Hmm, would that be a bad thing? I sometimes think it'd be better to carry on developing FS9 till it's perfect, rather than bringing a new version out every 2 years. The advantages would be enormous: For the addon developers(not having to re-write all their stuff and having to guess how it all works, due to missing SDK's for the first few months after the release), the buying public(not having to re-install everything and spend months optimizing and buying new hardware till it runs properly) etc etcOn the other hand, how far could the existing FS engine be developed?Whether or not MS brings out a whole new engine for FS10 or not has a lot to do with it: If FS10 is just going to be a "fine-tuned" version of FS9, they would be better off leaving it as FS9, with things like ATC etc made better. Just my 2 eurocents...BestGrahame (EDHL)

I would complain to all the people who didn't support future development by people who like Flight Sim but keep 1 version then don't upgrade until 1 later. OR they wait to upgrade when it is too late after sales have been tallied in a reasonable period of time.Too Much Too Late. I don't care if I like the next version or not but I can assure you that not purchasing it good, bad, or indifferent is the reason to stop the future versions you might have loved.Think about it!Carmine http://ftp.avsim.com/dcforum/Images/wave.gif

I'd just enjoy FS2004. Truth be told, I don't think I'll be able to buy FS2006 anyway with the rig that I have, and I don't think I'll be able to afford a new computer.

Well to buy it or not it depends on what you want to get really. If FS 2006 is just a tweaked FS 2004 version I can as well continue fly with FS 2004.But if they modernize the game engine enough I will buy it if not to replace but to run alongside with FS9 if possible :). But if it suck you should of course not buy it. You should reward people when doing something good then if you buy it you have a winwin situation.What says you can

"But if it suck you should of course not buy it."That is the problem entirely right there if the franchise is disbanded. So what if it sucks at the moment. If you don't support it then there will be no FUTURE versions which probably would have ROCKED. Buy the thing and put it on the shelf to at least show support for development of future versions. Then at least the following version you will like even better. I don't understand why people don't GET such a SIMPLE premise. It seems there are a lot of people that skip every version. I like every and ANY improvement no matter how small. The closer to realism the better. And without creating ANYTHING even if it doesn't work properly in one version will never get us closer if it's not created at all. Think about it.Carmine http://ftp.avsim.com/dcforum/Images/wave.gif

Continue using FS2004 on a faster machine with whatever the latest add on's are out there, and also to continue to have a ball of fun with Gran Turismo 4 on my PS2 :-)Cheers,Chris Porter:-outtaPerthWestern Australia

I agree with several of the above posts.1) No future versions would probably mean some insane add-ons would come out. IT WOULD BE POSSIBLE to create an entirely new ATC engine (like Radar Contact) that injects AI into the sim, and allows voice interaction. The problem now is that it is such a big project no one could develop it in the life span of FS 2004, and it would be a HUGE gamble if the concerns of the masses are addressed in the next version. I guarantee that if MS came out and said no new version, or no version in the next 2 or 3 years then it would be done. So- I'm so happy with the rest of the sim, that is really all I want to see.2) When a new version does come out, I will buy it that day- install it, play around, and then shelve it until my favorite addons are compatible. Those initial sales figures are very important however since software entertainment shelve lives are so short. Don't bite the hand that feeds you! And those MS developers are the nucleus of my favorite hobby.In a few years, we won't be complaining about frame rates. You don't hear many people saying Fly II runs like crap anymore right?I hope for the best, but could live with the worst. I still play some very old games. Hell, I spend more time trying to PS1 to run well than FS2004.

>If their is no FS2006, then I might just upgrade to FS2004. >Still enjoying FS2002.. :)I'm still enjoying FS2002 as well :-lol

>X-plane is to ugly to be honest but would change when it>surpasses FS 2004 in eye candy if so. Have you seen the latest with version 8? I've ignored X-plane since version 7 first came out, and when I took a quick peek just now, I was surprised! Gone are the tiled terrain textures, and now the terrain is getting a decent mesh treatment. Austin's got some sort of real world street database with what I THINK is his version of autogen building that match up. Check out the screenshots here:http://www.x-plane.com/v8shots.htmlAt this rate, version 9 will probably be on par with whatever MS is doing for FS2006, if not exceed it in some aspects.

FS9 is an awesome platform for starters. At this current stage I can't justify even getting FS10 when/if(!) it arrives. Out of the box FS9 looks great but when I add 'FS Sky World' to 'Active Sky', get some photo real scenery and some add on airports, (not to mention water reflections!).... I have the best looking flight sim I could possibly hope for. I'm quite literally blown away REGULARILY (-: Now throw in a PMDG or LevelD plane and fly it on-line and I'm happier than a pig in s***!... Why on earth would I want anything more? *:-* Bottom Line: Look at what they've done with Falcon 4.0 over the years. Incredible. The same can easily happen with for FS9. Best RegardsBoone,[email protected]"Flying a plane is no different from riding a bicycle. It's just a lot harder to put baseball cards in the spokes."

Right now I'm happier than a pig in s***!also ...and this feeling could last for a very long time with FS9 ....years even! :-hahregardsEdhttp://forums.avsim.net/user_files/101978.jpg

>"But if it suck you should of course not buy it.">>That is the problem entirely right there if the franchise is>disbanded. So what if it sucks at the moment. If you don't>support it then there will be no FUTURE versions which>probably would have ROCKED. Buy the thing and put it on the>shelf to at least show support for development of future>versions. Then at least the following version you will like>even better. I don't understand why people don't GET such a>SIMPLE premise. It seems there are a lot of people that skip>every version. I like every and ANY improvement no matter how>small. The closer to realism the better. And without>creating ANYTHING even if it doesn't work properly in one>version will never get us closer if it's not created at all. >Think about it.>>Carmine http://ftp.avsim.com/dcforum/Images/wave.gifNo because if you reward game developers that got lazy and release bad products why would they improve if people still buys them? If they concentrate on areas you are not interested in how would they know it

I'm already filled with enjoyment when thinking of the day fs10 comes to life!I'll bet you'll all buy it just because it's so #### good! :-lolI can't understand people who say that fs2004 is so great, they don't need anything new! Just take a quick look at the real world and you'll see fs2004 is still miles away from coming even close.Yes, photo-realistic textures look good, but all the lightning & shadows are just painted onto the textures. Wheels for instance normally are in the shadow of the fuselage and wings. They look normally very dark. Same with the engine intakes, but unfortunatly fs2004 doesn't support such advanced lightning which is essential for realism.Smoothness is also a big need. Compare a fs2004 flight with the smoothness of a movie. You'll most likely encounter this "micro" stutters which shutter the feeling of immersion quite a bit.Guys, it's 2005, time to get rid of such basic problems(this are just some randoms)!I'm hope MS takes their time with the version and sets a new "standard" on which the future can be build and come. Hopefully they got some true magicians writing a hell of a code, leaving tremendous headspace for future developments.To does who argue with the lost of addons: Get over your fear of losing ALL your addons! Or do you want to slow down the improvement of fs because of them? Just keep fs2004 and stay happy!just my two

No FS-X ? Not a chance in heliport.That being said, I'm one of the few that have enjoyed FS9 since I got it , even before the patch. The 3rd party addons are my true joy - 737NG, RFP, AS2004.5, RC, FS2Crew. And it's always a pain in the exhaust waiting for the addons to be updated to the new version of FS (some never get done). An truly, I hope FS-X is such a major leap forward that it is a brand new sim.

FS9 has been in the top ten of game sales for a very good chunk of its 18 month life. This is a very stable franchise in a very difficult marketplace (games and entertainment in general). I can't possibly believe that a) Microsoft doesn't make money on the the sim and 2) that it would turn its back one of the most successful software titles of any kind, of all time.