The overall overlap of aircraft and airports when there are tens of thousands of airports and thousands of aircraft is amazing to me. For example, In FSX/P3D we had like 5 or 8 versions of KSFO for years. And how many companies have to develop 737’s and A320’s?
The stagnation and confusion has been obvious, and it continues.
A department of sorts in the MSFS team to remedy this is necessary, but it is a logistical nightmare because of all the “secrets”. It is because of all the secrets, that this will never be solved.
I thought the scenery gateway system was going to be an attempt to at least partially solve this concerning the airports. Then a similar system can be developed for the aircraft and utilities, ect. But its like this community is bent on stagnation (“not started”).
The flight sim industry has and continues to totally fail in this area.
I personally believe that these threads keep popping up every now and then with the same intention of pressurizing MS/Asobo/WT to bend to a particular 3rd party developer’s needs and its product.
Reminds me of how another famous developer who didn’t want to produce anything for MSFS because of “it’s just isn’t ready” but changed the tune when others managed to produce similar quality add-ons.
In this fast moving world of MSFS it’s either adapt or lose out.
I dont know if its stagnation. It’s a combination of things.
It’s the developers baby, and they’ll work on what THEY want. Everyone wants to do the big fancy noisy,busy popular airports. Who wants to work on KDTW, when you can do another Denver?
What will sell? Not much in the Midwest, that’s for sure. Nobody has done a Quad City and that’s a pretty busy airport for the region.
Speaking of selling well I wonder how long it will be before we see a KLAX, that should sell pretty well. The handcrafted one is okish but it can be made to look better, just take a look at Flightbeam KDEN and compare it to the handcrafted one in MSFS.
So what’s the deal with Airport purchase (asking as a new simmer).
Do people go for the paid bespoke airports near to their homes and that they use regularly in their nation? Or does ‘collecting’ realistic airports become a thing in itself?
The pricing doesn’t seem trivial, this could become expensive pretty fast?
Much as I would like to name the developer, I think it would be unwise as it would then take this thread onto another unnecessary trajectory. Thank you for your understanding.
Asobo have the contract with Microsoft and Asobo are taking all the risk, it shouldn’t even be a question that they get to choose what they produce. If any two other devs happen to work on the same thing it’s always the best that wins out so why should this be any different?
The stagnation point I make is; some have purchased (or downloaded freeware of) KLAX, KDEN, KSFO, EGGH, EHAM, 737’s, A320’s, etc., several times over the decades. At what point will a platform have default airports or aircraft that finally suffice? Never? At what point can a default Quad City suffice,…ever? At what point will 3rd parties be able to move on from the basics of realistic airports or aircraft.
In FSX/P3D the add-ons began to get diverse. Realistic ground crews, some amazing tiny grass strips, and boarding simulations that presented new frontiers. But now we find ourselves back to buying the same old add-ons from FSX, and even the realistic quality of the Eric Ernst 767 PIC from some 20 years ago matches any default airliner in MSFS. Why? To give 3rd parties a chance to sell the same things all over again? Why?
After all this time, using any default real/live weather or weather add-on, we still don’t have a single cirrus cloud above 40,000 feet or the possibility of several layers of cirrus. Why?
Stagnation that is why. All brought on by too much competition and “secrecy” within the same industry (infighting so to speak). The whole flight sim industry lags behind, wallowing in the same add-ons over and over, with just enough added flare like PBR (or some other non aviation related change) to fool most.
Yes, as technology progresses and increases, them airports and aircraft will get more and more realistic. But this industry has its default basics wallowing in unrealistic renditions (shortcomings) requiring the same add-ons time and time again. Its like this industry learns nothing from the past.
I know HiFi chimed in regarding weather post announcement that the weather engine won’t be open to third-party but they will still be looking into it, will be interesting to see what they do.
Asobo certainly haven’t anywhere near finished and their weather is one of MSFS’ biggest attractions. It’s something they aren’t going to give away and who can really blame them? … Like everything else on the todo list we shall just have to wait for volumetric cirrus clouds.
Don’t forget they have a contract with Microsoft that they would be very wise to stick to.
Asobo would never make a 737 that is up to par with PMDG which is projected to come relatively soon. The flight sim community is far more likely to go for PMDG than one from Asobo so in the end what is the point really?
I don’t hope for Asobo to work on any more new aircraft. They have limited resources and I’d rather have them invest those into doing things NO ONE else can - improving the core sim experience. There are third party developers that are better suited to bringing out more aircraft, more high-fidelity aircraft, packed with features to make those planes satisfying - just like what you see guys such as PMDG and Just Flight doing. If Asobo simply helps them by improving the core sim, everyone wins. We don’t really need Asobo to bring any more aircraft, in my opinion.
If you mean you want more free aircraft from Asobo, I have nothing to say here.
Well, I don’t think this is a lack of support by Asobo, but a lack of detail of this systems on the current sim. I wouldn’t consider MSFS stable enough yet for supporting all 3rd party addons and complex systems.
Really, have you seen the Fenix A320? It looks like it’s on track to meet and exceed FSLabs. I feel the whole argument of MSFS isn’t mature enough is quickly becoming a bridge that is crossed. Many developers simply don’t want to learn something new and even so I know of like four or five (well respected) that have moved to MSFS and ditched P3D.
With how extremely popular the aircraft is and being able to fly it in a next generation flight simulator? I have very little doubts it will sell quite well. Also, there is a freeware 737-800 is in the making.
