The only difference between MS Store and Steam version is the Licence ID’s that are used for DRM. Both come from the same marketplace and are bought by tokens.
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People in the simming community have always been able to modify aircraft that have come with the simulator. It is sort of greedy that Microsoft wont let us modify their aircraft with the intent of improving their functionality, and making not simply a toy for youtubers to play with for a day and then abandon. They are really forgetting about the community’s wishes, and what’s best for the future of the flight simulator community. It is selfish that this move is all about the money. They could bring in ways to stop people from acquiring the aircraft whilst still letting the community modify the files. They just won’t. Sad.
Us people who have spent the extra for more aircraft deserve more aircraft. Functional, and up to the latest standards. Unfortunately almost no aircraft meet this standard, even on the marketplace. Don’t mess with the flight sim community. Give us the respect we deserve, and aircraft up to scratch, because we paid for it and this is a disappointment. OR, if you won’t fix them, let us access the .cfg files so we can do it ourselves. You are restricting our experience.
Maybe they will change their mind and see what it really means to be part of the flight sim community. I hope they do.
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To reiterate - Jorg stated in the June Dev Q&A that a Strike Team is looking at how to address the Deluxe and Premium Aircraft. In his words - they are NOT abandoned. That is all I know, but for full transparency, I’m a Premium package owner and I’m disappointed at the state of the stock aircraft that come with the package.
If you would like to get more information, I kindly suggest you submit a question for the next Dev Q&A requesting an update or more details on this.
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You can’t really blame her for the wrong topic title that this all started with (Giving the impression that ‘we’ wanted the whole package unpacked).
Besides that, there are many issues that needs solving and that doesn’t help getting this a bit more on the foreground again.
It really feels like there’s an easy happy medium here. Decrypt the config files so people can alter performance/flight models/instruments while keeping enough core files encrypted that it stops casual piracy.
(I’m sure someone said that somewhere in the previous 206 messages; I just came here to add my vote. 
)
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I don’t know if it’s been said in the prior 206 messages or not, but I do know it sounds like a great idea to me. But I’m not a programmer, so I don’t know if that is something that would work from a coding perspective. But if so, yes, Mr. And Mrs. Asobo, please do this!
Kev
That is the purpose of this topic, only unlock the text (xml,cfg,flt) files. But it all started with a bit confusing topic title and text, implying to unlock the whole package to the devs.
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Note: There has NEVER been a “reasonable” explanation why “SOME” of the .cfg files are included in the encryption process.
Whenever it is raised, the reply are vague, and mention Licenses etc, which really is meaningless, unless explained in detail, in which case, the License Argument would probably break down.
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A possible work around, to enable the original .cfg fileto remain encrypted, would be a way to override specific parameters in them, with some form of user created MOD.cfg overide file.
ie MOD.Cfg that could contain specific parameters that are in any typical Plane’s .cfg file, that overwrites just those parameters in any of the encrypted .cfg files.
NOT Idea, but might provide the needed MOD ability, without exposing all the content of the .cfg file.
The problem is MS/Asobo seems to have no interest or motivation to address this issue, and seem to be avoiding the whole issue by not being willing to enter any meaningful discussions.
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This is the highest-voted item still listed as “not planned” for a fix, after unlocking weather to third parties.
I’m hoping they just haven’t revisited it and will scope a fix that offers a balance between protection of their IP and improving the product. Seeing what Working Title did to improve the sim, they obviously know that allowing third party tweaks makes the sim even better.
Best bet for now is probably to include carefully worded requests in the upcoming dev Q&As.
With the greatest of respect, Jorge is perfectly entitled to say what he wants but we are now a year in and bugs that have existed since launch are still untouched so until Asobo stop taking about fixing the premium aircraft and actually fix them the situation is functionally identical to them being abandoned.
Honestly if it is so difficult for Asobo to maintain these aircraft then personally I’d prefer then to be entirely decrypted so they can be maintained and updated by the community.
I’m fully aware that removing the DRM would potentially make the plane useable by people who haven’t paid for them but frankly I’m getting to the point wherehaving someone actively working on making the planes flyable is more important.
Once again – Mixed messages.
Nobody is asking to make these Premium / Deluxe aircraft easy to copy, and to remove all their DRM.
Keep the DRM on the Models, so they cannot be copied and run on a non authorized PC, but do not encrypt the simple text .cfg files.
Already, not all the .cfg files are encrypted. So why can’t all the .cfg files be Non-encrypted, to allow Modification and fixing, while still maintaining the DRM of the total package, and having the IP, expensive to produce, "licensed ? "Models encrypted.
The current situation really makes little sense, and the the Product would still remain DRM protected, if all the .cfg files were exposed.
The repeated argument, that exposing the .cfg files, would remove all DRM properties of the product, is both false, and an insultingly naive argument, that does not make any logical sense.
Ironically, the only argument I can see for not “Bothering” to exposing the .cfg files, is that they are readily available elsewhere on the Internet, in their un-encoded state !!!
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There’s no mixed messages from me, that is explicitly what I think should happen if Asobo continue to be unwilling or unable to maintain the premium/deluxe aircraft
I would far prefer the aircraft to be open to everyone so they can be fixed and maintained than be left in the current situation.
I hope they at leat encrypt all of the cfg files so the planes are more moddable. Otherwise I see no motivation for users to spend almost double the price for the deluxe/premium deluxe version.
3rd party (freeware) involvement dedicated to improving various aspects of the sim has been the BACKBONE, IMHO to the success of the franchise through the years. What you advocate makes total sense and I hope the powers at be realize that opening things up on the premium content is actually a good thing.
They hired the WT team. Look at what they accomplished ON THEIR OWN for FREE with the (opened up) CJ4, to the benefit of Asobo/MS customers. To be sure, Working Title and other freeware contributors are the SOLE reason for me not only purchasing the sim after the gamepass trial, but also purchasing the premium version.
Giving other talented 3rd party dev’s access can only be beneficial to ALL, under this scenario - and as history has shown, even Microsoft’s bottom line.
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It’s better to ask for what’s reasonable than to ask for the world.
Opening up configuration and system files would let third parties make the planes work and fly like the real things. Keeping the models encrypted would still protect Microsoft’s IP; that’s not something they can just ignore, there are contracts in play, I’m sure. If you’re at the point of wanting to enhance/change the visual models, then perhaps it’s time to develop a full third-party plane.
Demanding everything be unlocked is just a sure way to ensure nothing gets unlocked. I know this is the Internet and stuff, but sometimes compromise and realism needs to be considered.
Unlocking the systems and config files would be a huge step in the right direction, and would make most of the concerned folks here very happy, while still addressing MS’s concerns and IP rights.
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What’s reasonable is for Asobo to properly support the planes that people have paid extra money for - that doesn’t appear to be an option so far and we still have nothing approaching a firm comitment from Asobo that it will be in the future - just that they are talking about it.
So honestly I’m not feeling that reasonable solutions have worked so far.
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I’m not opposed to modding planes to improve them. I bought the Premium Deluxe Edition of the game.
However I’m curious/worried about one thing.
If the encryption is removed on these aircraft there is no way to stop them being shared online, we all know that will happen. This will be unfair to those of us who paid the extra for the Premium Deluxe.
Is this a valid concern or will the Premium Deluxe planes ONLY work on a Premium Deluxe installation?
Could a compromise be made that ONLY the aircraft.cfg be made accessible for tweaking?
That is EXACTLY what is being requested by the majority, but is being made complex and confusing by a few misguided posts.
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