A feature that we don’t talk enough about is the Ranks and Statistics link. Go to http://www.hitechcreations.com/component/option,com_ahscore/Itemid,223/view,pilotranks/ and you can enter your ID number and find out how you rank as a pilot or as a squad. In addition there are updated statistics there that will please the most avid of gamers.
This is a great feature that lets you know how you are doing against the best flight sim gamers in the world. At HiTech Creations we know that Aces High isn’t just about the game, although we consider it to be the best combat flight simulator on the market; it is also about the dedication of staff and volunteers who go out of their way to give you the best support features you will find on any World War 2 Flight Simulator.
At the commencement of World War 2, Darwin, Australia was a quiet port city of approximately 5,000 inhabitants; hardly what one would call a strategic military city. But by February 19, 1942 Darwin was being looked at closely as an important naval port and airbase and there were approximately 15,000 Allied military personnel there at that time.
Using the same element of surprise that served them so well at Pearl Harbor, Japan launched two waves of planes on the morning of February 19th, totally 242 planes, towards Darwin in what would be the first of over 100 air raids against that Australian city. More bombs were dropped during that air raid than were dropped at Pearl Harbor and it was a devastating testament to the Japanese ability to attack swiftly and silently.
The Darwin attack was a complete success for the Japanese and it delivered a massive psychological blow to Australia in the early stages of World War II. Approximately 300 people were killed; most of the aircraft were destroyed and ten ships sunk and another 25 damaged. By comparison Japan only lost one airman and at most lost ten aircraft in what could only be construed as a major victory.
But setting aside the loss of life and devastation to the aircraft, the air raids of Darwin paralyzed an entire country. Australia simply did not have the industrial might to recover from this totally surprising attack and they knew it. Unlike the United States after Pearl Harbor, Australia did not have the ability to crank up the war machine and make Japan pay for their transgressions. The citizens of Australia were, in fact, sitting ducks and they knew it, and in the ensuing years they fought in the Allied Forces as if their very lives depended on it, because, quite frankly, they did.
At HiTech Creations we are fascinated by the individual battles of World War Two. Few out there have even heard of the air raids of Darwin and yet they were very real to the people of Australia and are remembered by survivors with as much clarity as those who survived a much more devastating attack at Pearl Harbor. It is, in fact, our fascination with all things World War 2 that led us to make Aces High and to commit to making just one flight sim and thus putting all our efforts into that combat flight simulator. We think our commitment to making only one game is apparent in the realism and attention to detail, and we are sure that once you try our World War 2 Flight Simulator that you will agree.
The year is rapidly closing on our Special Events calendar and it has been quite a year indeed. HiTech Creations has increased these special events due to popular demand, just one more reason why we continue to be the number one World War 2 Flight Simulator on the market.
This week features an AHXARL on the 20th; for the uninitiated that simply means we are having an XTreme Air Racing League and this week we are using the “Rocket Plane,” the Me163, for the race.
On the 21st we will have the final Snapshots of the year, finishing off the Pearl Harbor scenario. Come prepared for surprises and challenges that will test your abilities.
No words of wisdom or advice given in this short post. What we at HiTech Creations would like to do is take this opportunity to wish all of you gamers a very Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays! Each and every day that you play Aces High you give us a gift and we are fully aware that without your support we would not continue to be the number one combat flight simulator on the market.
Our competitors come and go but only Aces High leads the pack year after year and it is because of you that our flight sim stays at the top of the heap. Thank you and Happy Flying!
We have been fielding questions lately about one of our special events, namely Snapshots. If you take a look at our special events calendar you will see that there are two Snapshots remaining this month, on the 21st and 28th, both dealing with Pearl Harbor.
Snapshots are run once a week, they are open to anyone, and require no pre-planning. Snapshots have been described as one-shot Scenarios with planning done on the spot in the heat of the action. These truly are a true test of your flying skills so we strongly encourage anyone who wants a real test on Aces High to sign up for next Wednesday’s Snapshot and do battle against other flight sim gamers.