If we could give one word of advice to combat simulator game beginners, it would be this: learn as much as you can about the combat flight simulator before you start playing it. More on this shortly.
We are HiTech Creations, and we know a thing or two about playing combat simulators. Our Aces High has been a leader in this gaming genre since 2000, so you might say we have some game when it comes to flight sim games. With that introduction, let’s look at our suggestion and why we believe it is the right approach to playing.
Everyone is eager to begin; totally understandable.
You get a new game, you are all excited to sit down and play it, you dive right in, and . . . experience confusion and angst within five minutes. Who can relate to that scenario?
It’s very normal to do that, and it is also the wrong approach, no matter how excited you are to play your flight simulator. Take a deep breath. Calm down. Swallow your excitement and follow these instructions/suggestions.
First, familiarize yourself with the controls.
Turn on the game, search for the link to controls, and start “fiddling” around with them. We know, “fiddling” is not a technical term, but it does accurately summarize how people learn the different controls on a game like Aces High. You click on something, you try it out; you click on something else, you try it out. Sooner or later, you begin to understand what all of those links are for, and you begin to form some base knowledge on how things work. You can call this trial and error, or learning by the seat of your pants, but really, it’s just getting the lay of the land before you dive in and take on competition. It’s nice to have a working knowledge of the vernacular of a game before reading instruction on how to play that game.
Next, read and watch and ask questions.
With that out of the way, it’s time to “go to school.” If you are playing a game like Aces High, you will find the learning tools by clicking on “support” or some such link. For Aces High, that support includes forums where you can ask any questions, hundreds of articles on how-to, hundreds of instructional videos, and even one-on-one instruction if that is what you want and need.
Again, our suggestion: read an instruction on one aspect, then open up the game and practice that one aspect. Then move on to another, and another, and another. Is this time-consuming? Of course it is, and possibly even tedious, but it will pay huge dividends once you join the main playing field and take on live competition.
Finally, strap on your helmet and fly the skies.
How long will all of this take? Our estimate, a week or two, which is one reason why we offer, and this is unique in the gaming world, a free two-week download of our game, Aces High. That way you can learn how to play our game before you ever pay a penny in subscription fees.
You will then be ready for your first mission and dogfight. Strap on your flight helmet and fly the skies with Aces High.
This question inevitably comes up during any discussion about flight sim gaming. There is no doubt that the quality and power of your gaming computer will directly affect your play. Having the best PC possible, within your budget, is one key to becoming a better flight simulator player.
HiTech Creations, makers of the wildly popular Aces High, has some thoughts on this matter, so read on.
What is the best PC for flight sim gaming?
No matter what we say about this question, please remember it is a purely subjective opinion. You can read twenty such articles and chances are excellent you will have twenty #1s.
So, what can you do to find the answer to that question? Trust yourself to shop wisely. Look for a powerful processor. Look for loads of memory. Read those twenty articles and make a list of the top five suggestions from each, and then find out which PCs appear on all of the lists. Some simple investigative skills will net you are pretty accurate answer to your question about PCs capable of making you a combat simulator superstar.
However, the true answer to the question is this: none of the PCs, currently on the market, are the best, and that is because “the best” can only happen when you build your own PC.
Build your own?
Some of you may have just turned white with fear. Build a computer? How is it possible? Surely we don’t mean any novice. Surely we don’t mean just any gamer is capable of managing such a Herculean feat.
Well, in fact, that is exactly what we mean. There is software now available which will take you through all of the steps necessary to construct a great gaming computer. There are how-to articles and videos which will take your hand and walk you through the entire process and believe us when we say a novice can do this. Once you get over your apprehension, anything is possible.
Please note: to build a great gaming PC, it will not be cheap. Great components and a great motherboard are expensive. You can easily spend several thousand dollars building a monster gaming PC, but if you are into gaming like we think you are, a few thousand dollars will not stop you from making it happen. And the computer you build will last you longer, oftentimes between five and ten years of great gaming.
What if you have an inferior PC?
If you can only afford an inferior PC, save up until you can afford to upgrade. Adding memory is not that difficult. Replacing a processor is well within your capabilities. Do not let fear hold you back, and a lack of funds simply means you need to save money like a fiend until you can upgrade.
A final word about Aces High.
Since 2000, Aces High has led the way in the combat flight simulator genre. Give us a try. We offer a free two-week download of Aces High, no credit card required. Two weeks will be more than enough time for you to learn how to play our game, and determine if what we say, that Aces High is the very best flight sim game, is true.
It’s one thing to purchase a combat flight simulator game, or to subscribe to one monthly, but it is an entirely different thing to actually become a good flight sim player.
This article will help you to achieve that goal, and who better to learn from than HiTech Creations, the makers of Aces High, the combat simulator with some serious cred. We’ve been leading the way in flight simulator games for twenty-four years now, so it is safe to say we have some valuable information to share with you. Read on!
Practice makes perfect in gaming . . . not quite!
Perfection in unattainable, but you can become a darned good player by simply diving in and playing against competition. Please note, if you are a person who loves succeeding, this can be a “painful” way to learn, but it will yield results and you WILL get better. It just takes time.
Perfection unattainable? The people who work on our game, the actual designers, are still improving after all of these years of producing this game so yes, it is true, we do not believe it is possible to become the perfect player . . . but you can become so good that others will take notice and improve their game simply by playing against you.
More help than you will know what to do with.
At Aces High, we have spent years forming a community of gamers, and that community is here to help you. Why the insistence on helping other gamers? Because the better they become, the better competition they will give to other gamers, and everyone benefits from that competition.
We have forums on every topic you can imagine in Aces High. Just hop on the forum, find a topic related to your question, and ask the question. The answer will arrive very quickly.
We have hundreds of videos on every topic imaginable. Trust us when we tell you that after twenty-four years of production, we have heard every possible question, and we’ve made a video to address that question.
We have, literally, thousands of articles to choose from if you learn by reading. Simply type on the search engine and the answer will appear in article form.
And, finally, we can arrange for you to receive one-on-one instruction/tutoring from one of our staff.
All the help you can need!
Above all, have fun.
Having said all that, the most important factor is to have fun. Become an active member of our community, interact, and enjoy yourself.
The Aces High way.
Here’s an idea: try our free two-week download of Aces High. It won’t cost you a penny, we don’t even ask for credit card information, and you have total access to our game for a full fourteen days. That way you can learn the basics, ask your questions, and dive into the game without spending any money. If, at the end of that time, you are not enjoying yourself, we will bid you a fond farewell.
But we are betting you will stick with us.
Strap on your flight helmet and fly the skies with Aces High.
The eternal debate about PC vs Console can definitely be argued regarding flight sim games.
Which is better? Which one should you spend your money on?
We are HiTech Creations, the makers of Aces High flight simulator, and since we’ve been doing this for twenty-four years, we thought we would toss our hat into the ring and give our opinion. Mind you, our game is a PC game, but we will try to be impartial as we look at the strengths, and weaknesses, of both modes of gaming.
What is PC gaming?
The basic answer to this question is this: PC gaming is playing games on your personal computer. There is nothing unique about PC gaming; it’s been around almost as long as PCs have been on the scene. However, the degree to which you can play a game efficiently on a PC depends upon the computer you own and how much hardware is installed in that PC.
What is Console gaming?
From Wikipedia we borrow this definition of console gaming: :"A video game console is a specialized computer system designed for interactive video gameplay and display. A video game console functions like a PC and is built with the same essential components, including a central processing unit (CPU), graphics processing unit (GPU) and random-access memory (RAM). To offset costs, most video game console manufacturers use older CPU versions."
Pros and Cons
The pros and cons of PC vs console have been debated since the mid-90’s, and likely will be debated long after we have moved on to another level of existence.
Generally speaking, the console is easier to operate, most likely less expensive ($400-$700 for a console), and offers exclusive membership options for many of the more popular games. However, they have lower graphics quality, fewer upgrade options, and the most expensive games.
PC games have better graphics, more online support, more input and screen options, and less expensive games. However, they also require more technical skills and much more expensive hardware (you can easily spend $2000 for a very good gaming PC)
Which leads us right back to the original question, namely which is better? And you most likely will not like our answer: it is personal preference and up to each player to decide. We will say this so that it does not appear like we are ducking the question: if money is an issue, the gaming consoles are probably the route you will want to take. If money is no issue, and outstanding graphics are your thing, then nothing beats the best gaming computers on the market.
A final word about Aces High.
Yes, Aces High is an online PC flight sim game, designed back in 1999, first introduced in 2000, so our opinion could be discounted, but we truly tried, in this article, to give an unbiased opinion. Most gamers will tell you that, if money is not an issue, there really is no comparison, that the PC route is much better. However, the console games offer great gaming as well, for a fraction of the cost, and we can certainly understand why gamers would opt for that choice.
Strap on your helmet and fly the skies with Aces High, our combat simulator with an attitude. We invite you to try our free two-week download of Aces High. For two full weeks you will have full access to our game, our forums, our instruction videos, and our articles. If, at the end of those two weeks, you decide our combat flight simulator is not what you are looking for, then no harm, no foul, and we will wish you the best in gaming.
If you are new to Aces High, the combat simulator with attitude, we would like to tell you about the special events you can expect to see in 2024.
April 2024 special event
This is what’s happening in April, 2024, on our flight simulator game:
Friday Squad Ops: "Channelfront Nuisance 1942" - Fridays: April 5th, 12th, 19th at 11PM EST in SEA1.
On the Channelfront, the RAF and Luftwaffe traded blows in what are referred to as the "Nuisance Raids". These attacks were meant to divert attention and resources elsewhere, while the raids themselves tended to attack targets of opporunity. This FSO aims to re-create the back-and-forth that occured throughout the year, but more specifically in the latter half of 1942, when the RAF started to receive Typhoons and upgraded Spitfires to contend with the large amounts of Fw 190s and Bf 109s that the Luftwaffe had to offer.
What other special events are there?
Here is a list of the special events happening on Aces High flight sim. Not all happen each month, but you can expect, during the year, to see the following:
Scenarios are large-scale battles that run a few times a year. Sometimes they are based on actual WWII battles, such as the Battle of Britain. Sometimes they are based on hypothetical battles that might have been. A scenario typically involves two sides. Each side has particular aircraft, mission objectives, squadron assignments, bases, and resources. A scenario typically runs over the course of a month, with one battle per week, each battle lasting 3-4 hours. If you ever wanted to be a real WWII pilot, this is about as close as you can get.
King of the Hill is the airplane equivalent of a cage match. A group of players, all in the same planes, all in the same area, fight it out until only one is left. The winner picks the next plane, and all is repeated until someone wins three rounds. It is the mother of all furballs, where no one is your friend. Of course, no one is anyone else's friend, either, so there is balance. It is a wild, frenetic event that will get your pulse pounding and put a grin on your face -- unless you are the first one shot down, then it's grudge time! Did you ever play king of the hill as a kid on a mound of snow, wrestling around to see who could be the last one on top? This is the same thing -- in airplanes.
Friday Squad Operations (FSO) are like Scenarios but run more frequently. They appeal to the same group of players: those who like more realism. These events have realistic aircraft matchups, mission objectives, and command structures. FSO is for registered Aces High squads and involves the Commanding Officer of each side coming up with mission orders and flight assignments prior to each mission. FSO runs a battle for three weeks, once per week, takes a week off, and then starts on the next battle.
We hope that you give all of these events a try. Each is a blast in its own way. Also, the regulars are very happy to have new players join the events and share in the camaraderie. Come join your pals and join the fun!
Why participate in special events?
The most important reason we can give you for participating in special events is the sense of community you will feel when you form friendships while playing special events. Sure, you will improve as a player, but far and away the most common benefit mentioned is the sense of camaraderie.
A final word about Aces High.
Aces High has been mentioned as one of the best flight simulator games since its inception in 2000. For twenty-four years we have set the standard for excellence. Try our free two-week download of Aces High and see for yourself just how good we are.