I can hear the silence.

[Steve M]

Now that we know little more than six months ago what are your thoughts on the progress of Flight? Are they about ready for beta testing? The design team has been very quiet for quite a while. Do you think all the team agrees with the path MS has decided to take. (and yes we don't know what that path is yet.) Finally, If the CIA and FBI can't seem to keep a secret how in the heck does MS do it?
                              ;)

[BrandonF]

Since they posted on their news page that they are hiring someone to lead the beta team, it wouldn't surprise me if they are almost ready for beta testing.

It seems that maybe the team isn't being so controlled by Microsoft this time. The website, for one, seems different than most Microsoft websites, so that's one reason I say that. Other than that, I don't know why I feel that way. 

[Strategic Retreat]

Sorry, but you should have named this thread as: "The Sound of Silence".... would have been more evocative.

It will come for when it was (or will be) promised? Will be everything we feared? Or hoped? :-/

The answer is inside you, but it is wrong.

The only thing you can stay sure is that the beta testing process will be fast. It's hardly a secret that in M$ beta testing is only a front. A matter of being able "we did it", so to keep the buyers calm... and all the bugs still there, secure and cozy in the code, like before (else, if they did a serious beta-testing, how could be justified then the need for them to publish all the various patches-called-service-packs to follow?). Have only a little patience.

[BrandonF]

The only thing you can stay sure is that the beta testing process will be fast. It's hardly a secret that in M$ beta testing is only a front. A matter of being able "we did it", so to keep the buyers calm... and all the bugs still there, secure and cozy in the code, like before (else, if they did a serious beta-testing, how could be justified then the need for them to publish all the various patches-called-service-packs to follow?). Have only a little patience.

Sorry, but I don't know if I agree with that. I've been using Windows 7 since the RC version, and have had very few, if not zero, issues. Was that the case with Windows Vista? Heck no. It was a nightmare. Same with FSX. It runs, but it is full of hidden bugs. Will Flight be the Windows 7 of the FS series? Well, Microsoft learned their lesson with Vista, so I would hope they learned their lesson with FSX, and it seems that they have. (i.e: they haven't released any screenshots of what they want Flight to look like, but what it does look like) No beta testing is fool-proof. There's always something that gets missed, but it gets to a point where there is too much missed. (FSX  )

[Steve M]

I came across FSX after it had been out for a year +or -.
So a lot of the fixes were already coming out and I may have had some grief but I missed out on what seems to be the initial shock right after release. I will, however be there for the release of Flight, if I live long enough.  If flight is too buggy at the start up, I'll just put it on the shelf for a while.. but I will give it a chance first. I'm being strangly optimistic for some reason. If beta doesn't start this year though, my prediction for Feb 2012 is trashed.   8-)   

[Fozzer]

Following after Flight Unlimited II/III, Pro Pilot 1/2, Fly!, and a few others, I purchased each of the MS Flight Sims as soon as they were first released; FS '98, FS 2000, FS 2002, FS 2004, (and FSX).
From memory I cant remember having any major problems with any of the first four versions, '98 to 2004, as each one appeared to be a gentle upgrade from the previous version (hardware-wise).
It was only with the advent of FSX that my hardware limitations soon were to be an insurmountable problem (vast expense!), and still remain so!
I could never figure out, (and still cant), why FSX put such an immediate heavy demand on my system, compared to the previous versions!

FS 2000 (with its excellent manual!) was a good upgrade from FS '98. FS 2002 was a fantastic upgrade from FS 2000, and it took me some time to finally get around to running FS 2004 on my computer, as FS 2002 was so good!
I have been running FS 2004 now since it was first released and I was, and still am, delighted with it. Maximum settings.
Unfortunately, for some reason, the hardware demand for my FSX means that I can never use it to its full potential, (whatever that is!).
I will, no doubt, purchase "Flight" as soon as it is released, as I did with all the others, and time will tell if I can run it to my satisfaction... ...!
But at the moment, I am in no great hurry, and continue to enjoy my trusty FS 2004, day after day!

Paul...A collector of Sims... ...!

[Hagar]

FS 2000 was a good upgrade from FS '98.

:-/ FS2000 was a backward step in my opinion. FS2002 was everything FS2000 should have been only 2 years late.

[Strategic Retreat]

FS 2000 was a good upgrade from FS '98.

:-/ FS2000 was a backward step in my opinion. FS2002 was everything FS2000 should have been only 2 years late.

And to show that humans never really learn from their messing up, that wasn't the last time it happened too.

After all, it's only because M$ bailed out from FS11 that FSX is still around.

[Steve M]

Following after Flight Unlimited II/III, Pro Pilot 1/2, Fly!, and a few others, I purchased each of the MS Flight Sims as soon as they were first released; FS '98, FS 2000, FS 2002, FS 2004, (and FSX).
From memory I cant remember having any major problems with any of the first four versions, '98 to 2004, as each one appeared to be a gentle upgrade from the previous version (hardware-wise).
It was only with the advent of FSX that my hardware limitations soon were to be an insurmountable problem (vast expense!), and still remain so!
I could never figure out, (and still cant), why FSX put such an immediate heavy demand on my system, compared to the previous versions!

FS 2000 (with its excellent manual!) was a good upgrade from FS '98. FS 2002 was a fantastic upgrade from FS 2000, and it took me some time to finally get around to running FS 2004 on my computer, as FS 2002 was so good!
I have been running FS 2004 now since it was first released and I was, and still am, delighted with it. Maximum settings.
Unfortunately, for some reason, the hardware demand for my FSX means that I can never use it to its full potential, (whatever that is!).
I will, no doubt, purchase "Flight" as soon as it is released, as I did with all the others, and time will tell if I can run it to my satisfaction... ...!
But at the moment, I am in no great hurry, and continue to enjoy my trusty FS 2004, day after day!

Paul...A collector of Sims... ...!

Yes Paul, You've just said it all in a nutshell. Why worry.. FSX or FS9 isn't going to disappear because a new program is coming out. Although I'm begining to salivate a bit, I'll just have to sleep with Pavlovs dog for a while yet.  8-) 

[Steve M]

FS 2000 was a good upgrade from FS '98.

:-/ FS2000 was a backward step in my opinion. FS2002 was everything FS2000 should have been only 2 years late.

And to show that humans never really learn from their messing up, that wasn't the last time it happened too.

After all, it's only because M$ bailed out from FS11 that FSX is still around.

Strategic, I will point to the last line you printed in the above.(I haven't yet learned how to quote a single line from a post) I have no idea what you mean by saying the completion of an FS11 would have finished FSX. :-/

[jetprop]

FS 2000 was a good upgrade from FS '98.

:-/ FS2000 was a backward step in my opinion. FS2002 was everything FS2000 should have been only 2 years late.

And to show that humans never really learn from their messing up, that wasn't the last time it happened too.

After all, it's only because M$ bailed out from FS11 that FSX is still around.

Strategic, I will point to the last line you printed in the above.(I haven't yet learned how to quote a single line from a post) I have no idea what you mean by saying the completion of an FS11 would have finished FSX. :-/

people want new stuff so when people know fs11 is out they would buy it and ignore fsx even if it is worse.

and fs11 is techicly flight.

[Fozzer]

people want new stuff so when people know fs11 is out they would buy it and ignore fsx even if it is worse.

and fs11 is techicly flight.

I would have loved FS 11 if it was as tickly as Flight.... ....

A bit of simulated slap and tickle is always welcome... ...!

Paul...technically, sat in my chair... 8-)...!

..... ....!

[Strategic Retreat]

I have no idea what you mean by saying the completion of an FS11 would have finished FSX. :-/

No? :-?

The completion of a fully functional FS2002 pretty much thrashed the badly cobbled together FS2000, correct?

Now translate all six years in the relative future... with the hypothetical, never happened, arrival of a fully functional FS11, you think people would have remained on the badly cobbled together FSX?

History has this bad habit of repeating itself... :-/


PS
You can like it, you can use it, you can not think of use any other sim, nonetheless FSX remains badly cobbled together. It's a FACT corroborated by the evidence that a LOT of people, six years after FSX's publishing STILL uses FS9 and still doesn't plan on leaving it anytime soon, while after six months after the arrival of FS9 the users of FS2002 were few, sparse and waning.

[Steve M]

I have no idea what you mean by saying the completion of an FS11 would have finished FSX. :-/

No? :-?

The completion of a fully functional FS2002 pretty much thrashed the badly cobbled together FS2000, correct?

Now translate all six years in the relative future... with the hypothetical, never happened, arrival of a fully functional FS11, you think people would have remained on the badly cobbled together FSX?

History has this bad habit of repeating itself... :-/


PS
You can like it, you can use it, you can not think of use any other sim, nonetheless FSX remains badly cobbled together. It's a FACT corroborated by the evidence that a LOT of people, six years after FSX's publishing STILL uses FS9 and still doesn't plan on leaving it anytime soon, while after six months after the arrival of FS9 the users of FS2002 were few, sparse and waning.

I see now what you mean. As far as FSX goes it can be frustrating. I read most of the posts in the FSX and FS9 boards and both seem to have a fair share of problems posted.
  I can't imagine the work that goes into a flight simulater program, I simply don't know, but I would think paying attention to and reviewing every single byte programed is impossible. So, I look at FS9 and FSX as important stepping stones. I have often tried to imagine a way to make a sim that makes everyone happy and I keep coming up blank. I don't think it can be done.        

[JBaymore]

[quote] I have often tried to imagine a way to make a sim that makes everyone happy and I keep coming up blank. I don't think it can be done.