PMDG 737 NGX: The View Forward

[ESzczesniak 128]

My bottom line on the "feature list" is that PMDG has rarely, if ever, disappointed and I'm going to leave it up to them. I do have to say that I would like to have seen options to include easy WXR integration ala JS41 style earlier in the game, but that's about all I can come up with at the moment.I will say however that I buy PMDG products for the systems and FDE's. PMDG has really come up with the best of them in VC's with the JS41, but if what I'm looking for is virtual cabins, cargo loaders and other visual gimics I can just as easily get them from a developer like CS (who truthfully has outstanding visual models, just can't compete systems wise).So extras like opening windows would be nice, but please if anything needs to be sacrificed make it something like this and not what PMDG does best...amazing systems and flight model accuracy.Eric Szczesniak

...what about an terrain-radar or the possibility to add other add-on developers weather-radars into the ND of the 737?...

Well, it's not quite a terrain radar, but they have stated that the VSD will function. In the real aircraft this displays your vertical flight profile along with the profile of the underlying terrain. I would assume it would work the same in the simulation if PMDG is going to include this feature. As for the WXR, I don't know if PMDG will repeat prior practice, but they had the option for ready integration of the Reality XP WXR in to the panel of the JS41. This probably was a little easier since Reality XP built their guage off a nearly identical model of WXR and the guage doesn't need to be overlayed on the ND (it's a standalone WXR gauge in the real aircraft). Still, there's hope.

[Guest EightSevenNorth]

Well, it's not quite a terrain radar, but they have stated that the VSD will function. In the real aircraft this displays your vertical flight profile along with the profile of the underlying terrain. I would assume it would work the same in the simulation if PMDG is going to include this feature. As for the WXR, I don't know if PMDG will repeat prior practice, but they had the option for ready integration of the Reality XP WXR in to the panel of the JS41. This probably was a little easier since Reality XP built their guage off a nearly identical model of WXR and the guage doesn't need to be overlayed on the ND (it's a standalone WXR gauge in the real aircraft). Still, there's hope.

I actually think PMDG will include a weather radar as an add-on to the 737NG/B747/MD-11 in the form of their own weather generation program. Just my opinion. :)

[Guest 747-fan]

I'm sorry, but just because someone said 'polygons' above, does everybody need to jump on the bandwagon now and claim 'so and so is a waste of polygons?' The seats and windows are already modelled. It's the models that are made with polygons. Applying an animation to a 3d model does not create polygons, and a moving seat or window is just an animation applied to a 3d object that's already there. The only thing with animations like this is if they add LOADS of extra CLICK SPOTS then it can give a performance hit.

Well I stand corrected. Scratch the word "polygons" with whatever the correct developer term is. I think you did understand what I was on about despite my lack of technical insight. Extra animations and textures and surfaces and whatnot adds to the resource use and system load, don't they? In any case, that was my point. No sense in bogging down computers just because they can. I trust PMDG to make a balanced desicion on this though, they sure have in the past. I'd love to hear an official view on that decision making though.Also, on the Weather radar integrated into the ND - there's already a freeware user mod that lets people do that. I'm positive that PMDG can use a bit of code or inspiration from there, providing of course that the FS9 code is somewhat comparable with the FSX code.

[audiohavoc 24]

I like the CS products, but they just aren't on the same level of quality as PMDG stuff. The PMDG FDE characteristics "feel" much closer to the real thing, and the CS products have no failures, no SDK, and they require too much config editing to function properly. Plus, the PMDG load managers and options menu blow away anything from CS. I will give CS credit for their weather radars, which are a nice feature, and their VC's are very good.Some other things that bug me about my CS aircraft is that there is no FS2Crew compatibility, the 757 and I think the 767 have no ability to set vspeed bugs in the VC (this is something that the old Maddog from Leonardo can do, as well as the ConcordeX), no icing simulations, limited cockpit lighting (the 727 is better than th 757/767), and my 757 and 767 still don't blank out the speed window when under VNAV control. These are all reasons why I believe PMDG is at the top of the game, and why I am waiting with funds on standby for the NGX.

[Ian_Marsh 0]

Absolutely can not wait for this to come out. I am a big fan of the PMDG MD-11 and just love flying it. As for the NGX it looks even better, some of the screenshots look quite amazing. Looking forward to some quality short haul flying with this beauty :( Ian.

[audiohavoc 24]

Absolutely can not wait for this to come out. I am a big fan of the PMDG MD-11 and just love flying it. As for the NGX it looks even better, some of the screenshots look quite amazing. Looking forward to some quality short haul flying with this beauty :( Ian.

Yes the PMDG MD-11 is an absolute joy to fly. If the NGX combines the amazing VC quality from the previews with the same operational quality as the MD-11, this could be, in my opinion, the best aircraft for FSX yet. Right now, I think the PMDG MD-11/747/JS41, the Maddog 2008, and the ConcordeX are the best of the best.

[Ian_Marsh 0]

Yes the PMDG MD-11 is an absolute joy to fly. If the NGX combines the amazing VC quality from the previews with the same operational quality as the MD-11, this could be, in my opinion, the best aircraft for FSX yet. Right now, I think the PMDG MD-11/747/JS41, the Maddog 2008, and the ConcordeX are the best of the best.

Totally agree mate 100% :( Ian.

[WhiteKnight77 0]

OK, I have finally caught up with this thread and all the new teaser pics I have missed over the last couple of months and I just want to say, where is that drooling and the feed the monster smilies? I love the look of the panels with the dust, fingerprints and smudges. Can't wait to see some external shots of this new plane and cant' wait to buy it. Keep up the good work guys.

[MrSpeaker 122]

Not that it matters but I wonder how much these birds are going to cost, 4 quality models Im thinking $120.

[Chock 17,769]

I suspect they will be a bit leery about taking the price tag past the 100 Dollar mark, as that tends to be a bit of a magic barrier where sales decisions are concerned for many customers, and it is possible to actually make more money by volume sales when not crossing such psychological barriers to sales.People are far more likely to pay 99.99 than they are to pay 100.01, even though the difference is two cents. That's just the way things work in sales. It is certainly true that for simmers who really love the 737 (i.e. me for one) will probably happily pay more than 100 bucks for it, but if only hardcore 737 lovers buy it, and more casual types who could potentially be persuaded to buy it, end up backing off from doing so because of a perceived price barrier, then it will not be a commercial success.There is no doubt that the new PMDG will be worth a lot to hard core types, but PMDG will not want to spend four or more years developing a product to have maybe fifty hard core simmers who frequent this thread buy the thing and everyone else say 'too much'. One option they may consider, is to launch it at that kind of price and get money from the people who simply 'have to have it now', then drop the price after that, to attract sales from the less obsessive buyers, but such a policy is risky and can alienate early adopters by causing resentment, so it's a tricky call. I certainly would not want to be the one making that decision.Personally, I'll buy it regardless of what price tag they put on the thing, because I really like the 737NG a lot, but just look at Ariane's NG; I paid nearly 100 for that (and that's UK Sterling, it was way over 100 bucks), but do you own it?Al

[thefsxflyer 1]

I am thinking they won't go past 80$ Going past 100 would make me consider.

[Guest ronhamilton]

I am thinking they won't go past 80$ Going past 100 would make me consider.

Yes...$100 does seem rather expensive for an airplane. It will probably be my first FSX Purchase of that amount, very well it looks like it may be worth it.

[WestAir 2,522]

I didn't get the Ariane 737 not due to its negative reviews but due to its pricetag. $120 is insane for a PC Sim. A lot more than what it would cost to just go to United and buy a 737 CBT program.That said, PMDG has a way of marketing smart. Given the past as evidence, I'm sure they'll be pretty reasonable when it comes to a pricetag.Ken Smith

[EmiloZ 1]

I didn't get the Ariane 737 not due to its negative reviews but due to its pricetag. $120 is insane for a PC Sim. A lot more than what it would cost to just go to United and buy a 737 CBT program.That said, PMDG has a way of marketing smart. Given the past as evidence, I'm sure they'll be pretty reasonable when it comes to a pricetag.Ken Smith

The Ariane is actually working pretty well, but a freaking frame eater and the price is insane, its FMC is really bad simulated but its flying dynamic is good ^^ And $120 for that one where you could buy PMDG 747X and MD-11X.. And they are even more realistic

[shafs 0]

well i paid the big money for the Ariane 737 and was not happy at all with it .but we will just have to wait and see. and if its anything like the MD11 it will be worth every cent.