A bit late with this post, but xsimreviews have attacked out at X-Plane and Ben Supnik's recent inerview, which seems to have annoyed people in the comments.

 

http://xsimreviews.com/2014/01/15/xp10reviews-14-01-14/

 

For me, it's always seemed that LR have their own agenda, and that they don't seem to take user's concern's seriously or forget what they've promised users. I still remember being promised just after the release of XP10, that they'd fix the AI, and make the ATC support VFR flights like FSX does. People remember things like this, and I think this is what has annoyed the author of the article. Also IMO, it would seem that LR simply don't seem interested in attracting the FSX crowd and gaining users, and I honestly don't understand why.

 

 

 

Ben has explained the roadmap in his blogs. The 10.20 update that brought us 64 bit, probably took the best part of a year to get stable, it was a massive undertaking that we all seem to take for granted now. 10.25 introduced a raft of new textures that make X-Plane look visually stunning. 

10.30 is due, hopefully fairly soon, it I believe will also bring us some significant changes.

I think we sometimes forget LR is a small, very small company developing an immensely complex simulator. They have neither the backing, budget or user base of FSX or indeed Lockheed.

They do care about what we as users think, however we users tend to think many different things, the way LR prioritizes those will please some but upset others.

 

Meanwhile some of the third party development has been stunning, and it's growing and getting better and better. 

 

 

They have neither the backing, budget

 

I find that hard to believe, especially when Austin posts pictures of the planes he has bought. If he can afford to fly privately and own/maintain several private planes, I'm sure he could afford to take on more developers/artists. However, it's his company, his priorities and his choice, 

 

A massive wasted opportunity I think. 

 

They do care about what we as users think, however we users tend to think many different things, the way LR prioritizes those will please some but upset others.

 

 

Not sure about this. Most of people I read complain about poor ATC and AI and I just read that in 10.30 there will be minor enhacements, maybe just some bug fixes on this subject.

 

Like Tony, I believe that attracting more FSX simmers would definitely start that virtuous effect that leads more developers to start developing for XP. I think that this is a golden opportunity fro XP with LM unable to jump to 64 bit and with many users suffering more and more FSX constrains, something that should not be missed, but of course we don't know the real numbers behind the scene.

 

If FSX left the FS market it's not obvious all this cash cow that we like to figure out.

My oppinion is that, with 10.30 some of those annoying limitations will receive an update -  hopefully getting less annoying, or even better, turn satisfactory :-)

 

After that, and until the end-of-life of version 10, LR could concentrate more on the structure of X-Plane 11, namely making sure that all of those 3pds that spent their precious time developing their add-ons aircraft / scenery / etc... for version 10 can rest assured that their creations will run on that new version, while at the same time providing information about what will be made available for the next version, and progressively, how will it work, and make that info available to the whole community, not only a few selected 3pds, because indeed the weight of freeware in X-Plane's World is huge, and as a matter of fact, probably the most important contributions ever made to this platform are freeware!

 

I am looking forward for the future of X-Plane.

 

For the price I payed for version 10, I am rather satisfied with what I got, and will still get until the final 10.XX release. I am dedicated to it, waiting for X-Plane 11 to bring some of the things we all would like to have already in X-Plane 10.

 

Above all, the move to 64 bit was the markerstone of this version, and of this sim, and a great / important move!

I hate to say it but my various rants in the last year have been more or less along the same lines as this but not quite as graphic. Very surprised LR have not jumped upon the opportunity to widen their market appeal, and sometimes wonder if it's maybe time for AM to sell X-Plane development to the highest bidder and let someone else manage it who has more interest in seeing XP succeed and expand. I think XP is technically the best sim out there, and has the potential to be so much more. I'm sure AM could buy a lot more luxury planes with the rewards if he knuckled down and hired some more artists and developers!

I find that hard to believe, especially when Austin posts pictures of the planes he has bought. If he can afford to fly privately and own/maintain several private planes, I'm sure he could afford to take on more developers/artists. However, it's his company, his priorities and his choice,

 

I don't think he's done any posts about his planes any time recently.

 

There is this issue of the (ongoing?) patent lawsuit to factor into the equation.  Last thing I read (early last year), was that he was fighting the lawsuit..  That alone is a massive distraction to x-plane development, and he's advised not to comment on it ....... thus we'll hear nothing on the matter unless there's a courtroom victory (or defeat).

 

 

My oppinion is that, with 10.30 some of those annoying limitations will receive an update -  hopefully getting less annoying, or even better, turn satisfactory

 

Call me pessimistic, but I think that 10.30 is being a bit overhyped. We don't really know what's going into it yet. The GPS update will be good, I mean, let's face it, anything is an improvement over the awful default GPS :-).

 

Also, as much as I'd like them to improve the flight-model, I remember reading (sorry can't remember where), that they won't make major changes to it in the fear of breaking addons. Which is a decision that I 100% agree with. I'm worried that if they make even minor changes, it will break addons which have hacks/fixes in place to overcome problems. 

 

Don't get me wrong, I'm also really looking forward to the future of X-Plane, but I fear we will be waiting a long time to get things like ATC/AI fixed, and by then (who knows) there might be a new kid on the block.

 

 

Don't get me wrong, I'm also really looking forward to the future of X-Plane, but I fear we will be waiting a long time to get things like ATC/AI fixed, and by then (who knows) there might be a new kid on the block.

 

I have that concern too, but, OTOH, I am already satisfied with what I've got. I am not very demanding in terms of the use I make of a flight simulator other than what concerns flight dynamics, plausible weather and World. I can perfectly live without ATC and even AI.... although I used to like those TCAS alerts on my PMDG 777 in FSX even with it's plausible ( certainly more than X-Plane's ) default AI Traffic...

The article pretty much encapsulated all my feelings about XPX, and the authors reaction pretty much explains the "Don't say anything if you can't say anything nice" silence from readers which greeted the Avsim interview.

 

We all hope for so much, as the potential is obvious, but Laminar is...... Laminar.

Capturing market share for a company as small as Laminar, even in the void left after the demise of FSX and Flight, was never going to be an easy task. I've never been an FS user and can only go on the observations of the many friends of mine who are, but their opinion is that while they are impressed with what X-Plane has to offer and would be all for adopting it, they simply can't afford to jump platform having already invested years and hundreds or thousands of euro in payware add-ons and have to start again from scratch. And now with Prepar3D on the scene, they see that as their way forward. (Although most will be content to stick with FSX for some time yet.)

 

 

I can perfectly live without ATC and even AI

 

Maybe I'm being too demanding . I've got used to not having ATC now, and I'm quite happy to use vatsim. I do miss the AI though, and it's something that makes the airports feel empty. It's just one of many things though that are continually bought up by FSX users who have tried and didn't like X-Plane. I'm happy for a third-party to fill the gap, just as JohnMaxx did with the clouds, but AFAIK this isn't yet possible.

Capturing market share for a company as small as Laminar, even in the void left after the demise of FSX and Flight, was never going to be an easy task. I've never been an FS user and can only go on the observations of the many friends of mine who are, but their opinion is that while they are impressed with what X-Plane has to offer and would be all for adopting it, they simply can't afford to jump platform having already invested years and hundreds or thousands of euro in payware add-ons and have to start again from scratch. And now with Prepar3D on the scene, they see that as their way forward. (Although most will be content to stick with FSX for some time yet.)

 

I'm not sure why people think if that they install X-Plane, they need to remove FSX/P3D . I actually have 5 sims installed (FSX/P3D/X-Plane/AeroflyFS and FlightGear) and find FSX is still the king when it comes to high-altitude and IFR flying. 

I'm not sure why people think if that they install X-Plane, they need to remove FSX/P3D . I actually have 5 sims installed (FSX/P3D/X-Plane/AeroflyFS and FlightGear) and find FSX is still the king when it comes to high-altitude and IFR flying. 

Good point: to clarify, I suppose what I really meant was "start investing in a new platform" rather than actually jumping! Some of them still have their FS9 installation.

Maybe I'm being too demanding . I've got used to not having ATC now, and I'm quite happy to use vatsim. I do miss the AI though, and it's something that makes the airports feel empty. It's just one of many things though that are continually bought up by FSX users who have tried and didn't like X-Plane. I'm happy for a third-party to fill the gap, just as JohnMaxx did with the clouds, but AFAIK this isn't yet possible.

 

 

I'm not sure why people think if that they install X-Plane, they need to remove FSX/P3D . I actually have 5 sims installed (FSX/P3D/X-Plane/AeroflyFS and FlightGear) and find FSX is still the king when it comes to high-altitude and IFR flying.

My best and impressive simulator experience yet, was flying an A320 full flight simulator, even though there was no AI traffic at all in this thing! ;-)

And you're perfectly right: X Plane and FSX can coexist. I didn't dare to put them both on the same SSD, so each has it its own SSD, but my PC hasn't gone up in flames yet, that's amazing! ;-)

An SSD wouldn't resist the effects of "acute jcomm-itis", I'm affraid :-(  It wouldn't resist such a huge install / uninstall rate ....