Why Payware?

[bm]

I have bought only one Addon, Active camera as I love the flyby view. Apart from utillities and the like which I am Happy to pay a couple of pounds to use if they so wish. Buying a plane however is different.

If I were (A rich man??) to buy an aircraft addon (

[Hagar]

[quote]Wait..i really mean no offense..please..but this makes me think...what were you looking for?..some kind of recognition..or some wage?..i have to ask, but then again..i REALLY mean no offense.
Sometimes when you don

[Katahu]

There are many ways for you to PROVE to the consumers that the Payware-addons they buy are legitimate.

These methods include:

1. Applying the verifications on the Texture files
2. Applying the verifications as a Text, Excel, or Word file.

However, NONE of these methods will prevent the Pirates from stealing your hard work that took months or years to finish.

There is one method that GAURANTEES you that the Pirates will not steal your work without being exposed or caught.

What not to do:

"Never put all your eggs in one basket". It means don't rely on just one thing.

Never left the Text files for Texture files be your only means of verification. Doing so will make it easy for the pirates to erased or edit.

What to do:

Remember, the Pirates can't edit your visual model without the source file.

So, while you are making you visual model [in Gmax or FSDS], add a visual verification to certain places of the model. Gmax has a feature that enables you to add 3D text to a model before exporting. Once you have applied the 3D text to the model and exported the model, it will be virtually impossible for the Pirates to edit it without the source file.

In fact, NEVER let anyone borrow your source file unless the project is just part of a learning process. You should be the only person who has the source file. Once you don't need it, delete it.

Project Mercedes was part a learning process for me, so it's not really that important to me. But since the Porsche will be the most realistic car for FS, this is what I will add to the gmax model [in a way]:

"This Porsche has been made as a FREEWARE model for FS users. If you have been charged for this package, notify me at ."

This 3D text will be placed under the car. All that you will need to do to see it is to use the "slew" mode to rotate it.

Clever, huh?

[Hagar]

Hi Katahu. I didn't mean to send this thread off-topic & don't see what this has to to with Payware.

In my experience the only way to GUARANTEE that someone will not pirate your work is not to post it in the first place. When it happens the first time it hurts bad. You get over it & the next time it's not so bad _ & so it goes on. If the thought of this happening to you bothers you that much you might as well give up now.

[Katahu]

Well, I do see that this has something to do with payware, if you look closely into it.

You're right about not posting the addons in the first place, but one will never be recognized if his/her hard work is not shown.

We all take risks. In fact, we all take risks that are much bigger than loosing credibility for your work. We risk being victims of ID theft everytime we use our credit cards to order online. We risk getting run over everytime we cross a road. We risk getting sued for the most rediculous things. And so on.

Ok, NOW I'm officially off topic.

Ok, time to go back on topic.

[Hagar]

Just to make this clear. I'm not interested in credit or reward. I do this for pleasure. The thought of some untalented individual profiting from what is & should be free revolts me. That's all.

[Scottler]

Even though I'm an anti-payware, I have to point out one very important difference in the payware industry.

There's a world of difference between a group like Lago and some 14 year old kid in his mom's basement selling F-18s that he built in gMax.

Are some of them worth it?  Probably.  But am I going to spend my money on all of them and take that risk?  Probably not.

With quality freeware add-ons available, I'd much rather support someone who does what they do because they love to do it, and not because they figured out a way to make a buck.

Second, with a freeware add-on, if I don't like it as well as I'd hoped, I can delete it with no further consequence.  Not the case with payware.

Aviation, real or simulated, is a passion that can't be bought and/or sold.  If I didn't love the idea of flying every day, any time I wanted to, I wouldn't have even paid for FS.  But unfortunately, until I'm done with my PPL, this is the way it has to be.

And finally, one tip for all who praise payware to keep in mind.  That little product description you read on the back of the box?  That was written by a MARKETING TEAM.  Their very existance is to write things in such a way that make you want to buy it.  Just because it says it's good, doesn't mean it is.

[Katahu]

Long ago someone pointed out that in the past, many people loved the idea of making flight simulator addons for free and as a hobby.

But look at us today. Well, for some of us.

With all my knowledge and my very own checking account [finally], I can easily put a price tag on my addons if I want to.

HOWEVER, I didn't. This is because I feel that it is too early for me to go Payware because A) I feel that I don't have enough design experience to go that path and B) I feel too young to start going payware [I'm 19].

But I douht that I ever will. Going payware will probably make me feel like a heel.

[planespotter]

Huge payware supporter here. I don't even want to count how much money I have invested in addons for just this game.

Why, it adds the realism that I am looking for. I don't have the talent and don't feel it's fair all the people who ask for detailed this and that for FREE

No one here would work for free so I'm amazed that so many people expect stuff for free.

My hat is off for those authors who still deliever high quality work like Kirk Olsson and Dino on their F-16 and F-14's. There are very few who can match what they have done.

I have very few regrets with any payware files I have.
Lago's F-16 & Tornado
LZHelo's- 14 files
Alpha Sim- 15 files
FS Genesis land scenery- all of US
FSNAV-
WeRX
T-37 Tweet.

[pete]

1st we have to realise we are in the early stages of digital entertainment.
2nd - By definition everyone here is a 'payware supporter' - because you have bought your
base sim -from Microsoft.
I'm basically a supporter of progress & if that means paying for it - so be it.... But the greatest progress is more than very often made by genuine enthusiast who are motivated purely by the buzz of this great hobby.
There are several factors that spring to mind in this thread:

Extremely honourable behaviour:
Those who devote considerable time creating a masterpiece or contributing a lot of their time to helping others to get more out FS/CFS - driven purely by enthusiasm & a generous inner attitude. These are the 'good people' of this world & get very little of the appreciation they deserve. (dishonourable behaviour by users who don't think of feeding back...!) - We're talking 100's - sometimes even 1000's hours here..
Honourable behaviour
All those who give without thought of 'what's in it for me' We're talking hours & 10's of hours here ....
Dishonourable behaviour
People who claim they are making freeware - use sites like this & attain a ton of help on false pretences only to release their files through a payware company. Happens regularly. They should be honest from the outset. I even had one guy asking me to buy him FSDS, as he was 'out of work'

[planespotter]

Great Post Pete  ;)

[Katahu]

I contribute plenty of time in the forums. However, I never keep track as to how many hours I have spent here. Therefore, I assume that I am in the "Honourable Behaviour" range.

It's very unlikely that a Payware company would offer me a contract. This is because I make cars and not planes for FS. Not that many people are willing to drive in a flight sim.

The same thing goes to Hagar. He makes tanks. I wonder why. This is not a war simulator, you know. But then again, this is not a car-driving simulator either.

[Scottler]

No one here would work for free so I'm amazed that so many people expect stuff for free.

I, and the large library of freeware add-ons, might be inclined to respectfully disagree.

[FreddyG]

I voted No. 2. But personally i prefer freeware. The question shouldn't be if you like freeware or payware. Rather you should ask what purpose do each search. If youre selling your software, as some of those who posted in favor of it, as i admit i would do, that is sell my software, then go for it. But we must remember that the way things are going with the internet we will soon see nothing for free.You would have to pay for everything.The internet will become a giant store where nothing is free. All you would find would be adds, adds and adds. Everything for sale, including email and chatrooms. Sites will charge for logging in to it. Just give this a few years and you'll see it! The only way to share would be on a peer to peer basis and this would also be attacked. Nothing against selling your work, i repeat! But lets give room to sharing and creating communities like the one we belong to, the flight simulator community, and let its purpose continue to be the one it has been until now, to share and make friends. Something money will never be able to buy. A suggestion to Simviation's staff. The fourth question is a tricky one. People do not necesarily hate payware or want it banned. Your forcing people to choose one of the other answers that more or less favor payware. This leads me to think that you will soon be charging to  make downloads from your site and limiting the access to those looking for freeware, like Flightsim.com does. In other words, Flightsim.com charges you for its "premiun membership." But if you logon to it and try to gain access to their library, it tells to come back later thus forcing you to become a pay member because you never get access. Please...dont make the same mistake!
Good luck to all!

[Big_Al]

I enjoy payware because it's usually done correctly. freeware is wonderful but it is getting oftly hard to find a decent freeware airplane with a virtual cockpit. since my friends computer is top of the line we cant fly an airplane unless its in the VC. and the bottom line is, most freeware does not have a VC, and if it does, it is extremely simple.

Now this isn't a knock on the freeware people, I just accept the fact that for 20-30 dollars I can buy a great complete airplane with a VC and enjoy myself. I have done this with the CS 727, pmdg 737, and unfortunately the PSS a330 (no support)

So the bottom line is, you get what you pay for. I dont expect freeware to have a VC, so thats why i support some payware.