10 replies to this topic

[RyanG]

I have a question that is really bugging me. I'm a newer airline with only the 2 starter planes and 3 routes and I was making about 1,300,000 monthly revenues for a total montly revenue of about 300K. With absolutely no change in anything, including ticket price, load factor, or competition on the routes, my revenues drop to about 400K/month and my total gain/loss is -500,000/month. How does this happen with no change in anything? Very frustrating ya know, its almost like you just can't win.

[FoxtrotUniformCharlieKilo]

Yes Ryan,

I've had the same problem. The most ridiculous thing of all is having to pay the same gate fee for a 16 seater and a 747. Go figure. It is abundantly clear that this game is actually a closed shop for a select few. The people who wrote it have no idea about running an airline.

For a start, if you were beginning a small airline with 16 seaters you wouldn't be trying to fly routes that compete with 737's and larger aircraft. You would be flying regional into small airports that are unable to cater for bigger aircraft. The authors have failed to acknowledge this in designing the program.

The game suffers from gate hogging - where players underutilise gates to stop competition from gaining access to particular airports. If the game was structured properly, by the time you start making real money players would drop small regional aircraft and routes because they become to time consuming to maintain.

Having said that, no one seems to have gotten it right. For example, "Airlines" has a limit of 255 aircraft to your fleet and limits the airports that you can fly to - but has good graphics showing your aircraft en-route. "Airline" has unlimited fleet and just about every airport you can imagine, but it is limited to scheduling flights using a very cumbersome system, and ignores gates and ground services altogether.

This simulation WOULD be the best if it had:
1. A structure that better enabled beginners to join - this might be achieved by starting new instances of the game, say, weekly;
2. The graphics of "Airlines";
3. The expansive range of airports in "Airline".

One day someone will get it right.

Cheers,

FoxtrotUniformCharlieKilo

[gba222]

It is abundantly clear that this game is actually a closed shop for a select few.

Thats a load of rubbish. You just have to play competitively. I started out of the same airport at the same time as another airline in this round of Sim2 & i'm lightyears ahead of them. They had every chance to expand as fast.

I'm still able to compete on the same routes as the real heavyweights, even if i'm only a 10th their size. Partnerships also help, I wouldn't be half the size I am now had I not allied with two of the other largest carriers early in this round and i'm very grateful to them for it.

Your gripes about realism, I totally agree with, but don't take that 'us vs. them' attitude, just because you are not doing as well as you would like.

[Kcrwflyer]

If the game was structured properly, by the time you start making real money players would drop small regional aircraft and routes because they become to time consuming to maintain.

What are you talking about? Even in real life, Major airlines fly to TONS of small cities. They are critical in feeding their hubs and normally, because of less competetion, higher yielding routes.

[Africaspotter]

Maybe it is Juan Trippe in disguise?

Felix

[Scott007]

Maybe it is Juan Trippe in disguise?

Felix

I think you're on to something there Felix. I haven't seen any post from him and now out of the blue he decides to spout off about how bad this game is and how it caters to the select few. It smells like Juan, looks like Juan, and more than likely is Juan.

[RyanG]

I'm thrilled that my simple question has gone totally unanswered and that my thread has been turned into a debate about the functionality of the game. I'm simply trying to ask whether this is normal, or if I'm getting royally screwed by something that shouldn't be. Honestly, I don't see how it makes any sense to all of a sudden make a third of the money I was on the same routes with no change in ticket price, load factor, and having no competition on any of the routes I've got.

[Kontio]

I'm thrilled that my simple question has gone totally unanswered and that my thread has been turned into a debate about the functionality of the game. I'm simply trying to ask whether this is normal, or if I'm getting royally screwed by something that shouldn't be. Honestly, I don't see how it makes any sense to all of a sudden make a third of the money I was on the same routes with no change in ticket price, load factor, and having no competition on any of the routes I've got.

The phenomenon you describe is normal and due to bugs in the game. Have you tried "resetting" your routes, meaning that you go to "change ticket price/frequency" but enter the same parameters you already have, click "calculate revenue" and "update route". You should then get the same load factor and profit as before, at least until one of your competitors on the route resets.

[Maestro69]

I have a question that is really bugging me. I'm a newer airline with only the 2 starter planes and 3 routes and I was making about 1,300,000 monthly revenues for a total montly revenue of about 300K. With absolutely no change in anything, including ticket price, load factor, or competition on the routes, my revenues drop to about 400K/month and my total gain/loss is -500,000/month. How does this happen with no change in anything? Very frustrating ya know, its almost like you just can't win.

Its part of the Loadfactor script in the game, which once u enter a route or someone else reprices (adjusts) that route once a new person enters, that everyone's route profit would be affected and thus, see a drop in revenue. Its something part of AE which most players agree on which needs to be fixed and hopefully it will be.

But for the time being, the best u could is just keep a constant eye and reprice it to make sure ur making the most revenue u can.

[Africaspotter]

I'm thrilled that my simple question has gone totally unanswered and that my thread has been turned into a debate about the functionality of the game. I'm simply trying to ask whether this is normal, or if I'm getting royally screwed by something that shouldn't be. Honestly, I don't see how it makes any sense to all of a sudden make a third of the money I was on the same routes with no change in ticket price, load factor, and having no competition on any of the routes I've got.

Hi Ryan,

wasn't about you, but the other player with just one post that wrote the second message in this topic. I had no intention in offending you!

Cheers,

Felix

[RyanG]

You didn't offend me m8, I just asked a question and the topic got side-tracked is all. Its one of those things you walk into a public forum expecting to happen so when it does, you don't get offended. No harm, I got my answer.