There are several discussions about career mode. However, I’d like to understand other people’s opinions not so much about the bugs (which are ridiculous) but more about how career mode is designed.
I’d say I’m a medium-level sim pilot, and I almost exclusively fly in free flight. I’d really love to enjoy the career mode, but it’s honestly ridiculous. There’s no flight planning involved. It’s always the same route, just to and from different airports, but the flight path is identical. There’s no challenge in terms of instruments, no challenge in terms of weather except for a bit of visibility. Often, it’s unclear what the mission is even asking for. But how was this mode designed?! Wouldn’t it have been simpler to create a more linear series of missions, skipping the open world in career mode and focusing instead on the mission experience?
Things like planning the flight, receiving approach procedures from ATC, sudden weather changes in VFR, etc.? I really struggle to understand the purpose of a career mode designed this way.
When 24 was announced, a career was of interest to me even though I am an instrument rated private pilot, albeit an inactive one. The chance to relive the experience of getting my license at my old home field, or a new home field closer to where I live now was intriguing. When 24 launched and I saw it was not just a series of linked flying lessons, and the emphasis was more on earning than learning, I rapidly lost interest and stuck to sorting out my gear in free flight.
As time dragged on and the complaints rolled in, I completely lost interest in career mode. Had they stopped at a wonderfully crafted set of flying lessons I would have gladly jumped in; but all those penalties to reputation and the business prospects, no thanks. Too much stuff getting in the way of love for flight and the love of learning. Ironically, I now find myself giving mini lessons to career pilots who come to the forum to ask for help, which is ok, but what are they really learning in their career path? Anything about the basics of flight, or just gaming the (defective) game?
the saddest thing is that you’ll never, for instance, fly an iconic VIP charter from Standsted to the Canary Islands or Leeds Bradford to Corfu, or Helsinki to Split, or any of the other well-known, scenic charter routes, because Career has no concept of them. it’s just RNG.
the same with cargo missions. medium cargo mission never start from well-known cargo hubs. again, it’s just boring, repetitive RNG.
I don’t think it’s a flawed design, I think it’s designed exactly as MS intended. I am very afraid that we are poised on the brink of seeing the worlds first MMOFS - Massively Multiplayer Online Flight Simulator…
I find it interesting that in one of their responses to player concerns around the failed launch, Microsoft said that their decision to stream/encrypt aircraft was intended to prevent players from modifying them to obtain a “competitive advantage”. competitive? where? how? with whom? or is that all part of a move towards World of EverMSFS the live service MMO?
and that’s leaving aside the fact that they’ve shut the door on any possibility of a repeat of 2020’s incredible freeware FlyByWire A320 project. it’s literally impossible with streamed/encrypted aircraft files.
Just like any other MMORPG, everything in the cloud, all content gated, microtransactions, the FS equivalent of loot boxes, pay real money to circumvent unreasonably obnoxious grind, do I need to go on?
It’s AMAZING. Been using it all week – you don’t even step into career mode. You go into free flight and NeoFly does all the career mode for you. It’s pretty fun! WAY more missions and variety. Works for both MSFS 2020 and MSFS 2024
The thing I don’t understand about career mode is who it was supposed to be made for. I can’t figure out what portion of users they were aiming for here. Now, I completely understand there are people who play it and seem to thoroughly enjoy it. But having played it a lot the first few days and then watching streams of it after that, it seems too “boring” to hold the attention of most casual or new players, but isn’t simulation enough to hold the attention of most hardcore simmers. It’s in this weird middle area, but even still, I consider myself an in-betweener and it doesn’t really appeal to me all that much either. I went from really enjoying it the first couple days to hitting a brick wall and never wanting to touch it again. For sure the bugs and imperfections are a part of that, but even if it were bug-free today, I just don’t think it offers the type of experience I want in the sim. Which is fine, but again I just can’t really figure out what they were aiming for with their design of it.