What do you think? For example, would the MSFS team incorporate the latest technology in the next version of FS if the entire program was not backwards compatible with all the great payware addons we have, or in an effort to keep good faith with loyal customers like us, would they hold back the technology so that we could have our payware in the next version? I honestly have spent tons, infact I don't want to know how much I've spent on FS addons, although their are some who have spent even more. And what about the developers? All their time and effort spent, and we'd (I would at least) expect a new version of the product to have in the next version, without paying an exorbitant amount of money. In the end though, I personally rather have the new sim, having said that, it would really have to be revolutionary.Jeff

Add-ons may be backward compatible, but it depends on a number of circumstances. If the dev. team found that one of the factors keeping MSFS from running at its full potential was keeping compatibility with add-ons, they may drop support for that parameter(s) of the sim. I think the likely candidate would be the FDE structure--I suspect .air files will be eliminated completely in the next release and the burden will have to fall on the aircraft.cfg for defining flight dynamics. Almost certainly, more parameters will be added to the aircraft.cfg to support the edges of the flight envelope users want to see in MSFS.I don't believe the mdl format will be eliminated, and I suspect that the gauge programming languages of XML and C++ will continue to be supported. The code that interfaces with these will likely be optimized. As for scenery, what's holding MSFS back at the moment is the detail we can squeeze into textures and mesh. This is another area where Microsoft may choose to drop support for the older scenery formats in order to optimize what everyone seems to want (including myself)--a virtual earth that's even more real than what we have today.These are just guesses, but since I work with a development team, I have a sense of the mindset they use to approach this type of challenge.-John

Good points, I would hope they don't hold back, as the performance in the sim is already at a low because of the backward compatability. I still see files uploaded to sites for FS98 and FS2000, I can't for the life of me understand why.I have spent countless hours in FS9, running a VA, doing scenery and aircraft design, beta testing products and trying new ones, I have very little interest in it any longer, why?, I find other sims/games, much more visually appealling and stimulating because of the new technology and the higher overhead for performance. I am a VFR flyer and I strive for a higher level of visual awareness that I can't get with current technology and the way the sim is programmed, especially after I take a real flight and remember all the visual things I see that are not present in the sim. It's not the aircraft either, they are as close as it gets. Went up with a buddy a few weeks ago in a 182 and I couldn't believe how close it was to the Carenado one (or vice versa I should say).I have "games" that have aircraft in them and get better, more realistic ground textures, smart movement on the ground, people, vehicles, the works, beutiful skies, water that looks like real water and acts like real water...and 60-70 FPS - using openGL and not DirectX as an example.My point is that even though I have as much payware as the next simmer here, I'd gladly lose it all for a revolutionary NEW sim, new code, new engine, the works. Either way, I'll buy the next version if nothing else to show my support for the sim and hopefully there will be some new things to interest me again.Regards, MichaelKDFWhttp://www.calvirair.com/mcpics/mcdcvabanner.jpgCalVirAir International

I agree. I'd gladly give up all my current add-ons (and that's a bunch) if MS could get the sim up to the current state-of-the-art. The money I'd spend on new add-ons would be nothing compared to what I've spent in the last 10 years on system updates. But, like you, I'll buy the next release regardless.Doug

I too would not mind giving up some, most or even all of my add-ons if the improvement in FS can be justified. I would not want to give everything up with each edition, but an occasional clean break could make sense if the end results or features were worth it.To those that don't want to give up their current add-ons, I don't expect the next version of FS will automatically uninstall your current version. ;)Tony=http://www.flightsim-bevs.com]

Good Point, but I hope none of them work.Why?Because this is running on an old outdated engine and hopefully that is why there have been no announcements. Maybe we will get something new, but Somehow, I doubt we will. Backward compatibility is something that team has used to keep the franchise going as long as it has.But at some point, hopefully now, it has to start new again.As for the Developers, too bad. It's a business, and if they concentrate on single game add-on products, that was THEIR CHOICE, and they have to live with the consequences. I see no responsibility for the Microsoft Team to have to worry about them. They best worry about the consumers who buy their products. New ones will come along anyway, they always have and most likely always will.Besides, one could always do a dual installation, keeping your old ones on FS9, and enjoying the new technology, if any, of the next iteration of FS.Here is hoping our wish list of feature inclusions is realized.Sonar5

I really honestly don't think they should worry about backwards compatibility at ALL. This thing has never been cutting edge the way other games are in its support for the latest and greatest hardware (see my sig hehe ;) :D) What they should do is make it so that FS2004 can still be installed alongside FS10, and just get the thing up to speed - breaking addons (some of which already go back 1 version as it is) shouldn't be a concern.

I seriously doubt MS would hold back the sim for backward compatability.We already know that most, if not all, scenery developed by FS2002 SCASM standards will probably be unusable in the next version. That was in the initial announcement, and is in the SDK's. XML based is the future.It is disappointing to see new scenery put on the market today and people praising it when a quick look shows that the scenery will probably not make the transition.And having to lose all those lovely freeware API macros - :-(Remember aircraft models have made a big change and two years ago these forums were full of "my favorite payware has not gear - how could Microsoft do this to me"And "all my gauges do not work - why is Microsoft driving away customers".Don't worry - the same thing will happen again.

And to insure that both can still be run on the same machine, PLEASE put all the .cfg and .flt files back in the FS10 folder where they belong.Doug

All good points, I for one can't wait to see what the next installment will look like and what features it will have. An above poster said basically that he has games with better graphics, more fluid performance, and dynamic environments (moving objects). This is kind of like LOMAC, which was certainly ahead of it's time, or alongside it. If you haven't played LOMAC, try flying through some clouds, it's the way FS should be. The future is exciting!JeffEdited for gramor ;-)

well,whatever may be,i will be sleeping in front of the shop door,to get the newest sim.i've got 'm all,so the newest will have to be in my collection too.but,if it's as much of a change as many people think,i envision fs9 on my hdd for a long time to come,mainly because some things i can't do without,and these very things might be uncompatible.cheersJP.

You would think the developers would be happy if fs10 didnt support their fs9 add ons. Even if it does, I can already see the "new and improved" sceneries,weather, planes ect touted as taking advantage of fs10's new technologies being sold. If PMDG for example re released the 747 for fs10 promising better graphics,smoother gauges, alot of us would buy it again. I am not worried about if my add ons will work for fs10 but if there will be a fs11. PC games are slowly but surely being replaced by the consoles, just take a look a the shrinking shelf space at any store" and Im afraid the big budget pc flight sim is going the way of the dodo.

Hi Reggie,That is also another reason why I won't buy any scenery, photo, textures, roads, clouds, etc, whatever...Since the release date has not been announced, why pay for something that may or may not work in the next version.While some of the stuff is pretty good, I think it is a bit late in the cycle, and some may be disappointed paying for something that may be included in the next version.I can wait, no biggie here, I still get plenty of enjoyment with what I have.Sonar5

Most scenery add-ons will work in the next version and who wants to wait a whole year for a product that noone knows what it will entail anyway. Not me :-) CheersDan

>As for the Developers, too bad. It's a business, and if they>concentrate on single game add-on products, that was THEIR>CHOICE, and they have to live with the consequences. I see no>responsibility for the Microsoft Team to have to worry about>them. Fear not! You can most likely count on numerous developers, freeware & payware, knowing well ahead of time, as to what will & what won't work with FS10. The Microsoft Team, DOES , and very much so, care about after market developers who push the limits of this sim to farther heights .MS may make last minute code changes in the evolution of the new product, which might hamper the latest developer achievments, but that's business & Microsoft's right.L.Adamson