You are of course absolutely right and there are many people who feel that FS should be a tool for learning how to fly. And FS always has been that, a training sim, from the very start. It did not turn into an airliner sim until about a decade ago.

 

And yet, it is clear that most people who have used FS have never bothered with the syllabus, never! And even now it is striking how many "real" simmers (notice that I do not say all of them) are incapable of flying an airplane without the aids and autopilots, much less mastering the complexity and diversity of knowledge needed for real flight.

 

Since MGS came to that conclusion, they clearly decided not to continue to make a game that was a training sim. And Flight does not include either the Ma and Pa King courses, or the Rod "Chuckles" Machado lessons that were present in past versions. No certificates to proudly frame and display either. But, really, how many people here at Avsim ever bothered with them? That would be a good question.

 

So, the structure in the game is not the ab-initio syllabus that was in FS for so long, and was rarely used. Instead, the structure is pilot activities that dominate the game and are ever present in the User Interface. The point of the structure is not to teach flying skills (although the Landing Challenges and many other activities do that well, one could argue), but to prevent boredom and keep people using Flight.

 

Best regards.

Luis

 

As usual, Ray says it before me, better than me, and I agree with him! What he said.

To me, something like aerocaches would seem to require minimal effort to produce, so they could also be a high "bang for the buck" item in Dev-hours if they are actually as popular as they seem.

That's it I think. The devs can leverage the knowledge they already have about the scenery they created and guide us in a fun way to do some sight seeing. That's win-win in my book. And I don't see how liking this would give the impression that we don't like more simmy aspects to be in flight.

 

Off-topic: I really miss that instructor from fsx :')

Rest assured that MS is interested in teaching people more about flying itself. Keep an eye on the official website, as interesting but possibly familiar things are coming. ^_^

Is that your secret day job, Ray? :lol:

 

Best regards.

Luis

I'm afraid I just don't know what you're talking about.

Flying around looking at scenery is not gamey, of course not, that's what I spent most of my time doing. If I see one of the aerocaches then yes I'll head for it

 

That's exactly how I got my first aerocaches. I didn't even have the indicator turned on. I just flew to places that looked interesting, and a lot of them had aerocaches there. Molokini island is a good example. "Oh, that's interesting, I think I'll fly out there and check it out."

 

but it seems that a lot of people here HAVE to get all of them pokemon style and question the fact that they have some missing and if they will be able to get them again.

 

That one describes me as well. In Alaska, it's so big and there are so many places that I'll probably never fly to, that having an aerocache there to collect lets me see a lot of good stuff I'd otherwise miss. And yes, I have all the aerocaches to date, and intend to get every one that comes up. If I miss one, that's an interesting location that I probably won't ever see.

 

Hook

I have tried a couple of aerocaches and that was enough, don't really see the fun in it. I do, however, love the jobs, and have been using them on most of my flights now. Guess there is something for everyone in Flight.

do, however, love the jobs, and have been using them on most of my flights now. Guess there is something for everyone in Flight

 

I am with you there, jobs are all I have done in Filght for quite some time now, with the exeptio of the occasional biplane tour.

I actually have yet to even try an aerocache hunt - the ones I have, I have gotten by happenstance by being in the area where one was.

I don't bother with the formal aerocache hunt unless it's unlikely I'll ever find the aerocache any other way... like the Kauai waterfalls. When I went looking for aerocaches, for example the Captain Cook memorial, I read the description, usually checked the search engine and got a map location, then just flew there from wherever I was at the time. No range indicator, no point of interest, just me, the plane, some navigation skills, and eventually a tiny spinning gold object next to a memorial in a small bay. The waterfalls were a formal aerocache hunt.

 

This is not unlike in FSX when I went looking for the Sphinx in Egypt. That thing is small. I knew about where it had to be and went looking. Same with Mount Rushmore. Or the Statue of Liberty. But I already knew these places existed. I had no idea about the Captain Cook memorial in Hawaii. If that one seems a little pedestrian, imagine the aerocaches on Oahu instead.

 

Hook

I don't bother with the formal aerocache hunt unless it's unlikely I'll ever find the aerocache any other way... like the Kauai waterfalls. When I went looking for aerocaches, for example the Captain Cook memorial, I read the description, usually checked the search engine and got a map location, then just flew there from wherever I was at the time. No range indicator, no point of interest, just me, the plane, some navigation skills, and eventually a tiny spinning gold object next to a memorial in a small bay. The waterfalls were a formal aerocache hunt.

 

Same here. I do my "hunts" in free-flight, and I don't use the HUD so I wouldn't have an indicator for it anyway. I just find out where the thing should be and go looking for it.

 

About the only times I've turned on the HUD to see the indicator has been when they put the aerocache in the wrong place, like the Pali Highway one MS put on the H-3 Freeway!

I have tried a couple of aerocaches and that was enough, don't really see the fun in it. I do, however, love the jobs, and have been using them on most of my flights now. Guess there is something for everyone in Flight.

 

Well, I got really fun for aerocache hunting. Looking behind for those times "flying" airliners in fs9, fsx and PS1, following exact procedures and using ATC I think about what I might have drank to end like this :-)

Not drunk. You got high, José ... in a sailplane! :lol:

 

Best regards.

Luis