25 minutes ago, ahsmatt7 said:

What in the world......

ESP wasn’t available to purchase by consumers until LM bought the rights to it, essentially turning it into the P3D we know and love. ESP was for the commercial market, while FSX was for the entertainment market, I just worded it wrong. Feel free to correct me if I’m wrong, though.

10 hours ago, tttocs said:

on a typical summer day (historical wx from last July)

Which rules out Skyforce as far as we know now.

But we don't know yet so don't rule out anything till we do know as a fact not speculation.

I to use historical weather we will have to see, then judge. 

I'm always amazed when people dismiss a product before it's even released because of what they imagine it may, or may not do. Apart from a few posts from the developers, there are currently over eleven pages of speculation. If they do intend to release it soon, it's too late to influence the features so wouldn't it be much better to just wait and see, then we'll know for sure if it's any good?

49 minutes ago, vortex681 said:

I'm always amazed when people dismiss a product before it's even released because of what they imagine it may, or may not do. Apart from a few posts from the developers, there are currently over eleven pages of speculation. If they do intend to release it soon, it's too late to influence the features so wouldn't it be much better to just wait and see, then we'll know for sure if it's any good?

I'm also sometimes quite amazed at the strong bias against a new product sometimes - even in the face of a much improved experience.  But if there's one thing I've come to learn from the simmer types (me included) is that we are definite creatures of habit. 

We set our sim up in a particular way, and once we like what we see,  woe betide you if your new proposed product doesn't deliver just that - and better. 

'Oh and by the way, your new product can't possibly deliver anything better than I already have, It's not possible! I don't believe it!   There's NO WAY I'm giving up what I have!  It's perfect, I've never been happier - go away!  Leave me alone!.  I won't do it!'

We are a very odd crowd, to say the least sometimes.

8 minutes ago, ErichB said:

I'm also sometimes quite amazed at the strong bias against a new product sometimes - even in the face of a much improved experience.  But if there's one thing I've come to learn from the simmer types (me included) is that we are definite creatures of habit. 

We set our sim up in a particular way, and once we like what we see,  woe betide you if your new proposed product doesn't deliver just that - and better. 

'Oh and by the way, your new product can't possibly deliver anything better than I already have, It's not possible! I don't believe it!   There's NO WAY I'm giving up what I have!  It's perfect, I've never been happier - go away!  Leave me alone!.  I won't do it!'

We are a very odd crowd, to say the least sometimes.

What you say is partly true in many cases but I also think there's a rather obvious reason for this...the simple fact our hobby is an extremely complex one with a multitude of small bits and pieces that need to work together to give you a good experience.

In that situation I guess it's quite understandable many are not that tempted to mess around with a working setup unless they have good reason to.

17 hours ago, Glynn said:

REX have never managed to release a weather engine to compete with Hifi Sims products, and this is with over a decades worth of trying, trust me I have bought all of them.

Why would this one suddenly be any different ?

To my point many pages back, AS has done a great job handling upper level wind layers, shear, smoothing and interpolating data, which is essential for a weather engine, and something no other weather engine has really done well.  It will be interesting to see how good this new offering handles atmospheric effects that are not cloud-related.

14 hours ago, tttocs said:

For all the talk of "3D" clouds, the thing that interests me most is their claims of greatly improved thunder storm depiction - something that no wx engine, including AS/ASCA which I otherwise love - gets right.

I agree - this would be a great accomplishment.

Been a loyal Hifi customer for over a decade, but I'd consider a purchase if they get thunderstorms right. Using LI and CAPE to determine thunderstorm tops is a great idea. With AS4, it seems like all the thunderstorms top out in the FL340-370 range which you can usually clear in a B737-700. If they can show me a realistic squall line from Chicago to Austin with tops to FL550 that you have to fly 500nm to find a gap to shoot through, instant buy for me. That being said, Hifi never sits idle and I'm sure they are already working on their answer to this. 

Ben

36 minutes ago, bbain1187 said:

If they can show me a realistic squall line from Chicago to Austin with tops to FL550 that you have to fly 500nm to find a gap to shoot through, instant buy for me.

As for me. If their product can pull this off, it will be a game changer. That is, until Hifi unveil their latest creation

Well, it seems as if PMDG aren’t planning to interface with it. That might just be a dealbreaker for me if there’s no way to get the benefits of SkyForce while using Active Sky.

 

25 minutes ago, Milton Waddams said:

Well, it seems as if PMDG aren’t planning to interface with it. That might just be a dealbreaker for me if there’s no way to get the benefits of SkyForce while using Active Sky.

 

So far out of all of this hoopla, that is by far the biggest disappointment.  I hope they work it out

2 minutes ago, ErichB said:

So far out of all of this hoopla, that is by far the biggest disappointment.  I hope they work it out

I do as well, but it seems PMDG aren’t too keen on working with them.

Yes but let's not forget REX have said it works with other weather engines. So if it works with AS what's the problem? and that also means we get historical weather.

You are a cynical bunch.

Just now, Milton Waddams said:

I do as well, but it seems PMDG aren’t too keen on working with them.

Professionals find a way for the greater good. 

What has been cited as the reason for this juvenile rift is completely stupid.  REX should also not be shooting themselves - and everyone else in the foot by making sweeping public statements which are not factually correct - especially relating to other developers,  which they should have the foresight to know,  they might have to rely on for future collaboration.

2 minutes ago, Nyxx said:

Yes but let's not forget REX have said it works with other weather engines. So if it works with AS what's the problem? and that also means we get historical weather.

You are a cynical bunch.

It’s the fact that REX reccomend to use their own weather engine to get the best results, a weather engine that PMDG dont have any motivation to interface their radar with. Of course, if it does work with Active Sky while maintaining its key features then it will be a no brained but if the majority of the snazzy features require the use of their own engine, then it will certainly make me consider the purchase a lot more.