Doctor Mister Captain Jim,You're being like the Pharoah to us, and we're, you know, those people who couldn't get the inflight weather cloudsex they knew the Pharoah was holding back on. There are a lot of people out here who are f'in salivating over these real time clouds that we're about to meet: laugh all you want but it's a big deal for some of us and we're frickin freaking out already. In a recent post I read July release and I threw a rod.JULY! ? Are you Kidding? We'll all be dead or flying in Southern California, resigned and given up on the combination live-weather candy store and Corbis quality cloud sex that many of us have seen before. That FS Sky World was like a real time 3D Playboy magazine to a lot of us: we knew it wasn't real, and there were others that showed more close up icky dirt, but in the end nothing topped a well airbrushed properly deployed Playboy lady. To weather freaks that's what those clouds were like. Pure sex. Kind, warm, and good looking too.Call me crazy but an FS2004 cloud that comes and goes as a real one might, and is believeable, thick and random like a real cloud: to me that is pure sex; flight simulator sex, but yes, to me, it is the coolest thing I have ever seen. Of course then conversely bad clouds and bad transitions are bad and they suck more than just by their own sucking but for trying to pass themselves off as clouds worthy of the full on thicky thick white beef of those FS Sky World clouds.Do you pilots all remember that? I flew at dusk and dawn for six months straight because I just couldn't get enough of that sharp brightened bright gleam of pure sun, but so perfectly occluded by the perfectly feathered, buoyant grey-glistening cloud meat thickening the sky.Tonight my wife said "you're a cloud **" because I keep going on about FS Sky World and the practically pornographic (screen) shots I got with those sweet puffy babies: some people have porn, I have a well mixed sky that stays thick where the weather is and lets me take proper, well appointed, wonderfully photogenic risks with my aircraft. In the end, all I want is a bad weather day, a well thought out incredibly dangerous thing to do with the aircraft and a good frame rate.At least please start taking our money so we can feel that, you know, the babe is in the building: because I'm checking the site every day and I cannot wait til July without doing something drastic.Some screenshots, maybe? Best route would be to get me a beta and see if it's, you know, still a cool program and all.....PLEASE.Thank you for your cooperation in this matter.Our Souls.Peter CartwrightBurlington, Vermont May 2005

Hi Peter,LOLTry to keep things clean OK!! AVSIM is a family place, but I am not too sure how many young kids visit us! Better safe than sorry!!I never said July!! I said an arms length away. (I have short arms, hint hint).Got all the testers we need!!Keep setting those pennies aside!!Hope this helps,JimActiveSky Sales and Supporthttp://www.hifisim.com/images/as2004proudsupporter.jpg

How will AS V fit in with the new Flight Environment product, there obviously overlap with Chris' product.Will FE have to be removed/disabled for AS V to run properly?-~~~~~~~~~Orest Skrypuchwww.united-virtual.comUAL1445 Staff ORDFO

Hi,Any common textures will be overwritten by the last program run.Hope this helps,JimActiveSky Sales and Supporthttp://www.hifisim.com/images/as2004proudsupporter.jpg

I am realy wanting to buy your product but with the announcement of ASV I am very disappointed to hear that if I were to purchase now that I would also have to pay for an upgrade to ASV...This policy is enough to turn me off purchasing your product altogether...The dilemma... Buy AS4.5 now, and then in a few weeks have to spend hard earned money to get ASV... Then on top of that FS2006 is just around the corner, which of course ASV won't be compatible with, as FS has upgraded the WX engine in every version of the sim that has been released (bar FS1.0 to 2.0, and possibly 3.0 to 4.0)... Which means more $$$ for another upgrade...I do think you are not doing anyone a favor who is considering purchasing your product now, but can't because of the risk of money down the drain...Come on guys, you should make it so that anyone who purchases AS4.5 as of this day should get the free upgrade to 5.0...As for having '2 products' that sounds like balogne to me... You can only use one or the other, it's not like you can have the two products installed...Right now you're losing business because of this policy and numerous potential customers such as me are getting a bad feeling about your product and business as a result of unfair business practices... When I buy an Apple computer, or operating system and they know the new version is a few weeks away, they provide a free upgrade to the new OS... It is only fair that way... I do think you have an ethical issue on your hands... That anyone who has purchased AS4.5 after your AS5 announcement should be provided with a free upgrade...Please thoughtfully consider the amount of business you are losing right now (and you are losing business) because of this unfair policy... Imagine if you were in the shoes of someone considering buying your product as of this moment.... How would you feel about it?(edit) Also a heads up, you might actually be risking getting yourselves in trouble with consumer affairs and advocacy groups. They don't tend to look favorably upon such policies. I'm sure the last thing you want is to be cited... Just giving you a friendly heads up as a business about your policy... It could potentially be seen as consumer fraud in the eyes of the law... You might want to take a look at the issue from a legal standpoint a little closer and make sure your butts are covered... As the issue stands right now, anyone who has already purchased your product, post AS5 announcement, has every legal right to file a complaint with consumer watchdog groups... I'd highly recommend making sure you're not exposing yourselves legally because of this upgrade policy...

Hi,I do not wish to argue with you, but there are a number of things that need to be addressed:1. ASV is not an upgrade to AS2004.5. ASV is a brand new program with many new and exciting features. Since day one, any updates for existing products have been free.2. The delemma: We announced ASV far enough in advance to allow customers to make their own decision on whether to purchase or wait. The flip side would have been to not say anything about ASV and then surprize EVERYONE with the new product. Wouldn't that of been great?3. We will offer every owner of AS2004.5 a discount on ASV. We also like to reward customers who have supported us for a long period of time.4. FS2006 is not just around the corner and please don't try to suggest that ASV will not be compatible, we don't know yet, and will state such. However, from our history with FS2002-FS2004 we did update ASwxRE to run with FS2004, and we did it for FREE.5. FS users are still purchasing AS2004.5, even after writing to us about ASV. We are honest about where we are at, and we allow them to make their own decision.6. Legally we are just fine, thanks.Hope this helps,JimActiveSky Sales and Supporthttp://www.hifisim.com/images/as2004proudsupporter.jpg

Wow! What an big pile of bunk. The Activesky folks provide a great product and great support. As Jim stated AS V is a completely new product, not a patch or upgrade. If I choose to buy a 2005 model car just before the 2006 model is release should I expect the car dealer to just hand over the 2006 model when it comes in? It was my choice to buy now instead of waiting.I consider it great that they are offering existing customers a deal on the new Activesky when it's released.

Keep up the great work. I can't wait for flight simulator 2015 either but until then for my enjoyment i bought fs9 (fs 2004) :0 This way i can still fly and not wait around.

AAMEN, good analogy!! missed some of the previous posts, anybody know the cost and timing on the version 5?? D Leonard

Hi,Costs not finalized yet.Timing is in a short while.Hope this helps,JimActiveSky Sales and Supporthttp://www.hifisim.com/images/as2004proudsupporter.jpg

Apple brought out OSX which was a completely new Operating System based on Unix and gave everyone who purchased either OS9 or a computer with it installed, they gave *free* upgrades to all the recent buyers. It was a complete new rewrite of the OS from the ground up.Obviously you guys are not as good or as professional as Apple.I am quite stunned at the arrogance with which you are treating this issue.In short I don't think I will buy your product anymore because your attitude seems to be Scr*w You towards people like me who might be considering buying your program and who want it now but who don't want to be swindled!Think about it, I've either got to wait to get Active Sky, or I have to drop hard earned cash and lose it in a couple of weeks because I'm forced to pay an upgrade price.I want to use active sky now, but I do not want to have to pay for software that will be replaced in 2 weeks.You shold be selling Active Sky to new buyers with a free upgrade to AS5 when it comes out as you are forcing people to live without your product.Not only will you generate new sales, you'll be helping to fund the new version and help you guys pay your bills.Stop for a minute and seriously think about your customers!Smart business practices would be to pre-sell the new version, while also offering people who want AS5 now a way to have your product...You're not a very good sales manager mate, you're turning people away... I thought you were meant to be helping make sales not lose them.

Hi,I said before that I wasn't going to argue with you and I will not!Hope this helps,JimActiveSky Sales and Supporthttp://www.hifisim.com/images/as2004proudsupporter.jpg

I'll be number one in line to purchase the new product along with many others. The tech support here is unparalled and I love AS!

Hi flightsimstudiosI never try to get involved in discussions like yours. We all have our own opinion and I feel I have to state mine now. Some people like to have it all. That is possible, but having it all has it's price. If you desperately want a current version of a product - KNOWING a completely new version will be released soon - then go for it and buy the current. You can upgrade at an upgrade price to the new version later. I too have a limited budget so I have a choice: buy AS2004.5 now AND pay for an update later. Or hold on (and don't get it all now) and buy the ASV package when it's released. It's as simple as that. HiFi-sim has always been clear about this. The moment ASV was announced, the choice was yours: buy current or wait. I think that is a very fair policy and HiFi-sim has all rights to do it their way. HiFi-sim patches/fixes are free of charge, while completely new releases can be bought at an upgrade price. I'm afraid you just have to learn to live with that...Kind regards! :-wave

Funny how in every project, by every developer there are a handful of customers like this. They are a small, often vocal bunch and they do not represent the majority of your customers. But, they can get under your skin.