Hi,

 

I have had many conversations with Nick in the past, especially on his hardware guidance, and, as most of know, he has always been there to help for anyone. I am not going to judge the decision, but I would like to be able to upgrade NA only. I hope in the future that this becomes an offer.

 

Regards

Bob

I'm just paused in flight over central California at 10,000 ft, running OPUS that is driving REX Extreme textures. Below me is GEX USA/CANADA at version 1.099. I bought a new region yesterday along with its companion UTX. That was of course as stated yesterday, GEX USA TROPICS.

 

I decided I wanted USA/CANADA v1.099 and that was the way to get it. It cost me $35.00 for the update, BUT...I did not PAY $35.00 for merely that. I also got new territory to fly over, to explore, and added much more worth and enjoyment to FSX as a whole. I am seeing a lot of comments, and I won't call them 'beefs' whatever, (everybody has a right to their views and opinions and in my books, all are valid and should be respected as well as the person writing them!) but I would merely like to state how I feel about my having to purchase another region to update USA/CANADA to the latest.

 

Sure...free is free, and you don't break any sweat in being on the receiving end of anything 'free'. Someone had to produce what you wish to see as coming along the 'free' highway. Nick and his partners did not have the graphics, invention, time and effort dropped into their laps to be passed along. They have been wonderful in what updates I have received as TOTALLY FREE and generous since having purchased the GEX/UTX products. In fact, going to version 1.099 for USA/CANADA is the first time I have been asked to perhaps reward their industry and effort by buying and supporting said efforts in the GEX/UTX franchise.

 

I did so yesterday. I have absolutely no regrets. Look...I am forced to put $70.00 or more a week into my gas tank, because that is what makes the car head on into work. I have no choice. What gives me pleasure to do...is to HAVE a choice of whether I wish to show my appreciation to the developers, (all of them...) that have made the base FSX into what sheer joy it is to run today!!! I would never have had what GEX/UTX, ORBX, OPUS, EZdock, all of them...countless wonderful programs I run in tandem with the base FSX each time I fly, if NOT for those developers taking this to the drawing board, taking this to the coding platform, and finally offering their industry for end purchase.

 

I decided to financially continue my support of the developers behind the GEX/UTX franchise by spending $70.00 yesterday and picking up two absolutely new areas now enhanced within FSX. I will enjoy flying and exploring where I mostly would have not, because that area was only rendered as base FSX, namely Central America, Hawaii, and the Caribbean, before yesterdays two purchases.

 

As a thank you, I got a FREE yes...FREE update to GEX USA/CANADA from the developers. They do not owe any of us ANYTHING behind the version and features you took on in buying the first offering of the original version. Updates are not contractual. They are offered as a developer SUPPORT of YOU, the end user. So, in my opinion, and I'm sure some readers will not see it my way....if you have enjoyed ANY of the GEX/UTX programs...a most direct and wonderful way, would be to perhaps open up your wallet/purse and invest once more financially behind the developers, and thereby be an incentive to keep offering new software for FSX. To keep offering a better coding or feature of what you already had purchased. Folks, yeah....free is wonderful, but let me end my view on things within this thread by saying how many of you that have taken um-bridge with not having a direct download 'and thankyou' to GEX USA/CANADA v1.099 without dropping a dime....would be so willing to go tomorrow to work, and do so for eight hours and expect not a cent to be compensated to you for YOUR efforts? Huh? Right.....

 

My picking up two more and new products from the folks behind GEX USA/CANADA v1.099 was my way of giving back, and not being a user/taker. I hope that Nick and crew continue to offer new and exciting FSX supported software, as well as all the other fabulous developers supporting my passion: FSX.

 

Thank you all, thank you, one. I WILL pay for products that enhance my FSX enjoyment and move it forward. I WILL​ pay what I feel is a reasonable price for the marketed software, and obviously I do feel that it is perfectly reasonable to be asked to purchase another product, and for that...be given a free/thank you from the developer as in the form of v1.099. Ok...off the soapbox, lol. BTW, v1.099 is certainly worth you considering not depriving yourself of its enhancements, because you do not wish to purchase another product to receive it. You and I are not contractually entitled to freebies. That is the sole discretion of the people behind the software. We have no valid reason to grunge if they ask you to further invest in their work. If you want the visual improvements to GEX UTX/USA, step up and enjoy what the other validating packages will give you. If not....keep flying without, and miss the experience. I must tell you, and I can because I DID decide to purchase another product. It is/was worth every penny. The Caribbean looks great. The Dominican Republic looks like what it does when I vacation there, and with UTX giving proper placements of roads with traffic, great beaches, good land class....Yeeeeeeeeeeeeeehaw! Same now for Mexico, Costa Rica....all of it.

 

GEX USA/CANADA at v1.099 rendering, now looks the part of realism. No more plastic below decks...and THAT...is a good deal!

 

Back to flying....I have to land in Oakland for some Sonoma back country wine tasting...

Happy flights, all!

 

Post Edit: Just landed using v1.099, and I can highly recommend taking a 10,000 ft IFR flight plan between KSAN (San Diego, Californina) to KOAK (Oakland, California) to highlight all the goodies that going to v1.099 offers. The colors of the region are dead on, and the new vegetation and cities, towns, topography textures are as now, good as ORBX in dedicated regions. I have no further reluctance to now fly out of a dedicated ORBX region, and thereby GEX/UTX taking over the graphics. Nick...you are knocking loudly at ORBX's front door with this version...ROTFLMAO!

 

Mitch'er

Just in case anyone from GEX is reading this thread: as I mentioned in an earlier post to this thread, I would be more than willing to pay a reasonable incremental charge to get the 1.099 upgrade. From the screenshots I saw of 1.099, it truely looked very good.

It would be easier to swallow if this offer applied to the purchase of "any" other region. For instance, I do also enjoy flying in Europe, but I am not paying for a region I will probably never use. This being the case, it's like saying "If you want to use v1.099 in NA, it's going to cost you $70"

 

Just my opinion,

It would be easier to swallow if this offer applied to the purchase of "any" other region. For instance, I do also enjoy flying in Europe, but I am not paying for a region I will probably never use. This being the case, it's like saying "If you want to use v1.099 in NA, it's going to cost you $70"

 

Just my opinion,

-------------------------------------------------------

 

I 'hear ya'. If having not to buy another GEX region, but perhaps a $14.95 version 'up-charge' cost...that's most likely how I would have gone, too. Most people probably would have. So..let's go with that for a moment...so, being that to get another whole updated region out of FSX, it would cost you another $20.00...in my books, that would be a better 'deal'. I'd pay 20 bucks to bring all of Central America, Hawaii, and the Carib into the GEX fold. No doubt, you'd agree that if Nick and Company asked for $14.95, most would think seriously about it. I'm using v1.099 and trust me, it is worth the upgrade for all of N.A. I have flown the Carib today, and with also having purchased UTX for the area, it rocks!

 

So...let's put it another way, Nick and Company will charge everyone $14.99 for the update to N.A. They ask you to donate another $20.00 to keep the lights on, but give you a totally new area. Yeah, yeah....my way of amortizing with a smile. I spent $70.00 only because to not have UTX under GEX, would only be getting half the visual impact.

 

Wanabflyer, it is a good update. There is a marked difference between the freebie v1.096 and v1.099. If you love to fly over scenery getting more real with each release....then you will totally enjoy v1.099. You can replace $34.99 by next week's pay check. The enjoyment you will have by viewing what is below your wing, will be a continuous payout, each and every flight after you drop the 'dime'. Drop the money on the table...and start re-exploring where you love to fly. I did, and v1.099 keeps putting a smile on the 'kisser'..... Your choice, of course! Oh...I do recommend that your 'dime' be the N.A. Tropics. Very nice, for you can now wing it below the Southern border and keep on going, with great textures to boot! That of course, was my 'pay-way' into the deal. No regrets.

 

Mitch

 

-------------------------------------------------------

 

So...let's put it another way, Nick and Company will charge everyone $14.99 for the update to N.A. They ask you to donate another $20.00 to keep the lights on, but give you a totally new area. Yeah, yeah....my way of amortizing with a smile. I spent $70.00 only because to not have UTX under GEX, would only be getting half the visual impact.

 

Make it Europe and you got a deal!

 

Regards,

Fortunately I had already purchased APT when it first came out IIRC at a bit of a discount, since I guess I live in Timbuktu

 

scott s.

.

It's dumb to blame the developers of GEX for making you buy another region. You should be upset at Microsoft for designing this default texture system that requires textures from other regions causing this problem in the first place. It's well worth more money, you should have been paying attention when the product first came out as there was a nice discount coupon anyway.

Those links install 1.096. The big change apparently comes with the jump to 1.099, which you currently can't get without buying one of those three other regions.

 

Thanks for the correction. Guess that I'll pass on buying the 'required' addons since I have no interest beyon NA at this time.

Thanks for the correction. Guess that I'll pass on buying the 'required' addons since I have no interest beyon NA at this time.

-------------------------------------------------------------

If you you love to fly using your present version of GEX NA, you would absolutely love what v1.099 brings to the realism visuals. Because you choose not to purchase another region to your fold, you will miss out. You are missing out much, Airernie. The graphics are much improved over what you are seeing in the freebie v1.096. In v1.099 the ground shading is very much more lifelike, and adds immeasurably to the level of enjoyment you would feel.

 

This is your choice to sit out, of course. Totally yours.

 

(by the way, I have absolutely no connection to GEX , etc. When I see and or feel a product advances our pursuit towards realism, I can't contain my enthusiasm. If something sucks, I'm usually just quiet about it, or at the most will mention a few words....) GEX NA v1.099 is a thumb's up. It took the fake and plastic look ( my personal observation and comment) of older GEX's to rest, and GEX NA v1.099 is now at the doorstep of ORBX custom textures. With UTX under it for landclass, The cities, suburbs and rural look fabulous. I took off from San Diego yesterday, heading to the San Francisco Bay area...and....did San Diego EVER look totally life-like in how the suburbs were finally laid out not hap-hazard, but as they should/would appear. Seriously, for the sake of not picking up a new and different GSX area of FSX to discover (that you had not thought to fly over in the past) you are missing the boat....and those who have bought a ticket for the GEX NA v1.099 'cruise' is on-board and in party-hearty mode, lol. "..er bartender, make that a double rum and coke!"... Now for a night flight, from KLAX, to Mexico City....all brought to myself by GEX and UTX, lol. I think that I will take this jump with the Citation.......

 

Cheers!I

Mitch

'Make it Europe and you've got a deal!

----------------------------------------------------------------------

 

That seems fair,...perhaps Nick should add Europe as one of the qualifiers. I think that your request is a totally fair one. I must say though, that if that doesn't happen, I suggest you do pick up NA tropics to get the upgrade, because I am now having a blast in exploring Central America, and the Carib. I already had some great add-on scenery for the Carib, but GEX totally enhances what the add-on scenery now sits upon, and the UTX support program for the Carib and NA Tropics give you the proper highways, car traffic, beaches, and new trees which has made my visuals stunning. In using and explolring what GEX NA Tropics brings to the table, it was certainly not a waste of that extra '$20.00' (smile) I pitched in to get GEX NA v1.099. If it was, I'd certainly vocalize that. Perhaps contact Nick, if he is not following this thread as a 'guest'. Personally...I would think that ANY GEX and/or UTX that you would purchase should also allow you an upgrade path to v1.099. What would be the difference as to what you bought, rather that you just contributed to the developer's compensation for the titles offered. If you choose to buy what allows you 'in' at present, you will totally enjoy your first long-distance flight over what is familiar and present scenery in N.A. Geez...I need to stop typing, and do more flying, lol...so with this, I'll leave off....

 

Regard's

 

Mitch

If you you love to fly using your present version of GEX NA, you would absolutely love what v1.099 brings to the realism visuals.

 

Sesquashtoo,

 

Would either you or someone who has bought the 1.099 update mind putting something of the Screenshots Forum? It would be a big help to this discussion if the community at large could see the new textures. It would be a help to see shots of farming areas and well as city and mountain shots.

 

Thanks.

Sesquashtoo,

 

Would either you or someone who has bought the 1.099 update mind putting something of the Screenshots Forum? It would be a big help to this discussion if the community at large could see the new textures. It would be a help to see shots of farming areas and well as city and mountain shots.

 

Thanks.

------------------------------------------------------------------

 

I just read your request and here is why I really don't subscribe to pics posted in the forums. The main one is that you will not see the full high definition that you would have by the graphics being rendered in live time upon your system, and the fact that AVSIM forces you to drop what you would see as 1920x1200 upon your system in use, to a low rez compressed rendering. Trust me, what anybody would be posting would not even come close to what they had going on before they paused the screen on their monitor and dumped from it. Remember, what you send is in x.jpg and is a loss format. I understand why people want to see pics before buying, but that in itself is the problem. Guys 'n Gals like us who have decided on faith to drop the dime have the real non-compressed deal happening, but then we send along awful pictures and THAT is what others will judge (first impressions!!!) their decision upon; "Man...I didn't see any difference/ Man, they suck!/ The graphics are blurry, etc.....

 

I don't think there is one person that decided to take the purchase route who has regretted that decision. v1.099 at full slide's to the right settings around an example such as lift off from San Diego, will blow you away ! The suburbs as you climb out before the mountains are as close to the real thing that anything ORBX (great stuff, that) has put out. I usually have kept within my ORBX regions, but now have to tell ya...I've been flying all over the darn continent...and have been having a blast doing it. Below the wing at any altitude, N.A. now looks real!

If somebody does not post a shot...I might step in...but before I even do, I shall expect such that:' I don't see any difference...and they would be right at all the hits in quality one has to defer to in posting a screen-shot to forums! The best advice I can give you...is buy NA Tropics, get the NA update and enjoy it as it was meant to be seen...on your own system, powered by your hardware, and not by a resolution-suffering x.jpg.

 

I know that is not what you wanted to see in a response.....I know. I do have a suggestion though, and it should be NICK that addresses high def. pics of his work....Nick, if you are reading this...how 'bout YOU post super-high quality/max resolution shots of all the new textures between v1.096 and v1.099 on Flight1's website and then come here with the link. That would be a great way for those fence-sitters that need to feel reassured by means of an A/B comparison. Flight1 could make sure that what they capture, is the level of visual quality to what one would see after purchase and in using the program.

 

While you're waiting for them to step up to the plate, go over to their support forum, whereby a few users have posted what you are looking for A/B, but let me warn you, they do NOT look as sharp and crisp as what was on their system capture. I can assure you that. But at least you will get sort of an idea.... I for the most part found them dull, and washed out, with the A/B looking pretty much the same. They would be...for both were run through compression of posting as x.jpg and a lower resolution than the original live and running program screen-capture.

 

Post Edit: One thing I need to mention, is that you really need to have the companion UTX for each area running under the textures. That is what will define their placement upon the skin. I have the matching UTX programs for all the GEX regions I have. The only GEX that I don't own is Asia and the Middle East. I don't see myself getting those, as I have never flown above those regions since buying FSX years ago. N.A. Tropics was an easy sell, as I now can go into Alaska, or south below California with texture and land class continuity.

 

Mitch

This will be my last response to this thread. I did put a posting on the Flight One GEX Support web site and NickN responded back that doesn't review AVSIM Forums or look at opinions here.

 

I have mixed feelings about this as he explained that GEX is only two employees and he thinks that their update policy is a good one and is not subject to change. The following is a quote from him:

 

"There will always be those who do not agree.. thats fine, they dont make the product by spending years in production and pay for licensing and other production costs nor do they spend time in support.. Reality is, most people would take one look at the cost and the time involved to create and maintain a business like this and would walk away from it when they saw the timeclock and the P&L sheet."

 

I do understand what he is saying and have empathy for them, and the last thing I would want to do was anything to hurt their small business concern. After all, in the long run, it would be bad for all of us in the Flight Sim community.

 

So I guess it is up to each person to make their own decision of what to do. It all depends on how bad we want this upgrade at this time. Nick did state that they will be having a major new version 2.0 due out in 2014.

 

Happy Flying everyone!

I dont have 1.099 or any of the other GEX except NA, but isnt buying another region the same thing as an upgrade fee? Even if i dont fly in those regions its still an upgrade fee to the 1.099 no matter how you look at it. What I dont understand is why Europe is not an option.

 

If your going to go that route in having the fee through other products then it should include them all.

IMHO