Do the Microsoft FS peoplle read this stuff?

[AWACS 12]

Another dumb question probably.Do the Microsoft Flight Sim development people ever read our posts here or respond to them at all. Surely they know we are here, but you would think that these people would be active in this community. I ask this because a lot of people here have a lot of good ideas about how to improve MSFS. I would hate to think that all of our comments about their product are being ignored. I mean they must know how popular MSFS is and what needs to be worked on. I know some of the MSFS team went to the AVSIM conference last year, where they announced their patch. But you have to wonder about the fact that most of the programmers are most likely aviation enthusiasts and must own some addon software for FS right? So where do they go for support or questions about certain things? Here? Right or not? Maybe they just keep a low profile. I don't know, but I think it would be interesting to have some interaction with the MSFS team, right? Ok, I was tired one post ago, now I'm going to sleep.Thanks,Jeff USAF

[W2DR 1,860]

They read everything posted Jeff. After all, they're flight sim nuts too :-) . But, MS policy prohibits them from commenting in public forums. Probably not a bad idea when one considers what goes on in the several commercial support forums.Doug

[Guest allcott]

>Another dumb question probably.>>Do the Microsoft Flight Sim development people ever read our>posts here or respond to them at all. Surely they know we are>here, but you would think that these people would be active in>this community. I ask this because a lot of people here have>a lot of good ideas about how to improve MSFS. I would hate>to think that all of our comments about their product are>being ignored. I mean they must know how popular MSFS is and>what needs to be worked on. I know some of the MSFS team went>to the AVSIM conference last year, where they announced their>patch. But you have to wonder about the fact that most of the>programmers are most likely aviation enthusiasts and must own>some addon software for FS right? So where do they go for>support or questions about certain things? Here? Right or>not? Maybe they just keep a low profile. I don't know, but I>think it would be interesting to have some interaction with>the MSFS team, right? Ok, I was tired one post ago, now I'm>going to sleep.>>Thanks,>Jeff USAFExplained by MS before, and on the official website.So now you know why. If they had to reply to all the unnecessary posts, even just to point the poster to an answer they could easily find for themselves, they'd never get any work done, and one persons blazing issue is everyone elses irrelevant. Better they do what they do, the way they do it.Allcotthttp://www.microsoft.com/games/flightsimul...02_readback.asp

[Guest bobsk8]

They read the posts, but the worst thing they could do is to start replying here. All the "Turbine MSFS Complainers". a.k.a. " whiners" would come out in droves, and MS bashing would be rampant. i.e. "why doesn't the sim do this, why doesn't it do that, how come the pilot isn't a blond, why is the beer in the cabin not my brand, the tree's are the wrong color at my home airport, etc....."

[Guest cwright]

Jeff, that's an interesting question - though it has been asked many times before. I know there are lots of contrary opinions, but personally I think it's a great shame the FS team don't communicate on this forum (as far as we know). Lots of other companies communicate on forums, so what's special about Microsoft? To me it does smack slightly of arrogance - not of the team themselves, I hasten to add, but of the company itself. I have fond memories of Richard Harvey. He was very active on the Fly! forum and he personally helped me with several technical questions. One of the great things about Fly! was that you could talk to the guy right at the top. Of course he's very sadly missed. One reason often cited is that if FS team members appeared on the forum they would immediately be subjected to a barrage of hostility. Well, maybe, but it could be controlled. However, I suspect that much of the hostility exists only because they stay silent. Last year I became very interested in the Far Cry game and its quite amazing game engine. I regularly visit the official CryMod site and I can only say that I am impressed by the level of civility demonstrated by the forum participants. The CryTek community manager posts very frequently and often attempts to answer questions. He's also very enthusiastic and encourages members who are producing some very impressive new stuff. But if he can't give a specific answer, for example when the new SDK will be released, people accept it. Many posts contain much praise for CryTek because they realise the company is going out of its way to help and encourage the community. It's just such a shame that Microsoft can't do the same as many other companies. Of course, the team can't spend all their time on the forums or nothing else would get done but there could certainly be a happy mean, perhaps with a single representative who spends 30 minutes a day on the forum. But I know that's just dreaming. Microsoft is - well, Microsoft. I don't think the company will change any time soon.... Best regards, Chris

[nudata 10]

I have seen the statements by Microsoft management that they do look at this, and other forums. This is good and in fact sensible. It offers them a view of a PORTION of their market. Make us happy, at a reasonable cost, and the general public will follow. By the way - Microsoft if you read this one:1. Higher resolution for ground textures please. Make it an option or a slider.2. Keep trying to improve the flight part of the simulator. You will soon be able to place testimonials on your web site from real pilots if you do better in this area.Dick Boley @KLBE

[LAdamson 240]

>> I have fond memories of Richard Harvey. He was very active>on the Fly! forum and he personally helped me with several>technical questions. One of the great things about Fly! was>that you could talk to the guy right at the top. Of course>he's very sadly missed.An MSFS rep would have to deal with a far larger group of (sometimes nasty)individuals than TRI/FLY ever had too. I remember that I seemed to get on Mr. Harvey's nerves about as many times as we got along :) Now multiply that by hundreds or even thousands. It's a fact, that while many 3rd party developers get along with the team, others will gleefully call them incompetant every time the chance comes along. Some figure that MS should deal with everything from turbine temps to rivers following accurate beds with total accuracy. This would form a multitude of complaints, never seen in simulations, that never have to deal with a whole world, let alone the flight portion of it.IMO----- It's fine, just as it is. I don't blame Microsoft's policy one bit!L.Adamson

[B777ER 2,486]

Well, if they read this...I just want one thing for FS10...emproved realism for the ground textures. Something along the lines of what megascenery has available. Sure it might mean a bigger .exe files but put them on DVD's and ship it that way.

[Sonar5 3]

That's ok Larry,I heard you've moved on to X-plane. :-lol :-lolJK, Thought I'd drop in and say how ya' doin!The Fly community was a very special one, IMHO. While we didn't have the numbers MSFS had, it was a good group all around, and still is.Having the Developers in the forums was pretty refreshing, and led to, what I believe is the fact that many still enjoy using Fly!II today, as there are still quite afew developing for it like our frineds in ROTW.Happy memories there.Regards,Joe****************Grab My FREEWARE Voice recognition Profiles here:[a href=http://library.avsim.net/esearch.php?CatID=fs2004misc&DLID=58334]Cessna 172 Voice Profile[/a][a href=http://library.avsim.net/esearch.php?CatID=fs2004misc&DLID=60740]FSD Avanti Voice Profile[/a].You will need the main FREEWARE Flight Assistant program to use it, get it here:[a href=http://library.avsim.net/esearch.php?CatID=genutils&DLID=39661]Flight Assistant 2.2[/a]

[Tom Allensworth 1,532]

I have news for you... Not only do they read the messages here, they also post. How's that for a surprise? They do not post revealing they are MS FS staff, for obvious reasons, but they do post. How do I know? They've told me so. :) Now, don't ask, cause I ain't going to tell. But they are here, strong members of the community and contributing in every way they can without violating MS' policies on the subject. Again, for very good reasons. And, the next time you read a childish rant here about the MSFS team or its product, consider that they get as much entertainment out of those as we do. Consider that when you are tempted to embarrass yourself. :)

[AWACS 12]

Thanks all and Tom,Also, you weren't referring to me right? :)Jeff

[byork 2,259]

Tom wrote: "Now, don't ask, cause I ain't going to tell. But they are here..."I think now would be a good time to cue the X-Files theme song.Big Bill is watching...

[LAdamson 240]

>That's ok Larry,>>I heard you've moved on to X-plane. :-lol :-lolSomewhere I read................that's what "real" pilots use! :-lol L.Adamson

[Speedbird 11 2]

>And, the next time you read a childish rant here about the>MSFS team or its product, consider that they get as much>entertainment out of those as we do. Consider that when you>are tempted to embarrass yourself. :)Well said Tom! I hope the MSFS team realises that those of us who are actually using and enjoying the product a lot have neither the time nor the inclination to post here very often. I expect that they are very intelligent people to be doing that job, so they must know this.Regards.Michael

[Tabs 2,790]

>Well, if they read this...I just want one thing for>FS10...emproved realism for the ground textures. Something>along the lines of what megascenery has available. Sure it>might mean a bigger .exe files but put them on DVD's and ship>it that way.It's the texture resource files that would be bigger, not the FS exe... The exe is just the code that runs the program/rendering engine etc - the look of the terrain is all in separate files. I agree on DVD's though - anyone who has a computer capable of running the latest versions of MSFS has a DVD-ROM or can afford the $40 to get one...