http://www.flightsim-bevs.com/smf_1-0-5/index.phphttp://flightsim-bevs.com/I'm posting this here because it'll get more exposure and I don't want to register at another forum. ;)I've yet to buy the textures, but I'm wanting to get them soon. The developer if looking for input into the upcoming textures. I guess he wants to be sure people want the textures for FS9 now that FSX is on the horizon.I think the BEV textures are great looking, and I was really looking forward to the winter version so I could buy. I plan on getting all seasons if possible.I for one have no idea of I'll have the money to upgrade to FSX. Yes, I'll be able to buy the sim, but I know it'll take new hardware and probably Vista to really look and run great. At this point I have no plans of dropping FS9 soon after FSX is released simply because of the add ons.

I already have the first two releases, but if they want me to buy any more they need to ramp up their release schedules. As I generally fly the season I'm in I cannot see the point in waiting for winter textures to arrive just as the seasons change in FS. And definitely not just for the USA.The knock-on is that, on the current schedule, USA might only be just completed before I switch sims! The rest of the world Summer textures will be released AFTER FSX. Not gonna happen! Even if they offer guarantees about porting over to FSX I would wait to purchase any more BEV textures until after FSX is on the marketEspecially when Peter Wildings complete Ground Environment package will arrive far, far sooner - and complete.BEV need to raise their game. It's a commercial environment.Allcott

The default textures for FSX look like BEV quality to me, so as Allcott says, they are going to have to ramp up their product quality to provide something over and above the FSX defaults. I'm sure they will.

Hi Chris,The BEV textures have got a lot going for them and it's still quite a long wait before FSX appears on the shelves. Prior to BEV appearing on the market I had Ruud Faber's excellent FScene ground textures installed covering all seasons. Now I have installed the first two releases of BEV (Summer and Autumn) covering the USA and Canada while FScene continues to cover the remaining seasons and large chunks of the rest of the world. At $12 USD per pack the BEV packs are a bargain for what they offer - doubtless you have done your research, but it's worth keeping in mind that amongst its many features each pack also provides enhanced autogen with much better object placement and some of the best water textures I have seen to date.Sure, it does appear that FSX will offer very significant advances over previous versions of the sim but, if you're like me, you will have invested a great deal of time, effort and cash enhancing the appearance and performance of its predecessor to a point where it provides much ongoing pleasure and satisfaction. Heck, I only removed FS2002 from my HD a couple of months ago and it is more than likely that FS9 will be with me for a much longer period.My advice is throw caution to the wind, live for the day and don't deny yourself the many pleasures FS9 has still to offer.As you will note from my specs below it is now modest by any standards. Yet it still cuts the mustard in all but the most demanding of situations in my heavily customized version of FS9. Like many of us, until I know much more about FSX I won't be doing any further upgrading. When FSX is released we will all have plenty time to make carefully considered decisions about our next upgrades or, in my case, likely rebuild from scratch. Can't worry about that just now - enjoying myself far too much with FS9, particularly since installing my Christmas present (TrackIR 4) which has taken the sim up to yet another new level for me :) MikeP4 2.4MHz, Sapphire ATI Radeon 9800 Pro 128MB, Gigabyte GA-8IRXP MoBo (400MHz FSB), 1GB PC2100 DDR Ram, SB Audigy

As nice as BEV textures are I think they got one heck of a hill to climb now. When they first came out it was a "WoW" factor on how they increased the quality over the defaults.But from what I saw of FSX, MS has raised the bar once again. Those new textures are superb with street improvements (roads actually connect-not just overlap each other), sidewalks, moving autos, not just trees but forests, and some of the textures even look photoreal.I think BEV's advantage would have been get each season out before the season actually arrived (example, I would think many people are not thinking of buying Summer or Fall textures right now). The second would be to redesign the Configurator to allow users to input their own 3rd party textures. Mix and match, simmers like variety.Yes, more work for BEV but it would give them the advantage to be a central point for all user's textures. But they told me they have no plans for such a device. :(So alas, I purchased summer but will hold off on the rest. With the $48 now planned towards FSX textures and, oh yea, a little thing called a flightsim wrapped around those textures. ;)

One thing that's hard to discern from those textures is it appears other add-ons are used in the screenshots, making it hard to compare to FS2004's default textures. Or am I imagining that? -John

That was once the case John but I think they have changed the screenshots. A few months ago there was much discussion about the fact that various other addons were used. And there was even a disclaimer to that effect on the website at one time. But, my understanding is that they have changed the screenshots to now be purely FS2004 default textures. Anybody know for sure?Doug

>One thing that's hard to discern from those textures is it>appears other add-ons are used in the screenshots, making it>hard to compare to FS2004's default textures. Or am I>imagining that? >>-JohnThere are a lot of screenshots about with just the BEV textures added, but part of what is being sold is the this commonality with OTHER addons. Unfortunately, FScene and BEV don't co-exist quite so happily.OK, so we have months to go to FSX, but for all the quality of BEV they can't honestly expect keep to the current pace of release and still have customers at the end of it? Especially when FScene is already at world-coverage level and Ground Environment (again with worldwide coverage) is just around the corner.BEV is likely to become a victim not of any fault in their textures (they are brilliant, and IMHO they are better than FScene), but by the pace of their own progress and by the arrival of further competition. As said above, it is commercial nonsense to be releasing seasons in arrears, especially now there is a finite lifespan to the market. But that's payware for you!Allcott

I got the first two releaes of BEV, but after seeing the screenshots for FSX, gonna just hold out. My add-on purchasing for FS9 is over :-)

BEV's slow release schedule suggests a certain disregard for professional business practices: it's winter now, where are the winter textures? I have no idea why BEV can't get its act together. As another poster said, FS Scene is at world coverage, Ground Environment is around the corner, plus a sizeable portion of simmers are going to move to FSX as soon as it comes out...if I were BEV's CEO, I'd be pushing some serious extra shifts in the office. ricardo

The last I heard, the BEV developer was ill with some health problems.No one is forcing you all to buy his textures...so give him a break.I will be happy to but the winter textures once they are released. $12 a set is not that bad in my opinion.Scott:-doh :-doh :-doh

>The last I heard, the BEV developer was ill with some health>problems.>>No one is forcing you all to buy his textures...so give him a>break.>>I will be happy to but the winter textures once they are>released. $12 a set is not that bad in my opinion.>>Scott:-doh :-doh :-doh Well said Scott! Reading some of the comments makes me wonder why 3rd Party Developers, Freeware or Payware, bother sweating blood to keep us happy. In the case of the latter, barring a few exceptions, I very much doubt whether the modest income from product sales is the main incentive, although I'm sure it is appreciated and helps defray their costs. They do it because they love the challenge and their rewards come from the expressions of excitement, appreciation and gratitude from our community. If they are to continue they need our encouragement and making statements which imply a total hold on purchasing further addons until FSX is released is unlikely to help.Of course we want these guys to continue working their magic doing what they do best to enhance our hobby. One would imagine they are just as keen as the rest of us to get their hands on FSX. Are those who make these statements really suggesting that all further development should now cease pending release of FSX in November? Surely not. Thankfully, I feel sure these comments are totally unrepresentative of the majority whose views are far more sanguine.The BEV textures are a case in point. If it is at all possible, I would like to see the remaining seasons completed and I will certainly be purchasing them. Mike

Indeed. I have to agree. I love the summer and fall sets that i have. It's just that once I saw the release images on FSX, it just seems I need to save some cash :-) I'll still be using my summer textures for BEV though. The fall ones look no different in Colorado than the default (I may be doing something wrong there).Seeing whats coming for FSX, makes me REALLY wonder what kinds of add-ons 3rd party developers will get to expand to :-) It'll bring out the artist in all of us.

>>The last I heard, the BEV developer was ill with some>health>>problems.>>>>No one is forcing you all to buy his textures...so give him>a>>break.>>>>I will be happy to but the winter textures once they are>>released. $12 a set is not that bad in my opinion.>>>>Scott:-doh :-doh :-doh >>>Well said Scott! Reading some of the comments makes me wonder>why 3rd Party Developers, Freeware or Payware, bother sweating>blood to keep us happy. >MikeSorry, but the moment the developer charges me to own their product, they're `commmercial` - and normal rules of business apply. No-one forces them to sweat blood, they choose to do it, for whatever reason. I simply do not accept that developers who sell are deserving of the same consideration as those who give away their offerings. 12 bucks or 1200, the rules are the same.They want my custom? They supply the goods at a quality I want, at a price I am willing to pay, and in good time.Anyway, it's just business, and the consensus here seems to be that BEV had better get their finger out and complete all seasons for all areas quick or else risk losing the market to competitors -and time. No-one is criticising what BEV have sweated to produce - just observing among happy customers that they're going to get left behind if they can't get ahead of the game. BEV had a few problems when they got going, but if the delivery of the remaining textures to make a complete `set` is dependant on the fitness of one person then I can't honestly see how they can ever deliver the goods in time. And that's a shame.Allcott

Hi Christopher,"The fall ones look no different in Colorado than the default (I may be doing something wrong there)."...can you post a screen capture with the coordinates displayed and I will have a look and compare with what I am seeing? Cheers,Mike