And that's part of what I meant before about the bar to entry. The whole thing has gotten so complex, sometimes just to get things up and running, that the process self selects for only the most technically minded and committed, discouraging the "casual catch" and the numbers and money necessary for more robust development.

 

Okay, but everything I mentioned above is what flight sim fans or people training for real flight need!

 

If there is a way to make that accessible to newbies for casual flying, that's great. The problem is when casuals burn out quickly on something like MS Flight, because they run out of things to do if they're not interested in taking the step to learning realistic flying, and at the same time you can't shoot or bomb anything. How many times you can you fly over pretty scenery in Hawaii, Alaska, or the Alps before you get bored with just doing that? It's the conundrum DTG is facing now, if they're trying to revive the MS Flight design.

 

In another thread somewhere, someone said that MS Flight failed because it tried to strike a middle ground, where there actually is no middle ground. Maybe DTG can figure out how to make money by shifting that focus, and I think we all know where that focus will be.

The problem is when casuals burn out quickly on something like MS Flight, because they run out of things to do if they're not interested in taking the step to learning realistic flying, and at the same time you can't shoot or bomb anything. How many times you can you fly over pretty scenery in Hawaii, Alaska, or the Alps before you get bored with just doing that? It's the conundrum DTG is facing now, if they're trying to revive the MS Flight design.

 

Probably the same amount of times you can go back and forth over an even more limited train route. Yet DTG made it work, and is doing fine in a "niche" market that supposedly would only appeal to enthusiasts. In fact, they are digging yet another well and creating a fishing sim, and if anyone can make it a success, I suspect its them. What is it, that they think they know? Might it be time to take another look at the common wisdom about so-called casuals?

 

Especially when that wisdom so conveniently reinforces our own preconceptions?

 

 

* And the ATC system

 

Yep, broken. Wait for a fix

 

 

* And the AI Aircraft system

 

Yep broken. Wait for a fix maybe someday.

 

 

* And the seasonal textures

 

Yep still waiting, maybe someday.

 

 

 

* And the 23,000 empty airport sceneries

 

Yep, just see if some of the 23K airports have got a file somewhere or develop your own before you fly into one on the empty ones. I want to fly, not search, add, develop, or download an airport before I fly every flight. Maybe in a future update.

Im not an XPX'er, but with all the drama over MSFS incarnations, it's looking better all the time.

 

 

I'll make the move when FSX is really, really, down and out... and you'll know when that is when new material is only for something else.. the majority of the time.

 

 

I'm not sweating DoveButt. This conversation went down just like it did for FLIGHT, so whatever DoveHumps does, it's already DOA with this community.

 

 

Ok... back to playing with sound files for RealAir Duke V2.....

Yep, just see if some of the 23K airports have got a file somewhere or develop your own before you fly into one on the empty ones. I want to fly, not search, add, develop, or download an airport before I fly every flight. Maybe in a future update.

 

All the current ICAO world runways and navaids are in XPX Global. They're not missing. You can fly and land anywhere on an actual runway with nighttime lighting, VASI, etc. And it's the real runway that's actually out there right now, not old defunct airports or airports with new construction. Shouldn't that matter?

 

When we talk about "missing airports" in XPX, what we're talking about is the 3D stuff... the buildings, the terminals, towers, hangers, static aircraft and the rest. And I understand why that's important for immersion. I hate flying into areas where it's just a bare runway too. It's not believable.

 

But most of the big airports are already there in XPX, either payware or user-made as free downloads. And a lot of the little ones too, made by users who want to see their home fields. It just takes a little effort to find them and download them. Yes, just like we all had to do in MSFS for any enhancements that didn't come with the bare package. This is no different. 

I have sent Dovetail games an email congratulating them and reminding them of how unsuccessful MS Flight was. I made a few suggestions and I intend on sending wish lists often to them. If we all do a part in sending a strong message about flight simulator issues that have not been tolerated in the past, maybe we will have an ear,  maybe they will take a risk, invest greatly in the product, and listen to us during development. 

 

I think they know that we will pay for a great flight simulator that exceeds the features and quality of P3Dv2 (default/green installation) and we will stifle it if its not as good as P3Dv2 (default) or at least our FSX setup.

OMG.... yet another petition!! I have never known so much twaddle written about a game before.. & we are expecting & demanding more & more. 

 

All of a sudden, we, gamers, kids, retired folk, armchair pilots, etc, we are DEMANDING, we do not TOLERATE... we threaten..

 

Guys, take a chill pill, sure we are the paying public, but.......

It's only a game!!! 

 

Maybe the moaners & groaners should spend some time learning how to create add-ons so they can add to this amazing hobby of ours, instead of making demands & threats!!

I have sent Dovetail games an email congratulating them and reminding them of how unsuccessful MS Flight was. I made a few suggestions and I intend on sending wish lists often to them. If we all do a part in sending a strong message about flight simulator issues that have not been tolerated in the past, maybe we will have an ear,  maybe they will take a risk, invest greatly in the product, and listen to us during development. 

 

I think they know that we will pay for a great flight simulator that exceeds the features and quality of P3Dv2 (default/green installation) and we will stifle it if its not as good as P3Dv2 (default) or at least our FSX setup.

 

Are you serious? If you give them the impression that we contemn anything that has less functionality than FSX and that we will trash their simulator like Microsoft Flight if they dare do so, they will stop taking us seriously and decide to appeal only to the casual market. If you want them to actually listen to us during development, stop sending them e-mails please. They won't direct their development so they can satisfy your wishlists.

I'm not sweating DoveButt. This conversation went down just like it did for FLIGHT, so whatever DoveHumps does, it's already DOA with this community.

 

 

.

I thought their name was DoveTail? Unless I am mistaken, you are acting like my nine year old boy does when he is angry or cannot get his own way - he resorts to name calling. Hopefully he will grow out of it in the next year or so. In the meantime the only advice I can give you is not to let the situation get you down. As a company, I am quite sure they meet their own measurements of success and I personally wish them luck with their new venture.

Are you serious? If you give them the impression that we contemn anything that has less functionality than FSX and that we will trash their simulator like Microsoft Flight if they dare do so, they will stop taking us seriously and decide to appeal only to the casual market. If you want them to actually listen to us during development, stop sending them e-mails please. They won't direct their development so they can satisfy your wishlists.

 

I was thinking along the same lines. In a small article (can't remember where I saw it) One of the DTG execs was talking about being eager to listen to and work with the Flight sim community. Meanwhile, looking at this thread, a few people with no evidence on the plate one way or another as to how things will finally go (but a lot of speculation, including mine) have already consigned the whole endeavor to the nether regions. I'm tempted to laugh, except its pretty sad as well.

I thought their name was DoveTail? Unless I am mistaken, you are acting like my nine year old boy does when he is angry or cannot get his own way - he resorts to name calling. Hopefully he will grow out of it in the next year or so. In the meantime the only advice I can give you is not to let the situation get you down. As a company, I am quite sure they meet their own measurements of success and I personally wish them luck with their new venture.

 

I thought it was an.... interesting post.

Well, only if the memory usage of the app is past 4gigs.

...

 

No. 64 bit programs run a very slight amount faster than 32 bits. Perhaps about 10-25%, it varies from program to program

All the current ICAO world runways and navaids are in XPX Global. They're not missing. You can fly and land anywhere on an actual runway with nighttime lighting, VASI, etc. And it's the real runway that's actually out there right now, not old defunct airports or airports with new construction. Shouldn't that matter?

 

When we talk about "missing airports" in XPX, what we're talking about is the 3D stuff... the buildings, the terminals, towers, hangers, static aircraft and the rest. And I understand why that's important for immersion. I hate flying into areas where it's just a bare runway too. It's not believable.

 

But most of the big airports are already there in XPX, either payware or user-made as free downloads. And a lot of the little ones too, made by users who want to see their home fields. It just takes a little effort to find them and download them. Yes, just like we all had to do in MSFS for any enhancements that didn't come with the bare package. This is no different. 

 

When it comes to the so-called "missing airports", do the airports in XP have accurate taxiways, or do they only have runways?

 

 

I was thinking along the same lines. In a small article (can't remember where I saw it) One of the DTG execs was talking about being eager to listen to and work with the Flight sim community. Meanwhile, looking at this thread, a few people, with no evidence on the plate one way or another as to how things will finally go (but a lot of speculation, including mine) have already consigned the whole endeavor to the nether regions . I'm tempted to laugh, except its pretty sad as well.

 

Whatever eagerness of listening to the community they have will be killed if we start making threats like that. I'm sure they're aware of what happened with Microsoft Flight.

 

I'm personally willing to accept less functionality as long as their flight simulation game has a soul. There's a difference between a game that aims to please its userbase and does what it wants to do well, and a buggy cash cow with the express purpose of milking customers.

https://store.steampowered.com/mobilestorefront/topsellers (XPlane current #9)

 

Sadly, FSX probably won't get on this list unless DTG plans to overhaul the graphics system.

 

XPlane looks pretty good here. That being said, the demo did NOT give me these results. They cheat a bit with mass AA on, which makes everything look pretty nice in the screenshots.

As expected, Steam will allow X-Plane to reach new customers. With more than 70 million active Steam users, this was easy to predict.

 

 

This is no different.

 

An important point to keep in mind! Sometimes it seems to me that FSX simmers look at their current sim and forget completely how much time and money they spent to get it looking like that!

 

While this is of course a very good reason not to switch, it is less obvious to use the personal status of your sim to flame X-Plane out of the box.

 

X-Plane can and does look better than FSX with far fewer addons, the majority of which are freeware.

As expected, Steam will allow X-Plane to reach new customers. With more than 70 million active Steam users, this was easy to predict.

 

Unfortunately some of the new customers it's reaching are like this: http://steamcommunity.com/id/weplayclassics/recommended/292180/

That was to be expected...

 

 

Unfortunately some of the new customers it's reaching are like this

 

Wow.  I wonder how much worse she would have trashed XPX if it had been the 32 bit version instead.  Interesting that only 9 of 81 people found the review helpful.

 

There's really a wealth of information in that review... not for other gamers, but for anyone wanting to reach that market.  How would you have to change the flight sim to make it appeal to that reviewer, and by extension all her friends?  Has anyone ever tried to make such a sim? 

 

Hook