FS Water for $15? How about FS BS....

[oktorn777 0]

Somehow it saddens me that people who have put probable lots of hours in a product get bashed in a forum without reason whatsoever. No one here has actually seen or tried the package. And all critics above are based on a short description and a few photos.:-( I don't want to protect flight1, but hasty critics based on alot of hot air, are serving nobody either.I'd love to see an objective review from someone that actually bought it.regards,Claudio

[Guest jmarcure]

>Do you realize that behind this addon is not a greedy>corporate monster but a real life person with feelings? Now I really feel bad.Last night I bought a pie at a bakery on Cape Cod MA, USA. When I got it home and cut into it I noticed that it contained quite a large quanity of extra protein in the form of maggots. Disgusted I promply called the bakery and told them that they should check their other pies for maggots.I never even occured to me that by calling the bakery that I could have been hurtful to the real life person that had baked the pie.Bummer.Yes it is a true story and my only comment on feelings is that life is tough. Get use to it.Jon

[Guest SoarPics]

"I'd love to see an objective review from someone that actually bought it."So would everyone else... care to jump in and make your purchase so that others can learn from your review?As it is now the screenshots aren't at all flattering. Hopefully we'll learn more in the near future.Greg

[TweakFS 1]

>I never even occured to me that by calling the bakery that I>could have been hurtful to the real life person that had baked>the pie.Informing someone that their product was defective is not the same as accusing them of greed - don't see the comparison. >my only comment on feelings is that>life is tough. Get use to it.I've been to the school of hard knocks, don't worry. But that's a cop-out until it affects you personally.

[1mikel151 71]

While some of the responses to this here and in the locked thread were a bit out of line and off base, I too, question this product, simply for the fact that from what I have heard, read and seen, this is nothing that I can't get from the various freeware offerings about. In my mind the screenshots on the site do it no justice and make me wonder even more. I have quite a few Flight1 products and hold the company in high esteem, so I am not knocking the company, just the product based on what media has been released on it. I too wonder if there is more to this package (if so, please enlighten us) and I am curious to find out more on it based on actual users that do decide to "take the plunge" in the search for the most realistic FS water.Personally I have tried most of the water combos out there and find Vilks packaging to be the best. Regards, MichaelKDFWhttp://www.calvirair.com/mcpics/PBTMCa.jpgCalVirAir International VACalVirAir International

[Guest firehawk44]

I'll "jump in" with a very short review!Excellent product. Awesome interface where you can change textures on the fly (via a config program on your desktop) and it automatically backups original textures. Simple installation - no readme to follow. No frame rate hit (at least around Seattle/KLAX). Great looking textures and at least one customer is satisfied and impressed with this product.Going golfing. Hope this helps. Jim Young

[Guest Tom Main]

Well no great conspiracy to found, sorry about that, LOL.I am going to get myself into trouble for this, but I am going to make the offer anyway...Everbody in this thread, who has already posted before this post, can write to me personally (tmain@flight1.com) and I will send them a key file for the product. Yes, I am giving it to you for free. You can then make up your mind about the product after you have seen it. Report back in the forums with comments based on the product, not on supposition.You may not all like the product (lets face it artwork is always subjective) or you may all think the textures are great just like I do, but whatever your feeling you will be able to make a comment based on actually seeing it in action.Ok, write me with the following info...Full NameEmail Address (no yahoo or hotmail)Avsim Forum Name (so I can cross check on who has it/doesnt have it yet)You will hit my spam blocker and get an autoresponse, but just follow the directions on the autorepsonse email and it will get the mail to me.The keys will be sent out within 24 hours of me receiving the emails.Best Regards,Tom MainFlight One Software

[Guest bigun]

Tom,Incredibly generous offer! It's a shame you feel you need to do this. (See my post FS Water Information) because Flight1 along with a handful of other Developers/Distributors is one of the mainstays of the Flight Sim community that should not have to "prove" anything. I think you have done that already through the years of developing and publishing some of the best add-ons going for Flight Sim. But I applaud your offer. I just hope that those who take you up on your offer and find that the package is indeed worth the $15.00 are honest enough to purchase the product after the fact.

[Guest SoarPics]

"...are honest enough to purchase the product after the fact."You said just what I was thinking, George.I'll take you up on your offer, Tom. And if I'm happy with the package I happily pay for it. If not, then I'll delete the key.Greg

[Guest GabrielR]

Easy guys... This is not the presidential election race...OK these are my 2 cents on this issue:1. Flight one software is an outstanding company, with a reputation that speaks for its own. Many of us have purchased add ons PUBLISHED by them... Do we agree on this?2. As a publisher, Flight one has the right to publish whatever they want, as long it does not suppose a copy right violation or something ilegal... So if they decide to publish the ultimate Flying doughnut for FS9 with improved digestive dinamics... well thats their desicion, mine is to buy it or not.3. This is not the first time a publisher, puts something out that has related freeware versions.How many aircraft have been developed simultaneously in a payware - freeware fasion? There is lots of them, the space is to short to list them.4. The average simmer is NOT a computer FREAK, so for lots of people, tweaking, installing replacing textures etc... is really ROCKET science... So giving a sleek interface to instal ORIGINAL textures for FS is a potential market for a company.5. I am going to give just 1 example: PAI, one of the most famous freeware developers has a lot of competitors in the payware arena: One of them is Flight one's Ultimate traffic. I am a computer FREAK, However I decided to buy Flight one's UT just for the sake of having everything in one place, a sleek interface to play with and no hand editing of any kind... For me UT is one of my best FS9 Add ons.Should Flight one be pushed to wall for publishing UT? NO.In my Opinion the same goes with the Water/Sky textures.Is PAI or Aadwark threaten by UT? NO they appeal to a different "market" the do-it-yourself crowd6. and Last:I use the Outstanding Free Textures, they are just great. Kudos to the free developers that contribute to this hobby.I guess that looking at AVSIM downloads stats those freeware artists have no real competition. We have no reason to believe that they are being taken down bacuse they give their work for free.Sorry for my limited english.*EDIT for spelling*

[Guest danowat]

"PAI, one of the most famous freeware developers has a lot of competitors in the payware arena: One of them is Flight one's Ultimate traffic."Are you sure?, I always thought PAI and UT where one of the same :-hmmmDan.

[1mikel151 71]

"Are you sure?, I always thought PAI and UT where one of thesame :-hmmmDan."LOL, same here Dan! :-)Regards, MichaelKDFWhttp://www.calvirair.com/mcpics/PBTMCa.jpgCalVirAir International VACalVirAir International

[Guest DemolitionMan]

Gabriel Ruiz You hit the nail on the head with your reply, I hope some of the juvenile clowns here on the forum will be reading this and taking notice. I think it's an outrage that Tom Main feels compelled to defend F1 to such a degree that he has to offer this software as a trial version. I have at least 4 aircraft from F1, and am eagerly awaiting the PC-12, which I will buy unseen, 'cos I know that F1 delivers the goods. IF I decide to buy this software, I'm sure it'll be upto the usual (excellent) F1 quality. BUT, nobody is forcing me to buy it, and that's really the point, everything beyond that is just BS. I wrote a reply in another post here on the forum concerning this software (thankfully, it's been locked now) where some clown compared F1 to Abacus, which is like comparing a Yugo with a Ferrari. I guess as a developer or publisher it must be hard having to take this kind of guff all over the place, from people who don't seem to have the remotest idea what they're talking about.They have the misguided idea that they have a RIGHT to be able to download freeware. Oh yeah? I've already sent a mail to Bill Gates asking for my money back, cos I had to pay for XP Pro :-) They're prolly the same people that complained when FSUIPC went payware. Don't buy it! (I have it, and wouldn't be without it) Do I care if you can't calibrate anything properly 'cos you resented the 20 bucks the full version costs? He#l no, I don't have to use your version of FS! Fs works without it too, just not as well. The same is true of all addons, FS9 works right out of the box,but it CAN be made to look and run better, everybody can choose how much their FS experience is worth.Sorry for the rant, but I'm getting a bit hacked off with this cr#p about freeware/payware.All the people who so bitterly complain about payware should start to put their money where their mouth is: Learn visual basic, C++, GMax, PSP or Photoshop and whatever else they need, get down to some serious coding for a few hundred (or thousand)hours, and then give it away to anyone who wants it! Yes siree, you can send it to me first! :-)BestGrahame (EDHL)

[Guest flightplan]

Hi,Peace brothers....@-@Tom

[Guest bigun]

Well said Grahame! I know I've been enjoying FS since the old Sub Logic days and remember how it was when payware and most freeware was non-existent. Although I enjoyed it, I can't imagine how boring Flight Sim would be without the contributions in time, talent and effort of many freeware AND payware developers. And yes, I do believe the payware developers "contribute" I know that most of the payware developers (with the exception of a few that are trully just out for the $$) don't make enough profit on most packages to justify the time, effort and expense that they put into a product if you look at it from a purely economical standpoint. Most do it because they love Flight Sim, aviation, programming etc. No one forces me to buy any payware. If I choose, I can fly with the base FS package and never invest one penny. I can use only freeware add-ons and still have a very enjoyable experience because much of the freeware available is of very, very high quality. I buy a LOT of payware. I probably have between $800.00 and $1000.00 worth of payware on my machine right now not including those packages that I have "hangered" Have I been "burned" with some of the payware stuff, absolutely! I've also paid $50.00 for a meal and been dissapointed. Sure doesn't stop me from eating out. I'm 6'4", 340 lbs so I LIKE my groceries:) I am just selective about where I eat, just like being selective with who I purchase add-ons from. With companies such as Flight1, Dreamfleet, PMDG, Eaglesoft, Panelshop, etc (Iknow I left a few out) I don't have to worry about the quality. It will be there. All I have to decide is if a particular package interests me. If it does, I buy it.