I've been considering what types add-ons might be popular after MSFS is released. (Partly as I'd like to develop some). It seems to me that there will inevitably be less development opportunities for 3rd party developers. That's probably good for consumers (don't have to spend much to get things looking great) and not so good for devs.

Of those add-on types:

Weather - Probably none existent. You're not going to do a better job of clouds than MS have done here

Orthophoto Scenery - (Like TrueEarth). Hard to see the value. Streaming Bing satellite data will be good enough for the vast majority. Photogrametry areas will look better than models placed by OSM data. Worldwide autogen is likely where photogrametry isn't available, only leaving custom, hand modeled POIs. Likely that there will be plentiful freeware for that as the barrier to entry it so low.

Airports - The video showing LAX suggests that some included airports will be very detailed and well done. Hard to imagine that all 24k will be so no doubt there's still opportunities there, but the expected standard will probably be very high.

Aircraft - Probably the main opportunity for 3rd parties as I see it. I can imagine the GA planes being exceptionally well done and complete however, making 3rd party versions a hard sell. For complex airliners I can see 3rd party developers trying to port over but having to do substantial texture and modelling re-work to get the visuals up to MSFS standards.

Any types of add-ons that I missed?

This is much too early. First, we need more information.

At first blush, I can think of airports, aircraft, flight planning tools, virtual cockpit hardware, AI packages (aircraft, ship, rail), audio upgrades, lighting / effect tweak packages, and missions. There's probably a whole new world of add-ons we haven't even thought of to bog down this seemingly beautifully performing simulator back to levels we're used to...😉

You're right that the sim does seem to negate the fundamental need to upgrade ground / sky textures and weather. 

 

MSFS has all the developers determining the best course of action even though very little is known about the new sim.

Those that develop aircraft and airport sceneries are in the best position right off the bat.

Those that do not develop aircraft might want to consider getting into the aircraft business.

Planes would be my guess. There will always be a market for well modeled planes if they aren’t included by default. 

Avionics may be another opportunity as well. I know that presents challenges as far as integration of diverse 3rd party avionics into 3D modeled panels but it would be cool to be able to customize the avionics suite for a given plane. 

I will say that I hope any future GPS units would be driven from a common standard database (updated and maintained by default). Developers would then need to focus on mimicking the functionality of the target unit. 

If there is a mission system, high quality mission packs would be interesting as well. 

I hope it's good enough that the focus becomes planes and airports. I suspect they'll still be room for weather and ATC addons as nothing done default will likely satisfy everyone. Even as good as Active Sky was years ago, people still rush out to buy the latest weather engines if it promises a 5% increase in whatever they are looking for. People are always looking for better. 

If nothing else, MSFS needs to be good enough to kill the "$20 utility to do change these under the hood parameters" developers. Stuff like that should be freeware, as it is in XP11. 

 

Edited August 20, 20196 yr by bonchie

If I am not mistaken, one of the first MSFS posts was talking about a UGC update in Mid/Late August.

I think that's for this week!

Hopefully we will get tools to create addons like airports ourself

Edited August 20, 20196 yr by Noooch

Really depends on what the sim brings us at release, we have way too little information right now, but based on speculation it will be mostly planes (AI and flyable) and airports.

I do like to see more job specific addons, maybe one where you can fly for the Australian Royal Flying Doctor Service or one where you have to fight forest fires. It would be nice if these addons will be able to offer more than just the cockpit experience of the aircraft, maybe they can feature stuff like walking around doing preparations or helping out, but it will be up to the base engine to allow addons to create such experiences. 

Something I would also like to see is an addon that will let you try out different airport operations like pushing back aircraft, marshaling aircraft, refueling aircraft and stuff like that. It would be nice if an addon can let you experience what happens outside of the airplane before it takes off. If these types of advanced addons can be made it would open up the simulator for lots and lots of other types of players.  

 

theres also 'third party progress update' due this week or next.  I hope that means what I hope that means.   hmmm...wordy (in your best Homer Simpson voice)

It is way too premature to worry about post release products. I don't think we'll truly know until MSFS is released.

 

1 hour ago, Pitbull2504 said:

This is much too early. First, we need more information.

Exactly.

I do get that there is a certain excitement going on, but people start to behave like little children letting their imagination run wild.

Mabye, just maybe we should wait until it is released before we have this discussion?

4 minutes ago, Farlis said:

Exactly.

I do get that there is a certain excitement going on, but people start to behave like little children letting their imagination run wild.

Mabye, just maybe we should wait until it is released before we have this discussion?

No. It's a forum about an unreleased product. Everything here is speculation and conjecture. I'm not violating any acceptable use policies. Don't read the thread if it's not for you.

18 minutes ago, nickhod said:

No. It's a forum about an unreleased product. Everything here is speculation and conjecture. I'm not violating any acceptable use policies. Don't read the thread if it's not for you.

Everyone is entitled to their opinion whether you agree with it or not and all have a right to read any thread they wish. Telling someone not to read a thread is not for you.

You mean in an MSFS world.

2 hours ago, nickhod said:

Weather - Probably none existent. You're not going to do a better job of clouds than MS have done here

 

Perhaps i am splitting hairs, but weather in the simulator is MUCH more than clouds. So far, none of the 1/2 dozen flight simulators with the 4 or 5 weather add-ons I've purchased fully simulates the extent and range of impact to flight. Each vendor seems to have their emphasis (one in particular really likes clouds) but all suffer shortcomings. 

When was the last time you experienced a micro-burst in any of the current sims? I could give you many examples of weather that are important to flight AND not simulated by ANY default weather in ANY current flight sim. 

Anyway, just saying.......