Like it or not, it's a position that L-M has no choice about making. I'm fairly confident that had anyone known that MS was going to completely shut down flight simulator development, L-M might well have negotiated a less restrictive license.

 

Again... I am not saying that LM are being awkward, as you say, i am quite sure that M$ made it clear that they could not offer a FSX (or Flight) competitor.

 

I am wondering if they could possible renegoiate there position now. But even so, i wouldn't want or expect P3D to be on the shelf at play.com next to Call of Duty 14 or whatever they are up too.

 

Perhaps "Like it" is not the correct term, i would say that their current, historical position and comments makes me VERY nervous about purchasing the software.

I don't really understand what the issue is! Its not for Entertainment purposes!? Whatever, I want to learn to fly the Airbus through the Orbx scenery, that's a good academic reason for me! If you take it to literal on what the EULA says, I think its just best to stay away from Prepar3D!

Recent indications show LM will be laying off 10,000 or so employees sometime around April 2013 (as contracts end and are not renewed). Sadly, I very much think P3D will not escape being cut ... leaving a purchased license in limbo.

 

As far as P3D being sold as a professional application to high end clients, I honestly think that is more smoke and mirrors than reality. The minimum hardware requirements for FSX and P3D are still the same -- a clear indication this simulation is targeted at consumers especially when you compare it to other simulators in the professional market where we have multiple 64 CPU high end servers, SANS, high end graphics cards (many of them) and alot of other very expensive hardware (even if it still runs on Windows 64bit OS or a flavor of Linux).

 

Consumer level computing has increased but we are no where near the kind of processing power that could even emulate something as important (and yet seemingly simple) as wind - wind simulation in FSX and P3D is rudimentary at best.

 

But don't get me wrong, I think simulations for military purposes -- especially as drone tanks, drone aircraft, and more drones become a large and more significant part of our "defense" -- are going to continue to improve and grow ... but P3D isn't that type of simulation -- the code base has always been focused on consumers, to step up to professional grade will require a ground up re-write targeting very different hardware requirments.

LM hasn't allowed anyone to use P3D for entertainment purposes. They have sold a product to us that we bought under the pretenses that it would be used for the purpose it was purchased (academic or developer licenses). Hypothetically speaking, we, as a group, would abuse the lackluster protections against using the product as it was not intended. That might be a hidden agenda to get around the bindings of their EULA with MS regarding ESP, but it would be US that breach the EULA by using the software for purposes other than intended.

 

Possibly, P3D v2 will be different enough in code-base that the EULA can change as it could be marketed as a different product than ESP, but the V2 product would still stem from ESP and it would be a tricky thing. I would not hold my breath on this.

 

I see our community as if we are paying to beta-test their software. They make modifications, test in-house with limited testing, then release an update. We test and test the software by utilizing it for our purposes and report back to them the errors that plague the software. They make money and receive our services as beta testers at the same time. It's a win-win for them to get a product out for the commercial district that is proven over a wide base of inexpensive hardware (compared to a $10,000 computer that is part of a team of such computers for simulation purposes) as a personal computer to work reliably and consistently.

I don't really understand what the issue is! Its not for Entertainment purposes!? Whatever, I want to learn to fly the Airbus through the Orbx scenery, that's a good academic reason for me! If you take it to literal on what the EULA says, I think its just best to stay away from Prepar3D!

 

That seems to be the accepted approach - define "academic" to mean what you want and ignore the EULA definitions.

That seems to be the accepted approach - define "academic" to mean what you want and ignore the EULA definitions.

 

Well, Prepar3D academic version is publicly available! How else would you describe it?

Well, Prepar3D academic version is publicly available! How else would you describe it?

 

i'd define it according to the Academic Licence Sections 1, 14.1 and 14.6.

I have no problem with the "Academic" (aka Student) license for educational purposes including at home is the relative words in the EULA.

 

P3D aside, how can aircraft modelling such as PMDG which has 3000 pages of manuals for FSX , FS Labs, and majestic which are nearly as or just as sophisticated be entertainment in the full sense of the word. Sure the agreement is that it is for that purpose because FSX is developed for that purpose. But it goes far beyond that. This is an education to learn all those systems.

 

Have you seen the angle of attack videos explaining the in depth systems of the NGX or more specifically the 738? Its quite deep and there is no way a simmer who is casual is going to care about how the packs turn on and what exactly they do, what systems are using DC voltage and where the switch happens to AC. Seriously. This is not professional by any means, but this goes to the hobbyists category as a amateur. The big cushion in any hobby that distinguishes people who are serious about learning and being very good at what they do while not being professionally trained, but at the same time do not in any way see themselves as casual gaming.

 

PFPX flight planner that is coming out. Incredible for an FSX product and very in depth as to flight planning. Actual dispatchers beta tested it.

There is no way that casual entertainment gamers simmers would be remotely interested in GW, ToW, Empty fuel weight, accounting for winds, SIDS STARS, and everything that goes into the dispatch papers. Guess who is going to buy that product. All us who are serious about our hobby. Or else there is no way we have what amounts to a few thousand dollars on addons. LM are not stupid people. They can see alot of the FSX products go well beyond being of casual gamer quality as someone elluded to that there is the cheap stuff and the professional quality as to books.

Those products mentioned above are far above the level of casual. Else tell me how to start those aircrafts using my ps3 game controller pressing X.

 

We have fun and do get entertained, so do real life pilots to quite an extent on the goings on in their environment. But the majority on here take thier simulator seriously. Else you wouldnt see these big home cockpit builds. LM sees that. There is always an entry point into professional software and they would be stupid not to include a serious community that we have here. So at some point the wording might change a bit and that means devs have to change some of their wording while not being liable for professional use under the terms of a "academic" license. Most have, and if LM was going to stop P3D in the future, you can bet the ones that have changed would not be on board. Im sure they got some sort of internal commitment from LM.

 

So as per topic, I am not at all dissappointed with P3D. I see it as very bright. I hope I am right, and look forward to the updates. And moving to 64bit and DX11 and future addon devs making products for that , only enhances thier product and is a huge selling point.

All in my humble opinion.

 

 

i'd define it according to the Academic Licence Sections 1, 14.1 and 14.6.

 

Yes that works as well! But my point is similar to the long post above that was made above this one! It's addons such as NGX or Airbus X (or FSlabs) that make prepar3d really useful (and I would assume within the academic licence), where you can lean every part of the system and try to simulate near real life experiences! It's great that Lockeed Martin allows that for use at home!

 

I fly to replicate near real life procedures (I still have a long way to go until I have mastered it)! Hopefully that makes sense

and I would assume within the academic licence

 

Why do you assume that in the face of what the Academic Licence actually states?

Why do you assume that in the face of what the Academic Licence actually states?

 

I find it a bit vague to be honest! Either way, there are lots of other great (or upcoming) flight sims out there. It just takes time to see what the future holds in terms of Flight Sim, it doesn't matter if it stays at FSx or goes to Prepar3D, X-Plane, Flight Gear or any other new flight sims that come out in the future

 

I find it a bit vague to be honest!

 

The wording of the Academic Licence is clear. Also, if you were referring to the PMDG 737 NGX that's not licenced for P3D.

The wording of the Academic Licence is clear. Also, if you were referring to the PMDG 737 NGX that's not licenced for P3D.

 

yeah I know that...but maybe in the future something similar will be!

The wheels on the bus go round and round...

The wheels on the bus go round and round...

 

Enjoy it while it lasts, theres not always going to be somebody around to save you from yourself!