The Living, Breathing World

[JSkorna 138]

But then again I haven't programmed anything for 51 years, so why would I start now?

[airlinejets 709]

But then again I haven't programmed anything for 51 years, so why would I start now?

Better late than never?

[virtualstuff 773]

But then again I haven't programmed anything for 51 years, so why would I start now?

Lol Jim ;-) maybe Damian hehehe

[JSkorna 138]

Now that you never know.

[carrotroot 77]

Below is an excerpt from a post that Tom Kyler wrote a few days ago regarding airport buildings:well here's a bit of good news I guess. Austin and I spoke about what's next "for me" in xplane 10 work. On the laminar side, I will begin adding airport scenery and probably some landmarks....so as stated earlier, we are beginning work on populating airports immediately. what is unknown is how accurate I'll do airports. Making 1000 custom terminals isn't a practical reality, I am still working with texture constraints...so I'll have to sit and give some thoughts about how I want to approach the prospect....but suffice to say we will get something down. I think the custom stuff will have to be 3rd party..free or pay.

I speak for myself here, I'm ok with empty airports since we will be given tools to populate them ourselves ... but I really hope there will be some landmarks in this version. But to be fair these guys have done an amazing job building the auto-gen buildings. It just needs to be coupled with some landmarks.

[tf51d 284]

I speak for myself here, I'm ok with empty airports since we will be given tools to populate them ourselves ... but I really hope there will be some landmarks in this version. But to be fair these guys have done an amazing job building the auto-gen buildings. It just needs to be coupled with some landmarks.

According to Austin in his presentation, no cities will have generic buildings on release.

[carrotroot 77]

According to Austin in his presentation, no cities will have generic buildings on release.

I have my suspicions about that... maybe they will come through updates? Seems like he has enough on his plate at the moment just getting the new features running.

[tf51d 284]

According to Austin in his presentation, no cities will have generic buildings on release.

Actually I think I put the comma in the wrong place, just to be clear it should actually read"According to Austin in his presentation no, cities will have generic buildings on release." - Meaning few or none landmarks

[tkyler 88]

I think landmarks are pretty much a "tabled" item currently. I have done a few specifically for xplane that aren't going in yet.....so I'm reasonably confident we just want to get the sim out, there is plenty for folks to use and enjoy without waiting on landmarks....we really need to optimize performance before we go throwing in more textures for landmarks. I have to remind you that x-plane has updates frequently....I've seen them come days apart. The distribution system is so smooth with x-plane that we find it convenient to do it this way. One day you have no landmarks, the next you run the updater, make coffee and BAM, landmarks....or new trees, etc. That's half the fun with x-plane...its always getting better and you don't have to wait years to get the tiniest improvement. You will see more frequent updates in the first year or so, then slow down after things stabilize.-Tom KylerX-Plane 10 sceneryX-Plane 10 aircraft

[themose 11]

I think landmarks are pretty much a "tabled" item currently. I have done a few specifically for xplane that aren't going in yet.....so I'm reasonably confident we just want to get the sim out, there is plenty for folks to use and enjoy without waiting on landmarks....we really need to optimize performance before we go throwing in more textures for landmarks. I have to remind you that x-plane has updates frequently....I've seen them come days apart. The distribution system is so smooth with x-plane that we find it convenient to do it this way. One day you have no landmarks, the next you run the updater, make coffee and BAM, landmarks....or new trees, etc. That's half the fun with x-plane...its always getting better and you don't have to wait years to get the tiniest improvement. You will see more frequent updates in the first year or so, then slow down after things stabilize.-Tom KylerX-Plane 10 sceneryX-Plane 10 aircraft

As cool as having frequent updates sounds, isnt this the kind of thing that scares certain developers.For example you build a complex plane and get it running bug free, then all of a sudden a new Xplane patch comes out and potentially causes problems for the 3rd party software which was optimised for that previous release.Is this something you guys are keeping as a top priority.By the way Im not bashing XP10, I'm really pumped about it, just thought I'd ask the question though..

[tkyler 88]

As cool as having frequent updates sounds, isnt this the kind of thing that scares certain developers.For example you build a complex plane and get it running bug free, then all of a sudden a new Xplane patch comes out and potentially causes problems for the 3rd party software which was optimised for that previous release.Is this something you guys are keeping as a top priority.By the way Im not bashing XP10, I'm really pumped about it, just thought I'd ask the question though

It's a valid question Phil and it may scare developers, but that is their problem to overcome because it's simply not true as it was many years ago. IMO, developers who THINK that xplane's development format is unstable...or think it is any more unstable than any other application, FSX included will simply miss the boat in a few years. If they don't do the research and figure this out, then I am more than happy to take the business, which will probably happen anyhow because a developer making big bucks in MSFS doesn't want to have to deal with the reduction in income that comes with x-plane's smaller market share....but if that changes in the next 2-5 years, then savvy people will do what they have to do make sure they're where they want to be when the time comes. The question for them is whether or not they want to be in the game. A big bucks developer in MSFS may be happy with their money, call the MSFS chapter in their life closed and move on to something else if the market there wanes. I'm still convinced the FSX market will cruise for while and by the time x-plane becomes "equal" with it's add-ons...however long that takes, then "certain developers" won't be needed in x-plane as x-plane will have grown it's own by then...still, we would like to see them come over, but we can only say so much to convince them...at some point they have to convince themselves.Sure x-plane's introduces a change here and there, but usually for the better and a smart developer usually only needs to invest very minimal time (sometimes less than an hour) to adapt. Why did PMDG decide to do a NGX.....wasn't FS2004 and their existing product stable enough? ...... New flight model? better 3d? Software is change, period and you either get used to it or get left behind. x-Plane is no better or worse than any other software package in this regards....good developers are always doing something whether its better 3D or fixing a change in the format...in the end, it's still hours of work.Now if by "certain developers", you're referring to PMDG or ORBX (which is a common theme so forgive my assumption if it's wrong), then you should know that many within the x-plane community really don't care about that because teams like IXEG will probably be the "PMDG of x-plane" in short order and several scenery developments are underway also....people don't want PMDG or ORBX, they want the products these guys provide and if they don't provide it for x-plane, them someone else will at some point. X-Plane's success does not hinge on "certain developers" coming over....though I would agree the "rate of success" would; however, the opportunity will spur the developers who are not afraid to forge ahead, whomever they may be and the demand will drive the products and eventually you'll see x-plane have most of the products FSX has.... and who gets it done is anybody's guess.-Tom KylerXP10 aircraftXP10 airports

[airlinejets 709]

Well said Tom. The discussion concerning third party developers is irrelevant. If the base product is excellent (and we already have an idea about that), there will be no shortage of add-on software to accompany or complement XPX.

[Tierborn 202]

Well said Tom. The discussion concerning third party developers is irrelevant. If the base product is excellent (and we already have an idea about that), there will be no shortage of add-on software to accompany or complement XPX.

How is it irrelevant? .. it the constant updates continue .. the rate of adoption by new developers will still be impeded,

[drumsonly2002 3]

I am a big fan of free add on's but a bigger fan of pay ware. You build, I'll buy. My gut tells me the end result, 2-5 years from now, X Plane will be a major contender and set the benchmark for all flight sims. Lets face it, the average Joe makes the buying judgement on how the sim looks, and works. X Plane has a beautiful platform for 2nd party developers to work from. It has form factor, and practical in it's inner workings. So.. developers add eye candy to this platform, average Joe sees how great it looks, tries it, loves it, and it becomes his primary sim. Like going to a dance and the best looking gal always gets asked for a date. When the guy finds out she is a fantastic cook, and not high maintainence to be around, has great manners, thus marries her. He buys her nice clothes, (2nd party payware), a house (new computer), and have little ones, (more add on's). Meanwhile, his next door neighbor is fighting with his wife. She demands alot and never satisfied. He keeps spending money on her, but she's always giving him a hard time. He notices his pal's beautiful, trouble free wife, and she has a sister (X Plane 10). Finds out she is single looking for a good man. you can guess the rest. Happens every day. Millions of men are leaving cranky wives for a flight sim. Errrr.. hmmm.. well that's kind of a point. But, seriously, the over all longevity and success will hinge on the eye candy. Initial purchases are usually based on visuals, then practical workings of such. Other non X Plane sims are very costly to modify and high to maintain, and remain buggy. Yet the bugs are tolerated. Why? Over all the unit works and ..... looks great. Due to the eye candy factor, remains a favorite of many. So.... my point, "If you will build it, they will come". X Plane 10 is a turning point in how flight sims should be made. Out of the gate screen shots, beautiful. Great times ahead for X Plane.

[tkyler 88]

How is it irrelevant? .. it the constant updates continue .. the rate of adoption by new developers will still be impeded,

Tierborn, you have just said if the constant updates continue, then the rate of adoption by new developers will be impeded. I have just told everybody here a few posts ago that the type of updates x-plane sees nowadays are NOT impediments to development (I know because I've probably developed more x-plane content than most anybody except Propsman and Sergio Santagada, the orginal xplane artist) but still you believe it will be impeded....THEREFORE, what we have said is the discussion is irrelevant because as you have just shown, people don't believe us....so no matter what we say, people will still believe otherwise.Tom Kyler