Proposed Sticky followup to the "Missed Opportunities" ...

[schmeeling 0]

Peter S. started a very intersting thread below related to MS providing direction re add-ons. It got me thinking about the opportunity to do it here. I have used these forums as my #1 resource for advice/reviews/etc. since I got back into FS this summer. I'm sure everyone has seen the "monthly" favorite/best/recommended add-ons threads as well.I find that for myself it's easy to find info on something I'm looking for, but that I keep tripping over new "classes" of add-ons. On one hand I guess this is the thrill of a growing hobby (obsession?), and it does keep the spending at an even (if continuous!) level. On the other hand, I find I eventually get around to something which makes a profound jump in my enjoyment (like, for me: UT, the ATR, the LDS767, ActiveSky, VATSIM).Perhaps a pinned thread which more thoroughly describes the CLASSES or TYPES of add-ons available to an enthusiast, as opposed to the details of the products themselves, would be helpful to newer or increasingly enthusiastic users. I'm happy to draft a start if the idea has any traction. I'm thinking something like:--- draft outline follows ---MSFS Add-on Software GuideSo you're ready to increase the detail or realism of MSFS, but not sure where to start given the plethora of add-ons available. Follow this handy guide to the types of add-ons you might consider:Discuss Free-ware vs. Pay-wareAircraft- discuss high-complexity vs low-complexity add-ons- small GA [e.g DF-A36]- mid-size t-props [e.g. AW-B200, F1-ATR]- large airliners [PMDG, LDS, PSS]- specialty [e.g. concorde, Herc]Scenery- terrain [e.g. UT]- mesh [e.g. BEV, FScene]- airports etc. [e.g. Rhode Island]Online Flying- clients [e.g. VATSIM/SB3]- utilities [e.g. SERVINFO]Weather [e.g. ActiveSky, FSMeteo]Flight Planning / Moving Map [e.g. FSNAV, FSBuild]Utilities [e.g. Active Camera]ATC [e.g. RadarContact] ------- end outline -------Clearly one possibly sticky bit is appearing to recommend particular products over others. That said, I'd suggest including some examples by name, as a start point for new folks. I personally think the front page of Avsim does a great job of describing new alternatives as they appear on the market.Comments?

[Guest Peter Sidoli]

MSFS and a lot of its success is that it offers more than just a flightsimulator.It is a creative tool allowing people to create everything from aircraft to airfields.It allows the user to customise the programme to his/her tastes and through that "open" structure for a whole mass of both freeware and commercial ware addons.Its success is this open structure and the community which has grown from that.Microsoft therefore should look at ways of encouraging people into the hobby side or at least making the casual user aware of the possibilities.As available aircraft/addons become more complex they also need to look at utilities which will allow the individual to be creative without spending hundreds or thousands of hours doing so.My point in my posting is that Microsoft need to be aware of the success of the programme and not loose site of what has made it so successful for such a long period of time.They need to give the programme back to the individual with labour saving utilities and by encouraging new blood into the community by making the casual users aware of the possibilities.Peter

[schmeeling 0]

Peter,I thought your point was very well made. My posting was not really meant as a response. Rather, your post twigged something I had been noodling about: that is how to provide a better "road map" to the evolving formerly-casual user as to what possibilities are out there. Acquiring a new aircraft is reasonably obvious (I think). But understanding what some of the other goodies are and why one would want them is another story.I just flew a VATSIM flight in the LDS767 into CYVR in SERIOUSLY IFR conditions using ActiveSky.I am totally blown away by the whole thing. Controller giving me vectors, setting up the Autobrake and spoilers, rain on the windscreen, not picking up the r/w until well after I was on the GS - the experience today is so far beyond the "out of the box" version it's amazing.Any of these addons is gold. Taken together...