One of the AVSIM Moderators has suggested that we post the logical reasons that the creation of two additional subforums, one for each of MSFS2020 and MSFS2024, within the Microsoft Flight Simulator (2020/2024) would help the user community. 

While acknowledging that we are in an unusual period - with the recent introduction of MSFS2024 and the understandably disproportionate level of users seeking solutions to the difficulties they are encountering while climbing up a very steep learning curve - nevertheless, I would suggest that the logic for having two subforums remains the same beyond that peak.

1.  Microsoft, flight sim developers and users rely on community self-help  As with the MS Windows Help system, it is generally other users who are the mainstay to solving technical and operational queries and difficulties.  Flight Simulation always has had, and probably will always have, a significant mix of technical and procedural challenges - and the speed in which this sector has been able to move from being a very specialist area to now having general public accessibility is remarkable.  And that speed is significantly due to the strength of this approach.

2. For Flight Simulation, AVSIM is unarguably one of the best examples of this  It is, in my view, exceptional.  There are VERY few pc technical or flight-related issues where someone on the forum will not have the knowledge and willingness to help.  

3.  Flight Sims are complicated!  To get them working efficiently, it needs a mix of pc-program related, software related, hardware related and flying related skills.  Most us will need help at some stage to get the best, and most satisfaction, out of this hobby - and particularly just to get started in the first place.

4.  MSFS2020 and MSFS2024 have fundamentally different technical approaches and PC infrastructure needs  They both need a beefy CPU and GPU.  But, while decent streaming is always useful, you can - and many folks do - run MSFS2020 with an unreliable or slow internet connection.  MSFS2024 relies on fast and reliable internet.  I'm in the UK - and even here, 'fast and reliable internet' is something you seek to get, but don't necessarily expect to get.  There are many countries around the world where this will be even more the case.  And so...

5. ...I think MSFS2020 and MSFS2024 will probably co-exist for a long time   I think that 2020 to 2024 will, indeed, become a logical upgrade path for those who have the technology infrastructure - but I think that there will be a large market remaining within those who don't

6.  The number of issues for MSFS2024 will reduce - but will always be high  - in exactly the same way that MSFS2020 still has a significant level of new posts.  Even after the dust as settled (as it did also with MSFS2020 after the first year) THESE ARE COMPLICATED SIMULATORS WITH HIGH LEVELS OF NEW USERS, TECHNICAL IMPROVEMENTS AND CHANGE.  

7.  Seeing the wood for the trees   As I said early on, the exceptionally high level of MSFS2024 posts, presently, is at an artificial high and, without consistent tagging and filtering facilities of those tags, it is - certainly for myself at the moment - unusable to quickly browse and spot a topic where I could offer suggestions to other users on topics I have experience of, or spot a topic where I also am facing the same difficulty.  I think the first topic that had any relevance to me this morning was Page26.    But, even once the dust has settled, there will continue to be significant levels of query and folks seeking help on both Simulators.

 

I hope that the above makes sense and, with thanks for their time taken to read this - and for presiding over such a splendid forum - I hope that the Administrators will reconsider their decision.

 

AJR

   

That was me but I'm sorry, the AvSim CE has decided there will be no separate forums. Use tags when relevant.