Some folks are knocking the missions because they really know nothing about them or what can be done with with them, either by MS or 3rd party developers.They're looking at what little facts they know about them, and making broad assumptions, and I dare say false assumptions at that.Not that I know anything more than anyone else about them, but I suspect I will be proved correct upon the release of FSX, and the missions will be a BIG hit, especially once the 3rd party folks start doing their versions of them.Just as an example, is there anything wrong with an Angel Flight mission? There's a great idea for 3rd party developers!It's amazing what more there is to real aviation aside from the jet airliners. There's a whole huge world of "missions" out there.They will give a lot of folks a great reason to fly, and they will enjoy their flying much more.I dare say that even DF will look to include missions with some of our products, such as Angel Flight, Coast Guard Auxiliary patrol, etc.Anyone have a problem flying an Angel Flight mission?http://www.angelflightamerica.org/I didn't think so. ;-)Regards,http://www.dreamfleet2000.com/gfx/images/F...R_FORUM_LOU.jpg

Imagine doing an extraction from Baghdad or something...Simulations like failures that are created in real simulators will be one thing that will help real world pilots with their recurrent training...Gosh, I sure have missed the old cropdusting missions from FS4...Hmm, wondering if the old 'high tension powerline' nearby tree trimming in france from a helo will ever be created lol...Or how about the guy they rescued from Black Mountain in Las Vegas today with a police helicopter?The mission based elements will also allow us to do real flight school training... The flight school in FS has been great to date, but I did miss doing stalls and incipient spins, steep turns, FLWOP, etc etc etc... All stuff that wasn't really possible until now...I agree with one of the developers blogs slogan idea, "FSX: Something to do"Oh man imagine effecting a rescue of a downed airman floating in the ocean, having to do a search pattern and everything... :)There are endless possibilities... :)

>I think something that worries some of us though is the bit>where they said some planes were going to be tied to missions,>suggesting that was the only way to fly the plane, that is>effectively forcing the missions on us if we want to fly that>aircraft. I don't want it turning into Project Gotham Racing>where we have to unlock planes by completing taks, that's not>realistic or fun even in driving games. I like the stuff to be>there, or not as the case may be. If somebody like Tdragger>can reassure me this is not the case then fine, if ppl want to>play the missions and those missions are realistic that's fine>by me. I'll have a go at Red Bull, heck I'll probably do the>Chopper mission. as to others it all depends on what they are,>if it appeals to me from a skill building or realism point of>view I may play it, but I do like to be left to do it my way,>I didn't ever do the lessons in the last 3 versions, but I'm>quite a decent pilot as many of my FSPax flight logs will>attest.I hate getting involved with these sorts of long threads, but..."where they said some planes were going to be tied to missions,>suggesting that was the only way to fly the plane, that is>effectively forcing the missions on us if we want to fly that>aircraft."No one has ever said that, and if they did I guarantee that you misunderstood what they actually said. Planes are tied to missions in a realism sense: you won't be posting a good time in the RedBull course using a 747. You won't be ferrying passengers in the ultralight.The Extra, which has shipped in previous versions (this one has been updated), is used for a mission recreating real world Red Bull airracing. There is nothing stopping you from flying the Extra as you would have in previous versions, what we have been calling the "sandbox" mode. Sandbox mode IS what previous versions of FS are, have been, and will continue to contain.All other aircraft are the same. Which is what we have been saying all along: missions are in addition to, not a replacement for, what you have come to love and hate over the last 25 years.Cheers,Jason

Jason Hi,thanks for clearing that up, I think I can speak for a lot of the anti-mission people when I say our fear was really seeing FS beginning to 'feel' like an XBOX arcade game. With consoles taking over everywhere and even your parent company MS pouring millions into the launch and hoped for success of the XB360 you surely could see where we were coming from.Hopefully your post will help to alleviate this fear, and thanks again for that. It's much appreciated.Looking forward to FSX.

Hi,Here's a question you might be able to answer - are the missions stored as source code or are they compiled? I.e. if I download a mission can I edit it, or would I need the source code too?Thanks,--Tom GibsonCal Classic Propliner Page: http://www.calclassic.comFreeflight Design Shop: http://www.freeflightdesign.comDrop by! ___x_x_(")_x_x___

>Jason Hi,>>thanks for clearing that up, I think I can speak for a lot of>the anti-mission people when I say our fear was really seeing>FS beginning to 'feel' like an XBOX arcade game. With consoles>taking over everywhere and even your parent company MS pouring>millions into the launch and hoped for success of the XB360>you surely could see where we were coming from.>>Hopefully your post will help to alleviate this fear, and>thanks again for that. It's much appreciated.>>Looking forward to FSX.Hey John, can I write as a 'friend' here... Spending our lives making our decisions based in fear or having our beliefs based in fears really is no way to live...Having been in the FS community for over 25 years now, I think it's safe to say that the 'target audience' for the sim is what will dictate to the executives at Microsoft what course they choose with a product like FS that the ACES team creates... I really wouldn't worry about fearing it will become XBox centric... Here's why...MSFT and ACES has been making a concerted effort on this version of FS to listen to what the community desires and even they are participating openly in forums like these. I really don't think any of us in the greater FS community would accept a port to XBox, and this has been proven by some polls recently conducted. No business would want to lose their user base by alienating anyone and this is something Microsoft would never do... FS has been around since long before Windows became widely available, and it is from what I understand one of their flagship products...So really I wouldn't worry about it, or live life based in fears of what might happen, it's not making anyone happy by being so focused on something that is only a fear... Relax, sit back, enjoy the moment, there are many other important things in life to worry about... I remember someone once said to me 'don't sweat the small stuff.' ;)Hang Loose Brah...Dean

Cheers Dean, I wasn't the original one who brought it up, just the one who was most vocal about it I guess. Thanks man, I know and hear what you say.

>Hi,>>Here's a question you might be able to answer - are the>missions stored as source code or are they compiled? I.e. if>I download a mission can I edit it, or would I need the source>code too?Tom, I strongly suspect that it will be an editable XML file...

Thanks, we can hope... :)Take care,--Tom GibsonCal Classic Propliner Page: http://www.calclassic.comFreeflight Design Shop: http://www.freeflightdesign.comDrop by! ___x_x_(")_x_x___

>Hi,>>Here's a question you might be able to answer - are the>missions stored as source code or are they compiled? I.e. if>I download a mission can I edit it, or would I need the source>code too?>>Thanks,>-->Tom Gibson>>Cal Classic Propliner Page: http://www.calclassic.com>>Freeflight Design Shop: http://www.freeflightdesign.com>>Drop by! ___x_x_(")_x_x___Shipping missions will not be editable. The SDKs will ship with sample missions in XML, which are easily editable. There is no difference in functionality between the XML versions and the compiled versions (that I'm aware of). The working versions of the missions here in house are XML.Cheers,Jason

Pixelpoke told me about this question and I couldn't find the thread. Now that I have found it, I will elaborate slightly on his answer.The system uses XML, but most (if not all) of our missions will be compiled into a binary form in the box. We will provide some sample mission XML in the SDK and may just use some of the missions we ship as the samples (don't know for sure as we could create special samples).I'm sure many third party add-on developers will also compile their mission XML, but a lot of community add-ons probably won't. If someone provides their mission in XML form, you could edit it all you want.

Hi,Thanks. OK, as I understand it you can run missions written in XML without compiling them or you can compile them and run them that way. Ones provided as XML are editable, ones compiled are not. Since you mention 3rd party compiled missions, I assume the compiler will be included in the SDK. Thanks for the info!Take care,--Tom GibsonCal Classic Propliner Page: http://www.calclassic.comFreeflight Design Shop: http://www.freeflightdesign.comDrop by! ___x_x_(")_x_x___

>I would however lay my money down on FSPassengers stock if>they were public :) That program is going to explode with>features in FSX and beyond I'll bet!Heh - or implode if the FSPax is effectively duplicated inside the MSFS engine itself, via a mission! :) I see where you're headed though - the scripting/mission engine of FSX will certainly be a boon to many addon developers, without question!