I remember the days GameStop was loaded with PC games. Now there is virtually none on the shelf. You would have two or three PC game stores in a mall. Best Buy use to have 3 or 4 racks of PC games now it's lucky to have half a rack. Walmart and Target same thing.

 

 

 

Yeah, this true, but I don't think it is due PC gaming decline. Since mid 00s, I have been able to buy and download a game while laying in bed. I can browse stores around the world without having to leave the house. Besides, it is good for developers too, they don't need distributors, no extra cost for packaging and dvds, and don't forget impulse buying. 

As a long-time RC4 owner, I agree: JD needs to make kind of statement as what's happening with RC5...else I need to look for a replacement that is still being updated.

 

+1:

 

Currently I'm testing the demo version of VoxATC. If jd came up with added/expanded functions in RC5.0 I wouldn't mind going back to "button control" with RC5.0.

 

("Voice control" for RC5.0 wouldn't hurt, either.    )

Yeah, this true, but I don't think it is due PC gaming decline. Since mid 00s, I have been able to buy and download a game while laying in bed. I can browse stores around the world without having to leave the house. Besides, it is good for developers too, they don't need distributors, no extra cost for packaging and dvds, and don't forget impulse buying. 

 

+1

 

Just look at Blizzard. Other than the disastrous release and decline of Diablo III because of it, they're still doing just fine with WoW and SC.  

Am still surprised that we're yet to hear from JD - This topic has been going for weeks, yet nothing from the man himself. However perhaps there is a little too much off topic - but thats for the mods. I just wonder why a previously so respected member of the flightsim community has decided to hold out on us to much...

Well he may have moved on to others things, understandable if so but I think I will start looking for other ATC apps that are being actively developed.

Also quite surprising (and albeit disappointing) other dev/tester like BobbyJoh hasn't chimed in....

Might be kind of off topic, but what kind of plan is in place for reactivations in the event JD just quits.

Might be kind of off topic, but what kind of plan is in place for reactivations in the event JD just quits.

 

I don't believe it is only JD doing activations.  I was actually worried about that myself when I had to re-install RC last month from a new format after I upgraded to FSX.  I emailed my details in on a Sunday afternoon and had a new key in less than an hour.  I was pleasantly surprised they still moved that fast after hearing nothing for so long.

Might be kind of off topic, but what kind of plan is in place for reactivations in the event JD just quits.

 

JD has been a professional. I think he will find a solution for that if he quits.

For every day he aviods to tackle this, he looses customers. But he probably doesn´t care, the way he is treating his loyal former customers.

 

Jack

the Swede in Spain

Also quite surprising (and albeit disappointing) other dev/tester like BobbyJoh hasn't chimed in....

JD will respond to all these questions when he is ready, Its inappropriate for me to say anything until JD responds. As many of you know I have worked with him for years and respect his professionalism and privacy. Jack your comments are totally incorrect and disingenuous.

 

BTW, I am very satisfied with the way RC 4.3 works right now with the only issue I have is SID/STAR handling. I fly the LDS 767 and making trips across the pond I don't have do funny things with ATC making long flights RC does that perfect and I don't sit in front of the PC

 

Bob

 

 

I am very satisfied with the way RC 4.3 works right now

Same in general.  I would, however, like to see it able to interact with and control all ground traffic as I get routed to the active.

 

 

I am very satisfied with the way RC 4.3 works right now

 

Bob, I'm not saying I'm not. It's merely a bit dissapointing not hearing anything about the future of this product.

A couple of years ago (4, 5??) RC5 was announced to be in development. In July 2012 JD indicated to suspend the development due to personal issue's (which I highly respect and deem a very valid reason). In that same statement, JD at least gave the impression that 12 months after that posting, a statement would be made about the future and if RC5 would continu to be developed.

Now I can understand that over time of a year, plans and schedules can change, but someone (either JD or Doug, Rick, or any of the testers) must know by now how this will continu.

So a statement of them should be possible by now and would help all the RC4 customers to make up their mind.

Yes RC4 is a good product, however with aircraft addons becoming more and more advanced and addons like PFPX becomming available, the shortcommings (like SID/STAR and ground guidance) are getting more and more noticeable.

RC4 was a revolutionary product, but with all the developments (both with competing ATC products and above mentioned aircraft / utilities) it is starting to fall behind and show its age.

Hi Frank,

 

I certainly understand your frustrations and thanks for being a long standing user of RC. Many of us on the team go back almost to the very start of Radar Contact's development. Which is why I will always be a loyal user of Radar Contact. All of the members of the team have had discussions with JD and Doug about the future of Radar Contact.

 

As I said in my previous post, its inappropriate for any of us to say anything except for JD. Radar Contact has been his baby from the very beginning. Its his call to let the community know his plans. I would simply ask everyone to respect JD's privacy.In the mean time, most of us on the team love Radar Contact and use it on each and every flight. The team does discuss all the other ATC programs both pros and cons and what we would like to change. At this point and time, other addons planes and scenery do not change ATC rules.

 

Let me be very frank, we were working on SID/STAR procedures and one of my personal issues which is ground awareness. These are VERY complex issues to CODE. Let me give you two examples, SID?SRAR's are related to surface winds which are determined by a FSX weather engine ie. Active Sky,REX, Opus etc. At some airports around the world there are multiple runway selections based on wind conditions. FSX AI flows can be 180 degree's off from the prevailing wind and will instruct ATC SID/STAR's to be very incorrect, but the ATC program will use the FSX AI routing. Next issue, I as a user, who flew in the USAF, and know how to read METARs and weather conditions when I flight plan. I choose the runways and SID's and STAR's to use, I am correct about 90% of the time. The next version of RC has to be coded to allow both of these scenarios and provide an easy to use end user interface. We were well into this when development paused last year.

 

Airport ground awareness of AI proved to be a whole bucket of worms, but solvable<br These two objectives SID/STAR and ground awareness mixed with the current code is a horrendous coding task for a single person. Were we well on our way yes, but just consider this for right now, when you fly in the US or Europe you are passed from one center/control and within those sectors. It took a member of the team and JD to work through countless trigonometry calculations to do that correctly, not to mention the code. If you access to high altitude charts, check how accurate RC is with center changes anywhere in the world.

 

One last issue for any of you to understand, Dallas, Frankfurt, Amsterdam, LAX have hundreds of SID/STAR names, are those to be voiced or spoken phonetically. JD as a developer has had to address all of these challenges.

 

Sorry for the long text, but these are just a few of the things that are on his plate.

Now go fly

 

Bob

It sounds then, you are confirming that 12 months has passed, and he is once again actively developing RC5?  The fact that he cannot or will-not confirm this simple abstract piece of news to his loyal customers himself, after all these years, is what I find offensive.