LVFlyer

Apparently this isn't the place to champion the cause.

You are absolutely correct in your statements, but the fact that there are alternatives in freeware that in many, if not most, instances are more flexible and better than payware versions needs to be shouted from the rooftops for all the newcomers to the hobby. What I hope to accomplish here is to make that known and hopefull stop the potential probleme down the road with having to own all the commercial weapons pack core programs in order to enjoy belonging to a VA. I have been a member of many and each run into the same problem with some wanting to use payware products while others can't afford it and then can't see the proper airframe, textures, or effects of everyone in session. Since FSX has an issue with substituting AI models and textures that hasn't been overcome yet, it is disconcerting to see a Blue Angels F-18 when in fact your opponent is flying a VRS Suprebug in Navy colors. It would be nice to see it as it is, but the only way to do that is to pay VRS. They are now doing the same thing with combat effects and that is my main effort to nip that in the bud. There is value to charging for development utilities within reason and as long as they offer more than what is available as freeware, at least more than just a fancy GUI. I won't fault anyone there.

I too am permanently disabled so I know where you are coming from, but when you research this hobby you find that when commercial greed came into it the amount of activity diminished significantly. There is a great article by Jordan Moore at Hovercontrol that lays out the history. I don't want the people that are just getting back into it to get trapped in having to support the big companies for mediocre return. When something is created by those actively in the hobby there is a lot more heart and pride that goes into it than just having the motivation to make a buck and release incomplete crap that requires many updates. I believe the reason for that is to stop piracy. There actually shouldn't be a need for piracy since the original intent of MS releasing the SDK was to build the product from the desires of the users and not for greed to find out the secrets and then force everyone to pay them to use them. We are just now unlocking the hidden locks to the built in combat ability that was deliberately shut off by ACES. Lets keep it in house and not let the commercial interests rule.

All I can say is don't try to make a living off a hobby. If you are as talented as you say you are there are plenty of corporations taht need good xml or C++ programmers. More money to be made there then here.

I agree with all you say and thanks for correcting the link, but you guys have to see the whole picture here. The way it is now if you want to participate in a multiplayer environment with a friend you will have to have the package they have in order to see the guns, missiles, bombs, and effects. There are three companies that I know of that are poised to release different packages of the same thing, but with proprietary code. That is CaptainSim, VRS, and MilViz. You will have to purchase all three base packages to see the effects in multiplayer. Even though they are releasing SDKs the creations from the developers will be useless unless the particular package is owned by all in the session. We are a hobby and not everyone has a desire to purchase multiple add ons to fly with others online. We have already created beta bomb effects and a bomb gauge that calculates the impact point from any altitude, speed, and wind condition and is accurate as far as the eye can see the effect. You can get that free at www.dahome.net/fsxfiles.htm. The install instructions are there. The bomb gauge is installed in both airframe packages you can find there, but can be installed in any airframe. If everyone has these effects installed and are using the client to connect to the bomb server, that anyone can host, everyone will see the explosions on the ground and the black spot afterwards. We have not modeled damage effects yet, but that is why we need to put our heads together. Each has their own talents and together we can knock the socks off anything that has been released. We have even created a guided missile with lockable HUD and weapon load out like that of the Superbug. All the source code is available for free and is mostly in C++. We don't need to support this attempt to hijack our hobby. Come on guys lets nip this in the bud.

Legally no, but as developers we can put our collective minds together and produce a much better freeware product like the pioneers like, Jordan Moore, Scott Prinz, Karol Chlebowski, Dirk Fassbender, Chris Dub, Dino Cattaneo and many many more have done. I know there are lots of you out there and don't mean to offend by not including you in the list, but these are ones I have had contact with. Together we can show these companies that they can't change the color or look of the code that was created by us and then make a profit off us and those that actually did the work. It's obvious by looking at the videos and screenshots that Chris Dub put up on Youtube that this has been a developing project. It is ours and should remain ours. They didn't even give credit to Scott Prinz for the HUD.

Gentlemen,I am starting a revolt and I encourage all that can to spread this and make it viral. Captainsim and VRS are stealing ideas and code that have been in development and released as freeware for the last year. It is not fair for a company to take advantage of our community's contributors time and talent to discover the hidden secrets of FSX and then create a product that practically guarantees that you will have to buy their product in order to use. I am talking about the "Weapons For FSX" and "Tack Pac". The concept of weaponizing FSX with AI SAMs, missiles, droppable objects, guns, and Air to Air weapons have been in development in our community by many dedicated to freeware contribution. This can be seen at http://fsdub.informe.com/portal.html and other posts in the community. Screenshots and videos have been released on Youtube every step of the way and at http://www.dahome.net/fsxpics.htm. Now the greed has begun and the big companies can see an advantage to take what has been in development and wrap it up in a security wrapper and force everyone to pay them in order to use. Captainsim at least is releasing an SDK for development, but anything created will have to use their dll which will cost everyone. Stealing of ideas and concepts from hobby contributors like Sludge and Karol Chlebowski and many others has been happening for years and has damaged our hobby, but we always seem to recover and put the greed out of business, like Alphasim sort of. I encourage all that can to join with me and encourage the development and release of the already being developed stand-alone freeware dll and SDK so it can grow in the spirt of what this hobby is all about, sharing and contribution for mutual enjoyment. We have made major moves in the multi-player environment in the last year so lets join to destroy the GREED. Spread this far and wide