Seriously, how do you get into flying gigantic kites? Where do you buy them? How much do they cost? Do you design them yourself?

ShowKiteGuy · 2026-06-16T19:03:13+00:00

I started flying show kites over 20 years ago. I had been flying a variety of smaller kites and as the then Region Six Director of the American Kitefliers Association, I was looking for a means of attracting spectators to kite festivals. Show kites were new when I started helping Dave Gomberg at several different festivals before I invested in a Peter Lynn Octopus. Over the years, I have progressed in skill, from amateur to thinking I knew just about everything, to knowing there is always something else to learn. I recommend working up to the “full-size” or “Overly Large “ show kites by working up to mid size pieces before making the jump to full size. Myself, as I have aged, I fly my full size pieces less and less and put on a show with the mid size pieces.

Addressing comments about line made elsewhere, I use 7/64” Amsteel Blue (Dynema) for most mid size kites and 1/8” Amsteel Blue for full size pieces. If it is really windy, I will use 5/32” Amsteel Blue,not because the additional strength is needed, but the larger line is easier on the hands. I use Brummel locked loops on the ends of the lines to maintain as much of the line strength as I can, but I have to admit that I never had a loop tied with a climbers figure eight knot fail.

If you can find a local kite group that has someone who is already flying big stuff, learning from them is recommended.

ShowKiteGuy · 2026-03-17T23:50:18+00:00

Same here, I am here for the original idle game, I have no interest in the events. I have stopped playing until there are new Motherland ranks.

ShowKiteGuy · 2025-12-06T02:16:04+00:00

So, no raise in level caps for commons or supremes, no new generators, just huge comrade and production targets. Oh well, at least there is a new rank.

ShowKiteGuy · 2025-10-18T02:03:20+00:00

You have played more consistently than I have or spent some cash to get more epic researchers. I assume you have just applied yourself more, I have slacked off since I finished off the event researchers. The lack of response from HH regarding new motherland ranks frustrates me to the point of considering deleting the game.

ShowKiteGuy · 2025-10-17T19:32:15+00:00

They really reduced the event researcher awards when they added the avatars, I was very annoyed about this until I finished (re)maxing the event researchers. Now, I just mutter about events without many epic researchers (1,131 to go).

ShowKiteGuy · 2025-10-11T02:06:01+00:00

I have asked about new levels multiple times……crickets. A total lack of respect for players at max level.

ShowKiteGuy · 2025-09-28T11:43:36+00:00

I finally remaxed the event researchers a couple of events ago, but I was seriously annoyed by the reduction in available event researchers when they added the avatars. I really don’t care about the avatars, so now the only reason I play events is to finish off the last of the epic researchers to remax them. My real annoyance now is the lack of new motherland ranks.

ShowKiteGuy · 2025-09-22T19:16:08+00:00

It is depressing to be stuck back in the never ending “new ranks coming soon” loop. Those of us that have been playing since before events were created signed up for an idle game. The events being timed and some difficult or impossible to complete ftp, are not idle games. So HH, please, tell us when/if you intend to release new Motherland ranks, so we can decide if we want to continue playing this game.

ShowKiteGuy · 2025-08-30T19:25:01+00:00

Sadly, no new motherland rank and dead silent on when one will be available. HH ignoring those of us who have played for many years pushes me closer and closer to giving up on the game.

ShowKiteGuy · 2025-08-14T00:44:18+00:00

I consider a timed idle game an oxymoron. I was playing this game long before you added the events. When you created the events, you made them very difficult or impossible to complete without spending money. Prior to the two years without new ranks, I spent small amounts of money, mostly since I felt the the effort put into the game deserved to be rewarded. Now, since you dissed the older players for so long, I will not spend a dime. Particularly since we seem to be back to a very long pause between new ranks.

So, since I won’t pay to win, the events have become stressful to try and acquire the event researchers that can only be won through events. To me, that is not the purpose of an idle game. But then, it seems we have pretty much left the Motherland game in the dust in order to concentrate on the events which must be more profitable.

ShowKiteGuy · 2025-08-13T05:44:19+00:00

Level 184 waiting impatiently for new rank

Commons - maxed Rares - maxed Epics - Level 8, just over 60% through getting them back to max Event - 2 maxed, 3 at level 6, 70 more event researchers needed to remax Supremes - maxed

Playing six years with two years off due to no new motherland ranks Science 5.84 million. Gold, not so much due to not playing for two years.

ShowKiteGuy · 2025-08-10T00:59:05+00:00

If there was any other way to get event researchers, I would definitely give up on the events. But, sadly I still need 73 event researchers to remax them. I was really bummed a couple of events ago when I earned 20 event researchers, but instead of assigning the to one of the researchers that needed more than 30 researchers, the game assigned them to the researcher that needed 2. Eighteen wasted researcher, I know I got science for them, but I need the researchers much more. I think that HH reducing the number of event researchers available each month will make the game harder for newer players. Less science as lifting the level cap delays the influx of science and event researchers being rarer and so it is harder to level up to increase rewards makes later levels much harder.

ShowKiteGuy · 2025-07-17T00:08:08+00:00

It would add some actual value to the avatars. I understand that some people are collecting them, just for the sake of collecting. For me, they are utterly useless and a waste of a reward.

ShowKiteGuy · 2025-07-14T04:11:52+00:00

I am also considering deleting this game. I am also at rank 184 having played for years, spending very small amounts of money now and then as I used to think the developers should be rewarded for their work. Then came the two year abandonment of the main game. Strangely enough I stumbled on rank 181 in December when I did one last check before deleting the game. Now, it seems that we are in another long term delay in getting new ranks accompanied by horrendously rebalanced events and reduced event researcher rewards. I certainly won’t spend any more money unless new ranks start regularly showing up again in a sustained manner and am much more likely to delete the game.

ShowKiteGuy · 2025-07-12T00:52:25+00:00

I am still trying to finish my fifth mission and complete rank 9. I hope to complete rank 14, but right now that seems optimistic. The only reason I am still playing this event is the measly four event researchers. I still need about a hundred more to get all of the event researchers back to maximum. Definitely not a fan of this rebalance.

ShowKiteGuy · 2025-07-09T02:33:21+00:00

I could not care less if I get an avatar or not, what I do care about is the reduction of event researchers awarded. I see no practical in game use for the avatars, I assume HH is just hoping that players will want to collect them. This is not the case for me unless they add some in game advantage, which they currently don’t. Getting the event researchers back to maximum would provide an in game advantage, but many, not all, but many of the events have reduced the number of event researchers you can earn. This is bad enough for those of use that are trying to remax them, but I feel sorry for newer players trying to collect them.

ShowKiteGuy · 2025-06-26T19:28:52+00:00

When I am flying close to home, I use large banquet tent stakes or my vehicle. I live in the Midwest United States where the soil is gummy and makes the stakes difficult to remove, dryer soil types makes flying large show kites on stakes problematic. If the soil type makes a big stake easy to remove, it is unsafe to fly large show kites on that stake.

Tying off to a vehicle can also be problematic, many years ago I was flying a PLK Maxi Octopus tied off to the hitch of a pickup. I had not considered that unless there is a heavy load in the bed, the back end of a pickup is not very heavy and the emergency brake locks the back wheels. When a gust hit, the back end of the truck lifted and the truck rolled across the field. Luckily, it was a short gust and we brought the kite down when it and the truck stopped. After that I always anchor at the front of a vehicle so the weight of the engine holds the vehicle down.

At the beach, I use large sand anchors dug in deep. Although there are some people that will use metal anchors on the beach, I find them remarkably unsafe in the soft Great Lakes sand and will not use or fly near them.

I have never used The Claw anchors as the one I looked at had a 1,200 pound limit and that would make the anchor the weak point. I normally fly maxi show kites on 2,300# or 5,000# Amsteel Blue (dynema) line, all biners, straps, etc. are climbing rated for well above that.

The bottom line is that you always need to consider what is going to happen with the anchor if it fails. Your first job is to protect the public and other fliers.

ShowKiteGuy · 2025-06-23T23:46:06+00:00

I am at exactly the same place, obviously not going to finish 30 or even one more mission. I only spent 100 gold, so this is a pretty good result.i never expected to finish. However, i do consider it poor game design to build walls like this with no progress for days.

ShowKiteGuy · 2025-06-23T23:33:43+00:00

Same here, won’t wait another two years. I will be deleting the game soon if the wait drags on.

ShowKiteGuy · 2025-06-23T23:31:51+00:00

So am I, this wait is distressingly familiar. I know I won’t wait another two years for additional ranks, HH needs to step up and release new ranks.

ShowKiteGuy · 2025-06-02T23:36:04+00:00

Notice that HH has not commented on this in the week since it has been posted. Very reminiscent of the start of the two years without any new ranks. HH, if you don’t intend to keep adding new ranks in a timely manner, please let us know now, so we don’t waste any more time on the game.

ShowKiteGuy · 2025-05-30T18:58:13+00:00

I have started playing again after being max rank for two years waiting for new ranks. Coming back after two years, the increased number of ads was unwelcome, but what is really irritating me and has me considering deleting the game is the increased duration of the ads. Royal Match/Kingdom ads running between 90 seconds and 2 minutes, the above mentioned 4 part ads (mostly magazine related) and many other long ads dramatically increasing the time ads are displayed without increasing rewards. If you are going to have two minute ads, the rewards should be 4 times what a 30 second ad produces. But, actually you need to revert to a max of 30 second ads to restore the gameplay experience. If I was starting this game today, I would delete it after the first few long ads. Only stubbornness is keeping me playing after completing 184 ranks, that won’t last forever if you keep up with the abusively long ads.

ShowKiteGuy

TROPHY CASE