41 minutes ago, simmerhead said:

The really interesting question is what new addons will be developed for Prepar3D from scratch in 2020, not those who are finishing work in progress or overhauling older addons. I guess a roadmap from Lockheed Martin at this point would be pretty useful for developers too. I slowed down my addon purchases considerably when each new version of P3D started to leave older addons broken.

I understand that the v5 beta is reserved to some customers and developers. If some developers are willing to start new projects for v4.5 these days, logic would indicate that they know there will be some compatibility between 4.5 and 5. I don't see much market for v4.5  alone in 18 months to two years from now !

 

12 minutes ago, domkle said:

I understand that the v5 beta is reserved to some customers and developers. If some developers are willing to start new projects for v4.5 these days, logic would indicate that they know there will be some compatibility between 4.5 and 5. I don't see much market for v4.5  alone in 18 months to two years from now !

Three methods of developing that I have noticed:

a) For the lucky insiders, develop using the beta version SDK of the unreleased new version; or
b) Develop using the latest SDK (currently v4.5HF2), update only after the newest version launches; or
c) If it works as is, don't change the product. Just go for low(er) price, bottom of the market, volume sales.
P3D v3, FSX, even some rare FS9 sales still make money on these type of products.
 

It seems to me that backwards compatibility in this arena is established as a core requirement for any platform development.

It seem that even Microsoft/Asobo recognize and acknowledge that since MSFS will be backwards compatible.

If Prepar3D V5 where not backwards compatible that would be the end of it. Despite all the problems that backwards compatibility.

entails, the alternative is far worse.

32 minutes ago, F737NG said:

Three methods of developing that I have noticed:

a) For the lucky insiders, develop using the beta version SDK of the unreleased new version; or
b) Develop using the latest SDK (currently v4.5HF2), update only after the newest version launches; or
c) If it works as is, don't change the product. Just go for low(er) price, bottom of the market, volume sales.
P3D v3, FSX, even some rare FS9 sales still make money on these type of products.
 

There will definitely be a market for v4.5 for some years ahead  as there is one for FS9. It will be small though, the main sales being related to v5 and FS20. The v4.5 related market could more robust if LM markets only a v5 PRO at 200 dollars a pop.

Edited January 27, 20206 yr by domkle

1 minute ago, Avidean said:

It seems to me that backwards compatibility in this arena is established as a core requirement for any platform development.

It seem that even Microsoft/Asobo recognize and acknowledge that since MSFS will be backwards compatible.

If Prepar3D V5 where not backwards compatible that would be the end of it. Despite all the problems that backwards compatibility.

entails, the alternative is far worse.

Backwards compatibility... Probably the main reason why things have been crawling along at snail's pace since 2006. I do see the economic and technical benefits for developers that things remain fairly stable, but it is also the reason why many of us are craving for something completely new. 

To me Prepar3D v4.5 HF2 is just yet another FSX service pack. Most of the scenery still looks like it did back in 2006, and the landclass and autogen system isn't capable of making realistic scenery IMHO. But I'm not "all simmers" and do understand that others see things completely different. It will be interesting to see though how many simmers will fork out another $200 for Prepar3D v5 with MFS just around the corner, and also, how many of those v5 users that will gladly pay the upgrade fee for all their addons, like they've done so many times before.

1 minute ago, simmerhead said:

Backwards compatibility...

What I understand is that Asobo has kept the FSX flight architecture in FS20  for benchmarking their entirely new architecture. I am not sure that the FSX mode will be in the final release and that, in any case, the aircraft designed for P3D would work with it.

There has been to my knowledge no indication of a retro-compatibility for anything else : sceneries, weather etc.

4 hours ago, Toktok said:

We are overhauling KSLC and adding 2 new US Intl airports for P3DV4 this year. P3DV4 is alive and well as far as we're concerned.

According to FSElite and your Facebook page, KSLC will be developed for MSFS2020 only. There is no statement that you will update the P3D version. If this is incorrect, I think you need to clarify what the situation is.

Love KSLC in P3D!

 

One thing is certain. You will not be getting permission to use your P3D versions of PMDG airliners in the new MFS.

Edited January 27, 20206 yr by Christopher Low

10 hours ago, rjfry said:

ORBX OLC Africa testing now,buy when released

I've been holding off on Africa sceneries for a long time, mostly because the distances are large and flying long stretches over default landclass makes that too painful.  So I'd guess that some P3D African scenery developers might expect a small boom from guys like me that will suddenly have renewed interest in the region. 

There are so many austere airports in interesting places there...I still vividly remember flying a G-III into Hwange National Park in Zimbabwe in the early 90s--just a runway, a small ramp, and what amounted to a large shed on one end of the runway.  Doesn't take a 6-month effort by a Flightbeam or FlyTampa to serve up a bunch of interesting destinations in this region.

Oh, but never mind.  P3D is dead.  😉

 

1 hour ago, w6kd said:

I've been holding off on Africa sceneries for a long time, mostly because the distances are large and flying long stretches over default landclass makes that too painful.  So I'd guess that some P3D African scenery developers might expect a small boom from guys like me that will suddenly have renewed interest in the region. 

There are so many austere airports in interesting places there...I still vividly remember flying a G-III into Hwange National Park in Zimbabwe in the early 90s--just a runway, a small ramp, and what amounted to a large shed on one end of the runway.  Doesn't take a 6-month effort by a Flightbeam or FlyTampa to serve up a bunch of interesting destinations in this region.

Oh, but never mind.  P3D is dead.  😉

 

I agree. I wish more addon developers would develop sceneries and airports for Africa, given that the continent has some world class carriers like Air Senegal, Ethiopian, etc. Instead we're stuck with another rendition of some no name boring US airport. 

I would go for some good African airports, too. I mostly have those available for Morocco so far. There are some P3D South African airports available from a company whose name escaped me, but they look so poor that I couldn't decide to buy any of them.

Kind regards, Michael

 

 

4 hours ago, Christopher Low said:

One thing is certain. You will not be getting permission to use your P3D versions of PMDG airliners in the new MFS.

It does appear that PMDG will develop for MSFS. Their NGXu is apparently, to be NGX3 in MSFS. I missed the "offer" before Christmas, to buy the NGXu and get a discount on the NGX3 in MSFS! Sounds like the models are very similar? 

FSDT are doing a similar "discount" on their latest European airport. Selling it cheaper and offering a discount for MSFS. 

Interesting times ahead. 😉

 

2 hours ago, pmb said:

I would go for some good African airports, too. I mostly have those available for Morocco so far. There are some P3D South African airports available from a company whose name escaped me, but they look so poor that I couldn't decide to buy any of them.

Kind regards, Michael

You're probably referring to NMG.  Very, very basic, but mostly places nobody else has done.  Like Johannesburg, arguably the busiest hub in southern Africa, and long left unloved by the top scenery devs.

FSDG has done FACT (Capetown), and GOOY (Dakar).

They are theoretically supposed to release HTKJ (Nairobi) this year, although that was originally supposed to release in Q3 of 2018 and has been slipping like Oliver Hardy on a banana peel ever since.

Which brings to mind a corollary of the OP's original premise about P3D developers shelving P3D development.  If you're a developer, the quickest way to get people to abandon you is to let them think you've abandoned them.  Slipping a project repeatedly over the course of years like FSDG's Nairobi is a good example of that.  They were steadily producing some good P3D sceneries, but seem to have become mired in quicksand.  I rarely even bother browsing their site for a sniff of something new any more.

52 minutes ago, w6kd said:

You're probably referring to NMG.  Very, very basic, but mostly places nobody else has done.  

Exactly. But as you state there are a few better ones available. I recall also a Kilimanjaro airport by Aerosoft which I rejected so far as the whole surrounding region looked so poor. Might rethink this after OpenLC Africa will become available.

Kind regards, Michael

 

I'd be inclined to suggest that MSFS need accommodate backwards compatibility for only 2 classes of addons. Aircraft and Airports. From what I've seen all the other classes of addons will likely be made obsolete by this new MS flight sim. I'd hazard a guess that the main new elements to this flight sim are scenery and weather. Imagine that, the two biggest performance killers in FSX and P3D. Beyond that I wonder what else is radically different? 😁