On behalf of FFX: An explanation and an apology.

[Guest Daniel Pimentel]

Hello folks:I am carrying a message from Erick Cantu regarding the recent happenings in here and the screenshot forum. Here goes:"Hullo guys...:-)I'd post this myself but for reasons a few of you may remember I can't, so I decided to send this along to Daniel.The wings of the -10 are shorter, actually, Mike didn't even need to stage anything to show it - drop the lights config from the -30 into the -10 and that would do it. And he didn't need to target anyone - and I do apologize for anything my DC-10 has caused, however, I think everyone on either side of it needs to calm down...it's a DC-10 wing, not a thermonuclear warhead. Besides, if anyone's going to complain about it, it should be me, as I had to shorten it and retexture it and then copy and flip it along with all the parts attached to the ends...;-)Anyway, I hope this settles the issue once and for all, and if it doesn't outstep my bounds, I'd like to ask John to reconsider leaving. Mike may be a bear to put up with, but it's no reason to leave the forums....besides. You haven't seen the half of it. You don't work under his microscope - ask any of us, that's worse.Also - I would like to address some comments made in a recently locked thread which really offend me, and which were very rude and for lack of a better word, hurtful. I don't like being called an arrogant SOB, or even if someone hints at it. Especially since I try my hardest to work to be the opposite - I always respond to feedback personally when I can (sorry if I can't here, but I screwed up years ago and I won't deny it), I try to solve problems with minimum of arrogance (hell, I've even redesigned and added entire components upon requests from users). Jon is the same way and most of the time so is the rest of the team. Mike is quite a bit older than many people around here, and through the years he's put up with not only me and Jon, but also the airlines (mind you, he's an ex-EAL mechanic)and loads of BS from people in the FS community who choose to bash his work, send personal threats and public verbal abuse without much of a real case. For those of you who don't know, because he doesn't run around making sure everyone knows it, Mike has worked harder than anyone on the DC-10. He got most of the references to me, worked extensively before model production even began to address issues that would come up later, drew up complex diagrams showing how things would be done, figuring out the limits of what we could do with lights, listing features he thought you people would enjoy, and during production checked out every single one of my errors and figuted out precisely what was needed to fix them with minimum work for myself, made several different FDE's for every DC-10 (no small task), and after the model was done made the master paint kit from scratch (only to be accused of stealing it), made sure everyone knew how to use it, organized the paints to be released with the models, and handled the release from packaging to posting notices.I think he deserves a little credit too.I also think he can calm down a bit, but, since he won't....people need to deal with it and take it with a grain of salt. Bickering about Mike is silly - go fly the DC-10. We worked hard so people would enjoy it, not bicker over Mike's overzealousness.Also, I'm really offended at the overusage of the term 'allnodesbusy.com'. That's just silly. Nels works his bum off to make sure the site is always running, and pays for the whole bloody thing out of his own pocket for you chaps - I see people bashing someone who does more for us than ANYONE else ANYWHERE and that just makes me angry - if you want to talk arrogance, look at some of the comments directed toward Nels and flightsim.com, and then see the response you get from Nels, who to my knowledge, has always been kind and completely unarrogant to even the worst naysayers. People, please, I beg of you - stop bickering, and go fly. Neither sim site is better, the DC-10-10's wings are shorter than the -30's, and we're not arrogant SOB's - think things through for a while, it's not worth it to argue. Go have fun, please. If you need an idea, I suggest hou_2k.zip with realairportsfixes.zip (place realairportsfixes.zip in a seperate scenery folder and higher priority in the scenery library, it makes the taxiways appear, though for a separate addon oddly). Download Bill's ERJ panel and one of Nick's CO ERJ's, and fly around. It's loads of fun, I've been doing that for a few days. If anyone has any further questions, my email is erick@sgair.net and my MSN is nwva0670@hotmail.com, though, I am preparing to move so answers may be delayed."Hope this helps clarify some stuff.Sincerely,[a href=http://sgair.net" target="_blank]http://sgair.net/mike/banners/daniel_small.jpg [/a]Click the Banner to visit the FFX Website.

[John_Cillis 2,406]

I appreciate the response, and by no means do I want Erick or yourself to feel my comments apply to you. But I haven't cooled off enough to refute my comments directed at the individual in question.I work under pressure and deadlines too, am fairly old (compared to the rest of the bunch here), and have had people make mistakes under my watch (as I did with with my own comments vs. the DC-10 today).I don't attempt to destroy their self esteem--and I've had new MCSE's reboot production servers because that's what the installation wizard told them to do. Except, it was during production hours :) God forbid I had posted on the Usenet and said "look how wrong Pete (name changed to protect the newly MCSE'd) was for rebooting the server" FFX is a huge contributor to the community. And, FFX listens. Most designers diss wing views, FFX includes them, but I know Erick originally didn't. He's changed and evolved over time, even if it means it's not in agreement with his original artistic expression.I have a great post of an AA DC-10 in flight, and I'll have to post comparison shots, just to show how real FFX has gotten it. There is no better DC-10, period. -JohnBTW, I use "allnodesbusy.com" with affection. If I didn't like the place, I wouldn't let my work get posted there.:-beerchug

[Guest]

John, at no time was my post meant to embarass you or hurt you in any way. I took no offense to your questions of the model in the other post and my reply was intended as fun only. You had stated that the wings were shorter, I replied with the facts and posted a screenshot to prove my claim. And as for the wording of the post or that which was contained within it, even if it was misunderstood or misconcepted, it was written with the intent of getting you to laugh at it.I don't know what happened in the time since that post, because I was away from my computer all afternoon. I'm just now receiving numerous IM's about the "incident". John, I've always treated you well on here and have never questioned anyhting. The fact that I don't always reply to your posts regarding FFX/SGA products does not mean that I do not look or that I do not care or that I dislike them. I am extremely busy and I am incapable of even responding to all of our own group members posts although I do try. If I don't reply on the forum, I at least make an effort to IM the individual and pass on the "kudo's" to them there.I am sorry that you took this all out of proportion and I hope that you reconsider your decision to leave Avsim. Again, my reply was not intended to harm you in any way, it was done to answer a question and prove a point in a fun sort of way (regarding wording). If I hadn't done what I did as far as posting a screenshot, you've been here long enough, and you know what happens when questions of anything come up regarding anyones product; people start scrambling to the product in question and break out their virtual FS microscopes and start dissecting it. Then the numerous posts follow, this is wrong, that is wrong and "yeah, I found the same problem... what are you gonna do about it?" I guarentee and assure you, after you made the claim over the wing issue, a few hundred people loaded up their FS and checked for themselves. 50% of them saw what you saw, and 50% of them saw what I saw. It's the 50% that saw it your way that I have to stop in their tracks before they flood the forums and our emails with claims that our models were flawed or they were crappy designs (much worse words were and have been used).Since our re-formation at the beginning of the year and our subsequent growth, we have been the target of hundreds of people that bash us daily either here on the forums or, mostly in the IM's and emails. If I saved every email and every transcrpit, it would flood this forum alone. If you had to be on the defensive every waking day because a few hundred people were out to attack you (even some other major design groups mind you), you would be in the same shape I am constantly in. Our beta shots hadn't been up a few hours before the cieling began to cave in and the flaming began. And it's my job to run defense and assume crowd control duties. Us "old timers" are far and few these days in the community and you yourself know this to be true. The community is dominated by mostly the younger generation, and some of them still need a few years of growing up. I think you know what I mean and won't take it any further than that.We are entitled to clarify issues, whether it be by me or another member of the group to "set the record straight". When questions come up regarding our products, you know that we try to answer each one, and if it's a justifiable issue, we try to help fix it the best way we can at the time. But unwarranted claims come up simply because so many here do not have all the facts before them. And you know, as I mentioned above, when the unwarranted ones come, the servers start seeing major action, and it always ends up the worse way.Please reconsider you decision. And I look forward to hearing from you soon. Take a few days away from this and lets start all over. Feel free to email me if you wish. My email is available in our files.Mikehttp://sgair.net/mike/mike/mike_small.jpg

[Guest HeavyFan]

I agree 100% guy's! You FFX Guy's work extremely hard, And i Love the Enw DC-10's you guy's just put out, and Can't wait for the L-1011 to come out from you guy's somewhere down the line! I think It's kinda Ridiulous to fight over Wing Dimesions on if it's shorter on the other or longer! LOL, Sounds pretty funny to me, What does that half to do with flying the Plane?? I don't think all simmers fly the plane and inspect how long or short the Planes wings are! I am just so Happy that there is a G-Max DC-10 for FS2004 coming up! And I love Wing Views!!-:) So Please People stop nitpicking on Minor stuff on this Fabulos DC-10 and let's enjoy all thier hArd FREE Work they put into this! Man thats why i see alot off Freewqare guy's leaving, SHutting down etc...... from all these rude or bashing e-mail's to freeware guy's!-:( I also know for a Fact that the FFX DC-10-10 Wings are shorter than the other, because I added FS2002 Style Strobe to the DC-10-30's and 40 series, and when i put then into the DC-10-10 Series CFG File. I had to adjust the light's to the Shorter DC-10-10 series wings! So there's Proof to everyone concerned about this issue about the DC-10-10 wings are SHORTER!! -:) Sp lets all enjoy FFX's Work on the Dc-10's! I am going to fly it right now! Thank's for all the hard work FFX Guy's! MIKE-:) -:)

[Guest pez_man]

I was really sorry to see two very renowned and respected fs-profiles clashing together over some misunderstanding like this, and I really hope everything turns out well now! :-wave fredrikBTW, thanks for the wonderful DC!