Dear Microsoft - please include weeds

[MikeT707 1,181]

4 minutes ago, Rob_Ainscough said:

Microsoft have promised there will be an SDK for their new product ... sooo ... I suspect the process will not change, content providers will come up with more realistic FX and improve the sim at a cost ... you aren't required to buy anything but if you want it to look more realistic then you have that option.

I hope MFS will give most in-depth users mostly everything they need and then I hope some third party developers create add-ons for this modern platform that will blow us all away that we just have to get new add-on products.

[aleex 551]

6 hours ago, Rob_Ainscough said:

But that's my point, if you read some of the existing SDKs (FSX/P3D), you can go to town on what you want to have in your sim and make it as realistic as you like without paying anyone. 

No. What I'm saying is that some things like dust particles, water jet blast effects, and all those things that are visually immersing should come with the sim by default. If then someone prefers to pay for 8K textures because he don't like 2K ones (just an example), I'm happy with that. But just because some payware developer could make it, it didn't means MS shouldn't make it as good as it could be.

Of course that everyone has it's own preferences, I'm happy with that, but as I said, I prefer a good default base sim than an half completed one that completely depends from third party payware addons for looks like a 2020 game (and I have one sim in mind right now, and it's frustrating...).

So, my point is, 3rd party? Of course. Yes. MS delegating on 3rd party devs some of the core work? Hope not.

[Paraffin 2,197]

55 minutes ago, Rob_Ainscough said:

the PC version coming first before the XBOX version is most likely due to the fact that an average PC is far more powerful and flexible than an XBOX and getting a flight simulator to work well on a less powerful platform like XBOX will require some optimization and compromises and more work.

I agree with the rest of the post, but I don't think this part is accurate.

The new MFS isn't being developed for the current Xbox that dates back to 2013. It's being developed as a showcase for the new "Scarlett" Xbox in late 2020. The following info is from windowscentral.com:

Quote

 

The console aims to achieve 8K resolutions, or 4K at up to 120 frames-per-second (FPS), complemented by ray-tracing, variable refresh rate (VRR) support, and more. While Microsoft appears reluctant to share firm specifications, here's what we know in 2019.

Processor: Custom AMD Zen 2-based CPU

Graphics: Custom AMD Navi-based GPU

Memory: GDDR6 RAM

Storage: Solid-state drive (SSD)

Video output: 8K, 4K @ 120Hz

 

I would have to spend some serious money to run a flight sim at "up to 120 frames a second" at 4k resolution on a PC, unless we're talking about something like Aerofly FS2 with heavily compromised scenery model to allow it. I don't think that's what we're all looking for.

My guess for why it's being released on PC first, is as a beta test to thrash out bugs before the code is locked down for the console release during holiday season 2020. Other than specific Xbox optimization, the code is likely to be very similar since Xbox is basically stripped-down Windows-in-a-box as far as the software goes.

Edited July 11, 2019 by Paraffin

[simbol 5,819]

10 hours ago, Rob_Ainscough said:

I'm at Level 1, in order for me to get to "Beta" I need to be Level 5.  To get to Level 5, I have to buy XBOX Insider Titles, have an Xbox live Gold subscription, complete survey's specific to those titles, provide addition feedback and actually play them ... titles like Minecraft for Windows 10, Crackdown 3 Wrecking Zone Technical Test.  I do NOT have time to mess around with these games that I have zero interest, my focus is flight simulation.  My time is best spent providing better quality content.  I hope these "rules" to obtain Beta status are significantly changed for MSFS 2020 or count me out as myself (and I dare venture most content providers/developers) don't have time for that sorta nonsense just to obtain Beta (Level 5) status (yes I do hope Microsoft are monitoring AVSIM because they do need to clarify their ecosystem in August).

+1, and I am on the page as you.. I have no time for such nonsense either. More over I doubt any serious flying simulator user does either, which raises concerns of what sort of users would be actually beta testing the simulator instead. 

S.

Edited July 12, 2019 by simbol

[G-RFRY 1,711]

According to the latest insider update next info update 25th of this month with the road map. 

[Superdelphinus 718]

8 hours ago, simbol said:

+1, and I am on the page as you.. I have no time for such nonsense either. More over I doubt any serious flying simulator user does either, which raises concerns of what sort of users would be actually beta testing the simulator instead. 

S.

Less serious people presumably. 

[Superdelphinus 718]

Open question: when testing a new flight simulator, which of these tester groups are you most interested in:

a) people who take flight simulators very seriously, to the extent that they do little else (in terms of entertainment). They own both of two leading simulators, and the one where they became a student again, and there is nothing they don’t know about any of them.

b) people who have broad video game interests and have played most current games across a range of genres and platforms 

c) real pilots

IMHO 

c - get feedback on how planes really feel, how systems really work, and what the aviation environment really feels like when you’re in the midst of it

b - what works well in other genres. How to make things fun, immersive and addictive. What are acceptable levels of audio-visual in the current and likely future zeitgeist. How to market to a broader audience

c - like c but the virtual versions. What shortcuts and ways of doing things work well on other sims, and which don’t.

My point (hurrah) is that all of these groups are, at the very least, equally useful. The dare I say, slightly pompous, worries about who makes up beta testing teams if it isn’t people who were suckled on the MSFS teat are misplaced  

 

[Greazer 1,320]

On 7/12/2019 at 8:08 AM, rjfry said:

According to the latest insider update next info update 25th of this month with the road map. 

Cool man.

[LHookins 3,103]

When I'm looking for beta testers, I want people who will play the heck out of something and get into situations that I didn't anticipate, and uncover problems because of it.  That's really the main requirement.

If I can find someone who will post the steps necessary to recreate a problem, they're worth their weight in gold.  Those people may not be available.

When I was recruiting beta testers for someone else's program, some were hesitant because they didn't know what they were supposed to do.  I told them, "Play the game, let us know if anything seems odd."  They did.  And they found bugs.

I found a design flaw in Microsoft Flight.  I had only the main island.  There was an air show activity there, but the airfield where you would train to do airshows was on another island that I didn't have.  This had slipped past the designers (you can't think of everything) and my report let them know to fix it.  Play the game.

Later I had Alaska and the Maule and I did a flight up to Point Barrow using VOR navigation, a typical flight for me.  There were no problems.  Play the game.

It's simple, really.

Hook