I find a bit odd that a lot of people only want to invest in MS Flight if they know what the future of Flight will be or if there will be a future... They want to know what will follow after Alaska and/or if there will be a plane with a VC. Otherwise... they won't invest money in it.

 

Invest...? Invest?!?

 

I used to play quite a lot of games on my PC in the past (roughly between 1987 and 2008 or so). I would buy something like 10 games or so a year (don't really know, could be more, could be less). Sometimes it took hours, sometimes it took weeks and very rarely it took months before I was done with the game. (BTW Sometimes it took minutes... )

 

Whenever I bought a game, I bought it to play it right away. At that moment. I also knew that probably after some time that game would be gathering dust and be replaced by something new or better of more fun. I can't remember buying a game and thinking of it as an 'investment in the future'. I bought it because I knew (or hoped) I would like playing it right there and then. Period.

 

When Alaska will be released I will buy it instantly. Why? Because I like Flight and I want more scenery. I buy it to enjoy it NOW. At this moment. And not to enjoy it in a year or two or only if there are new planes with VC or if there is ATC or if enough DLC is released.

 

Even if I knew for certain that MS would drop developing Flight the day after releasing Alaska, I would still buy it because of the same reason: I like Flight. I will buy Alaska to enjoy it now and not because of some future. It's not an 'investment'. Just unlike going to the movies is an investment for the future. Or buying a beer in a pub.

 

Even if Flight would be dead a day after the release of Alaska, I am 100% certain I will still be able to enjoy Flight and Alaska on their own merits (if that's the right expression). And so I will buy it. Simple as that.

 

Why do people buy games just for (sometimes a few hours of) fun without any problems but does flightsim-related software has to be an 'investment'...?

 

Just curious.

I'm with you. It's the best flying PC sim I have ever had, and I have had most of them at one time or another. It will stay on my computer for a long time....

Probably because most games releases aren't in perpetual development.

Why do people buy games just for (sometimes a few hours of) fun without any problems but does flightsim-related software has to be an 'investment'...?

 

Some people "invest" in other games, too, like MMOs. They feel like the time and money they put into one is "lost" if they switch to a new game.

 

I understand it, but I don't really agree with it. I've dropped plenty of games into which I'd put hundreds of hours and hundreds of dollars. And I'll drop Flight when something that does a better simulation of "low & slow GA" comes along.

 

But I won't consider my time or money spent on Flight squandered. Because it was Flight that really woke the "flying bug" up in me again.

I think we see flight sim more as a platform and would like to put money in only one prefereed title instead of scattering it on several.

 

And money is not the only issue for some (at least for me). We invest considerable time to master each new simulator and when spare time is limited, it becomes a governing factor.

 

I decided not to put money anymore in fsx as i prefer for now the feeling of flight and the simpler environment without tweaking and 10 adds-on to maintain.

 

 

 

 

Well, for me it is quite simple... The only games I have played are flightsims. I don't like the military side of flying,

 

Also, I look for something that even if not exhaustive in terms of features, should ate least be consistent, coherent in what it models. My primary concern goes to the phisycs model of flight, then weather, then systems/instruments, then navigation and ATC, then scenery...

 

This pretty much "limitated" my range of choices, and I was mainly, for years, a MS client.

 

MS FLIGHT while it certainly doesn't fulfill all of my wants, does great in terms of Flight and Weather Physics, has graphics that I never had in MSFS either because I didn't buy the appropriate add-ons or because my rigs couldn't support the heavy load, and... *** AND *** is so simple to install/run/enjoy that I became some how and MS FLIGHT addict :-)

 

I consider buying rudder pedals, but not TIR. I would also like to have a throttle quad, but for the time being, it isn't really required to play MS FLIGHT....

 

I wonder if after the MS FLIGHT team gives us Alsaka there will still be people writing something like - what's next, I'm bored with what I have to play, I look for more this and that...

J, some might call it investing since in the past they've 'invested' in expensive add-ons and pc components. But really, a $20 deluxe plane an investment, compared to a $300 GPU? Nope.

 

I'll buy Alaska on day 1 too. Wasn't going to, till they release another deluxe, but now I have 3 new planes with trackir working so well!

 

I don't understand people complaining about the cost of the Hawaii pack. Sheesh, the detail in some of the facilities is worth $15 each! Personally I've seen a huge return on my investment.

I think, in general, there isn't much to complain about with regard to the cash we've spent on FLIGHT...It's been cheaper than a family lunch in a pub, so far. Well worth the money when you consider that most games are c. £25-£49.99 in the UK (and a few FSX addons are way more)..I've spent, what? £20-ish so far on FLIGHT..bargain...

I'll buy Alaska on day 1 too. Wasn't going to, till they release another deluxe, but now I have 3 new planes with trackir working so well!

 

I had never cared a lot for the Maule, and hated the Stearman.

 

Now, with TrackIR overcoming the visibility problems inherent in tail-draggers, not to mention all those wings on the Stearman, I'm enjoying them both. Still, I'm not content. The sheer size of Alaska calls out for something bigger and faster.

 

I don't understand people complaining about the cost of the Hawaii pack. Sheesh, the detail in some of the facilities is worth $15 each!

 

In flight-sim add-on terms, Flight DLC has been pretty darn cheap. In casual-game add-on terms, Flight DLC is pricey.

 

Pick your market, chose your fate, MS.

Jc, I'd think carefully before you choose the pedals over trackir. With flight. It totally changes the experience and now I can't fly without it. Maybe others with both accessories can comment. Im flying the Stearman all the time now. And when I first loaded up the Maule, I swore at my screen, the immersion was so good! And Roboray's just chimed in with a similar thought too I see. It's freaking awesome! Plus you look like a real pro, with headset and cap on.

Jc, I'd think carefully before you choose the pedals over trackir. With flight. It totally changes the experience and now I can't fly without it. Maybe others with both accessories can comment. Im flying the Stearman all the time now. And when I first loaded up the Maule, I swore at my screen, the immersion was so good! And Roboray's just chimed in with a similar thought too I see. It's freaking awesome! Plus you look like a real pro, with headset and cap on.

 

Yes, but I can get a 2nd-hand Saitek for €60, while the TIR costs a LOT more, way above my simulation budget :-)

I would steer with a mouse if it was the only way to get to keep TrackIR.

 

If the cost is the limiting factor, look for a used TIR 4 maybe. It's functionally pretty much the same as TIR 5, with the main difference being that I think the viewing angle is a bit narrower. A new TIR is about $100, so you may be able to get a used one for a bit less. If you can find somebody willing to give one up. :Thinking:

jcomm,

 

We should meet. A soaring flight <=> 2dn hand pedals.

I'm one of those that is thinking of holding off on Alaska because of the lack of new aircraft with cockpits.

I'm still not into flight Sims like I was 5 years ago and seem to have developed a short attention span for them.now

jcomm,

 

We should meet. A soaring flight <=> 2dn hand pedals.

 

It's a deal, but... would you come this South :-)... Ponte de Sôr is our new Base of Operations....