Cost to convert to Prepar3d - An important consideration

[OzWhitey 3,353]

Well, I just reinstalled fsx after my last post, and flew it for the first time in a couple of years (I needed it to run an airport tool that's not p3d compatible).

 

Reminded me of just how much progress p3d had made - you sometimes forget - because each iteration just changes a little - just how far it's come.

 

Advice: spend money on the base P3D, fly it, be happy - and worry about the adding costs some other time!

[CajunRon 8]

All interesting responses but this is a very simple consumer decision.   Don't get my wrong, I am not bashing these businesses.  They are well within their rights to charge whatever they wish for their products.

 

I have repeatedly been flying a scenario in FSX and then flying the same scenario on Prepar3d and each time asking myself, are the benefits, the improved graphics, increase in stability (but lower frame rates) worth the eventual $400 I would have to pay to get back to where I am in FSX.   I'm sure some here will answer with a resounding yes.   Personally, I don't think so.  I don't see the additional $400 in value but if these vendors can convince enough people that the value is there...more power to them.

[gtrbarbarian 1]

Ron,

 

I get where you're coming from but, no, this has been a solid constant discussion on Avsim for at least 3-4 years. P3D was released in 2011. You're just coming in after all of the majors have created compatible products for P3D. However, with the SDK changes in P3D3.3 (deprecating fsx2002 bgl apis, it sounds like) you're going to see even more of this discussion. If devs have to update products (mostly scenery?) we will likely have to re-purchase (some) products, if devs decide to update incompatible products. Unfortunately, the LM moving target that is the P3D api, while (hopefully) creating amazing new features, will create issues with older products. The price of our  hobby and its progress I guess. As a software engineer (who also manages), I can tell you: development ain't cheap!

 

"in all of the reviews I read, I never caught the point that for a growing number of add-ons the publishers are making the business decision to require a complete repurchase of their product to use in Prepar3d. 

...

 

 

I think this is a critical consideration that has been lost in many of the conversations and discussions about converting to Prepar3D so I offer it here for those considering converting."

[Lorby_SI 2,036]

Ron,

 

I get where you're coming from but, no, this has been a solid constant discussion on Avsim for at least 3-4 years. P3D was released in 2011. You're just coming in after all of the majors have created compatible products for P3D. However, with the SDK changes in P3D3.3 (deprecating fsx2002 bgl apis, it sounds like) you're going to see even more of this discussion. If devs have to update products (mostly scenery?) we will likely have to re-purchase (some) products, if devs decide to update incompatible products. Unfortunately, the LM moving target that is the P3D api, while (hopefully) creating amazing new features, will create issues with older products. The price of our  hobby and its progress I guess. As a software engineer (who also manages), I can tell you: development ain't cheap!

 

Assuming that the developers are still around, they may decide not to support this platform at all. The market for P3D addons is very small, but the workload to develop for it is just the same as for the mainstream FSX, XPX and probably DTGFS too. A lot of development teams are small, more often than not working part time on their projects. They just don't have the time nor resources to keep shooting at moving targets. Even a "real" full-time company will have to think very hard about this, having to ditch portions of their code every few months equals money lost, so it is not really an option. Considering that the development cycles for complex addons span years, we might be looking at an overall decline in high quality addons for P3D. From the point of view of risk management, the P3D platform even today is not very attractive to start complex projects for it.

[fnav77 56]

I thought Prepar3d was $199....?

[howevr 39]

I thought Prepar3d was $199....?

Nope. Starts at $60 $199 for the pro version. There are licence considerations as to which one to choose. I'm pretty sure the growth in P3D in recent times is not from those who are in the $199 and up category.

[fnav77 56]

Ok, I thought the $60 version was for students. I seem to remember the OP, plus the majority of us here I guess, are no longer students.....

What is the deal, then?

[Poppet 703]

Ok, I thought the $60 version was for students. I seem to remember the OP, plus the majority of us here I guess, are no longer students.....

What is the deal, then?

 

If your in Education for exams or college to better yourself and give you higher education,  Then your as a Student 

[Guest]

Ok, I thought the $60 version was for students. I seem to remember the OP, plus the majority of us here I guess, are no longer students.....

What is the deal, then?

 

 

The deal is that this may not be discussed on this forum. :wink: You are correct in your assumption that the $ 60 is for students, and so I own the Pro license, but it is up to everyone themselves to decide if they are a student or not... Further talk about this is prohibited so let's leave it at this.

[fnav77 56]

The deal is that this may not be discussed on this forum. :wink: You are correct in your assumption that the $ 60 is for students.

End of discussion as far as I am concerned....

[Sethos 4,266]

Ok, I thought the $60 version was for students. I seem to remember the OP, plus the majority of us here I guess, are no longer students.....

What is the deal, then?

 

Majority of people also use it as an entertainment product, something which the professional license doesn't 'support' either. 

[Gregg_Seipp 565]

 

 

Assuming that the developers are still around, they may decide not to support this platform at all. The market for P3D addons is very small, but the workload to develop for it is just the same as for the mainstream FSX, XPX and probably DTGFS too. A lot of development teams are small, more often than not working part time on their projects. They just don't have the time nor resources to keep shooting at moving targets. Even a "real" full-time company will have to think very hard about this, having to ditch portions of their code every few months equals money lost, so it is not really an option. Considering that the development cycles for complex addons span years, we might be looking at an overall decline in high quality addons for P3D. From the point of view of risk management, the P3D platform even today is not very attractive to start complex projects for it.

 

I doubt that their focus will be on changing scenery formats a lot since they have other things to work on as well (flight model improvements, for one).  All they're doing here is dropping a very old format that's, possibly, hindering them from making some making some improvements.  They could maintain backward compatibility, create improved tools or conversion tools.  Maybe even make training videos (that'd be nice). 

[CajunRon 8]

 

 

Well, you certainly don't need 4 planes

 

For that matter I don't need a flight simulator....oops, I almost forgot, I do need a flight simulator since I'm a "student pilot" and not doing this for "entertainment".

[Bobsk8 12,489]

For that matter I don't need a flight simulator....oops, I almost forgot, I do need a flight simulator since I'm a "student pilot" and not doing this for "entertainment".

 

The check pilot that have me my private license, told me that it was a license to learn. I consider myself a student of flying forever. 

[CajunRon 8]

 

 

I consider myself a student of flying forever.

 

Exactly.  I'm 66 years old and still learning to fly that 737.  Been a student for 25 years or so...good thing I'm not doing this for entertainment otherwise wouldn't have qualified for the student edition.