No Boeing 737NG - I'm surprised! Why!? :(

[OzWhitey 3,353]

19 minutes ago, Wewk584 said:

@Jonnoxx

 

I dont think Laminar's issue is arrogance per-se. In another thread one of the third party developers for xplane made a good point  (i forget the users name) . Laminars options (being a small company) vs microsoft (big) are limited. Laminars best course has always been to continue doing what they have been doing because thats their only real option. Trying to out spend Microsoft wont work . So they continue to make the best sim they know how with the philosophies and resources they have always used and hope for the best (also keeping in mind that commercial clients have more to do with keeping laminar afloat than consumer)   Ultimately I think they are hoping that 1)  at best Microsoft shoots themselves in the foot again or 2)  at worst they can keep their chunk of the market targeted toward real world training (commercial)  and enough consumers to make up the difference. Really, that's what they are doing now.   with LM i dont know. They dont have an 'austin' that allows himself to be interviewed in a open way. so its harder to know their plans. v5 is a good indication they realize the threat.

and.. I think 1 doesnt seem likely as it appears that MS learned from its past mistakes

 

btw - is autodesk really struggling? their software(s) seem to still be doing pretty well (at least when i listen to 3d enthusiast and insider podcasts, they give that impression) . Maya is doing fair but really their bread is buttered with AutoCAD.. Alot of parts/products are still designed with it. (again im only repeating what ive heard)... and to bring back the comparison... If LR and their commercial clients are still filling the tank of Austins Lancair, I think he will be happy, even with a 'new' player around.

 

And back to ZIbo - its a great product for a simmer that only knows something is not accurate if hes told. Flightdeck2sim's heavy usage of it is a big endorsment (since he is a rw 737 pilot)

 

but would Microsoft even allow project planes like this?

I actually think there is some hubris from the top of Laminar. I've read the comment once or twice over on the org that Austin - in some ways - has held the sim back in recent years through his somewhat odd design choices. X-plane has had a good window of opportunity since the cancellation of MS flight sims post-FSX to build a class-leading product - and I think they've missed the boat here.

X-plane is very good at some things, but the determination that it is an engineering tool rather than an entertainment product/mainstream sim has meant that we still have an ugly color palette, water and clouds after 25 YEARS of development.

The sim will not go away any time soon, but hey are going to lose a lot of market share when MSFS is released, which means less dev dollars to push the program forward in the future.

 

 

[Jonnoxx 53]

 

20 minutes ago, Wewk584 said:

@Jonnoxx

And back to ZIbo... 

... would Microsoft even allow project planes like this?

Great question! 

If I recall correctly, there was an overt hint in one of the early Asobo / MS interviews, that there is going to be some sort of facility that would be similar to X-Plane Plane maker. 

Nothing has been followed up on this since. 

I suggested at the time that they should copy the "Repair Hanger" concept of DEADSTICK, or even buy that developer out, and incorporate him into their fold. 

I'm really hoping they incorporate their own version of Plane Maker. And don't see any reason why they would be averse to that idea. 

It would be every geek kid's delight (me included!). 

If they did, this is another feature that Asobo would be sure to implement with their customary - and much loved - flair and steroids, and thereby set the amateur developer scene alight with fire. 

Such a development would be the greatest threat to the professional Developers, who will clearly have to up their game when all the amateurs in their basements now also have access to amazing new and much more capable SDK's and other game-changing tools. Literally. 

[Jonnoxx 53]

1 hour ago, Wewk584 said:

@Jonnoxx

btw - is autodesk really struggling? their software(s) seem to still be doing pretty well (at least when i listen to 3d enthusiast and insider podcasts, they give that impression) . Maya is doing fair but really their bread is buttered with AutoCAD.. Alot of parts/products are still designed with it.

Anyone who is an Autodesk client knows that the feature-improvement each year is minimal. 

They have slipped into an air of complacency, which is allowing dangerous competitors to gain increasing momentum (and market share). 

For example, the free Blender is FAST becoming a legitimate AND VERY capable competitor in the animation market. 

The only reason the animation market is not being overturned overnight is because of the pipeline investments in legacy projects and custom-software built on those. 

But make no mistake, change is on its way. Slowly at first. Then suddenly. As Hemingway said. 

The Autodesk architectural program REVIT is just running on the spot, while competitors like VECTORWORKS (mainstream architectural work) and CHIEF ARCHITECT (aimed at the small builder / residential market) are attacking this market with real FIRE in their bellies. 

There's even rumors (hotly denied!) that SOLIDWORKS is preparing to expand into the Architectural market. Game over for Autodesk if that happens imo. 

Was an enthusiastic early adopter of SOLIDWORKS (I switched our company to SW in mid 90's when SW had only reached about 3 000 seats). 

Best decision we made. Very few people that switched to SW would ever consider going back to Autodesk. 

I see ASOBO bringing the SAME game-changing (intended pun!) FLAIR and INNOVATION to Flight Simulation that SOLIDWORKS did to CAD back in the 1990's.

The current complacent commercial players in this market deserve nothing less! 

Edited July 1, 2020 by Jonnoxx

[eslader 1,783]

18 hours ago, himmelhorse said:

For the record, I will maintain P3D, Xplane, DCS and Aerofly, in addition to MSFS on my computer, well into the full and final published version of the latter, before (and IF) I start to cull anything

I think that's what most people are going to do. But you didn't mention FS98, or FS4 in there. And that's because you don't lose much by dropping them in favor of P3d, except the Concorde. Once FS2020 gets to the point that we're not leaving much behind in p3d/FSX, I'm sure most people will switch over. And once it gets to that point, unless Austin goes on a caffeine-fueled development bender the likes of which have never yet been seen, Xplane's probably gonna fall away as well.

DCS I think will be the one that sticks around after 2020 is robust, because there aren't any indications that MS plans to do another CFS.

 

[Greazer 1,320]

I hope there is a default 737 Max in future. The default planes (unlike fsx) will be very useable once everything is ironed out.

Greazer.

[KERNEL32 500]

Not sure some understand how close they are from locking in features, etc.

If Asobo is only about 3 weeks from BETA would there even be a chance any more aircraft would be added for initial release?

[FPStewy 538]

On 6/30/2020 at 4:24 PM, SP2472 said:

PMDG has already indicated or hinted that a B737NG

They confirmed it.

[ThrottleUp 617]

Thanks for all the replies, I agree its still early. Im sure MS did look at the 737 and decided not to include it. However as many of you pointed out - things COULD change (something Im hoping for). Initially when I saw that they had gone for A320NEO I thought theyd go for its competion - the MAX. But now I realize that perhaps they did not want to do this in the light of the relatively recent double tragedies and the ongoing MCAS re-certification. 

 

On 7/1/2020 at 2:40 AM, C2615 said:

I don't think OP will need zibo for MSFS, something like POSky 737NG will do it for him...

I actually use the Zibo - its very friendly to casuals! Just one additional step and I load the flight plan from Little Navmap into the FMC and away I go. I make my own plans using real world routes using FlightAware. I just dont bother with the real world SIDs , airways & STARS. I just copy the flight path from FlightAware. 

>>

On another note - I too want to add my voice to those who say they will use multiple sims. I absolutely love X-Plane11 and it will always be on my system no matter what. I might even do a reinstall of FSX with all my Orbx goodies! I do not like photo-scenery at all so that is the only "downside" for me concerning FS2020 but I gather that it can generate non-photo scenery too. 

 

[LHookins 3,103]

46 minutes ago, ThrottleUp said:

I do not like photo-scenery at all so that is the only "downside" for me concerning FS2020

I don't like photo scenery either, especially since I fly at low altitudes.  But this isn't just a texture overlaid on the mesh, it includes appropriate buildings and vegetation, including grass if you're low enough to see it.  You can see this in many official screen shots and videos.

If MSFS was just a texture on mesh, I'd never give it a second thought.

Hook

Edited July 2, 2020 by LHookins

[tutmeister 710]

Also, remember that you can just turn photoscenery off and fly with landclass style scenery.

[orchestra_nl 931]

16 hours ago, LHookins said:

I don't like photo scenery either, especially since I fly at low altitudes.  But this isn't just a texture overlaid on the mesh, it includes appropriate buildings and vegetation, including grass if you're low enough to see it.  You can see this in many official screen shots and videos.

If MSFS was just a texture on mesh, I'd never give it a second thought.

With FSX, I hated photoscenery as well. It always felt if I was flying above a photograph, which is off course exactly what it was. Most of the photoscenery hadn't even been corrected for colour variations. Clouds, shadows and the odd artifacts further took away from realism.

However, this time Microsoft has gone beyond photo-scenery. The photo's are used as a base to create better landclass and objects. Some issues remain, I haven't seen baked-in clouds but shadows are still there although hopefully the scenery continues to be improved, even after release.
Microsoft can sell this virtual world to many other parties so there is money to be made to correct these issues.

[ThrottleUp 617]

I agree, I will give the photo scenery a whiel in the new sim but I hope its easy to disable completely.

And yes sometimes I feel the Asobo virtual world came first and MS decided to stick a flight sim in it! The virtual world data will be of immense use outside of the sim. 

[BigDee 119]

Indeed no official 737. That`s really sad.

[Doug47 574]

6 minutes ago, BigDee said:

Indeed no official 737. That`s really sad.

Why? It’s already been confirmed by @Rob_Ainscough that all the current freeware planes are junk. 
 

Wait for PMDG’s NGXu2020 version. 
That’s what I’m doing. 

[virtualstuff 758]

On 7/13/2020 at 4:35 PM, Doug47 said:

Why? It’s already been confirmed by @Rob_Ainscough that all the current freeware planes are junk. 
 

Wait for PMDG’s NGXu2020 version. 
That’s what I’m doing. 

@Doug47 Sometimes Rob makes his knowledge bigger as that it is 😂