for the users (i guess most of them here) that do not monitor the SDK Forum:
Asobo is currently in the process of retesting the AI-System and identify issues that can be fixed for the SU12 release.
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Excellent news! 
KSBD was my favorite playground 
Where else can you play on a 10000ft runway almost at your leisure and practice all sorts of stuff you better not try on a short and narrow runway.
Like how much crosswind can you really handle with the crab and kick method. Even if you ended up drifting downwind a bit more than desired you still had 100ft margin 
Actually that did not even change all that much when the tower came online
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So no hotfilx?
Not even for the SImconnect issue that broke 3rd party solutions?
That’s 4 months with the currently broken AI Traffic, before SU12 is released in march next year. 
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Actually, no. The “New stuff” is made by third party vendors, both the airplanes and the scenery. Asobo’s staff is pretty much (not entirely) tasked with improving the underpinnings of the sim so that all the “new stuff” works properly. This includes the flight model, weather engines, scenery and, I can’t remember the word for it, but, display stuff, which hugely affects performance of the sim.
At the moment, they are still spending a ton of time on the flight model and improving / maintaining performance, and developing the SDK so “New Stuff” can be developed. AI has also been a little bit of focus for them, and ATC is way down the list in terms of development. “ATC - It works, we’ll improve it later when we have all the related systems working better” kind of attitude. For instance, they have to get the autopilot and flight plans and procedures working first before they will even think about doing anything with ATC.
I agree, I’d like to see AI addressed (it seems like they did some work for SU11 that has at least brought it back to what it had been kind of, a little better in fact? I think also they did work with AIG so AIG could release their stuff (a pet project of Jorg’s)?). But, for the time being, their main focus seems to be on improving aircraft systems and flight model, performance, and weather at the moment, in that order of priority. I get the feeling they’re holding back for a bit on flight model to understand the consequences of the changes they’ve made?
Never underestimate the importance of the fact that they already have our money and need new customers.
Think about the streaming companies - they have millions of existing paying customers, but they’re getting beat up by stockholders because they’re not attracting new customers.
MSAsobo has the same problem. So how do they fix that? With pretty new planes! You know that’s what MS is telling them to do. I’ll bet they have a list of new planes they’re going to offer for the next eight years - it ain’t gonna stop, so no need to keep asking.
MSAsobo could be looking at an AI fix way down the road (think 2024+) and will work on modifications for the next few years to keep us placated. Or they might have already decided to farm it out. Or maybe they’re just hoping 3rd parties take the ball and run with it (think ‘we’re buiilding the platform’).
Along those lines, I was hoping that XP-12 would have made a much bigger splash when it came out and give them some competition, but by the reactions I’ve seen, it’s not going to work out that way. (Crunch, I remember saying I thought they might give MSFS a run for their money, but I was wrong about that). 
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I would be happy if they would at least fix the sound bug before then. Not a happy camper.
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I agree, or a hotfix or some sort.
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To say that last statement I think XP would of needed almost a complete overhaul in itself at its core to even get a running chance.
Is there a link to this discussion? The piece where you mention “identify issues that can be fixed” is interesting. Hopefully this means a lot of issues? lol
For me the main thing with the AI traffic is their navigation lights not being on when on the ground! It makes taxying around an airport at night hair raising to say the least.
Who thought it was a good idea to make the AI nav lights turn off the moment they touch the ground?!
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I understand what you are getting at but it is not 100% true. How many new aircraft and scenery updates have been added (by Asobo) since release? Now compare that with the # of improvements made to the AI/ATC.
The point is all of those aircraft and scenery updates have required time, money and effort to implement. It is quite obvious given the current state of AI/ATC in the sim that none or very little of those 3 factors were spent on it.
The question going forward is will that trend change with Asobo. Given some of the Dev comments, I am not very hopeful. Will it be fixed, it being the in sim AI/ATC? I suspect it will and they have said as much themselves. However from their own comments it is not something they seem interested in pushing as a #1 priority.
As always, just (observation based) opinion. Others may disagree.
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Personally, I feel that I have received more than my money’s worth with the sim already, so if they want to charge for a 3rd party ATC/AI solution I’m all for it.
Asobo and Microsoft know that improving the AI/ATC is a niche product and will not attract the number of players to bank-roll this game.
I find it funny that people are willing to pay 10X the cost of the initial purchase on airports and third party aircraft (I know I have), but demand that Asobo improve the ATC/AI/weather for free because it was included in the promotional material for the initial release.
I do agree that I would ask Asobo not to be so entirely clueless that they break other people’s efforts…
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Therein lays (part) of the problem for some. As much as I would like to, I personally have not paid for and will not pay for any third party aircraft and scenery precisely due to the lack of working (even if it is basic at this point) AI/ATC. I do not see the point in paying for a quality 320 or 737 to fly ‘alone’ to a stunning hand crafted airport because using the current AI/ATC is even less than useless.
As for ‘…demanding’ that Asobo improve the ATC/AI for free…’. Again, respectfully disagree. There is a HUGE difference between asking Asobo to implement a AI/ATC system for free after the fact vs. the actual situation. Let’s use the proper terminology when reffering to the current situation. I am not asking to ‘improve’ the AI/ATC, I am asking them to make it, at the very least usable and functional to a basic level. And I disagreed with any suggestion that I am asking them to do it for ‘free’ as you state.
They were the ones who marketed it as a working, functioning feature in the original lead up to release. I made my purchase in part based on that ‘promise’ from them. Demanding a company deliver what was advertised after it is released is in no way comparable to demanding they implement a brand new feature not part of the original release. I am not asking them to ADD (or even ‘improve’) a NEW feature ‘for free’ as you put it. I have already given them money for it, they chose to release it ‘broken’ over 2 years ago.
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Nobody said you had to only use AI/ATC from Asobo. There’s options available for both that take what the sims current state is and brings it to the “next level”. In part I’m sure is one of the reasons they were developed in the first place. Waiting for the sim to get to that level is going to be a waiting game, and a very long one. Even just flying the 737 I have several options to supplement AI/ATC over what Asobo offers without needing to boycott enjoying flying or only flying default planes until it’s fixed.
I apologize if you thought I was directing those comments at something you said. More of a reaction to multiple threads about ATC/AI I have read here since the game was released…
So tell me what program do I buy that gives me a fully working AI and ATC ??
Or make it two programs as long as they work together.
I won’t be holding my breath for that answer. And don’t for the love of simulations say VATSIM 
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You are right with some what you say but very wrong with a crucial part of your ststement:
MS/Asobo are not so much expected to develop a fully working AI or ATC as they are expected to fix what is broken.
It was marketed and sold with “real world traffic”.
While there are some aircraft pulled online they are anything near to “real world”, especially since SU11.
It was better before.
Some goes for ATC. Get on the A310 and fly IFR with ATC. Well, it is not working.
Where I agree with you is, that a really good AI traffic and ATC might be in better hands with a 3rd party developer.
And yes, they might even charge (i currently use PSXT + realtraffic, that comes with a 10$ monthly subscription).
But for this to happen, MS/Asobo have to fix once again what they recently broke and give acess to those functionalties for 3rd party developers.
Just before SU11 the guys from FSLTL came up with a very promising (free) product that together with AIG, AIGround and AIFlow gave a pretty good level of realism for traffic.
Only for being broken by SU11 and even though this was imidiately rwported during BETA, it was not reverted to the working SU10 system or fixed.
Even 2 hotfixes (i assume made by iniBuilds as focussing on the great A310) did not adress that simconnect issue.
It was jaut working fine days before and now they have to “look into it and see what they can fix with SU12”
SU12 is 4 months away!
So instead of reverting to pre-SU11 with a hotfix till they sort things out, we are left behind for months before they maybe find a few things to fix…
They tried to improve AI Traffic with SU11 but made it worse. They were told so early during BETA but simply didnt cste, and released the new AI Traffic even though it is even worse than the old.
And this is what is fueling this impression of AI Traffic being the unbeloved child.
Basic functionality has to come from MS/Asobo. It was part of the marketed features.
Enhanced experience can come from 3rd party, but then again it is on MS/Asobo to open the system and give developers the proper tools to do so and atop tinkering around themselves.
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No need to apologize, I took nothing personal from it, in fact is was a good counterview. Just differing views on a somewhat complicated subject. A good deal of this is admittedly subjected, i.e. in the eye of the beholder so to speak.
AI: AIG (Freeware) with AIGTC, PSX+RealTraffic (doesn’t interact with sim ATC but follows real world flights 1:1 using ADS-B from FR24).
ATC: ATC Chatter (not sim based but real audio clips for phase of flight), using LiveATC to supplement the airport/airspace you’re flying in (free but requires loading appropriate links), Pilot2ATC.
These solutions bypass or don’t rely on the sim to be the main controlling element which is where the root of these problems come from. I did not include Aerosoft Tool Simple Traffic or Just Planes new traffic being released soon because they don’t have their own tools or methods that alter the sims functions.