22 minutes ago, ryanbatcund said:

Agree - I absolutely abhore the marketplace.  You have to disable all your addons to access it, and at least for aircraft, you have to jump through hoops to get them to reinstall or update.

Oh and that's if your purchase goes through...

Adding my absolute disdain for the in-sim marketplace.   It seems to be as carefully planned and received as the Microsoft© Vista® release. 🤣

My initial hope and desire to have ONE, UNIFIED place to purchase and manage my addons WITHIN the sim itself were quickly dashed the 1st time I had to figure out how to get past an install failure of a Mooney update. (uninstall this, delete this folder, burn incense while chanting "Oooohm mocha chaka instaullus successfullus ....petronis! (for all you Harry Potter Fans)" 😂 

Coupled with the absolute debacle where AS/MS and CA played the blame game back and forth for over a month with an update that missed making it to the Marketplace when we saw many other items there get updates...proved decisively to me that I'll be managing my own purchases and updates when given the chance thank you.

Edited February 3, 20215 yr by Steve Dra

Apart from the update delay, I never had any issue with the Marketplace and I am sure I will become better and better, they have no choice since the Xbox users will use it. I just wish that every 3rd party developers would release their products on both, marketplace and outside of it.

I just remember FSX time, where I got hundreds of addons from 3 dozen vendors with various activation methods, offline, online, email, had to keep the installer somewhere safe. Everytime I changed computer, it was a manual 2-3 days installation.

Same for update, the constant need to check for it on forum or stores.

Edited February 3, 20215 yr by bendead

18 minutes ago, Steve Dra said:

for all you Harry Potter Fans

Warning, not for those easily offended by a bit of swearing, but quite a succinct appraisal of the literary merit of adults reading JK Rowling 🤣

Edited February 3, 20215 yr by Chock

2 minutes ago, Chock said:

Warning, not for those easily offended by a bit of swearing, but quite a succinct appraisal of the literary merit of JK Rowling 🤣

Hehe.....was never a rabid fan of HP, but generally enjoyed the 1st movie as it was original and somewhat entertaining....all the rest were just.....well like Stewart mentions. 🤣  Just dropped "Pertronis" in there as the only part of an incantation I recalled and may have sparked a few more chuckles from those who could relate. 🙂

And as for reference...I never actually burned incense during multiple attempts to get a marketplace package updated/reinstalled....but surely have chanted some phrases...however they were nothing like I posted and would be more commonly heard at a George Carlin concert. 🙂

 

Just FYI, we will end up by putting it up there... we're registered and they're waiting for it... but it will likely take 15-30 days to get put up.  Plus, and this is a big deal, we lose about 50% off the top for sales off of there.... which is a LOT...

Anyway....

15 minutes ago, bendead said:

Apart from the update delay, I never had any issue with the Marketplace and I am sure I will become better and better, they have no choice since the Xbox users will use it. I just wish that every 3rd party developers would release their products on both, marketplace and outside of it.

I just remember FSX time, where I got hundreds of addons from 3 dozen vendors with various activation methods, offline, online, email, had to keep the installer somewhere safe. Everytime I changed computer, it was a manual 2-3 days installation.

Same for update, the constant need to check for it on forum or stores.

I too desperately wish I could rely solely on the Marketplace, especially for updates which can always be tricky if not released properly....however, until this stops:

Note the last paragraph....there is nothing more frustrating in flight simulation to know a developer HAS A SOLUTION to a problem with their software, but since signing a horrible exclusivity deal with MS/AS (where THEY get to control every aspect of YOUR products)...we didn't see this fix go into the Marketplace for weeks!

Personally, I'd like to have working aircraft/products I purchased with the option of getting an update from the dev to fix an issue that make the software completely unusable....as soon as it's available vs when MS/AS deems its important enough to grace the Marketplace with the vendor's update that's been sitting around for weeks.  That's just me though (Sarcasm mode off) 🙂

 

 

26 minutes ago, bendead said:

I just remember FSX time, where I got hundreds of addons from 3 dozen vendors with various activation methods, offline, online, email, had to keep the installer somewhere safe. Everytime I changed computer, it was a manual 2-3 days installation.

Oh I'm totally with you there my friend!  In fact....I rejoiced when I thought I could finally put this spreadsheet to rest:

 

 

16 minutes ago, Milviz said:

Just FYI, we will end up by putting it up there... we're registered and they're waiting for it... but it will likely take 15-30 days to get put up.  Plus, and this is a big deal, we lose about 50% off the top for sales off of there.... which is a LOT...

Anyway....

Good to give all the options should some be hard-set on only buying from the Marketplace.....but you can bet your bottom dollar I will 100% purchase from the developer's eCommerce site when given the choice....if nothing more than the last sentence in your post. 😉 

I may be just me....But I'm thinking MS/AS is making enough off the core product....and any $$ I can keep in your pocket by buying from you....even if, in the long run would make tracking and managing my add-ons a bit more cumbersome through a spreadsheet (as shown above), I think Devs more than earn that. 😉😉 

 

 

50% going to MS is a lot.  I had heard 10-15%, or maybe 30% tops.

That makes me even more annoyed at their refusal to curate the contents of the Marketplace, knowing they are getting $10 for every junk Eurofighter someone buys 

 

It's not just MS... it's Steam too (which, if you bought MSFS from there... is where the marketplace is set)

38 minutes ago, Steve Dra said:

Hehe.....was never a rabid fan of HP, but generally enjoyed the 1st movie as it was original and somewhat entertaining....all the rest were just.....well like Stewart mentions. 🤣  Just dropped "Pertronis" in there as the only part of an incantation I recalled and may have sparked a few more chuckles from those who could relate. 🙂

And as for reference...I never actually burned incense during multiple attempts to get a marketplace package updated/reinstalled....but surely have chanted some phrases...however they were nothing like I posted and would be more commonly heard at a George Carlin concert. 🙂

 

One of the good things about those books which is often overlooked by people, is that well prior to them being picked up as a movie franchise, and in spite of them not being especially well-written, they were actually responsible for making reading somewhat cool amongst kids, as anyone who was buying presents for kids around that time will be well aware, and particularly kids who would not normally be inclined to read, as they were the 'in thing' at school. They're not solely responsible for this of course, the books of Derek Landy, and in particular his Skullduggery Pleasant series, is probably equally responsible albeit not so well known in spite of being much better in literary terms, but it is nevertheless a positive aspect of Rowling's efforts.

Rowling herself likes to put about the notion that she was a struggling author who made it all off her own merit, this is not to take away from the fact that she made a success of things, but her version of events is not really very true to life, not least because she did receive a fair bit of assistance, including a grant from Scottish Arts Council as well as a few other similar stipends. 

Anyway, back on topic, I think it is as well for people to be aware that a really good study simulated aeroplane, if we take the term to mean one in which you could learn stuff useful for operating the real thing, would be one which really does fly 'on the numbers' rather than one which simulates the ability for you to top up the oil or change the spark plugs.

Edited February 3, 20215 yr by Chock

5 minutes ago, Chock said:

they were actually responsible for making reading somewhat cool amongst kids, as anyone who was buying presents for kids around that time will be well aware

Always reminded of this scene whenever HP books are mentioned and the hysteria around them when a new one released:

2 great actresses...and I very much enjoyed this movie (one of those you'd think, based on the title, you'd have no interest in)

1 hour ago, Milviz said:

Plus, and this is a big deal, we lose about 50% off the top for sales off of there.... which is a LOT.....

Ouch!  Do they restrict you in your contract from having a different price off marketplace where you could mark up the marketplace version to help offset the loss?

No.  Plus, we can't put weapons on it... Oh well...

 

6 hours ago, Milviz said:

The 310 will have anti-icing...  among "other" things... 

Will there be a cargo variant (no rear passenger windows) by chance?

2 hours ago, Milviz said:

Just FYI, we will end up by putting it up there... we're registered and they're waiting for it... but it will likely take 15-30 days to get put up.  Plus, and this is a big deal, we lose about 50% off the top for sales off of there.... which is a LOT...

@abrams_tank Seems that the 50% figure I previously mentioned was correct.

While I understand that Microsoft are relying on Marketplace fees and GamePass subcriptions to fund ongoing support for "10 years", I think its in the flight sim fanatics' (i.e. anyone here or on other FS-specific forums) best interests to support 3rd party developers directly, whenever possible.

I also think that it is in developers' best interests to entice direct custom by creating / using install managers to reduce the complexity of remembering the purchase store and password / licence key for each add-on product by eliminating this situation that we have had to deal with for such a long time.

Since they will be less aware of developers' own sales portals outside of Marketplace, the masses of casual simmers will fund Microsoft through GamePass subs or Marketplace purchases. I'm not concerned about Microsoft's ability to monetise MSFS.

However, to continue to get the high quality add-ons we want, such as A2A's GA aircraft, we have to think about how we go about making our purchases.