MS Announces New Flight!

[JBaymore]

I personally feel that while this kind of thread certainly takes on a "gossip" quality, it is important for the things that the "public" are thinking to actually be MADE public.  The good, the bad, and the ugly of the reactions to what is communicated about the new product. 

I am darn sure that Microsoft will be watching the various flight sim forums via search bots for topics and comments relative to "Flight".  They've done that for fs2004 and FSX; no reason to change now.  If there is ANY chance of possibly influencing future development of this sim....offering .... this kind of thread is a certain portion of from where it will come.

As a simpit owner, I see any moves away from increased modeling of accurate aircraft systems amd realism in flight dynamics and such as a move in the wrong direction.  And I NEED an open architecture so as to allow the interfacing into those modeled systems into a simpit.  BUT... I fully realize that I am in a tiny, teeny, miniscule minority as far as the flight software market is concerned.  Making a sim for ME would be a sure way to economic disaster.  Unfortunately. 

So while I can lobby as strongly as I can for that stuff.... I do not have high hopes of Microsoft listening to that as any kind of driving concern.  Maybe, just maybe... if it is easy... they will add a few things that appeal to my needs.

For me, I want a "PMDG 747 Queen of the Skies" level of systems accuracy for every aircraft available in the sim.  There can be a "dumb it down" button for every one of them..... but they have to have that kind of potential.   But ALSO with easy external hardware interfacing control into all of the switches and controls for those systems.  Nothing is "on-screen" in a simpit except outside views.  And I don't mind paying more for that kind of accuracy and access.

So all we have until this product is released is how our individual approaches to simming and abilities to parse official communications create impressions.  Those impressions are not wrong... they are just our individual thoughts on the subject. 

Sometimes listening to how others have interpreted the same information causes us to think and to digest and to refine our own thoughts.  Sometimes this causes us to change.  Sometimes this further cements our own impressions.

All in all.... it is a good discussion as long as it is kept civil.


best,

...............john

[Slotback]

In my opinion, Microsoft should work on improving the core of the simulation itself, allowing for better flight dynamics, weather, scenery engine, graphics, realism (like sloped runways) and especially performance (and also immersion). Add missions to capture a broader audience would be cool. I don't really care about the default aircraft, I don't think too much time should be wasted on them to have features that only 0.01% of the market would use. It must be modifiable, preferably with links to simviation, avsim (etc) in the readme or something so interested users can download add-ons. I don't think too much time should be spent on improved scenery (i.e. the scenery complexity slider) because it's fine how it is and most people can't max that out anyways. Basically, I want a better simulator (or game whatever you want to call it), not a FSX with some new missions, better aircraft, and even crappier performance with pointless graphics options that 0.01% of the market can use.

[DaveSims]

I mean, I understand how to add them perfectly... But if the developer just made a README or made the entire addon a self installer, it would save time too.

[quote]I once downloaded an aircraft where there were .zip files in each of the model/panel/sound/texture folders that also had to be unzipped to function.

[Keep It Simple]

FWIW......
Is it too early to have a dedicated "MS Flight" forum?

At least a couple of FS forums already have one.

For one thing, if MS is monitering the forums, perhpaps it would be prudent to have a dedicated one early on?

Besides, isn't this the premier FS site?

[JBaymore]

[quote]FWIW......
Is it too early to have a dedicated "MS Flight" forum?

At least a couple of FS forums already have one.

For one thing, if MS is monitering the forums, perhpaps it would be prudent to have a dedicated one early on?

Besides, isn't this the premier FS site?

[Keep It Simple]

If underrstand what I have been reading from various sources, "Flight" has ben in developement  since the first of the year using the mothballed FS code,
So it is hardly a glimmer is someones eye and there are definate plans to releases it.

Anyway, a dedicated forum would make posting about Flight easier for everyone concerned.
As time goes on, the "Flight" posts are bound to increase substantially.

Of couse simV is not subsidiary of Microsoft. However, I believe we all can agree that we want MS to hear (and pay attention to) what we have to say.

[DaveSims]

I would say it is way too early to get excited about this.  All we have is a 5 second shot, that probably is not the actual graphics from the game (like most ads for games, it is just an animation more than an actual screenshot).  Wait until MS releases some ACTUAL screenshots or video, or any kind of detail what so ever, because right now they have not.

[machineman9]

I think the FSX forum only really got opened when the demo was out, or atleast when there was a massive amount of detail about it. I don't see another forum coming along soon until there's actually something to be excited about.

[specter177]

You know, I remember there being a lot of teeth knashing over how FSX was going to be more like a game. Look how that turned out.

[JBaymore]

You know, I remember there being a lot of teeth knashing over how FSX was going to be more like a game. Look how that turned out.

Yeah...... they were right.   ;)

best,

.........john

[JBaymore]

I think the FSX forum only really got opened when the demo was out, or atleast when there was a massive amount of detail about it.

Correct.

[Fr. Bill]

I think the polite word you are looking for is speculation.

And being that we are all engaging in it, and you have predictions you wanna add that you state are based on bread crumbs, please share your sources. Would love to see what you got.

BS = Blatant Speculation... 

Would that I could. However, I've been collecting snippits and hints for over two years, some of which have been words casually "dropped" during phone conversations. Those would be rather tough to document...

...and I never bothered to maintain a list of "links" to posts and such.

I invest at least three hours of my day (365) to following threads on over a hundred sim-related websites, blogs, newsgroups, and such. I read a lot of information, and remember the most salient bits of it. 

[drbob777]

We know nothing about it yet so this is all speculation.


to me it looks like its a step away from realistic simulators into a LOOK AT ME IM FLYING MAH AEROPLANES simulator.

Looks pretty atleast 

[BrandonF]

I doubt that preview video is even real. Probably an artist's rendering. 

[Formula_1]

I hope it is going to be a story based version of FS. I always thought that would be cool.
Start out in flight school and get job offers once it is completed. Jobs based on your success in the game. Like after flight school if you passed everything within certain scores, you would get different job offers. Like maybe crop dusting, bush flying or flight instructor. Then after gaining points in that job, new offers come in.
I would want it to have sim physics though.
Really just a career story built upon FS. That would be terrific to me.

If it proves too much of an arcade game, I would likely pass on it. However, if it still supports all sim equipment I could live with arcade physics as long as the story and gameplay was good.
I'm a simmer at heart, but I enjoyed Test Drive Unlimited and Wings of Prey. The reason they were enjoyable to me was that 'sim' equipment works in them. Silly physics in TDU, but I didn't approach it as a 'sim' (rFactor, netKar Pro, etc). I played it as a fun freeroamiing arcade racer. I got a kick out of it. WoP isn't IL-2, but it is fun if not taken too seriously. I have room for both sim and arcade, but arcade must have the support for the right gear or I don't want to play it. TDU and WoP both did support all the right things (TrackIR, near full manual controls).

But really, if MS Flight is Flight Simulator (Next) only story based, I will love it.
I believe if they are going for the average gamer, it will have a story whether it is 'sim' or 'arcade'. If that proves true chances are I will be all over it. But I don't want to have to fly my Stearman through a tornado to deliver a tractor part to a farmer in Kansas. That would be going a bit over the top for me