It seems we get an early glimpse at how SayIntentions plans to tackle traffic. Sounds like it's all early days yet, but looks to me like an online/offline VATSIM replacement. In other words the ATC part is handled by AI, while the traffic you see around you is a combination of live players and (possibly - not fully confirmed) players that were there in the past. 

Personally I really like that idea, it means you get 100% coverage compared to a service like VATSIM while at the same time actual people flying the planes and therefore more "intelligent" traffic. 

It's free for everyone, albeit I imagine the actual talking to ATC part would require the subscription.

There's supposed to be more info during FSWeekend.

 

 

A little lost on what it is. I know that currently we can hear traffic that was in the area at some time. So is this just now putting AI planes with those audio clips and using their tracking tools for the planes path? Or is this more like a giant multiplayer session and AI talks to all that are on the same freq?

 

As I understand it - will be both.

The online traffic will be as you say - a big multiplayer session where you can hear ATC and players talk to each other. Basically VATSIM.

Then there will be historic traffic which are players in the past who had similar conditions as you - runway assignments, weather, etc. Exactly how they will be sequenced, not too sure but I know that Brian talked about curating / managing historic traffic so it feels like they are a plausible part of the world as you experience it flying in your sim.

I should say that second part is already part of SI in the preview mode, albeit with some limitations. Haven't had a chance to play around with it.

 

 

The fact that it supports X-Plane and even P3d makes me seriously considering purchasing it, starting with monthly subscriptions just as I do with Navigraph, and then maybe yearly...

I've got some limited experience of BATC, and hope their updates coming will make it less scripted etc.  For those who use SI, does it have local accents like BATC does? Videos I've seen of people using it in the UK and Europe sound mostly like USA accents most of the time for ATC which is a deal breaker for me in terms of realism...

1 hour ago, ianb2469 said:

I've got some limited experience of BATC, and hope their updates coming will make it less scripted etc.  For those who use SI, does it have local accents like BATC does? Videos I've seen of people using it in the UK and Europe sound mostly like USA accents most of the time for ATC which is a deal breaker for me in terms of realism...

I've used both extensively and while SI offers a lot more than BATC at the moment, voices are not that good. Most of the time you will get the same 3 or 4 US voices, while flying somewhere else in the world. Also IMHO BATC does a lot better VHF audio degradation effect. Closer to what i've experienced in real life and what you can easily hear on any online videos. SI voices sound a little more robotic to me (lot better than default ATC of course) 

Thanks, I’ll hang on for BATC’s next update then.  While I do dabble with VATSIM the lack of coverage coupled with people on Unicom dropping onto the ILS on top of me, I’d much prefer one of these AI options!! 

6 minutes ago, Juan LLobera said:

Most of the time you will get the same 3 or 4 US voices, while flying somewhere else in the world.

Wow..you actually got 3 or 4 voices?  I would get the same exact voice on every handoff....maybe a second voice on occasion.  One of the very many reasons I discontinued using it....

Honestly I would even accept those pre-historic robotic voices... provided there's coherency in what they say.

I got an invitation for Say Intentions OpenSky and tried it in the last few days.

Overall I am rather positively impressed.

Since I use X-Plane and MSFS, I would like to invest in only one platform, and Say Intentions appears to be the right choice because works in both platforms as well as in P3D which I also own ( v6 ) although don't even have installed.

In X-Plane 12 i can live with the limitations of the default ATC because it is good enough for IFR flights, and has, since the release of Xp12, got updated to the point that IMO it is superior to default ATC in MSFS 2024.

I will almost surely start with a monthly subscription.

24 minutes ago, Juan LLobera said:

I've used both extensively and while SI offers a lot more than BATC at the moment, voices are not that good. Most of the time you will get the same 3 or 4 US voices, while flying somewhere else in the world. Also IMHO BATC does a lot better VHF audio degradation effect. Closer to what i've experienced in real life and what you can easily hear on any online videos. SI voices sound a little more robotic to me (lot better than default ATC of course) 

You are smart to have both. I recently got BATC to add to my PilotEdge and SI ATC options. Totally agree with the VHF audio degradation. Something PE does but its not a canned effect but rather distance and terrain effected. All have their pros and cons. I determine which ATC to use based on the flight I am wanting to do. PE will always be my first choice. However, they are limited to only 80 airports. SI is perfect for VFR flights and I can use it with PE to man towers that are unmanned within the PE coverage area. BATC is now my go to ATC for IFR flights.

However, flying a small GA single in the BATC world is not the best. Currently as I found out, you can request an approach from BATC after you get your descent call but before the ATC gives you what approach/runway combo to expect. The problem is with the low altitudes I fly at, I always get the approach/runway call before I am told to descend so there is no window for me to make my request. Worse is they want to vector you into terrain or instruct you to 1000 feet 15-20nm out from the arrival airport.

Was landing in Palm Springs last night and was told to descend to 1000 20nm out of which the elevation was 400-500 feet so that puts me at 500-600 agl for 20nm. The good thing is that as long as you confirm the instruction, you dont actually have to do it using pilot discretion and you wont keep getting calls to do it when you dont.

With BATC being a one time purchase and SI offering a free option, its not a heavy investment to have both as a basic foundation. I feel SI is heck bent in being everything BATC is and way more but I'm not ruling BATC out anytime soon either.

11 hours ago, Ident said:

A little lost on what it is. I know that currently we can hear traffic that was in the area at some time. So is this just now putting AI planes with those audio clips and using their tracking tools for the planes path? Or is this more like a giant multiplayer session and AI talks to all that are on the same freq?

 

Currently, SkyNet MultiPlayer is what you described as "a giant multiplayer session and AI talks to all that are on the same freq"

When you enable "SkyNet MP", you see other aircrafts and others see you.

Additionally, to get the "full experience", when you enable the following options :

- Live Proximity : you hear other aircrafts

- Share my audio : others hear you

 

When AI Traffic will be made available, the idea would be to have the following options :

- enable both AI Traffic and SkyNet MP at the same time

- enable either SkyNet MP/AI Traffic/none

 

Just re-watched the video - the other live pilots stuff is right up my street - including the auto-removal of aircraft doing strange things.

Does the fully subscribed version have a wider range of voices/accents etc?

Also - does it control oceanic airspace?

 

Thanks.

While not Vatsim, SI does have a fair amount of users to now be discovered while flying. This is whos currently online.