeks in the Horse. I suspect your true post is this, ugh. We've all heard it already.

 

4. Same as above but less, slightly less, annoying.

 

5. It is being addressed. Detailed so, in the Developer Diary entry posted just today.

 

6. Same as 4 and 3 above.

 

7. ok I give up...

 

Honestly Porkins, I hate to be the ragdoll here, but there is just not much content in your context.

 

Hope your altitude improves,

 

!S -Jupp-

[ACG_pezman]

Release the maps for free with free tanks, turrets, and maybe even player controlled infantry and vehicles. Run a persistent world map and see where it goes.

[Asgar]

or not

[No601_Swallow]

It's like you took the 7 most likely non-FM related topics that will result in a locked thread and grouped them all together.

[Jupp]

~S~ Swallow,

 

"A master's class on trolling?"

 

Hadn't thought it.

 

Standard,

 

!S -Jupp-  

[Porkins]

I think if they wanted more sales they would be working on Call of Duty or some Madden sports games instead of a high quality flight sim

Or...they could make a high quality flight sim that more people play. I don't see the problem with that, and none of my suggestions have any impact on the sim nature of the game. I honestly don't get the hostility surrounding my suggestions. 

[BraveSirRobin]

I honestly don't get the hostility surrounding my suggestions. 

 

Every one of your suggestions has been rehashed multiple times.  Jupp provides a pretty good breakdown.  

[Porkins]

~S~ Porkins,

 

I'll take the bullet.

 

1. False. There has as of now been released a Players Guide, A Mission Editor Guide (End User Produced albeit), and this very Forum. Absolutely.

 

2. Selling better hooch has a price point. Deal.

 

3. This one is the Greeks in the Horse. I suspect your true post is this, ugh. We've all heard it already.

 

4. Same as above but less, slightly less, annoying.

 

5. It is being addressed. Detailed so, in the Developer Diary entry posted just today.

 

6. Same as 4 and 3 above.

 

7. ok I give up...

 

Honestly Porkins, I hate to be the ragdoll here, but there is just not much content in your context.

 

Hope your altitude improves,

 

!S -Jupp-

1 - None of those are an in game tutorial, which is what I meant. It's like saying that a movie's plot holes are all explained if you go read the novel based on the movie. Ok great, but it should be in the movie. 

2 - I've dealt with it, my point was that the overwhelming majority of the market won't. Telling people to "deal" might make you feel good, but it doesn't make the devs any money. Sometimes selling a higher volume of something at a lower price point does. 

3, 4 and 6 - I don't understand your comment. Why would I try to mask anything? As for co-op, I don't even want it. I included it because it is something I see brought up in threads by various players under the topic, "Why Doesn't Anyone Play This Game Online?" 

5 - Wonderful, thanks for the information. 

7 - Ok, keep unlocks if they're so popular, I actually don't care. 

[BraveSirRobin]

1 - None of those are an in game tutorial, which is what I meant. It's like saying that a movie's plot holes are all explained if you go read the novel based on the movie. Ok great, but it should be in the movie. 

2 - I've dealt with it, my point was that the overwhelming majority of the market won't. Telling people to "deal" might make you feel good, but it doesn't make the devs any money. Sometimes selling a higher volume of something at a lower price point does. 

3, 4 and 6 - I don't understand your comment. Why would I try to mask anything? As for co-op, I don't even want it. I included it because it is something I see brought up in threads by various players under the topic, "Why Doesn't Anyone Play This Game Online?" 

5 - Wonderful, thanks for the information. 

7 - Ok, keep unlocks if they're so popular, I actually don't care. 

 

1.  I doubt that more people will buy the game if there is a tutorial.  There is a manual.  There are tutorial videos on Youtube.  That is plenty.

2.  Unless you know their costs and revenue you're really not in a position to comment on the price structure.

3.  Everyone thinks that their favorite battle will bring in the most revenue.  

4.  You can create coop missions now.  They're only missing 1 or 2 minor features that a dedicated coop mission should have.  This might be the most annoying "I want this" request.  You've already got it. 

5.  They're adding features to the campaign.

6.  They're adding more planes with BoM.  

7.  Unlocks are not popular, but this is the direction that they decided to go.  This horse was beat to death long ago.

[II/JG17_HerrMurf]

Well, to give you a bit of moral support, I agree with all of your OP points 3-7 Point two is offset by the near quarterly sales. People gotta eat man.  

 

On the other hand, as others have stated, all of these ideas have been broached previously. I forgive you as you are one of the new guys 'round these parts.

[Porkins]

1.  I doubt that more people will buy the game if there is a tutorial.  There is a manual.  There are tutorial videos on Youtube.  That is plenty.

2.  Unless you know their costs and revenue you're really not in a position to comment on the price structure.

3.  Everyone thinks that their favorite battle will bring in the most revenue.  

4.  You can create coop missions now.  They're only missing 1 or 2 minor features that a dedicated coop mission should have.  This might be the most annoying "I want this" request.  You've already got it. 

5.  They're adding features to the campaign.

6.  They're adding more planes with BoM.  

7.  Unlocks are not popular, but this is the direction that they decided to go.  This horse was beat to death long ago.

Except my favorite battle is Pacific, as I said in my post. Med is a distant second for me, but I think it would sell the best. But maybe I'm wrong, perhaps the world is waiting with baited breath for a third game flying missions over the Russian steppe.