Why i decided to stop waiting and pay full retail for TOH

[Sleepdoc1 1]

I have been enjoying the Steam sales lately. Everyday since black friday, they have been having new sales that are amazing. I think i bought ARMA2 and OA for like 10 bucks.

Although i love my Apple devices (pods, pads, phones etc), they have absolutely harmed the value proposition idea of PC software.

Ever look at an app on the iphone store and go "oh...$2.99...hmm... sounded good at first but thats too expensive" ??

LOL

So I'll get to the point now, but that background seems valid....

I love sims. Always have. I Have a multi screen cockpit in my home. X52 Pro controllers (got sick of thrustmaster "quality'), rudder pedals, the whole nine yards..... but time to play is not like it used to be. 2 little kids, one is a newborn ...you get the picture.

I used to play ARMA and ARMA 2, but have been off the gaming thing for a long time. I got back into it recently. Last night I played ARMA2 as a heli pilot. Wow! That's all I can say. What a night!

Then it suddenly hit me like a bolt of lightning..... If i don't pay full price for TOH right now, then I am part of the problem. There are so few sim companies left and BI's stuff is amazing. So I decided to stop reading the different opinions and meta score reviews and I stopped playing the demo and stopped nit-picking. I just bought it.

I had a great time with it this morning, but I'm far from getting into it deeply. The point is, who cares. It's a sim made by a passionate sim company and by me supporting them, they can live on and make more great stuff.

Funny how we all value money. My experience in ARMA:OA last night flying helicopters with a bunch of great guys that I will likely never meet, talking over a voice channel, was worth more than the cost of admission to TOH. real entertainment like that just isn't readily available. And BI provided it.

War simming is the pinnacle of entertainment for me and BI is the pinnacle of making the stuff that so few people make anymore.

Thanks BI. Your vision is great. Keep it coming. I'll buy ARMA3 sight unseen. Even if I have to wait a few months for the patches to get it where I really want it. I don't need to be pleased upfront anymore. Your track record speaks for itself.

Good lord?!?! I think i just became a "fanboy"?

Edited January 1, 2012 by Sleepdoc1

[DnA 5154]

Thanks a lot for your support :) We'll do our best to continue developing fun experiences such as TKOH and A3!

[BobcatBob 10]

*wipes tear* That was beautiful, and I WHOLEHEARTLEDLY agree! Even though I won't get a gaming PC till late 2013 I'll still buy Arma 3 day one, full price to show my support for BI! Love you guys!

[blave 1]

Good post. However, at this point I'm wishing I *hadn't* been an early adopter of this game/sim. To be kind, the flight model is unfinished, and I'm tired of researching all of the tweaks and such to make it Feel Right (many thanks to the folks that have been working hard on this stuff - it's just that I'm kind of Done spending hours trying to get it to that point).

I've been through this with multiple iterations of X-Plane and Flight Simulator (for at least 10 years), and frankly I'm tired of waiting for a fully-baked helicopter flight model, let alone being a beta tester for same for months or years on end. I had high hopes for this based on the press content but I'm pretty disappointed to be honest.

Now, I'm off to go play Skyrim .

cheers,

Dave B.

San Jose, CA

[fboes 10]

I think blave is right. I really liked the idea of buying the unfinished product, and having my fun with testing things. But I read some reviews which did not understand the WIP-status of the final version. Frankly, it may be quit annoying for some regular buyers, having to wait some more months before getting the real deal.

Maybe there should have been an additional step, like a RC-Version for the guys who "bought" the Beta-Version.

But from a sales point-of-view I understand the pressure of finally releasing software with some minor shortcomings.

And -hey- as soon as it is officially released, you can be sure that there is enough pressure to fix things really fast. :)

[zentaos 10]

coming from other flight sims, I completely disagree.

here comes a little white lie....

"Microsoft regularly has developers patrolling their forums and is very attentive to user suggestions and real pilot feedback"

ahem...

I'm elated that a developer like BIS has taken on my favorite flight sim genre.

TOH has been released for less than six months and we have already had several patches that have greatly improved usability and flight dynamics. the light model is really close, the medium is getting there and I haven't flown the heavy enough to comment, but wow!...it took years to get other flight sims to fly like this!

[HUEY22 1]

Very well put Sleepdoc. Hats of to the BI guys for getting this sim to market. Us helicopter nuts feel the love.

Cheers

HUEY 22

[sjaba 19]

Yeah, this "simgame" has really increased my understanding and intrest of flying choppers, eventough i have been flying in the arma world since 2001 :)

The community approach that BIS have is what i would call unique in the gaming industry. Of course there are not always polished releases, but they actually listen.

Keep up the good work BIS, and tell me where to sign up for Arma III :)

[Sleepdoc1 1]

I respect the perfectionist attitude toward paying. Hopefully, you all respect mine.

i've been simming since it was a word. like most of you. it no longer makes the money it used to. Either we support the cmopanies with our cash or the industry dies.

software is never finished.

All software has bugs.

these are the first 2 rules of software. And sims are uniquely complex in a world of xbox fragfesters who wont be buying it. So its my duty to support the industry if i want it to contune to push ahead in an ever increasing world of console games.

I dont buy trash mind you. but to suggest that a flight model that doesnt "feel right" at release is an issue for not buying. well. refer to my original post.

this video game/sim Genre lives or dies by what we do. Not just by what developers do.

I view it as a team effort.

I like Skyrim too. But God help us all if Skyrim is my only choice for gaming....

[jeremymtc 10]

I couldn't agree with you more, Sleepdoc. Well said.

I had a kind of funny experience when I first learned of TOH via a splash ad on Steam:

"Oh, a new helicopter game/sim. Huh", I thought to myself, "Neat. Maybe I'll look into it sometime."

About 20 seconds later, I did the mental equivalent of a double-take. Waitafreakinminute here. A new helicopter sim? I love simulation. A new helicopter sim... I love helicopters. A minute later it was purchased and downloading.

It seems I had to consciously remind myself of the points you've made above... Which really shouldn't have been, as I've been in the habit of consuming simulation titles carte blanche for years, on the strength of the very same principles you've described. Go figure, must have been tired or something :)

[fboes 10]

I have to admit: I have the same attitude towards helicopter simulations. I buy almost anything on sight (but for some German "Medicopter" games). I am crazy about helicopters since Gunship on our old Commodore C64, I even bought "Hind" from Digital Integrations. :)

I love the idea of TkoH being more playable by "normal" people as to spread the fascination of helicopter flying. Even my girlfriend got warm to this topic after having a look at TkoH.

[Sleepdoc1 1]

I loved Hind. it was the pinnacle for its day. Of course EA's gunship was the pinnacle for a while too.

[drexal 1]

Then it suddenly hit me like a bolt of lightning..... If i don't pay full price for TOH right now, then I am part of the problem. There are so few sim companies left and BI's stuff is amazing. So I decided to stop reading the different opinions and meta score reviews and I stopped playing the demo and stopped nit-picking. I just bought it.

I had a great time with it this morning, but I'm far from getting into it deeply. The point is, who cares. It's a sim made by a passionate sim company and by me supporting them, they can live on and make more great stuff.

War simming is the pinnacle of entertainment for me and BI is the pinnacle of making the stuff that so few people make anymore.

Thanks BI. Your vision is great. Keep it coming. I'll buy ARMA3 sight unseen. Even if I have to wait a few months for the patches to get it where I really want it. I don't need to be pleased upfront anymore. Your track record speaks for itself.

I completely agree with all your comments above,I purchased this via steam as I wanted to play the beta straight away,and no online store was selling a retail version at the time.

A few weeks later after the game was unlocked and had gone from beta > full game,there was also a boxed retail available in stores as well.

And guess what,I bought that as well as the digital version !.......I'm a sucker for a physical copy,sad I know,but I like having a manual to flick through :)

Take on helicopter's was just the type of simulation I was looking for,I just wanted to fly and enjoy the scenery and not have to bother too much on how to get the helicopter flying in the first place.

I have A10-C Warthog,Black shark & blackshark 2 for that !

But yeah,I love the software Bohemia develops,always have.........ARMA \ ARMA 2 \ Take on helicopters and soon ARMA 3 !........can't wait :)