I live in Manchester in the UK where all four seasons tend to look very similar aside from the odd snow day where everything collapses and the world seems on the brink of ending. So, just flying around places I know well won’t be affected by seasons that much - so I’ll buy day one (notwithstanding some sort of catastrophic launch issue) and enjoy different seasons when they arrive. Sounds like the fundamental things like weather and temperature conditions will be there anyway so predominantly it will be a graphical update (not that that isn’t important too). 

I thought weather was accurate and close to real time, hence they will need to simulate snow on the ground somehow. 

On 11/29/2019 at 8:19 AM, Superdelphinus said:

I live in Manchester in the UK where all four seasons tend to look very similar aside from the odd snow day where everything collapses and the world seems on the brink of ending. So, just flying around places I know well won’t be affected by seasons that much.

It frustrates me when I read people saying that there's virtually no variation in the UK. There seems to be an acceptance that it is fact and I've debated this with people when Orbx was contemplating seasons with TrueEarth.

6m hectares out of a total 24m of land (25%) in the UK is used for 'cropable' farming (i.e. arable and horticultural crops). Growing, harvesting and ploughing gives a very different look to the land each season.

Then we get onto grasslands which cover 9.9m hectares (41%) of the UK. With a drop in sunlight during winter, grasses go dormant and turn from lush green to yellows and browns.

While snow days are rare, we do get a fair number of frosts which give a similar white coating to the landscape in January and February.

Another example from the other end of the country (London)

With 66% of the land affected by seasonal colour variations, I hope that we aren't left too long without a solution to giving the UK (as well as other temperate countries) the four (/ five) seasons of colour it deserves.
Lush early summer green does not work all year round.
 

You can forget this then.

 

2 hours ago, F737NG said:

It frustrates me when I read people saying that there's virtually no variation in the UK. There seems to be an acceptance that it is fact and I've debated this with people when Orbx was contemplating seasons with TrueEarth.
 

 

Lovely pictures. I accept the absence of seasons if it is temporary, not to delay too much the release. You clearly show here that seasonal variation goes far beyond shading the ground with a little white or even coloring the foliage. 
As we see the team so eager to do good, it may be worthwhile to wait a bit. Not too long though...

PS where are these shots taken in the UK ?

Edited December 2, 20196 yr by domkle

1 hour ago, domkle said:

Lovely pictures. I accept the absence of seasons if it is temporary, not to delay too much the release. You clearly show here that seasonal variation goes far beyond shading the ground with a little white or even coloring the foliage. 
As we see the team so eager to do good, it may be worthwhile to wait a bit. Not too long though...

PS where are these shots taken in the UK ?

You'll need to edit out the pictures from your quote before the mods get unhappy at you!

The first four were taken near Aberfeldy in Perth and Kinross, the next four were taken near Glencoe, Highland. Both locations of these embedded photo sets are in Scotland.
 

3 hours ago, rjfry said:

You can forget this then.

I sure hope not!

Like many, I am willing to be (somewhat) patient for seasons to be postponed in favour of getting more critical elements completed.

I'm fortunate to fly regularly as a passenger on commercial airlines and once in a while as PIC in a light GA aeroplane at various times of the year.
While not as dramatic a change as dry and wet seasons in the tropics, it's obvious to me when in the air to see temperate landscapes noticeably change in the space of just a few weeks.
I really want to experience that in MSFS.
 

Edited December 2, 20196 yr by F737NG
Added quote

7 hours ago, F737NG said:

It frustrates me when I read people saying that there's virtually no variation in the UK

It was a self-effacing joke, something else the British are well known for, along with seasons all being the same. 

On 11/25/2019 at 1:50 PM, ryanbatcund said:

I love seasons. I'm a Minnesotan.  We have all four of them (or maybe just Winter and Road Construction lol).  In the Twin Cities we'll typically have snow on the ground from December till March, and I mean snow covered roads, houses - from the air everything is white.

However, there is so much more to enjoy about flying, than flying in Winter or Fall alone.  I've decided I will purchase the new sim regardless if it has seasons or not.  Thankfully I'm an xp11 user, so I already have some experience without seasons.  Flying in the summer has a lot of positives.  Everything is green and beautiful, it's easy to pick out landmarks (vfr a joy), you have pretty clouds (and not so pretty T storms), the days are long with plenty of light.

To skip out on this version of flightsim due to the omission of seasons would be something I just couldn't do.  I'd be missing out on new flight dynamics, amazing atmospheric conditions, stunning lighting, photo realistic landscapes, and tons more.

Your thoughts on what your plans are?

 

Yep, from the UK and we certainly have seasons here. But no seasons upon launch wont stop me from purchasing. Perfectly satisfied as long as I know they will arrive when ready. 

The screenshots are KORD Chicago by FSDT gets very cold there so I'm told. 

Edited December 2, 20196 yr by rjfry

I would like seasons at some point..

But I'm happy to be patient on that and I expect seasons will come eventually for sure, particularly since it's something they can alter completely on their end, server side.

 

Edited December 2, 20196 yr by irrics

1 hour ago, irrics said:

I would like seasons at some point..

But I'm happy to be patient on that and I expect seasons will come eventually for sure, particularly since it's something they can alter completely on their end, server side.

 

I feel like 80% of the problems and drama people have with the new sim would be solved just by taking this approach. This forum has very little experience with today's gaming industry and isn't aware that a feature not being there at launch and being planned for a later update is something perfectly normal and oftentimes expected and preannounced.

On 11/25/2019 at 7:50 AM, ryanbatcund said:

I love seasons. I'm a Minnesotan.  We have all four of them (or maybe just Winter and Road Construction lol).  In the Twin Cities we'll typically have snow on the ground from December till March, and I mean snow covered roads, houses - from the air everything is white.

However, there is so much more to enjoy about flying, than flying in Winter or Fall alone.  I've decided I will purchase the new sim regardless if it has seasons or not.  Thankfully I'm an xp11 user, so I already have some experience without seasons.  Flying in the summer has a lot of positives.  Everything is green and beautiful, it's easy to pick out landmarks (vfr a joy), you have pretty clouds (and not so pretty T storms), the days are long with plenty of light.

Yeah, the thing is...I like to simulate real flying.  I can't do that if I want to sim a MSP to Duluth flight in December.  If it releases without seasons, it'll be weird.  Like 30 degreesF, and yet this verdant green panorama below me.   Surely that will not happen, right?

On 11/25/2019 at 7:50 AM, ryanbatcund said:

To skip out on this version of flightsim due to the omission of seasons would be something I just couldn't do.  I'd be missing out on new flight dynamics, amazing atmospheric conditions, stunning lighting, photo realistic landscapes, and tons more.

Your thoughts on what your plans are?

I won't skip out on it.  In pre-alpha it's already a great technology demonstrator for single-season flying.  But ultimately, I don't want a technology demonstrator, I want a simulator.  I'm confident they will deliver on seasons at some point, and they've said they would.   But until then, I'm sayin, yeah, ok, nice, but...  I can't believe they got this far with development and didn't factor in what you see out your window on every single flight.  I would have done that before animals, and grass, that's for sure.

It would honestly be a deal breaker for me if seasons were ultimately ignored. I can wait for it, if it doesn't come on date of launch. But ignoring it is not an option for me.

 

I can see why someone living in the desert would not give much attention to snow or fall colours but a Switzerland where it's summer all year long just does not exist.

if these guys are talking seasonal animal migration, I don't think they will exclude season.  Don't know how this entered the discussion other than the fact their using bing maps for sat data.. We will see what they come up with soon enough. 

I have a feeling seasons will be along soon after launch.