XP12 must support all current scenery and aircraft addons.

XP12 may have new and improved features but current addons must work "as is".

XP12 must not create additional installation or maintenance issues.

XP12 must be coded to be flexible unlike original Vulkan release which threw errors even just for "incompatible" objects.

XP12 runtime errors, if any, should not popup an annoying dialog in the main sim view.

Backward compatible is important but not a must have. If making it backward compatible will cause constraints, and extra resources for all the testing then it doesn't make financial sense.  Players who wants to fly older planes can always just fly XP11.  XP12 must provide things that are no possible in XP11.  If everyone keeps flying XP11 aircraft then 3rd party developers will leave the platform.  It sucks to purchase all aircraft again, but this is the ecosystem that keeps developers in business. 

I would guess it is at least - if not even more - backward compatible as the latest Microsoft offering is backward compatible to it´s predecessor 😁

Edited July 20, 20214 yr by Janov

Not sure what the obsession is with backwards compatibility.   Sure there is a cost aspect, but if you really love those particular addons, then stay with that sim version.  By demanding backwards compatibility, you really are limiting alot of potential for new technologies going forward. I advocated it for MSFS. No compatibility, and everything should be reworked to accommodate new features and tech.   Ditch the old and bring in next generation.  We've been stuck in a rut for a similar looking sim platforms for a decade. MSFS finally broke thru with a big generational leap.   XP and P3D need to do exactly the same thing if they want to compete else its basically just a reskin of the old, with some minor extra features. 

Well I'm not too worried about existing  scenery, lighting, shaders and cloud addons being compatible.  Surely to God they won't be necessary? In fact, if they are still necessary I won't buy it because what would be the point? Planes I hope will be compatible or at least that the more expensive ones will be patched to run on XP12 FOC.

I've had my monies worth out of OrbX and ditching it will be no sadness.

All this talk of compatibility can't be doing much for addon sales. Who in their right mind is going to spend money at the moment?

Edited July 20, 20214 yr by jarmstro

42 minutes ago, HighTowers said:

Not sure what the obsession is with backwards compatibility.

The word you are looking for is "cheapskate", I believe 🤣.

It is the same with all those folks demanding that the "new lighting" and other previewed stuff gets added to XP11 (instead of making XP12) - so they don´t have to shelf out another 60$ (every 5 years 🙄).

Edited July 20, 20214 yr by Janov

1 hour ago, Janov said:

The word you are looking for is "cheapskate", I believe 🤣

cheapskate isnt really the word I would use to describe people displeased with being encouraged to pay multiple times for the same broken product.

 masochistic types do exist but they a very small (although very profitiable) market to serve.

1 hour ago, Janov said:

It is the same with all those folks demanding that the "new lighting" and other previewed stuff gets added to XP11 (instead of making XP12) - so they don´t have to shelf out another 60$ (every 5 years 🙄).

I see your posit that the last sale of XP or anything XP related was 5 years ago and call BS.

Or perhaps you were implying we should expect xp12 to be released in around 5 years time?

Edited July 20, 20214 yr by mSparks

1 hour ago, Janov said:

The word you are looking for is "cheapskate", I believe 🤣.

Why am I not surprised you guys don't see it as a bad thing you can sell your addon twice... 

Calling people that don't want to buy add-ons several times "cheapskates" is just fitting then, I guess.

Just the people I expected to pipe up! 🤣

I can totally understand that a customer wants longevity in his add-on. And I know that Laminar Research is very aware and concerned with backward compatibility.

There is progress, however, and sometimes this requires parting with old ways of doing it - and when an add-on needs extensive work to become compatible with a new version, I think it is not unreasonable for the developer to ask compensation for that effort.

The add-on I am selling has been made available with XP11 for no extra charge, despite us having to tune and adapt quite a few things for that version.

Just like with any product - there is usually a certain limit to how long you will be able to use it. Any product bought for XP11 can be used as long as your computer can run XP11 (i.e. for many many decades to come) - I don´t think that is a bad deal.

Edited July 20, 20214 yr by Janov

1 hour ago, rka said:

Why am I not surprised you guys don't see it as a bad thing you can sell your addon twice... 

Calling people that don't want to buy add-ons several times "cheapskates" is just fitting then, I guess.

I’ve updated 4 of my addons, at least twice, for free. My Saab, which was originally made for XP9, was updated this year, for, I think, the 5th time, for XP11, for free. All compatibility updates. In 11 years, I have never charged for an update. I’d rather keep my customers happy.  

Edited July 20, 20214 yr by GoranM

My two cents, likely XP11 scenery will be compatible unless they change something dramatically. I have no reason to believe it's not the case, since even old XP9 products still work somewhat in XP11. I could be wrong of course, and I know as much as anyone else here in what will happen in the future.

Older scenery will see a benefit from the upgraded lighting engine. Things should just look better (The same objects placed in both X-Plane and MFS see a better visual improvement for the same textures etc). Developers who have used various PBR hacks to get certain effects may find that things will look wrong and it'll need fixing. 

Developers aren't obliged to upgrade their products, some will, and some others will charge for it (if it's a lot of work). Developers need to eat and feed their families as well, just a fact of life :)

 

 

1 hour ago, tonywob said:

Developers aren't obliged to upgrade their products, some will, and some others will charge for it (if it's a lot of work). Developers need to eat and feed their families as well, just a fact of life 🙂

I certainly will not object to paying a modest sum to allow developers to be remunerated for the work involved in upgrading their product. I would be more aggrieved if I've paid a large sum for a plane which will no longer work and for which the developer makes no effort to make it compatible. 

Edited July 20, 20214 yr by jarmstro

47 minutes ago, jarmstro said:

I would be more aggrieved if I've paid a large sum for a plane which will no longer work and for which the developer makes no effort to make it compatible. 

Carenado just went really quiet.

1 hour ago, jarmstro said:

I certainly will not object to paying a modest sum to allow developers to be remunerated for the work involved in upgrading their product. I would be more aggrieved if I've paid a large sum for a plane which will no longer work and for which the developer makes no effort to make it compatible. 

I was willing until now (but with a strong emphasis on modest). But with regard to XP12 I can't really see myself going that way. I'll just keep 11 I think.

6 hours ago, Janov said:

Just the people I expected to pipe up! 🤣

I bow to your wisdom.

6 hours ago, GoranM said:

I’ve updated 4 of my addons, at least twice, for free. My Saab, which was originally made for XP9, was updated this year, for, I think, the 5th time, for XP11, for free. All compatibility updates. In 11 years, I have never charged for an update. I’d rather keep my customers happy.  

That's honestly appreciated.

9 hours ago, Janov said:

Just the people I expected to pipe up! 🤣

you got me.

Im a typical cheapskate. one of millions who wont buy addons for a buggy unfinished product.

Thats why I waited for vulkan to fix the frame rate issues inherent to the sim to buy my first Payware aircraft.

Also why I - and millions of others - wont be buying any more now they let everyone down and decided to leave it unfinished.

Yes. congrats. you win the internet points this round.

Edited July 20, 20214 yr by mSparks