1 hour ago, Farlis said:

So many of the issues reported in the experimental branch remain in this first version. I know they will keep polishing but I would have waited before releasing it publicliy in this state.

I'm grateful for early releases as long as they work on fixing what's wrong and releasing fixes. Right now, without having tested the latest release, BATC needs to fix vectoring, especially when the pilot has to request an ILS approach in bad weather, because the ATC gave a visual approach, and then BATC still doesn't get the vectoring correctly.

Since I know what I'm doing, I just just jump into an ATC role.

To developer:

If you're reading, BATC dev team please fix the PIC request for a different approach and IFR vectoring to final intercept, before moving on to the pre VFR release.

Thank you.

Yeah, I had only two short flights with the new EA version. So I can't say much so far, cause I had no / very few traffic around me and ATC hadn't much to do. So everything worked fine for me. Have to test a little bit more.

But switching to the role of ATC - whilst in the cockpit - sounds very familiar to me. 🙂 

I did a couple of flights with the main build (not the vfr changes) that were supposed to fix some issues.  So far, it doesn't seem much better.  Vectoring is a little better, but still ignores altitude.  Separation is non-existant.  I was cleared for takeoff as I see the shawdow of a plane landing right above me.  I did another flight into KSAN with traffic 5/10, and it was just lost.  I was on late final with a SW 737 holding.  They clear the 737 to takeoff and tell me to go around.  Then they vector me back around, but forget about me and I had to turn to avoid a mountain.  At least the ATC did pick me back up and cleared me for an approach, but no further clearance was ever given.  Just silence.  

I basically have to fly myself, and BATC is just backround noise.  

Am I missing something?  SimBrief is required to start BATC for VFR services???

Please tell me it's not a thing.  There's so much more to VFR without getting a flight plan all set up.

Maybe its not on the version I use?  1.8.6.EA?

Edited April 6Apr 6 by ryanbatc

6 minutes ago, ryanbatc said:

Am I missing something?  SimBrief is required to start BATC for VFR services???

Please tell me it's not a thing.  There's so much more to VFR without getting a flight plan all set up.

Maybe its not on the version I use?  1.8.6.EA?

Not a thing. Maybe watch the demo video? And VFR is not released to the Early Access Branch. So no, it is not in your version.

Edited April 6Apr 6 by Farlis

5 minutes ago, Farlis said:

Not a thing. Maybe watch the demo video? And VFR is not released to the Early Access Branch. So no, it is not in your version.

I thought I read something that said it was - stage 1 at least.  Well maybe not hard to tell from their discord.  Looks like you need to be at a towered airport anyway and there's no flight following at the moment...  

Guess I'll check back when it's available for EA

4 hours ago, Farlis said:

So many of the issues reported in the experimental branch remain in this first version.

that's why I haven't purchased it yet, too many other open issues in other unrelated categories, all stealing time from actual fling the sim.

33 minutes ago, ryanbatc said:

Am I missing something?  SimBrief is required to start BATC for VFR services???

Please tell me it's not a thing.  There's so much more to VFR without getting a flight plan all set up.

Maybe its not on the version I use?  1.8.6.EA?

It is kind of confusing with the versions:

-EA = early access, which is basically the main version.  

-Experimental = testing the new stuff like VFR.  You have to pay extra to get this.  

I was quite confused by this trying to figure out which is which.  Basically you have the release version, but none of the VFR stuff yet.  

4 minutes ago, kerosene31 said:

It is kind of confusing with the versions:

-EA = early access, which is basically the main version.  

-Experimental = testing the new stuff like VFR.  You have to pay extra to get this.  

I was quite confused by this trying to figure out which is which.  Basically you have the release version, but none of the VFR stuff yet.  

Ok thanks yeah I thought EA was experimental at first but ok that makes way more sense.  So they have like 3 versions and it's only out to the people who pay extra to test an even buggier version 😉 

11 minutes ago, ryanbatc said:

Ok thanks yeah I thought EA was experimental at first but ok that makes way more sense.  So they have like 3 versions and it's only out to the people who pay extra to test an even buggier version 😉 

Technically only 2, since the program itself is in early access, there's no "release".  Early access is as stable as it gets.  

17 minutes ago, kerosene31 said:

Technically only 2, since the program itself is in early access, there's no "release".  Early access is as stable as it gets.  

Exactly. They consider the program still early access. Early access will finally end when VFR Version 1.0 is stable and released.

2 hours ago, ryanbatc said:

Guess I'll check back when it's available for EA

I forget how much the experimental is but it's peanuts.

As for VFR, it's early but promising.

Simbrief ,flightplan or directly from the sim for the flight plan or lack off.

Pretty good taking off. Like you said no flight following yet.

Approach is basic both of my flight were good. Very basic so far though.

I prefer that when having it all and it be completely broken.

For more in depth I will leave to others as I barely know what I am doing in VFR

 

 

 

 

12 hours ago, ryanbatc said:

Ok thanks yeah I thought EA was experimental at first but ok that makes way more sense.  So they have like 3 versions and it's only out to the people who pay extra to test an even buggier version 😉 

Honestly, the “buggier version” framing kind of stings a little.

We sell two packages, one early access version, where you get access to BeyondATC before its official release. We’ve tried to be as transparent as we possibly could, explaining that it will be a long process, it can have bugs as we actively work on developing all planned features and stabilizing the software.

Then we have a supporter’s version, which is for all people that want to… support us. That’s exactly what we sell. Access to the experimental branch is a special perk to show appreciation for extra support but you’re not buying it. At least you shouldn’t do it with that intention.

At the end of the day, BeyondATC is a one-off $30 add-on. Every feature we ever ship, everyone will get it at some point without spending more than the early access price. We don’t make any more money from anyone after that purchase. So if we were trying to squeeze people, especially with a buggier version, that would be a pretty bad business model, don’t you think?

You’re welcome to disagree with that approach, anyone is free to have their opinion even on the "early access" topic. But “paying to test a buggy version” sounded, at least from my perspective, a bit unfair since we tried to make it very straightforward even with how we name our packages and versions 🙂 

13 hours ago, ryanbatc said:

I thought I read something that said it was - stage 1 at least

Nope.

Simbrief not required for the new VFR feature. It can can use Simbrief but can also load a FLT file or pick up directly from the in-game flight planner.

I believe you can also not load any FP and simply tell ATC your intentions on first ground contact.

I'd recommend watching the VFR demo vid on YouTube, as your knowledge about the new features is clearly patchy.   It's set in the UK but still showcases a number of the new VFR features.

Edited April 7Apr 7 by JYW

42 minutes ago, Dialex said:

Honestly, the “buggier version” framing kind of stings a little.

We sell two packages, one early access version, where you get access to BeyondATC before its official release. We’ve tried to be as transparent as we possibly could, explaining that it will be a long process, it can have bugs as we actively work on developing all planned features and stabilizing the software.

Then we have a supporter’s version, which is for all people that want to… support us. That’s exactly what we sell. Access to the experimental branch is a special perk to show appreciation for extra support but you’re not buying it. At least you shouldn’t do it with that intention.

At the end of the day, BeyondATC is a one-off $30 add-on. Every feature we ever ship, everyone will get it at some point without spending more than the early access price. We don’t make any more money from anyone after that purchase. So if we were trying to squeeze people, especially with a buggier version, that would be a pretty bad business model, don’t you think?

You’re welcome to disagree with that approach, anyone is free to have their opinion even on the "early access" topic. But “paying to test a buggy version” sounded, at least from my perspective, a bit unfair since we tried to make it very straightforward even with how we name our packages and versions 🙂 

At a time like this - a major update release - on communities like this one, you'll hear far more noise about problems, than from those just quietly enjoying and appreciating the new VFR offering, and the fact that BATC is moving into a whole new feature provision, with VFR.

I bought BATC purely expecting only IFR.  It was more than worth $30 one-off for that.  So the new VFR content is just a fantastic bonus.

Overall, I find BATC absolutely amazing, especially given the price.  I was chucking $20+ away every month for the other competitor and - at the time at least - it was an absolute s*** show of bugs... on every flight.

I find BATC a little more scripted in how I perform my IFR flights but it does what I need and is fantastically immersive.  The voices have come on brilliantly.  I literally never fly without it, whereas with SI, I'd pretty much given up bothering to load it.

So THANK YOU for your continued work and skill.  It's a brilliant product, that offers extremely good value.

Edited April 7Apr 7 by JYW