FS "moon"

[victorwest2 0]

I'm undecided whether this is a marvelous add on (not that I would buy it anyway) or a very strange way of getting more money out of us!http://www.terrabuilder.com/FlashWeb2/index.htmlIt seems to turn the entire world into a moonscape. Hmmmm....interesting. Well at least nobody can say they got the scenery wrong! :-lol

[Ray Proudfoot 8,903]

Only a lunar-tic would buy that.:-lolI'll get my coat. ;-)

[G-SWSM 1]

Actualy, the second crater on the back - left in screen shon No9 is smaller than in real life . . . . .:( I'm off to join Ray in the cloak room

[out 769]

Yeah, I imagine taking one of my collected payware aircraft, programming FMC, launching ActiveSky and connecting to VATSIM to ask for clearance to Tycho de Brahe...Best regards,Rafal

[EngineRoom 205]

We are proud to announce our new scenery Precision Ultimate Mega Super Terrain Lunar Edition 2008, this ground breaking new product has the following features:- Accurate mesh showing every crater down to 10m in diameter!- This scenery is so detailed you can even see our own planet!- Accurate landclass data ensuring our Lunar scenery has absolutely no forests, agricultural land or urban areas!- No airports!- No autogen!- No weather!- No seasons!- No night lighting!- New photorealistic ground textures showing every shade of grey found on the real Lunar surface!- Historical AI traffic featuring US Astronauts, with optional AI featuring Chinese Astronauts in the near future!This scenery was created with data gathered from telescopes and lunar probes and has taken our highly talented team of developers many months to create.FS9 & FSX versions now available for $89.99!Buy one version, get the other version at a 1% discount!As a bonus to our loyal customers we will also include an update for the FS9 version featuring enhancements and bug fixes - this will only be available to customers of the FSX edition.

[TheDanger 182]

>As a bonus to our loyal customers we will also include an>update for the FS9 version featuring enhancements and bug>fixes - this will only be available to customers of the FSX>edition.This made me laugh, and yet so true!

[Guest Wayne Smith]

Well, I think FS Moon sounds like a very imaginative and interesting product concept. I especially liked the design of the moon bases, which seemed to be taken directly from what I remembered from the movie "2001 Space Oddessy." I wish that there was more than one vehicle, and maybe there could be autogen style traffic around the bases, and en route. I'd also love to see the landing pad at the base go underground on an elevator, like in the movie!

[out 769]

>As a bonus to our loyal customers we will also include an>update for the FS9 version featuring enhancements and bug>fixes - this will only be available to customers of the FSX>edition.LOL! You bet I've seen it somewhere, maybe these manufacturers share common marketing specialists ;)I can see common future for them, too.Best regards,Rafal

[Guest GeorgeDorkofikis]

I think they more closely resemble the Space 1999 series of the 60'sNow, if they had done them like that and included some Eagles, then I may would consider it... It was one my favorite series as a kid.George DorkofikisAthens, Hellashttp://online.vatsimindicators.net/811520/1704.png

[Cruachan 705]

Hi,Well, judging by the number of views (556 over 3 days) there is clearly a healthy curiosity in this unusual and probably unique addon for FS2004. I am assuming the few smart alec responses are from those who have not yet taken the plunge, preferring instead to knock the product without first trying it out for themselves.I, on the other hand, have taken that plunge (I was probably one of the first) and currently am finding it to be quite fascinating and, once you've figured out how to use the MFD and got the hang of controlling the MoonHopper, it really is quite a lot of fun.First let's get the name right. It is called TerraBuilder: Moon and is being marketed by TerraBuilder as an addon for FS2004. It is not a freestanding sim, but relies on the FS2004 engine for it to function. Consequently there are some obvious problems such as trying to model the surface of the moon onto a planetary body many times its size. Then there is the helicopter flight model which, with adjustments, is used to simulate the rocket reaction flight of the MoonHopper in a lunar environment. I found that this was only really flyable if the aircraft realism settings were set to 'Easy' in FS2004. However, there is still a tendency for the MH to go into an unrecoverable dive, so it's also worth switching off crash detection to avoid having to restart from the beginning. One thing to remember is that once you achieve your desired velocity you can back off somewhat on the throttle/thruster and she just keeps going, but watch your altitude!I don't want to turn this into a mini review, so I'll wind up by saying that anyone who purchases this product must bear in mind that this should really be regarded as the base package with the promise of much more to come. I have been in touch with Misho Katulic, the author of TBM and other scenery enhancement tools for FS, and his enthusiasm for this project is all too evident. I believe a version for FSX is also in the making and work is in progress to add a MoonBus and MoonRover as well as providing higher resolution lunar textures and ironing out some of the issues presently being experienced in the TBM base package. This is definitely a sim with a difference. There is a lot to discover and, with patience, the rewards will come.One last point: A configuration tool is provided to allow you to switch between FS9 and TB: Moon. Your FS9 installation remains intact and protected.Mike

[Guest Neil_Hill]

Hi MikeThank you for your serious assessment of this product. I am very interested in it but since it's kind of pricey I've been looking for some user feedback. Is there a forum in use for it? The one on their website didn't seem to work, and here at Avsim there is a Terrabuilder forum but very little on this product. If it gets off the ground and attracts some good addon's I think it would be a very interesting program.

[Guest Neil_Hill]

Just me again,I went back to the TerraBuilder website and tried "forum" again. After removing my Mozilla "popup" blocker I found it brings up Avsim's TerraBuilder forum site. So I made a post there to see if I can scare up some additional comments. I would really like to see this product "get off the ground", pun intended.

[Cruachan 705]

Hi Neil,"I would really like to see this product "get off the ground"Good for you! I have an interest in astronomy as a hobby, so when TBM finally appeared (I gather it has been 2 years in the making) I leapt for my credit card to get it on my HD ASAP ;)There could be many reasons why we are not seeing much constructive reaction to TBM on the forums. However, I suspect, as you yourself indicated, that the purchase price may be the main obstacle and is deterring many to give it a try. If this is in fact the case, then it is a pity, for it is clear that much careful effort has been invested by the author in developing this addon. Perhaps it would have been better to offer it as a 'try-before-you-buy' item with certain restrictions or a time limiter built in.There is no doubt in my mind that this project deserves to succeed. The fact that this can be done at all via an existing simulator opens the door to all sorts of possibilities (TB: Mars?). It won't be long before high resolution elevation data is available for both bodies and this would be a relatively cheap way of allowing their vicarious exploration.It's still early days, but I hope Misho does get the support he deserves. This is an author who deserves our encouragement to continue the development of his worthy product.Cheers!Mike

[Guest Neil_Hill]

Thanks Mike,Misho would have my money already if it was $39.95. I'm retired so money is fairly scarce. Maybe someone could convince him to try a 3 month startup rate of $39.95 in order to get a base of users going. I also have been interested in astronomy/rocketry all my life. A couple of things I would like to see is the user as an astronaut and a small wearable rocketpack for exploration away from the moon vehicle. I'm going back to the TerraBuilder forum and see if I have generated any comments. Have a great day. Neil

[Cruachan 705]

Hi,Misho has posted at last:http://forums.avsim.net/dcboard.php?az=sho...g_id=2289&page=Worth reading and despite the fact that this is intended as a fun simulation rather than an attempt to depict the actual moon's surface features accurately - not possible at present - it remains an exciting development nevertheless. It may be that much more can be achieved in the FSX version.I suggest that any further postings on this subject be made in the above thread on the TerraBuilder forum here at Avsim. Mike