I’m exceptionally good at overwording! 
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I can’t see how it’s quicker and cheaper to produce a whole new model, textures, animations etc
I think this is happening because that’s the desire and it’ ultimately then makes it standalone but it surely can’t be less work and therefore money for every user that wants to move it over. Will be interesting to see what the charge if any is for this pleasure.
The new aircraft are all encrypted by Asobo now though, so I don’t think they can be used in that way anymore, so I don’t think the BkSq dev has any choice.
The encryption thing is a big topic and there’s been mention of it being removed so it may of been better to wait perhaps. Then again you are waiting on Microsoft and there’s no putting a time on that.
Just looking at what could be the quickest/cheapest solution.
I think they said they were looking at a way to make parts of it available, but because of the competitive element to some parts of the game, they didn’t want to completely open it up.
So, another Xbox compromise, how many PC players asked for a competitive element to the game? You just end up with a product that’s a Jack of all trades and a master of none.
Yep. Want happened to career mode not affecting free flight. So much for that.
I do actually hope that Black Square decides to go this route and redo the overhaul aircraft as standalone units. Would be really cool to see some of the features from the duke and TBM in the King Air!
I’d gladly pay for a new standalone King Air!
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You might want to read this… Just Flight - New Black Square MSFS aircraft in the works
As for the Steam Gauge Overhaul series (Analog Caravan, Analog King Air, Analog Bonanza, and Analog Baron), I have been planning a major reboot of these titles as standalone aircraft for MSFS 2024. These new aircraft will be known as the “Professional” series, and will include all the technology that makes the TBM 850, Dukes, and Starship among the most complex general aviation aircraft for MSFS.
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Oh man just in time! Sounds like it will only be for MSFS 2024 though. I am not sure I am ready to make the jump yet. Would be nice if it would also be a version for 2020.
I wouldn’t expect such aircraft to be released for a year. He has to model them and there’ll be quite a bit of work involved.
Exactly why it’s a strange decision from Blacksquare. Getting something out to the users should really be the priority. If this is still desired it could come later.
I am glad we live in an environment where we have developers who doesn’t only consider “Getting something out to the users” as their number one priority. Otherwise we would be stuck with only Captain Sim quality products.
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They don’t have a choice. They can’t use Asobo’s 2020 models, they’re disabled in 2024.
I mean, they might be able to get Microsoft’s permission to use and modify the Asobo model, but, probably easier to make their own..
Unless you’re being sarcastic, in which, “Yeah, what was Black Square thinking???” 
@TheSupercalle That’s not at all the same thing now is it. Not for one second did I suggest or ask for rushed out low quality products. What we had in 2020 is what I’m talking about. Nothing Captain Sim about that now is there.
I do take the other point that it may not currently be possible but there is a commitment from Asobo to resolve that and once we have that it’s surely quicker/easier and cheaper to update what’s already there for 2024 as the first step and longer term aim to go completely all in on a 2024 standalone. My concern here is it becomes a full price addon and justified by adding stuff I don’t want or need. I’m happy with it just the way it is and would just like 2024 compatibility. If both are made available then fine but it appears the decision is already in full swing.
I think a part of the issue is that the 2020 King Air it was based on doesn’t exist in 2024 and I don’t think Black Square can port it over as it’s not their property.
They would instead have to develop the same product for the 2024 King Air, so it would be more like a new product and not just a compatibility upgrade.
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I hear and acknowledge that. I’m just assuming that although different it can’t be nowhere near as much work as creating a whole new model. It begs the question why it wasn’t a standalone in the first place. It would certainly have made it easier now.
Because it was easier back then to modify an existing model, in hindsight it wasn’t a great idea, but who was to know Asobo would lock all of their models down in a new version of MSFS, which we didn’t know was even coming back in 2020?
I think BkSq is a one man dev team, at least they were when they started out.
As we’ve already mentioned the locked down models is only meant to be a temporary thing.
Umm, I think you’re confusing what Microsoft has committed too…
- What’s been committed to is unlocking the configuration files. Not necessarily the models. Maybe the models will be unlocked, too? There’s no guarantee there.
- If the Kingair has been converted to 2024 format, then, it’s going to be a lot of work to convert their interior model to 2024 format, and there’s no guarantee that there haven’t been model changes to the Asobo King Air exterior model that will have to be accounted for. You can’t use a mixed 2020/2024 aircraft. 2024 models use a different texture format, and many other features that the old model will have to be converted too.
There’s a chance they didn’t do any work to the King Air other than converting it to 2024 format (IOW, no model change per se), so “all” it means is converting their interior model to 2024 format, but we don’t know. And neither did Black Square until a couple weeks ago, and they may still not know.
There’s more to it than just the use of a default model that may or may not be usable in 2024. The developer has mentioned on the JF forums that some of the things that he was able to do with the Duke and TBM was because they had complete custom models… the physics based starting being one that I remember him mentioning specifically. He was expressing a desire to make all those original steam gauge overhauls stand alone models quite some time ago so that he could bring them up to the standard of the Duke, TBM and what I assume will be present in the Starship.
I think with that aspect in mind, it doesn’t make too much sense to spend time getting the old overhaul products working again (a lot of which would probably be legal wrangling) when that time could be spent getting the products up to the most recent standards. And won that note, I’d imagine he’s half way there since he does have the cockpit models and base systems coding for all of that already done. The bigger reward may indeed just be to do the new exterior models, update the cockpits and systems as needed, marry them together and release that. He seems like a pretty sharp guy, he’s probably done the math… or created an app in the Turbine Duke EFB to do the math for him..
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