To hear what they say about Rise of Flight, matters started with the wrong foot with that
sim game too.
You MUST be connected to their server to make the thing fly, even if only offline (
so if their server goes so goes your sim), few planes at the moment, but FREE new ones incoming... the outside model... because the cockpits to use them ARE PAYWARE (
a little like saying: this bike is totally free, but to have the handlebar and the saddle you MUST pay or do without... ouch), and to crown it all... the thing is still in beta, yet is sold too, so if you buy it, you better be aware to having been unofficially named a paying beta tester (
a new software developing figure extremely appreciated even by other software houses... one who pays so they can solve their problems in a way that is for them totally free). :-?
Remembers you of something? Sure as hell remembers me of something too... something having to do with ANOTHER new GAME...
I know this is an old post, but I just now read it, since I haven't had anything to do with MS Flight until today (and already uninstalled).
Anyway, you are not telling the truth here. I have had RoF since the day it was released. When it came out it was a full and working flight sim. It needed a couple small patches to fix some unexpected issues and one of those was to correct Vert- on triscreen systems.
About it being a beta, it IS NOT. The UPDATES and ADDITIONS are beta tested each and everyone of them, however that is done behind the scenes and the normal public IS NOT part of that process. Much has been added to the sim since release and that was the plan all along and was spoken of by the devs many times before the first release.
The planes are there for use in the game even if you don't buy them. You will fight with them on your side or as your opponent. You buy them if you think you would like to FLY them. You have a choice. But they are still added to everyones sim when they are ready.
You can play offline, though some of the features are disabled. It has been said that should the servers close, a final update will be released to un-bind the sim to the current copy protection method so no one will lose anything. In other words, if the company was to close or at the end of RoF's life cycle, it will be fixed so it no longer requires connection to work in full.
The development of RoF began around 2003. Release was 2009, I believe it was. The payware planes have helped fund further development and the sim has grown to be quite massive. Something that would have been impossible without payware additions. There has been tons of content added for free over the years since release.
Did you play a game with expansions you had to buy to play? RoF is the same thing, in a way. Only it's expansion plans are added without cost, you decide if YOU want to buy them or not. It is a continuing development game. If you don't want to buy it, that is fine, but you should not spread mis-truth about it simply because you don't agree with it's marketing. It is the best sim out right now. More advanced than anything I know of for the home PC. And I know how dedicated the devs are to this. I was very involved in the project for quite a while. These guys have a passion to create the worlds leading flight sim and that cost money. A few dollars for planes is how they fund it. You think they should work for free????
And as for MS Flight. I have NOTHING against their marketing. I am against the consolitus the game has. Terrible control options being the main thing. It is a cross bread, so PC users suffer because of it. Might work fine for a gamepad player, but lacks too much for a serious simmer with multi-function flight sim equipment. Kinda like Wings of Prey (only a bit worse than it is) and in the car games, Test Drive Unlimited 2. CONSOLITUS is a terrible disease.