Hi guys is it just me or have the standard and content of the most recent AVSIM reviews just totally gone downhill?They have just turned into commercials that will do anything to sell the product - even going as far as outright deceit!. Take the latest A300-600 CLS review getting 4.5 stars, are these reviews even looked at before they are published by AVSIM?

I don't know if they have gotten worse, or better, over time as I stopped reading them long ago. The only valid "review", IMNSHO, are the comments from knowledgeable simmers who have actually purchased the product and also have no interest in how someone views those comments. DougPS: Does the real-world A300-600 have any sort of FMC? If so, is it true that the reviewed aircraft has none? (As I said, I never read the reviews).

Ben, accusing us of deceit is over the top. As a former moderator on AVSIM, I would have expected better of you.

4.5 - 'far exceeds natural progression' ??!!Fine work that the A300 is I doubt even the developer would describe it as such. There was a time when I would wait for Avsim reviews to help me decide on a product.On the other hand the reviewer gives so much detail that I can clearly see the actual product beyond the thick sugar coating and whipped cream :-lol so I can still tell that the CLS is not systems intensive enough for me right now.So I guess the review helped me anyway :-lolI agree with the 'dump the star rating system' sentiment - it's vaaaastly inaccurate in this case. Just write the reviews in as much detail as possible and render your subjective judgement I say. regards,Markhttp://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a319/mar.../sup_banner.jpghttp://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a319/markrey/lsd2.jpgXPHomeSP2/FS9.1/3.2HT/1GIG/X700pro256

The reviews are done by individuals and so can't help but be guided by personal tastes and experiences. However, they do give a good general idea of the product and in doing so achieve their objective. Anyone reading the review of the A300 would come away thinking it's a better than average FS9 addon. That was the intent and that is a fact. I doubt very much that Avsim and the A300 developers huddled together to plot out a strategy to hoodwink Avsim readers into believing the product was something that it wasn't in order to separate us from our cash. billg

What might be more helpful is to have two scores - one reflecting the reviewers gut feeling about the product, and another reflecting where the product stands on the FS evolutionary scale. But as has been said already, the best way to judge what a product is really like is to read the posts on this forum after enough brave souls have purchased it. That's what I do anyway.Ian

Maybe so, but regarding the three last reviews, especially conserning the VC, I wonder if someone has been living under a rock the last couple of years. Turn on antialiasing and take a good look at these:RealAir: Spitfire/MarchettiDreamfleet: B58 and A36Captain Sim: C-130Carenado: the two latest CessnasPSS: T7PMDG: 747etc ...If Alphasim F8 has "Near perfect virtual cockpit" compared to these, I have to wonder how the VC's in the forthcoming Cloud9 F-104 update, MB339 and Concorde will be described ...Right now the reviews are very confusing, some views are very accurate and well described, like the fact that the F8 is fun to fly and very framerate-friendly. Other things, like the stars, and the comments on VC's is peculiar, to say the least.Eagle

Where is the overhead panel? I sure don't see one in the review? At least not 4.5 stars worth, that is for sure. x(

Nonsense, those comments are far more often than not themselves guided by personal preferences, bias, and hidden agendas.If you believe every negative comment out there there are NO good or even halfway decent addons on the market and never have been.Strangely all those addons also attract positive comments, so whom do you believe?Of course if you yourself have an agenda and are biassed versus a particular addon manufacturer you hardly need opinions as you've yours ready before ever seeing the addon for yourself (which is how I think many of those stated opinions are arrived at in the first place).

AVSIM review system lacks two things: Categories & standards. You can't try to be the "authority figure" in FS reviews only with your reviewers' "personal tastes" & the "star system".Categories: FS products target at different customers. Not all developers go all the way like PMDG or LDS, etc. Many target at "fun-flyers". Like the recently reviewed A300, it's clearly for those who care about a good looking model than anything else. Put in categories like overall intensive; model intensive; system intensive.(just an example)After the categories, set standards for each. If you say the product belong to the "good looking" group lets pull out the set of standards for external models and see how good looking it is; if you say it's all about simulating systems then we have different standards to go by. In the past, some AVSIM reviews were regarded as "unfair". I remember the review of aeroworx B200 was so criticized it was taken off the review list. Never the less, AVSIM reviews are good to have. Yet I don't use them as my "buying guide". Jason Zhang

Let us put things in perspective here, just think about what I am about to say. I challange those that think Avsims reviews are wrong to step up and do some reviews for Avsim. Now if you were to do that I wonder how long it would be before someone accused you of being biased or deceitful? I can promise you it would happen very quickly! I too at times have disagreed with a review but since it is a person with all of his or her own likes and dislikes factoring into the equation I expect this. Humans are not computers and their own personal opinions will almost always factor into the equation. That leaves us, in the case of these reviews, with people that will completely disagree because their own opinions are far different than that of the reviewer. In the long run I do find that the reviews here are pretty good and they do keep to the intent of the star rating system the vast majority of the time. The best review is always going to be done by many people, then you get a more balanced opinion on a subject. To accuse Avsim of deceit and that they will do anything to sell a product is narrow minded indeed. Please, take my advice, do a couple of reviews and find out how quickly you will be charged with deceit just because someone does not agree with your opinion.Take care,Philip Olsonhttp://www.precisionmanuals.com/images/forum/supporter.jpg

Mostly fair points. However I disagree with the arguement of "If you don't like how it's done, try doing it yourself." Everyone has a job to do, and you are supposed to be better at it than most others. I doubt if I can do reviews that everyone cheers about. Maybe that's why I am not a reviewer?But for me and I believe for most others, not being a genous reviewer doesn't mean I can't be fair reader.Jason

That's a common view I've never really understood. Do i have to be an opera singer to review opera as well?Eagle

I think most of the reviews I have read have been very good. This "conspiracy by Avsim" to sell faulty products topic, frankly , is gettng a bit tiring. Hey, if you don't like the reviews, don't read them, it's as simple as that. Just stop whining about it, cause most of us, I believe, like the reviews and look forward to them. We don't look forward to the whining.

So after the suggestion of "if you don't like it, try doing it yourself" comes the suggestion of "if you don't like it, shut up and walk away". I don't know about others, but if I have to pick the better one I'd pick the first, which at least still bares the concept of "participation". Jason