Will Microsoft take us seriously?

[mgh 89]

Promises?

[G7USL 117]

I am reliably informed that 'Flight' will be a free download. Therefore no one has a right to critisize really and that add-ons will be the revenue. What addon's?

[Guest jahman]

What documented "promises"?

These documented promises:From the Flight web "Serious Simmer Appeasement" press release of December 8, 2010: QUOTEWednesday, December 8, 2010 — Welcome to News from the Development Team!Welcome! We’ve created this section to provide news and updates direct from the Microsoft Flight development team. We’ve been getting all your emails and comments and are creating this central point of contact to respond to your questions. Currently, we’re still early in the development process, so there are many things not yet ready for detailed discussion. We’ll address what we can for now and will provide more in-depth information over time.Since the very first introduction to Microsoft Flight at Gamescom back in August 2010, we’ve received a tremendous response from both new and longtime Flight Simulator fans. We truly appreciate the warm welcome back. For this inaugural “News from the Development Team” update, we want to give you some context for our new direction. For starters, we’re still some time away from launching the product — far enough out that we are currently unable to provide any details, such as the launch date. We apologize for any frustrations this may cause. We can’t wait, either, to deliver this new experience to all of you! We’re delighted to be able to provide a view into our game at such an early time and to share our progress as we get closer to finalizing the product. We’ve never reached out this early in the development cycle before, so hang in there, and we hope you enjoy the sneak peek.A number of you have asked, “Why did you drop ‘Simulator’ from the title of the game?”In addition to the FAQ on this topic, we want to directly address the concern that by dropping the “Simulator” from the name, we’re dumbing down the experience. Quite the contrary! We’ve developed on the “simulation” aspect for many years and have no intention of losing that legacy. What we’re doing now is improving the total experience while building on this legacy, enhancing the enjoyment for all who share a passion for flight. The more people who join us in the Flight experience, the greater the opportunity we’ll have to do even more.Many of you are concerned that because we want to appeal to a wider audience, we must be building an arcade game.We don’t need to create an arcade game to welcome a wider audience. But we do need to improve the total user experience if we’re to be successful in welcoming new audiences into the experience of Flight. The passion and fascination of flight is powerful, with so many different aspects to aviation and different levels of enjoyment to experience. There is distinct value and strength to be gained by welcoming a wider audience, and we can’t claim to have done the best job of it in the past.What does appealing to a wider audience mean?It means improving the user-interface experience, achieving better performance on today’s hardware, providing more focused challenges for people who aren’t quite sure what to do next, and introducing more persistent experiences for people who return often. It also means keeping alive the freedom to go where you want (Ed.: as long as it's on the island of Hawaii!), when you want, and to do what you want. Regardless of their hardware power, piloting experience, or level of interest, many people have enjoyed the traditional flight-simulation experience as a solitary activity. We see a compelling social aspect to the experience inherent in the fun, and we need to better enable and support this dynamic to strengthen the entire Flight experience for everyone.Based on the previous webisode, we’ve heard, “This doesn’t look any different from FSX!”As we said in the introduction, we’re still early in the development cycle, so the fact that you comment on the similarity to FSX is great! This comment alone should ease some of the arcade concerns. Please follow along with our progress as we continue to release more webisodes, screenshots, and additional information. In the end, we hope that you’ll have a great time looking back at these early samples and being part of the evolution. Thank you for all your enthusiasm and support!If you want to get advanced notice of updates to this section and the website in general, please sign up for our mailing list at https://live.xbox.co...tactPreferences.Thank you,The Microsoft Flight Development TeamUNQUOTE If limiting the sim area at release time to Hawaii, limiting the aircraft to only a Stearman and a flying car and "spearing golden donuts in the sky" isn't dumbing down the experience, I donut know what is.Personally I feel really, really stupid having:

1. Defended Microsoft's intentions WRT MS Flight specifically based on their statements in this Serious Simmer Appeasement press release, and
2. Sent multiple emails to the MS Flight email at: msflight@microsoft.com with detailed recommendations as to how Flight could be improved over FSX.

So OK, perhaps whatever happened and MS changed the direction of Flight some time after this PR release, but they should have told us so. We have been loyal Microsoft supporters for many years or even decades (specifically in flight simming and for many of us also professionally in IT) and we deserve to be treated better and not be strung along by our noses.To all of us here at AvSim and other flight simming fora, flight simming is a hobby and not a game, and if MS confuses the two then it deserves all the flack that is hurled their way.Cheers,- jahman.

[Dillon 2,197]

Well said. We need to inform the population about the truth of FLIGHT.

As well as flood Redmond with emails on our thoughts on Flight.

[mgh 89]

Before talking about broken promises and hurling abuse at Microsoft and the Flight team read what Microsoft said in its recent press release:

Players can choose to take the helm using highly rendered, accurate cockpits and authentic piloting procedures, or simply use their mouse and keyboard to control the plane in an exterior view. More experienced players can tailor the flight controls to match their skill level, making “Microsoft Flight” easy for beginners while still challenging for the most accomplished PC pilots...Those looking to deepen their experience can purchase and download additional content that adds new aircraft, regions and customization options

MS Press Release - FLIGHT - 01/04/2012 posted on these forums!Wouldn't it have been sensible to wait for Flight's actual release and see what is actually offered rather than having child-like abusive tantrums based on incomplete, leaked information?Microsoft would have every reason to not invite AVSIM to future meetings because of the behaviour of some of its members.

[dighost 25]

using highly rendered, accurate cockpits and authentic piloting procedures,

Doesn't that mean good graphics and typical flight controls-- ie. throttle, bank left or right, climb or descend..

[xplanery 250]

Before talking about broken promises and hurling abuse at Microsoft and the Flight team read what Microsoft said in its recent press release:MS Press Release - FLIGHT - 01/04/2012 posted on these forums!Wouldn't it have been sensible to wait for Flight's actual release and see what is actually offered rather than having child-like abusive tantrums based on incomplete, leaked information?Microsoft would have every reason to not invite AVSIM to future meetings because of the behaviour of some of its members.

I think that they have no reason to invite any avsim members even if all of us behaved well because Flight will not be next FSX kind of simulator that some people seem to be waiting for.

[xXArch_AngelXx 0]

I think that they have no reason to invite any avsim members even if all of us behaved well because Flight will not be next FSX kind of simulator that some people seem to be waiting for.

That statement of yours is getting rather old... :L we get it, no really... we really do. XD

[Mountain Man 142]

This is the only thing that Microsoft takes seriously:$$$

[dmaher 0]

Flight is inexcusable and the only solace we have in all this is the fact that at least our options at this point is FS9 and FSX. If they could take that away from us they would. Anger is very appropriate here...

Take care not to be too smug...they could shut down your FSX hopes by Friday lunch - if they wanted. MS is more than just a partner in this hobby. So give them some credit. Let’s keep feedback constructive; there’s no good reason we can’t do that. Some maturity and respect is in your own best interest here. mgh makes a good point.

[simmerhead 885]

Given the amount of childish, offensive abusive posts hurled at Microsoft and the Flight team in this forum, does anyone think that Microsoft is going to take this community seriously? Life is too short for it to try and filter out the rubbish - it will ignore it all. Such posts are simply counter-productive and will achieve nothing useful.

How bad is this place compared to comments in other forums and Microsoft's facebook and youtube channel?

[Guest jahman]

Let’s keep feedback constructive;

What's the point?We serious simmers don't exist for MS, and we don't even warrant a press release explaining the "arcade gap" between what MS stated in their in their December 8, 2010 bit about "we’re dumbing down the experience. Quite the contrary" and "We’ve developed on the “simulation” aspect for many years and have no intention of losing that legacy", and what looks like Flight will be when released.

there’s no good reason we can’t do that.

Yes there is: I have no time (or respect) for folks who don't keep their word.Cheers,- jahman.

[Ranger Dan 0]

Well said. At least by telling the truth about Flight some new people interested in simming who go and look for flight simulator will ignore Flight and instead find FSX or X plane.

Thank You! My thoughts exactly! The truth is I'm new to the flight simulator world and i bought my first real sim FSX last year and really enjoy it I was just hopeing to have better views of Yosemite, Grand Canyon etc. Then I heard about Flight yea a sim that will meet my expectations........NOT! So now I'm learning about add ons, acceleration etc for FSX. So it goes this way Microsoft has made about $40 off me now and well everyone else $$$$. I just follow this tread for laughs now because I'm now going headon into improving FSX Oh, by the way Yosemite Valley looks great now, now if I could only get those waterfalls to flow :)

[strider1 575]

Given the amount of childish, offensive abusive posts hurled at Microsoft and the Flight team in this forum, does anyone think that Microsoft is going to take this community seriously? Life is too short for it to try and filter out the rubbish - it will ignore it all. Such posts are simply counter-productive and will achieve nothing useful.

:( :( :(

[mgh 89]

Yes there is: I have no time (or respect) for folks who don't keep their word.

Until Flight is actually released we cannot know that.