Now that we have had a bit of a splintering with the whole fs.to fiasco in regards to where add-ons are located and/or available. Might it be a good idea to create a sub-forum that deals strictly with freeware add-on releases and where they can be found? Things fall off the front page so quickly, it might be nice to have a sub-forum that is dedicated to JUST downloads and where they are available. You could always go to that sub-forum and find where things are located. Authors could post when they have made an update and lets us know where to go to get it.  Add-ons that have decidedly large download counts, like a JPL152 or the Savage Carbon could be stickied.

Any thoughts?

4 hours ago, salasnet said:

Now that we have had a bit of a splintering with the whole fs.to fiasco in regards to where add-ons are located and/or available. Might it be a good idea to create a sub-forum that deals strictly with freeware add-on releases and where they can be found? Things fall off the front page so quickly, it might be nice to have a sub-forum that is dedicated to JUST downloads and where they are available. You could always go to that sub-forum and find where things are located. Authors could post when they have made an update and lets us know where to go to get it.  Add-ons that have decidedly large download counts, like a JPL152 or the Savage Carbon could be stickied.

Any thoughts?

Well I think it is a good idea.

I usually go here for add-on news - https://forums.flightsimulator.com/c/gd-interests/aircraft/217 

It's a bit more focussed than here and any 'what's the best processor' threads get syphoned off very quickly. 

Like it or not, the fact is that today almost all the freeware are listed on FSTO which has on its front page a listing of everything new Recent Uploads » Microsoft Flight Simulator Mods » Flightsim.to

I don't see any reason to duplicate it on an Avsim subforum. 

If anything of interest is only listed elsewhere, a post on the main forum will do the job.

Edited March 2, 20233 yr by Dominique_K

As long as it doesn't have the extensive structured search functions of fs.to with all its filters including a scenery map such a subforum would be of little avail. 

Personally I will continue to browse for freeware addons exclusively on fs.to.

If I look for something specific I additionally use google.

Or I might randomly come across some freeware that is mentionned on Avsim.

What I don't find on fs.to or google simply does not exist for me. I don't want to spend my time poking around scattered websites, messy subforums or discord channels.

Edited March 2, 20233 yr by RALF9636

Because what AVSIM needs is more subforums. 

An addon subforum under this particular MSFS subforum or a general addon forum for all sims included (MSFS,FSX. P3D, XPLANE etc etc)?

5 hours ago, Dominique_K said:

Like it or not, the fact is that today almost all the freeware are listed on FSTO

except for all the freeware devs like Gotfriends who yanked their content from the site... And it doesn't look like those folks are coming back even if FSTO changes what they're angry about. It's gonna either fragment, or a new FSTO-like site will pop up to be the hip place to download addons.

 

 As I said "almost all the freeware" meaning that there are exceptions. And that being said I am not going to restart the older thread which has been mercifully closed few days ago 😁. 

Edited March 2, 20233 yr by Dominique_K

31 minutes ago, eslader said:

 It's gonna either fragment, or a new FSTO-like site will pop up to be the hip place to download addons.

 

Actually I don't expect a large fragmentation.

99 % of the freeware is and will be still on fs.to.

And within the rest there is a handful of "premium" freeware developers like GAIST or Gotgravel who are important enough that users are willing to follow them wherever they go.

But all the "ordinary" freeware developers who left fs.to will either be happy with their download numbers tumbling to a fraction of what they had before or return to fs.to sooner or later.

9 hours ago, blueshark747 said:

An addon subforum under this particular MSFS subforum or a general addon forum for all sims included (MSFS,FSX. P3D, XPLANE etc etc)?

Just for MSFS.

For example, we would have:

• MSFS (2020) Add-Ons Forum
• MSFS (2020) Tips and Tricks Forum
• Virtual Reality (VR) for Microsoft Flight Simulator (2020)

If you made an addons sub-forum the main forum (here) would be very quiet.

Leave it as is would be my Penny's worth

 

Quote

Now that we have had a bit of a splintering with the whole fs.to fiasco in regards to where add-ons are located and/or available

I wonder what proportion of devs actually left?, did most just have a bit of a moan?

Edited March 3, 20233 yr by Pathfinder633