In addition to the SPs for FSX, Acceleration might be thought of as FS Ten and a half. That's certainly the way I regard it.Al

Bill, thanks for posting this.  I think there is a significant amount of detail in this latest issue.  Certainly significant in comparison to someone's comment of 'nothing new' in my earlier thread.  I think this article has confirmed countered quiet a few doubts.Jim - you have said many times yourself, that  'we - the forum users/posters' are not the MS' target market for Flight.  Why then would MS care one hoot  if we threw a strop because we couldn't use our FSX Carenado 182 in Flight.  And it would only be a subset of the hardcore sim  user group who may not purchase Flight for this reason.  MS have clearly said they are targeting a much larger mass market with their integrated one-stop shop addon store.  Our backward compatibility, although much desired, can't be at the top of the priority list. Erich

agreed ....

So far I think I did OK trying to put pieces of this puzzle together as with other members here and if I keep placing pieces of this puzzle where I think they should go there is no way in hell we will be able to use our FSX addons with Flight, keep asking yourself if that make sense for MS and the developpers to let us do that, to them we are their piggy bank.MS said that a store will be up and running for us to buy addons as they can't do everything.... and you all thing (maybe not all) that the developpers will invest money in new addons for Flight and at the same time they will let us download our addons for FSX in Flight...who ever think that may want to buy 50 acres of land I have to sell real cheap 35 miles west of Boca Raton Florida. Why in hell will I invest my hard earned money in brand new Flight addons if I can use my FSX addons....:( it just does not make sense, you can't let your emotion :( dictating what you think will happen. The ONLY reason MS is in bed with the developpers this time is to make MONEY, I repeat MONEY on both side. Addons are already been tested with Flight as MS will need to have some for sale in their store, if Flight look like Hawaii all over the world including the main airport (just to take this one as an example) who will see the need for addons in Flight...I don't....my take on Hawaii main airport...BIG TIME ADDON to show what's waiting for us in the store.

Addons are already been tested with Flight as MS will need to have some for sale in their store, if Flight look like Hawaii all over the world including the main airport (just to take this one as an example) who will see the need for addons in Flight...I don't....my take on Hawaii main airport...BIG TIME ADDON to show what's waiting for us in the store.

Flight isn't even in beta testing yet. I highly doubt that add-ons are being tested in it at this point. :(

Flight isn't even in beta testing yet. I highly doubt that add-ons are being tested in it at this point. :(

Now that's a bold statement......can you show me where you saw that Flight is not in beta testing yet or do you assume that Flight is not in beta testing because MS did not tell us it was?So if add-ons are not being tested yet you are assuming that what we are seeing so far (Hawaii wise) is Flight default right, and we should assume to see that kind of airport detail all over Flight's world....like I said if Flight is like Hawaii main airport I will not need to buy add-ons for Flight.My money is on add-ons being tested to be ready for the opening of the store.

Mark,There are SO many users that would disagree with that suggestion that it's not even funny. For FSX guess what the #1 wish was for throughout the FS community? That's right, some level of backward compatibility especially for FS9 things. If people need to re-purchase all their FS stuff for a new version there will be heck to pay for a very long time. Just read through some wish list threads here and elsewhere and you'll see it over and over again: "my FSX stuff better work or I'm not moving" type posts.

I am sure it is a nice to have, I too would rather be able to use my old addons rather than buy new ones. In an ideal world that is what we all would like, but for the sake of significant progress we need to leave the past behind. Let me ask eveyone, how many of you are still using your old CRT monitors from the computer you had in 1995, still using the same RAM?, Hard Drive ? Are you into golf, still using that wooden driver or did you upgrade to the latest and greatest Nike 460cc titanium for $500 (Like I just did). Its the price you pay for progress and I am willing to bet that if MS hits it out of the park with Flight that everyone will follow. Mark.

I'm still using a CRT monitor - they repro colours better on an sRGBIEC1966 profile - in fact, I still use an old IBM keyboard as well, but your point is still valid. :( Al

Now that's a bold statement......can you show me where you saw that Flight is not in beta testing yet or do you assume that Flight is not in beta testing because MS did not tell us it was?

It's really not that difficult to figure out. Since MS and developers aren't copulating yet (not in bed yet!), and no invitations have been issued to the registered group of beta testers*, it's pretty darned obvious it's not even close to beta! :( *You must be registered with MS to even be considered for an invitation to join the beta test team. MS will send out such invitations several months before a beta is scheduled...

MS said that a store will be up and running for us to buy addons as they can't do everything.... and you all thing (maybe not all) that the developpers will invest money in new addons for Flight and at the same time they will let us download our addons for FSX in Flight...who ever think that may want to buy 50 acres of land I have to sell real cheap 35 miles west of Boca Raton Florida.

Your argument would be better said if the land was 35 miles east of Boca Raton?And it appears to me that you are letting your emotions dictate what you want or not want to believe. Let's say MS does do a store, OK? Are there going to be many, many products waiting at release time for Flight? Have you seen how long some of the add on planes take to develop? And magically a PMDG or Level-D is going to have a new plane ready for Flight? How about scenery? The preview thread for FSDT's KLAX has been up for quite some time. Think a Flight version is going to magically appear upon Flight's release?Flight *should* offer a better environment, enhanced if you will, for developers to work within. This will take time to learn and implement. Most of the top level designers *may* be on the beta team, so they'll have a head start on the rest of the field. But how can they develop a new plane or scenery if the target is still moving, as betas often are?Just because a plane or scenery add on from FSX *might* work in Flight does not mean there will be no further sales opportunities available to the developers. I can think of many sceneries and planes that will work in FSX that were made for FS9, yet when the better environment of FSX allowed an updated version there were many people paying an upgrade price to get it. Wouldn't that still apply to FSX work and Flight?My biggest worry is that Microsoft doesn't hire anyone from Sony to run their online experience... :(

I recently received my copy of the May/June PC Pilot magazine and there was a pretty good interview between the magazine and Microsoft. There were no names mentioned, but here are some paraphrased excerpts and comments/opinions from me about what I THOUGHT I READ (please go easy on me if I made any mistakes):1st Question - Has Microsoft Flight been designed completely from the ground up or does it include elements from FSX? Microsoft.....we're building from the ground up focusing on the "purist" simmer as well as a larger range of people with varied interests in aviation....we will take advantage of the expertise and existing elements of the existing FS code base and architecture where it fits.......after 30 years of evolving the same code base, it's time for a fresh look! My Opinion - This is good news as to the possibility of many improvements over the current FSX, however, the bad news may be that our current add-ons may not work with Flight? 2nd Question - You mentioned a 'New Performance Attitude'. Can you elaborate?Microsoft......previous approach to performance was to maintain a long life over a five-year period (time enough for simmers to go thru two or more computers). This approach was seen as a benefit, until now. The side affect was that no PC could run it with the settings maxed out at product introduction. The new goal is to provide a fantastic experience "out of the box" on the first day......on your current computer. Microsoft didn't elaborate on how they were going to accomplish that goal. My opinion - This is a conflicting goal as you may be sacrificing the long term life of Flight for short term gains in performance. Also, what will be the target PC configuration they will be shooting for? 3rd Question - Will Microsoft Flight include multi-player mode? Microsoft.....Absolutely....we will enhance both the individual and social aspects of Flight. The existing multi-player mode was great for some players, but confusing and frustrating for others. We continue to look for support from organizations and communities who provide enjoyment to many, as well as Microsoft adding more value to a broader flier base. Microsoft didn't provide any details on how they intend to do this. My Opinion - This is good news as multiplayer could be improved......it would be great if there are more on/off-line missions provided to maintain on-going interest in Flight 4th Question - Will there be an opportunity for third-parties to produce products for Microsoft Flight? Microsoft........we are creating the tools and facilities to enable external content to all users.....we recognize we can't do it all!!! At the heart of the new approach is a new integrated marketplace....and we are not ready to reveal the full details on this new concept yet. The basic idea is to make the entire user base more aware of all the third party applications as only a small percentage of the total user base are currently aware of all these add-ons. The goal is to empower the entire user base to pick and choose from this vast number of products available to them. My Opinion - This could be a similar model to Apples Ipad/Ipod strategy.....an on-line store where products could be purchased. It will be interesting if Microsoft retains a percentage of the business via this channel of distribution? As a recent owner of an Ipad 2, I kind of like this idea of everything in one place. My Overall Summary - It appears that the Flight will be similar to what we have now, but with some (I hope) significant enhancements to the graphics and ease of configuration. The screen shots in the magazine look promising and it appears Flight will be more detailed than FSX. Well those are my thoughts....let's hear yours? Bill Clark PS - Once again, please don't shoot the messenger...and I suggest you subscribe to PC Pilot...it is a really good read every two months.

Can anyone describe the screen shots in the article?

Can anyone describe the screen shots in the article?

Awesome.

Awesome.

one word?  I thought a picture was worth a thousand words.. you have 999 to go  :(

@meshman, so far everything is possible, Flight may not be in beta yet but when MS is saying what they are saying below it's telling me that they have help from the developpers BIG TIME. As they said below they can't do it all, the last sentence is the most revealing to me as I can't see them opening a store with nothing in it because they will be waiting for the developper's add-ons to be ready,.... my 2 cents....developpers have being talking with MS before Flight was officially announced and they have been working with MS since the beginning of Flight to have add-ons ready for the opening of the store at the released date of Flight.FSX compatibility to Flight ... NONE (not from the crystal ball). "we are creating the tools and facilities to enable external content to all users.....we recognize we can't do it all!!!" / We continue to look for support from organizations and communities who provide enjoyment to many.....Developpers helping..."At the heart of the new approach is a new integrated marketplace"Market place with nothing for sale in it "ain't" good for business....

Is in this called a virtual world? If I got Miami airport (payware) from the store and you did not I'll be seeing it when flying from it (multiplayer) with you but you'll see Miami default since you did not get it, like a card game online (poker), you see your cards but you can't see other players card and the other players can't see your cards.........:( Had my repaired crystal ball delivered to me 5 minutes ago.....:(

What? I can't grasp what you are trying to convey here... my best guess is you're asking to play a game of poker.This is already how add-ons work, ie. you need the add-on in your library to be able to see it. Unless you mean having the entire add-on sitting on some virtual cloud and you simply buy the key, in that case loading up Flight would be an adventure in itself depending on your connection speed.

Are you into golf, still using that wooden driver or did you upgrade to the latest and greatest Nike 460cc titanium for $500 (Like I just did)

Anyone who pays $500 for a single golf club is insane. I am quite happy with the Mizuno graphite shafted clubs that I purchased in North Carolina in 1994.