Simviation Forums

Below is an extract from a letter I have written to Natural Point for TrackIR support for Prepar3d. While this is in fact, is geared more to getting a non MS FS to work with software that is not proprietary to FS - it naturally bears some relevance to the FS community as a whole.

Over time, MS FS will become redundant since MS has decided to not support it. Moreover, their attempts to fly a new model, so to speak with Flight was a dismal failure.

Prepar3d - while a commercial application has a lot of recreational support. I know of several well known developers of original MS code, and add-on scenery and airplanes who are applying their focus in this arena.

Prepar3d's modelling is derived from FS code. It's nature is similar as well. It's fun, an alternative; and one that seems to be well supported by other commercial ventures such as ORBX and REX;E. 

Please read this letter, and if you agree head over to Natural point and Prepar3d and ask them to find a mature way to get together to develop a product that has I am sure "re-converted  many back to FS as a whole.

I am writing to ask that TrackIR and Lockheed Martin's Prepar3d developers get together and jointly figure out a compromise to make two great products work well together.

I have read a fair bit across multiple boards and it would appear that there is a degree of  "a pissing" contest about whose code won't work going on. This is juvenile at best and I as a consumer of TrackIR and Prepar3d, as well as FSX and all the other peripherals that go into a flight simulator hobby, feel I am getting short changed.

I believe in collaboration, and with over twenty years in business, have seen two sides with far greater differences negotiate, and come to mutually agreeable and often profitable terms.

I implore that your creative people get together and explore how you best ought to develop your products with proper future scanning in place.

FSX, while a great product is no longer supported by MS. (at least to my knowledge) It is poorly written code, that requires many "re-installs" and causes many crashes for former customers - Iuse the term former b/c I am sure other than a few instances this product is not flying off the shelves anymore.

Why would your organization continue to provide or develop support around buggy code for those that still use the platform?

I have written in several forums my displeasure at finding out that you will not (at this point) support the development of code that will best support the LM Prepar3d code.  I will further try to drum support for this topic on several other forums (simviation for one). Please, add to the hobby, the industry and the creative/intellectual side of flight simming by developing and not retarding or limiting the potential.

Sincerely,

Greg Jensen M.Ed MBA

Perhaps NP do not forsee a major market suitable for the costs associated to developing their product to work in Prepar3d. 

Or perhaps LM is not willing to provide the code necessary to allow NP to develope their device to work in Prepar3d.

Or perhaps neither of these assumptions is right and there is more to it than any of us could ever know.

Although I highly support the consumers right to voice disatisfaction with service, I don't believe you are barking up the right tree in this instance. Your TrackIR works in FSX I presume. And that is what NP promised to deliver. So product was delivered, it worked, you were happy, they got paid, success and enjoyment for all!

Now the device doesn't work in another platform. So? They never said it would, and although the coding in Prepare3d is built on FSX, it is still a unique product owned by another company. There were no promises by any party going forward that all your FSX add-on hardware and software would still work in Prepar3d. I don't believe it is fair for a consumer to get angry at a supplier because the supplier does not or will not provide a certain service that they have never promised to provide in the first place.

Lockheed-Martin's PrePar3d is not a replacement for FSX. It will never be. LM has no intention of making a "game".
I have PrePar3d, the Pro version and enjoy it. It is a fantastic training tool.
I am experimenting search and rescue, land vehicles, air, and small ships so that they can work together in a mission.
So..if you are waiting for LM to replace FSX you are going to have a long wait.
BTW
I'm the Assistant Director of Developement
Regional Community Aerospace Facility
Breslau, Ontario

Thanks for all your views.... as of a few days ago, and that I was totally unaware of (P3D and TIR now speak to one another) TIR works out of the box..... I now have a licensed version of EZDock if anyone wants it...   

@RAFSB I believe that FSX is a great game....but is limited and as mentioned unsupported by corporate developers from MS. It's longevity as a whole is owed nonetheless to great people in a world wide community  such as what is found here. I bought another FSX Gold recently as I wish to self compare the two....however, I see the versatility in P3D; 1 of which allows me to use a dimension that was off limits in FSX - underwater, the other incorporates other aftermarket products such as VRS superbug/Tac Pac. Flying for the pure joy of it (I don't have a pilots license) yet.... is something I am grateful to FSX for opening up to me....but I was always and always will be looking for the next level.... P3D I believe offers that. This community, I believe will see this too, for those who venture into other areas of FS.