Another lump of coal: PMDG Update [24DEC22]

[DaWu 779]

6 hours ago, Fiorentoni said:

What are you talking about? They are about to release the EFB, most probably in January alongside the -900 according to the latest post (though not with all features initially), so it's not like they ignore EFBs. Also it's included in the NG3, so please don't spread wrong infromation about additional costs in 2 years or whatever. Also they had EFBs on P3D for years ongoing.
You can rightly criticise that it took them very long to create the all-new EFB for MSFS (which I did repatedly) and that they are somewhat fallen behind in modern user-friendliness, but there's no need to totally make up things just to prove your point.

Most probably in January like in october? They tried to ignore EFB and hoped to get away with it but the community made it clear that it’s 2022 and they won’t get away with it. Good luck with January 

[Mace 1,929]

1 hour ago, DaWu said:

Most probably in January like in october? They tried to ignore EFB and hoped to get away with it but the community made it clear that it’s 2022 and they won’t get away with it. Good luck with January 

They didn't try to ignore anything, they have had EFB's for years in P3D.

[bendead 1,085]

2 hours ago, DaWu said:

Good luck with January 

Even more after RSR said they will release one function after another on their EFB during testing.

They should recruits people behind FBW EFB

[UrgentSiesta 932]

On 12/23/2022 at 7:55 PM, Ricardo41 said:

A talented group of freeware developers could probably within a month fix most or all of the issues PMDG seem to have a hard time getting a handle on. 

How's that Fly By Wire A380 coming along...?

[bendead 1,085]

7 hours ago, Bobsk8 said:

Quite a few people own both the 737 and the Fenix, and wind up flying the Fenix way more often. 

Yep, as for the sim, the Fenix A320 flow is much better, sounds and textures are more immersive and it can fly RNP approaches without adding 6 pages of virtual waypoint, also wiper can wipe, and even if not present, HUD does not suffer from strabismus.

As for the real plane, the overhead is a mess, with half dozen type of switches, no EICAS, even for a version that is not certified yet but will be and still sheepskin seat in 2020, like we are in a Paris taxi in 1970 .

[bendead 1,085]

12 minutes ago, UrgentSiesta said:

How's that Fly By Wire A380 coming along...?

Faster than PMDG if they had to develop their 737 from scratch and not ported from P3D

Edited January 1, 2023 by bendead

[UrgentSiesta 932]

On 12/24/2022 at 3:41 AM, petz_e said:

It really is a big quality of life improvement and an essential feature of every so called study level airliner, especially one where every variant costs like $70.

Agreed that they should've figured out an interim solution here. Though the goal is admirable, they're not satisfying "needs" for now. Still, it's not a tragedy.

Quote

Given that PMDG only ported over their 737s from other platforms, it still puzzles me why they are taking so long. They probably have only one developper working part time on the EFB.

I can hardly understand why this utterly incorrect figment of the imagination is still being tossed about.

The only things that can be "ported" into MSFS are the 3D models and textures. And if you've ready any of the reviews of Leonardo's Mad Dog, you'll see how "well" that plan goes over with the MSFS crowd...

Regardless of the publishers/lineage of the FSX/P3D/ESP platform, MSFS is, in fact, a completely different sim, a brand new coding enviro, and a constantly changing sim. Any of the three is tough, but all three together is extra tough.

Frankly, I'm rather pleased they continue to focus on not only fixing all the stuff Asobo breaks every month, but on delivering genuine improvements (such as the extensive autopilot work and the sophisticated enhancements to the flight model).

After all, they could've taken the easy route and just changed the 3D model...

[bendead 1,085]

4 minutes ago, UrgentSiesta said:

The only things that can be "ported" into MSFS are the 3D models and textures.

What about sounds and systems logic? If you add them to models and textures you pretty much have a full addon

[jarmstro 2,404]

35 minutes ago, UrgentSiesta said:

How's that Fly By Wire A380 coming along...?

Very well indeed by the looks f it.

 

 

[UrgentSiesta 932]

On 12/24/2022 at 12:28 PM, Cognita said:

charge like they are the ultimate developer

I'm sorry...where do i find all those other $35 High Fidelity modern airliners? Fenix is $61, Mad Dog is $80, heck, even the Aerosoft CRJ is $45...

And yeah, the 700/800 are $70 each, but there's 3 truly separate variants in each package. Fenix? 1. Mad Dog? 1. Aerosoft? 1.

And I can understand how RR's comms can rub some people the wrong way, but he's a heckuva lot friendlier AND more substantially communicative than most of the other devs I follow. I.e., I got no probs with him.

[UrgentSiesta 932]

On 12/24/2022 at 9:24 PM, Bdub22 said:

Of course, this PMDG update post is all over the place, with some saying that an EFB is pointless to others saying that can't fly without one. There have been some good points made that I agree with, especially with some saying that PMDG has essentially just been re-releasing the same planes for almost a decade now, without innovating much. I think anyone would be hard-pressed to make an argument against that. It's been years and they still can't even show a preview of the EFB. Other payware and freeware developers most of us love have been able to produce absolutely stellar EFB's. It's my opinion that PMDG is no longer as prestigious as they once were, and I've been a customer since 2002. They simply just stopped innovating like they used to. I know they are simply not porting over previous planes, but lets stop kidding ourselves, because thats exactly what they're doing. If someone can tell me one thing PMDG has introduced and/or innovated that is new and exciting in the last 5 years, I'd love to hear about it. They're stale. And I hope all the rising new talent in the 3PD industry lights a fire under them, because they desperately need it. 

I mean, if you want to accuse PMDG of "porting" their product, then Fenix just sub-licensed somebody else's FMC and built a pretty model around it, right? Same thing with iniBuilds, too...?

And I'm still not understanding the whole "innovation" OCD...

The IRL planes themselves haven't changed much in all that time, so what "innovation" are you folks seeking?

After the Aerosoft CRJ (which no one even mentions any longer...), PMDG were the first group to bring a High Fidelity airliner to the sim (the gorgeous DC-6).

Just Flight followed (much later) with the BAe 146 (and nobody accused them of taking so long "just porting" it over...), then Leonardo's Mad Dog just a few days later, and then PMDG again just a few days later with the 737-700 (a MUCH more complex aircraft), then Fenix, again, just a few days later.

All I really want is a highly realistic representation of the IRL aircraft, and PMDG delivers.

Should they have "A" EFB out by now? Sure, that's reasonable. But I'm just not butt hurt over it - having too much fun "struggling" to fly my BBJ hither and yon.

It's too bad nobody's come up with an MSFS version of AviTab...If it's so "easy", I wonder why not...

 

[UrgentSiesta 932]

On 12/25/2022 at 1:18 AM, Farlis said:

It won't come to what happened with the Digital Aviation Fokker 100 back in FSX days which was released with 2D Panels only and the developer promised a Virtual Cockpit later and never delivered one. But it is definately similar behaviour.

Yeah, I feel SOOOO ripped off after having paid $99 for my PMDG 737 in P3D and then getting the much improved MSFS one for free.

[John_Tavendale 453]

Good to see it's a new year, with the same nonsense, dribble and BS being thrown around..

If it was as simple as 'porting' something over we'd see many more in depth addons already, but we don't do we... 🙄

[UrgentSiesta 932]

On 12/25/2022 at 12:11 AM, jbdbow1970 said:

PMDG apologist stop making excuses for them and demand them to deliver something they promised months ago. I have the 736 don't fly it anymore in favor of the MD82 because even with a more complex aircraft I can move around better with a flight tablet.

This nonsense of about the past (not tablet) makes no sense anymore. Its Almost 2023 No airliner (credible) flies without it anymore.

 

It's not about being an "apologist", it's about being mature.

I remember all the drama over Just Flight's BAe 146 not having an FMC at launch (even though the IRL aircraft modeled didn't have one, either!), and that once they added a stop gap in, it wasn't "the real" one, and then finally they released a unit that was accurate for later production models.

Oh, my the wailing and gnashing of teeth for weeks, months, and MONTHS...! It was unendurable torture! And now, quite awhile later, all we hear about it is...crickets.

They came through for their customers, and yes, it took longer than anyone thought was "reasonable".

At the end of the day, the addon is so popular it's released across the 3 major civ sims, and a new version is releasing soon, and nobody talks about the "tragedy" any longer because IT. JUST. DOESN'T. MATTER.

PMDG will come through for us, too. And they'll be late, as usual. So what? It's business as usual, and the products are great, and a great value.

[UrgentSiesta 932]

On 12/25/2022 at 3:13 AM, Cpt_Piett said:

I really fail to see how this strengthens your point of view. For me it makes a huge difference interacting with a well-designed EFB vs navigating the menus of the CDU. 

Just look at iniBuild’s A310 and it’s fairly basic EFB. It really does make certain tasks so much easier - loading the aircraft (it has sliders for pax number, cargo and fuel), takeoff performance calculations and handling things like the GPU, chocks and pushback. 

Surely an EFB is not used for these things IRL. But I would say it’s even more useful in the sim. 

And then there's the Hot Start Challenger 650

It's funny to me that we all want highly realistic "Study Level" addons, and then we complain about the lack of UNrealistic EFB's...