Any Recommendations to replace RadarContact

[Simmer2050 28]

Hello

If you send your licence details in the correct format ie -12345633 ! firstname ! lastname the whole thing is automated, I have never had an issue getting RC registered, but I am aware that some folks find even the easiest things difficult to manage.

 

well i sent 4 email over 2 days, granted it was weekend, but also about the only time i am able to fly.

 

I have used RC4 for several years, and unfortunatly i am very familiar with the licence request format, too famliar infact

 

I looked into my hotmail sent box to see just how many times i have had to request new license from JD due to PC upgrades, mostly minor changes.

 

When i saw that over the years i have had to request this a huge number of times, i made the decision it was time for me to move on from RC4 and any other addon with as i feel, unreasonable licensing policy.

 

For the same reason i do my best to avoid PMDG products where i can, cause i dont subscribe to the idea of having to use my real name in a public forum in order to get support for a product i just purchased, but that is another matter.

 

Generally my interest in simming is not as much as it used to be, as a result i feel in better position to say no more to products where i feel the user is being treated unfailrly. I should not be made to make up for a developer's lacking in anti software piracy technology.

 

But i support addon developers by purchasing even beta products like Pro ATC that i will probably never use, if we dont support the addon devs fsx is dead, but that support needs reasoning from both sides, no raw deals please. If i have licesnse to use a product, dont make me have to work hard to maintain that right, improve you technology instead.

 

Example As2012 also needs to update its license when you move it from one HDD to another, but it updates itself automatically online when you fire it up for use, it does not ask you to send an email and wait for reply time T later.

 

The topic has been closed once then reopened and renamed, go figure.

[Jim Young 2,356]

Not directing AI traffic could be the deciding factor. With ProATC, does it take into account if an aircraft is on short final for takeoff/landing?

 

No. I don't need that as I use the freeware AI Smooth program that controls all the AI around me and redirects the AI so it won't get into my way. It will also make sure there are no aircraft on the runway I'm landing on and will place all aircraft in a holding pattern until I land. It works great with RC4 too. One of the nice things about ProATC is the fact you can add background ATC for your flight and depending on your current mode (clearance, taxiing, takeoff, center, approach, landing, etc.), it plays the appropriate background ATC. Unfortunately for us in the USA, the USA is not included but it comes with the UK and other European countries ATC. You can get background ATC files from the Internet but I bought the RealATC program from Ralph Zimmerman as it contains all of the various modes and it works great in ProATC. I now have ProATC giving me directions (to my co-pilot), background ATC, and ATC redirecting traffic around me (AI Smooth). It gets pretty busy at times but I let my co-pilot handle the COMS and NAV frequencies and I handle the really hard part :biggrin: of pushing the AP button then VNAV/LNAV, raising/lowering flaps, and monitoring the FMC.

 

Best regards,

Jim

[ajpongress 467]

Simmer2050, you're opening up a can of worms you probably don't want to open in here.

Many people here, including the developers, feel very strongly about piracy in the flightsim community. The strongest software in the world won't stop someone from getting something for free as long as it's on a computer.

The rest of us have to help support the developer and protect it against piracy, which includes refraining from giving free product support over a public forum where the person asking for support can't be immediately verified as a true customer. That's why companies provide their own support which includes purchase verification.

 

That said, your reservations against PMDG are unfounded, since you don't have to sign up at AVSIM at all to get support but instead can use their support portal which is a part of their own website. You give the order number in your ticket and you get the help you need. That's it.

If you think that means you're being treated unfairly, then I'd invite you to make an addon and try to keep it from showing up for free off the net without any help from customers who bought and support the product.

 

In my opinion the only one being unreasonable here is you, and your comments towards FSX developers in general are downright insulting.

[wims80 121]

Yeah, dont voice your opinion about PMDG, you will get clobbered by the boys.

 

I dont think PMDG's name policy is that good of an anti piracy measure, for several reasons. Lets say you were gifted your PMDG addon, your name wouldnt be on the billing order. Or lets say you bought the addon with your wifes credit card. Or bought it from Aerosoft instead of from PMDG's webshop. The naming policy might deter a few pirates from posting, but it is of course not a real anti piracy measure. A determined pirate could make up a name and post his question over there and nobody would know.

 

I think it's important that addons have an anti piracy feature which is as little intrusive as possible for the end user. Remember that anti piracy measures are only really a problem for paying customers. The pirates simply use the crack, they don't have to be annoyed by having to wait for some company to reset the activation.

[Simmer2050 28]

Edited as suggested. Thanks.

 

Best regards,

Jim Young

AVSIM Forum Moderator

Edited as suggested. Thanks.

 

Best regards,

Jim Young

AVSIM Forum Moderator

 

Not sure why the topic had to be renamed, the original included the reason i was looking for replacement to RC4, which is licence inflexibility The new tile just say replacing RC4.

 

The only way you could really replace the topic of a post started by another is if you understand what they intend better than they do, when i started the topic i wanted it clear i was looking for replacement due to license issues, and not cause i am just looking for replacement, as indicated by the new title.

 

Youve already closed the topic once, renamed it, maybe it best to change the topic starter too, then you can change it into whatever you find acceptable.

 

For me i wanted the replacement of RC4 due only to license issues to be the disscusion , but you have removed the license element from the title of the topic which i started, thereby changing the topic, hence the purpose of the thread by the original poster, who is not an imposter but and RC4 user voicing his personal onion to be shared with other users of the forum in good faith.

 

Commercial interests and personal interests are always going to conflict, but you can not have a forum to represent both, AVSIM is either one big commercial or a forum of fsx users sharing ideas. Most of the team i dont believe what read in posts on avsim anymore, case in point ended paying 40 euros for Pro ATC where you need 2 prargraphs and a tweak to do "File Open" for existing FSX flightplan, the thing should not even be on sale.

 

Hence the topic in the name i gave it, when i started it. Protection of commercial interests is in conflict with reason why people come to AVSIM in the first place.

[Simmer2050 28]

Simmer2050, you're opening up a can of worms you probably don't want to open in here.

Many people here, including the developers, feel very strongly about piracy in the flightsim community. The strongest software in the world won't stop someone from getting something for free as long as it's on a computer.

The rest of us have to help support the developer and protect it against piracy, which includes refraining from giving free product support over a public forum where the person asking for support can't be immediately verified as a true customer. That's why companies provide their own support which includes purchase verification.

 

That said, your reservations against PMDG are unfounded, since you don't have to sign up at AVSIM at all to get support but instead can use their support portal which is a part of their own website. You give the order number in your ticket and you get the help you need. That's it.

If you think that means you're being treated unfairly, then I'd invite you to make an addon and try to keep it from showing up for free off the net without any help from customers who bought and support the product.

 

In my opinion the only one being unreasonable here is you, and your comments towards FSX developers in general are downright insulting.

 

I am glad you are discussing the other half of the reason i started this topic which is regarding licensing policy of addon developers, unfortunately licensing issues has been removed from the tile of this topic.

 

I am not sure you read my posts clealry, cause if you did you'd realise i am not asking the developers to resolve an insurmountable problem. Ill give the example i gave earlier to answer all your opinion above.

 

 

RC4 asks me to send an email to request new license when i make minor changes to my PC, AS2012 does needs license update as well. AS2012 does this automatically by itself exactly when i need to run the program, RC4 needs an email sent in format i have forgotten and need to look up, with the email response coming some time T in future, only then can i use the product.

 

Rather than misconstruin my post and lead this topic to another close, Can you now see what i mean that some developers go the extra mile to convenience the user, while other seems to want the user to be involved actively in the anti piracy effort, at the user's inconvineince.

 

Thats all the point i am trying to make, you can open up any cans of worms you want.

[Jim Young 2,356]

Not sure why the topic had to be renamed, the original included the reason i was looking for replacement to RC4, which is licence inflexibility

 

Yes, I understand. This type of information should be in your OP (which it was).

 

You should read the Terms of Use here at AVSIM again. It states, in part, "AVSIM is not a democracy and there is no such thing as Freedom of Speech in our forums. If you believe that you are entitled to that freedom without restriction and that you should be able to do and say as you please, then reconsider... Please do NOT register."

 

It appeared to me, a forum moderator (and others) that you are product bashing and that is why I modified your topic. In some cases you are provoking arguments and things can get out of hand when that happens. A lot of people like RC, including me, and to have someone come on here and begin bashing it is not the most popular thing to do.

 

Thanks for your cooperation.

 

Jim Young

AVSIM Forum Moderator

[Simmer2050 28]

Yeah, dont voice your opinion about PMDG, you will get clobbered by the boys.

 

I dont think PMDG's name policy is that good of an anti piracy measure, for several reasons. Lets say you were gifted your PMDG addon, your name wouldnt be on the billing order. Or lets say you bought the addon with your wifes credit card. Or bought it from Aerosoft instead of from PMDG's webshop. The naming policy might deter a few pirates from posting, but it is of course not a real anti piracy measure. A determined pirate could make up a name and post his question over there and nobody would know.

 

I think it's important that addons have an anti piracy feature which is as little intrusive as possible for the end user. Remember that anti piracy measures are only really a problem for paying customers. The pirates simply use the crack, they don't have to be annoyed by having to wait for some company to reset the activation.

 

Ok i have just been corrected, PMDG does have private support channel, other than the sign your real name PMDG family support forum here on avsim. So i take that back about PMDG. And PMDG has done webex for me before to resolve NGX issue.

 

But really PMDG is not in the list of addon devs i have issues of licensing with, PMDG is a very resourceful developer by FSX standards.

 

Its the smaller players that come to market with software piracy tech they downloaded for free off some website free, then put the onus on the user to make that crapy anti software piracy tech work. That is a no sale, FSX is hard enough to maintain never mind tools that want you to work for them.

 

As you said less intrusive and more convinient anti piracy tech is what we lloking for, not the topic starts disscusion on such matter having that aspect removed from its title,, as has been done here.

 

Never the less big thanks to those who contributed constructively to this post. I have replaced RC4 with PFE. Ill check back with Pro ATC in 2 years time. see if they have "File Open" by that time.

[ajpongress 467]

i feel the user is being treated unfailrly. I should not be made to make up for a developer's lacking in anti software piracy technology

i am not asking the developers to resolve an insurmountable problem.

 

These two statements by you completely contradict each other. Either you are faulting the developer in their measures against piracy or you aren't.

Anyway, I'm happy with RC4's support that I've gotten when I've needed it. Same with PMDG, Level-D, ActiveSky, so on and so forth.

 

The only company that ever burned me and a lot of others was the old PSS when they pulled their online installers off their server, leaving lots of customers without any way of installing their product.

In your case, all you have to do is wait a little bit to get a replacement license key.

Big difference.

[Simmer2050 28]

Yes, I understand. This type of information should be in your OP (which it was).

 

You should read the Terms of Use here at AVSIM again. It states, in part, "AVSIM is not a democracy and there is no such thing as Freedom of Speech in our forums. If you believe that you are entitled to that freedom without restriction and that you should be able to do and say as you please, then reconsider... Please do NOT register."

 

It appeared to me, a forum moderator (and others) that you are product bashing and that is why I modified your topic. In some cases you are provoking arguments and things can get out of hand when that happens. A lot of people like RC, including me, and to have someone come on here and begin bashing it is not the most popular thing to do.

 

Thanks for your cooperation.

 

Jim Young

AVSIM Forum Moderator

 

Thanks for reminding me, ill remember to take everything i read here with a grain of salt, nealry got carried away with the truth there, very sorry. My mistake

[Simmer2050 28]

These two statements by you completely contradict each other. Either you are faulting the developer in their measures against piracy or you aren't.

 

Hey if you trying to put together a chronological order of my previous statements to prove me right or wrong, you probably will cause i was not puting forward a logical order of statements i was expecting to be logically correct when you put them back together in any order.

 

In short i have said my peace, and moved on to PFE from RC4.

 

If you still want to be requesting new license everytime you upgrade your PC to fix FPS/smoothness issues then that is your prerogative, i admire the fact that you like the hardwork and labour of dealing with licesne issues.

 

I barely have time to fly, and most of my flights end by pushing the off button on PC directly during cruise, so honestly i have no time for addons with laborious licensing procedures .

[Drumcode 1,893]

I have a question regarding PFE.

 

How many US controller voices does it contain? Also, when I fly to other World regions is it required to manually change the controller voices like in RC4?

[Simmer2050 28]

For flying in Europe the different accents is very nicely done in PFE.

 

PFE:

 

- do they include an FO that handles radios? YES

- do they faithfully follow SID/STAR procedures? MORE OR LESS, READ THE MANUAL TO SEE HOW

- do they direct AI traffic? YES

- do they include realistic taxi instructions even for payware scenery? (FSDT KORD/KLAX or FlightBeam's KSFO/KPHX?) YES

 

Hey, just spotted this thanks for the input, i already bought PFE, just holding back cause i need to go learn how to use it.

 

If you know any good video PFE tutorial, would be great.

[Johan_Dees 84]

Its included, and very well documenten imho.

Also the support site has a lot of info also.

 

http://www.oncourse-software.co.uk/

[Gregg_Seipp 568]

That is true. The coverage on vatsim will be incomplete at almost all times. Its a matter if you prefer quality or quantity I guess. Personally I value quality over quantity

 

That's my experience, unfortunately. I guess it's because I fly SoCal from the East Coast and mostly in the mornings/early afternoons. if I could find some east coast scenery that interested me I'd fly here more. In the mean time I just use the default ATC (for now). Thinking about PilotEdge which I could use from 11am Eastern.